Antenna array calibration for wireless communication systems

• US 9,118,111 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Naguib, Ayman Fawzy, Gorokhov, Alexei, Vijayan, Rajiv
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US11/405,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,417 Days
• Field of Search: 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/423, 455/424, 455/67.11, 455/67.16, 455/103, 455/104, 455/115.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/12 of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/21 for calibration; for correcting measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter

Abstract

Calibration for a transmit chain of a device transmitting information to multiple devices over wireless links includes selecting from between two or more calibration determination techniques. In certain aspects the techniques include phase only calibration and phase and amplitude calibration.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating an antenna array, comprising:

determining first calibration weights for the antenna array using phase only estimates based upon a first calibration technique;

determining second calibration weights for the antenna array using phase and amplitude estimates based upon a second calibration technique; and

determining whether to apply the first calibration weights from the first calibration technique or the second calibration weights from the second calibration technique to the antenna array based on (a) an output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights, (b) an output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights, or (c) both (a) and (b).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the phase only estimates comprise channel estimate information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the phase only estimates comprise a component of a calibration vector including both phase and amplitude information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to apply the calibration weights comprises determining based upon a ratio of the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights with respect to the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to apply the calibration weights comprises determining a difference between an amplitude mismatch between an uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights and the uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to apply the calibration weights comprises determining a difference between a ratio of a difference between a minimum of an amplitude mismatch between an uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights and the uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights, and a maximum of an amplitude mismatch between the uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights and the uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining based upon the first calibration technique and determining based upon the second calibration technique comprise determining based upon information only from a single access terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining based upon the first calibration technique and determining based upon the second calibration technique comprise determining based upon information only from multiple access terminals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first calibration weights correspond to a mismatch of a transmit chain gain and a receive chain gain based on the first calibration technique, and the second calibration weights correspond to a mismatch of the transmit chain gain and the receive chain gain based on the second calibration technique.

10. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

at least two antennas; and

a processor coupled with the at least two antennas, the processor configured to;

determine first calibration weights to apply for communication with the at least two antennas using phase only estimates based upon one of at least two calibration types;

determine second calibration weights to apply for communication with the at least two antennas using phase and amplitude estimates based upon another of the at least two calibration types; and

determine the calibration type to apply, for communication with the at least two antennas, from the at least two calibration types based on (a) an output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights, (b) an output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights, or (c) both (a) and (b), wherein the one of the at least two calibration types is different from the another of the at least two calibration types.

11. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine the calibration type based upon a ratio of the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights with respect to the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights.

12. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine the calibration type based upon a difference between an amplitude mismatch between uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights and uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights.

13. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine the calibration type based upon a difference between a ratio of a difference between a minimum of an amplitude mismatch between uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights and uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights, and a maximum of an amplitude mismatch between uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights and uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights.

14. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine the calibration type based upon information only from a single access terminal.

15. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine the calibration type based upon information only from multiple access terminals.

16. An apparatus for calibrating an antenna array, comprising:

means for determining first calibration weights for the antenna array using phase only estimates based upon a first calibration technique;

means for determining second calibration weights for the antenna array using phase and amplitude estimates based upon a second calibration technique; and

means for determining whether to apply the calibration weights from the first calibration technique or the second calibration technique to the antenna array based on (a) an output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights, (b) an output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights, or (c) both (a) and (b).

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining whether to apply the calibration weights comprises means for determining based upon a ratio of the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights with respect to the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining whether to apply the calibration weights comprises means for determining a difference between an amplitude mismatch between uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration technique and uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration technique.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining whether to apply the calibration weights comprises means for determining a difference between a ratio of a difference between a minimum of an amplitude mismatch between uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights and uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights, and a maximum of an amplitude mismatch between uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights and uncalibrated transmission and the output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights.

20. A non-transitory processor readable medium storing processor readable instructions for causing a processor to:

determine first calibration weights for an antenna array using phase only estimates based upon a first calibration technique;

determine second calibration weights for the antenna array using phase and amplitude estimates based upon a second calibration technique; and

determine whether to apply the calibration weights from the first calibration technique or the second calibration technique to the antenna array based on (a) an output provided by utilizing the first calibration weights, (b) an output provided by utilizing the second calibration weights, or (c) both (a) and (b).