Apparatus and method for an active antenna system with near-field radio frequency probes

• US 9,130,271 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ma, Zhengxiang, Piazzi, Leonard, Pierides, Alexis
• Primary Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US13/775,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20130234883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 342165-174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/2813 Means providing a modification of the radiation pattern for cancelling noise, clutter or interfering signals, e.g. side lobe suppression, side lobe blanking, null-steering arrays specially adapted to secondary radar systems G01S13/762; aerials or aerials systems H01Q21/29, H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/40 Means for monitoring or calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4008 of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4017 of HF systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4021 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/106 using two or more intersecting plane surfaces, e.g. corner reflector antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

Field-serviceable radio frequency modules can be achieved by replacing hard-wired radio frequency (RF) feedback paths with external near-field RF probes. Notably, the near-field RF probes may allow for the RF module to be installed/re-installed on a backplane or other support structure without fowling factory calibration settings. Multiple near-field RF probes can monitor a single RF module. Additionally, a single near-field RF probe can monitor multiple RF modules.

Claims

1. An active antenna device comprising:

a path;

a radiating element that radiates a wireless signal; and

a near-field radio frequency (RF) probe positioned adjacent to the radiating element such that the near-field RF probe does not obstruct a main lobe of the wireless signal radiated from the radiating element, the near-field RF probe configured to wirelessly communicate a calibration signal with the radiating element during field operation of the active antenna device, wherein the calibration signal is processed to calibrate a phase or gain parameter of the path, and wherein a distance between the near-field RF probe and the radiating element is less than one wavelength of the wireless signal radiated from the radiating element.

2. The active antenna device of claim 1, wherein the near-field RF probe is configured to transmit the calibration signal to the radiating element, and wherein the path is a receive path over which the calibration signal is configured to be forwarded upon being detected by the radiating element.

3. The active antenna device of claim 1, wherein the radiating element is configured to transmit the calibration signal to the near-field RF probe, and wherein the path is a transmit path over which the calibration signal is configured to be propagated prior to being transmitted by the radiating element.

4. A structure for antenna devices comprising:

a backplane structure;

a radio frequency (RF) module mounted to the backplane structure, the RF module including a radiating element that radiates a wireless signal; and

a near-field RF probe affixed to the backplane structure, the near-field RF probe positioned adjacent to the radiating element of the RF module such that the near-field RF probe does not obstruct a main lobe of the wireless signal radiated from the radiating element, wherein the near-field RF probe is configured to communicate a calibration signal with the radiating element of the RF module during field operation of the RF module, and wherein a distance between the near-field RF probe and the radiating element of the RF module is less than one wavelength of the wireless signal radiated from the radiating element of the RF module.

5. The structure of claim 4 further comprising a calibration module configured to process calibration signals communicated between multiple near-field RF probes and radiating elements of multiple RF modules mounted to the backplane structure.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the calibration module is configured to obtain a calibration factor as a result of processing the calibration signals communicated between the multiple near-field RF probes and the radiating elements of the multiple RF modules mounted to the backplane structure.

7. The structure of claim 6, wherein the calibration module is configured to calibrate transmit paths of the multiple RF modules in accordance with the calibration factor.

8. The structure of claim 6, wherein the calibration module is configured to calibrate receive paths of the multiple RF modules in accordance with the calibration factor.

9. The structure of claim 6, wherein the calibration module is configured to align phase or gain parameters of the multiple RF modules in accordance with the calibration factor.

10. A modular active antenna system (AAS) comprising:

a backplane;

an array of independent radio frequency (RF) modules mounted to the backplane, the array of independent RF modules including at least a first RF module comprising a radiating element that radiate a wireless signal;

a calibration module; and

a plurality of near-field RF probes coupled to the calibration module via a plurality of RF connections, the plurality of near-field RF probes including a first near-field RF probe that communicates a calibration signal with the radiating element of the first RF module during field operation of the first RF module, the first near-field RF probe being positioned adjacent to the radiating element of the first RF module such that the first near-field RF probe does not obstruct a main lobe of the wireless signal radiated from the radiating element of the first RF module, wherein a distance between the first near-field RF probe and the radiating element of the first RF module is less than one wavelength of the wireless signal radiated from the radiating element of the first RF module.

11. The modular AAS of claim 10, wherein the calibration module is configured to process calibration signals to align phase or gain parameters of the array independent RF modules.

12. The modular AAS of claim 10, wherein multiple independent RF modules in the array of independent RF modules are configured to communicate calibration signals with a common one of the plurality of near-field RF probes.

13. The modular AAS of claim 12, wherein the modular AAS includes a greater number of independent RF modules than near-field RF probes.

14. The modular AAS of claim 10, wherein a common one of the plurality of near-field RF probes is configured to receive calibration signals from multiple transmit paths in the array of independent RF modules.

15. The modular AAS of claim 14, wherein the modular AAS includes a greater number of transmit paths than near-field RF probes.

16. The modular AAS of claim 10, wherein multiple receive paths in the array of independent RF modules are configured to receive calibration signals from a common one of the plurality of near-field RF probes.

17. The modular AAS of claim 16, wherein the modular AAS includes a greater number of receive paths than near-field RF probes.

18. The modular AAS of claim 10, wherein multiple near-field RF probes in the plurality of near-field RF probes are configured to communicate a calibration with a single independent RF module in the array of independent RF modules.

19. The modular AAS of claim 10, wherein the plurality of near-field RF probes are affixed to the backplane such that field-serving independent RF modules within the array of independent RF modules does not disturb the RF connections coupling the plurality of near-field RF probes to the calibration module.