CALIBRATION

• US 20130079060A1
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pivit, Florian, Markert, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,113,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

An active transceiver array for a wireless telecommunications network. The transceiver array comprises a plurality of calibratable transceiver modules. Each transceiver module comprises a transceiver chain operable to process a primary signal and generate a processed primary signal; a comparator unit operable to compare said primary signal and said processed primary signal to determine a transceiver chain error induced by said transceiver chain in said processed primary signal; and a correction unit which uses the transceiver error to correct said primary signal to be processed by said transceiver chain.

Claims

1. An active transceiver array for a wireless telecommunications network comprising:

a plurality of calibratable transceiver modules,

each transceiver module comprising;

a transceiver chain operable to process a primary signal and generate a processed primary signal;

a comparator unit operable to compare said primary signal and said processed primary signal to determine a transceiver chain error induced by said transceiver chain in said processed primary signal; and

a correction unit which uses the transceiver error to correct said primary signal to be processed by said transceiver chain.

2. An active transceiver array according to claim 1, further comprising a primary signal generation unit operable to generate a different primary signal for each of said plurality of transceiver modules.

3. An active transceiver array according to claim 1, further comprising a phase stable distribution element operable to distribute said primary signal to each of said plurality of transceiver modules.

4. An active transceiver array according to claim 3, wherein said phase stable distribution element is operable to distribute said primary signal to said comparator unit of each of said plurality of transceiver modules.

5. An active transceiver array according to claim 3, wherein said phase stable distribution element is operable to distribute the same said primary signal to said comparator unit of each of said plurality of transceiver modules.

6. An active transceiver array according to claim 3, wherein said phase stable distribution network comprises a standing wave line.

7. An active transceiver array according to claim 1, wherein each said transceiver chain comprises a digital to analogue converter and an antenna element, and wherein each said module further comprises a coupling, operable to couple said transceiver chain to said comparator unit, said coupling being provided between said digital to analogue converter and said antenna element.

8. An active transceiver array according to claim 1, wherein said correction unit comprises a digital signal modification unit.

9. An active transceiver array according to claim 1, wherein said correction unit comprises an RF phase and amplitude adjuster.

10. A calibratable transceiver module for use in an active transceiver array in a wireless telecommunications network, comprising:

a transceiver chain operable to process a primary signal and generate a processed primary signal;

a comparator unit operable to compare said primary signal and said processed primary signal to determine a transceiver chain error induced by said transceiver chain in said processed primary signal; and

a correction unit which uses the transceiver error to correct said primary signal to be processed by said transceiver chain.

11. A calibratable transceiver module according to claim 10, wherein said transceiver chain comprises a digital to analogue converter and an antenna element, and wherein said module further comprises a coupling, operable to couple said transceiver chain to said comparator unit, provided between said digital to analogue converter and said antenna element.

12. A method of calibrating an active transceiver array in a wireless telecommunications network comprising a plurality of transceiver modules,

said method comprising the steps, for each module, of:

processing a primary signal in a transceiver chain to generate a processed primary signal;

comparing said primary signal with said processed primary signal using a comparator unit to determine a transceiver chain error induced by said processing of said primary signal by said transceiver chain; and

correcting said primary signal to be processed by said transceiver chain using said determined transceiver chain error.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said primary signal comprises a traffic signal.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the steps are performed consecutively for each module forming part of the transceiver array.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein said primary signal comprises a sinusoidal test signal, and said method further comprises the steps of:

sweeping said sinusoidal test signal in frequency and, based on said determined transceiver chain error,

determining a phase length of said transceiver chain.