Antenna beam forming systems, methods and devices using phase adjusted least squares beam forming

• US 8,339,308 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ATC Technology Corporation (FedEx Corporation)
• Inventors: Churan, Gary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGue, Frank J
• Application Number:
  US12/723,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20100233973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 342/354, 455/114.2
• US Class Current: 342/354
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays

Abstract

Methods of operating a transceiver including an antenna having a plurality of antenna feed elements include providing a plurality of gain constraint values associated with respective ones of the plurality of geographic constraint points within a geographic region, selecting initial phase constraint values associated with respective ones of the gain constraint values, generating antenna feed element weights based on the gain constraint values and based on the initial phase constraint values, and determining system response values in response to the antenna feed element weights. Phases of the system response values are compared to the initial phase constraint values, and an antenna beam is formed from the antenna to the geographic region using the antenna feed element weights in response to the comparison of the phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values. Related systems and devices are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a transceiver including an antenna having a plurality of antenna feed elements, comprising:

providing a plurality of gain constraint values, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of geographic constraint points within a geographic region;

selecting initial phase constraint values associated with respective ones of the plurality of gain constraint values;

generating antenna feed element weights based on the plurality of gain constraint values and based on the initial phase constraint values;

determining system response values in response to the antenna feed element weights;

comparing phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values;

forming an antenna beam from the antenna to the geographic region using the antenna feed element weights in response to the comparison of the phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values; and

communicating information over the antenna beam.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising iteratively adjusting the phase constraint values based on comparison of the adjusted phase constraint values with the phases of the system response values and generating adjusted antenna feed element weights and adjusted system response values in response to the gain constraint values and the iteratively adjusted phase constraint values.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein iteratively generating phase constraint values and antenna feed element weights comprises adjusting at least one of the phase constraint values in response to a difference between the at least one phase constraint value and a phase of a corresponding one of the system response values, and generating new antenna feed element weights in response to the adjusted phase constraint value.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating a residual phase error in response to the difference between the at least one phase constraint value and the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values, and adjusting the at least one phase constraint value in response to the residual phase error being larger than a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein adjusting the at least one phase constraint value comprises rotating the at least one phase constraint value towards the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the phase constraint value comprises rotating the at least one phase constraint value towards the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values by an angle equal to the difference between the at least one phase constraint value and the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values multiplied by a phase adjustment factor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the phase adjustment factor is a positive scalar value less than one.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the phase adjustment factor is a scalar value greater than one.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the at least one phase constraint value is performed according to the following equation:

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating new antenna feed element weights in response to the gain constraint values and the adjusted phase constraint values, determining the system response values based on the new antenna feed element weights, and adjusting at least one of the phase constraint values in response to a difference between the at least one phase constraint value and a phase of a corresponding one of the system response values.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

repeatedly generating new antenna feed element weights and adjusted phase constraint values until the residual phase error is less than the threshold value.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

repeatedly generating new antenna feed element weights and adjusted phase constraint values until the residual phase error has converged according to a predetermined convergence criterion.

13. A transceiver, comprising:

an antenna having a plurality of antenna feed elements; and

an electronics system including a beam former configured to provide a plurality of gain constraint values, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of geographic constraint points within a geographic region, to select initial phase constraint values associated with respective ones of the plurality of gain constraint values, to generate antenna feed element weights based on the plurality of gain constraint values and based on the initial phase constraint values, to determine system response values at the plurality of geographic constraint points in response to the antenna feed element weights, to compare phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values, and to form an antenna beam from the antenna to the geographic region using the antenna feed element weights in response to the comparison of the phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values.

14. The transceiver of claim 13, wherein the beam former is configured to iteratively adjust the phase constraint values based on comparison of the adjusted phase constraint values with the phases of the system response values and generate adjusted antenna feed element weights and adjusted system response values in response to the gain constraint values and the iteratively adjusted phase constraint values.

15. The transceiver of claim 14, wherein the beam former is configured to iteratively generate the phase constraint values and antenna feed element weights by adjusting at least one of the phase constraint values in response to a difference between the at least one phase constraint value and a phase of a corresponding one of the system response values, and configured to generate new antenna feed element weights in response to the adjusted phase constraint value.

16. The transceiver of claim 15, wherein the beam former is further configured to generate a residual phase error in response to the difference between the at least one phase constraint value and the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values, and to adjust the at least one phase constraint value in response to the residual phase error being larger than a threshold value.

17. The transceiver of claim 16, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the at least one phase constraint value by rotating the at least one phase constraint value towards the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values.

18. The transceiver of claim 17, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the phase constraint value by rotating the at least one phase constraint value towards the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values by an angle equal to the difference between the at least one phase constraint value and the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values multiplied by a phase adjustment factor.

19. The transceiver of claim 18, wherein the phase adjustment factor is a positive scalar value less than one.

20. The transceiver of claim 18, wherein the phase adjustment factor is a scalar value greater than one.

21. The transceiver of claim 18, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the at least one phase constraint value according to the following equation:

22. The transceiver of claim 16, wherein the beam former is further configured to generate new antenna feed element weights in response to the gain constraint values and the adjusted phase constraint values, determine the system response values based on the new antenna feed element weights, and adjust at least one of the phase constraint values in response to a difference between the at least one phase constraint value and a phase of a corresponding one of the system response values.

23. The transceiver of claim 22, wherein the beam former is further configured to repeatedly generate new antenna feed element weights and adjusted phase constraint values until the residual phase error is less than the threshold value.

24. The transceiver of claim 22, wherein the beam former is further configured to repeatedly generate new antenna feed element weights and adjusted phase constraint values until the residual phase error has converged according to a predetermined convergence criterion.

25. A communications satellite, comprising:

an antenna having a plurality of antenna feed elements; and

an electronics system including a beam former configured to provide a plurality of gain constraint values, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of geographic constraint points within a geographic region, to select initial phase constraint values associated with respective ones of the plurality of gain constraint values, to generate antenna feed element weights based on the plurality of gain constraint values and based on the initial phase constraint values, to determine system response values at the plurality of geographic constraint points in response to the antenna feed element weights, to compare phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values, and to form an antenna beam from the antenna to the geographic region using the antenna feed element weights in response to the comparison of the phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values.

26. The communications satellite of claim 25, wherein the beam former is configured to iteratively adjust the phase constraint values based on comparison of the adjusted phase constraint values with the phases of the system response values and generate adjusted antenna feed element weights and adjusted system response values in response to the gain constraint values and the iteratively adjusted phase constraint values.

27. The communications satellite of claim 26, wherein the beam former is configured to iteratively generate the phase constraint values and antenna feed element weights by adjusting at least one of the phase constraint values in response to a difference between the at least one phase constraint value and a phase of a corresponding one of the system response values, and configured to generate new antenna feed element weights in response to the adjusted phase constraint value.

28. The communications satellite of claim 27, wherein the beam former is further configured to generate a residual phase error in response to the difference between the at least one phase constraint value and the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values, and to adjust the at least one phase constraint value in response to the residual phase error being larger than a threshold value.

29. The communications satellite of claim 28, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the at least one phase constraint value by rotating the at least one phase constraint value towards the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values.

30. The communications satellite of claim 29, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the phase constraint value by rotating the at least one phase constraint value towards the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values by an angle equal to the difference between the at least one phase constraint value and the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values multiplied by a phase adjustment factor.

31. The communications satellite of claim 30, wherein the phase adjustment factor is a positive scalar value less than one.

32. The communications satellite of claim 30, wherein the phase adjustment factor is a scalar value greater than one.

33. The communications satellite of claim 30, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the at least one phase constraint value according to the following equation:

34. The communications satellite of claim 28, wherein the beam former is further configured to generate new antenna feed element weights in response to the gain constraint values and the adjusted phase constraint values, determine the system response values based on the new antenna feed element weights, and adjust at least one of the phase constraint values in response to a difference between the at least one phase constraint value and a phase of a corresponding one of the system response values.

35. The communications satellite of claim 34, wherein the beam former is further configured to repeatedly generate new antenna feed element weights and adjusted phase constraint values until the residual phase error is less than the threshold value.

36. The communications satellite of claim 34, wherein the beam former is further configured to repeatedly generate new antenna feed element weights and adjusted phase constraint values until the residual phase error has converged according to a predetermined convergence criterion.

37. A satellite gateway, comprising:

an electronics system including a beam former configured to provide a plurality of gain constraint values, each of which is associated with a respective one of a plurality of geographic constraint points within a geographic region, to select initial phase constraint values associated with respective ones of the plurality of gain constraint values, to generate antenna feed element weights based on the plurality of gain constraint values and based on the initial phase constraint values, to determine system response values at the plurality of geographic constraint points in response to the antenna feed element weights, to compare phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values, to select the antenna feed element weights in response to the comparison of the phases of the system response values to the initial phase constraint values, and to transmit the antenna feed element weights to a satellite for use in forming an antenna beam from the satellite antenna to the geographic region.

38. The satellite gateway of claim 37, wherein the beam former is configured to iteratively adjust the phase constraint values based on comparison of the adjusted phase constraint values with the phases of the system response values and generate adjusted antenna feed element weights and adjusted system response values in response to the gain constraint values and the iteratively adjusted phase constraint values.

39. The satellite gateway of claim 38, wherein the beam former is configured to iteratively generate the phase constraint values and antenna feed element weights by adjusting at least one of the phase constraint values in response to a difference between the at least one phase constraint value and a phase of a corresponding one of the system response values, and configured to generate new antenna feed element weights in response to the adjusted phase constraint value.

40. The satellite gateway of claim 39, wherein the beam former is further configured to generate a residual phase error in response to the difference between the at least one phase constraint value and the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values, and to adjust the at least one phase constraint value in response to the residual phase error being larger than a threshold value.

41. The satellite gateway of claim 40, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the at least one phase constraint value by rotating the at least one phase constraint value towards the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values.

42. The satellite gateway of claim 41, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the phase constraint value by rotating the at least one phase constraint value towards the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values by an angle equal to the difference between the at least one phase constraint value and the phase of the corresponding one of the system response values multiplied by a phase adjustment factor.

43. The satellite gateway of claim 42, wherein the phase adjustment factor is a positive scalar value less than one.

44. The satellite gateway of claim 42, wherein the phase adjustment factor is a scalar value greater than one.

45. The satellite gateway of claim 42, wherein the beam former is further configured to adjust the at least one phase constraint value according to the following equation:

46. The satellite gateway of claim 40, wherein the beam former is further configured to generate new antenna feed element weights in response to the gain constraint values and the adjusted phase constraint values, determine the system response values based on the new antenna feed element weights, and adjust at least one of the phase constraint values in response to a difference between the at least one phase constraint value and a phase of a corresponding one of the system response values.

47. The satellite gateway of claim 46, wherein the beam former is further configured to repeatedly generate new antenna feed element weights and adjusted phase constraint values until the residual phase error is less than the threshold value.

48. The satellite gateway of claim 46, wherein the beam former is further configured to repeatedly generate new antenna feed element weights and adjusted phase constraint values until the residual phase error has converged according to a predetermined convergence criterion.