Method and device for antenna calibration

• US 8,818,291 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Company Limited (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.), CICT Mobile Communication Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: China Academy of Telecom Technology (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Chuanjun, Sun, Changguo
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/577,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/101, 455/115.1, 455/562.1, 455/575.7
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

A method for antenna calibration is provided, which includes the following steps: obtaining an updated calibration period T_i after the last time of antenna calibration (S301), calculating a calibration sequence of each antenna channel in the calibration period T_i (S302); according to the calibration sequence of each antenna channel, calibrating each antenna based on the calibration period T_i, and calculating a calibration error parameter (S303); and according to the obtained calibration error parameter, updating the calibration period T_i, and using the updated calibration period T_i for the next time of antenna calibration (S304). The technical solutions provided in the present invention, can monitor difference variety of radio channels in real time by the calibration error parameter, and reflect the calibration precision in real time by the reported calibration error parameter. Moreover, the technical solutions provided in the present invention, can adjust the calibration period in real time according to the calibration error parameter, and timely execute rational antenna calibration according to the calibration precision status.

Claims

1. An antenna calibrating method, comprising:

obtaining a calibration period T_i updated after previous antenna calibration and calculating a calibration sequence of each antenna channel in the calibration period T_i;

calibrating each antenna in the calibration period T_i according to the calibration sequence of the each antenna channel and calculating calibration error parameters; and

updating the calibration period T_i according to the obtained calibration error parameters, wherein the updated calibration period T_i is used for next antenna calibration.

2. The antenna calibrating method according to claim 1, wherein the calibration of each antenna comprises transmission calibration and reception calibration, and the calibration period T_i comprises a transmission calibration period and a reception calibration period.

3. The antenna calibrating method according to claim 2, wherein the calibration error parameters comprise calibration coefficients, maximum amplitude deviations of the calibrated channel and maximum phase deviations of the calibrated channel:

the calibration coefficients comprise a transmission calibration coefficient C_TX(n) and a reception calibration coefficient C_RX(n), wherein n=1, 2, . . . , N, and N is the number of antenna radio frequency channels;

the maximum amplitude deviations of the calibrated channel comprise a maximum amplitude deviation ε

_TXAMPdB of the transmission-calibrated channel and a maximum amplitude deviation ε

_RXAMPdB of the reception-calibrated channel; and

the maximum phase deviations of the calibrated channel comprise a maximum phase deviation ε

_TXPHZdeg of the transmission-calibrated channel and a maximum phase deviation ε

_RXPHZdeg of the reception-calibrated channel.

4. The antenna calibrating method according to claim 3, wherein:

the transmission calibration comprises;

transmitting respective signals C_TXI(n)·

mⁿ over the respective antenna channels, wherein C_TXI(n) is a calibration coefficient obtained in a previous calibration period, and mⁿ is a calibration sequence;

calculating the transmission calibration coefficient of the calibration period T_i as C_TX(n)=C_TXmodify(n)·

C_TXI(n), wherein

5. The antenna calibrating method according to claim 4, wherein calculation of the calibration error parameters comprises:

6. The antenna calibrating method according to claim 4, wherein updating of the calibration period T_i comprises:

updating the transmission calibration period comprised in the current calibration period T_i by;

with ε

_{TXAMPdBInitial}<

ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_{TXPHZdegInitial}<

ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, if ε

_TXAMPdB<

ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_TXPHZdeg<

ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, updating the transmission calibration period to Ti_TX=k*Ti_TX;

otherwise, keeping the transmission calibration period unchanged as Ti_TX=Ti_TX; and

with ε

_{TXAMPdBInitial}≧

ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> or ε

_{TXPHZdegInitial}≧

ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, if ε

_TXAMPdB<

ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_TXPHZdeg<

ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, keeping the transmission calibration period unchanged as Ti_TX=Ti_TX;

otherwise, updating the transmission calibration period to Ti_TX=Ti_TX/k, wherein ε

_{TXAMPdBInitial} and ε

_{TXPHZdegInitial} are non-updated calibration parameters, ε

_TXAMPdB and ε

_TXPHZdeg are updated calibration parameters, ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub> are thresholds of permissible maximum calibration parameters, and k>

=1; and

updating the reception calibration period comprised in the current calibration period T_i by;

with ε

_{RXAMPdBInitial}<

ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_{RXPHZdegInitial}<

ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, if ε

_RXAMPdB<

ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_RXPHZdeg<

ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, updating the reception calibration period to Ti_RX=k*Ti_RX;

otherwise, keeping the reception calibration period unchanged as Ti_RX=Ti_RX; and

with ε

_{RXAMPdBInitial}≧

ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> or ε

_{RXPHZdegInitial}≧

ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, if ε

_RXAMPdB<

ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_RXPHZdeg<

ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, keeping the reception calibration period unchanged as Ti_RX=Ti_RX;

otherwise, updating the reception calibration period to Ti_RX=Ti_RX/k, wherein ε

_{RXAMPdBInitial} and ε

_{RXPHZdegInitial} are non-updated calibration parameters, ε

_RXAMPdB and ε

_RXPHZdeg are updated calibration parameters, ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub> are thresholds of permissible maximum calibration parameters, and k>

=1.

7. An antenna calibrating device, comprising:

an obtaining module configured to obtain a calibration period T_i updated after previous antenna calibration;

a calculating module configured to calculate a calibration sequence of each antenna channel in the calibration period T_i;

a calibrating module configured to calibrate each antenna in the calibration period T_i according to the calibration sequence of the each antenna channel and to calculate calibration error parameters; and

an updating module configured to update the calibration period T_i according to the obtained calibration error parameters, wherein the updated calibration period T_i is used for next antenna calibration.

8. The antenna calibrating device according to claim 7, wherein calibration of each antenna by the calibrating module comprises transmission calibration and reception calibration, and the calibration period T_i comprises a transmission calibration period and a reception calibration period.

9. The antenna calibrating device according to claim 8, wherein the calibration error parameters calculated by the calibrating module comprise calibration coefficients, maximum amplitude deviations of the calibrated channel and maximum phase deviations of the calibrated channel:

the calibration coefficients comprise a transmission calibration coefficient C_TX(n) and a reception calibration coefficient C_RX(n), wherein n=1, 2, . . . , N, and N is the number of antenna radio frequency channels;

the maximum amplitude deviations of the calibrated channel comprise a maximum amplitude deviation ε

_TXAMPdB of the transmission-calibrated channel and a maximum amplitude deviation ε

_RXAMPdB of the reception-calibrated channel; and

the maximum phase deviations of the calibrated channel comprise a maximum phase deviation ε

_TXPHZdeg of the transmission-calibrated channel and a maximum phase deviation ε

_RXPHZdeg of the reception-calibrated channel.

10. The antenna calibrating device according to claim 9, wherein:

transmission calibration by the calibrating module comprises;

transmitting respective signals C_TXI(n)·

mⁿ over the respective antenna channels, wherein C_TXI(n) is a calibration coefficient obtained in a previous calibration period, and mⁿ is a calibration sequence;

the calibrating module calculating the transmission calibration coefficient of the calibration period T_i as C_TX(n)=C_TXmodify(n)·

C_TXI(n), wherein

11. The antenna calibrating device according to claim 10, wherein calculation of the calibration error parameters by the calibrating module comprises:

12. The antenna calibrating device according to claim 11, wherein updating of the calibration period T_i by the updating module comprises:

updating the transmission calibration period comprised in the current calibration period T_i by;

with ε

_{TXAMPdBInitial}<

ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_{TXPHZdegInitial}<

ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, if ε

_TXAMPdB<

ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub>and ε

_TXPHZdeg<

ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, updating the transmission calibration period to Ti_TX=k*Ti_TX;

otherwise, keeping the transmission calibration period unchanged as Ti_TX=Ti_TX; and

with ε

_{TXAMPdBInitial}≧

ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> or ε

_{TXPHZdegInitial}≧

ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, if ε

_TXAMPdB<

ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_TXPHZdeg<

ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, keeping the transmission calibration period unchanged as Ti_TX=Ti_TX;

otherwise, updating the transmission calibration period to Ti_TX=Ti_TX/k, wherein ε

_{TXAMPdBInitial} and ε

_{TXPHZdegInitial} are non-updated calibration parameters, ε

_TXAMPdB and ε

_TXPHZdeg and are updated calibration parameters, ε

<sub>TXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

<sub>TXPHZdeg—

limit</sub> are thresholds of permissible maximum calibration parameters, and k>

=1; and

updating the reception calibration period comprised in the current calibration period T_i by;

with ε

_{RXAMPdBInitial}<

ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_{RXPHZdegInitial}<

ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, if ε

_RXAMPdB<

ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_RXPHZdeg<

ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, updating the reception calibration period to Ti_RX=k*Ti_RX;

otherwise, keeping the reception calibration period unchanged as Ti_RX=Ti_RX; and

with ε

_{RXAMPdBInitial}≧

ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> or ε

_{RXPHZdegInitial}≧

ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, if ε

_RXAMPdB<

ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

_RXPHZdeg<

ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub>, keeping the reception calibration period unchanged as Ti_RX=Ti_RX;

otherwise, updating the reception calibration period to Ti_RX=Ti_RX/k, wherein ε

_{RXAMPdBInitial} and ε

_{RXPHZdegInitial} are non-updated calibration parameters, ε

_RXAMPdB and ε

_RXPHZdeg are updated calibration parameters, ε

<sub>RXAMPdB—

limit</sub> and ε

<sub>RXPHZdeg—

limit</sub> are thresholds of permissible maximum calibration parameters, and k>

=1.