Localized free space tester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10620250-B2
Application number	US-201916247879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 17, 2018
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A method and apparatus for testing radio-frequency antenna elements are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a frame having a platform to support an array of radio-frequency (RF) antenna elements of a flat panel antenna having antenna elements; a first antenna to transmit microwave energy to subsets of RF antenna elements of the segment and to receive reflected microwave energy from the subsets of RF antenna elements; a filter between the segment and the first antenna, the filter comprising an opening positioned over each of the subsets of RF antenna elements at different times to expose said each of the subsets of RF antenna elements to microwave energy transmitted by the first antenna; a second antenna to receive microwave energy transmitted though the subsets of RF antenna elements at the different times; a controller coupled to the subsets of RF antenna elements and to provide at least one stimulus or condition to the subsets of RF antenna elements; and an analyzer to provide stimulus to the subsets of RF antenna elements and to measure a characteristic of the array using one or both of the first antenna and second antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a frame having a platform to support an array of radio-frequency (RF) antenna elements of a flat panel antenna having antenna elements;
a first antenna to transmit microwave energy to subsets of RF antenna elements of the array and to receive reflected microwave energy from the subsets of RF antenna elements;
a filter between the array and the first antenna, the filter comprising an opening positioned over each of the subsets of RF antenna elements at different times to expose said each of the subsets of RF antenna elements to microwave energy transmitted by the first antenna;
a second antenna to receive microwave energy transmitted though the subsets of RF antenna elements at the different times;
a controller coupled to the subsets of RF antenna elements and to provide at least one stimulus or condition to the subsets of RF antenna elements; and
an analyzer to provide stimulus to the subsets of RF antenna elements and to measure a characteristic of the array using one or both of the first antenna and second antenna.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter comprises an RF absorbing material with the opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mechanical structure to move the filter to align the opening with each of the subsets of antenna elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mechanical structure to move the array to align the opening with each of the subsets of antenna elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is operable to drive the antenna elements in each of the subsets to a resonance frequency at the different times while driving all other elements at a frequency away from that resonance frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the analyzer is operable to measure a microwave frequency response at one or both of the first antenna or the second antenna for the array.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the analyzer is operable to measure a transmission response at the second antenna and a reflection response at the first antenna for the array.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
a computer coupled to the controller and the analyzer and to tune based on at least one of the transmission response or the reflection response for the RF antenna elements in the array.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the computer is operable to characterize the one or both of the transmission response or the reflection response characteristics for the array.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the array is used in the flat panel antenna if the measured characteristic of the array indicates the array is acceptable.

Assignees

• Kymeta Corp

Inventors

• Varel Cadgas
• Stevenson Ryan
• Linn Steven
• Severson Michael
• Short Colin Stuart
• Sazegar Mohsen

Classifications

• H04B17/12

  of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase · CPC title

• G01R29/10 Primary

  Radiation diagrams of antennas · CPC title

• G01R29/0878

  Sensors; antennas; probes; detectors (wave guide measuring sections G01R1/24) · CPC title

• G01R29/0871 Primary

  Complete apparatus or systems; circuits, e.g. receivers or amplifiers (G01R29/0878, G01R29/0892 take precedence; dosimeters, warning devices G01R29/0857) · CPC title

• H04B17/17

  Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations (H04B17/18 takes precedence) · CPC title