Phase calibration method and apparatus for phased array antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12301296-B2
Application number	US-202218032373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2022
Priority date	Apr 25, 2022
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A phase calibration method for a phased array antenna is provided. The method includes: sequentially calibrating M×N antenna units based on a pre-obtained test voltage set including first test voltages; sequentially loading the first test voltages to the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column, and acquiring phase and amplitude information of a microwave signal radiated by the antenna unit every time one first test voltage is loaded; acquiring first array vectors through analysis based on the phase and amplitude information of the acquired microwave signals of the antenna unit under different first test voltages; obtaining a calibration response vector of the antenna unit under each first test voltage in the test voltage set through a first preset algorithm based on the first array vector, and determining a target voltage-phase curve corresponding to the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A phase calibration method for a phased array antenna, wherein the phased array antenna comprises M×N antenna units arranged in an array, where one of M and N is a positive integer which is greater than or equal to 1, and the other one of M and N is a positive integer which is greater than or equal to 2; the phase calibration method comprises:
sequentially calibrating the M×N antenna units based on a test voltage set which is determined in advance; wherein the test voltage set comprises a plurality of first test voltages; wherein
calibrating an antenna unit in an ith row and a jth column of the M×N antenna units comprises:
sequentially loading the plurality of first test voltages to the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column, and acquiring phase and amplitude information of a microwave signal radiated by the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column every time one of the plurality of first test voltages is loaded; where 0<i≤M, 0<j≤N, and i and j are positive integers;
acquiring a plurality of first array vectors through analysis based on the phase and amplitude information of the acquired microwave signals of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under different first test voltages; wherein each of the plurality of first array vectors is used for representing a sum of a plurality of response vectors of the M×N antenna units; each of the plurality of response vectors is used for representing the phase and amplitude information of the microwave signal radiated by a corresponding antenna unit under a corresponding first test voltage; and
obtaining a calibration response vector of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under each first test voltage in the test voltage set through a first preset algorithm based on the first array vector, and determining a target voltage-phase curve corresponding to the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column; wherein the calibration response vector is used for representing the calibrated phase and amplitude information of the microwave signal radiated by the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under the first test voltage.

2. The phase calibration method for a phased array antenna of claim 1 , wherein the test voltage set is determined by:
sequentially loading a plurality of control voltages in a preset control voltage range to a reference antenna unit, and acquiring phase and amplitude information of a microwave signal radiated by the reference antenna unit every time one of the plurality of control voltages is loaded; wherein the reference antenna unit is any one of the M×N antenna units;
generating a voltage-phase curve corresponding to the reference antenna unit according to the plurality of control voltages and respective phase information acquired under the plurality of control voltages; and
screening a part of the plurality of control voltages from the preset control voltage range as the first test voltages according to the voltage-phase curve corresponding to the reference antenna unit and a first voltage screening condition, to obtain the test voltage set.

3. The phase calibration method for a phased array antenna of claim 2 , wherein the voltage-phase curve comprises at least a first line segment and a second line segment; a curvature of the first line segment is within a first preset curvature range, and a curvature of the second line segment is within a second preset curvature range; each curvature in the first preset curvature range is greater than that in the second preset curvature range;
the screening a part of the plurality of control voltages from the preset control voltage range as the first test voltages according to the voltage-phase curve corresponding to the reference antenna unit and a first voltage screening condition, to obtain the test voltage set, comprises:
acquiring a first control voltage sub-range corresponding to the first line segment, and acquiring a second control voltage sub-range corresponding to the second line segment; and
screening a first number of control voltages from the first control voltage sub-range as the first test voltages, and screening a second number of control voltages from the second control voltage sub-range as the first test voltages, to obtain the test voltage set; wherein the first number is greater than the second number.

4. The phase calibration method for a phased array antenna of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a calibration response vector of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under each first test voltage in the test voltage set through a first preset algorithm based on the first array vector, and determining a target voltage-phase curve corresponding to the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column, comprises:
for each first test voltage in the test voltage set, removing an environment vector from the first array vector, to obtain the calibration response vector of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under the first test voltage; wherein the environment vector is used for representing a sum of response vectors corresponding to other antenna units except the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column in the phased array antenna; and
determining the target voltage-phase curve corresponding to the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column based on all the first test voltages and the calibrated phase information of the respective microwave signals radiated by the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under all the first test voltages.

5. The phase calibration method for a phased array antenna of claim 4 , wherein the removing the environment vector from the first array vector, to obtain the calibration response vector of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under the first test voltage, comprises:
when it is determined based on phase information of the microwave signal radiated by the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column that a phase shift range of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column is between 359° and 360°, determining a sum of the first array vectors of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under all the first test voltages;
determining the environment vector corresponding to the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column based on the sum of the first array vectors and the number of the first array vectors; and
removing the environment vector from the first array vector, to obtain the calibration response vector of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under the first test voltage.

6. The phase calibration method for a phased array antenna of claim 4 , wherein the removing the environment vector from the first array vector, to obtain the calibration response vector of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under the first test voltage, comprises:
from the first array vectors of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under all first test voltages, screening a plurality of pairs of second array vectors with a phase difference of 180° therebetween, based on phase information of the microwave signals radiated by the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column;
determining a sum of the screened second array vectors;
determining the environment vector corresponding to the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column based on the sum of the second array vectors and the number of the second array vectors; and
removing the environment vector from the first array vector, to obtain the calibration response vector of the antenna unit in the ith row and the jth column under the first test voltage.

7. The phase calibration method for a phased array antenna of claim 4 , wherein the removing the environment vector from the first array vector, to obtain the calib

Assignees

• Research Institute Of Millimeter Wave And Terahertz Tech
• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd
• Beijing Boe Sensor Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jiang Zhihao
• Wan Fengshuo
• Guo Chong
• Su Xueyan
• Wu Xinyu
• Feng Hongyuan
• Wei Meng
• Cai longzhu
• Che Chuncheng
• Hong Wei

Classifications

• H01Q3/26

  varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture ({H01Q3/12,} H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q21/00

  Antenna arrays or systems (arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system H01Q3/00) · CPC title

• H04B17/12 Primary

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