Radio frequency scanner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018090837-A1
Application number	US-201715703660-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A radio frequency (RF) scanner system provided with a multi-axis articulated robot and a sensor suite positioned on a first end of the multi-axis articulated robot. The sensor suite is provided with a shield, an antenna array probe, and a surface sensor. The shield has a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The first side is configured for positioning towards an active phased array antenna. The surface sensor is configured to determine X, Y, and Z positions of the active phased array antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) scanner system comprising:
a multi-axis articulated robot having a first end and a second end; and,
a sensor suite positioned on the first end of the multi-axis articulated robot, the sensor suite comprising:
a shield having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side configured for positioning towards an active phased array antenna,
an antenna array probe, and
a surface sensor configured to determine X, Y, and Z positions of the active phased array antenna.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one RF microwave absorber on the first side of the shield.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the second side of the shield is devoid of RF microwave absorbers.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface sensor is adjacent to and mounted on the second side of the shield.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface sensor comprises an optical camera and a laser.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the shield includes a first portion and a second portion, the second portion moveable relative to the first portion so as to form a gap aligned with a portion of the active phased array antenna and to selectively expose and cover the surface sensor.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the shield further comprises at least one actuator for selectively moving the first portion relative to the second portion.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first portion includes at least one RF microwave absorber.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor suite further comprises a thermal imaging camera.

10 . A method for characterizing a surface of an active phased array antenna having a plurality of radiating elements, comprising:
capturing, by a surface sensor, at least one image of an active phased array antenna, the surface sensor positioned in a sensor suite mounted on a multi-axis articulated robot; determining X, Y and Z features of the active phased array antenna using the at least one image.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising housing the active phased array antenna, sensor suite and multi-axis articulated robot in an environmental chamber having a pre-determined environmental parameter.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein capturing the at least one image further comprises,
positioning, by the multi-axis articulated robot, the sensor suite parallel to the active phased array antenna; and, registering position of each radiating element of the active phased array antenna using the surface sensor.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the surface sensor has an optical camera capturing at least one image, and wherein positioning the sensor suite further includes positioning at a location wherein range of vision of the optical camera results in capturing a fiducial mark in an image of a radiating element of the plurality of radiating elements on the active phased array antenna.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein determining X and Y positions uses the image having the fiducial mark, and further comprising calculating position of the fiducial mark and misalignment between an antenna array probe in the sensor suite and the active phased array antenna.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining distances between a first radiating element and a second radiating element on the active phased array antenna.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining an angle of the sensor suite relative to the active phased array antenna.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining position and misalignment angles of each element of the active phased array antenna.

18 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising capturing, by a thermal camera, a temperature gradient of the active phased array antenna and determining thermal expansion of the active phased array antenna as a function of temperature.

19 . A method for characterizing an active phased array antenna having a plurality of radiating elements, comprising:
capturing at least one thermal image of an active phased array antenna by a thermal imaging camera mounted on a multi-axis articulated robot.

20 . A radio frequency scanner system, comprising:
a multi-axis articulated robot; an antenna array probe supported by the multi-axis articulated robot; and a control system configured to send control signals to the multi-axis articulated robot to move the antenna array probe in a predetermined manner, to collect sensor data from the antenna array probe indicative of near-field radio frequency measurements, and to correlate the sensor data with particular locations of the antenna array probe.

Assignees

• Univ Oklahoma

Inventors

• Schmidt Damon Andrew
• Salazar-Cerreno Jorge L
• Fulton Caleb
• Palmer Robert D
• Garcia Rodrigo Manuel Lebron
• Mancini Alessio
• Duthoit Simon Thierry Pierre
• Mccord Matthew Stephen
• Meier John Brent
• Kelley Redmond Clay

Classifications

• H01Q3/267 Primary

  Phased-array testing or checking devices · CPC title

• H01Q3/08

  for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation · CPC title

• G01R29/105

  using anechoic chambers; Chambers or open field sites used therefor (test sites used for measuring on other objects than aerials G01R29/0828; wave absorbing devices H01Q17/00) · CPC title

• H01Q17/008

  with a particular shape (H01Q17/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q21/061

  Two dimensional planar arrays · CPC title