Calibration of an antenna array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9547066-B2
Application number	US-201414525423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 29, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

An antenna system including at least one antenna connected to a captured signal processing receiver, an antenna protection radome; and a plurality of electro-optical probes distributed on or inside of the radome.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of calibrating a receiver of an antenna system comprising at least one antenna connected to the receiver, an antenna protection radome, and a plurality of electro-optical probes distributed on or inside of the radome, comprising the steps of:
a. transmitting an unmodulated radio signal at a first frequency;
b. transmitting an optical signal intended to excite the probes at a second frequency to modulate the radio signal;
c. analyzing the signals received from the at least one antenna; and
d. determining correction coefficients to be applied to the signals delivered by the at least one antenna,
wherein steps a) to d) are repeated for a plurality of values of the first frequency.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analysis of step c is performed at the first frequency and at frequencies corresponding to this first frequency, respectively decreased and increased by the second frequency.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps b and c are successively carried out for each of said probes.

4. An antenna system comprising:
at least one antenna connected to a captured signal processing receiver;
an antenna protection radome; and
a plurality of electro-optical probes distributed at the surface or within the thickness of the radome and configured to modulate, at a second frequency, an unmodulated radio signal incident on each of the electro-optical probes,
wherein said receiver demodulates in a calibration phase, signals backscattered by the probes to determine correction coefficients for signals received by the at least one antenna.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a laser intended to excite, through optical fibers, electro-optical probes.

6. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a device for transmitting a radio signal.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the electro-optical probes are distributed at regular angular positions.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the receiver calculates and stores correction coefficients for the signals delivered by the at least one antenna.

9. The system of claim 4 , comprising a plurality of antennas forming an antenna array.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives

Inventors

• Bories Serge
• Ghattas Lama
• Picard Dominique

Classifications

• G01S7/4021

  of receivers · CPC title

• G01R35/00 Primary

  Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H01Q15/08

  formed of solid dielectric material · CPC title

• H01Q1/42 Primary

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• G01N21/63

  optically excited · CPC title