Antenna test system and test method

Abstract

This disclosure provides an antenna testing system and method, relating to the field of antenna technology. The testing system includes a voltage loading device, the output of which is connected to the input of a phased array antenna; a field testing system for testing the antenna parameters of the phased array antenna; and a computer device, the output of which is connected to the voltage loading device, and the input of which is connected to the field testing system. In real-time mode, this disclosure allows for the pre-testing of the target loading voltage corresponding to the phased array antenna when its performance most closely approximates the reference antenna parameters during beam radiation. Since the tested target loading voltage is obtained through actual testing using the field testing system, the accuracy of the tested target loading voltage is guaranteed, thus ensuring the antenna performance of the phased array antenna in subsequent use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of antenna technology, and more specifically, to an antenna testing system and testing method. Background Technology

[0002] A phased array antenna is an antenna whose radiation pattern shape is changed by controlling the feed phase of the radiating elements in the array antenna. Thus, the beam radiation direction of the phased array antenna can be changed by controlling the feed phase, thereby achieving beam scanning.

[0003] Taking the application of phased array antennas in electronic devices as an example, when using electronic devices for communication, the position of the electronic devices may change. Therefore, the beam direction of the phased array antenna's radiation beam also needs to be changed accordingly to ensure communication quality. However, some users have found that the communication quality is not ideal when using electronic devices for communication.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides an antenna testing system and method that can ensure the antenna performance when the phased array antenna is working, thereby ensuring the communication quality of electronic devices.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an antenna testing system is provided, comprising:

[0007] A voltage loading device, the output of which is used to connect to the input of a phased array antenna;

[0008] A field test system, wherein the field test system is used to test the antenna parameters of the phased array antenna;

[0009] A computer device, wherein the output terminal of the computer device is connected to the voltage loading device, and the input terminal of the computer device is connected to the field testing system;

[0010] The computer device is used to sequentially output multiple sets of loading voltages for the current time to the voltage loading device to obtain multiple antenna parameters of the phased array antenna under the current multiple sets of loading voltage excitations as measured by the field test system. The computer device is also used to take the antenna parameter with the smallest difference from the reference antenna parameter as the current optimal antenna parameter, and take the antenna parameter with the smaller difference between the current optimal antenna parameter and the previous optimal antenna parameter as the current optimal antenna parameter. When the difference between the current optimal antenna parameter and the reference antenna parameter is less than or equal to the comparison threshold, or when the number of times for the current time reaches the number of times threshold, the set of loading voltages corresponding to the current optimal antenna parameter is determined as a set of target loading voltages.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the antenna testing system disclosed herein, the phased array antenna includes a liquid crystal phased array antenna, and the output terminal of the voltage loading device is used to connect to the feed terminal of the liquid crystal phased array antenna.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the antenna testing system disclosed herein, the phased array antenna includes an antenna body and a phase shifter connected to the feed terminal of the antenna body, and the output terminal of the voltage loading device is used to connect to the input terminal of the phase shifter.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the antenna testing system disclosed herein, the field testing system is a compacted field testing system.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna test system includes an anechoic chamber, a feed antenna, a reflector, a stage, and a test receiver.

[0015] The feed antenna, the reflector, and the platform are all located in the dark chamber. The feed antenna is located at the focal point of the reflector. The reflector is used to receive the spherical wave emitted by the feed antenna and generate a quasi-plane wave after reflection.

[0016] The platform is used to fix the phased array antenna, and the phased array antenna is used to receive the quasi-plane wave;

[0017] The input terminal of the test receiver is connected to the phased array antenna, and the output terminal of the test receiver is connected to the input terminal of the computer device.

[0018] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an antenna testing method is provided, comprising:

[0019] Retrieve multiple sets of update parameters for the current iteration;

[0020] Based on the current set of update parameters, the multiple loading voltages included in the previous set of loading voltages are updated accordingly to obtain the current set of loading voltages.

[0021] The current global optimal antenna parameters and the corresponding current optimal loading voltage are determined based on the multiple sets of loading voltages for the current time.

[0022] The current global optimal antenna parameters are determined from the current global optimal antenna parameters and the previous global optimal antenna parameters, and the current set of optimal loading voltages corresponding to the current global optimal antenna parameters are selected from the previous set of optimal loading voltages and the current set of optimal loading voltages.

[0023] If the difference between the current global optimal antenna parameters and the reference antenna parameters is less than or equal to the comparison threshold, or if the current number of times reaches the number of times threshold, then the current set of optimal loading voltages is determined as a set of target loading voltages for the phased array antenna.

[0024] According to a method described in one embodiment of this disclosure, the step of updating the multiple loading voltages included in the previous multiple loading voltages according to the current multiple update parameters to obtain the current multiple loading voltages includes:

[0025] Based on a set of update parameters corresponding to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages, the j-th applied voltage in the previous i-th group of applied voltages is updated according to the following first, second, and third formulas to obtain the j-th applied voltage in the current i-th group of applied voltages:

[0026] First formula:

[0027] Second formula:

[0028] The third formula: w i =w max -i*(w max -w min ) / M;

[0029] Among the first formula, the second formula, and the third formula, It refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the current iteration, X ij It refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages from the previous application. This refers to the step speed corresponding to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the current iteration, V ijThis refers to the step speed corresponding to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the previous iteration, w i This refers to the step value corresponding to the i-th group of applied voltages. c1 and c2 refer to the first and second learning factors, respectively, and are usually both 2, but can also be any value between 0 and 4. rand1 and rand2 are both random numbers, and are usually any number between 0 and 1. P best This refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages corresponding to the previous locally optimal antenna parameters, G. best This refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages corresponding to the previously globally optimal antenna parameters; w max This refers to the maximum step size; for example, w. max The value of w can be 0.9. min This refers to the minimum step value; for example, w. min The value can be 0.4, M refers to the total number of sets of applied voltages, and the set of updated parameters includes V. ij P best G best M, i, c1, c2, w max w min .

[0030] According to an embodiment of the method described herein, determining the current globally optimal antenna parameters of the phased array antenna based on the current multiple sets of applied voltages includes:

[0031] Obtain the parameters of multiple local antennas of the phased array antenna under the current multiple sets of applied voltage excitation;

[0032] Based on the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters from the previous iteration and the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters from the current iteration, determine the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters for the current iteration.

[0033] The current globally optimal antenna parameter is determined from the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters of the current iteration.

[0034] According to a method described in one embodiment of this disclosure, obtaining multiple local antenna parameters of the phased array antenna corresponding to the current multiple sets of applied voltages includes:

[0035] For each set of applied voltages in the current test, the local antenna parameters of the phased array antenna under the current set of applied voltage excitation are obtained by the field test system, thus obtaining the multiple local antenna parameters.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the method described herein, determining the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters for the current time based on the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters of the previous time and the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters of the current time includes:

[0037] The local antenna parameter corresponding to the first group of applied voltages in the current time and the local optimal antenna parameter corresponding to the first group of applied voltages in the previous time with the reference antenna parameter is taken as the local optimal antenna parameter corresponding to the first group of applied voltages in the current time.

[0038] The first set of applied voltages in the current iteration is obtained by updating the first set of applied voltages in the previous iteration. The first set of applied voltages in the current iteration is any one of the multiple sets of applied voltages in the current iteration, and the first set of applied voltages in the previous iteration is any one of the multiple sets of applied voltages in the previous iteration.

[0039] According to a method described in one embodiment of this disclosure, determining the current globally optimal antenna parameters from a plurality of locally optimal antenna parameters for the current iteration includes:

[0040] The antenna parameter with the smallest difference between the current local optimal antenna parameter and the reference antenna parameter is determined as the current global optimal antenna parameter.

[0041] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the antenna testing method described in the second aspect above.

[0042] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a computer device is provided, comprising:

[0043] Processor; and

[0044] Memory for storing the executable instructions of the processor;

[0045] The processor is configured to execute the antenna testing method described in the second aspect above by executing the executable instructions.

[0046] In the real-time method disclosed herein, before beam scanning using a phased array antenna, the target loading voltage corresponding to the moment when the antenna performance of the phased array antenna is closest to the reference antenna parameters during beam radiation can be pre-tested using this test system. This avoids testing the relationship curve between the loading voltage and the phase shift. Since the tested target loading voltage is obtained through actual testing using the field test system, the accuracy of the tested target loading voltage can be guaranteed. That is, when using the phased array antenna subsequently, applying the target loading voltage to the phased array antenna can ensure the antenna performance of the phased array antenna, avoiding situations where the antenna performance is poor, and further improving the communication quality of electronic devices using the phased array antenna.

[0047] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0048] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an antenna testing system provided in this embodiment.

[0050] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the liquid crystal molecule layer of a liquid crystal phased array antenna provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the liquid crystal molecule layer of a liquid crystal phased array antenna provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a compression field testing system provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an antenna testing system provided in this embodiment.

[0054] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an antenna testing method provided in this embodiment.

[0055] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computer device provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a readable storage medium provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Figure label:

[0058] 1. Voltage loading device; 2. Field testing system; 3. Computer equipment; 4. Phased array antenna;

[0059] 21. Compact field testing system; 41. Upper electrode plate; 42. Lower electrode plate; 43. Liquid crystal molecule layer;

[0060] 211. Anechoic chamber; 212. Feed antenna; 213. Reflector; 214. Stage; 215. Test receiver. Detailed Implementation

[0061] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0062] Although relative terms such as "up" and "down" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples shown in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped upside down, the component described as "up" will become the component described as "down." When a structure is "up" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0063] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0064] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure of an antenna testing system according to an embodiment of this disclosure is provided. Figure 1 As shown, the test system includes: a voltage loading device 1, the output of which is connected to the phased array antenna 4; a field test system 2, which is used to test the antenna parameters of the phased array antenna 4; and a computer device 3, the output of which is connected to the voltage loading device 1, and the input of which is connected to the field test system 2.

[0065] The computer device 3 is used to sequentially output multiple sets of loading voltages to the voltage loading device 1 to obtain multiple antenna parameters of the phased array antenna 4 under the current multiple sets of loading voltage excitations as measured by the field test system 2. The computer device 3 is also used to take the one with the smallest difference from the reference antenna parameter among the multiple antenna parameters as the current optimal antenna parameter, and take the one with the smaller difference from the reference antenna parameter between the current optimal antenna parameter and the previous optimal antenna parameter as the current optimal antenna parameter. When the difference between the current optimal antenna parameter and the reference antenna parameter is less than or equal to the comparison threshold, or when the current number of times reaches the number of times threshold, the set of loading voltages corresponding to the current optimal antenna parameter is determined as a set of target loading voltages for the phased array antenna 4.

[0066] In the real-time method disclosed herein, before using the phased array antenna 4 for beam scanning, the target loading voltage corresponding to the moment when the antenna performance of the phased array antenna 4 is closest to the reference antenna parameters during beam radiation can be pre-tested using this test system. This avoids testing the relationship curve between the loading voltage and the phase shift. Since the tested target loading voltage is obtained through actual testing in conjunction with the field test system 2, the accuracy of the tested target loading voltage can be guaranteed. That is, when using the phased array antenna 4 subsequently, applying the target loading voltage to the phased array antenna 4 can guarantee the antenna performance of the phased array antenna 4, avoiding situations where the antenna performance is poor, and further improving the communication quality of electronic devices using the phased array antenna.

[0067] The phased array antenna 4 under test comprises multiple antenna elements. To ensure the phased array antenna 4 radiates a normal beam, a voltage should be applied to each antenna element. That is, based on the test results from the test system, a set of target applied voltages includes the target applied voltages corresponding to each of the multiple antenna elements. Furthermore, when determining a set of target applied voltages using computer device 3, it can only be compared with one reference antenna parameter. Thus, this set of target applied voltages represents multiple target applied voltages that approximately reach the reference antenna parameter. To ensure the phased array antenna 4 can operate at different reference antenna parameters, it can be tested multiple times using the aforementioned test system.

[0068] For example, the reference antenna parameter type of the phased array antenna 4 is beam direction, and the multiple reference antenna parameters of the phased array antenna 4 are 145°, 160°, and 220°. Thus, using 145° as the first preset parameter, the phased array antenna 4 is tested sequentially by the test system to obtain the corresponding first set of target loading voltages; using 160° as the second preset parameter, the phased array antenna 4 is tested sequentially by the test system to obtain the corresponding second set of target loading voltages; using 220° as the third preset parameter, the phased array antenna 4 is tested sequentially by the test system to obtain the corresponding third set of target loading voltages.

[0069] When testing the phased array antenna 4 using this testing system, the field testing system 2 can test the beam direction, sidelobe level, beamwidth, gain, etc. of the phased array antenna 4. Thus, the testing system can determine the target loading voltage corresponding to the optimal beam direction, the target loading voltage corresponding to the optimal sidelobe level, the optimal loading voltage corresponding to the optimal beamwidth, and the target loading voltage corresponding to the optimal gain of the phased array antenna 4 based on the tested beam direction, sidelobe level, beamwidth, gain, etc., so as to realize the testing of the beam direction, sidelobe level, beamwidth, gain, etc. of the phased array antenna 4.

[0070] In actual use, for the phased array antenna 4 after being tested by this testing system, the beam pointing accuracy of the phased array antenna 4 can be improved to within 0.5°, the sidelobe level of the phased array antenna 4 can be reduced to below -20dB, and the gain of the phased array antenna 4 can be improved by more than 1.5dB.

[0071] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the phased array antenna 4 to be tested includes a conventional phased array antenna, and may also include a liquid crystal phased array antenna.

[0072] When the phased array antenna 4 includes a conventional phased array antenna, since the conventional phased array antenna includes an antenna body and a phase shifter connected to the feed terminal of the antenna body, in order to achieve phase control of the radiated beam of the antenna body, the voltage is connected between the output terminal of the loading device 1 and the input terminal of the phase shifter. The phase shifter of the conventional phased array antenna is typically a digitally controlled phase shifter.

[0073] As described above, the antenna body comprises multiple antenna elements. Phase control of the radiated beam of the antenna body can be achieved by controlling the phase of the radiated beams of the antenna elements. Thus, a conventional phased array antenna includes multiple phase shifters, with at least one antenna element corresponding to one phase shifter. In this case, the voltage loading device 1 has multiple output terminals, each connected to a corresponding input terminal of one of the multiple phase shifters.

[0074] When the phased array antenna 4 includes a liquid crystal phased array antenna, such as Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, the liquid crystal phased array antenna has a liquid crystal molecular layer 43 and an upper electrode 41 and a lower electrode 42 located on the upper and lower sides of the liquid crystal molecular layer 43. No voltage is applied to the upper electrode 41 and the lower electrode 42, that is, no electric field is generated between the upper electrode 41 and the lower electrode 42. Figure 2 As shown, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 43 are parallel to each other and parallel to the plane containing the upper electrode 41 or the lower electrode 42. When a voltage is applied to the upper electrode 41 and the lower electrode 42, an electric field is generated between the upper electrode 41 and the lower electrode 42, as shown in the figure. Figure 3 As shown, the electric field E can cause the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal molecular layer 43 to deflect, thereby modulating the director distribution of the liquid crystal molecules. Thus, when the light beam is incident on the liquid crystal molecular layer 43, since the polarization direction of the incident light is basically along the long axis of the liquid crystal molecules, a change in the optical path of the incident light is caused, thereby achieving control of the phase delay of the incident light.

[0075] Based on the above analysis, the liquid crystal molecular layer 43 of the liquid crystal phased array antenna can be used as a phase shifter to achieve phase control of the radiated beam. Thus, when the phased array antenna 4 includes a liquid crystal phased array antenna, the voltage at the output end of the loading device 1 is directly connected to the feed end of the liquid crystal phased array antenna.

[0076] As described above, the liquid crystal phased array antenna includes multiple antenna elements. Phase control of the radiation beam of the liquid crystal phased array antenna can be achieved by controlling the phase of the radiation beam of each antenna element. Thus, the voltage loading device 1 has multiple output terminals, each corresponding to one of the input terminals of multiple phase shifters.

[0077] It should be noted that the liquid crystal layer 43 of the liquid crystal phased array antenna is a passive device and cannot be switched independently. This causes the radiation beams of each antenna element to couple and overlap, resulting in a large measurement error in the load voltage-phase shift curve of the liquid crystal phased array antenna. Consequently, when using the measured load voltage-phase shift curve to control the radiation beam of the liquid crystal phased array antenna, the antenna performance is poor. The embodiment of this disclosure avoids the measurement of the load voltage-phase shift curve, thereby avoiding the situation of poor antenna performance.

[0078] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the field test system 2 can be a far-field test system, a near-field test system, or a compact field test system 21. Thus, the phased array antenna 4 can be tested using the far-field test system, the near-field test system, or the compact field test system 21.

[0079] Because the compact field test system 21 significantly reduces the footprint, making the entire system "compact," it ensures that the phased array antenna 4 operating in the millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave frequency bands can be measured within the confined space of the anechoic chamber 211. This reduces random errors caused by unstable measurement environments and avoids errors arising from near-field to far-field transformations required for near-field measurements. Furthermore, since the beam can meet quasi-plane wave conditions during testing using the compact field test system 21, measurement accuracy is improved. Therefore, the compact field test system 21 has been widely used for testing the antenna parameters of the phased array antenna 4. Figure 4 As shown, the antenna test system uses a compact field test system 21 to test the antenna parameters of the phased array antenna 4.

[0080] The compaction field testing system 21 can be a single-reflector compaction field testing system, a double-reflector compaction field testing system, or a triple-reflector compaction field testing system. Since the single-reflector compaction field testing system has lower testing costs, it will be used as an example. Figure 5 As shown, the single-reflector compact field test system includes: an anechoic chamber 211, a feed antenna 212, a reflector 213, a stage 214, and a test receiver 215. The feed antenna 212, the reflector 213, and the stage 214 are all located inside the anechoic chamber 211. The feed antenna 212 is located at the focal point of the reflector 213. The reflector 213 is used to receive the spherical wave emitted by the feed antenna 212 and generate a quasi-plane wave after reflection. The stage 214 is used to fix the phased array antenna 4, which is used to receive the quasi-plane wave. The input terminal of the test receiver 215 is connected to the phased array antenna 4, and the output terminal of the test receiver 215 is connected to the input terminal of the computer device 3.

[0081] Thus, when testing the phased array antenna 4, a spherical wave can be emitted by the feed antenna 212 in the anechoic chamber 211, which then forms a quasi-plane wave under the reflection of the reflector 213. At this time, the phased array antenna 4 receives the quasi-plane wave, and the antenna parameters of the phased array antenna 4 are tested by the test receiver 215 and transmitted to the computer equipment.

[0082] In the single-reflector compact field test system, the reflector 213 can also be replaced by a convex lens, as long as the emitted beam can form a quasi-plane wave. A quasi-plane wave is defined as a cross-section perpendicular to the beam propagation direction in which all beams have approximately the same phase.

[0083] It should be noted that, in the case of a liquid crystal phased array antenna, since the liquid crystal phased array antenna is a passive antenna, the liquid crystal molecular layer 43 of the liquid crystal phased array antenna has high loss, resulting in very low antenna efficiency. This can lead to significant errors when using near-field or far-field testing systems. However, the compact field testing system 21 used in this embodiment can measure the formed quasi-plane wave, thereby effectively reducing the measurement site size and improving measurement accuracy.

[0084] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the computer device 3, the voltage loading device 1, and the field test system 2 are highly integrated, and the computer device 3 and the field test system 2 are interconnected and communicated through an open interface to form an automated control system.

[0085] Among them, computer device 3 may integrate particle swarm algorithm model, genetic algorithm model, traversal algorithm model, minimum mean square error algorithm model, etc.

[0086] The specific implementation process of the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm model can be found in the test methods described below. Based on the PSO algorithm model, the loading voltage of each element of the phased array antenna 4 can be continuously and automatically adjusted according to the direction of the reference antenna parameters, thereby shortening the test time of the loading voltage and greatly improving the test efficiency.

[0087] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an antenna testing method provided by an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. This method is applied to the computer equipment described in the above embodiments.

[0088] This method can be implemented using a pre-established algorithm model. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the method includes the following steps.

[0089] S601: Determine multiple sets of initial loading voltages to obtain multiple initial local antenna parameters corresponding to the multiple sets of initial loading voltages.

[0090] The number of initial applied voltages in each group can be determined based on the number of antenna elements of the phased array antenna or the number of antenna subarrays of the phased array antenna; no specific limitation is made in this regard.

[0091] The applied voltage of a phased array antenna has a certain range of values. The initial applied voltage can be any value within this range. Multiple initial applied voltages may not all be the same, or they may all be different. This range of values ​​can be determined based on the actual phased array antenna to be tested; for details, please refer to relevant technologies.

[0092] In the above steps, after determining multiple sets of initial loading voltages, multiple voltage control signals are sequentially output to the voltage loading device based on these multiple sets of initial loading voltages. This allows the voltage loading device to load a set of initial loading voltages corresponding to each voltage control signal onto the phased array antenna. At this time, the field test system tests the local antenna parameters of the phased array antenna under the excitation of a set of initial loading voltages and transmits them to the computer device so that the computer device can obtain multiple local antenna parameters.

[0093] Based on the above disclosures, antenna parameters can include beam direction, beamwidth, sidelobe level, gain, etc.

[0094] S602: Select the initial global optimal antenna parameter as the one with the smallest difference between the initial local antenna parameters and the reference antenna parameters from a plurality of initial local antenna parameters.

[0095] Taking the antenna parameters as the beam direction as an example, the initial local beam direction closest to the reference beam direction is selected from multiple initial local beam directions as the initial global optimal beam direction.

[0096] S603: Get multiple sets of update parameters for the current iteration.

[0097] In this context, the current set of update parameters corresponds one-to-one with the multiple initial loading voltages included in the multiple sets of initial loading voltages. Thus, each initial loading voltage included in the multiple sets of initial loading voltages can be updated using the corresponding set of update parameters for the current time.

[0098] S604: Update the multiple loading voltages included in the previous multiple loading voltages according to the current multiple update parameters to obtain the current multiple loading voltages.

[0099] Specifically, when updating the loading voltage, the multiple initial loading voltages mentioned in step S601 can be used as the previous multiple loading voltages that are adjacent to the current loading voltage. Thus, combined with step S603, each loading voltage in the previous multiple loading voltages can be updated using a corresponding set of update parameters for the current loading voltage.

[0100] Taking the j-th voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages from the previous period as an example, the j-th voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages from the previous period can be updated according to a set of update parameters corresponding to the j-th voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages, according to the following first formula, second formula and third formula, so as to obtain the j-th voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages from the current period.

[0101] First formula:

[0102] Second formula:

[0103] Third formula: w i =w max -i*(w max -w min ) / M;

[0104] Among them, in the first formula, the second formula, and the third formula, It refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the current iteration, X ij It refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages from the previous application. This refers to the step speed corresponding to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the current iteration, V ij This refers to the step speed corresponding to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the previous iteration, w i This refers to the step value corresponding to the i-th group of applied voltages. c1 and c2 refer to the first and second learning factors, respectively, and are usually both 2, but can also be any value between 0 and 4. rand1 and rand2 are both random numbers, and are usually any number between 0 and 1. P best This refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages corresponding to the previous locally optimal antenna parameters, G. best This refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages corresponding to the previously globally optimal antenna parameters; w max This refers to the maximum step size; for example, w. max The value of w can be 0.9. min This refers to the minimum step value; for example, w. min The value can be 0.4, and M refers to the total number of applied voltage groups. A set of updated parameters includes V. ij P best G best M, i, c1, c2, w max w min .

[0105] It should be noted that when updating the multiple load voltages included in the previous multiple sets of load voltages, the updated load voltage may exceed the value range described in step S601 above. In this case, if the updated load voltage is greater than the maximum value of the value range, the maximum value of the value range shall be used as the updated load voltage; if the updated load voltage is less than the minimum value of the value range, the minimum value of the value range shall be used as the updated load voltage.

[0106] In addition, during the update process, the initial step speed of the applied voltage can be set to 0. In order to avoid the applied voltage being too large after the update due to a large step speed, a maximum value of the step speed can be set. In this way, if the determined step speed is greater than the corresponding maximum value in subsequent updates, the maximum value of the step speed will be used as the step speed in this update process.

[0107] S605: Determine the current global optimal antenna parameters and the corresponding current optimal loading voltage of the phased array antenna based on the current multiple sets of loading voltages.

[0108] Specifically, the current global optimal antenna parameters of the phased array antenna and the corresponding set of current optimal loading voltages are determined based on the multiple local antenna parameters of the phased array antenna measured by the field test system obtained from the current multiple sets of loading voltages, thereby obtaining the multiple local antenna parameters.

[0109] Specifically, the phased array antenna acquires multiple local antenna parameters under multiple sets of applied voltage excitation in the current iteration. Based on the multiple local optimal antenna parameters from the previous iteration and the multiple local antenna parameters from the current iteration, the multiple local optimal antenna parameters for the current iteration are determined. The current global optimal antenna parameters are then determined from the multiple local optimal antenna parameters for the current iteration.

[0110] For each set of applied voltages in the current test, the local antenna parameters of the phased array antenna under the current set of applied voltage excitation can be obtained by acquiring the local antenna parameters of the phased array antenna measured by the field test system, thereby obtaining multiple local antenna parameters for the current test.

[0111] Specifically, the local antenna parameter corresponding to the first set of applied voltages in the current iteration and the local optimal antenna parameter corresponding to the first set of applied voltages in the previous iteration, which has the smaller difference from the reference antenna parameter, are taken as the local optimal antenna parameter corresponding to the first set of applied voltages in the current iteration.

[0112] The first set of applied voltages in the current iteration is obtained by updating the first set of applied voltages in the previous iteration. The first set of applied voltages in the current iteration is any one of the multiple sets of applied voltages in the current iteration, and the first set of applied voltages in the previous iteration is any one of the multiple sets of applied voltages in the previous iteration.

[0113] Assuming the reference antenna parameters in this test are the reference beam direction and the reference beam direction is 145°, the local beam direction corresponding to the first set of applied voltages in the current test is 110°, and the local optimal beam direction corresponding to the first set of applied voltages in the previous test is 95°. Since 110° is closer to 145°, the local optimal beam direction in the current test is determined to be 110°.

[0114] Since each local antenna parameter in the current iteration corresponds to a set of applied voltages, and each locally optimal antenna parameter in the previous iteration also corresponds to a set of locally optimal applied voltages, comparing a local antenna parameter in the current iteration with its corresponding locally optimal antenna parameter in the previous iteration will result in either the set of applied voltages corresponding to the current local antenna parameter or the set of locally optimal applied voltages corresponding to the previously optimal antenna parameter being used as the current locally optimal applied voltage. Based on the example above, it can be seen that in this case, the set of applied voltages corresponding to the current local antenna parameter is used as the current optimal applied voltage.

[0115] After obtaining multiple sets of current local optimal loading voltages, the one with the smallest difference between the current multiple local optimal antenna parameters and the reference antenna parameters can be determined as the current global optimal antenna parameter, and the corresponding set of current local optimal loading voltages can be determined as a set of optimal loading voltages.

[0116] S606: Determine the current global optimal antenna parameters from the current global optimal antenna parameters and the previous global optimal antenna parameters, and determine the current set of optimal loading voltages based on the previous set of optimal loading voltages and the current set of optimal loading voltages.

[0117] The process of determining the current global optimal antenna parameter from the current global optimal antenna parameter and the previous global optimal antenna parameter can refer to step S605 above, which is the process of obtaining the local optimal antenna parameter of the corresponding group in the current time from the local antenna parameter of the corresponding group in the current time and the local optimal antenna parameter of the previous time.

[0118] S607: Determine whether the difference between the current global optimal antenna parameters and the reference antenna parameters is less than or equal to the comparison threshold, or whether the current number of attempts has reached the number of attempts threshold.

[0119] Specifically, a comparison threshold and a count threshold are preset at any time before step S607. This allows for the comparison of the difference between the current globally optimal antenna parameters and the reference antenna parameters with the comparison threshold, and the comparison of the current count with the count threshold, when step S607 is executed. The current count can be replaced by the number of times the applied voltage is updated; that is, it can also be determined at this time whether the number of times the applied voltage is updated has reached the count threshold.

[0120] If the difference between the current global optimal antenna parameter and the reference antenna parameter is less than or equal to the comparison threshold, or the current number of attempts reaches the number of attempts threshold, then proceed to step S608. If the difference between the current global optimal antenna parameter and the reference antenna parameter is greater than the comparison threshold, and the current number of attempts has not reached the number of attempts threshold, then return to step S603.

[0121] S608: Determine the current set of optimal loading voltages as a set of target loading voltages.

[0122] In the real-time method disclosed herein, before beam scanning using a phased array antenna, the target loading voltage corresponding to the moment when the antenna performance of the phased array antenna is closest to the reference antenna parameters can be pre-tested using the aforementioned test method. This ensures optimal antenna performance during subsequent use of the phased array antenna. Because this test method combines the actual test results of the phased array antenna from a field testing system, the accuracy of the measured target loading voltage is guaranteed, avoiding situations where antenna performance is poor, and further improving the communication quality of electronic devices using the phased array antenna.

[0123] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a computer device capable of implementing the embodiment corresponding to the antenna testing method described above is also provided.

[0124] Those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, or program product. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be specifically implemented in the following forms: a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software aspects, collectively referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system."

[0125] The following reference Figure 7 To describe a computer device 700 according to such an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 The computer device 700 shown is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0126] like Figure 7 As shown, the computer device 700 is presented in the form of a general-purpose computing device. The components of the computer device 700 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processing unit 710, at least one storage unit 720, and a bus 730 connecting different system components (including the storage unit 720 and the processing unit 710).

[0127] The storage unit stores program code, which can be executed by the processing unit 710, causing the processing unit 710 to perform the steps described in the "Implementation Methods Corresponding to the Antenna Testing Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0128] Storage unit 720 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as random access memory (RAM) 7201 and / or cache memory 7202, and may further include a read-only memory (ROM) 7203.

[0129] The storage unit 720 may also include a program / utility 7204 having a set (at least one) program module 7205, such program module 7205 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0130] Bus 730 can represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory cell bus or memory cell controller, a peripheral bus, a graphics acceleration port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of the various bus structures.

[0131] The computer device 700 can also communicate with one or more external devices (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, Bluetooth device, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the computer device 700, and / or any device that enables the computer device 700 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., router, modem, etc.). This communication can be performed through the display unit 740 and the input / output (I / O) interface 750 connected to the display unit 740. Furthermore, the computer device 700 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via a network adapter 760. As shown, the network adapter 760 communicates with other modules of the computer device 700 via a bus 730. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figures, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the computer device 700, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0132] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solutions according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to cause a computing device (such as a personal computer, server, terminal device, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods according to the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0133] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a program product capable of implementing the methods described above is stored. In some possible implementations, various aspects of this disclosure may also be implemented as a program product including program code, which, when the program product is run on a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform the steps of the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure described in the "Implementation Methods Corresponding to Antenna Testing Methods" section of this specification.

[0134] refer to Figure 8 As shown, a program product 800 for implementing the above-described method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described. This product may employ a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and may run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this document, the readable storage medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that may be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0135] The program product may employ any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0136] Computer-readable signal media may include data signals propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, carrying readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium, capable of sending, propagating, or transmitting programs for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0137] The program code contained on the readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof.

[0138] Program code for performing the operations of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can execute entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving remote computing devices, the remote computing device can be connected to the user's computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or it can be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0139] Furthermore, the above figures are merely illustrative of the processes included in the method according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes shown in the above figures do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Additionally, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0140] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the claims.

Claims

1. An antenna testing system, characterized in that, include: A voltage loading device, the output of which is used to connect to the input of a phased array antenna; A field test system, wherein the field test system is used to test the antenna parameters of the phased array antenna; A computer device, wherein the output terminal of the computer device is connected to the voltage loading device, and the input terminal of the computer device is connected to the field testing system; The computer device is used to sequentially output multiple sets of loading voltages for the current time to the voltage loading device to obtain multiple antenna parameters of the phased array antenna under the current multiple sets of loading voltage excitation measured by the field test system. The computer device is also used to take the one with the smallest difference from the reference antenna parameter among the multiple antenna parameters as the current optimal antenna parameter, and take the one with the smaller difference from the reference antenna parameter between the current optimal antenna parameter and the previous optimal antenna parameter as the current optimal antenna parameter. When the difference between the current optimal antenna parameter and the reference antenna parameter is less than or equal to the comparison threshold, or when the number of times for the current time reaches the number of times threshold, the set of loading voltages corresponding to the current optimal antenna parameter is determined as a set of target loading voltages for the phased array antenna. Each set of applied voltages includes multiple applied voltages that correspond one-to-one with multiple antenna elements of the phased array antenna, and each antenna parameter is obtained by testing the phased array antenna under the excitation of the corresponding set of applied voltages.

2. The antenna testing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The phased array antenna includes a liquid crystal phased array antenna, and the output terminal of the voltage loading device is used to connect to the feed terminal of the liquid crystal phased array antenna.

3. The antenna testing system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The phased array antenna includes an antenna body and a phase shifter connected to the feed terminal of the antenna body. The output terminal of the voltage loading device is used to connect to the input terminal of the phase shifter.

4. The antenna testing system as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The field testing system is a compact field testing system.

5. The antenna testing system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The compact field test system includes an anechoic chamber, a feed antenna, a reflector, a stage, and a test receiver; The feed antenna, the reflector, and the platform are all located in the dark chamber. The feed antenna is located at the focal point of the reflector. The reflector is used to receive the spherical wave emitted by the feed antenna and generate a quasi-plane wave after reflection. The platform is used to fix the phased array antenna, and the phased array antenna is used to receive the quasi-plane wave; The input terminal of the test receiver is connected to the phased array antenna, and the output terminal of the test receiver is connected to the input terminal of the computer device.

6. An antenna testing method, characterized in that, The method is applied to the computer equipment included in any one of the antenna testing systems of claims 1-5, and the method includes: Obtain multiple sets of update parameters for the current iteration, each set of update parameters including multiple update parameters corresponding one-to-one with multiple antenna elements of the phased array antenna; Based on the current set of update parameters, the multiple loading voltages included in the previous set of loading voltages are updated accordingly to obtain the current set of loading voltages. Each set of loading voltages includes multiple loading voltages that correspond one-to-one with multiple antenna elements of the phased array antenna. The current global optimal antenna parameters and the corresponding current optimal loading voltage are determined based on the multiple sets of loading voltages for the current time. The current global optimal antenna parameters are determined from the current global optimal antenna parameters and the previous global optimal antenna parameters, and the current set of optimal loading voltages corresponding to the current global optimal antenna parameters are selected from the previous set of optimal loading voltages and the current set of optimal loading voltages. If the difference between the current global optimal antenna parameters and the reference antenna parameters is less than or equal to the comparison threshold, or if the current number of times reaches the number of times threshold, then the current set of optimal loading voltages is determined as a set of target loading voltages for the phased array antenna.

7. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The step of updating the multiple loading voltages included in the previous multiple loading voltages according to the current multiple update parameters to obtain the current multiple loading voltages includes: Based on a set of update parameters corresponding to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages, the j-th applied voltage in the previous i-th group of applied voltages is updated according to the following first, second, and third formulas to obtain the j-th applied voltage in the current i-th group of applied voltages: First formula: ; Second formula: ; The third formula: ; Among the first formula, the second formula, and the third formula, It refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the current iteration. It refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages from the previous application. This refers to the step speed corresponding to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the current iteration. This refers to the step speed corresponding to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages in the previous iteration. This refers to the step value corresponding to the i-th group of applied voltages. and These refer to the first learning factor and the second learning factor, respectively, and can be any value between 0 and 4. and All numbers are random, and can be any number between 0 and 1. It refers to the j-th applied voltage in the i-th group of applied voltages corresponding to the previous locally optimal antenna parameters. It refers to the j-th loading voltage in the i-th group of loading voltages corresponding to the previous globally optimal antenna parameters; This refers to the maximum step value. The value is 0.

9. This refers to the minimum step value. The value is 0.

4. This refers to the total number of groups of applied voltages, and each group of updated parameters includes... , , , i , , , .

8. The method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The process of determining the current globally optimal antenna parameters of the phased array antenna based on the current multiple sets of applied voltages includes: Obtain the parameters of multiple local antennas of the phased array antenna under the current multiple sets of applied voltage excitation; Based on the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters from the previous iteration and the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters from the current iteration, determine the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters for the current iteration. The current globally optimal antenna parameter is determined from the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters of the current iteration.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The step of obtaining multiple local antenna parameters of the phased array antenna corresponding to the current multiple sets of applied voltages includes: For each set of applied voltages in the current test, the local antenna parameters of the phased array antenna under the current set of applied voltage excitation are obtained by the field test system, thus obtaining the multiple local antenna parameters.

10. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The step of determining the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters for the current time based on the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters from the previous time and the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters for the current time includes: The local antenna parameter corresponding to the first group of applied voltages in the current time and the local optimal antenna parameter corresponding to the first group of applied voltages in the previous time with the reference antenna parameter is taken as the local optimal antenna parameter corresponding to the first group of applied voltages in the current time. The first set of applied voltages in the current iteration is obtained by updating the first set of applied voltages in the previous iteration. The first set of applied voltages in the current iteration is any one of the multiple sets of applied voltages in the current iteration, and the first set of applied voltages in the previous iteration is any one of the multiple sets of applied voltages in the previous iteration.

11. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, Determining the current globally optimal antenna parameters from the multiple locally optimal antenna parameters of the current iteration includes: The antenna parameter with the smallest difference between the current local optimal antenna parameter and the reference antenna parameter is determined as the current global optimal antenna parameter.

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