Array Antenna Calibration via Segmented Sub-Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional array antenna calibration methods, such as wired coupling and wireless air interface coupling, face challenges in achieving high precision in large-scale array antenna systems due to implementation complexity and poor air interface stability, which limits their ability to maintain consistent amplitude and phase responses across multiple antennas.
Innovation Solution
The method involves grouping array elements into two categories, determining intra-group and inter-group calibration coefficients using wireless and wired coupling methods respectively, and compensating the array elements based on these coefficients to improve calibration precision. This approach combines wireless air interface coupling for intra-group calibration and wired coupling for inter-group calibration to achieve precise calibration across the array antenna system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wired coupling calibration is used, then calibration can be performed, but implementation difficulty and complexity increase sharply when quantity of ports in coupling disk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large-scale array antenna system into multiple sub-arrays, each with fewer ports. Calibration is performed separately for each sub-array using wired coupling, avoiding the need for a single large coupling disk with many ports. This segmentation reduces the complexity of the coupling disk while maintaining calibration capability across the entire array.
2Measurement precision
If wireless air interface coupling calibration is used, then calibration can be performed, but air interface stability deteriorates and dynamic range expands due to increased array area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large array into multiple sub-arrays and performs calibration within each sub-array using wired coupling, which is more stable than wireless air interface coupling. This avoids the stability issues associated with wireless calibration over large areas while still achieving comprehensive calibration of the entire array.
3Manufacturing precision
If quantity of antennas increases to several hundreds, then spatial resolution capability improves, but calibration precision deteriorates due to limitations of conventional calibration methods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large-scale array with several hundreds of antennas into multiple sub-arrays, each containing fewer antennas. Calibration is performed separately for each sub-array using wired coupling, which maintains high precision. The segmented approach allows the system to achieve both high spatial resolution capability from the large number of antennas and high calibration precision from the sub-array calibration method.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide an array antenna calibration method, apparatus, and system. The array antenna calibration method provided in the present invention includes: determining an intra-group calibration coefficient of a path in each array element group of an array antenna in a wireless air interface coupling calibration manner, where array elements of the array antenna are divided into at least two array element groups, and the path is corresponding to one or more array elements of the array antenna; determining an inter-group calibration coefficient of the path in each array element group in a wired coupling calibration manner; and determining a calibration coefficient of the array elements of the array antenna according to the intra-group calibration coefficient and the inter-group calibration coefficient, and compensating the array elements of the array antenna according to the calibration coefficient. In the embodiments of the present invention, calibration precision in a large-scale array antenna system is improved.