US 12,231,178 B2
Over-the-air calibration of antenna system
David Francois Jacquet, Vaulnaveys le Haut (FR); Masoud Kahrizi, Irvine, CA (US); Robert Baummer, Jr., Redmond, WA (US); Jean-Noel Rozec, Pontoise (FR); Fabrice Jean André Belvèze, Claix (FR); Paul Lee Pearson, Biviers (FR); Francois Lucien Emile Icher, Grenoble (FR); Marc Gens, Saint Martin d'Uriage (FR); and Pascal Triaire, Jarrie (FR)
Assigned to Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, CA (US)
Filed by Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/227,476.
Application 18/227,476 is a continuation of application No. 17/747,895, filed on May 18, 2022, granted, now 11,716,153.
Application 17/747,895 is a continuation of application No. 15/931,443, filed on May 13, 2020, granted, now 11,362,742, issued on Jun. 14, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/847,873, filed on May 14, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0388029 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04B 17/11 (2015.01); H01Q 3/26 (2006.01); H01Q 3/38 (2006.01); H01Q 3/42 (2006.01); H04B 1/00 (2006.01); H04B 1/38 (2015.01); H04B 17/12 (2015.01); H04B 17/19 (2015.01)
CPC H04B 17/11 (2015.01) [H01Q 3/2617 (2013.01); H01Q 3/38 (2013.01); H01Q 3/42 (2013.01); H04B 1/0082 (2013.01); H04B 1/38 (2013.01); H04B 17/12 (2015.01); H04B 17/19 (2015.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus included in a communications system, the apparatus comprising:
a first baseband section configured to receive a calibration signal;
a first RF section configured to generate a RF calibration signal based on modulating the calibration signal, wherein the calibration signal comprises an orthogonal code based signal;
a second RF section configured to receive the RF calibration signal over-the-air and configured to generate a received calibration signal based on demodulating the RF calibration signal;
a calibration section;
a first antenna electrically coupled to the first RF section and configured to transmit the RF calibration signal; and
a second antenna electrically coupled to the second RF section and configured to receive the RF calibration signal, wherein:
the received calibration signal and a reference signal associated with the RF calibration signal comprise inputs to the calibration section;
the calibration section is configured to determine one or more of gain, baseband delay, or RF delay compensation values, based on the inputs, to calibrate the first RF section; and
the second antenna is switchable between receiving the RF calibration signal and transmitting an encoded data signal.