Patent ID: 6693588
Filing Date: 2004-02-17
Classification: H01Q

Abstract:
A method for calibrating an electronically phase-controlled group antenna having n antenna elements in a radio communications system, comprising:in the case of an antenna calibration in the upward direction, transmitting a reference signal from a shared reference antenna to each of the n antenna elements, the reference signal having a different transit time to the n antenna elements; in the case of an antenna calibration in the upward direction, passing a measuring signal from each of the n antenna elements to a device for error correction; in the case of an antenna calibration in the upward direction, ascertaining an error correction value for each of the n antenna elements in relation to a reference point, the error correction values being determined at the device for error correction based on corresponding measuring signals; in the case of an antenna calibration in the downward direction, transmitting a reference signal from each of the n antenna elements to the reference antenna, such that each antenna element has an assigned reference signal and the n antenna elements form n reference signals at the same time; in the case of an antenna calibration in the downward direction, receiving the reference signals in superposed form at the reference antenna, each of the reference signals having a different transit time; in the case of an antenna calibration in the downward direction, passing a shared measuring signal from the reference antenna to the device for error correction, the shared measuring signal carrying information regarding the transit time of each of the reference signals; and in the case of an antenna calibration in the downward direction, ascertaining from the shared measuring signal an error correction value for each of the n antenna elements in relation to the reference point.