Patent ID: 7969358
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: H01Q,H04B

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a communications system, said communication system comprising a plurality of antenna elements, an array control system having a plurality of beamformers for said plurality of antenna elements, and a plurality of communications links between said control system and said plurality of antenna elements, the method comprising: computing, by said communication system, a plurality of complex weights to be applied to a plurality of transmit signals and a plurality of receive signals by said plurality of beamformers, said plurality of complex weights generated using configuration data for said communications system; dynamically determining an electrical length of a communication path between an antenna controller and an antenna element of said plurality of antenna elements during transmit/receive operations performed by said communications system, said electrical length determined by dynamically determining a first variable weight correction for a first plurality of weight corrections based on said first and second phase offsets; applying said first variable weight correction to a first one of said plurality of complex weights for counteracting phasing errors occurring in said first communication path of said plurality of communication paths; dynamically determining a second plurality of weight corrections; applying said second plurality of weight corrections to said plurality of complex weights; and subsequent to applying said second plurality of weight corrections to said plurality of complex weights, combining said plurality of complex weights with said plurality of transmit signals so as to improve beam formation of an antenna array; wherein each of said plurality of communication paths exist between said control system and a respective one of said plurality of antenna elements, and the phases of the first and second reference signals are the same.