Patent ID: 7362266

Claim:
A method of calibrating at least one element in a phased array antenna, said method comprising the steps of: a) determining a radiated energy level associated with a given transmit element in said array; b) determining a linear dynamic range and signal to noise ratio (SNR) for a receive element in said array for making phase and amplitude measurements within a given accuracy range; c) determining a mutual coupling associated with elements in said array based on said determined signal to noise ratio and linearity parameters; d) for a given element within said array, identifying other elements having a mutual coupling with said given element within said array in accordance with said linear dynamic range and said SNR, defining a calibration region; e) determining a first element within said other identified elements; f) determining a second element within the calibration region for said first element; g) determining a third element within the calibration region for the second element and symmetrically opposite that of said first element relative to said second element; h) transmitting an RF signal from the second element while receiving from said first and third elements initial phase and amplitude bit data; i) adjusting said phase bit data of said first element until a signal strength null signal is detected, said adjusted phase bit data corresponding to a relative phase value associated with said first element relative to said third element; and j) adjusting said amplitude bit data of said first element until a signal strength null associated with said first element is detected, said adjusted amplitude bit data corresponding to a relative gain value associated with said first element relative to said third element; k) determining calibration coefficients of said phased array based on said relative gain and phase values.