Scan alignment system

摘要

A scan alignment system and method for calibrating a scan path for a directional antenna system is presented. The scan alignment system calibrates the scan path by generating a scan path, scanning the directional antenna through the scan path, receiving a signal signature responsive to the scanning, comparing the signal signature with a reference signature, and determining a corrective calibration to apply to the scan path that minimizes the difference between the signal signature and the reference signature. In an embodiment, the reference signature is modeled based on the directional antenna and the intended scan path.

主权项

1. A method of correcting a scan path for a directional antenna system, the method comprising:
generating an intended scan path by a scan path generator, wherein the intended scan path is a closed scan path around an expected directional center of a signal beam; scanning a directional antenna along an uncalibrated actual scan path by steering the directional antenna according to the intended scan path; receiving through the directional antenna a signal signature responsive to the scanning in said uncalibrated actual scan path; comparing said received signal signature with a reference signature for said intended scan path, wherein said reference signature is generated by modeling said directional antenna scanning said intended scan path; determining a corrective calibration that minimizes a difference between said received signal signature and said reference signature; applying said corrective calibration as a corrective waveform to said scan path generator; and scanning said directional antenna along a calibrated actual scan path having reduced deviation from said intended scan path by steering the directional antenna according to a combination of said intended scan path and said corrective waveform.