Mutual Coupling Matrix Estimation and Null Forming Methods for MBF Antennas

Hiromitsu AOYAMA
Hiroyuki ARAI

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications   Vol.E88-B    No.6    pp.2305-2312
Publication Date: 2005/06/01
Online ISSN: 
DOI: 10.1093/ietcom/e88-b.6.2305
Print ISSN: 0916-8516
Type of Manuscript: Special Section PAPER (Special Section on 2004 International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation)
Category: 
Keyword: 
MBF antenna,  phase shifter,  mutual coupling,  null forming,  phase-only algorithm,  perturbation,  

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Summary: 
MBF (Microwave Beam Forming) antennas are beam forming antennas that perform pattern control in RF, for a low-cost design suitable for mobile terminals. An MBF antenna has only a single output port, since this antenna consists of an array antenna, microwave phase shifters, and a power combiner. Because of this simple configuration, MBF antennas cannot adopt conventional beam forming algorithms that require both phase and amplitude control, and signal observation of each antenna element. In this paper, mutual coupling matrix estimation and null forming methods are presented for MBF antennas. It is shown that the mutual coupling matrix can be estimated by changing the antenna weight instead of signal observation of each antenna element. It is also shown that phase-only null forming, including mutual coupling effect, can be done by the optimum phase perturbations. Numerical and experimental results show the performance of these algorithms.