Dual-feed antenna array with integral comparison circuit for phase and amplitude calibration

A two-element array antenna system, comprising:

• only a first antenna element and a second antenna element;
• a transmitting, receiving, and processing (TRP) system coupled to the first and second antenna elements, the TRP system being coupled to the first antenna element via a single first transmission element, the TRP system being coupled to the second antenna element via a single second transmission element, the first and second transmission elements having respective transmit-path and receive-path functionality;
• and
• a first circuit coupled to at least one of the first and second antenna elements, the first circuit configured to generate a first output signal, wherein the first circuit comprises:
• a sampling element comprising one or more directional couplers electromagnetically coupled to the first and second transmission elements, the sampling element being configured to sample a first transmit signal generated by the first antenna element, and sample a second transmit signal generated by the second antenna element;
• a combining element configured to combine the sampled first and second transmit signals into a composite radio frequency (RF) signal;
• and
• a converter element configured to convert the composite signal into a DC signal, wherein the first output signal comprises the DC signal,
• wherein the TRP system is configured to:
• receive, via the at least one of the first and second transmission elements, the first output signal;
• determine, based on the first output signal, a first amplitude setting and a first phase setting of the first and second antenna elements that produce a null voltage of the first output signal;
• determine, based on the determined first amplitude and phase settings, an amplitude offset and a phase offset associated with the transmit-path functionality of the first and second transmission elements;
• and
• determine, based on data obtained during the determination of the amplitude offset and the phase offset associated with the transmit-path functionality of the first and second transmission elements, an amplitude offset and a phase offset associated with the receive-path functionality of the first and second transmission elements.

A method comprising:

• sampling, with a sampling element comprising one or more directional couplers electromagnetically coupled to a first transmission element and a second transmission element of a transmitting, receiving, and processing (TRP) system, a first transmit signal from a first antenna element and a second transmit signal from a second antenna element, wherein the TRP system is coupled to a two-element array antenna system including only the first antenna element and the second antenna element, wherein the TRP system is coupled to the first antenna element via the single first transmission element, and the TRP system is coupled to the second antenna element via the single second transmission element, the first and second transmission elements each having a respective transmit-path functionality;
• generating a first output signal based at least in part on the first transmit signal and the second transmit signal;
• receiving, via at least one of the first transmission element and the second transmission element of the TRP system, the first output signal;
• determining, based on the first output signal, a first amplitude setting and a first phase setting of the first and second antenna elements that produce a null voltage of the first output signal;
• and
• determining, based on the determined first amplitude setting and the determined first phase setting of the first and second antenna elements, an amplitude offset and phase offset associated with the transmit-path functionality of the first and second transmission elements.