Antennas transmit and receive signals and are found in mobile telephones, wireless organisers, digital cameras, security sensors, vehicle components, toys, computer peripherals, domestic appliances, and so on.  Their design and integration into the product greatly influences its performance and appearance. The way in which the signals travel in different directions is described by the antenna’s radiation pattern. A need therefore exists for a fast, accurate, and cost-effective method of measuring such patterns.

Existing antenna measurement systems often suffer from an effect that can be likened to the listening of music in a noisy echoing tunnel. In the jargon, this is called multipath propagation. The Company is evaluating an innovative system that overcomes this. In essence, the new system measures antenna patterns by specifically compensating for the effects of unwanted signals and noise. The compensation is achieved through the use of a mathematical technique and a special measurement of the antenna range under consideration. The technique is well established in digital radio systems, particularly in mobile telephones. Computer simulations have demonstrated its effectiveness to antenna measurements.

The new system may be implemented within any antenna pattern measurement system and can be retro-fitted to improve accuracy in existing outdoor and indoor antenna measurement ranges using additional hardware and software. Most importantly, the idea leads to a completely new type of 3-D range in which sensors surround the antenna or device under test, thereby making anechoic chambers redundant. The underlying invention is covered by UK Patent application No: 0130842.8.