JP3754955B2 - Lens antenna device for mobile communication - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile communication lens antenna device that is mounted on a mobile body such as a ship or a vehicle and receives radio waves from a geostationary satellite or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As an antenna for satellite communication using a Luneberg lens, for example, there is one shown in the following patent document.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-25732 A [Patent Document 2]
JP 2000-165131 A [Patent Document 3]
JP 2001-352111 A [Patent Document 4]
JP 2000-83645 A [Patent Document 5]
JP 2001-44646 A [Patent Document 6]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-102857
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The antennas of the above-mentioned patent documents are all antennas installed on the ground using geostationary satellites and orbiting satellites as communication partners, and the inclination and shaking movement of the installation surface are not considered at all. Therefore, it cannot be used for a moving body in which the position and orientation of the installation surface change and the installation surface swings.
[0005]
Unlike conventional mobile communication antennas, Luneberg lens-based antennas can handle multiple radio waves at the same time, and have advantages such as sharp directivity and high gain in any direction. Although there is great expectation for moving objects, the position and direction of the moving object changes every moment, and the ship is particularly swaying. Therefore, the conventional lens antenna for ground fixing moves. The focus fluctuates due to and radio waves cannot be captured stably.
[0006]
Although it is relatively easy to deal with deviations in the antenna orientation due to movement of the moving body, it is complicated and expensive to change the position of the primary radiator to cope with fluctuations in focus due to shaking. Become. In addition, this method can be delayed in response to position change, and it is difficult to obtain a practical antenna device.
[0007]
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-described problems and enable an antenna using a Luneberg lens to be used for a moving body while suppressing the complexity and cost increase of the mechanism.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention includes a hemispherical Luneberg lens having a spherical or reflecting plate, a primary radiator, an antenna including a support arm for the primary radiator, and a leveling mechanism for the antenna. A horizontal adjustment mechanism and an azimuth adjustment mechanism of the antenna including the azimuth detection means, the azimuth adjustment is made based on the detection signal from the azimuth detection means, and the antenna always points in a specific direction, and further by the leveling mechanism Provided is a lens antenna device for mobile communication in which the antenna is always kept horizontal by leveling.
[0009]
As the leveling mechanism, a mobile communication lens antenna device using a pendulum type mechanism in which an antenna is swingably suspended, or an active or passive type that corrects the inclination of the antenna installation surface in the leveling mechanism Also provided is a lens antenna device for mobile communication that includes a tilt correction mechanism.
[0010]
These antenna devices are particularly suitable for geostationary satellites, and when used for receiving radio waves from geostationary satellites, simplification of the mechanism and cost reduction can be realized at the same time.
[0011]
Also, the leveling mechanism using the pendulum is a passive mechanism that uses the gravity of the earth, and there is a problem when severe shaking is assumed, so the tilt that automatically corrects the tilt of the antenna installation surface as necessary Use correction mechanism together. This tilt correction mechanism may be either an active system having a drive system or a passive system using natural force.
[0012]
The azimuth adjusting mechanism controls a driving system for azimuth adjustment based on information from the azimuth detecting means, and uses an antenna that always points the antenna in a specific direction.
[0013]
As the azimuth detecting means, a GPS (Global World Positioning System) device, a gyro compass, a geomagnetic azimuth meter, and the like are suitable. In order to increase detection accuracy, a plurality of combinations selected from these may be installed. .
[0014]
[Action]
In the present invention, since the leveling mechanism is provided to keep the antenna horizontal, it is not affected by vibration or shaking.
[0015]
In addition, since an azimuth adjusting mechanism that automatically adjusts the azimuth of the antenna based on a detection signal from the azimuth detecting means is provided and the antenna is always directed to a specific azimuth, it is not affected by a change in the moving azimuth of the moving body.
[0016]
Therefore, for communication partners that are always in the same direction, such as geostationary satellites, fine adjustment may be necessary without changing the position of the primary radiator (relative to the lens) (if the moving area is wide). ) And can receive radio waves from the satellite with high sensitivity by making use of the characteristics of the Luneberg lens.
[0017]
In addition, since a pendulum mechanism utilizing the gravity of the earth is adopted as the leveling mechanism, the mechanism can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.
[0018]
In addition, the combination of the passive leveling mechanism and the active tilt correcting mechanism can more accurately maintain the antenna level and further improve the radio wave capturing performance.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a lens antenna device for mobile communication according to the present invention. The antenna device 1 includes an antenna 2 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, that is, a hemispherical Luneberg lens 3 having a reflector 3a, an arch-shaped support arm 4 straddling the lens 3, and a lens supported by the support arm 4. An antenna 2 comprising a primary radiator 5 disposed at the focal point of the radio wave, an antenna leveling mechanism having a leveling mechanism 6, an orientation detecting means 8 for detecting the orientation of the antenna, an orientation adjusting mechanism 9, It is comprised with the cover 10 which permeate | transmits an electromagnetic wave.
[0020]
The leveling mechanism 6 is a pendulum mechanism in which the antenna 2 is swingably suspended from the cover 10 via the universal joint 6a. The tilt of the cover 10 is absorbed by the principle of the pendulum, and the antenna 2 is kept horizontal. Be drunk.
[0021]
The member that becomes the fulcrum of the swing of the pendulum is preferably a member that uses a bearing or the like to reduce the frictional resistance of the support shaft. Although the figure uses the universal joint 6a, the present invention is not limited to this.
[0022]
The antenna 2 uses the balance weight 11 to adjust the center of gravity so that the posture when suspended is horizontal. The antenna 2 allows the elevation angle of the support arm 4 to be controlled by the angle control motor 4a, and allows the arm longitudinal direction position (azimuth on the lens) of the primary radiator 5 on the support arm 4 to be adjusted. However, depending on the moving range of the moving body, these configurations may be unnecessary.
[0023]
The level of the antenna 2 can be maintained by the leveling mechanism 6 alone. However, as shown in FIG. 3, when a leveling mechanism that combines the leveling mechanism 6 and the tilt correcting mechanism 7 is adopted, more precise control can be performed. Yes.
[0024]
The tilt correction mechanism 7 shown in FIG. 3 is a rising and spilling mechanism, and a weight 7b having a spherical outer surface is attached to the lower portion of the support plate 7a that supports the cover 10, and the outer surface of the weight 7b can be swung by the support 7c. I support it. The tilt correction mechanism 7 in FIG. 3 is a passive type, and detects the inclination of the antenna installation surface with respect to the horizontal plane obtained artificially with a level that is intended to tilt the antenna installation surface or a gyro level or level. Alternatively, an active type inclination correction mechanism that performs feedback control and keeps the cover installation surface horizontal in the drive system may be employed. There is a commercially available horizontal stage (multi-axis freedom positioning mechanism) having such a function, and the cover 10 can be installed on the stage.
[0025]
Vibration transmitted to the cover 10 may be absorbed halfway through a vibration damping material, a vibration damping mount, or the like between the antenna installation surface.
[0026]
In the antenna apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 3, an orientation control motor 9 a of an orientation adjustment mechanism 9 that rotates the antenna 2 is attached to a cover 10. Further, an orientation detection means (not shown) is provided on the cover 10. The azimuth detection means uses a combination of a GPS device and an azimuth sensor, and can perform advanced azimuth detection.
[0027]
The azimuth adjusting mechanism 9 detects the direction of the cover 10 by means of azimuth detecting means comprising a GPS device and an azimuth sensor, and feedback based on deviation when the traveling direction of the moving body changes and the direction of the cover 10 deviates from the reference azimuth. Control is performed and the antenna 2 is always directed to a specific direction by the direction control motor 9a (for example, the front surface of the reflector 3a is directed to the south).
[0028]
The support arm 4 included in the antenna 2 may be a cantilevered bent arm as shown in FIG. 4 standing along the surface of the lens 3.
[0029]
The lens antenna device 1 configured as described above has an inclination correction mechanism as shown in FIG. 3, and the inclination of the cover installation surface B is corrected by the inclination correction mechanism 7, so that the antenna installation surface A is greatly inclined. However, the cover 10 does not tilt. Further, even if the cover installation surface B is inclined due to a delay in timing of inclination correction, the inclination is absorbed by the pendulum type leveling mechanism 6 so that the antenna 2 is always kept horizontal.
[0030]
In addition, when the traveling direction of the moving body on which the antenna device 1 is mounted is changed, the direction adjustment mechanism 9 is activated and the antenna 2 is always directed to a specific direction.
[0031]
Therefore, for example, when the communication partner is a geostationary satellite, the primary radiator 5 does not greatly deviate from the focal point of the radio wave even if the moving direction of the moving body changes or shakes, and the radio wave from the geostationary satellite is stabilized. Can be captured.
[0032]
The antenna 2 may be hung on a member other than the cover 10, and the cover 10 is not an essential element.
[0033]
In addition, an antenna device mounted on a moving body that does not cause large shaking or shocking shaking can stably capture radio waves without the tilt correction mechanism 7.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the lens antenna device of the present invention is provided with the leveling mechanism that keeps the antenna always horizontal and the azimuth adjustment mechanism that always points the antenna in a specific direction based on the azimuth information from the azimuth detecting means. Therefore, it is possible to stably receive radio waves from a geostationary satellite or the like by mounting on a moving body in which changes in position and traveling direction and shaking are inevitable.
[0035]
In addition, since the Luneberg lens is used, it is possible to deal with a plurality of radio waves, and the antenna device can be simplified and reduced in cost.
[0036]
Furthermore, since the antenna is maintained horizontally by a pendulum type leveling mechanism that uses natural forces, the mechanism is not complicated and the cost is further improved.
[0037]
In addition, those equipped with a leveling mechanism that uses both a passive leveling mechanism and an active or passive tilt correction mechanism can be used for a moving body in which the antenna is more stably maintained and is subject to severe shaking. Radio waves from the communication partner can be reliably captured.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a lens antenna device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an antenna employed in the lens antenna device of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of a lens antenna used in the apparatus of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lens antenna apparatus 2 Antenna 3 Luneberg lens 3a Reflector 4 Support arm 4a Angle control motor 5 Primary radiator 6 Leveling mechanism (leveling mechanism)
6a Universal joint 7 Tilt correction mechanism 8 Orientation detection means 9 Orientation adjustment mechanism 9a Orientation control motor 10 Cover 11 Balance weight A Antenna installation surface B Cover installation surface

Claims (1)

A hemispherical Luneberg lens with a reflecting plate arranged horizontally in the lower part, a primary radiator disposed in the focal point of the radio wave lens, a balance weight attached to the rear surface of the support arm and the reflector supporting the primary radiator antenna and, includes a horizontal adjustment mechanism of the antenna, and azimuth adjustment mechanism for directing always a specific direction of the antenna in azimuth control motor performs a feedback control based on the orientation detection signals from the azimuth detecting unit, wherein the horizontal comprising adjustment mechanism, the antenna hung swingable consists of leveling mechanism of the pendulum system keeping horizontally antenna utilizing gravity configured earth, the antenna in a horizontal reduction caused by the leveling mechanism mobile communication lens antenna apparatus that receives radio waves from a geostationary satellite I always horizontally holding.

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