EP4670228A1

EP4670228A1 - CAMERA-ASSISTED ANTENNA ALIGNMENT

Info

Publication number: EP4670228A1
Application number: EP24716608.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michail K. Tsatsanis; Douglas J. Merrell; Christopher D. COPE
Original assignee: Viasat Inc
Current assignee: Viasat Inc
Priority date: 2023-03-16
Filing date: 2024-03-15
Publication date: 2025-12-31
Also published as: WO2024192421A1

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for camera assisted antenna pointing are described.

Description

CAMERA ASSISTED ANTENNA POINTING

CROSS REFERENCES

[0001] The present Application for Patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/490,680 by Tsatsanis et al., entitled “CAMERA ASSISTED ANTENNA POINTING,” filed March 16, 2023, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and which is expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0002] The present disclosure relates to antenna systems, including techniques for camera assisted antenna pointing.

BACKGROUND

[0003] An antenna (e.g., a directional antenna, a reflector antenna, an antenna system) may be installed for communication with a target (e.g., a target device, a target antenna, a geostationary satellite). The antenna may have a direction of peak gain (e.g., boresight), and performance of the antenna may be optimized when the boresight is aligned along a direction toward the target. A technician (e.g., or an installation device) may mount (e.g., attach, immobilize) a support structure of the antenna to an object (e.g., ground, a mast, a building or other structure) and perform an alignment process to align the direction of peak gain of the antenna towards the target. The alignment process may include loosening one or more fasteners on a mounting bracket of the antenna and physically moving a portion of the antenna (e.g., a portion that includes one or more of a reflector or an antenna feed that may be located at a focal region of the reflector), or adjusting an angle of the antenna (e.g., an elevation angle of the antenna measured from a horizon point, an azimuth angle of the antenna measured along an axis associated with a position of the antenna) until sufficiently pointed at the target device using a signal metric (e.g., signal quality, signal strength) of a signal communicated between the target and the antenna. After the direction of peak gain is sufficiently aligned with the target, the technician (e.g., or the installation device) may tighten the fasteners to immobilize the mounting bracket. However, in some examples, the signal strength for communications between the antenna and the target may be relatively low (e.g., compared to a gain capability of the antenna) due to manual pointing accuracy limitations, a relatively low threshold for establishing antenna alignment, a change of alignment of the antenna (e.g., slippage, movement of a mounting structure), or a change of position of the target, among other influences or combinations thereof. [0004] A misalignment between a pointing direction of an antenna and a direction of a target relative to the antenna may result in a detrimental effect on the quality of communications between the antenna and the target. Small misalignments may be compensated for by reducing a modulation and coding rate of signals communicated between the antenna and the target. However, to maintain a given data rate (e.g., bits-per-second (bps)), such an approach may increase system resource usage and result in inefficient use of the resources. In addition, after installation it may be difficult to determine whether performance degradation is due to misalignment of the antenna or some other cause.

SUMMARY

[0005] The described features relate to techniques for camera assisted antenna pointing, which may be used for communications with a target device, such as a satellite. In accordance with examples as described herein, an antenna system may include or be coupled with an image sensor (e.g., a camera) configured to identify a position of the antenna system for use in aligning the antenna system with a target device. In some cases, an image sensor may be integrated into or attached to the antenna system, such that the image sensor may move (e.g., rotate) with the antenna system during positioning the antenna system. In some such cases, imagery data (e.g., images, a raw video file) may be captured by the image sensor during adjustment of the position of the antenna system along various paths associated with performing a fine adjustment process. The imagery data may be captured independently of signal metric data (e.g., signal strength data, signal quality data) measured during the positioning of the antenna system. For example, the signal metric data may be time series data of signal strength or signal quality of a signal communicated via the antenna system. Angular displacement data may be determined from the imagery data, and the signal metric data may be mapped to the displacement data subsequent to the adjustment of the position of the antenna system. The mapped signal metric data may be used to provide an indication of angular displacement between a target position of the antenna system associated with a peak of the signal metric and a current position of the antenna system. For example, a target image associated with the target position may be identified, and superimposed on a current image associated with the current position. In some such examples, the positioning of the antenna system may be adjusted until the current image is aligned with the target image. Aligning the current image with the target image, may align the peak signal gain of the antenna system in accordance with the target device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 shows an example of a communication system that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein.

[0007] FIG. 2 shows an example of an antenna system that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein.

[0008] FIG. 3 shows an example of an image displacement diagram that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein.

[0009] FIGs. 4 A and 4B show examples of graphs that support camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein.

[0010] FIG. 5 shows examples of superimposition diagrams that support camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein.

[0011] FIG. 6 shows an example of a process flow that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein.

[0012] FIG. 7 shows a block diagram that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein.

[0013] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating methods that support camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The described features relate to techniques for camera assisted antenna point, such as those that may be used for communications with a target device, such as a satellite. For example, an antenna system may include a reflector and an antenna feed configured to communicate (e.g., receive or transmit signals reflected by the reflector) with the target device. Such an antenna system may be associated with a direction (e.g., orientation, position, angle) of peak gain (e.g., for signals reflected by or from the reflector), such that a direction of the antenna system relative to the target device may alter the strength (e.g., quality) of signals communicated between the antenna system and the target device. In some cases, the antenna system may be misaligned with the target device, resulting in reduced signal quality. For example, an imprecise installation of the antenna system, movement of the antenna system or components thereof (e.g., due to external forces affecting the antenna system, such as environmental conditions), or movement of a target device may cause the antenna system to become misaligned from the target device. Misalignment between a direction of peak gain of the antenna system and the target device may result in inefficient communication or signaling performance via the antenna system, which may adversely affect throughput or efficiency of an associated network.

[0015] In some cases, installation of the antenna system may include aligning the direction of the antenna system with the target device by first pointing the antenna system in a general area of the target device and partially fixing the position of the antenna system (e.g., to an object, such as ground, a building, or other structure). For example, a coarse adjustment process may be performed (e.g., by a technician for the antenna system or an installation device associated with the antenna system) using a series of feedback steps to determine the general area of the target device based on the signal strength measured by the antenna system at various positions of the antenna system. In some cases, the antenna system may be physically repositioned along a path by adjusting an angle of the antenna system (e.g., an initial elevation angle measured from a horizontal reference point) relative to an axis (e.g., an elevation axis supporting elevation angles), and the signal strength of the antenna system may be measured along the path. After determining a general area of the target device based on the signal strength of the antenna system along the path, the technician may partially fix the position of the antenna system by immobilizing one or more axes of rotation for the antenna system at approximately the target angle. Next, a fine adjustment process may be performed (e.g., by the technician or the installation device) using another series of feedback steps to determine the specific area of the target device based on the signal metric measured by the antenna system along another path. After determining the specific area of the target based on the signal metric of the antenna system along the path, the technician may fully fix the position of the antenna system by immobilizing the antenna system at another angle (e.g., an azimuth angle, an elevation angle) associated with peak gain relative to another axis (e.g., azimuth axis, elevation axis).

[0016] In some cases, performing the coarse adjustment process and the fine adjustment process may include sweeping the antenna system along various paths and recording the signal metric of the antenna system at each point along the various paths. In some such cases, the antenna system may record the value associated with a peak signal metric along the various paths and the antenna system may be swept back along the various paths one or more times until the value associated with the signal metric satisfies a threshold range (e.g., a margin) corresponding to the value associated with peak signal metric. After the value satisfies the threshold, the antenna system may be fixed. However, due to relatively low gain of the antenna system, the range of the signal metric near the peak signal metric may be relatively wide. Thus, sweeping the antenna system back along the various paths one or more times until the value satisfies the threshold range, may cause the antenna system to be fixed in a direction not associated with the peak signal metric. Likewise, sweeping the antenna system one or more times may cause relatively high latency for performing alignment of the antenna system. In some cases, the position of the antenna system may be fixed based on a sensor (e.g., a gyroscopic sensor, an accelerometer) identifying the direction of the antenna system relative to the signal strength. However, sensors having sufficient accuracy may be relatively expensive while inexpensive sensors may be associated with relatively undesirable drift.

[0017] In accordance with examples as described herein, an antenna system may include or be coupled with an image sensor (e.g., a camera) configured to identify a position of the antenna system for use in aligning the antenna system with a target device. In some cases, the antenna system may include an image sensor integrated into the antenna system, such that the image sensor may move (e.g., rotate) with the antenna system during positioning the antenna system. In some such cases, imagery data captured by the image sensor may be aligned with signal metric data measured during adjusting the position of the antenna system along various paths associated with performing a fine adjustment process.

[0018] The antenna system may use the alignment of the imagery data and the signal metric data to provide an indication of angular displacement between a target position of the antenna system associated with peak gain and a current position of the antenna system. For example, the indication may be a visual indicator of the angular displacement. In some examples, a target image associated with the target position may be identified, and superimposed on a current image associated with the current position. In some such examples, the positioning of the antenna system may be adjusted until the current image is aligned with the target image. After the current image is aligned with the target image, the antenna system is positioned in accordance with having a peak gain aligned with the target device and may be fixed in position.

[0019] In some cases, the antenna system may be in communication with an alignment device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet) operable to attach to the antenna system during positioning of the antenna system. The image sensor may be a camera of the alignment device configured to capture the imagery data as the position of the antenna system is adjusted along the various paths associated with performing the fine adjustment process. The alignment device may be configured to receive signal metric data measured during adjusting the position of the antenna system along the various paths, and displacement data determined from the imagery data may be aligned with the signal metric data to identify the target position of the antenna system. An indication of the target position may be provided for alignment of the antenna system. For example, the alignment device may superimpose and display a target image corresponding to the target position on the current image associated with the current position of the antenna system, and the positioning of the antenna system may be adjusted until the current image is aligned with the target image. After the current image is aligned with the target image, the antenna system is positioned in accordance with having the peak gain aligned with the target device and may be fixed in position.

[0020] In some cases, aligning the antenna system with the target device may include adjusting the angle of the antenna system along various paths, while recording the signal metric of the signal communicated via the antenna system and the imagery data associated with the positioning of the antenna system at points along the various paths. In some such cases, the antenna system may record the values associated with the signal metric along the various paths and displacement data determined from the imagery data may be used to determine positions of the recorded signal metric data. A position (e.g., target position) of the antenna system corresponding to a peak of the signal metric may be indicated to align the antenna system with the target. For example, a target image may be identified for the position of the antenna system associated with the peak of the signal metric. By displaying a superimposition of the target image onto the current image associated with the position of the antenna system, the angle of antenna system may be adjusted directly to the position at which the current image aligns with the target image. Thus, the antenna system may not implement multiple sweeping procedures otherwise associated with relatively high latency. Additionally, the antenna system may not implement a threshold range associated with the peak gain, where using the threshold range may result in the antenna system being fixed in a direction not associated with peak gain. Finally, the position of the antenna system may be aligned with the target device based on the image sensor, which may be relatively inexpensive to implement, and may be temporarily attached to the antenna system for the installation procedure.

[0021] Aspects of the disclosure are initially described in the context of satellite communication systems. Aspects of the disclosure are further illustrated by and described with reference to antenna systems, image displacement diagrams, graphs, superimposition diagrams, process flows, block diagrams, and flowcharts that relate to camera assisted antenna pointing.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a communication system 100 (e.g., a satellite communication system) that supports techniques for camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. A communication system 100 may use various network architectures to support a communications service, such as an architecture including a space segment 101 and ground segment 102. A space segment 101 may include one or more satellites 120 (e.g., one or more communications satellites). A ground segment 102 may include one or more user terminals 150 (e.g., satellite terminals) and one or more access node terminals 130 (e.g., gateway terminals), as well as network devices 141 such as network operations centers (NOCs), and satellite and gateway terminal command centers. The terminals of the communication system 100 (e.g., access node terminals 130) may be connected to each other, or to one or more networks 140, via a mesh network, a star network, or other network architecture.

[0023] A satellite 120 may include any suitable type of satellite configured for wireless communication with or between access node terminals 130 and user terminals 150. In some examples, some or all of the satellites 120 may be in geostationary orbits, such that their locations with respect to terrestrial devices may be relatively fixed, or fixed within an operational tolerance or other orbital window. Additionally, or alternatively, some or all of the satellites 120 may be in orbits for which a position of the satellite 120 relative to the earth changes over time (e.g., a non-geostationary orbit such as a low Earth orbit (LEO) or medium Earth orbit (MEO)). Although some techniques are described herein with reference to a satellite 120 being an example of a target device (e.g., for a user terminal 150 or antenna system 155 thereof), the techniques described herein are applicable to other target devices, including other types of target devices, which may have a relatively static location relative to a user terminal 150 (e.g., an unmanned aerial vehicle, a drone, a dirigible, a terrestrial relay antenna).

[0024] A satellite 120 may receive uplink signals 132 (e.g., forward uplink signals) from one or more access node terminals 130, and transmit downlink signals 172 (e.g., forward downlink signals) to one or more user terminals 150. Additionally, or alternatively, a satellite 120 may receive uplink signals 173 (e.g., return uplink signals) from one or more user terminals 150 and transmit downlink signals 133 (e.g., return downlink signals) to one or more access node terminals 130. Various physical layer modulation and coding techniques may be supported for the communication of signals between access node terminals 130 and user terminals 150 (e.g., via a satellite 120), such as multi-frequency time-division multiple access (MF-TDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), or any quantity of hybrid or other schemes known in the art. In various implementations, physical layer techniques may be the same for each of the signals 132, 133, 172, and 173, or some of the signals may use different physical layer techniques than other signals. A satellite 120 may support communications using one or more frequency bands, and any quantity of subbands thereof. For example, the satellite 120 may support operations in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Ku, K, or Ka-bands, C- band, X-band, S-band, L-band, V-band, among other frequency bands or combinations thereof.

[0025] A satellite 120 may include an antenna assembly 121 , such as an array antenna, a phased array antenna assembly, a phased array fed reflector (PAFR) antenna, or any other system known in the art for transmission and/or reception of signals of a communications service. In some examples, an antenna assembly 121 may support communication via one or more spot beams 125, which may be referred to as beams, service beams, beamformed beams, satellite beams, or any other suitable terminology. Signals may be passed via the antenna assembly 121 to form the spatial electromagnetic radiation pattern of the spot beams 125. In some examples, such techniques may involve beamforming via an array of antenna elements to form one or more beamformed spot beams 125, which may include changing locations of one or more spot beams 125 over time (e.g., in accordance with a beam hopping technique over a service coverage area).

[0026] In some examples, a spot beam 125 may use or be otherwise associated with a single carrier (e.g., one frequency or a contiguous frequency range). In some examples, a spot beam 125 may be configured to support user terminals 150, in which case the spot beam 125 may be referred to as a user spot beam or a user beam (e.g., user spot beam 125-a). For example, a user spot beam 125-a may be configured to support one or more downlink signals 172 and/or one or more uplink signals 173 between the satellite 120 and user terminals 150. In some examples, a spot beam 125 may be configured to support access node terminals 130, in which case the spot beam 125 may be referred to as an access node spot beam, an access node beam, or a gateway beam (e.g., access node spot beam 125-b). For example, an access node spot beam 125-b may be configured to support one or more uplink signals 132 and/or one or more downlink signals 133 between the satellite 120 and access node terminals 130. In other examples, a spot beam 125 may be configured to service both user terminals 150 and access node terminals 1 0, and thus a spot beam 125 may support any combination of downlink signals 172, uplink signals 173, uplink signals 132, or downlink signals 133 between the satellite 120 and user terminals 150 and access node terminals 130.

[0027] A spot beam 125 may support a communications service with target devices (e.g., user terminals 150, access node terminals 130, satellites 120) that are located within a spot beam coverage area 126. A spot beam coverage area 126 may be defined by an area of the electromagnetic radiation pattern of the associated spot beam 125, as projected on the ground or other reference surface, having a signal characteristic (e.g., signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR)) that is above or otherwise satisfies a threshold. A spot beam coverage area 126 may cover any suitable service area (e.g., circular, elliptical, hexagonal, local, regional, national) and may support a communications service with any quantity of target devices located in the spot beam coverage area 126, which may include target devices located within the associated spot beam 125, but not necessarily at the reference surface of a spot beam coverage area 126, such as airborne terminals.

[0028] In some examples, a satellite 120 may support multiple spot beams 125 each covering respective spot beam coverage areas 126, each of which may overlap or may not overlap with adjacent spot beam coverage areas 126. For example, the satellite 120 may support a service coverage area (e.g., a regional coverage area, a national coverage area) formed by the combination of any quantity (e.g., tens, hundreds, thousands) of spot beam coverage areas 126. A service coverage area may be broadly defined as a coverage area from which, and/or to which, either a terrestrial transmission source, or a terrestrial receiver may participate in (e.g., transmit and/or receive signals associated with) a communications service via the satellite 120, and may be defined by a plurality of spot beam coverage areas 126 (e.g., including spot beam coverage area 126-a). In some systems, the service coverage area for each communications link (e.g., a forward uplink coverage area, a forward downlink coverage area, a return uplink coverage area, and/or a return downlink coverage area) may be different. In some cases, the satellite 120 may transmit a signal for each spot beam 125 that can be used for pointing an antenna and synchronizing a user terminal 150 to the beam carrier (e.g., acquiring the downlink carrier). Such signals may be a separate beacon signal, part of a data carrying communication signal, or extracted by appropriate processing of the data carrying communication signal.

[0029] User terminals 150 may include various devices configured to communicate signals with a satellite 120, or other target device, which may include fixed terminals (e.g., ground-based stationary terminals) or mobile terminals such as terminals on boats, aircraft, ground-based vehicles, and the like. A user terminal 150 may communicate data and information via the satellite 120 or other target device, which may include communications via an access node terminal 130 to a destination device such as a network device 141, or some other device or distributed server associated with a network 140. A user terminal 150 may communicate signals according to a variety of physical layer transmission modulation and coding techniques, including, for example, those defined with the DVB-S2, WiMAX, LTE, 5G, or DOCSIS standards.

[0030] A user terminal 150 may include an antenna system 155, which may be configured for receiving downlink signals 172 (e.g., from a satellite 120), for transmitting uplink signals 173 (e.g., to a satellite 120), or both. In some examples, a user terminal 150 may be configured for uni-directional or bi-directional communications with the satellite 120 via a spot beam 125 (e.g., a user spot beam 125-a). In some implementations, an antenna system 155 may include one or more reflectors (e.g., a single reflector, a primary reflector and subreflector) and one or more antenna feeds configured to communicate (e.g., receive, transmit) signals reflected by the one or more reflectors. For example, to receive downlink signaling

172, one or more antenna feeds of an antenna system 155 may be configured to receive signals from a satellite 120 that are reflected by a reflector and, to transmit uplink signaling

173, an antenna system 155 may be configured to transmit signals from one or more antenna feeds that are reflected by a reflector towards a satellite 120. Such an antenna system 155 may be associated with a direction of peak gain (e.g., for signals reflected by the reflector, a boresight of the antenna system 155), which may be associated with a shape of the reflector (e.g., a parabolic shape, a non-parabolic shape) and geometric relationship (e.g., a spatial relationship, a relative position, a relative orientation) among the one or more antenna feeds and the one or more reflectors.

[0031] An antenna feed may refer to one or more receive antenna elements, one or more transmit antenna elements, or one or more antenna elements configured to support both transmitting and receiving (e.g., a transceiver element). A receive antenna element may include a physical transducer (e.g., an RF transducer) that converts an electromagnetic signal to an electrical signal, and a transmit antenna element may include a physical transducer that emits an electromagnetic signal when excited by an electrical signal. In some implementations, a same physical transducer may be used for transmitting and receiving. An antenna feed may include, for example, a feed horn, a polarization transducer (e.g., a septum polarized hom, which may function as two combined elements with different polarizations), a multi-port multi-band hom (e.g., dual-band 20 GHz/30 GHz with dual polarization LHCP/RHCP), a cavity-backed slot, an inverted-F, a slotted waveguide, a Vivaldi, a Helical, a loop, a patch, or any other configuration of an antenna element or combination of interconnected sub-elements. An antenna feed also may include or be otherwise coupled with an RF signal transducer, a low noise amplifier (LNA), or high power amplifier (HPA), and may be coupled with transponders for performing other signal processing.

[0032] An antenna system 155 may also include a processing system (e.g., circuits, processors, signal processors) for converting (e.g., performing frequency conversion, modulating/demodulating, multiplexing/demultiplexing, filtering, forwarding) between radio frequency (RF) communication signals (e.g., downlink signals 172 and/or uplink signals 173), and user terminal communications signals 157 communicated between the antenna system 155 and a user terminal controller 158. Such a processing system may be included in an antenna system 155, which may be referred to as an integrated antenna assembly or processor-integrated antenna assembly. Additionally, or alternatively, a user terminal controller 158 may include a processing system for performing various RF signal operations (e.g., receiving, performing frequency conversion, modulating/demodulating, multiplexing/demultiplexing, measuring signal quality, etc.). An antenna system 155 may also include various hardware for mounting or orienting one or more portions of the antenna system 155. In some examples, an antenna system 155 may be known as an outdoor unit (ODU), and a user terminal controller 158 may be known as an indoor unit (IDU).

[0033] A user terminal 150 may be connected via a wired or wireless connection 161 to one or more instances of consumer premises equipment (CPE) 160, and may provide network access service (e.g., access to a network 140, access to a network device 141, Internet access) or other communication services (e.g., broadcast media) to CPEs 160 via devices of the communication system 100. The CPE(s) 160 may include user devices such as, but not limited to, computers, local area networks, internet appliances, wireless networks, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), other handheld devices, netbooks, notebook computers, tablet computers, laptops, display devices (e.g., TVs, computer monitors), printers, and other devices. The CPE(s) 160 may also include any equipment located at a premises of a subscriber, including routers, firewalls, switches, private branch exchanges (PBXs), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateways, and other equipment. In some examples, a user terminal 150 may provide for two-way communications between the CPE(s) 160 and network(s) 140 via a satellite 120 and an access node terminal(s) 130.

[0034] An access node terminal 130 may service uplink signals 132 and downlink signals 133 (e.g., to and from a satellite 120). Access node terminals 130 may also be known as ground stations, gateways, gateway terminals, or hubs. An access node terminal 130 may include an access node terminal antenna system 131 and an access node controller 135. An access node terminal antenna system 131 may be two-way capable and designed with adequate transmit power and receive sensitivity to communicate reliably with one or more satellites 120. In some examples, an access node terminal antenna system 131 may comprise a parabolic reflector with high directivity in the direction of a satellite 120 and low directivity in other directions. An access node terminal antenna system 131 may be implemented in accordance with various configurations and may include operating features such as high isolation between orthogonal polarizations, high efficiency in operational frequency bands, low noise, and other features.

[0035] In some examples, an access node terminal 130 (e.g., an access node controller 135) may schedule traffic with (e.g., to, from) user terminals 150. Additionally, or alternatively, such scheduling may be performed in other parts of communication system 100 (e.g., at one or more network devices 141, which may include network operations centers (NOC) or gateway command centers). A satellite 120 may communicate with an access node terminal 130 by transmitting downlink signals 133 or receiving uplink signals 132 via one or more spot beams 125 (e.g., an access node spot beam 125-b, which may be associated with a respective access node spot beam coverage area 126-b). An access node spot beam 125-b may, for example, support a communications service for one or more user terminals 150 (e.g., relayed by the satellite 120), or any other communications between a satellite 120 and an access node terminal 130.

[0036] An access node terminal 130 may provide an interface between a network 140 and a satellite 120, and may be configured to receive information directed between the network 140 and one or more user terminals 150. An access node terminal 130 may format the data and information for delivery to respective user terminals 150. Additionally, or alternatively, an access node terminal 130 may be configured to receive signals from a satellite 120 (e.g., from one or more user terminals 150) directed to a destination accessible via a network 140. An access node terminal 130 may also format the received signals for transmission on a network 140.

[0037] The network(s) 140 may be any type of network and can include, for example, the Internet, an Internet Protocol (IP) network, an intranet, a wide-area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a local-area network (LAN), a virtual private network (VPN), a virtual LAN (VLAN), a fiber optic network, a hybrid fiber-coax network, a cable network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a public switched data network (PSDN), a public land mobile network, or any other type of network supporting communications between devices as described herein. Network(s) 140 may include both wired and wireless connections as well as optical links. Network(s) 140 may connect the access node terminal 130 with other access node terminals that may be in communication with the satellite 120 or with other satellites. One or more network device(s) 141 may be coupled with the access node terminal 130 and may control aspects of the communication system 100. In various examples a network device 141 may be co-located or otherwise nearby the access node terminal 130, or may be a remote installation that communicates with the access node terminal 130 or network(s) 140 via wired or wireless communications link(s).

[0038] In some cases, a direction of peak gain of an antenna system 155 may be misaligned with a satellite 120, resulting in signal quality that is lower than a capability of the antenna system 155. For example, an imprecise installation of an antenna system 155 may cause a direction of peak gain of the antenna system 155 to be misaligned with a direction of the satellite 120. Misalignment between a direction of peak gain of the antenna system 155 and the satellite 120 may result in relatively inefficient communication or signaling performance via the antenna system 155, which may adversely affect throughput or efficiency of the communication system 100.

[0039] In some cases, performing a coarse adjustment process and a fine adjustment process may include sweeping the antenna system along various paths and recording the signal strength of the antenna system 155 at each point along the various paths. In some such cases, the antenna system 155 may record the value associated with a signal metric (e.g., signal strength, signal quality such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or signal-to-noise plus interference (SINR)) along the various paths and the antenna system may be swept back along the various paths one or more times until the value associated with the signal metric satisfies a threshold range corresponding to the value associated with a peak of the signal metric (e.g., a threshold percentage of the peak or within a threshold delta of the peak). After the value satisfies the threshold, the antenna system 155 may be fixed. However, due to a relatively wide beamwidth causing a shallow gradient near the peak, as well as atmospheric signal noise (e.g., atmospheric scintillation), the threshold range may be relatively wide and the peak may be difficult to detect. Thus, sweeping the antenna system 155 back along the various paths one or more times until the value satisfies the threshold range, may cause the antenna system 155 to be fixed in a direction not associated with a peak of the signal metric. Likewise, sweeping the antenna system 155 one or more times may cause relatively high latency for performing alignment of the antenna system 155. In some cases, the position of the antenna system 155 may be fixed based on a sensor (e.g., a gyroscopic sensor, an accelerometer) identifying the direction of the antenna system 155 relative to the signal strength. However, sensors having sufficient accuracy may be relatively expensive while inexpensive sensors may be associated with relatively undesirable drift.

[0040] In accordance with examples as described herein, the antenna system 155 may include or be coupled with an image sensor (e.g., a camera) configured to identify a position of the antenna system 155 for use in aligning the antenna system with a satellite 120. In some cases, the antenna system 155 may include an image sensor integrated into the antenna system 155, or otherwise attached to the antenna system 155, such that the image sensor may move (e.g., rotate) with the antenna system 155 during positioning the antenna system 155. In some such cases, displacement data determined from imagery data captured by the image sensor may be aligned with signal metric data measured during adjusting the position of the antenna system 155 along various paths associated with performing a fine adjustment process. The antenna system 155 may use the alignment of the displacement data and the signal metric data to identify a target position of the antenna system 155 associated with a peak of the signal metric. An indication of the target position may be provided for alignment of the antenna system 155 to the target. For example, the antenna system 155 may superimpose a target image associated with the target position on a current image associated with the current position of the antenna system 155, and the positioning of the antenna system 155 may be adjusted until the current image is aligned with the target image. Alignment of the current image with the target image may align the direction of peak gain of the antenna system with the satellite 120 and the antenna system may be fixed in position.

[0041] In some cases, the image sensor may be part of an alignment device 165, which may be a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. The alignment device 165 may be in communication with the antenna system 155 during or subsequent to positioning the antenna system 155. The image sensor may be a camera of the alignment device 165 configured to capture the imagery data as the position of the antenna system 155 is adjusted along the various paths associated with performing the fine adjustment process. The alignment device 165 may be configured to receive signal metric data measured during adjusting the position of the antenna system 155 along the various paths, and displacement data determined from the imagery data may be aligned with the signal metric data to identify the target position of the antenna system 155. An indication of the target position may be provided for alignment of the antenna system 155 to the target. For example, the alignment device 165 may superimpose a target image associated with the target position on a current image associated with the current position of the antenna system 155, and the positioning of the antenna system 155 may be adjusted until the current image is aligned with the target image. Alignment of the current image with the target image may align the direction of peak gain of the antenna system with the satellite 120 and the antenna system may be fixed in position.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows an example of an antenna system 155-a that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein. The antenna system 155-a may illustrate aspects or operations of a communication system, which may be an example of a communication system 100, as described with reference to FIG. 1. For example, the antenna system 155-a may be operable to communicate with a target device, which may be an example of a satellite 120, as described with reference to FIG. 1. The antenna system 155-a may be coupled with an image sensor 270 (e.g., camera), which may be implemented in the antenna system 155-a or an external device, such as an alignment device 165, as described with reference to FIG. 1. The antenna system 155-a may be aligned with the target device based on aligning signal metric data measured by the antenna system 155-a and displacement data determined from imagery data captured by the image sensor 270, then determining a position of the antenna system 155-a associated with a peak of the signal metric with the target device.

[0043] The antenna system 155-a includes a reflector 205 mounted to a mast 255 via a mounting bracket assembly 235. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a satellite communication assembly 210 may include an antenna feed 215 and a transceiver, and may be attached to the reflector 205 via an arm 225 and a skew plate 230 of the mounting bracket assembly 235. However, in other cases, the satellite communication assembly 210 may be attached directly to the reflector 205, such that the antenna feed 215 is centrally located within the reflector 205. The satellite communication assembly 210 may process signals transmitted by and received at the antenna system 155-a. In some examples, the satellite communication assembly 210 may be a transmit and receive integrated assembly (TRIA), which may be coupled with a subscriber terminal (e.g., user terminal controller 158 of FIG. 1, etc.) via an electrical feed. As illustrated, the satellite communication assembly 210 includes circuitry to support satellite communications assembled into a housing with the antenna feed 215 opening towards the reflector 205. Electromagnetic signals may be transmitted by and received at the satellite communication assembly 210 via downlink and uplink beams. A boresight 260 may generally illustrate a principal axis (e.g., direction of peak gain, etc.) of at least one of the downlink and uplink beams.

[0044] The mounting bracket assembly 235 may include azimuth angle, elevation angle, and skew adjustments of the reflector 205 relative to the mast 255. Elevation angle refers to an angle between the antenna system 155-a and a horizontal reference point (e.g., the horizon), which may be measured with reference to the boresight 260. Azimuth angle refers to an angle between the boresight 260 and a direction of true north in a horizontal plane, such that an adjustment of the azimuth angle may correspond to rotating the reflector 205 about an axis along the mounting bracket assembly 235. Skew refers to an angle of rotation about the boresight 260.

[0045] The mounting bracket assembly 235 may include, for example, bolts that can be loosened to permit the antenna system 155-a to be separately adjusted for the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and the skew. For example, the antenna system 155-a may be positioned in a desired position relative to the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, or the skew, then the bolts associated with the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, or the skew may be tightened to fix the antenna system 155-a in the desired position. After positioning the antenna system 155-a to the desired position in one of the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and skew, the bolts for the adjustments may be loosened to permit a second adjustment to be made. For example, the antenna system 155-a may be tightened to fix the skew in the desired position, while the azimuth angle and the elevation angle remain loosened. Then, the antenna system 155-a may be tightened to fix the elevation angle in the desired position, while the azimuth angle remains loosened. Finally, the antenna system 155-a may be tightened to fix the azimuth angle in the desired position, immobilizing the antenna system 155-a.

[0046] The mounting bracket assembly 235 may be installed on a top portion of the mast 255. On the other end, the mast 255 may attach to a mounting surface via a foot 250. The foot 250 may be, for example, a mounting bracket that can be used to affix the mast 255 to a structure. In some examples, the mast 255 is also supported by legs 240 that provide further attachment and stability using mounting brackets 245 to attach to the structure. One or more of the foot 250 and the mounting brackets 245 may function as an adjustable mounting device. The mast 255 may be installed and adjusted (e.g., using adjustments on legs 240) such that the top portion is plumb (e.g., relatively perpendicular to the horizon), allowing the elevation and azimuth of the reflector 205 to be adjusted independently via the mounting bracket assembly 235. A technician or installation device may then position the reflector 205 to the proper azimuth, elevation, and skew. As described in more detail below, the technician or the installation device positions the antenna system 155-a to point the beam (e.g., boresight 260) at the target device. In some cases, the technician or the installation device may position the antenna system 155-a by moving the entire antenna system 155-a via external force. In other cases, the antenna system 155-a may be positioned using motors or other automated mechanisms supported by the technician or the installation device.

[0047] The antenna system 155-a may, for example, be initially pointed by the installer such that the boresight 260 is pointed in the general direction of the target device. The initial azimuth, elevation, and skew angles for pointing the antenna system 155-a can be determined by the installer based on the known location of the target device and the known geographic location where the antenna system 155-a is being installed. In the illustrated implementation, the surface of the reflector 205 is non-circularly symmetric and includes a major axis (the longest line through the center of the reflector 205) and a minor axis (the shortest line through the center of the reflector 205). The technician or the installation device can adjust the skew angle of the antenna system 155-a via the skew plate 230 until the major axis of the reflector is aligned with the geostationary arc.

[0048] Once the antenna system 155-a is coarsely positioned to the general directional coordinates of the first satellite, the elevation and/or azimuth angles can be further adjusted by the technician or the installation device to fine tune the pointing until the antenna system 155-a is sufficiently pointed at the target device. The techniques for determining when the boresight 260 is sufficiently pointed at the target device may be based on using signal metric data of a signal communicated with the target device, such as a forward downlink signal, forward beacon signal, return uplink signal, return beacon signal. For example, the boresight 260 may be sufficiently pointed at the target device based on identifying the antenna system 155-a is at a peak signal metric with the target device. [0049] In some implementations, a signaling sensor, such as a transceiver or a power meter, may be used to measure the signal metric of the signal. Where a return uplink signal (e.g., return uplink data signal, return uplink beacon signal), the signal metric may be measured at the satellite or at a gateway terminal. In some examples, the signaling sensor may be an external device to the antenna system 155-a, such that the technician or the installation device may temporarily attach the signaling sensor to the electrical feed of the antenna system 155-a. In other examples, the signaling sensor may be integrated into the transceiver, such that the antenna system 155-a may measure and record signal metric data associated with the signal metric of the received signal. For example, the signal metric data may include a set of sample points, which may be associated with a value or magnitude of the received signal. In some implementations, the signaling sensor may be configured to capture the signal metric data at a sampling rate, which may be measured relative to a clock signal. In some such implementations, the signaling sensor may capture the set of sample points of the signal metric data based on the sampling rate, such that at each sample time of the sampling rate, a signal metric value of the signal metric data may be sampled.

[0050] In some cases, the antenna system 155-a may be coupled with or integrate an image sensor 270. Alternatively, the image sensor 270 may be part of an alignment device 165-a. The image sensor 270 may be attached (e.g., directly, via the alignment device 165-a) to the reflector 205, such that movement of the reflector 205 results in movement of the image sensor 270, and thereby movement of images captured by the image sensor 270. In some examples, the imagery data may include a set of sample points, which may be associated with a field of view of the image sensor 270. For example, the imagery data may be a set of images where each image corresponds to a respective field of view of the image sensor 270. In some cases, the image sensor 270 may be configured to capture the imagery data at a sampling rate, which may be measured relative to the clock signal. In some cases, the imagery data may be a video stream, which may have a frame rate associated with the sampling rate. In some cases, the image sensor 270 may capture the set of sample points of the imagery data based on the sampling rate, such that at each sample time of the sampling rate, one image frame of the imagery data may be sampled. In some cases, the image sensor 270 may be located at an axis of rotation for the antenna system 155-a (e.g., approximately at the azimuth axis of the mounting bracket assembly 235). However, in other cases the image sensor 270 may not be located at the axis of rotation. For example, error introduced by an offset between the image sensor 270 and the axis of rotation may be small for objects located relatively far away (e.g., greater than 2 meters or 5 meters), and thus error introduced may not substantially affect determination of positioning information from imagery data captured by the image sensor 270. Thus, in some cases the image sensor 270 may be located at a position convenient for attaching the image sensor 270 without detrimental effect.

[0051] In some cases, the antenna system 155-a may include one or more controllers or processing circuitry coupled with the image sensor 270, and may be configured to process the imagery data. Alternatively, the alignment device 165-a may include the controllers or processing circuitry. The one or more controllers or processing circuitry may be coupled with the signaling sensor, and may be configured to process the signal metric data and imagery data. In some such cases, the one or more controllers or processing circuitry may include an integrated memory associated with storing the imagery data and the signal metric data. Further, the one or more controllers or processing circuitry may be configured to process the signal metric data and the imagery data. For example, the one or more controllers or processing circuitry may be configured to align the signal metric data with displacement data determined from the imagery data. In some cases, the one or more controllers or processing circuitry may be configured to determine an offset between the displacement data and the set of sampling points of the signal metric data, and align the sets of sampling points.

[0052] Additionally, the one or more controllers or processing circuitry may identify imagery data corresponding to the signal metric data at the peak of a parabolic fit of the signal metric data, and determine a position of the antenna system 155-a associated with the peak. For example, the one or more controllers or processing circuitry may determine a target image corresponding to a target position of the antenna system 155-a associated with the peak of the signal metric. The one or more controllers or processing circuitry may provide an indication of the target position for setting the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, or the skew of the antenna system 155-a. For example, the one or more controllers or processing circuitry may transmit the indication of the target position to a display of the alignment device 165-a. In some such examples, the alignment device 165-a may display a superimposition of the target image on a current image associated with a current position of the antenna system 155-a. The technician or installation device may align the current image with the target image based on adjusting the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, or the skew of the antenna system 155-a. Once the antenna system 155-a is sufficiently pointed at the target device, the technician or the installation device can immobilize the mounting bracket assembly 235 to preclude further movement of the antenna system 155-a. [0053] In some cases, the alignment device 165-a may be attached to the reflector 205, such that the field of view of the image sensor 270 of the alignment device 165-a corresponds to a position of the antenna system 155-a. In some such examples, movement of the reflector 205 may result in movement of the image sensor 270, and thereby movement of images captured by the image sensor 270. However, in some cases the image sensor 270 may not be directed in a direction that shows the target (e.g., may not be aligned along the direction of the boresight 260, or may be aligned such that the boresight 260 is not in the field of view of the image sensor 270). For example, the image sensor 270 may be directed to include objects in the field of view of the image sensor 270 such as buildings, trees, or other static objects that may be used for determining relative rotation as the antenna system 155-a is moved.

[0054] In some cases, the alignment device 165-a may include one or more controllers or processing circuitry coupled with the image sensor 270, and may be configured to process the imagery data. Additionally, the alignment device 165-a may include a transceiver configured to receive the signal metric data from the signaling sensor of the antenna system 155-a. The one or more controllers or processing circuitry of the alignment device 165-a may be configured to process the signal metric data. The alignment device 165-a may also include an integrated memory associated with storing the imagery data and the signal metric data.

Further, the alignment device 165-a may be configured to align the signal metric data with the imagery data, such that the alignment device 165-a may determine an offset between the set of sampling points of the imagery data and the set of sampling points of the signal metric data, and align the sets of sampling points.

[0055] Additionally, the alignment device 165-a may identify imagery data corresponding to the signal metric data at the peak gain, and determine a position of the antenna system 155-a associated with the peak gain. For example, the alignment device 165-a may determine a target image corresponding to a target position of the antenna system 155-a associated with the peak gain. The alignment device 165-a may provide an indication of the target position for setting the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, or the skew of the antenna system 155-a. For example, the user device may display a superimposition of the target image on a current image associated with a current position of the antenna system 155-a. The technician or installation device may align the current image with the target image based on adjusting the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, or the skew of the antenna system 155-a. Once the antenna system 155-a is sufficiently pointed at the target device, the technician or the installation device can immobilize the mounting bracket assembly 235 to preclude further movement of the antenna system 155-a.

[0056] In some such cases, the controllers or processing circuitry of the antenna system 155-a or the alignment device 165-a may execute instructions associated with an application for aligning the antenna system 155-a with the target device. For example, the application may be an interface which the technician may use for aligning the antenna system 155-a with the target device. In some cases, the application may display an indicator for aligning the antenna system 155-a such as an arrow or the superimposition of the target image on the current image associated with the antenna system 155-a. For example, the application may display the displacement between the target image and the current image decreasing as the antenna system 155-a is adjusted. In some cases, the application may display an indication that the antenna system 155-a is aligned with the target device when the target image is aligned with the current image.

[0057] By displaying the indicator associated with the difference between the current position of the antenna system 155-a and the target position, the angle of antenna system 155-a may be adjusted directly to the position at which the antenna system 155-a is aligned with the target image. Thus, the antenna system 155-a may not implement multiple sweeping procedures otherwise associated with relatively high latency for aligning the antenna system 155-a with the target device. Additionally, the antenna system 155-a may not implement a threshold range associated with the peak of the signal metric, where using the threshold range may result in the antenna system 155-a being fixed in a direction not associated with the peak of the signal metric. Finally, the position of the antenna system 155-a may be aligned with the target device based on the image sensor 270, which may be inexpensive to implement relative to highly accurate gyroscopic sensors or accelerometers, and in some cases may be temporarily attached to the antenna system 155-a and re-used for installation of other antenna systems 155-a.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows an example of an image displacement diagram 300 that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein. The image displacement diagram 300 illustrates aspects or operations of an antenna system 155-b, which may be an example of an antenna system 155-a, as described with reference to FIGs. 1 and 2. For example, the image displacement diagram 300 illustrates a relationship between an image sensor 270-a and a position of the antenna system 155-b, as described with reference to FIG. 2. The image displacement diagram 300 may be described with reference to an illustrated coordinate system. For example, FIG. 3 shows fields of view 310 of the image sensor 270-a in an xz-plane, where the y-direction extends into or out of the page.

[0059] The image displacement diagram 300 illustrates the image sensor 270-a attached to the antenna system 155-b. For example, the image sensor 270-a may be part of an alignment device 165 which may be temporarily mounted to the antenna system 155-b, such that adjusting the positioning of the antenna system 155-b may adjust the positioning of the image sensor 270-a. In other examples, the image sensor 270-a may be integrated into the antenna system 155-b, such that the image sensor 270-a may be permanently mounted to the antenna system 155-b. In some cases, rotating the antenna system 155-b about an axis 305 may rotate the image sensor 270-a about the axis 305. In some cases, rotation of the antenna system 155-b about the axis 305 may be indicative of a change in an azimuth angle of the antenna system 155-b. In some cases, rotating the antenna system 155-b about an axis 306 may rotate the image sensor 270-a about the axis 306. In some cases, rotation of the antenna system 155-b about the axis 306 may be indicative of a change in an elevation angle of the antenna system 155-b. Although the image displacement diagram 300 is shown for adjustment of the azimuth angle based on rotating the antenna system 155-b about the axis 305, a similar diagram could be understood for adjustment of the elevation angle based on rotating the antenna system 155-b about the axis 306.

[0060] The image displacement diagram 300 illustrates a field of view 310 of the image sensor 270-a attached to the antenna system 155-b. For example, the image displacement diagram 300 may illustrate a field of view 310-a of the image sensor 270-a captured at a first time, and a field of view 310-b of the image sensor 270-a captured at a second time. The field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b may be associated with a same quantity of pixels and may be associated with a same perspective size. Likewise, the field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b may be captured from a same distance from an object 315 within the field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b. For example, the field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b may each illustrate the object 315 from a distance, but the field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b may be associated with different angles.

[0061] The field of view 310-a may be indicative of imagery data captured by the image sensor 270-a at a first angle relative to the axis 305. For example, the field of view 310-a may illustrate a sampled point of imagery data as the antenna system 155-b and the image sensor 270-a are rotated about the axis 305. For example, the field of view 310-a may depict an image captured by the image sensor 270-a, where the image shows the object 315 relatively centered within the field of view 310-a. Likewise, the field for view 310-b may be indicative of imagery data captured by the image sensor 270-a at a second angle relative to the axis 305. The field of view 310-b may illustrate another sampled point of imagery data as the antenna system 155-b and the image sensor 270-a are rotated about the axis 305. For example, the field of view 310-b may be indicative of the image sensor 270-a as the antenna system 155-b is rotated about the axis 305 in a clockwise direction. For example, the field of view 310-b may depict an image captured by the image sensor 270-a, where the image shows the object 315 relatively left justified within the field of view 310-a.

[0062] The field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b may indicate a displacement of the antenna system 155-b as an azimuth angle of the antenna system 155-b is adjusted. The field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b may be indicative of a change in position of the antenna system 155-b, as the antenna system 155-b is rotated along the axis 305. For example, the field of view 310-a illustrates the object 315 as being relatively centered within the image, and the field of view 310-b illustrates the object 315 as being relatively left justified within the image, indicating displacement 320 of the object 315 within the field of view 310-b relative to the field of view 310-a. In some cases, the relative position of the object 315 within the field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b may be cross-correlated to identify the displacement 320. The displacement 320 may show that the object 315 has been moved within the field of view 310-a based on the antenna system 155-b being rotated clockwise about the axis 305. Further, the displacement 320 may be indicative of a displacement between the field of view 310-a and the field of view 310-b. In some cases, the magnitude of the displacement 320 may correspond to a magnitude of the change in angle of the antenna system 155-b about the axis 305. In some such cases, a relationship between the magnitude of the displacement 320 and the magnitude of the change in angle may be determined as a factor.

[0063] Implementing the image sensor 270-a attached to the antenna system 155-b may enable the image sensor 270-a to capture imagery data indicative of positioning of the antenna system 155-b. For example, displacement along the field of view 310 of the image sensor 270-a may be indicative of a change in the azimuth angle of the antenna system 155-b. In some cases, the image sensor 270-a may be further configured to capture imagery data indicative of a change in elevation angle of the antenna system 155-b or a change in skew of the antenna system 155-b. For example, displacement along field of view 310 of the image sensor 270 may be indicative of a change in the elevation angle of the antenna system 155-b. Likewise, rotation of the field of view 310 of the image sensor 270-a may be indicative of a change in the skew of the antenna system 155-b. In some cases, the imagery data may be used to identify the position of the antenna system 155-b, such that the position of the antenna system 155-b may be adjusted to align the antenna system 155-b with a target device. In some cases, the image sensor 270-a may not be perfectly aligned with the antenna system 155-b, such that the image sensor 270-a is attached to the antenna system 155-b at an angle about the axis 305 and/or the axis 306. However, misalignment with the antenna system 155-b may not affect detection of the displacement 320 in the field of view 310, if the image sensor 270-a is maintained in misalignment with the antenna system 155-b as the positioning of the antenna system 155-b is adjusted. For example, displacement 320 may be determined within fields of view 310 that are not aligned with a direction of movement about the axis 305 and/or the axis 306.

[0064] FIGs. 4A and 4B show examples of graphs 400 that support camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein. The graphs 400 illustrate aspects or operations of an antenna system coupled with an image sensor, which may be an example of an antenna system 155 and an image sensor 270, as described with reference to FIGs. 1-3. Graphs 400 illustrate relationships between a signal metric, positioning, and time associated with aligning the antenna system with a target device (e.g., a satellite).

[0065] For example, the graph 400-b may illustrate sampling the signal metric data relative to the time, where the time is associated with positioning the antenna system along the path. For example, the antenna system may be adjusted over a duration (e.g., a first duration), and a signal metric may be measured at points during the duration. The graph 400-b includes an axis associated with the signal metric of a signal communicated between the antenna system and the target device (e.g., measured in decibels (dB)), and an axis associated with the time. In some cases, the signal metric may be measured by the antenna system (e.g., a transceiver of the antenna system, a signaling sensor of the antenna system). Alternatively, where an uplink signal is used for the alignment process, the signal metric may be measured by the target (e.g., satellite, gateway terminal). The signal metric may be sampled according to a sample rate of the transceiver or signaling sensor, and the sampled points may be indicative of signal metric data sampled at each sample time of the sample rate. The measured signal metric may be based on a direction of peak gain of the antenna system relative to the target device, and may vary over the path of adjustment of the antenna system according to a function (e.g., a parabolic function). [0066] The graph 400-b illustrates the sampled points of the signal metric data 410. Further, the graph 400-b illustrates a best fit 410-a of the measured signal metric data. The sampling of the signal metric data may occur over a time duration (e.g., a second duration) that includes the time duration over which the antenna system is moved. For example, sampling of the signal metric data may be initiated prior to initiating movement of the antenna system, and stopped after movement of the antenna system (e.g., sweeping in one or more directions) is complete.

[0067] Likewise, the graph 400-c may illustrate sampling the imagery data relative to time, where a duration over which the imagery data is sampled (e.g., a third duration) includes a duration associated with positioning the antenna system along the path (e.g., the first duration). The imagery data may be, for example, a video file recorded over a duration that includes the duration associated with positioning the antenna system along the path. Displacement data 420 may be determined from the imagery data. For example, graph 400-c includes an axis associated with the positioning of the antenna system measured in pixels associated with a field of view of the image sensor, and an axis associated with the time. In some cases, an angle (e.g., an azimuth angle) of the antenna system may be adjusted along a path, such that the antenna system is rotated about a physical axis associated with the angle. The displacement data 420 may be determined based on imagery data captured by the image sensor. In some cases, the displacement data may be determined from one or more objects in a field of view associated with the image sensor, such that a displacement (e.g., of an object) in the field of view may indicate a change in the positioning of the antenna system. For objects that are located a static distance from the image sensor, displacement in pixels may be proportional to rotational displacement. For example, as the antenna system is rotated about the physical axis along the path, the field of view may be correspondingly displaced.

Accordingly, the positioning of the antenna system may be measured in pixels compared to a reference point. For example, pixel - 160 may be representative of the antenna system at a positioning along the path (e.g., a final positioning), whereas pixel 0 may be representative of the antenna system at another positioning (e.g., an initial positioning) along the path. The positioning of the antenna system may be sampled according to a sample rate of the image sensor (e.g., frame rate), and the sampled points may be indicative of imagery data sampled at each time of the sample rate. The sampled images may be compared (e.g., cross-correlated) to determine positioning at the sampled points (e.g., in pixels), such that the displacement data 420 of the antenna system may be measured with respect to time. [0068] Graph 400-c illustrates that the antenna system was adjusted from the position associated with pixel 0 to the position associated with pixel -160, then adjusted from the position associated with pixel -160 back to the position associated with pixel 0. Graph 400-c illustrates the sampled points of the displacement data 420 prior to synchronization with the sampled signal metric data. In some cases, sampling of the imagery data may be initiated prior to initiating movement of the antenna system, and stopped after movement of the antenna system (e.g., sweeping in one or more directions) is complete.

[0069] In some cases, capturing of the signal metric data 410 and the imagery data used to determine displacement data 420 may be performed independently. For example, the sampling of the signal metric data and sampling of the imagery data may be initiated at different points in time. Further, the sampling rates or sampling points between the signal metric data and the imagery data may be different. In addition, in some cases the satellite communication assembly 210 of the antenna system 155 may measure and store the signal metric data 410 while, independently, the alignment device 165 may capture the imagery data. In some cases, the duration associated with sampling the signal metric data (e.g., second duration) may be different from the duration associated with sampling the imagery data (e.g., third duration).

[0070] In some cases, aligning the displacement data 420 and the signal metric data 410 may include determining a time offset 430 between the sampled points of the displacement data 420 and sampled points of the signal metric data 410. In some examples, the displacement data 420 may be associated with a different sampling rate than the signal metric data, thus the sampled points of the displacement data 420 may not be mapped directly to the sampled points of the signal metric data 410. In some example, the displacement data 420 may be interpolated or otherwise resampled to correspond to a sample rate of the signal metric data 410 based on the sample rate of the signal metric data 410 and the sample rate of the imagery data (e.g., frame rate).

[0071] In some cases, aligning the displacement data 420 and the signal metric data 410 may include establishing a positioning of the antenna system corresponding to the signal metric data 410. For example, displacement data 420 may be identified based on using cross correlation to compare relative positioning indicated by the imagery data. In some such examples, the displacement data 420 may be mapped to the signal metric data 410 relative to time to determine respective parabolic fits between the signal metric data 410 and the displacement data 420 at various time offsets. The respective parabolic fits may be mapped to an error function, and the parabolic fit with a smallest error may be selected. In some cases, determining the parabolic fit with the smallest error may be based on a time offset 430 between the displacement data 420 and the signal metric data 410.

[0072] For example, determining the time offset 430 may include evaluating a parabolic fit over multiple candidate time offsets between the displacement data 420 and the signal metric data 410, and selecting the time offset 430 from the multiple candidate offsets based on evaluating the parabolic fit. In some cases, a parabolic function given by the equation y = — %₀) + c(x — *o)² may be evaluated for the signal metric data against the displacement data 420 for different candidate offsets x₀, and the offset corresponding to the best parabolic fit of the multiple candidate offsets may be selected. In some cases, aligning the displacement data 420 may include performing a least squares regression (least squares regression of the signal metric data to the parabolic function according to the candidate time offsets). In some cases, sweeping a position of the antenna system along a path through a point of a peak of the signal metric and then back along the path may assist in achieving parabolic fit of the signal metric data 410 according to the displacement data 420. For example, as shown in graph 400-b, the signal metric data passes through the peak as the antenna system is moved in one direction and then back again through the peak as the antenna system is moved in the other direction.

[0073] Graph 400-d shows an error parabola illustrating example candidate time offsets, and the point 435 may correspond to a time offset associated with producing the best parabolic fit. For example, the point 435 may be indicative of a lowest error of the mapping between the displacement data 420 and the signal metric data 410. Likewise, graph 400-e and graph 400-f may illustrate parabolic fits according to example candidate time offsets. For example, the graph 400-e may illustrate a candidate time offset associated with a first time offset and the graph 400-f may illustrate a candidate time offset associated with a second time offset. Based on comparing the graph 400-e and the graph 400-f, the candidate time offset associated with the graph 400-f may be a relatively better candidate time offset due to the error (e.g., least squares error) of the measured signal metric being relatively lower than the error associated with the measured signal metric to the parabolic fit of graph 400-e.

[0074] Aligning the displacement data 420 and the signal metric data 410 may result in aligned displacement data 425, which may be overlayed on the signal metric data to generate a mapping between the relative positions in the displacement data 425 and the signal metric data 410. The mapping between the aligned displacement data 425 and the signal metric data 410 may be used to identify the signaling strength of the antenna system at each position along the path, as shown in graph 400-a. For example, at the position of the antenna system measured at pixel -160, the signal metric may be about -5 dB. Likewise, at the position of the antenna system measured at pixel 0, the signal metric may be about -50 dB. The peak gain may be identified from the signal metric data and the position of the antenna system may be determined based on the mapping between the aligned displacement data 425 and the signal metric data 410. For example, the peak gain may be identified as being about 10 dB. The alignment of the displacement data 425 and the signal metric data 410 may be used to determine the positioning of the antenna system associated with the peak gain is at about -115 pixels. After identifying the position of the antenna system associated with the peak of the signal metric, a technician or installation device may adjust the antenna system such that the position of the antenna system is associated with the peak of the signal metric. In some cases, the antenna system may be adjusted based on an indication of the position associated with the peak signal metric. For example, a display associated with the antenna system (e.g., on the alignment device) may show an indicator of positioning of the antenna system to align the direction of peak gain of the antenna system with the target. In some cases, superimposition of a target image associated with the position of the antenna system at the peak of the signal metric on a current image captured by the image sensor may be used. In some such examples, the technician or installation device may adjust the positioning of the antenna system until the current image is aligned with the target image on the display.

[0075] In some cases, graph 400-c may be used to identify the position of the antenna system at the time at which the peak of the signal metric is identified. For example, the peak of the signal metric may be identified at about 24 second and 44 seconds relative to the aligned displacement data 425, as shown in the graph 400-b, and the position of the antenna system in the aligned displacement data 425 at 24 seconds and 44 seconds is about - 115 pixels. Thus, the position of the antenna system associated with the peak of the signal metric may be identified as -115 pixels.

[0076] The graph 400-a may illustrate results of the alignment between the displacement data 425 and the signal metric data 410, which may be determined by one or more controllers or processing circuitry. In some cases, one or more controllers or processing circuitry of the antenna system may perform the determinations associated with aligning the displacement data and the signal metric data. Whereas, in other cases, one or more controllers or processing circuitry associated with an alignment device operable to communicated with the antenna system may perform the determinations associated with aligning the displacement data and the signal metric data.

[0077] The graphs 400 illustrate results of processes performed in accordance with aligning the position of the antenna system with the target device. Performing the processes described herein may be associated with decreased latency associated with aligning the antenna system with the target device. Additionally, performing such processes may be associated with reduced complexity for aligning the antenna system with the target device, while maintain high precision of the signal metric between the antenna system and the target device.

[0078] FIG. 5 shows examples of superimposition diagrams 500 that support camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein. The superimposition diagrams 500 illustrate aspects or operations of an antenna system coupled with an image sensor, which may be an example of an antenna system 155 and an image sensor 270, as described with reference to FIGs. 1-3. For example, the superimposition diagrams 500 each illustrate a superimposition of two images each associated with a respective position of the antenna system. The superimposition diagrams 500 may be described with reference to an illustrated coordinate system. For example, superimposition diagrams 500 show the antenna system in an xz-plane, where the y-direction extends some distance into or out of the page.

[0079] The superimposition diagrams 500 illustrate examples of a display configured to show images associated with the image sensor as the antenna system is positioned along various paths. For example, the image sensor may be attached to the antenna system, such that movement of the antenna system may result in corresponding movement of the image sensor. Movement of the image sensor may result in displacement of images captured by the image sensor. In some cases, the display and the image sensor may be integrated into the antenna system. In other cases, the display and the image sensor may be associated with an alignment device operable to communicate with the antenna system. The display may be configured to show a current image captured from the image sensor, such that at a current position of the antenna system, the display may show an image indicative of the current position. The display may also be configured to illustrate an indicator of alignment of the antenna system with the target. For example, the display may be configured to superimpose a target image associated with a target position of the antenna system onto the current image. The target position may be a position associated with a peak of the signal metric of the antenna system for a received signal of a target device (e.g., a satellite). The target image may be overlayed with the current image on the display, such that a displacement between the current image and the target image may be indicative of a difference in the current position of the antenna system from the target position.

[0080] Each superimposition diagram 500 may illustrate the superimposition of the target image on the current image. Additionally, each superimposition diagram 500 may illustrate the superimposition as the antenna system is positioned along a respective path. For example, each superimposition diagram 500 may illustrate a field of view 505 of the display, where the display includes a target object 510 and a current object 515. The target object 510 may be indicative of a target image, such that the target object 510 may be positioned within the field of view 505 at a target position corresponding to the target position of the antenna system. The current object 515 may be indicative of a current image, such that the current object 515 may be positioned within the field of view 505 at a current position corresponding to the current position of the antenna system along the respective path.

[0081] For example, the superimposition diagram 500-a may illustrate the superimposition as an azimuth angle of the antenna system is adjusted. For example, the current image in the superimposition diagram 500-a may be indicative of a positioning of the antenna system as the antenna system is rotated about the x-axis. The field of view 505-a of the display illustrates the current object 515-a displaced from the target object 510-a, indicating that the current position of the antenna system is displaced from the target position associated with peak gain. For example, the current object 515-a may be displaced from the target object 510-a by a displacement 520-a in the x-direction, indicating that the antenna system is displaced in azimuth by a magnitude corresponding to the displacement 520-a. In some examples, determining the displacement 520-a may include determining the relative positions of the current object 515-a and the target object 510-a captured in the field of view 505-a and determining a difference between the relative positions. Thus, adjusting the azimuth angle of the antenna system may align the current object 515-a and the target object 510-a in the x-direction. Aligning the current object 515-a and the target object 510-a may mean that the current position of the antenna system is aligned with the target position, and the antenna system has a peak gain with a target device.

[0082] The superimposition diagram 500-b may illustrate the superimposition as an elevation angle of the antenna system is adjusted. For example, the current image in the superimposition diagram 500-b may be indicative of a positioning of the antenna system as the antenna system is rotated about the z-axis. The field of view 505-b of the display illustrates the current object 515-b displaced from the target object 510-b, indicating that the current position of the antenna system is displaced from the target position associated with peak gain. For example, the current object 515-b may be displaced from the target object 510-b by a displacement 520-b in the z-direction, indicating that the antenna system is displaced in elevation by a magnitude corresponding to the displacement 520-b. Thus, adjusting the elevation angle of the antenna system may align the current object 515-b and the target object 510-b in the z-direction. Aligning the current object 515-b and the target object 510-b may mean that the current position of the antenna system is aligned with the target position, and the antenna system has a peak gain with a target device.

[0083] A technician or an installation device may use the superimposition of the target image on the current image for aligning the antenna system with the target device. For example, the superimposition diagrams 500 may be used to adjust the antenna system along respective paths to achieve a peak gain with the target device. In some cases, using the superimposition may be associated with relatively low latency for aligning the antenna system, while maintaining relatively high precision, among other advantages.

[0084] In some cases, aligning the antenna system with the target device may implement other methods besides superimposing the target image on the current image. The superposition of the target image on the current image is one example of many possible user interfaces to guide the technician or installation device. For example, another user interface for indicating the displacement of the current position of the antenna system from the target position may include a series of auditory tones that may be different based on the relative displacement. In some such examples, the series of auditory tones may change in pitch, volume (e.g., magnitude), or other tonal characteristic (e.g., intensity, frequency) based on a function alignment between the current position and the target position. In another example, a possible user interface for indicating the displacement of the current position from the target position may include a visual indication of the relative displacement between the current position and the target position. In some such examples, the visual indication may be a degree of displacement presented in numerical or graphical form. In other examples, another user interface for indicating the displacement of the current position from the target position may include auditory or visual commands to indicate the relative displacement. For example, the auditory or visual commands may be implemented by an artificial intelligence system configured to adaptively instruct the technician or installation device. Other similar possibilities exist for indicating the angular displacement between the current position and the target position of the antenna system, thus superimposition should be understood as one of many methods for providing the angular displacement.

[0085] FIG. 6 shows an example of a process flow 600 that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein. The process flow 600 may illustrate aspects or operations of an antenna system coupled with an image sensor, which may be an example of an antenna system 155 and an image sensor 270, as described with reference to FIGs. 1-3. For example, the process flow 600 may be implemented by one or more of an antenna system 155, an alignment device, a technician, or combinations thereof. The process flow 600 illustrates operations associated with aligning the antenna system with a target device (e.g., a satellite), such that performing the operations may result in a peak signal metric between the antenna systema and the target device.

[0086] In the following description of the process flow 600, the methods, techniques, processes, and operations may be performed in different orders or at different times. Further, some operations may be left out of the process flow 600, or other operations may be added to the process flow 600. Aspect of the process flow 600 may be implemented by an alignment device, which may be a smartphone, a tablet, or other user operated controller. Additionally, or alternatively, aspects of the process flow 600 may be implemented as instractions stored in memory (e.g., firmware). For example, the instructions, if executed by a controller (e.g., an antenna system controller, a user device controller, an installation device controller), may cause the controller to perform the operations of the process flow 600.

[0087] At 605, one or more angles of the antenna system may be initially set. In some cases, initially setting the angle of the antenna system may include performing a coarse adjustment process, in which an elevation angle and a skew of the antenna system are set. For example, a technician or installation device may mount the antenna system to an object (e.g., the ground, a building). Then, the technician or installation device may identify a general direction of the target device, and orient the antenna system in the general direction of the target device. Finally, the technician or installation device may set the elevation angle and the skew to align with the general direction. In some examples, setting the elevation angle and the skew may include tightening one or more fasteners of the antenna system to a mounting apparatus of the antenna system, where the mounting apparatus may be fastened to the object (e.g., to mount the antenna system). In some cases, initially setting the elevation angle and the skew may enable performing a fine adjustment process of an azimuth angle of the antenna system. For example, initially setting the elevation angle and the skew of the antenna system may isolate movement of the antenna system to a path associated with adjustment of the azimuth angle.

[0088] At 610, the azimuth angle of the antenna system may be adjusted over a duration of time. For example, the azimuth angle of the antenna system may be adjusted along a path (e.g., an arc about the azimuth axis) during the duration of time. In some cases, adjusting the azimuth angle along the path may include continuously repositioning the antenna system such that the azimuth angle is continuously changed. For example, the antenna system may be rotated about an axis associated with the azimuth angle, such that rotating the antenna system may form the path along which the position of the antenna system is measured. Alternatively the azimuth angle may be adj usted incrementally over the duration of time.

[0089] At 615, signal metric data associated with the antenna system (e.g., signal metric, signal quality) may be measured. For example, the signal metric data may be measured as the azimuth angle of the antenna system is adjusted over the duration of time. In some cases, the signaling strength of the antenna system (e.g., between the antenna system and the target device) may be measured over the duration as the antenna system is repositioned along the path. In some cases, the signal metric data may be measured by a signaling sensor (e.g., a transceiver) of the antenna system. The signal metric data may he sampled according to a sampling rate, such that the signal metric data may include a quantity of sample points each associated with a signal metric of the antenna system. For example, each sample point may be associated with a signal metric at a respective azimuth angle of the antenna system, as the antenna system is repositioned along the path (e.g., over the duration).

[0090] At 620, imagery data associated with the antenna system may be captured. The imagery data may be captured by an image sensor attached to the antenna system, such that movement of the antenna system may result in corresponding movement of the image sensor. In some cases, the image sensor may be integrated within the antenna system. However, in other cases, the image sensor may be included within an alignment device attached to (e.g., temporarily) the antenna system. The image sensor may capture the imagery data as the azimuth angle of the antenna system is adjusted over the duration of time. For example, the imagery data may be captured over the duration as the image sensor is repositioned along the path due to being attached to the antenna system. The imagery data may be sampled according to a sampling rate, such that the imagery data may include a quantity of sample points each associated with a field of view of the image sensor. For example, the imagery data may be a video file captured as the antenna system is repositioned along the path (e.g., over the duration). The imagery data may be captured independently of the measurements of the signal metric data. For example, the duration of time or sample rate over which the imagery data is captured (e.g., frame rate) may be different than the duration of time or sample rate over which the signal metric data is measured.

[0091] At 625, displacement data associated with the imagery data may be aligned with the signal metric data. For example, displacement data may be identified based on crosscorrelating the relative positioning of one or more objects in the field of view of the image sensor at different times. Thus, the displacement data may be indicative of a displacement identified by the image sensor at different positions of the antenna system. In cases where the sample rates between the signal metric data and the displacement data are different, the displacement data may be resampled (e.g., interpolated) at the sample rate of the signal metric data. The displacement data may be aligned with the signal metric data based on aligning the time of the displacement data with the relative time of the signal metric data. For example, the signal metric data may be identified relative to a first duration (e.g., a duration over which the signal metric data is measured) that the antenna system is repositioned along the path. Likewise, the displacement data may be identified relative to a second duration (e.g., a duration over which the imagery data is captured) that the antenna system is repositioned along the path. In some cases, a parabolic fit of the signal metric data using the displacement data may be evaluated over multiple candidate time offsets for the displacement data relative to the signal metric data. For example, a first parabolic fit may be generated such that the displacement data may be aligned with the signal metric data where the displacement data has a first time offset from the signal metric data. Likewise, a second parabolic fit may be generated such that the displacement data may be aligned with the signal metric data where the displacement data has a second time offset from the signal metric data. Each parabolic fit may be mapped to an error function (e.g., least squares error), such that each point of the error function may represent a strength of the mapping relative to a time offset associated with the respective mapping. The parabola fit with the lowest error may be selected as the best fit. Accordingly, a time offset may be determined by evaluating a parabolic fit over a quantity of candidate offsets and performing a least squares regression to minimize a least squares error between a parabolic fit and the signal metric data over the displacement data. After determining the offset, the signal metric data and the imagery data may be aligned in time and mapped to one another. [0092] The time of a peak of the signal metric may be determined, then the time associated with the displacement data may be identified which aligns with the time of the peak of the signal metric.

[0093] At 635, a displacement of the antenna system may be identified. For example, at the end of the duration of time, the antenna system may be at a current position, which may not be associated with the peak of the signal metric. The displacement may be indicative of a difference between the current position and the target position of the antenna system. In some cases, the displacement between the current position and the target position may be identified based on a mapping of the signal metric data over the displacement data. After identifying the displacement, an indication of the displacement may be conveyed. In some examples, the indication of the displacement may be transmitted from the antenna system to the user device or a display of the antenna system, based on the antenna system identifying the displacement. In other examples, the indication of the displacement may be transmitted from a controller of the alignment device to a display of the alignment device, based on the alignment device identifying the displacement. An indication of the displacement between the current position and the target position may be conveyed at 635 to allow the alignment of the antenna system such that the direction of peak gain is aligned to the target.

[0094] Optionally, an overlay of a target image on a current image may be used to realign the antenna system. For example, at 640, a target image may be identified. The target image may be indicative of a target position of the antenna system as the antenna system is repositioned along the path, where the target position is associated with a peak of the signal metric. The target image may be identified based on aligning the signal metric data and the imagery data. For example, a sampled point of the signal metric data associated with the relatively highest signaling strength may be identified, then the sampled point of the signal metric data may be mapped to the imagery data to identify a sampled point of the imagery data corresponding to the sampled point of the signal metric data. The sampled point of the imagery data may correspond to the target image (e.g., an image captured at the sampled point of the signal metric data). The target image may include a field of view of the image sensor at the target position of the antenna system. Then, the target image may be superimposed on the current image. For example, the display may illustrate a superimposition of the target image on the current image. In some examples, the superimposition may illustrate a displacement between the target image and the current image. In some implementations, the display may illustrate the superimposition based on receiving the indication of the displacement.

[0095] At 645, the current image may be aligned with the target image. For example, the antenna system may be repositioned until the display illustrates an alignment between the superimposition of the current image and the target image. In some cases, the current image may be indicative of a current position of the antenna system, such that rotating the antenna system may adjust the current image displayed. Aligning the current image and the target image may be indicative that current position of the antenna system is aligned with the target position of the antenna system. For example, the aligning the current image and the target image may be indicative that the antenna system is positioned to achieve a peak gain along the path.

[0096] In some cases, aligning the antenna system with the target device may implement other methods besides superimposing the target image on the current image. That is, the superposition of the target image on the current image is one example of many possible user interfaces to guide the technician or installation device. For example, another user interface for indicating the displacement of the current position of the antenna system from the target position may include a series of auditory tones that may be different based on the severity of displacement. In some such examples, the series of auditory tones may change in pitch, volume (e.g., magnitude), or other tonal characteristic (e.g., intensity, frequency) based on a function alignment between the current position and the target position. In another example, a possible user interface for indicating the displacement of the current position from the target position may include a visual indication of the severity of displacement between the current position and the target position. In some such examples, the visual indication may be a degree of displacement presented in numerical or graphical form. In other examples, another user interface for indicating the displacement of the current position from the target position may include auditory or visual commands to indicate the severity of displacement. For example, the auditory or visual commands may be implemented by an artificial intelligence system configured to adaptively instruct the technician or installation device. Other similar possibilities exist for indicating the angular displacement between the current position and the target position of the antenna system, thus superimposition should be understood as one of many methods for providing the angular displacement.

[0097] At 650, the angle of the antenna system may be fixed. For example, the azimuth angle of the antenna system may be set based on the current position of the antenna system being aligned with the target position of the antenna system. In some cases, setting the antenna system may include tightening fasteners of the antenna system to immobilize the antenna system relative to the angle about which the antenna system was repositioned along the path. For example, fasteners associated with permitting or restricting motion corresponding to the azimuth angle of the antenna system may be tightened. In some such examples, the fasteners may be tightened by the technician or installation device.

[0098] In some cases, the steps 620 through 640 of the process flow 600 may be performed by the antenna system. For example, the antenna system may receive the captured imagery data from the image sensor, then align the signal metric data and the imagery data. Likewise, the antenna system may identify the target image, and superimpose the target image on the current image within a display of the antenna system. In other cases, the steps 620 through 640 of the process flow 600 may be performed by the alignment device. For example, the user device may receive the signal metric data from the signal senor, then align the signal metric data and the imagery data. Further, the alignment device may identify the target image, and superimpose the target image on the current image within a display of the alignment device.

[0099] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the process flow 600 is directed to aligning the antenna system with the target device by adjusting the azimuth angle. However, a similar process flow could be applied to align the antenna system with the target device by adjusting the elevation angle. For example, similar operations as described in the process flow 600 may be used relative to adjusting the elevation angle of the antenna system.

[0100] FIG. 7 shows a block diagram 700 of an antenna system 720 that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein. The antenna system 720 may be an example of aspects of an antenna system as described with reference to FIGs. 1 through 6. The antenna system 720, or various components thereof, may be an example of means for performing various aspects of camera assisted antenna pointing as described herein. For example, the antenna system 720 may include an adjustment component 725, a signaling sensor 730, an image sensor 735, a data processing component 740, a display component 745, one or more processors 750, one or more memories 755, or any combination thereof. Each of these components, or components of subcomponents thereof (e.g., one or more processors, one or more memories), may communicate, directly or indirectly, with one another (e.g., via one or more buses). In some cases, the one or more processors 750 may facilitate operations of the adjustment component 725, the signaling sensor 730, the image sensor 735, the data processing component 740 and/or the display component 745. In some cases, the one or more memories 755 may be associated with storing data receiving from the signaling sensor 730, the image sensor 735, and/or the data processing component 740. In some cases, some of the components illustrated as part of antenna system 720 in FIG. 7 may be external to antenna system 720, such as being included in an installation device 165 that is separate from the antenna system 720 as shown in FIGs. 1 or 2.

[0101] The adjustment component 725 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for adjusting an angle associated with a positioning of an antenna system over a duration. The signaling sensor 730 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for measuring, during the duration, signal metric data comprising a first plurality of sample points associated with a signal metric of a signal communicated via the antenna system. The image sensor 735 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for capturing, over the duration, imagery data comprising a second plurality of sample points associated with a field of view of an image sensor attached to the antenna system, wherein the second plurality of sample points are asynchronous to the first plurality of sample points. The data processing component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for establishing the positioning of the antenna system corresponding to the signal metric data based at least in part on determining a time offset between displacement data associated with the imagery data and the signal metric data. The display component 745 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for providing an indication of an angular displacement of the antenna system between a current position of the antenna system and a target position of the antenna system associated with a peak signal metric of the signal.

[0102] In some examples, to support providing the indication, the data processing component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for identifying a target image associated with the target position of the antenna system, and superimposing the target image on a current image associated with the current position of the antenna system.

[0103] In some examples, the display component 745 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for displaying the superimposition of the target image on the current image via a display coupled with the antenna system.

[0104] In some examples, the adjustment component 725 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for setting the angle associated with the positioning of the antenna system based at least in part on the indication of the angular displacement. [0105] In some examples, the adjustment component 725 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for initially setting the angle associated with the positioning of the antenna system based at least in part on a location of the antenna system and a location of a target, wherein adjusting the angle is based at least in part on initially setting the angle.

[0106] In some examples, the angle is an elevation angle of the antenna system or an azimuth angle of the antenna system.

[0107] In some examples, the field of view of the image sensor excludes a direction corresponding to a target direction for the antenna system.

[0108] In some examples, to support determining the offset between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data, the data processing component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for identifying a first sampling rate associated with the first plurality of sample points. In some examples, to support determining the offset between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data, the data processing component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for identifying a second sampling rate associated with the second plurality of sample points. In some examples, to support determining the offset between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data, the data processing component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for overlaying, based on the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate, the second plurality of sample points on the first plurality of sample points relative to the positioning of the antenna system.

[0109] In some examples, to support determining the offset between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data, the data processing component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for determining a relative position of one or more objects in the imagery data over the second plurality of sample points based at least in part on cross-correlating the second plurality of sample points. In some examples, to support determining the offset between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data, the data processing component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for evaluating a parabolic fit over a plurality of candidate offsets based at least in part on the signal metric data and the determined relative position over the second plurality of sample points. In some examples, to support determining the offset between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data, the data processing component 740 may be configured as or otherwise support a means for selecting the offset from the plurality of candidate offsets based at least in part on respective results of evaluating the parabolic fit over the plurality of candidate offsets.

[0110] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating a method 800 that supports camera assisted antenna pointing in accordance with examples as described herein. The operations of the method 800 may be implemented by an antenna system or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of the method 800 may be performed by an antenna system as described with reference to FIGs. 1 through 7. In some examples, an antenna system may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the antenna system to perform the described functions. Additionally, or alternatively, the antenna system may perform aspects of the described functions using special-purpose hardware.

[0111] At 805, the method may include adjusting an angle associated with a positioning of an antenna system over a duration. The operations of 805 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 805 may be performed by an adjustment component 725 as described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0112] At 810, the method may include measuring, during the duration, signal metric data comprising a first plurality of sample points associated with a signal metric of a signal communicated via the antenna system. The operations of 810 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 810 may be performed by a signaling sensor 730 as described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0113] At 815, the method may include capturing, during the duration, imagery data comprising a second plurality of sample points associated with a field of view of an image sensor attached to the antenna system, wherein the second plurality of sample points are asynchronous to the first plurality of sample points. The operations of 815 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 815 may be performed by an image sensor 735 as described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0114] At 820, the method may include establishing the positioning of the antenna system corresponding to the signal metric data based at least in part on determining a time offset between displacement data associated with the imagery data and the signal metric data. The operations of 820 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 820 may be performed by a data processing component 740 as described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0115] At 825, the method may include providing an indication of an angular displacement of the antenna system between a current position of the antenna system and a target first position of the antenna system associated with a peak signal metric of the signal. The operations of 830 may be performed in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of 830 may be performed by a display component 745 as described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0116] In some examples, an apparatus as described herein may perform a method or methods, such as the method 800. The apparatus may include features, circuitry, logic, means, or instructions (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor), or any combination thereof for performing the following aspects of the present disclosure:

[0117] It should be noted that these methods describe examples of implementations, and that the operations and the steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified such that other implementations are possible. In some examples, aspects from two or more of the methods may be combined. For example, aspects of each of the methods may include steps or aspects of the other methods, or other steps or techniques described herein.

[0118] Information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0119] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0120] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the disclosure and appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, functions described herein can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these. Features implementing functions may also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0121] Computer readable media includes both non transitory computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A non-transitory storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, non-transitory computer readable media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk read-only memory (CDROM) or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer, or a general purpose or special purpose processor. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer readable media.

[0122] As used herein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as “at least one of’ or “one or more of’) indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an exemplary step that is described as “based on condition A” may be based on both a condition A and a condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall be construed in the same manner as the phrase “based at least in part on.”

[0123] In the appended figures, similar components or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If just the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label, or other subsequent reference label.

[0124] The description set forth herein, in connection with the appended drawings, describes example configurations and does not represent all the examples that may be implemented or that are within the scope of the claims. The term “exemplary” used herein means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and not “preferred” or “advantageous over other examples.” The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing an understanding of the described techniques. These techniques, however, may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

[0125] The description herein is provided to enable a person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising: adjusting an angle associated with a positioning of an antenna system (155) over a duration; measuring, during the duration, signal metric data (410) comprising a first plurality of sample points associated with a signal metric of a signal communicated via the antenna system (155); capturing, during the duration, imagery data comprising a second plurality of sample points associated with a field of view (505) of an image sensor (270) attached to the antenna system (155), wherein the second plurality of sample points are asynchronous to the first plurality of sample points; establishing the positioning of the antenna system (155) corresponding to the signal metric data (410) based at least in part on determining a time offset (430) between displacement data (420) associated with the imagery data and the signal metric data (410); signal metric; and providing an indication of an angular displacement (320, 520) of the antenna system (155) between a current position of the antenna system (155) and a target position of the antenna system (155) associated with a peak signal metric of the signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the indication comprises: identifying a target image associated with the target position of the antenna system (155); and superimposing the target image on a current image associated with the current position of the antenna system (155).

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: displaying the superimposition of the target image on the current image via a display (745) coupled with the antenna system (155).

4. The method of any one of claims 1 through 3, further comprising: setting the angle associated with the positioning of the antenna system (155) based at least in part on the indication of the angular displacement (320, 520).

5. The method of any one of claims 1 through 4, further comprising: initially setting the angle associated with the positioning of the antenna system

(155) based at least in part on a location of the antenna system (155) and a location of a target, wherein adjusting the angle is based at least in part on initially setting the angle.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein the angle is an elevation angle of the antenna system (155) or an azimuth angle of the antenna system (155).

7. The method of any one of claims 1 through 6, wherein the field of view (310, 505) of the image sensor (270) excludes a direction corresponding to a target direction for the antenna system (155).

8. The method of any one of claims 1 through 7, wherein determining the time offset (430) between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data (410) and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data (420) comprises: identifying a first sampling rate associated with the first plurality of sample points; identifying a second sampling rate associated with the second plurality of sample points; and overlaying, based on the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate, the second plurality of sample points on the first plurality of sample points relative to the positioning of the antenna system (155).

9. The method of any one of claims 1 through 8, wherein determining the time offset (430) between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data (410) and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data (420) comprises: determining a relative position of one or more objects (510, 515) in the imagery data (420) over the second plurality of sample points based at least in part on crosscorrelating the second plurality of sample points; evaluating a parabolic fit over a plurality of candidate offsets based at least in part on the signal metric data (410) and the determined relative position over the second plurality of sample points; and selecting the time offset (430) from the plurality of candidate offsets based at least in part on respective results of evaluating the parabolic fit over the plurality of candidate offsets.

10. A system, comprising: an antenna system (155) comprising one or more signaling components configured to measure, during a duration associated with adjusting an angle corresponding to a positioning of the antenna system (155), signal metric data (410) comprising a first plurality of sample points associated with a signal metric of a signal communicated via the antenna system (155) and transmit the signal metric data (410); and a device operable to communicate with the antenna system (155) and comprising: a transceiver configured to receive the signal metric data (410) from the antenna system (155); an image sensor (270) configured to capture, during the duration, imagery data (420) comprising a second plurality of sample points associated with a field of view (310, 505) of the image sensor (270), wherein the second plurality of sample points are asynchronous to the first plurality of sample points; and one or more controllers (750) coupled with the image sensor (270) and the transceiver and configured to: establish the positioning of the antenna system (155) corresponding to the signal metric data (410) based at least in part on determining a time offset (430) between displacement data associated with the imagery data (420) and the signal metric data (410);and providing an indication of an angular displacement (320, 520) of the antenna system (155) between a current position of the antenna system (155) and a target position of the antenna system (155) associated with a peak signal metric of the signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the device further comprises: a display (745) coupled with the one or more controllers (750) and configured to display a superimposition of a target image associated with the target position on a current image associated with the current position of the antenna system (155).

12. The system of any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the antenna system (155) includes a mount bracket configured to set the angle associated with the positioning of the antenna system (155) based at least in part on the indication of the angular displacement (320, 520).

13. The system of any one of claims 10 through 12, wherein the angle is an elevation angle of the antenna system (155) or an azimuth angle of the antenna system (155).

14. The system of any one of claims 10 through 13, the field of view (310, 505) of the image sensor (270) excludes a direction corresponding to a target direction for the antenna system (155).

15. The system of any one of claims 10 through 14, wherein, to determine the time offset (430) between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data (410) and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data (420), the one or more controllers (750) are further configured to: identify a first sampling rate associated with the first plurality of sample points; identify a second sampling rate associated with the second plurality of sample points; and overlay, based on the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate, the second plurality of sample points on the first plurality of sample points relative to the positioning of the antenna system (155).

16. The system of any one of claims 10 through 15, wherein, to determine the time offset between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data (410) and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data (420), the one or more controllers (750) are further configured to: determine a relative position of one or more objects (510, 515) in the imagery data (420) over the second plurality of sample points based at least in part on crosscorrelating the second plurality of sample points; evaluate a parabolic fit over a plurality of candidate offsets based at least in part on the signal metric data (410) and the determined relative position over the second plurality of sample points; and select the time offset (430) from the plurality of candidate offsets based at least in part on respective results of evaluating the parabolic fit over the plurality of candidate offsets.

17. An apparatus, comprising: one or more controllers (750); a transceiver coupled with the one or more controllers (750) and configured to receive signal metric data (410) comprising a first plurality of sample points associated with a signal metric of a signal communicated via an antenna system (155), wherein the first plurality of sample points correspond to a duration associated with adjusting an angle corresponding to a positioning of the antenna system (155),; and an image sensor (270) coupled with the one or more controllers (750) and configured to capture imagery data (420) comprising a second plurality of sample points associated with a field of view (310, 505) of the image sensor (270), wherein the second plurality of sample points are asynchronous to the first plurality of sample points; wherein the one or more controllers (750) are configured to: establish the positioning of the antenna system (155) corresponding to the signal metric data (410) based at least in part on determining a time offset (430) between displacement data associated with the imagery data (420) and the signal metric data (410); and provide an indication of an angular displacement (320, 520) of the antenna system (155) between a current position of the antenna system (155) and a target position of the antenna system (155) associated with a peak signal metric of the signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein apparatus further comprises: a display (745) coupled with the one or more controllers (750) and configured to display a superimposition of a target image associated with the target position on a current image associated with the current position of the antenna system (155).

19. The apparatus of any one of claims 17 or 18, wherein the angle is an elevation angle of the antenna system (155) or an azimuth angle of the antenna system (155).

20. The apparatus of any one of claims 17 through 19, wherein field of view (310, 505) of the image sensor (270) excludes a direction corresponding to a target direction for the antenna system (155).

21. The apparatus of any one of claims 17 through 21, wherein, to determine the time offset (430) between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data (410) and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data (420), the one or more controllers (750) are further configured to: identify a first sampling rate associated with the first plurality of sample points; identify a second sampling rate associated with the second plurality of sample points; and overlay, based on the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate, the second plurality of sample points on the first plurality of sample points relative to the positioning of the antenna system (155).

22. The apparatus of any one of claims 17 through 21, wherein, to determine the time offset (430) between the first plurality of sample points in the signal metric data (410) and the second plurality of sample points in the imagery data (420), the one or more controllers (750) are further configured to: determine a relative position of one or more objects (510, 515) in the imagery data (420) over the second plurality of sample points based at least in part on crosscorrelating the second plurality of sample points; evaluate a parabolic fit over a plurality of candidate offsets based at least in part on the signal metric data (410) and the determined relative position over the second plurality of sample points; and select the time offset (430) from the plurality of candidate offsets based at least in part on respective results of evaluating the parabolic fit over the plurality of candidate offsets.