JPH1090389A - Controller for satellite communication antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a controller for satellite communication antenna possible to automatically perform operations from the control of the attitude of an antenna to the tracking of a communication satellite by inputting the positional information, etc., of the satellite and antenna to an arithmetic and control unit and driving the azimuth, elevation, an polarization axes of the antenna with a control voltage. SOLUTION: An arithmetic and control unit 14 calculates the turning ranges of the azimuth, elevation, and polarization axes or an antenna until the antenna comes to oppositely face a target communication satellite from the positional information on the satellite from a target satellite data storing section 10 and the information on the latitude, longitude, azimuth, inclined angle of the antenna respectively sent from sensors 11-13. Then the unit 14 controls the attitude of the antenna by driving the shafts by outputting a control voltage to each shaft driving device 15-17. When the attitude control is terminated and the antenna is set to a state where the antenna can receive radio waves from the target communication satellite, satellite tracking operations are automatically started by utilizing the receiving field intensity of the radio waves. The satellite tracking operations are performed by performing feedback control which stops the antenna at the position where the receiving field intensity inputted from a receiving level input terminal 20 becomes the strongest by finely driving each axis by means of the devices 15-17.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a satellite communication antenna control device, and more particularly to a satellite communication antenna control device for controlling the position (attitude control and satellite tracking) of a satellite communication antenna mounted on a disaster patrol vehicle or the like. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some disaster patrol vehicles are equipped with a satellite communication device. In the event of a disaster or emergency, the vehicle goes straight to the site immediately and reports the status of the site to the headquarters or the like by satellite communication. Such disaster patrol vehicles use satellite communication as their communication means because communication can be performed relatively reliably at any site, but satellite communication uses geostationary satellites (INTELSAT or SCC). However, since the directivity of the radio wave is relatively sharp, it is necessary for the vehicle serving as the mobile earth station to perform position control (attitude control and satellite tracking) of the antenna to face the satellite.

Conventionally, a self-tracking type satellite tracking device using a roving method or a monopulse method has been used as a device for directly pointing an antenna to a satellite at a satellite earth station. Before using a self-tracking type satellite tracking device, it is difficult to know the current position (latitude, longitude), azimuth, inclination angle, etc. of an antenna mounted on the roof of a vehicle that goes straight to It is necessary to control the attitude of pointing the antenna to the position where radio waves from the antenna enter. Conventionally, in attitude control of this antenna, information on the position, direction, and stop angle of the vehicle is obtained exclusively using external sensor information, and the antenna is manually moved to a position where radio waves from a satellite can be input using this information.

[0004]

As described above, in the prior art, the attitude control of a satellite communication antenna mounted on a disaster patrol vehicle or the like is performed exclusively using external sensor information. This operation is not easy because the antenna must be performed by trial and error for each axis. In particular, when using information measured by an external sensor, in addition to the original error of the sensor, errors due to differences in the positions of the antenna and the external sensor are also included, making this task particularly difficult, and making it difficult for users. There was a problem in that unnecessary work was forced and an emergency call was delayed.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem. For example, the present invention is mounted on a disaster patrol vehicle or the like, and the antenna is automatically installed regardless of the vehicle position and state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a satellite communication antenna control device capable of performing position control (attitude control and satellite tracking) and pointing an antenna directly to a communication satellite.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A satellite communication antenna control apparatus according to the present invention, when a mobile communication antenna is placed in an arbitrary state and directly faces a target communication satellite, an antenna for controlling the antenna is first used. When the antenna can receive the radio wave from the target communication satellite with the antenna, the satellite communication antenna control device that performs the satellite tracking operation by using the received electric field strength of the next received radio wave includes the device. At least the target communication satellite position information, the antenna position (latitude and longitude) information, the azimuth information, the tilt angle information in an arbitrary state, and the target communication satellite Means for inputting information on the received electric field strength of the radio wave of the antenna and means for driving the azimuth axis, the elevation angle axis, and the polarization axis of the antenna by the control voltage from the arithmetic and control unit. For example, it is obtained by the arrangement performed automatically until the satellite tracking operation from the attitude control of the antenna.

The antenna is mounted on a vehicle to which the antenna base of the antenna is fixed. further,
An interactive input device including a keyboard and a touch panel is provided.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the configuration of a satellite communication antenna control apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a target satellite data storage unit that stores position information of satellites used for communication, and 11 denotes a satellite data storage unit. Magnetic orientation sensor that measures the current installation orientation of the antenna (orientation of the vehicle if the antenna base is fixed to the vehicle, the same applies hereinafter), 12 is an inclination angle sensor that measures the installation inclination angle, and 13 is the same. G to measure position (latitude, longitude)
It is a PS positioning sensor. The magnetic direction sensor 11
A gyro sensor can be used for the tilt angle sensor 12.

Further, 14 is an arithmetic and control unit, 15 is an azimuth axis driving device of the antenna, 16 is an elevation axis driving device of the antenna,
Reference numeral 17 denotes a polarization axis driving device for the antenna, reference numeral 18 denotes an interactive input device including a keyboard, a touch panel, and the like, reference numeral 19 denotes a monitor, and reference numeral 20 denotes a reception level input terminal to which an antenna reception level is input. The azimuth axis drive device 15, the elevation angle drive device 16, and the polarization axis drive device 17 are, for example, servo amplifiers 15
1, a drive motor 152, an encoder 153, etc., and each axis is driven by a drive voltage from the arithmetic and control unit 14 by feedback control.

Next, the operation will be described. Generally, an offset parabolic antenna is used for this type of antenna, and the azimuth axis is driven to rotate the antenna base to determine the azimuth angle of the antenna, and the main reflection is performed by driving the elevation axis for the attitude control of the antenna. A mirror (also called an antenna dish) is rotated to determine the elevation angle of the antenna, and the polarization axis of the primary radiator is rotated to determine the polarization angle. Therefore, this kind of antenna attitude control and satellite tracking are performed by driving the azimuth axis, elevation axis and polarization axis. The satellite communication antenna control device of the present invention is input from the target satellite data input unit 10. Azimuth axis, elevation axis, and polarization until the antenna is directly opposed to the communication satellite by the arithmetic and control unit 14 from the position information of the current satellite and the information of the latitude, longitude, azimuth angle, and inclination angle of the currently placed antenna. The rotation range of the shaft is calculated, a control voltage is output to each of the shaft driving devices 15 to 17, and each of the shaft driving devices 15 to 17 is driven to control the attitude of the antenna.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display example of a main menu of the interactive input device 18 constituted by a touch panel. For example, at the start of operation after turning on the power, "automatic operation", "manual operation", "key" Input operation ”,“ Satellite selection ”
Is displayed. Here, the user automatically drives 3
When 0 is selected, the position information of the communication satellite that has already been selected or that the device itself has determined to be optimal is input from the target satellite data storage unit 10 to the arithmetic and control unit 14,
As described above, the attitude control of the antenna is automatically performed.

If the user wants to manually control the attitude of the antenna in the same manner as in the prior art, the manual operation menu 3
Select 1. For example, when information cannot be input from any of the azimuth sensor 11, the inclination angle sensor 12, and the GPS positioning sensor 13, the key input operation menu 32
And enter these information obtained from other means.

Thus, the attitude control of the antenna is completed,
When a radio wave from the target communication satellite can be input, the operation automatically shifts to the satellite tracking operation using the received electric field strength of the radio wave. The satellite tracking operation is performed by feedback control in which the arithmetic and control unit 14 minutely drives each axis by each of the axis driving devices 15 to 17 and stops at a position where the reception electric field intensity input from the reception level input terminal 20 is the strongest. Do.

[0014]

As described above, the satellite communication antenna control apparatus of the present invention receives at least information on the current antenna position (latitude / longitude), azimuth, inclination angle, and target satellite position information. When the azimuth axis, elevation axis, and polarization axis of the antenna are driven to automatically control the attitude of the antenna, and it becomes possible to receive radio waves from the target satellite, information on the received electric field strength of this radio wave is obtained. The azimuth axis, elevation axis, and polarization axis of the antenna are finely driven to automatically perform satellite tracking to face the target satellite, so it is mounted on a disaster patrol vehicle etc. Also in the satellite communication performed by, the operations from the attitude control of the antenna to the tracking of the satellite can be automatically performed, so that the burden on the user can be greatly reduced and the delay of the emergency call can be avoided. In addition, since the attitude control of the antenna and the satellite tracking can be always performed, there is an effect that the communication using the communication satellite can be performed even while the vehicle mounted on the vehicle is running.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the device configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a main menu of the interactive input device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Target satellite data storage part 11 Azimuth sensor 12 Tilt angle sensor 13 Positioning sensor 14 Arithmetic control device 15 Azimuth axis drive device 16 Elevation axis drive device 17 Polarization axis drive device 18 Interactive input device 19 Monitor 20 Reception level input terminal

Claims (3)

[Claims] When a mobile communication antenna that is moved and placed in an arbitrary state is directly opposed to a target communication satellite,
First, control the attitude of the antenna, and when the antenna can receive radio waves from the target communication satellite,
Next, in a satellite communication antenna control device that performs a satellite tracking operation using the received electric field strength of a received radio wave, at least a position information of a target communication satellite and an arbitrary state are provided to an arithmetic and control unit constituting the device. Position (latitude, longitude) information, azimuth information, tilt angle information of the placed antenna,
Means for inputting information on the received electric field strength of a radio wave from a target communication satellite; and means for driving the azimuth axis, elevation angle axis, and polarization axis of the antenna with a control voltage from the arithmetic and control unit. A satellite communication antenna control device for automatically performing from the attitude control of the antenna to the satellite tracking operation. 2. The satellite communication antenna control device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna communication device is mounted on a vehicle to which an antenna base of the antenna is fixed. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an interactive input device comprising a keyboard and a touch panel.
3. The satellite communication antenna control device according to claim 2.