KR20200143598A - Unmanned aerial vehicle with antenna module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of effective wireless communication. According to various embodiments of the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises: a main body; one or more connection frames connected to the main body; one or more propeller units connected to the connection frames; a driving unit arranged on the connection frames; a heat radiation structure coupled to the driving unit and connected to the one or more propeller units; and an antenna module connected to the heat radiation structure. The driving unit is arranged between the one or more propeller units and the antenna module to rotate the antenna module. The heat radiation structure encloses at least a portion of the antennal module, and uses air blown by the one or more propeller units to disperse heat generated in the antenna module into the air. Other embodiments are possible.

Description

Unmanned aerial vehicle including antenna module {UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE WITH ANTENNA MODULE}

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to an antenna mounting structure of an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of 5G communication.

An unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone may be a helicopter-shaped unmanned aerial vehicle capable of flying and wireless control using a wireless communication method without a person on board. Such an unmanned aerial vehicle may be used not only for military use, but also in various fields including high-altitude images and photography, delivery or weather information collection, and pesticide spraying.

The unmanned aerial vehicle may be capable of communication using various wireless communication methods.

When an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with an antenna module for 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) communication does not take into account the direction of the antenna, the antenna continuously performs beam search for checking the location of the base station and for 5G communication, so communication is not smooth and current. It can be exhausting.

Various embodiments of the present invention arrange an antenna module on four sides of an unmanned aerial vehicle for 5G mmWave communication with a base station and a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, and use a motor-driven antenna module unit and/or antenna beamforming It can provide an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of communication.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention, various embodiments include: a main body; One or more connection frames connected to the main body; At least one propeller unit connected to the connection frame; A driving unit disposed on the connection frame; A heat dissipating structure coupled to the driving unit and having at least one connected to the propeller unit; And an antenna module connected to the heat dissipation structure, wherein the driving unit is disposed between the at least one propeller unit and the antenna module to rotate the antenna module, and the heat dissipation structure surrounds at least a portion of the antenna module, and the Heat generated in the antenna module may be diffused into the air by using air blown from one or more propeller units.

Various embodiments of the present invention arrange an antenna module on four sides of an unmanned aerial vehicle for 5G mmWave communication with a base station and a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, and use a motor-driven antenna module unit and/or antenna beamforming It can provide an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of communication.

The unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention may enable stable 5G communication with a base station while moving regardless of the altitude and direction. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention includes a plurality of 5G capable of omnidirectional cover. Using the mmWave antenna, 5G communication may be possible with a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles including unmanned aerial vehicles in shaded areas.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention, by disposing a 5G mmWave ANT under a propeller, it is possible to efficiently dissipate heat generated from each antenna into the air.

1 is a block diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle in a network environment including a plurality of cellular networks according to various embodiments of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention.
3 is a bottom view showing an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention.
4 is an exemplary view schematically showing each type of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention.
5A is a plan view illustrating an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
5B is a bottom view illustrating an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
5C is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
6A to 7C are plan views each illustrating various types of antenna modules according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
8A is a perspective view illustrating a heat dissipation structure of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 8B is a view with a cover removed from FIG. 8A.
9A is a front view illustrating a heat dissipation structure of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 9B is a view with a cover removed from FIG. 9A.
10 is a bottom view showing a heat dissipation structure of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
11A is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an antenna module is rotated by an antenna rotation motor according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
11B is an exemplary diagram illustrating a state in which a communication area that can be covered by a driving unit (eg, an antenna rotation motor) is expandable according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
12 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a case in which an unmanned aerial vehicle is in a higher state and a lower state than a base station according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
13 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a beam pattern is changed by adjusting a phase difference when an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is in a higher or lower state than a base station.
14 is an exemplary diagram showing a state in which an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure performs 5G communication with at least one base station and a plurality of other unmanned aerial vehicles.
15 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a state in which an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure relays a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in a shaded area.
16 is a flowchart for controlling an antenna module in an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
17 is a flowchart for aligning a beam direction in an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present disclosure to a specific embodiment, and it should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar elements.

1 is a block diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle 20 in a network environment including a plurality of cellular networks, according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 includes a first communication processor 112, a second communication processor 114, a first radio frequency integrated circuit 122, a second RFIC 1224, and a third RFIC. 126, a fourth RFIC 128, a first radio frequency front end (RFFE) 132, a second RFFE 1234, a first antenna module 142, a second antenna module 144, and an antenna ( 148. The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may further include a processor 120, a memory 130, and a sensor unit 160. The network 199 includes a first network 192 and a second It may include a network 194. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor 112, the second communication processor 114, the first RFIC 122, the second RFIC 1224, the fourth RFIC ( 128), the first RFFE 132, and the second RFFE 1234 may form at least a part of the wireless communication module 190. According to another embodiment, the fourth RFIC 128 is omitted or 3 May be included as part of the RFIC 126.

The first communication processor 112 may support establishment of a communication channel of a band to be used for wireless communication with the first network 192 and communication of a legacy network through the established communication channel. According to various embodiments, the first network may be a legacy network including a second generation (2G), 3G, 4G, or long term evolution (LTE) network. The second communication processor 114 establishes a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (eg, about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) among the bands to be used for wireless communication with the second network 194, and communicates with the 5G network through the established communication channel. Can support. According to various embodiments, the second network 194 may be a 5G network defined by 3GPP. Additionally, according to an embodiment, the first communication processor 112 or the second communication processor 114 corresponds to another designated band (eg, about 6 GHz or less) among bands to be used for wireless communication with the second network 194. It is possible to establish a communication channel and support 5G network communication through the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor 112 and the second communication processor 114 may be implemented in a single chip or a single package. According to various embodiments, the first communication processor 112 or the second communication processor 114 may be formed in a single chip or a single package with the processor 120 and other components. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor 112 and the second communication processor 114 are directly or indirectly connected to each other by an interface (not shown) to provide data or control signals in either or both directions. Can offer or receive.

The first RFIC 122 transmits a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor 112 to about 700 MHz to about 3 GHz used for the first network 192 (eg, a legacy network). Can be converted to a radio frequency (RF) signal. Upon reception, an RF signal is obtained from the first network 192 (eg, a legacy network) through an antenna (eg, the first antenna module 142), and through an RFFE (eg, the first RFFE 132). It can be preprocessed. The first RFIC 122 may convert the preprocessed RF signal into a baseband signal to be processed by the first communication processor 112.

The second RFIC 1224 transmits the baseband signal generated by the first communication processor 112 or the second communication processor 114 to be used in the second network 194 (eg, 5G network). It can be converted into an RF signal (hereinafter, referred to as 5G Sub6 RF signal) of the Sub6 band (eg, about 6 GHz or less). Upon reception, a 5G Sub6 RF signal is obtained from the second network 194 (eg, 5G network) through an antenna (eg, the second antenna module 144), and RFFE (eg, the second RFFE 1234). Can be pretreated through. The second RFIC 1224 may convert the preprocessed 5G Sub6 RF signal into a baseband signal so that it can be processed by a corresponding communication processor among the first communication processor 112 or the second communication processor 114.

The third RFIC 126 transmits the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor 114 to the RF of the 5G Above6 band (eg, about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) to be used in the second network 194 (eg, 5G network). It can be converted into a signal (hereinafter, 5G Above6 RF signal). Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be obtained from the second network 194 (eg, 5G network) through an antenna (eg, antenna 148) and preprocessed through the third RFFE 136. The third RFIC 126 may convert the preprocessed 5G Above6 RF signal into a baseband signal to be processed by the second communication processor 114. According to an embodiment, the third RFFE 136 may be formed as part of the third RFIC 126.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may include a fourth RFIC 128 separately or at least as a part of the third RFIC 126, according to an embodiment. In this case, the fourth RFIC 128 converts the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor 114 into an RF signal (hereinafter, IF signal) of an intermediate frequency band (eg, about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz). After conversion, the IF signal may be transferred to the third RFIC 126. The third RFIC 126 may convert the IF signal into a 5G Above6 RF signal. Upon reception, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be received from the second network 194 (eg, 5G network) through an antenna (eg, antenna 148) and converted into an IF signal by the third RFIC 126. . The fourth RFIC 128 may convert the IF signal into a baseband signal to be processed by the second communication processor 114.

According to an embodiment, the first RFIC 122 and the second RFIC 1224 may be implemented as a single chip or at least part of a single package. According to an embodiment, the first RFFE 132 and the second RFFE 1234 may be implemented as a single chip or at least part of a single package. According to an embodiment, at least one of the first antenna module 142 or the second antenna module 144 may be omitted or combined with another antenna module to process RF signals of a plurality of corresponding bands.

According to an embodiment, the third RFIC 126 and the antenna 148 may be disposed on the same substrate to form the third antenna module 146. For example, the wireless communication module 190 or the processor 120 may be disposed on a first substrate (eg, a main PCB). In this case, the third RFIC 126 is disposed in a partial area (eg, lower surface) of the second substrate (eg, sub PCB) separate from the first substrate, and the antenna 148 is disposed in another area (eg, upper surface). Thus, the third antenna module 146 may be formed. By disposing the third RFIC 126 and the antenna 148 on the same substrate, the length of a transmission line between them can be reduced. This can reduce loss (eg, attenuation) of a signal in a high-frequency band (eg, about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) used for communication in a 5G network, for example. Accordingly, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may improve the quality or speed of communication with the second network 194 (eg, 5G network).

According to an embodiment, the antenna 148 may be formed as an antenna array including a plurality of antenna elements that can be used for beamforming. In this case, the third RFIC 126 may include, for example, a plurality of phase shifters 138 corresponding to a plurality of antenna elements as part of the third RFFE 136. At the time of transmission, each of the plurality of phase converters 138 may convert the phase of the 5G Above6 RF signal to be transmitted to the outside of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the base station of the 5G network) through a corresponding antenna element. . Upon reception, each of the plurality of phase converters 138 may convert the phase of the 5G Above6 RF signal received from the outside through a corresponding antenna element into the same or substantially the same phase.

The memory 130 includes at least one sensor, at least one component of the above-described unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, a processor 120, a wireless communication module 190), a first antenna module, a second antenna module, or a third Antenna module). The memory 130 may include a volatile memory or a nonvolatile memory). According to an embodiment, the memory 130 may store an application platform 132 and a flight platform 134. According to an embodiment, the flight platform 134 may be configured to control the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 according to a navigation algorithm. For example, the flight platform 134 may be configured to execute a flight, attitude control and navigation algorithm of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The application platform 132 may transmit a control signal (eg, a control signal) to the flight platform 134 while performing image control, communication control, sensor control, charging control, and operation change of a user application. The flight platform 134 may control the flight, posture, and movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 based on the generated control signal.

The sensor unit 16 may include at least one sensor. According to an embodiment, at least one sensor may be associated with location information measurement. For example, the at least one sensor associated with the measurement of location information may include at least one of GPS, acceleration, ultrasonic, and infrared laser time of flight (ToF) sensors. However, this is only exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one sensor may include a variety of sensors (eg, wifi) capable of confirming the status or location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. According to another embodiment, at least one sensor may be associated with measurement of a flight posture, angular velocity, and acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. For example, at least one sensor associated with measuring flight posture, angular velocity, and acceleration may include a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like. According to another embodiment, the sensor unit 160 is composed of at least one sensor associated with the measurement of location information and a sensor combined with at least one sensor associated with the measurement of the flight attitude, angular velocity, and acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. It could be. According to an embodiment, the information measured by the sensor unit 160 may be used as basic information of a control signal for navigation/automatic control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.

Processor 120 is at least one component of the above-described unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, processor 120, wireless communication module 190), the first antenna module 142, the second antenna module 144 or 3 It can be processed to control the operation of the antenna module 146.

According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may process the flight, attitude control, and navigation algorithm of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to be executed. For example, the processor 120 may control the flight, posture, or movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 based on at least a portion of the information measured through the sensor unit 160. For example, the processor 120 controls the attitude for the pitch(Y)/roll(X)/yaw(Z) of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the adjustment signal generated by the application platform 1252 and provided to the flight platform 1254 And it is possible to control the flight according to the movement path.

According to another embodiment, the wireless communication module 190 communicates with the base station using at least one antenna (eg, the first antenna module 142, the second antenna module 144, or the third antenna module 146). Can be handled. The processor 120 and/or the wireless communication module 190, as described later through FIGS. 16 and 17, based on the height of the base station in communication and the current height (eg, flight height) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 The beam direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may be aligned to the base station direction.

2 is a perspective view showing an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention. 3 is a bottom view showing an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention.

2 and 3, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 according to various embodiments is a helicopter-shaped unmanned aerial vehicle 20 capable of flying and wireless control using antenna modules 240 mounted on the main body 200 As, it can be used not only for military use, but also in various fields including high-altitude images and photography, delivery or weather information collection, and pesticide spraying. For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may include a drone.

According to an embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may include a body 200, one or more propeller units 210, and a plurality of connection frames 205. According to one embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may have one or more propeller units 210 connected to the main body 200 by each connection frame 205. According to one embodiment, the main body 200 may rise and fly by driving each of the propeller units 210.

According to one embodiment, the body 200 may include a front portion 201 and a rear portion 202, and at least one propeller portion 210 by a pair of connection frames 205 in the front portion 201 ) May be connected to each other, and another propeller unit 210 may be connected to the rear part 202 by a pair of different connection frames 205. According to an embodiment, the main body 200 includes a transmission/reception unit, a sub-motor, a flight controller, an electronic speed controller, a 5G RF circuit unit (e.g., a wireless communication module 190 shown in FIG. It may include at least one of the batteries.

According to an embodiment, each of the propeller units 210 may include a propeller 211 and a drive motor M1. Each of the propellers 211 may be rotated by being coupled to the driving motor M1. The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may fly by driving one or more propeller units 210. According to an embodiment, when each of the propellers 211 rotates, a rising air flow is generated, so that the main body 200 may rise.

According to an embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may include at least one antenna module 240 capable of communicating with a base station. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 240 may be disposed in close proximity to one or more propeller units 210. According to one embodiment, one or more antenna modules 240 may be disposed on all four propeller units 210, or may be disposed on three, two, or one propeller units 210.

According to an embodiment, at least one propeller unit 210 may include at least one driving unit M2 capable of rotating the antenna module 240. According to an embodiment, at least one driving unit M2 may be included in one or more connection frames 205. For example, the driving unit M2 may include a motor. According to an embodiment, the driving unit M2 may be disposed coaxially with the driving motor M1, and may be disposed to overlap in the vertical direction. According to an embodiment, the driving unit M2 may be a device that rotates the combined antenna module 240. The 5G communication antenna 240 is rotatable by the driving unit M2, so that the communication area that can be covered in the horizontal direction is expandable, so that the beam alignment with the base station can be maintained. According to an embodiment, the driving unit M2 may be disposed below the driving motor M1. For example, the driving unit M2 may be an antenna rotation motor.

According to an embodiment, the one or more antenna modules 240 may have the same structure, or at least some of each may have a different structure or shape.

4 is an exemplary view schematically showing each type of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 4, the unmanned aerial vehicle (for example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 shown in Figure 2) according to an embodiment has four propeller parts (for example, the propeller parts 210 shown in Figure 2) is the main body 200 ) (For example, the main body 200 shown in FIG. 2) is illustrated as being applied to a quadcopter connected by a connection frame (for example, the connection frame 205 shown in FIG. 2), but various embodiments of the present invention It is not limited to a quadcopter, and may be applied to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 including one or more propeller units 210. For example, a tricopter (a) in which three propeller units 210 are connected to the main body 200 by a connecting frame 205, or six propeller units 210 are connected to the main body 200 by a connecting frame 205 ), each connected by a hexacopter (b) or an octocopter (c) in which eight propeller units 210 are connected to the main body 200 by a connection frame 205, respectively. According to an embodiment, at least one antenna module 240 may be disposed in each of the unmanned aerial vehicles 20 listed above.

5A is a plan view illustrating an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5B is a bottom view illustrating an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5C is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

5A to 5C, an antenna module 240 mounted on one or more propeller units (for example, the propeller unit 210 shown in FIG. 4) according to an embodiment includes a substrate 2401 and at least one A patch antenna element 2402, an RFIC 2403, and a connector 2404 may be included. According to an embodiment, the substrate 2401 is a printed circuit board made of a dielectric material, and may include a first surface 240a and a second surface 240b facing in a direction opposite to the first surface 240a. When installed on the substrate in the unmanned aerial vehicle, the surface facing the body may be the second surface 240b. According to an embodiment, the substrate 2401 may be mounted in a heating structure in a standing type.

According to an embodiment, the substrate 2401 is coupled to the driving unit M2 disposed under one or more propeller units, so that the direction in which the radiation beam of the patch antenna element 2402 is directed is rotated according to the rotation of the driving unit M2. Can be.

According to an embodiment, in the substrate 2401, at least one patch antenna element 2402 is disposed on the first surface 240a, and the RFIC 2403 and the connector 2404 are disposed on the second surface 240b. I can. The connector 2404 may electrically connect the substrate 2401 to a body (eg, a main PCB). According to an embodiment, each of the patch antenna elements 2402 may have an antenna pattern in a 1x4 array. For example, the antenna pattern of each patch antenna element 2402 may have a circular shape. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 240 may form a directional radiation beam vertically upward from the first surface 240a using each of the patch antenna elements 2402.

6A to 7C are plan views each illustrating various types of antenna modules according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Various types of antenna modules mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 7B.

The antenna module 241 shown in FIG. 6A may differ only in the shape of the antenna pattern of each patch antenna element 2412 compared to the antenna module 240 shown in FIG. 5A. In order to avoid redundant description, descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

In the antenna module 241 according to an embodiment, at least one patch antenna element 2412 may be arranged on the first surface 241a of the substrate 2411. For example, the antenna pattern of each patch antenna element 2412 may have a square shape. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 241 may form a directional radiation beam vertically upward from the first surface 241a by using each patch antenna element 2412.

Compared with the antenna module 241 shown in FIG. 6A, a dipole antenna element 2423 may be additionally disposed around each patch antenna element 2422 in the antenna module 242 illustrated in FIG. 6B. In order to avoid redundant description, descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

According to an embodiment, the patch antenna element 2422 may be a dielectric material, for example, an antenna element on a substrate in a patch shape, for example, in any one of a rectangle, a square, or a circle. According to an embodiment, the patch antenna including the patch antenna element 2422 may be a resonant antenna. According to an embodiment, the patch antenna element 2422 may have directivity toward a vertical direction of the mounting surface.

According to an embodiment, the dipole antenna element 2423 is an antenna used by feeding power to the end or center of a conducting wire, and may be an antenna element having an eight-shaped directivity when viewed from a horizontal position and omnidirectional when viewed from a vertical position.

In the antenna module according to an embodiment, at least one patch antenna element 2422 and at least one dipole antenna element 2423 may be arranged on the first surface 242a of the substrate 2421. For example, each patch antenna element 2422 may be a patch antenna. According to an embodiment, each dipole antenna element 2423 may be arranged in one direction of each patch antenna element 2422. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 242 may form a radiation beam vertically above the substrate 2421 using each patch antenna element 2422, and the dipole antenna element 2423 may be used to form a radiation beam. A radiation beam may be formed in one side direction.

The antenna module 243 shown in FIG. 6C may differ only in a structure in which each feeding part 2433 is disposed on each patch antenna element 2432 compared to the antenna module 242 shown in FIG. 6B. . In order to avoid redundant description, descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

In the antenna module 243 according to an exemplary embodiment, at least one patch antenna element 2432 and at least one power feeding unit 2433 may be arranged on the first surface 243a of the substrate 2431. According to one embodiment, each feeding part 2433 is formed on at least one or more edges of each patch antenna element 2422, and is formed for double feeding of vertical and horizontal polarization connected to each patch antenna element 2432 Can be. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 243 may form a radiation beam vertically above the substrate 2431 using each patch antenna element 2432.

According to an embodiment, the at least one power feeding unit 2433 uses the same reference numeral for convenience, but may have different structures.

Compared to the antenna module 242 shown in FIG. 6A, the antenna module 244 shown in FIG. 7A may differ only in the arrangement of each patch antenna element 2442. In order to avoid redundant description, descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

In the antenna module 244 according to an embodiment, at least one patch antenna element 2442 may be arranged on the first surface 244a of the substrate 2441. For example, the antenna pattern of each of the patch antenna elements 2442 may have a square shape, and may be arranged in an NxN, for example, 3x3 type. For example, in the structure of the antenna module 244, the patch antenna element 2442 disposed in the middle may be omitted.

According to an embodiment, as the arrangement of the patch antenna elements 2442 increases, the directions of the beams formed by the at least one or more patch antenna elements 2442 may increase. According to an embodiment, as the array of the patch antenna elements 2442 increases, the antenna gain increases, and the antenna coverage may also increase.

According to an embodiment, the antenna module 245 may form a directional beam in both horizontal and vertical directions by using the patch antenna element 2442. According to an embodiment, compared to the antenna module 240 of FIG. 4A, the antenna module 245 may cover an entire area without a driving unit, for example, an antenna rotation motor.

The antenna module 245 illustrated in FIG. 7B may differ only in a structure in which the dipole antenna element 2453 is additionally disposed compared to the antenna module 244 illustrated in FIG. 7A. In order to avoid redundant description, descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

In the antenna module 245 according to an embodiment, at least one patch antenna element 2452 and at least one dipole antenna element 2453 may be arranged on the first surface 245a of the substrate 2451. According to an embodiment, each of the dipole antenna elements 2453 may be arranged side by side in one direction of each of the patch antenna elements 2452.

According to an embodiment, the antenna module 245 may form a beam vertically above the first surface 245a of the substrate 2451 using the patch antenna element 2452, and each dipole antenna element 2453 ) May be used to form a radiation beam in the direction of one side of the substrate 2451. For example, in the structure of the antenna module 245, the patch antenna element 2452 disposed in the middle may be omitted.

8A is a perspective view illustrating a heat dissipation structure of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 8B is a view with a cover removed from FIG. 8A. 9A is a front view illustrating a heat dissipation structure of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and FIG. 9B is a view with a cover removed from FIG. 9A. 10 is a bottom view showing a heat dissipation structure of an antenna module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

8A to 10, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 according to an embodiment may include a heat dissipation structure 230 of an antenna. According to one embodiment, the heat dissipation structure 230 may diffuse heat generated from the antenna module 240, for example, RFIC, into the air by using a flow of air generated by rotation of one or more propeller units 210. have. According to an embodiment, the heat dissipation structure 230 may be formed on the connection frame 205. For example, it may be formed at the end of the connection frame 205.

According to an embodiment, the heat dissipation structure 230 extends in a shape surrounding at least a portion of each antenna module (eg, the antenna module 240 shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C ), and at least a portion is open. Can be For example, the heat dissipation structure 230 may have a shape in which a surface including an antenna element is opened and an opposite surface thereof is wrapped. According to an embodiment, the heat dissipation structure 230 includes a surface of the antenna module 240 including the patch antenna element (eg, the patch antenna element 2402 shown in FIG. 5A). The surface (240a) is an open shape, and as the opposite surface, the surface containing the RFIC (eg, RFIC (2403) shown in FIG. 5A) (eg, the second surface (240b) shown in FIG. It can be a shape.

According to one embodiment, the heat dissipation structure 230 is mounted under a driving unit (for example, the driving unit M2 shown in FIG. 3), and uses the flow of air generated by the rotation of the propeller. Heat generated from the RFIC (eg, the RFIC 2403 shown in FIG. 5C) may be radiated.

According to an embodiment, the heat dissipation structure 230 may include a heat dissipation housing 233, a heat dissipation plate 232, and at least one heat dissipation fin 231. According to an embodiment, at least one heat radiation fin 231 may be formed on an outer surface of the heat radiation housing 233. According to an embodiment, each of the heat dissipation fins 231 may have different lengths, and may extend along a direction in which air flows. For example, each heat dissipation fin 231 may have a shape extending from an upper side to a lower side. According to an embodiment, each heat radiation fin 231 may have a shape protruding from the heat radiation housing 233 in a radial direction. Each of the radiating fins 231 may have the same or different protruding heights formed on the outer peripheral surface of the radiating housing 233.

According to one embodiment, of the plurality of radiating fins 231, the extended length of the radiating fins 231 in the center of the radiating housing 233 closest to the main body (for example, the main body 200 shown in FIG. 3) is the most It is long, has the highest protrusion height, and gradually extends to both ends of the heat dissipation housing 233 farthest from the main body, and the length gradually becomes shorter, and may be formed with the lowest protrusion height.

RFIC

According to an embodiment, an RFIC (eg, FIG. 5B) is formed between the second surface of the substrate (eg, the substrate 2401 of FIG. 5A) included in the antenna module 240 and the heat dissipation housing 233 by a medium 236. Heat generated from the RFIC 2403 shown in FIG. 2 may be transferred to the heat dissipation fin 231. According to an embodiment, the medium 236 may include a heat sink 232 and/or a heat transfer material 234 (TIM). According to one embodiment, the heat transfer material 234 is disposed between the second surface of the substrate 2401 and the heat sink 232, so that heat generated from the RFIC (for example, the RFIC 2403 shown in FIG. 5B) is removed from the heat sink ( 232). According to an embodiment, heat transferred to the heat sink 232 is transferred to the heat dissipation housing 233, and the heat transferred to the heat dissipation housing 233 is transferred to each heat dissipation fin 231 and then diffuses. According to one embodiment, the diffused heat may be cooled by using the flow of air generated by the rotation of a propeller (eg, the floefeller 211 shown in FIG. 2 ).

According to an embodiment, in the heat dissipation housing 233, the first portion facing the second surface of the substrate on which the RFIC is disposed (eg, the second surface 240b shown in FIG. 5B) is closed, and the patch antenna element is disposed. The second portion facing the first surface of the substrate (for example, the first surface 240a illustrated in FIG. 5A) may have an open shape. A protective cover 220 for protecting the antenna module 240 may be disposed on the second portion of the open heat dissipation housing 233.

11A is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an antenna module is rotated by a driving unit according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 11B is an exemplary view showing a state in which a coverable area is expanded by a driving unit according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

11A and 11B, each antenna module mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 shown in FIG. 2) according to an embodiment (eg, in FIGS. 5A to 5C) The illustrated antenna module 240 may optimize antenna beamforming by changing the beam.

According to one embodiment, the antenna beam optimization is performed by changing the beam direction, correcting the beam direction using the driving motor M2, changing the antenna to use a different antenna, or the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, for example a drone. And/or changing the beam according to the posture.

According to an embodiment, the antenna module may change a vertical beam by a phase modulator (not shown) or a horizontal beam by a driver M2 (eg, a driver M2 shown in FIG. 2). . According to an embodiment, the antenna module (eg, the antenna module 240 shown in FIGS. 45A to 5C) may perform beam correction according to the position or posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

According to one embodiment, the antenna module (for example, the antenna module 240 shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C) is rotated by the driving unit M2 (for example, the driving unit M2 shown in FIG. 2). It may be arranged to be rotatable at a certain angle (eg, 360 degrees) around. For example, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 has a structure in which four propeller units 210 (eg, propeller units 210 shown in FIG. 2) are mounted, each antenna module (eg, in FIGS. 5A to 5C) The illustrated antenna module 240 may cover 360 degrees in the horizontal direction under the control of the driving unit M2. .

According to one embodiment, for example, the antenna module 240 shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C is an antenna module having an antenna element of '1XN' (where N is a plurality) in a vertical direction, for example,'width x height' : When four are mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle with the antenna module 240 shown in FIG. 8B, the antenna module 240 may form an antenna beam in a vertical direction in an upward or downward direction by a phase modulator, and a driver An antenna beam in a horizontal direction may be formed in a left direction or a right direction by rotation of (M2) (for example, the driving unit M2 shown in FIG. 3 ). According to an embodiment, the antenna module (for example, the antenna module 240 shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C) is capable of changing the beam direction in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, respectively, so that a coverable area is extended. May be possible.

12 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a case in which an unmanned aerial vehicle is in a higher state and a lower state than a base station according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a beam pattern is changed by adjusting a phase difference when an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is in a higher or lower state than a base station.

12 and 13, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (for example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 shown in FIG. 2) according to the implementation is higher than the base station (BS), and than the base station (BS) Communication connection schemes at low levels may be different. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 240 (eg, the antenna module 240 shown in FIG. 8B) includes a plurality of antenna elements (mmWave ANT1 (eg, the patch antenna element 2402 shown in FIG. 4A)) to mmWave ANT4) Example: (eg, antenna pattern) is mounted in a vertical direction (eg, the antenna module 240 shown in FIG. 8B), and each patch antenna element (eg, shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C) The beam pattern can be changed along the vertical direction by adjusting the phase difference of the patch antenna element 2402.

According to various embodiments, when the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is lower than that of the base station (BS), the phase difference of the patch antenna element can be adjusted so that the beam pattern e1 radiated from the antenna pattern faces upward, and When the position of the aircraft 20 is higher than the base station, by adjusting the phase difference so that the beam pattern e2 radiated from the patch antenna element faces downward, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can perform optimal 5G communication with the base station (BS). I can.

14 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a state in which an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure performs 5G communication with at least one base station and a plurality of other unmanned aerial vehicles.

Referring to Figure 14, according to one embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (for example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 shown in Figure 2) is each base station (BS1 ~ BS3) (for example, the base station shown in Figure 12 ( BS)) and an antenna module (e.g., the antenna module 240 shown in FIG. 8B) through position information and attitude control secured using various sensors built into the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to maintain the 5G communication network. By adjusting each position and/or the direction of the antenna beam, the beam direction of each antenna for communication with at least one of the plurality of base stations BS1 to BS3 and/or the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 21 may be optimized.

According to one embodiment, if the location of the base station (BS) is identified through position information and attitude control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, it is possible to optimize beam searching and beam forming to maintain 5G communication, thereby minimizing current consumption. can do.

15 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a state in which an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure relays a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in a shaded area.

Referring to FIG. 15, according to an embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 shown in FIG. 14) is a base station (BS) (eg, the base station shown in FIG. 12) through a plurality of antenna modules. (BS)) It is possible to relay the 5G communication network to the unmanned aerial vehicle 22 or a plurality of other unmanned aerial vehicles 23 and 24 in a shadow area where the signal does not reach. For example, the 5G communication shadow area is a dense building area in an urban area, and may be an area where there are many 5G signal propagation obstacles or high density data traffic.

16 is a flowchart for controlling an antenna module in an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following embodiments, each of the operations may be sequentially performed, but not necessarily sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

Referring to FIG. 16, according to various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may acquire location information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 in operation 1610. According to an embodiment, the processor (eg, the processor 120 illustrated in FIG. 1) may acquire location information based on information obtained from at least one sensor. For example, the at least one sensor may include at least one of GPS, acceleration, ultrasonic, and infrared laser distance measurement (Time of Flight, ToF) sensors. However, this is only exemplary, and is not limited thereto. For example, the processor 120 may acquire location information using various sensors (eg, wifi) capable of confirming the status or location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.

According to various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) may compare the heights of the base station and the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 in operation 1620. The height comparison may include determining whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is currently positioned higher than a certain height relative to the base station or whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is positioned lower than a predetermined height relative to the base station. However, this is only exemplary, and is not limited thereto. For example, the processor 120 may include an operation of determining a situation in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is currently positioned within a certain range with respect to the base station (eg, a horizontal maintenance situation).

According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may compare the height of at least one base station with which the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is communicating at a current location and the current height of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. According to another embodiment, the processor 120 may compare the height of at least one base station through which the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can communicate at a current location with the current height of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. For example, the processor 120 may store information of a base station (eg, base station location information, base station height information, etc.) matched with respect to a plurality of location information. In this case, the processor 120 acquires information on the base station corresponding to the current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 among stored base station information, and then performs an operation of comparing the height of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 with the height of the base station. I can.

According to various embodiments, in operation 1630, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) may adjust a beam pattern corresponding to the compared height. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may adjust the beam pattern toward the base station by adjusting the phase difference with respect to at least one antenna. For example, the processor 120 may adjust a phase difference for an antenna having a signal strength greater than or equal to the reference signal among the plurality of antennas. As another example, the processor 120 may adjust a phase difference for an antenna having the highest signal strength among a plurality of antennas. For example, when the height of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is higher than the height of the base station, the processor may change the beam pattern downward to face the base station. In addition, when the height of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is lower than the height of the base station, the processor 120 may change the beam pattern upward toward the base station.

According to various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) may align the beam direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 in operation 1640. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may align the beam direction to the base station based on the change in the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.

17 is a flowchart 1200 for aligning beam directions in an unmanned aerial vehicle according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations of FIG. 17 to be described below may represent various embodiments of operation 1630 of FIG. 16. In addition, in the following embodiments, each of the operations may be sequentially performed, but not necessarily sequentially. For example, the order of each operation may be changed, and at least two operations may be performed in parallel.

Referring to FIG. 17, according to various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) is in operation 1710, in response to the acquired location information, the beam of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is a base station. The beam direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be aligned to face. For example, the processor 120 may process the direction of the beam radiated by the base station and the direction of the beam radiated by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to be aligned with each other. For example, as described above, the processor 120 may adjust the phase difference for at least one antenna based on the height of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 and the height of the base station.

According to various embodiments, in operation 1720, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) may determine whether or not communication with a communicating base station is maintained.

According to various embodiments, when communication with the base station is canceled 172-No), the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) uses at least one of a plurality of antennas in operation 1730. To select a new beam. Beam selection may include attempting to communicate with the base station using a different beam while communication of the base station is released. For example, after acquiring the signal strength of each antenna, the processor 120 may perform beam switching with one antenna having the highest signal strength. As another example, the processor 120 may perform beam switching using an antenna having a signal strength equal to or greater than the reference signal strength among a plurality of antennas. In the above-described embodiment, an embodiment in which communication with the base station is attempted by selecting a beam of another antenna in a state in which communication of the base station is released has been described. However, this is only exemplary, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. As an example, the processor 120 may attempt communication with the base station by selecting a beam having a signal strength equal to or greater than the reference signal strength among beams of the same antenna.

According to various embodiments, when the communication with the base station is maintained or the beam switching is completed after the communication with the base station is released, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (for example, the processor 120 of FIG. 1), in operation 1740, It can receive a position adjustment signal. The position adjustment signal may include a signal for changing at least one of the position, direction, height, and movement speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. For example, the processor 120 may receive a position adjustment signal through a remote control device (eg, a manipulator). According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may control the position and/or posture of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to be changed based on the received position adjustment signal. For example, the processor 120 uses an application platform (eg, the application platform 132 of FIG. 1) and/or a flight platform (eg, the flight platform 134 of FIG. 1) to At least one of the movements can be adjusted.

According to various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) may control the antenna module rotation motor based on the received position adjustment signal in operation 1750. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may control the antenna module rotation motor so that the beam pattern of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 whose position is changed is directed toward the base station. For example, at least one of the position, direction, and height of the wireless vehicle may be changed based on the position adjustment signal, and the processor 120 may be based on at least one of the changed position, direction, and height of the wireless vehicle. 20) beam pattern can be adjusted.

According to various embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (for example, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) controls the antenna module rotation motor based on the received position adjustment signal, and then aligns the beam direction for the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 You can perform the operation For example, the processor 120 may return to the operation of FIG. 16 and perform an operation related to operation 1640.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in the present specification and drawings are merely provided with specific examples to easily describe the technical content of the present disclosure and to aid understanding of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should be construed that all changes or modified forms derived based on the technical idea of the present disclosure in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein are included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Unmanned aerial vehicle; 20
main body ; 200
Connection frame; 205
One or more propeller units; 210
Driving unit; M
Heat dissipation structure; 230

Claims (20)

In the unmanned aerial vehicle,
main body;
One or more connection frames connected to the main body;
At least one propeller unit connected to the connection frame;
A driving unit disposed on the connection frame;
A heat dissipating structure coupled to the driving unit and having at least one connected to the propeller unit; And
Including an antenna module connected to the heat dissipation structure,
The driving unit is disposed between the at least one propeller unit and the antenna module to rotate the antenna module,
The heat dissipation structure surrounds at least a part of the antenna module, and spreads heat generated in the antenna module into the air by using air blown from the one or more propeller units. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna module
An unmanned aerial vehicle that is rotatably disposed so that a communication area that is coverable in a horizontal direction by the driving unit is expandable, so that beam alignment with the base station is maintained. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one propeller unit
At least one propeller; And
And a drive motor for driving the at least one propeller, and the drive unit is disposed at a lower end of the drive motor coaxially with the drive motor. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna module
A substrate disposed along the length direction of the heat dissipation structure; And
An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one or more antenna elements formed on the substrate. The method of claim 4, wherein the antenna element
An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one or more antenna patterns of a 1XN or NXN array arranged along the length direction of the substrate. The method of claim 5, wherein the substrate
First side; And
Facing the main body and including a second surface opposite to the first surface,
The antenna pattern is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is arranged on the first surface. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 6, wherein the RFIC is disposed on the first surface. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7, wherein the heat generated by the RFIC is transferred to the heat dissipating structure by a medium. The method of claim 8, wherein the medium is
An unmanned aerial vehicle disposed between the RFIC and at least a portion of the heat dissipation structure. The method of claim 9, wherein the medium is
A heat sink formed on the heat radiation structure; And
An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a heat transfer material (TIM) disposed between the heat sink and the substrate. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation structure is integrally coupled to the lower side of the driving unit. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation structure has a first part facing the main body closed, and a second part away from the main body opened,
The second part is an unmanned aerial vehicle on which a cover for protecting the antenna module is disposed. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the beamforming of the antenna module is formed through the open second part. The method of claim 12, wherein the heat dissipation structure
Heat dissipation housing; And
An unmanned aerial vehicle including at least one heat radiation fin formed on an outer surface of the heat radiation housing. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 14, wherein each of the radiating fins protrudes from the outer surface in an outer circumferential direction, and the protruding heights of the radiating fins are different from each other. The method of claim 14, wherein the protruding height of the radiating fin is
The highest at the center of the heat dissipation housing closest to the main body and the lowest at both ends of the heat dissipation housing furthest from the main body. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 14, wherein each of the heat dissipation fins extends along a flow direction of air provided from the at least one propeller unit, and has different lengths extending from each other. The method of claim 16, wherein the length of the radiating fin to be extended is
The largest unmanned aerial vehicle at the center of the heat dissipation housing closest to the body and the shortest at both ends of the heat dissipation housing farthest from the body. In the unmanned aerial vehicle,
main body;
One or more propeller units connected to the main body;
At least one antenna module mounted close to the one or more propeller units to communicate with a base station;
An antenna rotation motor disposed between the at least one propeller unit and the antenna module to rotate the antenna module; And
And a heat dissipation structure coupled to the antenna rotation motor and dispersing heat generated in the antenna module into the air using air blown from the at least one propeller unit, wherein the heat dissipation structure
A heat dissipation housing coupled to the antenna rotation motor;
A plurality of heat dissipation fins extending along the air blowing direction on the outer surface of the heat dissipation housing and protruding from the outer surface in an outer circumferential direction; And
As a part of the heat dissipation housing, the unmanned aerial vehicle including a heat sink for transferring heat generated from the antenna module to the heat dissipation fin. The method of claim 19, wherein the radiating fins have different lengths extending from each other and different heights protruding from each other,
An unmanned aerial vehicle having a radiating fin located close to the main body formed on a longer path than a radiating fin located farther from the main body and protruding higher.

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