Automated portable remote robotic transceiver with directional antenna

• US 20040239561A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optistreams Inc.
• Original Assignee: Optistreams Inc.
• Inventors: Durban, Jack P., Gahan, Sean K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,900,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/359
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/32 Adaptation for use in or on road or rail vehicles

Abstract

A portable, remote-controlled or automated robotic (capable of operating in an unmanned mode) transceiver using a directional antenna pointing system The system comprises a highly integrated, wireless, self-contained transceiver with robotic antenna pointing and an interface system for satellite, conventional antenna, and radar applications for personal, commercial, and military use.

Claims

1. A portable wireless self-contained signal transceiver comprising:

a) at least one directional antenna capable of both transmitting and receiving signals;

b) a robotic antenna-pointing system configured to point the at least one directional antenna at a desired communications target;

c) control communications means for accepting remote instructions from a user;

d) at least one antenna with corresponding electronics package and signal processing and signal transformation computing capability; and

e) a local power supply.

2. The signal transceiver of claim 1 in which the robotic antenna-pointing system additionally comprises a self-locating subsystem and a self-leveling subsystem.

3. The signal transceiver of claim 2 in which the robotic antenna-pointing system additionally comprises a subsystem for locating a target satellite antenna using system location data and the ephemeris or ephemerides of at least one target satellite antenna.

4. The signal transceiver of claim 2 in which the robotic antenna-pointing system self-locating subsystem comprises a receiver for location information received from a system selected from the group GPS and GLONASS.

5. The signal transceiver of claim 1 in which the at least one antenna with corresponding electronics package and signal processing and signal transformation computing capability is selected from a group of types of at least one antenna with corresponding electronics package and signal processing and signal transformation computing capability consisting of RF, analog, digital, modulated voice, picture, and data.

6. A portable wireless self-contained signal transceiver comprising:

a) a lower assembly;

b) an upper assembly; and

c) a power supply.

7. The portable wireless self-contained signal transceiver of claim 6 in which the lower assembly comprises:

a) a turntable;

b) an azimuth motor;

c) an elevation motor;

d) an elevation gear reducer;

e) an absolute position encoder;

f) a commutating rotary connector;

g) a stow sensor; and

h) a docking control board module.

8. The portable wireless self-contained signal transceiver of claim 6 in which the upper assembly comprises:

a) at least on antenna element;

b) an inclinometer;

c) a magnetometer;

d) a skew motor;

e) at least one communications protocol support device; and

f) an RF remote control receiver.

9. The portable wireless self-contained signal transceiver of claim 6 additionally comprising a server computer.

10. The portable wireless self-contained signal transceiver of claim 6 in which the server computer is a PC.

11. The portable wireless self-contained signal transceiver of claim 6 additionally comprising an operating system that controls the deployment and pointing of the portable wireless self-contained signal transceiver.

12. The operating system of claim 11 additionally comprising a TCP/IP listener.

13. The operating system of claim 11 additionally comprising a GPS subsystem.