DIRECTIONAL ALIGNMENT AND ALIGNMENT MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR DIRECTIONAL AND OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS BASED ON SOLAR POSITIONING ALONE OR WITH ELECTRONIC LEVEL SENSING
First Claim
1. A sensor for use in determining an alignment of a directional or omni-directional antenna with respect to tilt angle of the antenna relative to a horizontal plane and a directional heading thereof wherein the antenna is mounted at a vertically elevated location, the sensor comprising, a housing, means for mounting the housing to the antenna, at least one solar sensing element mounted within the housing, said at least one solar sensing element generating an output signal in response to solar energy radiating a portion of a surface thereof, means for communicating the output signal with a data processing unit, and the housing including means for controlling the passage of solar radiation entering the housing toward the at least one solar sensing element such that the solar radiation being sensed by the at least one solar sensor may be used to calculate at least one of an azimuth and a tilt angle of the antenna.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Alignment monitoring systems for directional and omni-directional antennas that are mounted to the antennas and which include solar sensors that are mounted with enclosing housings such that solar imaging across the surface of one or more sensing elements is used to determine a current alignment of the antennas in at least in one of headings, or azimuths of the antennas, or tilt angles thereof relative to a horizontal plane, and wherein signals generated by the sensing elements are communicated to data processing units.
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Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A sensor for use in determining an alignment of a directional or omni-directional antenna with respect to tilt angle of the antenna relative to a horizontal plane and a directional heading thereof wherein the antenna is mounted at a vertically elevated location, the sensor comprising, a housing, means for mounting the housing to the antenna, at least one solar sensing element mounted within the housing, said at least one solar sensing element generating an output signal in response to solar energy radiating a portion of a surface thereof, means for communicating the output signal with a data processing unit, and the housing including means for controlling the passage of solar radiation entering the housing toward the at least one solar sensing element such that the solar radiation being sensed by the at least one solar sensor may be used to calculate at least one of an azimuth and a tilt angle of the antenna.
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20. An apparatus for use for determining an alignment of a directional or omni-directional antenna with respect to at least one of a tilt angle and heading of the antenna, comprising means for adjustably mounting the antenna at a vertically elevated location, a sensor for use in determining an alignment of the antenna with respect to at least one of a tilt angle of the antenna relative to a horizontal plane and a directional heading thereof, the sensor including a housing, means for mounting the housing to the antenna, at least one solar sensing element mounted within the housing, said at least one solar sensing element generating an output signal in response to solar energy imaging a surface portions thereof, means for communicating the output signal with a data processing unit, and the housing including means for controlling the passage of solar radiation entering the housing toward the at least one solar sensing element such that the solar imaging being sensed by the at least one solar sensor may be used to calculate at least one of an azimuth and tilt angle of the antenna.
Specification