Antenna Orientation Sensor and Method for Determining Orientation

• US 20090066323A1
• Filed: 09/08/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,777,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/207.250
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/18 Means for stabilising antennas on an unstable platform
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation

Abstract

An antenna orientation sensor, having a base, a pivoting support coupled to the base. An actuator operable to move the pivoting support through a calibration movement with respect to the base. A, for example, three axis magnetic sensor on the pivoting support and a position sensor operable to sense the position of the pivoting support within the calibration movement.

Claims

1. An antenna orientation sensor, comprising:

a base;

a pivoting support coupled to the base;

a magnetic sensor on the pivoting support;

an actuator operable to move the pivoting support through a calibration movement with respect to the base; and

a position sensor sensing the position of the pivoting support within the calibration movement.

2. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 1, wherein the magnetic sensor is a three axis magnetic sensor.

3. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 1, wherein the pivoting support is a printed circuit board.

4. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is a two axis accelerometer.

5. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is an optical sensor.

6. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 3, wherein the printed circuit board further includes a microcontroller coupled to the magnetic sensor and the position sensor.

7. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 6, wherein an output of the microcontroller controls the actuator.

8. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 6, wherein the microcontroller is coupled to a transceiver;

the transceiver in communication with a remote controller.

9. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 8, wherein the communication between the transceiver and the remote controller is via a communication network.

10. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 1, wherein the pivoting support is a printed circuit board;

and

the position sensor is a two axis accelerometer mounted upon the printed circuit board.

11. A method for determining orientation, comprising the steps of:

analyzing a quality level of an output of a magnetic sensor as it is moved through a calibration movement for variances indicating the presence of a soft or hard metal effect; and

adjusting an orientation output according to the variances detected during the calibration movement.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the magnetic sensor is a three axis magnetic sensor.

13. The method of claim 11, further including the step of applying a latitude and a longitude of the magnetic sensor to correct for a variance between true north and magnetic north.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the latitude and the longitude are detected by a global positioning sensor circuit.

15. The method of claim 11, further including the step of removing the variances via a least squares error function.

16. The method of claim 12, further including the step of normalizing the position data with respect to pitch and roll angles identified by three axis data from the magnetic sensor.

17. The method of claim 11, further including the step of transmitting the orientation to a remote controller via a network.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the calibration movement is an arc segment.

19. An antenna orientation sensor, comprising:

a base;

a printed circuit board pivotally coupled to the base;

a three axis magnetic sensor and a two axis accelerometer on the printed circuit board;

a microcontroller on the printed circuit board receiving inputs from the three axis magnetic sensor and the two axis accelerometer;

an actuator operable to move the printed circuit board through a calibration movement with respect to the base; and

a position sensor sensing the position of the pivoting support within the calibration movement.

20. The antenna orientation sensor of claim 19, further including a global positioning circuit coupled to the microcontroller.