ANTENNA ALIGNMENT AND MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD USING GNSS

• US 20090201203A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hemisphere GNSS(USA) Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hemisphere GPS LLC (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Le Sage, Hendrikus A., Jakab, Andrew J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.270
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1242 Rigid masts specially adapted for supporting an aerial
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning

Abstract

An antenna alignment and monitoring system is provided for telecom antennas and includes a pair of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antennas mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) for installation in a telecom antenna enclosure. Multiple telecom antennas are configured in an antenna array for mounting on a transmission tower or other elevated structure. A common GNSS receiver cycles among the GNSS antenna pairs for initially aligning and subsequently monitoring the azimuth alignment of the telecom antennas relative to a reference azimuth using GNSS triangulation.

Claims

1. A system for aligning and monitoring a directional antenna adapted for directionally transmitting and/or receiving signals and including an enclosure, which system includes:

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver;

a pair of GNSS antennas fixedly attached to the directional antenna in a predetermined orientation with respect to the directional antenna'"'"'s direction of transmission/reception;

said GNSS antennas being connected to said GNSS receiver; and

a controller connected to said GNSS receiver and adapted for processing GNSS signals for determining the GNSS antennas'"'"' GNSS-defined locations and thereby determining the directional antenna'"'"'s direction.

2. The system according to claim 1, which includes:

a printed circuit board (PCB) mounting said GNSS antennas in a predetermined spacing; and

said PCB and GNSS antennas being fixedly mounted in said directional antenna enclosure.

3. The system according to claim 2, which includes:

said directional antenna enclosure being elongated with upper and lower ends and a generally vertical operating position; and

said GNSS antennas being mounted in said antenna enclosure upper end and being generally horizontally coplanar.

4. The system according to claim 3, which is adapted for mounting multiple said directional antennas in radially-spaced relation on an antenna tower, which system includes:

a switch adapted for selectively and sequentially connecting respective directional antennas to said receiver; and

said processor being adapted for determining a horizontal directional alignment of each said directional antenna and for providing an output corresponding to each said antenna horizontal directional alignment.

5. The system according to claim 4, which includes:

three pairs of said directional antennas being mounted on said tower at orientations of approximately 120°

with respect to each another; and

said system being adapted for monitoring said antenna pair orientations.

6. A method of aligning and monitoring multiple directional antennas adapted for directionally transmitting and/or receiving communications signals, said antennas forming an antenna array mounted on a common structure, which method comprises the steps of:

providing a programmable controller;

programming said controller with operating parameters including target azimuth angles for said directional antennas, azimuth angle fault tolerances and external interface functions for transmitting data to a control center;

providing a PCB for each directional antenna;

mounting a pair of GNSS antennas on each said PCB with a predetermined spacing therebetween;

mounting each said PCB on a respective directional antenna;

mounting said directional antennas on the structure;

connecting a common receiver to said GNSS antenna pairs via a radio frequency (RF) switch;

preliminarily orienting said directional antennas at approximately said azimuth angles;

acquiring GNSS signals with said GNSS antenna pairs and said common receiver;

determining GNSS-defined locations for said GNSS antennas with said receiver and said controller;

determining GNSS-defined orientations for said directional antennas using said GNSS-defined antenna locations; and

finely orienting said directional antennas using said GNSS-defined orientations for said directional antennas.

7. The method of claim 6, which includes the additional steps of:

monitoring said directional antenna orientations;

detecting a misalignment condition for a directional antenna exceeding said fault tolerance;

providing an output from said controller corresponding to said misalignment condition; and

realigning said misaligned antenna using said GNSS-defined antenna orientation to an azimuth angle within said fault tolerance.

8. The method of claim 6, which includes the additional steps of:

providing each said directional antenna with an enclosure having an elongated configuration including upper and lower ends;

adjustably mounting each said antenna on said common structure in a generally upright position with a generally vertical axis extending between said enclosure ends; and

mounting each said PCB and GNSS antenna pair in a respective directional antenna upper end within a respective enclosure.

9. The method of claim 8, which includes the additional step of:

sequentially connecting said receiver to said antenna pairs via said radio frequency (RF) switch.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes the additional steps of:

said controller storing the GNSS-defined locations of each said GNSS antenna; and

said controller averaging a predetermined number of the most recent GNSS-defined locations of each said GNSS antenna.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes the additional steps of:

said controller comparing said averaged GNSS antenna locations with said predetermined fault tolerances;

said controller detecting a GNSS antenna location exceeding said fault tolerance; and

said controller triggering an alarm in response to said fault tolerance being exceeded.

12. The method of claim 9, which includes additional steps of:

said controller storing the directional antenna azimuth angle orientations; and

said controller averaging a predetermined number of the most recent directional antenna azimuth angle orientations.

13. The method of claim 12, which includes the additional steps of:

said controller comparing said averaged directional antenna azimuth angle orientations with said predetermined fault tolerances; and

said controller detecting a directional antenna azimuth angle orientation exceeding said fault tolerance; and

said controller triggering an alarm in response to said fault tolerance being exceeded.

14. The method of claim 6, which includes the additional steps of:

providing a first array of said antennas comprising three pairs of said directional antennas;

orienting said antenna pairs of said first array at radial orientations of approximately 120°

with respect to each other;

providing a second array of three said directional antennas; and

orienting said second array of directional antennas at radial orientations of approximately 120°

with respect to each other.

15. The method of claim 6, which includes the additional steps of:

providing an external interface connected to said controller;

providing control commands to said controller via said external interface; and

outputting from said controller via said external interface information corresponding to said directional antenna azimuth angle orientations.

16. A method of aligning and monitoring multiple directional antennas adapted for directionally transmitting and/or receiving communications signals, said antennas forming an antenna array mounted on a common structure, which method comprises the steps of:

providing a programmable controller;

programming said controller with operating parameters including target azimuth angles for said directional antennas, azimuth angle fault tolerances and external interface functions for transmitting data to a control center;

providing a PCB for each directional antenna;

mounting a pair of GNSS antennas on each said PCB with a predetermined spacing therebetween;

mounting each said PCB on a respective directional antenna;

providing each said directional antenna with an enclosure having an elongated configuration including upper and lower ends;

adjustably mounting each said directional antenna on said common structure in a generally upright position with a generally vertical axis extending between said enclosure ends;

mounting each said PCB and GNSS antenna pair in a respective directional antenna upper end within a respective enclosure;

connecting a common receiver to said GNSS antenna pairs via a radio frequency (RF) switch;

preliminarily orienting said directional antennas at approximately said azimuth angles;

acquiring GNSS signals with said GNSS antenna pairs and said common receiver;

determining GNSS-defined locations for said GNSS antennas with said receiver and said controller;

determining GNSS-defined orientations for said directional antennas using said GNSS-defined antenna locations;

finely orienting said directional antennas using said GNSS-defined orientations for said directional antennas;

monitoring said directional antenna orientations;

detecting a misalignment condition for a directional antenna exceeding said fault tolerance;

providing an output from said controller corresponding to said misalignment condition;

realigning said misaligned antenna using said GNSS-defined antenna orientation to an azimuth angle within said fault tolerance;

sequentially connecting said receiver to said GNSS antenna pairs via said radio frequency (RF) switch;

said controller storing the GNSS-defined locations of each said GNSS antenna;

said controller averaging a predetermined number of the most recent GNSS-defined locations of each said GNSS antenna;

said controller comparing said averaged GNSS antenna locations with said predetermined fault tolerances;

said controller detecting a GNSS antenna location exceeding said fault tolerance;

said controller triggering an alarm in response to said fault tolerance being exceeded;

said controller storing the directional antenna azimuth angle orientations;

said controller averaging a predetermined number of the most recent directional antenna azimuth angle orientations;

said controller comparing said averaged directional antenna azimuth angle orientations with said predetermined fault tolerances;

said controller detecting a directional antenna azimuth angle orientation exceeding said fault tolerance;

said controller triggering an alarm in response to said fault tolerance being exceeded;

providing a first array of said antennas comprising three pairs of said directional antennas;

orienting said antenna pairs of said first array at radial orientations of approximately 120°

with respect to each other;

providing a second array of three said directional antennas;

orienting said second array of directional antennas at radial orientations of approximately 120°

with respect to each other;

providing an external interface connected to said controller;

providing control commands to said controller via said external interface; and

outputting from said controller via said external interface information corresponding to said directional antenna azimuth angle orientations.