UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE AND ANTENNA ASSEMBLY

• US 20190260122A1
• Filed: 05/01/2019
• Published: 08/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: LI, Dong, LV, Chao, HU, Meng
• Application Number:
  US16/400,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20190260122A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/36 adapted to receive antennas or radomes
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/285 Aircraft wire antennas means for trailing H01Q1/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/30 Means for trailing antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0808 comparing all antennas before reception

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes an antenna assembly configured to communicate with a ground terminal controller, a memory storing antenna assembly configuration information, and one or more processors configured to adjust a radiation direction pattern of the antenna assembly according to the antenna assembly configuration information.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

an antenna assembly configured to communicate with a ground terminal controller;

a memory storing antenna assembly configuration information; and

one or more processors configured to adjust a radiation direction pattern of the antenna assembly according to the antenna assembly configuration information.

2. The UAV according to claim 1, wherein the antenna assembly includes a first switch, a second switch, a first antenna, a second antenna, a third antenna, and a fourth antenna.

3. The UAV according to claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

calculate a tilt angle of the UAV relative to the ground terminal controller; and

adjust the radiation direction pattern of the antenna assembly according to the tilt angle and the antenna assembly configuration information.

4. The UAV according to claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

obtain a vertical height of the UAV relative to the ground terminal controller;

obtain a horizontal distance of the UAV relative to the ground terminal controller; and

calculate the tilt angle according to the vertical height and the horizontal distance.

5. The UAV according to claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a desired radiation direction pattern and corresponding switch configuration information from the antenna assembly configuration information according to the tilt angle; and

configure the antenna assembly to generate the desired radiation pattern according to the switch configuration information.

6. The UAV according to claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to calculate the tilt angle of the UAV repeatedly according to a time period, the time period being negatively correlated with a speed of the UAV.

7. The UAV according to claim 3, wherein the antenna assembly configuration information includes a plurality of tilt angle ranges, a plurality of radiation direction patterns each corresponding to one of the tilt angle ranges, and a plurality of switch statuses each corresponding to one of the radiation direction patterns.

8. The UAV according to claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

detect signal strengths of the antenna assembly;

adjust the radiation direction pattern of the antenna assembly according to the signal strengths and the antenna assembly configuration information.

9. The UAV according to claim 8, wherein:

the antenna assembly includes at least five switch statuses; and

the one or more processors are further configured to;

detect the signal strengths of the at least five switch statuses in a preset time interval;

extract a maximum signal strength from the signal strengths of the at least five switching statuses;

calculate a difference between the maximum signal strength and a current signal strength of a current switch status;

analyze the difference between the maximum signal strength and the current signal strength according to a threshold switching value; and

control the antenna assembly to switch to a switch status corresponding to the maximum signal strength in response to the difference being greater than or equal to the threshold switching value.

10. The UAV according to claim 9, wherein the preset time interval is negatively correlated to a speed of the UAV.

11. The UAV according to claim 8, wherein the antenna assembly configuration information includes switch configuration information of switches of the antenna assembly.

12. The UAV according to claim 2, wherein the first switch includes a single pole double throw switch, and the second switch includes a single pole triple throw switch.

13. The UAV according to claim 2, wherein the first antenna, the second antenna, the third antenna, and the fourth antenna are arranged at an angle difference of approximately 60 degrees.

14. The UAV according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first antenna, the second antenna, the third antenna, or the fourth antenna includes at least one of a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, an inverted-F antenna, or a loop antenna.

15. A method of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including an antenna assembly, comprising:

calculating a position of the UAV relative to a ground terminal controller; and

adjusting a radiation direction pattern of the antenna assembly according to the position and antenna assembly configuration information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the position includes a tilt angle of the UAV relative to the ground terminal controller.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

obtaining a vertical height of the UAV relative to the ground terminal controller;

obtaining a horizontal distance of the UAV relative to the ground terminal controller;

calculating the tilt angle according to the vertical height and the horizontal distance; and

adjusting the radiation direction pattern of the antenna assembly according to the tilt angle and the antenna assembly configuration information.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein adjusting the radiation direction pattern of the antenna assembly includes:

determining a desired radiation direction pattern and corresponding switch configuration information from the antenna assembly configuration information according to the tilt angle; and

configuring the antenna assembly to generate the desired radiation pattern according to the switch configuration information.

19. A method of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including an antenna assembly, comprising:

detecting signal strengths of the antenna assembly; and

adjusting a radiation direction pattern of the antenna assembly according to the signal strengths and antenna assembly configuration information.

20. The method according to claim 19,

wherein the antenna assembly includes at least five switch statuses;

the method further comprising;

detecting the signal strengths of the at least five switch statuses in a preset time interval;

extracting a maximum signal strength from the signal strengths of the at least five switching statuses;

calculating a difference between the maximum signal strength and a current signal strength of a current switch status;

analyzing the difference between the maximum signal strength and the current signal strength according to a threshold switching value; and

controlling the antenna assembly to switch to a switch status corresponding to the maximum signal strength in response to determining that the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold switching value.