Mobile station antenna attitude control apparatus

• US 4,873,526 A
• Filed: 07/07/1988
• Issued: 10/10/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Shinsangyokaihatsu
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Shinsangyokaihatsu
• Inventors: Katsuo, Suzuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US07/217,524
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 342/359, 343/713, 318/649
• US Class Current: 342/359
• 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

A mobile station antenna attitude control apparatus comprising an antenna, a drive mechanism, a receiving level detecting means, a first device information setting means, an attitude detecting means, a second drive information setting means, a drive information correcting means and a control means. With such structure, the antenna is driven and controlled with the first dirve information and the drive information which has been obtained by correcting the second drive information depending on change on time thereof. Thereby, the antenna is capable of accurately tracking the signal source even if an automobile moves quickly. Moreover, since such tracking is based on the feedback control, structure and control can be very much simplified.

Claims

1. A mobile station antenna attitude control apparatus comprising:

an antenna attitude changeably supported on a mobile station;

a drive mechanism for changing attitude of an antenna at a plurality of different speeds;

a receiving level detecting means for detecting receiving level of an antenna;

a first drive information setting means for renewing and setting first drive information for changing attitude of antenna in a direction resulting in an increase of receiving level by monitoring the receiving level detected by the receiving level detecting means;

an attitude detecting means for detecting attitude information of a mobile station;

a second drive information setting means for renewing and setting second drive information to correct relative change of attitude of an antenna due to attitude change of mobile station based on the attitude information of mobile station detected by said attitude detecting means;

a drive information correcting means for correcting said second drive information depending on change on time of the second drive information set by the second drive information setting means by monitoring such change thereof; and

a control means for controlling said drive mechanism based on the first drive information set by said first drive information setting means and the second drive information corrected by said drive information correcting means;

wherein said drive information correcting means corrects said second drive information to that providing a higher speed drive when change of time of the second drive information set by said second drive information setting means is larger than the specified value.

2. A mobile station antenna attitude control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first drive information setting means compares at least two receiving levels detected by said receiving level detecting means interposing the control of said drive means to be conducted by said control means based on the first drive information and newly sets the first drive information for changing attitude of antenna to the attitude detecting higher receiving level from that detecting lower receiving level.

3. A mobile station antenna attitude control apparatus according to claim 1, said attitude detecting means comprises a gyro which is not influenced by the attitude of a mobile station.

4. A mobile station antenna attitude control apparatus according to any of claim 1 to 3, wherein a mobile station comprises a radio station provided on an automobile.