Antenna deployment method and system

• US 9,407,000 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Willistein, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US14/713,413
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.7, 342/25.A, 342/25.C, 342/126, 343/802
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/08 Means for collapsing antennas or parts thereof collapsible loop antennas H01Q7/02; means for collapsing H-antennas or Yagi antennas H01Q19/04
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/14 for wire or other non-rigid radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/30 Means for trailing antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers

Abstract

Method for deploying an antenna involves selectively determining an optimal position for at least one defining point of an antenna based on one or more parameters associated with a wireless communication session. Responsive to this determining, an unmanned aerial vehicle is automatically controlled to suspend at least one portion of the antenna aloft in a controlled position based on the optimal position. The antenna is coupled to a wireless communication device which is disposed on the ground. The method involves using the antenna while aloft to conducting the wireless communication session while the wireless communication device is disposed on the ground.

Claims

1. A method for deploying an antenna, comprising

determining at least one antenna characteristic that is desirable for a radio frequency communication session;

based on the at least one antenna characteristic, determining an optimal position for at least one defining point of at least one conductive radiating element;

electrically coupling said conductive radiating element to a wireless communication device;

using an antenna deployment control unit (ADCU) comprising an electronic computer processor device to cause an unmanned aerial vehicle to carry aloft at least a portion of the conductive radiating element to a controlled position above ground based on the optimal position;

using the conductive radiating element to form at least part of an antenna for the wireless communication device; and

conducting the radio frequency communication session while the conductive radiating element is suspended in the air by the unmanned aerial vehicle, and while the wireless communication device is disposed on the ground.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the ADCU to automatically control the unmanned aerial vehicle to establish and maintain the controlled position after the optimal position has been determined.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising using the ADCU to automatically identify a second optimal position responsive to a change in at least one communication parameter associated with the radio frequency communication session.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising using the ADCU to automatically dynamically vary the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle to a second controlled position responsive to determining the second optimal position.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the ADCU to automatically determine the at least one antenna characteristic based on one or more communication session parameters associated with the radio frequency communication session.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the communication session parameters are selected from the group consisting of a distance to a remote communication node, a direction of the remote communication node, a location of an electromagnetic interferer, an ionospheric condition, and a measured link parameter.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one antenna characteristic is selected from the group consisting of electrical length, antenna impedance, azimuth direction of maximum gain, elevation direction of maximum gain, azimuth direction of maximum null, and elevation direction of maximum null.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is comprised of a plurality of radiating elements, and further comprising determining an optimal position of a plurality of said defining points for the radiating elements.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising using a plurality of the unmanned aerial vehicles controlled by the ADCU to carry at least a portion of each conductive radiating element aloft to a respective controlled position, wherein the controlled positions are based on the optimal positions.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising responsive to determining a change in at least one communication parameter associated with the communication session, automatically determining a modified value for the at least one antenna characteristic.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising determining with the ADCU a second optimal position for the at least one defining point based on the modified value.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising using the ADCU to automatically cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to move the portion of the conductive radiating element to a second controlled position based on the second optimal position.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising selectively varying an effective electrical length of the conductive radiating element when transitioning said unmanned aerial vehicle from the controlled position to the second controlled position under the control of the ADCU by automatically retractably deploying said conductive radiating element from a reel carried aloft on said unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising;

using the ADCU to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to selectively vary said controlled position among a plurality of link-test positions which deviate in a predetermined manner relative to the controlled position; and

measuring at least one communication parameter at each of the link-test positions.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising using the ADCU to selectively change the controlled position to one of the plurality of link-test positions if an improvement in at least one communication parameter is detected at the link-test position.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the optimal position is further determined by the ADCU based on at least one of an operating limitation of the unmanned aerial vehicle, an antenna feed line length, and a selected antenna configuration.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selectively controlling an effective electrical length of the conductive radiating element when deploying said unmanned aerial vehicle to the controlled position by automatically retractably deploying said conductive radiating element from a reel.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle carries aloft to the controlled position the portion of the conductive radiating element that is directly connected to a center insulating element, and the antenna further comprises a second conductive radiating element which is also attached to the center insulating element.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising securing to the ground an end of each conductive radiating element opposed from the center insulating element so that the ends are spaced a distance apart to define an inverted V antenna configuration.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising carrying aloft to second and third controlled positions above ground an end of each conductive radiating element opposed from the center insulating element.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the second and third controlled positions are based on second and third optimal positions chosen for providing the at least one antenna characteristic, and the ADCU controls a second and third unmanned aerial vehicle to respectively position the end of each conductive radiating element opposed from the center insulating element at the second and third optimal positions.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising electrically coupling the conductive radiating element to the wireless communication device using an antenna feed line.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the optimal position includes at least one of a geographic position and an optimal altitude.

24. A method for deploying an antenna, comprising

selectively determining an optimal position for at least one defining point of an antenna based on one or more parameters associated with a wireless communication session;

responsive to said determining, using an unmanned aerial vehicle under the control of a computer processing device to selectively cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to automatically suspend at least one portion of the antenna aloft in a controlled position based on the optimal position;

coupling the antenna to a wireless communication device; and

using the antenna while aloft to conduct the wireless communication session while the wireless communication device is disposed on the ground.

25. A radio transceiver system, comprising

a wireless communication device;

an antenna for the wireless communication device including at least one conductive radiating element;

an antenna feed line connecting the wireless communication device to the at least one conductive radiating element;

an antenna deployment control unit coupled to the wireless communication device which

automatically determines based on at least one communication parameter associated with the wireless communication session, an optimal position for at least one defining point of the at least one conductive radiating element; and

selectively controls an unmanned aerial vehicle to carry aloft at least a portion of the conductive radiating element to a controlled position above ground based on the optimal position.