Low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system and its implementation method

Abstract

This invention provides a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV drone image transmission system and its implementation method, comprising: an RF transceiver, a 1-to-2 RF switch, an RF front-end module, and a 1-to-4 RF switch; the signal output terminal of the RF transceiver is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the 1-to-2 RF switch; the two signal output channels of the 1-to-2 RF switch are respectively electrically connected to the RF input pin of the RF front-end module and the signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch; the signal output terminal of the RF front-end module is electrically connected to another signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch; the output terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch is connected to an antenna. In scenarios where takeoff is not in progress, this invention can shut down the RF amplifier (PA) in the RF front-end module, significantly reducing power consumption and fundamentally solving the heat dissipation problem. Therefore, the image transmission system can operate normally for extended periods without crashing, greatly improving the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wireless communication circuit technology, specifically to a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV drone image transmission system and its implementation method, which is particularly suitable for miniaturized drone communication scenarios with strict requirements for power consumption and heat dissipation. Background Technology

[0002] First-person perspective (FPV) drones, with their core characteristics of "real-time view + remote control," have broken through the limitations of traditional drones that rely on "ground observation + indirect control." Through an image transmission system, the images captured by the onboard camera are transmitted back in real time to the display device worn by the operator, achieving an "immersive" flight control experience. They have been widely penetrated into diverse scenarios such as consumer entertainment, industry applications, and professional competitions. The upgrading of usage needs and the expansion of scenarios are driving the continuous iteration of technology.

[0003] In various application scenarios, FPV drones, with their advantages of flexibility and maneuverability, have replaced some manual operations in fields such as power line inspection, oil and gas pipeline monitoring, and emergency rescue. To maintain the flexibility and maneuverability of FPV drones, their size cannot be too large, thus requiring the FPV image transmission system module to be as small as possible, typically less than 35 mm in length and width. However, the power consumption of such FPV image transmission modules is usually greater than 5W. Installation recommendations typically suggest installing the module near the propeller blades, within 1 cm of them, so that the downwash airflow from the propeller can assist in heat dissipation after takeoff. However, in the stationary state before takeoff, the temperature of existing image transmission modules rises to 120°C in about 4 minutes. 120°C is the maximum tolerance temperature of the chip inside the module, triggering over-temperature protection and causing a system crash. This forces the user to complete takeoff preparations within 3 minutes. In complex scenarios, such as equipment debugging before power line inspection, the module needs to be repeatedly restarted, resulting in a very poor user experience.

[0004] To address overheating-induced system crashes, the industry typically reduces transmit power. However, when the RF amplifier (PA) of the front-end module is activated, even with minimal or no input power, the PA's static power consumption is usually greater than 200mA, or 1 watt per PA. A typical video transmission module has two PAs, resulting in a static power consumption of 2W. Therefore, reducing transmit power does not solve the overheating crash problem. Another industry solution is to add a fan, but this increases cost, power consumption, and size. Other solutions use high thermal conductivity materials, which not only increase cost but also only extend the crash time by a few minutes, without fundamentally solving the overheating issue. The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a technology that prevents the video transmission module from crashing or restarting due to overheating before FPV aircraft takeoff. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV drone image transmission system and its implementation method.

[0006] The present invention provides a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV drone image transmission system, comprising: a radio frequency transceiver, a 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, a radio frequency front-end module, and a 1-to-4 radio frequency switch; The signal output terminal of the RF transceiver is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the 1-to-2 RF switch; the two signal output channels of the 1-to-2 RF switch are electrically connected to the RF input pin of the RF front-end module and the signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch, respectively; the signal output terminal of the RF front-end module is electrically connected to the other signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch; and the output terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch is connected to the antenna.

[0007] Preferably, the main path is formed by the following components: the radio frequency transceiver, the 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, the radio frequency front-end module, and the 1-to-4 radio frequency switch in sequence. The radio frequency transceiver, the 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, and the 1-to-4 radio frequency switch are connected in sequence to form the Tx_ByPass path.

[0008] Preferably, the main control GPIO control unit is electrically connected to the control pins of the 1-to-2 RF switch, the RF front-end module, and the 1-to-4 RF switch, respectively, to control the switching of the main path or Tx_ByPass path and the opening or closing of the RF amplifier PA in the RF front-end module.

[0009] Preferably, the switching of the main path or Tx_ByPass path and the turning on or off of the RF amplifier PA in the RF front-end module include: selectively switching the transmit power of the RF transceiver to the main path or Tx_ByPass path through the one-to-two RF switch; The main path amplifies the radio frequency signal through the radio frequency front-end module and then enters the subsequent one-to-four radio frequency switch. The Tx_ByPass path disables the RF amplifier (PA) in the RF front-end module.

[0010] Preferably, when the transmit power of the RF transceiver is 12dBm, the total insertion loss of the 1-to-2 RF switch and the 1-to-4 RF switch in the Tx_ByPass path is 1.2dB, and the output power at the antenna port is 10.8dBm, which meets the preset requirement for short-range communication.

[0011] Preferably, the RF transceiver is the AR8030 from Coolchip Microelectronics; the 1-to-2 RF switch is the KCT2829L from Kangxi Communications; the RF front-end module is the GSR5755 from Sanwu Microelectronics; and the 1-to-4 RF switch is the RR13004 from Ruishi Innovation.

[0012] The present invention provides a method for implementing a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV unmanned aerial vehicle (AV) image transmission system, comprising: Step S1: Construct a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV image transmission system; Step S2: Control the switching of the main path or Tx_ByPass path and the opening or closing of the RF amplifier PA in the RF front-end module in the low-power, ultra-long standby FPV image transmission system through the main control GPIO control unit. The low-power, ultra-long standby FPV image transmission system includes: The signal output terminal of the RF transceiver is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the 1-to-2 RF switch; the two signal output channels of the 1-to-2 RF switch are electrically connected to the RF input pin of the RF front-end module and the signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch, respectively; the signal output terminal of the RF front-end module is electrically connected to the other signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch; the output terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch is connected to the antenna. The radio frequency transceiver, the 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, the radio frequency front-end module, and the 1-to-4 radio frequency switch form the main path in sequence. The radio frequency transceiver, the 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, and the 1-to-4 radio frequency switch are connected in sequence to form the Tx_ByPass path.

[0013] Preferably, step S2 includes: The transmit power of the radio frequency transceiver is selectively switched to the main path or the Tx_ByPass path via the one-to-two radio frequency switch; The main path amplifies the radio frequency signal through the radio frequency front-end module and then enters the subsequent one-to-four radio frequency switch. The Tx_ByPass path disables the RF amplifier (PA) in the RF front-end module.

[0014] Preferably, when the transmit power of the RF transceiver is 12dBm, the total insertion loss of the 1-to-2 RF switch and the 1-to-4 RF switch in the Tx_ByPass path is 1.2dB, and the output power at the antenna port is 10.8dBm, which meets the preset requirement for short-range communication.

[0015] Preferably, the RF transceiver is the AR8030 from Coolchip Microelectronics; the 1-to-2 RF switch is the KCT2829L from Kangxi Communications; the RF front-end module is the GSR5755 from Sanwu Microelectronics; and the 1-to-4 RF switch is the RR13004 from Ruishi Innovation.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. In scenarios where the drone is not in flight, after disabling the RF front-end module PA, the measured power consumption of the image transmission module, powered by a 6S battery and at an ambient temperature of 25°C, decreased from 5.5W to 3.1W, a reduction of 43.6%. 2. Powered by a 6S battery, under ambient temperature of 25°C, it can operate normally for more than 24 hours before takeoff without crashing or restarting; 3. Powered by a 6S battery, under ambient temperature of 25°C, the maximum temperature of the main control chip inside the module before takeoff does not exceed 90°C, which is far below the chip's maximum tolerance temperature of 120°C, so no additional heat dissipation structure is required. 4. Under the Tx_ByPass path, the antenna port transmit power is 10.8dBm, and the communication distance can reach 50 meters in unobstructed line-of-sight scenarios, meeting the communication requirements for 10-50 meters of pre-flight debugging; 5. This invention bypasses the PA of the front-end module in the scenario where the drone has not taken off, fundamentally cutting off the high power consumption source, while ensuring that the 10dBm transmit power meets the near-field communication requirements through the combination design of "one-to-two RF switch + Tx_ByPass path". Attached Figure Description

[0017] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an FPV drone image transmission system with low power consumption and ultra-long standby time.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the image transmission circuit for a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV drone. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0020] Example 1 According to the present invention, a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV unmanned aerial vehicle image transmission system is provided, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes: an RF transceiver, a 1-to-2 RF switch, an RF front-end module, and a 1-to-4 RF switch; The RF transceiver, the 1-to-2 RF switch, the RF front-end module, and the 1-to-4 RF switch are electrically connected in sequence. More specifically, the RF transceiver is connected to the 1-to-2 RF switch, and the two output channels of the 1-to-2 RF switch are respectively connected to the RF input pin of the RF front-end module and the 1-to-4 RF switch.

[0021] The RF transceiver is the AR8030 from Coolchip Microelectronics; the 1-to-2 RF switch is the KCT2829L from Kangxi Communications; the RF front-end module is the GSR5755 from Sanwu Microelectronics; and the 1-to-4 RF switch is the RR13004 from Ruishi Innovation. The Ruishi Innovation RR13004 RF switch can withstand single-tone signal input of no less than 47dBm in the 5.8GHz band.

[0022] In FPV video transmission modules, the RF front-end module containing the power amplifier has the highest power consumption weight. When the power amplifier (PA) is turned on, even with very low or no input power, the static power consumption of the PA is typically greater than 200mA, or 1 watt for a single PA. Video transmission modules usually have two PAs, meaning a static power consumption of 2W. This poses a significant challenge to the heat dissipation of the video transmission module.

[0023] In the scenario before drone takeoff, the operator and the drone are relatively close, and normal communication can be achieved using a relatively low transmit power (10dBm). The working principle of this invention is as follows: the transmit power of the RF transceiver (12dBm) is selectively switched to one of two paths via a 1-to-2 RF switch: a main path amplifies the RF signal through the RF front-end module and then enters the subsequent 1-to-4 RF switch. Additionally, there is a Tx_ByPass path, which can turn off the PA in the RF front-end module. In the Tx_ByPass path, the total insertion loss of the two RF switches is 1.2dB, meaning the output power at the antenna port is 10.8dBm, which meets the requirements for short-range communication.

[0024] This embodiment, through the logical combination of two switches and the RF front-end module, significantly reduces the power consumption of the FPV image transmission module in the stationary state before takeoff without affecting the flight scenario. This greatly improves heat dissipation, thus preventing system crashes in the pre-takeoff scenario and significantly enhancing the user experience. Therefore, the module can switch to the Tx_ByPass path to turn off the PA before takeoff, which is the focus of this invention.

[0025] In this embodiment, the RF switch is typically used only for "multi-antenna switching" or "transmit / receive mode switching," and no one has used it to "bypass the PA to reduce power consumption." Furthermore, those skilled in the art generally believe that the PA is an essential component for RF signal amplification and would not think of turning off the PA and directly transmitting signals through the Tx_ByPass path in a near-field scenario. Therefore, this invention has outstanding substantive features and significant progress.

[0026] Example 2 Example 2 is a preferred example of Example 1. like Figure 1 As shown, a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV drone image transmission system according to the present invention includes: RF transceiver 1 is connected to RF switch 2 (1 to 2), and the two output channels of RF switch 2 are connected to RF front-end module 3 and RF switch 4 (1 to 4) respectively. like Figure 2 As shown, U1 is an RF transceiver, specifically the AR8030 from Coolchip Microelectronics; U2 is a 1-to-2 RF switch, specifically the KCT2829L from Kangxi Communications, with an insertion loss of approximately 0.6dB at 5.8GHz; U3 is an RF front-end module, specifically the GSR5755 from Sanwu Microelectronics, powered by 5V, with a quiescent current (without RF input signal) of 215mA; U4 is a 1-to-4 RF switch, specifically the RR13004 from Ruishi Innovation, with an insertion loss of approximately 0.59dB at 5.8GHz and a maximum power tolerance of 47dBm for a single tone signal.

[0027] The RF transceiver's transmit power (12dBm) is transmitted through a 1-to-2 RF switch. One main path amplifies the RF signal through the RF front-end module before entering a subsequent 1-to-4 RF switch (only two paths of this switch are actually used). There is also a Tx_ByPass path, which can turn off the PA in the front-end module.

[0028] Tables 1, 2, and 3 provide the logic descriptions for the KCT2829L RF switch (1 to 2), the GSR5755 RF front-end module, and the RR13004 RF switch (1 to 4), respectively. Through the logic combination of the two RF switches and the RF front-end module, in scenarios where takeoff is not possible, the RF signal follows the Tx_ByPass path, during which the PA in the front-end module can be turned off.

[0029] Table 1

[0030] Table 2

[0031] Table 3

[0032] Table 4 explains the key logic of the two scenarios. After the drone takes off, the flight controller sends a status query command to the RF transceiver every 100ms. If it detects that the Tx_ByPass mode is still enabled, it immediately sends a command to force switch the main path and enable PA via the serial port, and triggers an FPV glasses alarm prompt, such as a flashing red light.

[0033] If the serial communication between the flight controller and the RF transceiver is interrupted, the FPV image transmission module will automatically switch to the main path and activate PA after 10 seconds. At the same time, the priority of manual switching of FPV glasses will be retained. The manual switching command takes precedence over the automatic switching logic. The automatic switching function will be suspended after manual operation.

[0034] Table 4

[0035] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in addition to implementing the system, apparatus, and their modules provided by this invention in purely computer-readable program code, the same program can be implemented in the form of logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits, programmable logic controllers, and embedded microcontrollers by logically programming the method steps. Therefore, the system, apparatus, and their modules provided by this invention can be considered a hardware component, and the modules included therein for implementing various programs can also be considered structures within the hardware component; alternatively, modules for implementing various functions can be considered both software programs implementing the method and structures within the hardware component.

[0036] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A low-power, ultra-long standby FPV drone image transmission system, characterized in that, include: RF transceivers, 1-to-2 RF switches, RF front-end modules, and 1-to-4 RF switches; The signal output terminal of the RF transceiver is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the 1-to-2 RF switch; the two signal output channels of the 1-to-2 RF switch are electrically connected to the RF input pin of the RF front-end module and the signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch, respectively; the signal output terminal of the RF front-end module is electrically connected to the other signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch; and the output terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch is connected to the antenna.

2. The low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: The radio frequency transceiver, the 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, the radio frequency front-end module, and the 1-to-4 radio frequency switch form the main path in sequence; The radio frequency transceiver, the 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, and the 1-to-4 radio frequency switch are connected in sequence to form the Tx_ByPass path.

3. The low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main control GPIO control unit is electrically connected to the control pins of the 1-to-2 RF switch, the RF front-end module, and the 1-to-4 RF switch, respectively, to control the switching of the main path or Tx_ByPass path and the opening or closing of the RF amplifier PA in the RF front-end module.

4. The low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The switching of the main path or Tx_ByPass path and the opening or closing of the RF amplifier PA in the RF front-end module include: selectively switching the transmit power of the RF transceiver to the main path or Tx_ByPass path through the one-to-two RF switch. The main path amplifies the radio frequency signal through the radio frequency front-end module and then enters the subsequent one-to-four radio frequency switch. The Tx_ByPass path disables the RF amplifier (PA) in the RF front-end module.

5. The low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system according to claim 4, characterized in that, When the transmit power of the RF transceiver is 12dBm, the total insertion loss of the 1-to-2 RF switch and the 1-to-4 RF switch in the Tx_ByPass path is 1.2dB, and the output power at the antenna port is 10.8dBm, which meets the preset requirement for short-range communication.

6. The low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The RF transceiver is the AR8030 from Coolchip Microelectronics; the 1-to-2 RF switch is the KCT2829L from Kangxi Communications; the RF front-end module is the GSR5755 from Sanwu Microelectronics; and the 1-to-4 RF switch is the RR13004 from Ruishi Innovation.

7. A method for implementing a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV unmanned aerial vehicle (AV) image transmission system, characterized in that, include: Step S1: Construct a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV image transmission system; Step S2: Control the switching of the main path or Tx_ByPass path and the opening or closing of the RF amplifier PA in the RF front-end module in the low-power, ultra-long standby FPV image transmission system through the main control GPIO control unit. The low-power, ultra-long standby FPV image transmission system includes: The signal output terminal of the RF transceiver is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the 1-to-2 RF switch; the two signal output channels of the 1-to-2 RF switch are electrically connected to the RF input pin of the RF front-end module and the signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch, respectively; the signal output terminal of the RF front-end module is electrically connected to the other signal input terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch; the output terminal of the 1-to-4 RF switch is connected to the antenna. The radio frequency transceiver, the 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, the radio frequency front-end module, and the 1-to-4 radio frequency switch form the main path in sequence. The radio frequency transceiver, the 1-to-2 radio frequency switch, and the 1-to-4 radio frequency switch are connected in sequence to form the Tx_ByPass path.

8. The method for implementing a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system according to claim 7, characterized in that, Step S2 includes: The transmit power of the radio frequency transceiver is selectively switched to the main path or the Tx_ByPass path via the one-to-two radio frequency switch; The main path amplifies the radio frequency signal through the radio frequency front-end module and then enters the subsequent one-to-four radio frequency switch. The Tx_ByPass path disables the RF amplifier (PA) in the RF front-end module.

9. The method for implementing a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the transmit power of the RF transceiver is 12dBm, the total insertion loss of the 1-to-2 RF switch and the 1-to-4 RF switch in the Tx_ByPass path is 1.2dB, and the output power at the antenna port is 10.8dBm, which meets the preset requirement for short-range communication.

10. The method for implementing a low-power, ultra-long standby FPV UAV image transmission system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The RF transceiver is the AR8030 from Coolchip Microelectronics; the 1-to-2 RF switch is the KCT2829L from Kangxi Communications; the RF front-end module is the GSR5755 from Sanwu Microelectronics; and the 1-to-4 RF switch is the RR13004 from Ruishi Innovation.

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