A tracking antenna

By designing the composite housing to protect the reflective surface and fixed antenna in the drone tracking antenna, and adopting a foldable RTK antenna and 4G antenna structure, the existing antenna is easily corrosive and reduced signal reception in the external environment, achieving a longer service life and more stable signal reception.

CN114566797BActive Publication Date: 2025-06-27ZHUHAI ZIYAN UAV CO LTD
View PDF 2 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202210182132.5
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-02-25
Publication Date
2025-06-27
Estimated Expiration
2042-02-25

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing drone tracking antennas are susceptible to corrosion by weather changes in the external environment, have short service life and reduced signal reception capabilities. The signal reception capabilities are significantly reduced when the drone flies to the back of the transmitting surface, making it inconvenient to use.

Method used

A tracking antenna including a base, a reflective surface assembly and a driving assembly is designed. A composite cover is provided on the base to protect the reflective surface and the fixed antenna, and the driving component drives the reflective surface to rotate. The RTK antenna and 4G antenna adopt a foldable structure to improve the protection and signal reception ability of the antenna.

Benefits of technology

Through the protection of the composite housing, the service life of the tracking antenna is extended, the reliability of the overall structure is improved, the impact of the wind direction on the rotation of the reflective surface is reduced, and the stability and strength of signal reception is ensured without manual adjustment.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN114566797B_ABST
    Figure CN114566797B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of communication devices and provides a tracking antenna, comprising: a base, on opposite sides of which two foldable RTK antennas are symmetrically arranged, and a 4G antenna is provided at the bottom; a reflector assembly, including a rotating base rotatably connected to the base, a reflector fixedly connected to the rotating base, and a fixed antenna, a composite outer cover is fixedly connected to the base, and the reflector and the fixed antenna are arranged inside the composite outer cover; a driving assembly, arranged on the base, connected to the rotating base and used for driving the rotating base to rotate. Compared with the prior art, the present invention enables the reflector to always be aligned with the direction of the aircraft, achieves the function of antenna tracking, improves the signal strength and ensures the signal stability of the aircraft in all directions, without manual adjustment, and greatly improves the usability.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of communication equipment, and particularly to a tracking antenna. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of modern society, the application of communication technology has become more and more popular, playing an increasingly important role in the fields of intelligence, automation, wireless control technology, etc. A tracking antenna (also known as a "surface antenna") forms a predetermined beam using a metal reflector, can absorb high-frequency microwave and millimeter-wave bands, greatly improving its reception efficiency and expanding the application field of the tracking antenna.

[0003] In the field of UAV applications, a method of using a tracking antenna to receive signals sent by UAVs has emerged, which can strengthen the control of UAVs and effectively receive UAV signals. Existing UAV tracking antennas are placed on the ground. When the UAV flies to the back of the transmitting surface, the signal reception ability of the transmitting surface decreases significantly, causing inconvenience in use. And since UAVs are mostly used outdoors, generally the tracking antenna is placed in an outdoor environment. However, due to the influence of weather changes in the outdoor environment, the outer surface of the tracking antenna is easily corroded, with a low service life. When reaching a certain number of years, the signal reception ability decreases significantly, and it needs to be replaced, resulting in high usage costs and being difficult to meet the long-term usage requirements of some devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a tracking antenna to solve the technical problem of the weak anti-corrosion and waterproof ability of the current reflector receiving antenna, improve the reliability of the system, and avoid the direct erosion of the reflector and antenna by the external environment.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the technical solutions adopted by the present invention are as follows:

[0006] Provide a tracking antenna, including: a base, on opposite sides of which two foldable RTK antennas are symmetrically arranged, and a 4G antenna is provided at the bottom; a reflector assembly, including a rotating base rotatably connected to the base, a reflector and a fixed antenna fixedly connected to the rotating base, a composite outer cover is fixedly connected to the base, and the reflector and the fixed antenna are arranged inside the composite outer cover; a driving assembly, arranged on the base, connected to the rotating base and used to drive the rotating base to rotate.

[0007] Compared with the prior art, the tracking antenna has at least the following beneficial effects: By providing a composite outer cover, the present invention protects the tracking antenna and the fixed antenna inside the composite outer cover, avoiding the erosion of the external environment on the reflector and the fixed antenna, reducing the influence of the wind direction on the rotation of the arc-shaped reflector, ensuring smooth rotation, extending the service life of the tracking antenna, and improving the reliability of the overall structure; moreover, the present invention also sets auxiliary antennas such as RTK antennas and 4G antennas into a foldable structure, and the auxiliary antennas can be folded and retracted under necessary conditions to protect the antenna structure, while the driving component drives the reflector to rotate, so that the reflector always aligns with the aircraft direction, achieving the function of antenna tracking, improving the signal strength and ensuring the signal stability of the aircraft in all directions, without manual adjustment, and greatly improving the usability.

[0008] Optionally, the reflector is an arc-shaped emitting surface, and the fixed antenna coincides with the rotation axis of the reflector.

[0009] Optionally, a driven pulley is provided on the rotating seat, and the driving component is connected to the driven pulley through a synchronous belt.

[0010] Optionally, an intermediate pulley, a manual adjustment pulley and an idler pulley for tensioning the synchronous belt are rotatably provided on the base, the synchronous belt bypasses the intermediate pulley, the manual adjustment pulley and the idler pulley and is connected to the driven pulley, and a manual adjustment opening for exposing the manual adjustment pulley is provided on the base.

[0011] Optionally, a belt tensioning mechanism is further provided on the base, the belt tensioning mechanism includes a rotating arm rotatably connected to the base and a tensioning pulley rotatably connected to the end of the rotating arm, and a position fixing structure is provided at the rotating connection of the rotating arm and the base.

[0012] Optionally, two parallel power batteries are provided in the base, and a battery cavity for accommodating the power batteries is provided in the base.

[0013] Optionally, a socket panel and a socket board cover are provided on the base, the socket board cover is hinged above the socket panel, and a reset member is provided between the socket board cover and the socket panel, and the reset member keeps the opened socket board cover in an opened state.

[0014] Optionally, the upper end of the reflector is rotatably connected to the composite outer cover through a housing support seat, and a support frame is provided at the bottom of the reflector, and the support frame is fixedly connected to the rotating seat.

[0015] Optionally, an electronic equipment layer is provided in the base, and the driving component includes a driving motor provided in the electronic equipment layer.

[0016] Optionally, a heat dissipation system is provided inside the base. The heat dissipation system includes an exhaust fan and a cooling fan. An air intake is provided at the bottom of the base, and a heat dissipation opening is provided on the side wall. The exhaust fan is disposed inside the air intake, and the cooling fan is disposed inside the heat dissipation opening.

[0017] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the tracking antenna provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 For Figure 1 the exploded view of the tracking antenna provided in

[0021] Figure 3 For Figure 2 the schematic diagram of the structure of the reflector provided in

[0022] Figure 4 For Figure 2 the schematic diagram of the structure of the base provided in

[0023] Figure 5 For Figure 4 the schematic diagram of the structure of the base after removing the top cover provided in

[0024] Description of the reference numerals in the drawings:

[0025] Base 100, RTK antenna 110, composite outer cover 120, manual adjustment port 130, socket board cover 140;

[0026] Reflector assembly 200, rotating base 210, reflector 220, support frame 221, fixed antenna 230;

[0027] Drive assembly 300, driven pulley 310, manual adjustment pulley 320, drive pulley 330, idler pulley 340;

[0028] Belt tensioning mechanism 400, rotating arm 410, tensioning pulley 420;

[0029] Power battery 500, battery cover 510;

[0030] Outer shell support 600;

[0031] Exhaust fan 710 and cooling fan 720. Detailed implementation manners

[0032] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clear and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0034] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0035] The tracking antenna provided by the embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5, A tracking antenna, comprising a base 100, a reflector assembly 200 and a drive assembly 300. On opposite sides of the base 100, two foldable RTK antennas 110 are symmetrically arranged. The RTK antennas 110 are used for precise positioning of the aircraft. Their foldable structural design on the base 100 enables them to be folded and retracted onto the base 100 in a non-use state, avoiding damage. Moreover, a 4G antenna (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the base 100. The 4G antenna is used to connect to the data network to achieve network signal transmission with the aircraft and the outside. The reflector assembly 200 includes a rotating base 210, a reflector 220 and a fixed antenna 230. The rotating base 210 is rotatably connected to the base 100. The reflector 220 and the fixed antenna 230 are fixedly connected to the rotating base 210. A composite outer cover 120 is fixedly connected to the base 100. The composite outer cover 120 has a weak signal blocking effect and is made of a composite material with weak signal blocking ability. The reflector 220 and the fixed antenna 230 are arranged inside the composite outer cover 120. The composite outer cover 120 isolates the reflector 220 and the fixed antenna 230 from the external environment. The drive assembly 300 is arranged on the base 100 and is in transmission connection with the rotating base 210, and is used to drive the rotating base 210 to rotate, so as to rotate the reflector 220 on the rotating base 210, so that the reflector 220 moves with the aircraft to align with the signal emission direction of the aircraft, improving the signal reception ability.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, in the present invention, by providing the composite outer cover 120, the tracking antenna and the fixed antenna 230 are protected inside the composite outer cover 120, avoiding the erosion of the external environment on the reflector 220 and the fixed antenna 230, reducing the influence of the wind direction on the rotation of the arc-shaped reflector 220, ensuring stable rotation, prolonging the service life of the tracking antenna, and improving the reliability of the overall structure; and the present invention also sets the auxiliary antennas such as the RTK antenna 110 and the 4G antenna into a foldable structure, and the auxiliary antennas can be folded and retracted under necessary conditions to protect the antenna structure. The drive assembly 300 drives the reflector 220 to rotate, so that the reflector 220 always aligns with the aircraft direction, achieving the function of antenna tracking, improving the signal strength and ensuring the signal stability of the aircraft in all directions, without manual adjustment, and greatly improving the usability.

[0038] In an embodiment of the present invention, the reflector 220 is an arc-shaped reflector 220, and the horizontal cross-sectional shape thereof is a semi-circular surface. The fixed antenna 230 coincides with the rotation axis of the reflector 220 and rotates together with the rotating base 210. In addition, the fixed antenna 230 can also be fixed on the base 100 and is rotatably connected to the rotating base 210 to play a role in transmitting signals. The reflector 220 with an arc-shaped structure can enhance the signal reception ability of the present tracking antenna and better cover the received signals.

[0039] In another embodiment of the present invention, a driving pulley 330 is provided on the rotating base 210. The driving pulley 330 is rotatably connected to the base 100. In this embodiment, it is a synchronous pulley. The driving assembly 300 is connected to the driving pulley 330 through a synchronous belt to drive the driving pulley 330 to rotate, thereby adjusting the receiving angle of the reflecting surface 220 and realizing the signal reception of the aircraft.

[0040] Further, a driven pulley 310, a manual adjusting wheel 320, and an idler pulley 340 for tensioning the synchronous belt are rotatably provided on the base 100. The synchronous belt bypasses the driven pulley 310, the manual adjusting wheel 320, and the idler pulley 340 and then is connected to the driving pulley 330. The synchronous belt transmits the driving force of the driving assembly 300 to the rotating base 210 with small transmission loss. Moreover, a manual adjusting opening 130 is provided on the base 100, and the manual adjusting wheel 320 is exposed in the manual adjusting opening 130. People can rotate the manual adjusting wheel 320 through the manual adjusting opening 130 on the outside of the base 100, and then rotate the rotating base 210 to adjust the receiving angle of the reflecting surface 220, which has the function of manual adjustment while realizing the automatic adjustment of the driving assembly 300.

[0041] Specifically, an adjusting friction surface is provided on the manual adjusting wheel 320 so that people can contact and push the manual adjusting wheel 320 to rotate.

[0042] In another embodiment of the present invention, a belt tensioning mechanism 400 is further provided on the base 100. The belt tensioning mechanism 400 includes a rotating arm 410 and a tensioning wheel 420 rotatably connected to the end of the rotating arm 410. The rotating arm 410 is rotatably connected to the base 100 through a rotating shaft thereon. The tensioning wheel 420 swings in an arc around the rotation center of the rotating arm 410. The wheel surface of the tensioning wheel 420 is a smooth surface or a toothed surface that matches the toothed belt surface of the synchronous belt. A position fixing structure is provided at the rotating connection between the rotating arm 410 and the base 100 for fixing the position of the tensioning wheel 420, thereby tensioning the synchronous belt.

[0043] Among them, the position fixing structure can be a fastening screw, which is threadedly connected to the rotating arm 410 and uses a pre-tightening force to fix the rotating arm 410 to achieve the tensioning effect. In addition, the position fixing structure can also be other fixing structures such as a buckle, which can also achieve the technical effect of fixing the position of the rotating arm 410 in the present invention.

[0044] In another embodiment of the present invention, two power batteries 500 are provided in the base 100. The two power battery boxes are connected in parallel to form the power supply of this tracking antenna, providing working power for structures such as the fixed antenna 230, the reflecting surface 220, and other electronic devices. And a battery cavity for accommodating the power battery 500 is provided on the base 100, and a battery cover 510 is provided on the battery cavity to prevent the battery from being exposed outside the base 100.

[0045] In another embodiment of the present invention, a socket panel and a socket plate cover 140 are provided on the base 100. The socket plate cover 140 is hinged above the socket panel, and a reset member is provided between the socket plate cover 140 and the socket panel. The reset member keeps the socket plate cover 140 in an open state after being opened, and can shield the socket plate cover 140 from rain in rainy weather, preventing rain from wetting the socket panel and causing damage to the interface and electronic equipment inside the base 100.

[0046] In order to improve the rotation stability of the tracking antenna, the upper end of the reflective surface 220 is rotatably connected to the composite outer cover 120 through the shell support seat 600, and a support frame 221 is provided at the bottom of the reflective surface 220. The support frame 221 is fixedly connected to the rotating seat 210 to ensure the position between the composite outer cover 120 and the reflective surface 220, making the overall structure more reliable, reducing the shaking of the reflective surface 220 when rotating, maintaining the rotation accuracy, and playing a protective role when the tracking antenna is placed horizontally. Among them, the support frame 221 is composed of an adapter ring and a plurality of connecting rods connecting the adapter ring and the reflective surface 220, and the axis of the adapter ring coincides with the rotation axis of the reflective surface 220.

[0047] In addition, an electronic device layer is provided in the base 100, and an internal electronic module such as a processor is provided in the electronic device layer to realize the reception and processing functions of the tracking antenna signal and realize signal transmission, and the driving component 300 includes a driving motor, which is arranged in the electronic device layer and connected to the rotating seat 210 to drive the reflecting surface 220 to rotate.

[0048] In another embodiment of the present invention, a heat dissipation system is further provided in the base 100, and the heat dissipation system includes an exhaust fan 710 and a heat dissipation fan 720, which are used to form a heat dissipation airflow inside the base 100 to take away the heat. Accordingly, an exhaust port is provided at the bottom of the base 100, and a heat dissipation port is provided on the side wall. The exhaust fan 710 is arranged on the inner side of the exhaust port, and the heat dissipation fan 720 is arranged on the inner side of the heat dissipation port. The exhaust fan 710 draws external cold air from the bottom of the base 100 into the electronic equipment layer of the base 100, and takes away the heat generated by the electronic equipment layer through the heat dissipation fan 720, thereby achieving cooling and heat dissipation.

[0049] The above-mentioned embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any non-substantial changes and substitutions made by technicians in this field on the basis of the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

Claims

1. A tracking antenna, characterized in that, Comprising: A base, on opposite sides of which are symmetrically provided with two foldable RTK antennas, and at the bottom of the base is provided a 4G antenna; A reflector assembly, including a rotating base rotatably connected to the base, a reflector fixedly connected to the rotating base, and a fixed antenna, and a composite outer cover is fixedly connected to the base, and the reflector and the fixed antenna are arranged inside the composite outer cover; A driving assembly, arranged on the base, connected to the rotating base and used to drive the rotating base to rotate; The reflector is an arc-shaped reflector, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of which is a semi-circular arc surface, and the fixed antenna coincides with the rotation axis of the reflector and rotates together with the rotating base.

2. The tracking antenna according to claim 1, wherein A driven pulley is provided on the rotating base, and the driving assembly is connected to the driven pulley through a synchronous belt.

3. The tracking antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that, An intermediate pulley, a manual adjustment pulley, and an idler pulley for tensioning the synchronous belt are rotatably arranged on the base, the synchronous belt bypasses the intermediate pulley, the manual adjustment pulley, and the idler pulley and is connected to the driven pulley, and a manual adjustment opening for exposing the manual adjustment pulley is provided on the base.

4. The tracking antenna according to claim 1, wherein, A belt tensioning mechanism is further provided on the base, the belt tensioning mechanism includes a rotating arm rotatably connected to the base and a tensioning pulley rotatably connected to the end of the rotating arm, and a position fixing structure is provided at the rotation connection of the rotating arm and the base.

5. The tracking antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two parallel power batteries are provided inside the base, and a battery chamber for accommodating the power batteries is provided inside the base.

6. The tracking antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, A socket panel and a socket board cover are provided on the base, the socket board cover is hinged above the socket panel, and a reset member is provided between the socket board cover and the socket panel, and the reset member keeps the opened socket board cover in an open state.

7. The tracking antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the reflector is rotatably connected to the composite outer cover through a housing support seat, and a support frame is provided at the bottom of the reflector, and the support frame is fixedly connected to the rotating base.

8. The tracking antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, An electronic equipment layer is provided inside the base, and the driving assembly includes a driving motor arranged in the electronic equipment layer.

9. The tracking antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, A heat dissipation system is provided inside the base, the heat dissipation system includes an exhaust fan and a cooling fan, an exhaust opening is provided at the bottom of the base, a heat dissipation opening is provided on the side wall, the exhaust fan is arranged inside the exhaust opening, and the cooling fan is arranged inside the heat dissipation opening.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Flying accompanying unmanned aerial vehicle system and control method thereof

    CN113325869A

  • RTK receiver with display function

    CN210982738U