Phased array antenna azimuth-elevation transmission device and transmission method thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses an azimuth and elevation transmission device and its transmission method for a phased array antenna. The device includes a transmission system connected to the phased array antenna. The transmission system includes a vertical pole mounted on a base. A first bevel gear extending vertically is connected to the end of the vertical pole away from the base. Symmetrical transmission components are connected to the left and right sides of the first bevel gear. Each transmission component has a second bevel gear that orthogonally drives the first bevel gear. The first and second bevel gears have the same module. The second bevel gear is connected to a mounting component mounted on the phased array antenna. The vertical pole is concentrically arranged with the first bevel gear. An inertial guide is also provided on the mounting component. This invention has a simple structure, low manufacturing cost, is lightweight and portable, and easy to maintain. It can be widely used in communication fields such as phased array antennas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of satellite communication technology, and particularly relates to a phased array antenna azimuth and elevation transmission device and its transmission method. Background Technology

[0002] The transmission system is the main component in a new type of portable low- and medium-orbit satellite communication station that enables antenna azimuth and pitch rotation. The structural design of a low-orbit satellite communication ground terminal needs to achieve accurate and stable tracking while also considering ease of relocation and rapid deployment. It must adhere to the principles of miniaturization and integrated structural design, and meet the requirements of light weight, small size, and high strength. Therefore, in addition to fully realizing antenna azimuth and pitch scanning functions, the transmission system must also be simple in structure, easy to disassemble, and lightweight enough to be easily carried, while significantly reducing manufacturing costs. Traditional antenna transmission systems are relatively complex in structure, heavy in weight, and difficult to carry for small portable devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a phased array antenna azimuth and elevation transmission device and its transmission method. The transmission device has a simple structure, low manufacturing cost, lightweight and easy portability, and convenient maintenance, and can be widely used in communication fields such as phased array antennas.

[0004] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0005] A phased array antenna azimuth and elevation transmission device includes a transmission system connected to the phased array antenna. The transmission system includes a pole mounted on a base. A first bevel gear extending vertically is connected to one end of the pole away from the base. Symmetrical transmission components are connected to the left and right sides of the first bevel gear. Each transmission component has a second bevel gear that is orthogonally driven to the first bevel gear. The first bevel gear and the second bevel gear have the same module. The second bevel gear is connected to a mounting component mounted on the phased array antenna. The pole is concentrically arranged with the first bevel gear. An inertial guide is also provided on the mounting component.

[0006] In one embodiment, the transmission assembly further includes a driver connected to the second bevel gear, the driver being connected to a motor, and an encoder being disposed between the driver and the motor.

[0007] In one embodiment, a speed reducer is further provided between the motor and the second bevel gear.

[0008] In one embodiment, the vertical rod is further provided with an inductive magnet near one end of the transmission system, and a sensor is arranged on the phased array antenna corresponding to the position of the inductive magnet, so that when the roll angle and the pitch angle of the inertial navigation are both 0 degrees, the sensor and the inductive magnet are opposite to each other.

[0009] In one embodiment, the vertical rod is further provided with an elastic buffer near one side of the phased array antenna.

[0010] The application also provides a transmission method of a phased array antenna azimuth-elevation transmission device, comprising:

[0011] Initializing the azimuth-elevation transmission device to enter a zero position state;

[0012] According to a target azimuth angle and a target pitch angle, the motors in the transmission assemblies on both sides of the first bevel gear are synchronously rotated in the same direction or in opposite directions to drive the phased array antenna to the target state;

[0013] Wherein, by controlling the second bevel gear, the roll angle and the pitch angle of the inertial navigation are both equal to 0°, the azimuth angle of the current state is defined as the azimuth zero point, and the pitch angle is defined as the pitch zero point, that is, the zero position state is entered, and after the azimuth-elevation transmission device enters the zero position state, the heading angle given by the inertial navigation is taken as ω0, the azimuth-elevation transmission device is then blindly scanned in the range of ω0~ω0+360°, the azimuth angle is scanned in ω0±n*Δ, n is a natural number, and Δ is the accuracy of the farthest end of the elliptical surface after coordinate transformation, and when the AGC extreme value of the carrier machine is greater than the threshold after scanning, the conical scanning and tracking phase is entered.

[0014] In one embodiment, the application further comprises:

[0015] After blind scanning, the antenna electric scanning beam control is adopted to divide one circle into 2 A A number of directions with the current beam position as the center, A is an integer greater than or equal to 2, the dwell time of each beam position is 10 ms, after the amplitude signal is detected from the carrier by modulation and demodulation, the next beam position is jumped to, and after one circle, the level values of each beam position are compared, the maximum one is taken as the next beam position to be pointed to, the transmission system controls the phased array antenna to rotate to the new position, and the conical scanning is repeatedly and continuously performed.

[0016] In one embodiment, the application further comprises:

[0017] Obtaining the results of one or more circles of conical scanning;

[0018] If there is no level value of a wave position exceeding a set threshold, a loss of lock signal is outputted, the inertial navigation information is used to extrapolate the motion trajectory, the ephemeris information is used to extrapolate the satellite position, and the open loop program tracking is used, and after the level value exceeds the blind scan threshold, the conical scanning tracking is switched to;

[0019] If there is still no level value higher than the blind scan threshold found within the preset time, a complete loss of lock signal is outputted, and the initial blind scan stage is switched to for re-searching.

[0020] In an embodiment, during the conical scanning tracking of the phased array antenna, when the tracked target is about to disappear in the observable range, the second bevel gear in the transmission system is synchronously rotated in opposite directions, the phased array antenna plane is controlled to rotate, so as to reduce the off-axis angle of the phased array antenna.

[0021] In an embodiment, the rotation axis of the first bevel gear extending in the vertical direction is used as the azimuth axis, the azimuth axis is limited to a set range of 0°-360°, and if the set range is exceeded, the driver stops rotating the second bevel gear.

[0022] The present application has the following advantages:

[0023] By using the transmission principle of bevel gears and a simple control system, the three bevel gears with the same modulus are orthogonally transmitted, and two motors are synchronously rotated in the same direction or in opposite directions, so as to control the phased array antenna to track the target, the structure is simple, the operator can conveniently carry the device to any tracking scene, the operation is relatively simple, the continuous conical tracking and locking operation of the phased array antenna can be realized, and the target can be judged during the tracking process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The present application will be described in more detail below based on the embodiments and with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a transmission system of the present application is shown;

[0027] Figure 3 An elevation transmission schematic diagram of the azimuth of the phased array antenna of the present application is shown;

[0028] Figure 4 An azimuth transmission schematic diagram of the azimuth of the phased array antenna of the present application is shown

[0029] In the drawings, the same components use the same reference numerals. The drawings are not in actual proportion.

[0030] Reference numerals:

[0031] 1-Phase array antenna, 2-Driver, 3-Motor, 4-Mounting component, 5-Outer casing, 6-Encoder, 71-Second bevel gear, 72-First bevel gear, 8-Sensor, 9-Upright pole, 10-Base, 11-Reducer, 12-Pitch axis, 13-Azimuth axis, 14-Induction magnet, 15-Anti-collision strip, 16-Inertial navigation system, 17-Transmission system. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] This invention provides an azimuth elevation transmission device for a phased array antenna, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the system includes a transmission system 17 connected to the phased array antenna 1. The transmission system 17 includes a pole 9 mounted on a base 10. A first bevel gear 72 extending vertically is connected to one end of the pole 9 away from the base 10. Symmetrical transmission components are connected to the left and right sides of the first bevel gear 72. Each transmission component has a second bevel gear 71 that is orthogonally driven to the first bevel gear 72. The first bevel gear 72 and the second bevel gear 71 have the same module. The second bevel gear 71 is connected to a mounting piece 4 mounted on the phased array antenna 1. The pole 9 and the first bevel gear 72 are concentrically arranged. An inertial guide 16 is also provided on the mounting piece 4.

[0034] It should be noted that, as Figure 4 As shown, two second bevel gears 71 are connected to a first bevel gear 72. The first bevel gear 72 and the second bevel gear 71 have the same module and are orthogonally driven, i.e., the axis intersection angle Σ = 90°. The transmission system 17 is connected to the phased array antenna 1 and the pole 9 respectively, driving the phased array antenna 1 to scan. When the two second bevel gears 71 rotate synchronously in the same direction, they drive the phased array antenna 1 to rotate along its vertical plane, realizing the elevation scanning function. When the two second bevel gears 71 rotate synchronously in opposite directions, they drive the phased array antenna 1 to rotate along its horizontal plane, realizing the azimuth scanning function. Compared with the existing antenna transmission device, its structure is simpler, the manufacturing cost is lower, it is easy to carry, and it is easy to disassemble and assemble. That is, it is convenient for operators to carry it with them and use it to complete the scanning operation of different phased array antennas 1.

[0035] Specifically, such as Figure 2As shown, the transmission assembly also includes a driver 2 connected to the second bevel gear 71. The driver 2 is connected to a motor 3, and an encoder 6 is installed between the driver 2 and the motor 3. The encoder 6 precisely controls the direction and speed of the motor 3. The transmission assembly is symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the first bevel gear 72. The pitch axis 12 is the common rotation axis of the second bevel gear 71, ensuring that the two second bevel gears 71 rotate concentrically. At the same time, the azimuth axis 13 is the rotation axis of the first bevel gear 72, and the first bevel gear 72 is concentrically arranged with the upright 9.

[0036] Furthermore, a speed reducer is also provided between the motor 3 and the second bevel gear 71;

[0037] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, an induction magnet 14 is also provided at one end of the pole 9 near the transmission system 17. A sensor 8 is provided on the phased array antenna 1 at the position corresponding to the induction magnet 14, so that when the roll angle and pitch angle of the inertial navigation 16 are both 0 degrees, the sensor 8 and the induction magnet 14 are directly opposite each other.

[0038] It should be noted that during system initialization, after checking that all components are normal, the azimuth axis 13 rotates in a circle. When the roll angle of the inertial navigation system 16 is equal to 0 degrees, the rotation of the azimuth axis 13 stops. At this time, the pitch axis 12 is rotated so that the pitch angle of the inertial navigation system 16 is equal to 0 degrees. That is, the angle of the inertial navigation system 16 at this time is (H0, 0, 0). The azimuth angle at this time is defined as the azimuth zero point, and the pitch angle is defined as the pitch zero point. In the current state, the sensor 8 and the sensing magnet 14 are facing each other, so the antenna system is powered on and the device enters the initialization zero position state.

[0039] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, an elastic buffer is also provided on the side of the pole 9 near the phased array antenna 1;

[0040] It should be noted that, in order to improve the portability of the transmission system 17, that is, to make its structure more streamlined, the slip ring structure in the conventional transmission system 17 has been eliminated. The elastic buffer is set to prevent the phased array antenna 1 from having a strong impact with the pole 9 driven by the transmission system 17, and to mechanically limit the impact. The elastic buffer is an anti-collision rubber strip 15, which is small in size and weight, that is, it has no significant impact on the entire transmission device, thus achieving its purpose of being lightweight and streamlined.

[0041] The present invention also provides a transmission method using the above-mentioned phased array antenna azimuth and elevation transmission device, comprising:

[0042] Initialize the azimuth and pitch transmission device to bring it to the zero position.

[0043] According to the target azimuth and target elevation angle, the motors in the transmission components located on both sides of the first bevel gear rotate synchronously in the same or opposite directions to allow the phased array antenna to be tilted to the target state.

[0044] In this process, by controlling the second bevel gear, the roll angle and pitch angle of the inertial navigation system are both equal to 0°. The azimuth angle of the current state is defined as the azimuth zero point and the pitch angle as the pitch zero point, that is, entering the zero position state. After the azimuth and pitch transmission device enters the zero position state, the heading angle given by the inertial navigation system is taken as ω0. The azimuth and pitch transmission device performs blind scanning within the range of heading angle ω0 to ω0+360°, and its azimuth angle is scanned with ω0±n*Δ, where n is a natural number and Δ is the accuracy of the farthest end of the elliptical surface after coordinate transformation. When the AGC extreme value of the carrier machine is greater than the threshold, the conical scanning tracking stage is entered.

[0045] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 First, after checking that all components are normal, rotate the azimuth axis 13 in a circle. Stop rotating the azimuth axis 13 when the roll angle of the inertial navigation system 16 is equal to 0 degrees. At this time, rotate the elevation axis 12 to make the elevation angle of the inertial navigation system 16 equal to 0 degrees, that is, the angle of the inertial navigation system 16 at this time is (H0, 0, 0). Define the azimuth angle at this time as the azimuth zero point and the elevation angle as the elevation zero point. In the current state, the sensor 8 and the induction magnet 14 are facing each other. Power on the antenna system and put the device into the initialization zero state. In the initial state, the azimuth angle AED and the elevation angle EZD of the electronically scanned beam of the antenna array are both 0°. The antenna servo system calculates the azimuth angle AES and the elevation angle EZS of the servo control. Using the synchronous rotation of the motor in the same direction, the second bevel gear 71 connected to the output end of the motor and the first bevel gear 72 connected to the pole 9 generate torque in the same direction and drive the phase control. The phased array antenna 1 rotates to achieve the elevation scanning function. During the rotation, the anti-collision rubber strip 15 limits and buffers the antenna before the elevation movement reaches the limit state when it approaches the pole. At the same time, the heading angle given by the inertial navigation system 16 is used as ω0. In the blind scan stage after its initial state, the blind scan is performed within the range of the heading angle {ω0~ω0+360°}. The scanning step needs to take into account the accuracy of the farthest end of the elliptical surface after coordinate transformation, which is tentatively set as Δ. The azimuth angle is scanned in the scanning process of ω0±n*Δ, n={0,1,2…}. When the AGC extreme value of the carrier machine is greater than the threshold, the conical scanning tracking stage is entered. At this time, the motor 3 rotates synchronously in opposite directions. The second bevel gear 71 and the first bevel gear 72 generate torque in opposite directions, which drives the phased array antenna 1 to flip horizontally, that is, to perform azimuth scanning.

[0046] Furthermore, after the initial blind scan, once the target is basically aligned, and combining the carrier's motion trajectory and ephemeris information with the current beam position, antenna electronic scanning beam control is employed. Centered on the current beam position, one circle is divided into two...A The beam is illuminated in one direction, where A is an integer greater than or equal to 2. That is, one circle is divided into 4 / 8 / 16 or more directions for beam illumination. The "dwell time" of each beam position is 10ms, or it can be about 10ms. After the modulation and demodulation detect the amplitude (level) signal from the carrier, it jumps to the next beam position. After one circle, the level values ​​of each beam position are compared, and the one with the largest value is taken as the beam position to be pointed to next. The transmission system 17 controls the phased array antenna 1 to turn to the new position and repeats the above actions to continuously perform conical scanning operation to track the target object.

[0047] Based on the results of one or more conical scans, if no wave level exceeds the set threshold, it is determined to be a loss of lock. At this time, the motion trajectory can be extrapolated using inertial navigation system 16 information, and the satellite position can be extrapolated using ephemeris information. Open-loop program tracking is used. When the level exceeds the blind scan threshold, it can switch to conical scan tracking. If no level higher than the blind scan threshold is found within the "predetermined time", it is determined to be a complete loss of lock, and it will switch to the initial blind scan stage, which is equivalent to re-searching.

[0048] In one embodiment, when the tracked target is about to disappear from the observable range, the tracking is switched by antenna electronic scanning beam control. That is, firstly, the initial beam pointing angle calculation stage is entered to calculate the off-axis angle and azimuth angle of the phased array antenna 1, and the beam pointing off-axis angle and azimuth angle of the phased array antenna 1 are controlled to enter the conical scanning state. During this process, the transmission system 17 controls the physical plane of the phased array antenna 1 to rotate by a certain angle, so that the off-axis angle of the phased array antenna 1 decreases at a certain speed, and is finally controlled within a certain range to avoid the off-axis angle of the phased array antenna 1 being too large.

[0049] In one embodiment, the rotation axis of the first bevel gear extending in the vertical direction serves as the orientation axis. In order to improve the portability and simplification of the transmission device, it does not have a slip ring structure. That is, in order to prevent the cable from getting tangled, the orientation axis limit setting range is between 0° and 360°. If it exceeds this setting range, the driver 2 will stop rotating the second bevel gear 71.

[0050] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "bottom", "top", "front", "rear", "inner", "outer", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0051] While the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely examples of the principles and applications of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments, and other arrangements can be designed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that different dependent claims and features described herein can be combined in ways different from those described in the original claims. It is also understood that features described in conjunction with individual embodiments can be used in other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a phase-controlled array antenna azimuth-elevation transmission device, characterized by, The application relates to a phase-controlled array antenna azimuth-elevation transmission device, which comprises a transmission system connected with a phase-controlled array antenna, wherein a vertical rod is arranged on a base, one end of the vertical rod away from the base is connected with a first bevel gear extending in a vertical direction, symmetrical transmission assemblies are connected to the left and right sides of the first bevel gear respectively, each transmission assembly is provided with a second bevel gear in orthogonal transmission with the first bevel gear, the module of the first bevel gear is the same as that of the second bevel gear, the second bevel gear is connected with a mounting piece arranged on the phase-controlled array antenna, the vertical rod is concentrically arranged with the first bevel gear, and an inertial navigation device is further arranged on the mounting piece. The transmission method of the phase-controlled array antenna azimuth-elevation transmission device comprises the following steps: initializing the azimuth-elevation transmission device to enter a zero position state; according to a target azimuth angle and a target elevation angle, the motors in the transmission assemblies on the left and right sides of the first bevel gear are synchronously rotated in the same direction or in opposite directions to drive the phase-controlled array antenna to azimuth-elevate to a target state; wherein the roll angle and the elevation angle of the inertial navigation device are controlled to be equal to 0 DEG, the azimuth angle of the current state is defined as the azimuth zero point, the elevation angle is defined as the elevation zero point, and the zero position state is entered, after the azimuth-elevation transmission device enters the zero position state, the heading angle given by the inertial navigation device is taken as omega0, the azimuth-elevation transmission device performs blind scanning in the range of omega0 to omega0+360 DEG, the azimuth angle is scanned in the range of omega0+ / -n*Delta, n is a natural number, and Delta is the precision of the farthest end of an elliptical surface after coordinate transformation; when the AGC extreme value of the carrier machine is greater than a threshold during scanning, the conical scanning tracking stage is entered; after blind scanning, the antenna electric scanning beam control is adopted to irradiate the beam in 2^A directions based on the current beam position, A is an integer greater than or equal to 2, the residence time of each beam irradiation is 10 ms, after the amplitude signal is detected from the carrier by modulation and demodulation, the next beam is jumped to, and after one circle, the level values of all the beams are compared, the maximum one is taken as the next beam to be pointed to, the transmission system controls the phase-controlled array antenna to rotate to the new position, and the conical scanning is repeatedly and continuously performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The transmission assembly further comprises a driver connected with the second bevel gear, the driver is connected with a motor, and an encoder is arranged between the driver and the motor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises: A speed reducer is further arranged between the motor and the second bevel gear.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, An inductive magnet is further arranged on one end of the vertical rod close to the transmission system, and a sensor is arranged on the phase-controlled array antenna at a position corresponding to the inductive magnet, so that the sensor and the inductive magnet are opposite to each other when the roll angle and the elevation angle of the inertial navigation device are both 0 DEG.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, An elastic buffer is further arranged on one side of the vertical rod close to the phase-controlled array antenna.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The application further comprises the following steps: acquiring the results of one or more circles of conical scanning. If the level of one wave position exceeds the set threshold, a loss of lock signal is outputted, the inertial navigation information is used to extrapolate the motion trajectory, the ephemeris information is used to extrapolate the satellite position, and the open loop program tracking is used, and after the level exceeds the blind scan threshold, the conical scanning tracking is switched to; If the level higher than the blind scan threshold is not found again within the preset time, a complete loss of lock signal is outputted, and the initial blind scan stage is switched to for re-searching.

7. A method of transmitting a phased array antenna azimuth-elevation transmission device according to claim 6, characterized in that, Further comprising: In the process of the conical scanning tracking of the phased array antenna, when the tracked target is about to disappear in the observable range, the second bevel gear in the transmission system is synchronously rotated in opposite directions to control the rotation of the phased array antenna plane to reduce the off-axis angle of the phased array antenna.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises: Further comprising: The rotation axis of the first bevel gear extending in the vertical direction is used as an azimuth axis, and the azimuth axis is limited to a range of 0°-360°, and if the range is exceeded, the driver stops rotating the second bevel gear.

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