Remote controller detachable signal enhancement assembly for power transmission line unmanned aerial vehicle line patrol

Abstract

The invention discloses a detachable signal enhancement assembly of a remote controller for power transmission line unmanned aerial vehicle line patrol, and relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the detachable signal enhancement assembly of the remote controller for power transmission line unmanned aerial vehicle line patrol, the signal enhancement module and the transmitting module are arranged to jointly process unmanned aerial vehicle remote controller signals, and a signal amplification circuit in the signal enhancement reflection module can improve the noise reduction ratio, reduce attenuation of original signals and perform power amplification and enhancement on the signals again; according to the antenna, the image of a signal can be ensured to be clear and stable, the reflecting mirror is adopted as an electric wave bridge, the transmitted signal can be radiated to the air after being reflected by the concave surface, the received signal electric wave can be converged on the antenna, and the maximum signal energy which can be received by the antenna is improved; in addition, a transmitting module is arranged to enhance signals in a specific direction, and the device can significantly enhance the operating distance of the remote controller of the unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the operation range of the unmanned aerial vehicle can effectively cover a line patrol area between tower sections.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and more specifically to a detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in UAV inspection of power transmission lines. Background Technology

[0002] Transmission lines, as a crucial component of the power system, are typically characterized by their long distances, large spans, and complex geographical environments. Their installation areas often traverse mountains, swamps, forests, and sparsely populated regions, resulting in challenging maintenance conditions. Traditional manual line inspections rely primarily on personnel periodically patrolling the lines on foot or by vehicle, visually inspecting towers, insulators, hardware, and conductors using high-powered telescopes. When anomalies are detected or close-range defect diagnosis is required, maintenance personnel often have to climb the towers for inspection. This is not only physically demanding and carries high safety risks, but is also severely constrained by terrain and weather conditions, resulting in low inspection efficiency, especially during severe weather events such as floods and snowstorms. With the maturation of drone technology, particularly multi-rotor and vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing drones in remote sensing, high-precision positioning, and stable control, the power system is gradually promoting the use of drones for transmission line inspections. Drones can be equipped with sensors such as visible light, infrared thermal imaging, and lidar to achieve high-definition image acquisition, temperature anomaly detection, and 3D modeling of power line equipment. They offer significant advantages such as wide inspection range, fast response speed, high data accuracy, and low labor costs. Maintenance personnel can remotely control drones to perform autonomous or manual flight missions via ground stations, accurately hovering at the inspection location. This effectively avoids the efficiency and safety issues associated with traditional manual tower climbing and long-distance footwork, realizing the intelligent and information-based transformation of power transmission line inspection.

[0003] However, in practical large-scale applications, drone-based power line inspection still suffers from several technical and management shortcomings. The most prominent of these is the limitation of wireless remote control signal transmission. Currently, most civilian drones use the 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz frequency bands for communication, and their signal strength decreases exponentially with distance, easily affected by terrain undulations, vegetation obstruction, atmospheric conditions, and electromagnetic interference. The effective control radius of typical consumer-grade drones is usually within a few kilometers. For power transmission corridors extending continuously for tens or even hundreds of kilometers, a single take-off and landing point is insufficient to complete the entire inspection task. Operators need to frequently change locations and reset take-off and landing points to maintain signal stability. This not only significantly increases fieldwork time and physical exertion but also disrupts the work rhythm and reduces the continuity of data acquisition.

[0004] Chinese invention patent CN106711606A discloses a signal enhancement antenna structure for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The antenna structure includes a first-stage steering mechanism, a second-stage steering mechanism, a second-stage steering locking mechanism, an antenna main body mechanism, and a parabolic amplification plate. The parabolic amplification plate has two holes, one at the front and one at the back. One end of the antenna main body mechanism is inserted into the parabolic amplification plate through these two holes. The other end of the antenna main body mechanism is connected to one end of the second-stage steering mechanism via the second-stage steering locking mechanism. The other end of the second-stage steering mechanism is then connected to the first-stage steering mechanism. This foldable parabolic UAV signal enhancement antenna structure can, on the one hand, extend the control distance of the UAV antenna, and on the other hand, allow for timely and rapid changes in antenna orientation, ensuring the UAV remains within the range of the remote controller.

[0005] When existing drone signal enhancement antenna structures are in use, the parabolic amplifier board can only change the direction of signal propagation. The strength of the remote control signal received by the drone is still the same as the signal strength emitted by the original controller. The effective range of the signal does not change significantly, and the actual effect is limited. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used by a drone for power transmission line inspection, in order to solve the problem that existing drone signal enhancement antenna structures only change the number of signal propagations and receptions, and cannot improve the signal propagation strength.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line inspection drones, which enhances the remote controller signal of the drone, comprising:

[0008] A signal enhancement and reflection module, comprising a mounting plate connected to the remote control, a housing connected to the mounting plate, and a reflector connected to the housing, wherein the reflector is a concave mirror, and a signal amplification circuit is provided inside the housing;

[0009] A transmitting module, the transmitting module including a mounting strip connected to the remote controller and copper wires connected to the mounting strip;

[0010] Both the signal enhancement and reflection module and the transmission module are connected to the transmitting antenna of the remote controller.

[0011] Preferably, the signal amplification circuit includes:

[0012] A signal amplification module used to amplify the remote control signal by a factor of 1;

[0013] Ripple filtering module for filtering out ripple in amplified signals;

[0014] A detection module for measuring the inverted amplified signal of the input signal.

[0015] Preferably, the focal point of the reflector is located on the transmitting antenna of the remote controller.

[0016] Preferably, multiple copper wires are provided, and the multiple copper wires are connected in a row array on the mounting strip.

[0017] Preferably, the mounting strip is a silicone strip or a plastic strip.

[0018] Preferably, the dimensions of the reflector are 7.6*6*2.8cm.

[0019] Preferably, the reflector is a copper sheet.

[0020] Preferably, the copper wire includes five short copper wires with a length of 1.5 cm and one long copper wire with a length of 2.3 cm, and the diameter of each copper wire is 0.3 cm. The spacing between the five short copper wires and the one long copper wire is set to 1 cm, 1.1 cm, 1.1 cm, 1.1 cm and 2.1 cm respectively.

[0021] Compared with existing technologies, this invention provides a detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used for power transmission line drone inspection. By setting up a signal enhancement module and a transmission module to jointly process the drone remote controller signal, the signal amplification circuit in the signal enhancement reflection module can improve the noise reduction ratio and reduce the attenuation of the original signal, laying the foundation for subsequent digital processing and avoiding signal distortion after digital conversion. When the digitally processed signal is converted to an analog signal output via D / A conversion, the signal is further amplified to ensure a clear and stable signal image. Using a reflector as a radio wave bridge, the transmitted signal can be radiated into the air after being reflected by the concave surface, and the received signal waves can be focused onto the antenna, increasing the maximum signal energy that the antenna can receive and helping to improve signal transmission quality. In addition, a transmission module is provided, in which the mounting strip and copper wire form a Yagi antenna to enhance the signal in a specific direction, further improving the device's signal enhancement capability. When this device is mounted on the antenna of the drone remote controller, it can significantly increase the drone remote controller's operating range, enabling the drone's operating range to effectively cover the inspection area between tower sections, reducing the frequency of pilot changes in work locations and improving inspection efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the signal enhancement component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the signal enhancement component structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the signal enhancement and reflection module structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transmitting module structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the signal amplification circuit provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 1. Remote control; 2. Signal enhancement and reflection module; 21. Mounting plate; 22. Housing; 23. Reflector; 3. Transmitting module; 31. Mounting strip; 32. Copper wire. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] As attached Figure 1 To be continued Figure 5 As shown:

[0032] Example 1:

[0033] This invention provides a detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line inspection drones, which enhances the signal of the drone's remote controller 1, and includes:

[0034] The signal enhancement and reflection module 2 includes a mounting plate 21 connected to the remote controller 1, a housing 22 connected to the mounting plate 21, and a reflector 23 connected to the housing 22. The reflector 23 is a concave mirror, and a signal amplification circuit is provided inside the housing 22.

[0035] Transmission module 3, the transmission module 3 includes a mounting strip 31 connected to the remote controller 1 and a copper wire 32 connected to the mounting strip 31;

[0036] The signal enhancement and reflection module 2 and the transmission module 3 are both connected to the transmitting antenna of the remote controller 1.

[0037] As can be seen from the above, by setting up signal enhancement module 2 and transmission module 3 to jointly process the signal of UAV remote controller 1, the signal amplification circuit in signal enhancement and reflection module 2 can improve the noise reduction ratio and reduce the attenuation of the original signal, laying the foundation for subsequent digital processing and avoiding signal distortion after digital conversion. When the signal after digital processing is converted into an analog signal output by D / A, the signal is amplified and enhanced again to ensure that the signal image is clear and stable. Using reflector 23 as a radio wave bridge can not only radiate the transmitted signal into the air after being reflected by the concave surface, but also concentrate the received signal radio waves on the antenna, increasing the maximum signal energy that the antenna can receive, which helps to improve the signal transmission quality. In addition, transmission module 3 is set up. The mounting strip 31 and copper wire 32 in transmission module 3 form a Yagi antenna to enhance the signal in a specific direction, further improving the signal enhancement capability of the device. When this device is installed on the antenna of UAV remote controller 1, it can significantly increase the effective range of UAV remote controller 1, so that the UAV's operating range can effectively cover the inspection area between tower sections, reduce the frequency of the pilot changing the work location, and improve the inspection efficiency.

[0038] Reference Figure 5 As shown, the signal amplification circuit includes:

[0039] A signal amplification module used to amplify the signal from remote control 1 by a factor of 1;

[0040] Ripple filtering module for filtering out ripple in amplified signals;

[0041] A detection module for measuring the inverted amplified signal of the input signal.

[0042] Specifically, the signal amplification module includes R1, R2, R3, R4, C1, and U1. R2 is connected to U1's 3-pin connector. R3 and R4 are connected in series to U1's 2-pin connector. R1 and C1 are connected in parallel between U1's 2-pin and 6-pin connectors. R1 is 80.6kΩ, R2 is 10kΩ, R3 is 10kΩ, R4 is 360kΩ, and C1 is 4.7pF.

[0043] Specifically, the ripple filtering module includes U1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, R5, and R6. U1's 7th pin is connected to R6, and R6 is connected to the positive terminal of the 15V power supply. U1's 6th pin is connected to C2. U1's 4th pin is connected to R5, and R5 is connected to the negative terminal of the 15V power supply. C3 and C4 are connected in series between U1's 4th and 7th pins. C5 and C6 are connected in series between U1's 4th and 7th pins. C3 and C4 are connected in parallel with C5 and C6. A grounding lead is provided between C3 and C4 and between C5 and C6. One end of the parallel R1 and C1 is connected to C2. R5 and R6 are both 100Ω, C2 is 0.01F, C3 and C4 are 0.1μF, and C5 and C6 are 10μF.

[0044] The detection module includes an XSC1 connected to C2.

[0045] To ensure the feasibility of this circuit, the following simulation experiment was set up:

[0046] A sinusoidal signal was set up and measured using an oscilloscope. This signal was then fed into a signal amplification circuit for inverse amplification. Experiments showed that the simulated gain-to-bandwidth ratio was greater than 20dB and the noise figure was less than 2.5dB, proving the effectiveness of the signal amplification circuit. Gain is the ratio between the amplifier's output signal and its input signal, usually expressed in decibels (dB). Gain adjustment involves adjusting this ratio to allow the amplifier to amplify the signal as needed. By adjusting the gain, the amplifier can amplify the signal as required. The purpose of gain adjustment is to ensure that the signal is neither distorted nor over-amplified during transmission, thereby maintaining signal clarity and stability.

[0047] The focal point of the reflector 23 is located on the transmitting antenna of the remote controller 1, meaning that the side of the reflector 23 facing the transmitting antenna of the remote controller 1 is a parabolic surface. Specifically, utilizing the parabolic radiation principle, the signal is radiated from the feed source to the parabolic surface during transmission. The feed source is the transmitting antenna of the remote controller 1. After being reflected by the parabolic surface, the signal is radiated into the air, facilitating signal reception by the UAV in that direction. Since the feed source is located at the focal point of the parabolic surface, the radio waves, after being reflected by the reflector 23, radiate parallel to the mirror surface of the reflector 23 in the opposite direction. During reception, after being reflected by the reflector, the radio waves converge to the feed source, allowing the feed source to receive the maximum signal energy. The reflector 23 has dimensions of 7.6*6*2.8cm and is made of copper, but other metals can also be used, ensuring that the surface of the reflector 23 is smooth.

[0048] Experiments have shown that this arc-shaped reflector 23 can increase the reflectivity of the concentrated signal transmission to 95%. Field tests have shown that the signal gain of the device is greater than 10dB, and the signal interference intensity is reduced to 10-15dB. The signal enhancement effect is effective and can achieve the intended purpose.

[0049] Example 2:

[0050] This invention provides a detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line inspection drones, which enhances the signal of the drone's remote controller 1, and includes:

[0051] The signal enhancement and reflection module 2 includes a mounting plate 21 connected to the remote controller 1, a housing 22 connected to the mounting plate 21, and a reflector 23 connected to the housing 22. The reflector 23 is a concave mirror, and a signal amplification circuit is provided inside the housing 22.

[0052] Transmission module 3, the transmission module 3 includes a mounting strip 31 connected to the remote controller 1 and a copper wire 32 connected to the mounting strip 31;

[0053] The signal enhancement and reflection module 2 and the transmission module 3 are both connected to the transmitting antenna of the remote controller 1.

[0054] As can be seen from the above, by setting up signal enhancement module 2 and transmission module 3 to jointly process the signal of UAV remote controller 1, the signal amplification circuit in signal enhancement and reflection module 2 can improve the noise reduction ratio and reduce the attenuation of the original signal, laying the foundation for subsequent digital processing and avoiding signal distortion after digital conversion. When the signal after digital processing is converted into an analog signal output by D / A, the signal is amplified and enhanced again to ensure that the signal image is clear and stable. Using reflector 23 as a radio wave bridge can not only radiate the transmitted signal into the air after being reflected by the concave surface, but also concentrate the received signal radio waves on the antenna, increasing the maximum signal energy that the antenna can receive, which helps to improve the signal transmission quality. In addition, transmission module 3 is set up. The mounting strip 31 and copper wire 32 in transmission module 3 form a Yagi antenna to enhance the signal in a specific direction, further improving the signal enhancement capability of the device. When this device is installed on the antenna of UAV remote controller 1, it can significantly increase the effective range of UAV remote controller 1, so that the UAV's operating range can effectively cover the inspection area between tower sections, reduce the frequency of the pilot changing the work location, and improve the inspection efficiency.

[0055] Reference Figure 5 As shown, the signal amplification circuit includes:

[0056] A signal amplification module used to amplify the signal from remote control 1 by a factor of 1;

[0057] Ripple filtering module for filtering out ripple in amplified signals;

[0058] A detection module for measuring the inverted amplified signal of the input signal.

[0059] Specifically, the signal amplification module includes R1, R2, R3, R4, C1, and U1. R2 is connected to U1's 3-pin connector. R3 and R4 are connected in series to U1's 2-pin connector. R1 and C1 are connected in parallel between U1's 2-pin and 6-pin connectors. R1 is 80.6kΩ, R2 is 10kΩ, R3 is 10kΩ, R4 is 360kΩ, and C1 is 4.7pF.

[0060] Specifically, the ripple filtering module includes U1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, R5, and R6. U1's 7th pin is connected to R6, and R6 is connected to the positive terminal of the 15V power supply. U1's 6th pin is connected to C2. U1's 4th pin is connected to R5, and R5 is connected to the negative terminal of the 15V power supply. C3 and C4 are connected in series between U1's 4th and 7th pins. C5 and C6 are connected in series between U1's 4th and 7th pins. C3 and C4 are connected in parallel with C5 and C6. A grounding lead is provided between C3 and C4 and between C5 and C6. One end of the parallel R1 and C1 is connected to C2. R5 and R6 are both 100Ω, C2 is 0.01F, C3 and C4 are 0.1μF, and C5 and C6 are 10μF.

[0061] The detection module includes an XSC1 connected to C2.

[0062] To ensure the feasibility of this circuit, the following simulation experiment was set up:

[0063] A sinusoidal signal was set up and measured using an oscilloscope. This signal was then fed into a signal amplification circuit for inverse amplification. Experiments showed that the simulated gain-to-bandwidth ratio was greater than 20dB and the noise figure was less than 2.5dB, proving the effectiveness of the signal amplification circuit. Gain is the ratio between the amplifier's output signal and its input signal, usually expressed in decibels (dB). Gain adjustment involves adjusting this ratio to allow the amplifier to amplify the signal as needed. By adjusting the gain, the amplifier can amplify the signal as required. The purpose of gain adjustment is to ensure that the signal is neither distorted nor over-amplified during transmission, thereby maintaining signal clarity and stability.

[0064] The focal point of the reflector 23 is located on the transmitting antenna of the remote controller 1, meaning that the side of the reflector 23 facing the transmitting antenna of the remote controller 1 is a parabolic surface. Specifically, utilizing the parabolic radiation principle, the signal is radiated from the feed source to the parabolic surface during transmission. The feed source is the transmitting antenna of the remote controller 1. After being reflected by the parabolic surface, the signal is radiated into the air, facilitating signal reception by the UAV in that direction. Since the feed source is located at the focal point of the parabolic surface, the radio waves, after being reflected by the reflector 23, radiate parallel to the mirror surface of the reflector 23 in the opposite direction. During reception, after being reflected by the reflector, the radio waves converge to the feed source, allowing the feed source to receive the maximum signal energy. The reflector 23 has dimensions of 7.6*6*2.8cm and is made of copper, but other metals can also be used, ensuring that the surface of the reflector 23 is smooth.

[0065] Experiments have shown that this arc-shaped reflector 23 can increase the reflectivity of the concentrated signal transmission to 95%. Field tests have shown that the signal gain of the device is greater than 10dB, and the signal interference intensity is reduced to 10-15dB. The signal enhancement effect is effective and can achieve the intended purpose.

[0066] Multiple copper wires 32 are provided, and the multiple copper wires 32 are connected in a row array to the mounting strip 31. The multiple copper wires 32 and the mounting strip 31 together form a Yagi antenna to enhance the signal in a specific direction.

[0067] This embodiment designs a Yagi antenna structure based on actual usage requirements. The structure of the Yagi antenna needs to be set according to the wavelength of the radio waves. The Yagi antenna can be divided into three sections: the bottom section is half the wavelength, the middle section is three-quarters the wavelength, and the top section is slightly longer than three-quarters the wavelength to reduce the influence of capacitance. The 802.11b standard uses a frequency range of 2.412MHz to 2.484MHz. The half wavelength of its center frequency is 61mm, and the three-quarter wavelength is 91.5mm. Therefore, the copper wire 32 includes five short copper wires with a length of 1.5 cm and one long copper wire with a length of 2.3 cm. The diameter of each copper wire 32 is 0.3 cm. The spacing between the five short copper wires and the one long copper wire is set to 1cm, 1.1cm, 1.1cm, 1.1cm, and 2.1cm, respectively. The overall size is 7.4*2.5*2.1cm.

[0068] Mounting strip 31 needs to be made of a material that is easily penetrated by 5.8GHz light waves, otherwise it will affect the performance of the Yagi antenna. Therefore, mounting strip 31 is a silicone strip or a plastic strip.

[0069] The designed Yagi antenna of the transmitting module 3 was tested in two frequency bands, 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz. The test results showed that the antenna could receive signals normally under multiple experimental conditions. Therefore, the constructed Yagi antenna meets the usage requirements. To further determine the performance of the invention in a real-world environment, the structure of the invention was installed on the drone remote controller 1, and the drone was controlled to fly different distances. The signal enhancement performance of the product was then judged based on the quality of the images transmitted back by the drone. The experiment showed that even when the drone flew to a distance of 4.2 kilometers, the images transmitted back by the drone were still good, with a VSWR greater than 1.5, and the image transmission was clear within 2-4 kilometers.

[0070] The remote controller for this power transmission line inspection drone features a detachable signal enhancement component with low production costs, averaging less than 100 yuan. This reduces the need for pilots to frequently change locations, enabling full coverage of the target tower section from a single station. It reduces the workload of inspection personnel, lowers fuel consumption between flights, saves time, and improves work efficiency. At the same time, it effectively enhances the safe, reliable, and stable operation of the power transmission line, reduces the economic impact of line tripping, and achieves good economic benefits.

[0071] The foregoing has only described certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line inspection by a drone, which enhances the signal of the drone's remote controller (1), characterized in that, include: The signal enhancement and reflection module (2) includes a mounting plate (21) connected to the remote controller (1), a housing (22) connected to the mounting plate (21), and a reflector (23) connected to the housing (22). The reflector (23) is a concave mirror, and a signal amplification circuit is provided inside the housing (22). The transmitting module (3) includes a mounting strip (31) connected to the remote controller (1) and a copper wire (32) connected to the mounting strip (31); The signal enhancement and reflection module (2) and the transmission module (3) are both connected to the transmitting antenna of the remote controller (1).

2. The detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line drone inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal amplification circuit includes: A signal amplification module for amplifying the signal of the remote control (1) by a factor of ; Ripple filtering module for filtering out ripple in amplified signals; A detection module for measuring the inverted amplified signal of the input signal.

3. The detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line inspection by a drone, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... The focal point of the reflector (23) is located on the transmitting antenna of the remote controller (1).

4. A detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line drone inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple copper wires (32) are provided, and the multiple copper wires (32) are connected in a row array on the mounting strip (31).

5. A detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line drone inspection according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mounting strip (31) is a silicone strip or a plastic strip.

6. A detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line UAV inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dimensions of the reflector (23) are 7.6*6*2.8cm.

7. A detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line UAV inspection according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflector (23) is a copper sheet.

8. A detachable signal enhancement component for a remote controller used in power transmission line drone inspection according to claim 4, characterized in that, The copper wire (32) includes five short copper wires with a length of 1.5 cm and one long copper wire with a length of 2.3 cm. The diameter of the copper wire (32) is 0.3 cm. The spacing between the five short copper wires and the one long copper wire is set to 1 cm, 1.1 cm, 1.1 cm, 1.1 cm and 2.1 cm respectively.

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