Antenna adjustment apparatus, antenna apparatus, electronic device and control method therefor

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are an antenna adjustment apparatus, an antenna apparatus, an electronic device and a control method therefor. The antenna adjustment apparatus comprises: a rotating base, rotatably arranged around a first axis; a transmission mechanism, arranged on the rotating base; and a driving mechanism, having a first position and a second position, the driving mechanism switching between the first position and the second position by means of movement. In the first position, the driving mechanism is in driving fit with the rotating base; in the second position, the driving mechanism is separated from the rotating base and is in driving fit with the transmission mechanism. In the antenna adjustment apparatus of the present disclosure, by arranging the movable driving mechanism and fitting same with the rotating base and the transmission mechanism, the mode of fitting with the rotating base and the transmission mechanism can be changed by means of the movable driving mechanism, such that an antenna assembly can rotate around the first axis and a second axis separately or rotate independently around the second axis. Compared with the prior art, the present disclosure has a simpler structure, a smaller number of motors, and lower manufacturing cost.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present disclosure claims priority from Chinese patent application No. CN202311163243.2 titled "ANTENNA ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS, ANTENNA APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC DEVICE and CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR" filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on September 11, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated in the present disclosure by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to, but are not limited to, the field of communication technology, and in particular, to an antenna adjustment apparatus, an antenna apparatus, an electronic device and a control method therefor.BACKGROUND

[0003] Current antennas applied to terminals are generally classified into two types, i.e., omnidirectional antennas and directional antennas. The directional antenna refers to an antenna which has transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals being very strong in one or more particular directions and very weak in other directions.

[0004] To expand a signal receiving range of the directional antenna, a current solution is to rotate the directional antenna driven by a motor to adjust a signal gain direction. However, the adjustment of the antenna in space involves directional rotation adjustment that requires rotational adjustment about the X axis as a rotation axis, and pitch angle adjustment that requires rotational adjustment about the Y axis and the Z axis, respectively. As a result, a motor is needed for each rotation axis to achieve the rotational adjustment of the antenna in the corresponding direction, leading to a cost increase.

[0005] Moreover, it is to be understood that to enable the adjustment of the antenna in the three directions at any time, one of the motors is designed to drive the antenna to rotate directionally, while the other two motors are designed to move synchronously, which involves the problem of motor wiring in design, and makes the internal structure of the antenna more complicated.

[0006] In addition, since more than one motors are used for respective driving, to ensure matched actions of rotation adjustment and pitch angle adjustment of the directional antenna, the system needs to receive signals after the rotation of the directional antenna and signals after the pitch angle adjustment in real time, and then comprehensively analyze and compute the signals to respectively drive the plurality of motors to rotate, which increases the computation time of the system on one hand, and increases the power consumption of the whole machine on the other hand.SUMMARY

[0007] To solve at least the problems of complicated structure and high cost of the adjustment apparatus for a directional antenna in the existing art, embodiments of the present disclosure proposes an antenna adjustment apparatus, an antenna apparatus, an electronic device and a control method therefor.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna adjustment apparatus, including: a rotating base rotatably disposed about a first axis; a transmission mechanism disposed on the rotating base and configured to mount and drive an antenna assembly to rotate about a second axis relative to the rotating base; a drive mechanism having a first position and a second position between which the drive mechanism is switchable by movement, wherein in the first position, the drive mechanism is in driving fit with the rotating base, in order to drive the antenna assembly by driving the rotating base to rotate about the first axis; and in the second position, the drive mechanism is separated from the rotating base and in driving fit with the transmission mechanism, in order to drive the antenna assembly to rotate about the second axis relative to the rotating base.

[0009] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an antenna apparatus, including an antenna assembly and the antenna adjustment apparatus as described above.

[0010] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a control method for the antenna apparatus as described above, wherein the control method includes the operations of: acquiring a signal intensity of the antenna assembly at a current position; and comparing the acquired signal intensity with a preset signal intensity, and controlling the drive mechanism based on a comparison result.

[0011] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, including: at least one processor; and a memory in communicative connection with the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to implement the control method as described above.

[0012] In the antenna adjustment apparatus of the present disclosure, by providing the movable drive mechanism in combination with the rotating base and the transmission mechanism, the drive mechanism can be moved to change the fitting mode with the rotating base and the transmission mechanism, so that the antenna assembly can be rotated about the first axis and the second axis respectively, or about the second axis only. Compared with the existing art, the present disclosure has a simpler structure, a smaller number of motors (with only one motor driving the drive mechanism to rotate), and reduced manufacturing cost.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a drive mechanism in an antenna adjustment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a first position; FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a drive mechanism in an antenna adjustment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a second position; FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an antenna adjustment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna adjustment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an antenna apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a second drive assembly in an antenna apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 7 shows operations of a control method for an antenna apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart of a control method for an antenna apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0014] To improve understanding of the technical solution of the present disclosure for those skilled in the art, the antenna adjustment apparatus, the antenna apparatus, the electronic device and the control method therefor according to the present disclosure will be described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0015] Exemplary embodiments will be described more sufficiently below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but which may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0016] As shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an antenna adjustment apparatus, including: a rotating base 10, a transmission mechanism 20, and a drive mechanism 40.

[0017] The rotating base 10 is rotatably disposed about a first axis. The transmission mechanism 20 is disposed on the rotating base 10 and configured to mount and drive an antenna assembly 30 to rotate about a second axis relative to the rotating base 10. The first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. The drive mechanism 40 is movable, and has a first position and a second position between which the drive mechanism 40 is switchable by movement. In the first position, the drive mechanism 40 is in driving fit with the rotating base 10 in order to drive the antenna assembly 30 by driving the rotating base to rotate about the first axis. In the second position the drive mechanism 40 is separated from the rotating base 10 and in driving fit with the transmission mechanism 20, in order to drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate about the second axis relative to the rotating base 10.

[0018] When the antenna adjustment apparatus of the present disclosure is operated, as shown in FIG. 1, the drive mechanism 40 may be firstly moved to the first position to get into driving fit with the rotating base 10 while being separated from the transmission mechanism 20, so that the drive mechanism 40 drives the rotating base 10 to rotate about the first axis, which further drives the transmission mechanism 20 thereon to rotate about the first axis together, and therefore, the antenna assembly 30 mounted on the transmission mechanism 20 is also rotated about the first axis together. When the antenna assembly 30 is rotated about the first axis by a preset angle, as shown in FIG. 2, the drive mechanism 40 is moved to the second position to be separated from the rotating base 10 and get into driving fit with the transmission mechanism 20. In other words, the drive mechanism 40 only drives the transmission mechanism 20, but not the rotating base 10, to rotate so that the second drive mechanism 40 drives the antenna assembly 30 to rotate about the second axis relative to the rotating base 10.

[0019] It can be seen that, in the antenna adjustment apparatus of the present disclosure, by providing the movable drive mechanism 40 in combination with the rotating base 10 and the transmission mechanism 20, the drive mechanism 40 can be moved to be fit with the rotating base 10 and the transmission mechanism 20, respectively, so that the antenna assembly 30 can be rotated about the first axis or the second axis independently. Compared with the existing art, the present disclosure has a simpler structure, a smaller number of motors (with only one motor driving the drive mechanism 40 to rotate), and reduced manufacturing cost.

[0020] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, when the drive mechanism 40 is moved to the first position, the drive mechanism 40 is in driving fit with the rotating base 10 while being separated from the transmission mechanism 20. In other words, in this embodiment, after being moved to the first position, the drive mechanism 40 only drives the rotating base 10, but not the transmission mechanism 20, to rotate. As shown in FIG. 2, after being moved to the second position, the drive mechanism 40 only drives the transmission mechanism 20, but not the rotating base 10, to rotate. However, this is not limiting, and in some other embodiments not shown in the drawings, when the drive mechanism 40 is moved to the first position, the drive mechanism 40 may be in driving fit with both the rotating base 10 and the transmission mechanism 20. In other words, after being moved to the first position, the drive mechanism 40 may drive the rotating base 10 to rotate while also driving the transmission mechanism 20, so that the antenna assembly 30 is rotated about both the first axis and the second axis. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, after being moved to the second position, the drive mechanism 40 only drives the transmission mechanism 20 so that the antenna assembly 30 is only rotated about the second axis. Both embodiments can be implemented by moving the drive mechanism 40 to change the fitting mode with the rotating base 10 and the transmission mechanism 20, so that the antenna assembly 30 can be rotated about the first axis and the second axis respectively, or about the second axis only. Therefore, these embodiments fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Compared with the existing art, the present disclosure has a simpler structure, a smaller number of motors (with only one motor driving the drive mechanism 40 to rotate), and reduced manufacturing cost.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 3, the drive mechanism 40 includes: a drive shaft 41, a drive gear 42 and a drive motor 43. The drive gear 42 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 41, and an output shaft of the drive motor 43 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 41 to drive the drive shaft 41 to rotate. The drive shaft 41 penetrates the rotating base 10, an axis of the drive shaft 41 is the first axis, and the drive shaft 41 is movably disposed on the rotating base 10 along the first axis.

[0022] In the first position of the drive mechanism 40, the drive shaft 41 is in limiting fit with the rotating base 10 in a rotating direction of the drive shaft 41, and the drive gear 42 is separated from the transmission mechanism 20, so that the drive shaft 41 drives the rotating base 10 to rotate about the first axis. In the second position of the drive mechanism 40, the drive gear 42 is in driving fit with the transmission mechanism 20, and the drive shaft 41 is separated from the rotating base 10, so that the drive shaft 41 is rotatable circumferentially relative to the rotating base 10.

[0023] It will be understood that in this embodiment, the drive mechanism 40 is also moved along the first axis, and the first position and the second position thereof are also in the first axis direction. When the drive mechanism 40 is in the first position, the position allows the drive shaft 41 to just get into limiting fit with the rotating base 10 in the rotating direction of the drive shaft 41 (i.e., in a circumferential direction of the drive shaft 41), so that the drive shaft 41 can drive the rotating base 10 to rotate. At the same time, the drive gear 42, driven by the drive shaft 41, is moved along the first axis to a position of separating from the transmission mechanism 20. As a result, the drive gear 42 cannot drive the transmission mechanism 20, and the antenna assembly 30 is rotated with the rotating base 10 about the first axis instead of the second axis.

[0024] When the drive mechanism 40 is moved to the second position along the first axis, the position allows the drive shaft 41 to just get out of the limiting fit with the rotating base 10 in the rotating direction of the drive shaft 41 (i.e., in a circumferential direction of the drive shaft 41). In other words, the drive shaft 41 may be rotated about the first axis, while the rotating base 10 may be stationary. As a result, the antenna assembly 30 will not rotate about the first axis. At the same time, the drive gear 42, driven by the drive shaft 41, is moved along the first axis to a position of fitting with the transmission mechanism 20, so that the antenna assembly 30 is driven by the transmission mechanism 20 to rotate about the second axis relative to the rotating base 10.

[0025] In the antenna adjustment apparatus of the present disclosure, the movable drive mechanism 40 is provided to rotate the rotating base 10 and the transmission mechanism 20, respectively, so that the antenna assembly 30 can be driven to rotate about the first axis or the second axis. In other words, the adjustment of the antenna assembly 30 in different directions is implemented by a single shared drive mechanism 40, which can save additional drive mechanisms 40 while realizing the same function, so that the number of structural components used and the cost are reduced, and the overall structure is simplified due to the reduction of structural components.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a through hole 11 is formed in the rotating base 10 in a first axis direction, and an outer diameter of the drive shaft 41 is smaller than an inner diameter of the through hole 11, so that the drive shaft 41 is movably inserted into the through hole 11. A first limiting part 411 is provided on an outer wall of the drive shaft 41, and a second limiting part 111 in limiting fit with the first limiting part 411 is provided on an inner wall of the through hole 11.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first limiting part 411 is a limiting protrusion, and the second limiting part 111 is a limiting groove. As shown in FIG. 3, the limiting protrusion is disposed on an outer wall surface of the drive shaft 41 in the first axis direction, and the limiting groove extends from a first end to a second end of the through hole 11.

[0028] When the drive mechanism 40 is in the first position, the limiting protrusion just enters the limiting groove to enable limiting fit in the rotating direction of the drive shaft 41 (in the circumferential direction of the drive shaft 41), so that the drive shaft 41 and the rotating base 10 are stationary relatively to each other. When the drive shaft 41 is rotated, the limiting protrusion abuts against a wall of the limiting groove, and a driving force of the drive shaft 41 is transmitted to the rotating base 10 through the limiting protrusion and the limiting groove to rotate the rotating base 10.

[0029] When the drive mechanism 40 is in the second position, the limiting protrusion and the limiting groove keep clear of each other. In other words, the limiting protrusion is located outside the limiting groove, and the drive shaft 41 cannot transmit the driving force to the rotating base 10 through the limiting protrusion and the limiting groove. Therefore, the drive shaft 41 can only rotate by itself, and cannot drive the transmission base to rotate, so that the antenna assembly 30 is rotated relative to the rotating base 10.

[0030] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, although the first limiting part 411 is a limiting protrusion, and the second limiting part 111 is a limiting groove, this is not limiting. In some other embodiments not shown in the drawings, the first limiting part 411 may be a limiting groove, and the second limiting part 111 may be a limiting protrusion, or the first limiting part 411 and the second limiting part 111 may be any other structures that can enable the limiting fit in the rotating direction of the drive shaft 41 when the drive mechanism 40 is in the first position, and the mutual avoidance when the drive mechanism 40 is in the second position, which all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 20 includes: a first transmission gear 21, a mount 22, a rotating bracket 23, a second transmission gear 24, and a mounting part 25.

[0032] The first transmission gear 21 is rotatably connected to the rotating base 10, and configured to be meshed with the drive gear 42. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the mounting part 25 is disposed on the rotating base 10, while the first transmission gear 21 is rotatably connected to the mounting part 25.

[0033] It should be noted that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the mounting part 25 is a fixing column fixedly connected to the rotating base 10 along the first axis direction. A bearing is fixedly connected to the fixed column, and the first transmission gear 21 is fixedly connected to the bearing, and thus rotatably connected to the mounting part 25 through the bearing. However, this is not limiting, and in some other embodiments not shown in the drawings, the mounting part 25 may be a bracket, a rotation shaft, or any other structures that can enable the rotation of the first transmission gear 21 in the first axis direction, which all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] The mount 22 is connected to the rotating base 10 and located over an outer circumference of the rotating base 10, and can rotate together with the rotating base 10. In other words, the mount 22 and the rotating base 10 are not removable relative to each other in the rotating direction of the drive shaft 41, and the mount 22 is not rotatable relative to the rotating base 10.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, a rotating bracket 23 is rotatably disposed on the mount 22, and is rotatable about the second axis relative to the mount 22. In this embodiment, since the mount 22 and the rotating base 10 are stationary relatively to each other, the rotating bracket 23 is equivalent to be rotatable about the second axis relative to the rotating base 10, and the rotating bracket 23 is configured for mounting of the antenna assembly 30. The second transmission gear 24 is in driving connection with the rotating bracket 23, and configured to be meshed with the first transmission gear 21 to drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate about the second axis.

[0036] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the mount 22 includes: the support plate 221 and support columns 222 fixedly connected to the support plate 221. The support plate 221 is connected to the rotating base 10. Two support columns 222 are provided and disposed at intervals along the second axis direction. The two support columns 222 are provided with mounting holes 223, and the rotating bracket 23 is rotatably disposed between the two support columns 222.

[0037] The rotating bracket 23 includes: a transmission shaft 231, a connecting arm 232, and a mounting plate 233. Two ends of the transmission shaft 231 are located in the mounting holes 223, respectively. Bearings are fixedly connected into the mounting holes 223. The transmission shaft 231 forms a rotating connection structure with the support columns 222 through the bearings, and an axis of the transmission shaft 231 is disposed along the second axis, so that the transmission shaft 231 is rotatable about the second axis relative to the rotating base 10. Two connecting arms 232 are provided, each of which has a first end fixedly connected to the transmission shaft 231 and a second end fixedly connected to the mounting plate 233 for mounting the antenna assembly 30. The second transmission gear 24 is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft 231. By driving the transmission shaft 231 to rotate by the second transmission gear 24, the rotating transmission shaft 231 drives the connecting arm 232 and the mounting plate 233 to rotate between the two support columns 222, so that the antenna assembly 30 is rotated about the second axis relative to the rotating base 10.

[0038] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 4, the drive gear 42, the first transmission gear 21 and the second transmission gear 24 are all bevel gears. The drive gear 42 is rotated about the first axis, the first transmission gear 21 has a rotation axis in the same direction as the first axis, and the rotation axis of the second transmission gear 24 is the second axis. The first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. The transmission direction can be changed through mating of the first transmission gear 21 and the second transmission gear 24.

[0039] In this embodiment, to enable the antenna assembly 30 to rotate about the second axis by 360°, each support column 222 should have a length greater than the connecting arm 232, and a width between the two support columns 222 should be greater than a width of the antenna assembly 30, so that the rotating bracket 23 and the antenna assembly 30 can pass between the two support columns 222.

[0040] In the first position of the drive mechanism 40, the first limiting part 411 on the drive shaft 41 is in limiting fit with the second limiting part 111 on the rotating base 10, while the drive gear 42 is separated from the first transmission gear 21, so that the drive shaft 41 can only drive the rotating base 10 to rotate about the first axis, but not cause the drive gear 42 to drive the first transmission gear 21 to rotate. Therefore, the rotating base 10 drives the antenna assembly 30 to rotate synchronously about the first axis through the mount 22 and the rotating bracket 23.

[0041] In the second position of the drive mechanism 40, the first limiting part 411 on the drive shaft 41 is out of limiting fit with the second limiting part 111 on the rotating base 10, while the drive gear 42 is meshed with the first transmission gear 21, so that the drive gear 42 drives the first transmission gear 21 to rotate, and the first transmission gear 21 rotating around its own axis is meshed with the second transmission gear 24. Since the drive gear 42, the first transmission gear 21 and the second transmission gear 24 are all bevel gears, the rotating direction can be changed from the first axis direction to the second axis direction. The second transmission gear 24 rotating about the second axis direction drives the rotating bracket 23 to rotate so that the antenna assembly 30 is rotated about the second axis relative to the rotating base 10.

[0042] As can be seen, in the antenna adjustment apparatus of the present disclosure, by providing the second transmission mechanism 20, the rotation axis direction of the driving force can be changed so that in combination with the drive mechanism 40, the function of rotating the antenna assembly 30 about the second axis relative to the rotating base 10 can be implemented. Therefore, additional separate drive mechanisms 40 can be omitted, and the adjustment of the antenna assembly 30 in different directions can implemented by a single shared drive mechanism 40, which can save additional drive mechanisms 40 while ensuring the same function, so that the number of structural components used and the cost are reduced, and the overall structure is simplified due to the reduction of structural components.

[0043] It should be noted that, in the embodiment shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, two mounts 22, two rotating brackets 23 and two second transmission gears 24 are provided. Correspondingly, two second axes, i.e., a first sub-axis and a second sub-axis, are provided, and the first sub-axis and the second sub-axis are both perpendicular to the first axis direction.

[0044] Each mount 22 is provided with one rotating bracket 23 and one second transmission gear 24. One of the rotating brackets 23 is rotatable about the first sub-axis relative to the mount 22 with that rotating bracket 23, and the other of the rotating brackets 23 is rotatable about the second sub-axis relative to the mount 22 with that rotating bracket 23. In other words, one of the rotating brackets 23 is rotatable about the first sub-axis relative to the rotating base 10, and the other of the rotating brackets 23 is rotatable about the second sub-axis relative to the rotating base 10. Further, since the two mounts 22 are distributed and spaced apart by 90° over the outer circumference of the rotating base 10, the first sub-axis is perpendicular to the second sub-axis.

[0045] With such an arrangement, each rotating bracket 23 can be provided with one antenna assembly 30 to enable rotation about three mutually perpendicular axes in a three-dimensional space, so that the antenna assembly 30 can search signal intensity in an all-around manner and send and receive signals without dead angles, thereby achieving a more comprehensive signal adjustment range.

[0046] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, although two mounts 22, two rotating brackets 23 and two second transmission gears 24 are provided, this is not limiting. In some other embodiments not shown in the drawings, the numbers of mounts 22, rotating brackets 23 and second transmission gears 24 may be only one, or more than two, respectively. In other words, as long as a plurality of mounts 22 are distributed over the outer circumference of the rotating base 10 at intervals, each mounting base 22 is provided with one rotating bracket 23 and one second transmission gear 24, and the second axes of all the rotating brackets 23 are perpendicular to the first axis, it is within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0047] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 4, in a second axis direction, the mount 22 is movable relative to the rotating base 10 so that the first transmission gear 21 is meshed with or separated from the second transmission gear 24 through movement by the mount 22; and in the rotating direction of the rotating base 10, the mount 22 is in limiting fit with the rotating base 10.

[0048] In this way, for example: after an antenna assembly 30 rotating about the first sub-axis is adjusted to an optimal position, the mount 22 corresponding to the antenna assembly 30 may be moved to a position where the second transmission gear 24 on the mount 22 is separated from the first transmission gear 21, so that the antenna assembly 30 stops rotating, while the position of the mount 22 corresponding to the antenna assembly 30 rotating about the second sub-axis remains unchanged, so that the antenna assembly 30 can continue to rotate about the second sub-axis until the optimal position.

[0049] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the antenna adjustment apparatus further includes: a first sliding part 51 and a second sliding part 52. In this embodiment, the first sliding part 51 is a sliding rail, and the second sliding part 52 is a sliding groove. The sliding rail is fixedly disposed on the rotating base 10 along the second axis direction. The sliding groove is fixedly disposed on a bottom of the support plate 221 of the mount 22. The sliding groove is in sliding fit with the sliding rail in the second axis direction, and in limiting fit with the sliding rail in the rotating direction of the rotating base 10.

[0050] To stop rotation of the antenna assembly 30, the mount 22 slides along the sliding rail in a direction away from the rotating base 10, so that the first transmission gear 21 is separated from the second transmission gear 24. To rotate the antenna assembly 30, the mount 22 slides along the sliding rail in a direction approaching the rotating base 10, so that the first transmission gear 21 is meshed with the second transmission gear 24.

[0051] In this embodiment, although the first sliding part 51 is a sliding rail, and the second sliding part 52 is a sliding groove, this is not limiting, and in some other embodiments not shown in the drawings, the first sliding part 51 may be a sliding groove, and the second sliding part 52 may be a sliding rail. In other words, any structure that allows the sliding fit between the first sliding part 52 and the second sliding part 51 in the second axis direction and the limiting fit in the rotating direction of the rotating base 10 is within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, the antenna adjustment apparatus further includes: a first drive assembly 70, which is connected to the rotating base 10 and the mount 22, respectively, and configured to drive the mount 22 to move relative to the rotating base 10 in the second axis direction.

[0053] In this embodiment, the first drive assembly 70 includes: a first magnet 71 and a second magnet 72. The first magnet 71 is disposed on the rotating base 10. The second magnet 72 is disposed on the mount 22. The first magnet 71 is positioned corresponding to the second magnet 72.

[0054] It is to be understood that the first magnet 71 and the second magnet 72 are electromagnets, and the first drive assembly 70 may have an attracted state and a repelled state by controlling a direction of the current. Specifically, each electromagnet includes an iron core and an electromagnetic coil wound on the iron core, and the polarities generated at two ends of the iron core can be reversed by controlling the current direction in the electromagnetic coil. In use, the first magnet 71 and the second magnet 72 are disposed oppositely so that a first end of the iron core of the first magnet 71 is opposite to a first end of the iron core of the second magnet 72. In the attracted state, opposite polarities are generated at the first ends of the iron cores of the first magnet 71 and the second magnet 72, so that the first magnet 71 and the second magnet 72 attract each other. In the repelled state, the same polarity is generated at the first ends of the iron cores of the first magnet 71 and the second magnet 72, so that the first magnet 71 and the second magnet 72 repel each other.

[0055] In the attracted state, the first magnet 71 and the second magnet 72 are attracted to each other, so that the first drive assembly 70 drives the mount 22 and the rotating base 10 to approach each other, and thus the first transmission gear 21 is meshed with the second transmission gear 24. In the repelled state, the first magnet 71 and the second magnet 72 repel each other, so that the first drive assembly 70 drives the mount 22 and the rotating base 10 to move away from each other, and thus the first transmission gear 21 is separated from the second transmission gear 24.

[0056] In the antenna adjustment apparatus of the present disclosure, by providing the first drive assembly 70, the position of the mount 22 relative to the rotating base 10 can be changed to control whether the first transmission gear 21 is meshed with or separated from the second transmission gear 24, which in turn controls the rotation and stop of the antenna assembly 30. In combination with a plurality of mounts 22 and antenna assemblies 30, the antenna assemblies 30 in two different directions can be controlled to rotate independently, so that the antenna assemblies 30 in the corresponding directions can be stopped in time when reaching the optimal positions, and will not interfere with each other. Compared with the existing art, the first drive assembly 70 of the present disclosure has a simpler construction, lower cost, and lighter weight.

[0057] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 5, there is further provided an antenna apparatus, including: a housing 80, a support mechanism 60, an antenna assembly 30, the antenna adjustment apparatus described above, and a second drive assembly 90.

[0058] A support mechanism is provided inside the housing 80, and the rotating base 10 is rotatably disposed on the support mechanism in the housing 80. The second drive assembly 90 is disposed in the housing 80, and in driving connection with the drive mechanism 40 to drive the drive mechanism 40 to move between the first position and the second position.

[0059] The support mechanism 60 is fixedly connected in the housing 80, and the rotating base 10 is rotatably disposed on the support mechanism 60. The second drive assembly 90 is disposed in the housing 80, and in driving connection with the drive mechanism 40 to drive the drive mechanism 40 to move between the first position and the second position.

[0060] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the support mechanism 60 includes: a support sleeve 61 and a support ring 62. The support sleeve 61 is fixedly connected to the housing 80. The support ring 62 is rotatably sleeved on an outer wall of the support sleeve 61, and fixedly connected to the rotating base 10. In this embodiment, an axis of the support sleeve 61 is taken as the first axis, a bearing is fixedly connected to the support sleeve 61, and the support ring 62 is fixedly connected to the bearing to rotate relative to the support sleeve 61. By fixedly connecting the rotating base 10 and the support ring 62, the rotating base 10 can be rotated along the first axis in the housing 80 while being supported.

[0061] In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 6, the second drive assembly 90 includes: a third magnet 91 and a fourth magnet 92. The third magnet 91 is fixedly connected to the drive motor 43. The fourth magnet 92 is fixedly connected to the rotating base 10, and the third magnet 91 is positioned corresponding to the fourth magnet 92.

[0062] It is to be understood that the third magnet 91 and the fourth magnet 92 are electromagnets, and the second drive assembly 90 may have an attracted state and a repelled state by controlling a direction of the current. Specifically, each electromagnet includes an iron core and an electromagnetic coil wound on the iron core, and the polarities generated at two ends of the iron core can be reversed by controlling the current direction in the electromagnetic coil.

[0063] In use, the third magnet 91 and the fourth magnet 92 are disposed oppositely so that a first end of the iron core of the third magnet 91 is opposite to a first end of the iron core of the fourth magnet 92. In the attracted state, opposite polarities are generated at the first ends of the iron cores of the third magnet 91 and the fourth magnet 92, so that the third magnet 91 and the fourth magnet 92 attract each other. In the repelled state, the same polarity is generated at the first ends of the iron cores of the third magnet 91 and the fourth magnet 92, so that the third magnet 91 and the fourth magnet 92 repel each other.

[0064] In the attracted state, the second drive assembly 90 drives the drive mechanism 40 to move to the first position, where the drive shaft 41 is in limiting fit with the rotating base 10 in a rotating direction of the drive shaft 41, and the drive gear 42 is separated from the transmission mechanism 20, so that the drive shaft 41 drives the rotating base 10 to rotate about the first axis.

[0065] In the repelled state, the second drive assembly 90 drives the drive mechanism 40 to move to the second position, where the drive gear 42 is in driving fit with the transmission mechanism 20, and the drive shaft 41 is separated from the rotating base 10, so that the drive shaft 41 is rotatable circumferentially relative to the rotating base 10.

[0066] To ensure a more uniform and stable driving force of the second drive assembly 90, the third magnet 91 and the fourth magnet 92 in this embodiment each have an annular structure, and centers of the third magnet 91 and the fourth magnet 92 are both located on the first axis.

[0067] In this embodiment, the antenna assembly 30 includes: a reflective plate 31 and a radiating plate 32. The reflective plate 31 is disposed on the mounting plate 233 of the rotating bracket 23. The radiating plate 32 is disposed parallel to, and fixedly connected to, the reflective plate 31.

[0068] In addition, to facilitate the operation, a reset key 81 is provided on the housing 80. The reset key 81 is electrically connected to the first drive assembly 70, and the first drive assembly 70 can be brought into the attracted state through the reset key 81, so that the first transmission gear 21 is meshed with the second transmission gear 24 for a next adjustment.

[0069] As shown in FIGs. 7 and 8, the present disclosure further provides a control method for the antenna apparatus described above. The control method includes the following operations S10 to S20: S10 includes: acquiring a signal intensity of the antenna assembly 30 at a current position. S20 includes: comparing the acquired signal intensity with a preset signal intensity, and controlling the drive mechanism 40 based on a comparison result.

[0070] Further, operation S20 specifically includes the following operations S21 to S23: S21 includes: under the condition that the signal intensity is higher than the preset signal intensity, controlling the drive mechanism 40 to stop rotating. S22 includes: under the condition that the signal intensity is lower than or equal to the preset signal intensity, controlling the drive mechanism 40 to drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate along the first axis.

[0071] Further, after operation S22, the control method further includes the following operations S23 to S24: S23 includes: acquiring a signal intensity of the antenna assembly 30 in real time after the antenna assembly 30 is rotated by a preset angle along the first axis. S24 includes: comparing the signal intensity acquired in real time with the preset signal intensity, and, based on a comparison result, selectively controlling the drive mechanism 40 to drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate along the second axis.

[0072] Further, operation S24 specifically includes the following operations 241 to S243: S241 includes: under the condition that the signal intensity is higher than the preset signal intensity, controlling the antenna assembly 30 to maintain a current position. S242 includes: under the condition that the signal intensity is lower than or equal to the preset signal intensity, controlling the drive mechanism 40 to drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate along the second axis. S243 includes: controlling, after the antenna assembly 30 is rotated to a start position, the drive mechanism 40 to move to the first position, and controlling the antenna assembly 30 to rotate along the first axis, and then returning to operation S23.

[0073] The control method for an antenna apparatus of the present disclosure, in combination with the antenna apparatus described above, can implement rotation and pitch angle adjustment of a plurality of antenna assemblies 30 by using a single set of drive motor 43 and drive shaft 41, which reduces the cost of the whole machine and the complexity of the mechanism on one hand, and on the other hand, reduces the time for system analysis and computation and the power consumption of the whole machine due to the use of a single motor for driving.

[0074] It should be noted that operation S23 includes two types of embodiments: In one embodiment, after the antenna assembly 30 is rotated along the first axis by a preset angle, the drive mechanism 40 is still in the first position, but the drive motor 43 stops rotating, and a signal intensity of the antenna assembly 30 is acquired before a next operation is determined based on the signal intensity.

[0075] Therefore, in this embodiment, under the condition that the signal intensity is higher than the preset signal intensity, it indicates that the antenna assembly 30 is now at position with relatively good signal receiving performance, and therefore, the drive mechanism 40 may not move to the second position, but maintain the current position. Then, when the signal intensity changes or the position of the antenna assembly 30 needs to be readjusted after the device is restarted, since the drive mechanism 40 is in the first position, instead of being further moved, the drive mechanism 40 can be directly controlled to directly drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate about the first axis in operation S22 of this embodiment.

[0076] In contrast, under the condition that the signal intensity is lower than or equal to the preset signal intensity, the drive mechanism 40 needs to be moved to the second position to drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate along the second axis, until the signal intensity is higher than the preset signal intensity. Then, the drive mechanism 40 stops rotating, or the process returns to operation S23 after the antenna assembly 30 is rotated by one turn about the second axis.

[0077] In the other embodiment, after the antenna assembly 30 is rotated along the first axis by a preset angle, the drive mechanism 40 is controlled to move to the second position to drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate along the second axis, while a signal intensity of the antenna assembly 30 is acquired in real time before a next operation is determined based on the signal intensity. In other words, this embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that: in this embodiment, the rotation of the antenna assembly 30 about the second axis happens simultaneously with the acquisition of the signal intensity.

[0078] Therefore, in this embodiment, under the condition that the signal intensity is higher than the preset signal intensity, the drive mechanism 40 is required to stop driving the antenna assembly 30 to rotate about the second axis, so that the antenna assembly 30 maintains the current position. Then, when the signal intensity changes or the position of the antenna assembly 30 needs to be readjusted after the device is restarted, since the drive mechanism 40 is in the second position, the drive mechanism 40 needs to be controlled to move to the first position in operation S22 of this embodiment, so as to drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate along the first axis.

[0079] In contrast, under the condition that the signal intensity is lower than or equal to the preset signal intensity, the drive mechanism 40 can simply drive the antenna assembly 30 to rotate along the second axis until the signal intensity is higher than the preset signal intensity. Then, the drive mechanism 40 stops rotating, or the process returns to operation S23 after the antenna assembly 30 is rotated by one turn about the second axis.

[0080] Embodiments of the present disclosure and features thereof may be combined with each other without conflict. Embodiments described herein may be described with reference to plan and / or sectional views in idealized representations of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the example illustrations may be modified in accordance with the manufacturing process and / or the tolerance. Therefore, the embodiments are not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but further include modifications of configurations formed based on a manufacturing process. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the figures have schematic properties, and the shapes of the regions shown in the figures illustrate specific shapes of regions of elements, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0081] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the existing art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0082] It will be appreciated that the above implementations are merely exemplary implementations for the purpose of illustrating the principle of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or essence of the present disclosure. Such modifications and variations should also be considered as falling into the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An antenna adjustment apparatus, comprising: a rotating base (10) rotatably disposed about a first axis; a transmission mechanism (20) on the rotating base (10) and configured to mount and drive an antenna assembly (30) to rotate about a second axis relative to the rotating base (10); a drive mechanism (40) having a first position and a second position between which the drive mechanism (40) is switchable by movement, wherein in the first position, the drive mechanism (40) is in driving fit with the rotating base (10), in order to drive the antenna assembly (30) by driving the rotating base (10) to rotate about the first axis; and in the second position, the drive mechanism (40) is separated from the rotating base (10) and in driving fit with the transmission mechanism (20), in order to drive the antenna assembly (30) to rotate about the second axis relative to the rotating base (10).

2. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism (40) comprises: a drive shaft (41), wherein a rotation axis of the drive shaft (41) is the first axis, and the drive shaft (41) is movably disposed on the rotating base (10) along the first axis; and a drive gear (42) fixedly connected to the drive shaft (41), wherein in the first position of the drive mechanism (40), the drive shaft (41) is in limiting fit with the rotating base (10) in a rotating direction of the drive shaft (41), and the drive gear (42) is separated from the transmission mechanism (20), so that the drive shaft (41) drives the rotating base (10) to rotate about the first axis; and in the second position of the drive mechanism (40), the drive gear (42) is in driving fit with the transmission mechanism (20), and the drive shaft (41) is separated from the rotating base (10), so that the drive shaft (41) is rotatable circumferentially relative to the rotating base (10).

3. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a through hole (11) is formed in the rotating base (10) in a first axis direction, and the drive shaft (41) is movably disposed into the through hole (11); a first limiting part (411) is provided on an outer wall of the drive shaft (41), and a second limiting part (111) in limiting fit with the first limiting part (411) is provided on an inner wall of the through hole (11); in the first position of the drive mechanism (40), the first limiting part (411) is in limiting fit with the second limiting part (111) in the rotating direction of the drive shaft (41); and in the second position of the drive mechanism (40), the first limiting part (411) and the second limiting part (111) keep clear of each other.

4. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first limiting part (411) is a limiting protrusion, and the second limiting part (111) is a limiting groove, or the first limiting part (411) is a limiting groove, and the second limiting part (111) is a limiting protrusion.

5. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the transmission mechanism (20) comprises: a first transmission gear (21) rotatably connected to the rotating base (10) and configured to be meshed with the drive gear (42); a mount (22) connected to the rotating base (10); a rotating bracket (23) rotatably disposed on the mount (22), wherein the rotating bracket (23) is rotatable about the second axis relative to the rotating base (10), and configured for mounting of the antenna assembly (30); and a second transmission gear (24) in driving connection with the rotating bracket (23), wherein the second transmission gear (24) is configured to be meshed with the first transmission gear (21) so that the antenna assembly (30) is driven to rotate about the second axis relative to the rotating base (10).

6. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the first position of the drive mechanism (40), the rotating base (10) drives the antenna assembly (30) to rotate about the first axis through the mount (22) and the rotating bracket (23); in the second position of the drive mechanism (40), the drive gear (42) is meshed with the first transmission gear (21) so that the drive gear (42) drives the rotating bracket (23) to rotate through the first transmission gear (21) and the second transmission gear (24) sequentially, to cause the antenna assembly (30) to rotate about the second axis relative to the rotating base (10).

7. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in a second axis direction, the mount (22) is movable relative to the rotating base (10) so that the first transmission gear (21) is meshed with or separated from the second transmission gear (24) through movement by the mount (22); and in the rotating direction of the rotating base (10), the mount (22) is in limiting fit with the rotating base (10).

8. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the antenna adjustment apparatus further comprises: a first sliding part (51) fixedly disposed on the rotating base (10) in the second axis direction; and a second sliding part (52) fixedly disposed on the mount (22), wherein the second sliding part (52) is in sliding fit with the first sliding part (51) in the second axis direction, and the second sliding part (52) is in limiting fit with the first sliding part (51) in the rotating direction of the rotating base (10).

9. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the antenna adjustment apparatus further comprises: a first drive assembly (70) connecting the rotating base (10) and the mount (22) and configured to drive the mount (22) to move relative to the rotating base (10) in the second axis direction.

10. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first drive assembly (70) comprises: a first magnet (71) on the rotating base (10); a second magnet (72) on the mount (22), wherein the first magnet (71) is positioned corresponding to the second magnet (72), wherein the first drive assembly (70) has an attracted state and a repelled state, wherein in the attracted state, the first drive assembly (70) drives the mount (22) and the rotating base (10) to approach each other, so that the first transmission gear (21) is meshed with the second transmission gear (24); and in the repelled state, the first drive assembly (70) drives the mount (22) and the rotating base (10) to move away from each other, so that the first transmission gear (21) is separated from the second transmission gear (24).

11. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of mounts (22), a plurality of rotating brackets (23) and a plurality of second transmission gears (24) are provided; and the plurality of mounts (22) are distributed over an outer circumference of the rotating base (10) at intervals, each mount (22) is provided with one rotating bracket (23) and one second transmission gear (24), and second axes of all the rotating brackets (23) are perpendicular to the first axis.

12. The antenna adjustment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second axis comprises a first sub-axis and a second sub-axis perpendicular to each other; two mounts (22), two rotating brackets (23) and two second transmission gears (24) are provided, wherein one of the rotating brackets (23) is rotatable about the first sub-axis relative to the rotating base (10), and the other of the rotating brackets (23) is rotatable about the second sub-axis relative to the rotating base (10).

13. An antenna apparatus, comprising an antenna assembly (30) and the antenna adjustment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The antenna apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a housing (80); a support mechanism (60) in the housing (80), wherein the rotating base (10) is rotatably disposed on the support mechanism (60); and a second drive assembly (90) in the housing (80), wherein the second drive assembly (90) is in driving connection with the drive mechanism (40) to drive the drive mechanism (40) to move between the first position and the second position.

15. The antenna apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the support mechanism (60) comprises: a support sleeve (61) fixedly connected to the housing (80); and a support ring (62) rotatably sleeved on an outer wall of the support sleeve (61), wherein the support ring (62) is fixedly connected to the rotating base (10).

16. The antenna apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the second drive assembly (90) comprises: a third magnet (91) fixedly connected to the drive mechanism (40); a fourth magnet (92) fixedly connected to the rotating base (10), wherein the third magnet (91) is positioned corresponding to the fourth magnet (92), wherein the second drive assembly (90) has an attracted state and a repelled state, wherein in the attracted state, the second drive assembly (90) drives the drive mechanism (40) to move to the first position; and in the repelled state, the second drive assembly (90) drives the drive mechanism (40) to move to the second position.

17. The antenna apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the drive mechanism (40) comprises: a drive shaft (41) having a rotation axis being the first axis, wherein the drive shaft (41) is movably disposed on the rotating base (10) along the first axis; and a drive motor (43) in driving connection with the drive shaft (41), wherein the third magnet (91) is connected to the drive motor (43).

18. A control method for the antenna apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 17, wherein the control method comprises the operations of: acquiring a signal intensity of the antenna assembly (30) at a current position; and comparing the acquired signal intensity with a preset signal intensity, and controlling the drive mechanism (40) based on a comparison result.

19. The control method according to claim 18, wherein the operation of comparing the acquired signal intensity with the preset signal intensity, and controlling the drive mechanism (40) based on the comparison result further comprises the operations of: under the condition that the signal intensity is higher than the preset signal intensity, controlling the drive mechanism (40) to stop rotating; and under the condition that the signal intensity is lower than or equal to the preset signal intensity, controlling the drive mechanism (40) to drive the antenna assembly (30) to rotate along the first axis.

20. The control method according to claim 19, wherein after the operation of under the condition that the signal intensity is lower than or equal to the preset signal intensity, controlling the drive mechanism (40) to drive the antenna assembly (30) to rotate along the first axis, the control method further comprises the operations of: acquiring a signal intensity of the antenna assembly (30) in real time after the antenna assembly (30) is rotated by a preset angle along the first axis; and comparing the signal intensity acquired in real time with the preset signal intensity, and, based on a comparison result, selectively controlling the drive mechanism (40) to drive the antenna assembly (30) to rotate along the second axis.

21. The control method according to claim 20, wherein the operation of comparing the signal intensity acquired in real time with the preset signal intensity, and, based on the comparison result, selectively controlling the drive mechanism (40) to drive the antenna assembly (30) to rotate along the second axis further comprises the operations of: under the condition that the signal intensity is higher than the preset signal intensity, controlling the antenna assembly (30) to maintain a current position; under the condition that the signal intensity is lower than or equal to the preset signal intensity, controlling the drive mechanism (40) to drive the antenna assembly (30) to rotate along the second axis; controlling, after the antenna assembly (30) is rotated to a start position, the drive mechanism (40) to move to a first position, and controlling the antenna assembly (30) to rotate along the first axis; and returning to the operation of acquiring the signal intensity of the antenna assembly (30) in real time after the antenna assembly (30) is rotated by the preset angle along the first axis.

22. An electronic device, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory in communicative connection with the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to implement the control method according to any one of claims 18 to 21.

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