Satellite communication device and antenna angle adjustment assistance method for satellite communication device

The satellite communication device addresses the challenge of cumbersome antenna adjustments by using a processor to calculate and display angle differences, simplifying the alignment process and improving the ease of capturing communication satellites.

JP2025079185APending Publication Date: 2025-05-21KK TOSHIBA +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023191711
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-11-09
Publication Date
2025-05-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing portable satellite communication devices require cumbersome and difficult adjustments to align the antenna with a communication satellite, especially for inexperienced users, due to the separate nature of the antenna adjustment mechanisms and the lack of accurate alignment assistance.

Method used

A satellite communication device equipped with a display unit and a processor that calculates and displays the differences between target and current antenna angles (azimuth, elevation, and polarization) detected by respective angle detection units, assisting in the adjustment process.

Benefits of technology

The solution simplifies the process of aligning the antenna with a communication satellite by providing clear, visualized angle differences, allowing operators to easily adjust the antenna angles and achieve sufficient radio wave strength.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To make it possible to facilitate capturing a communication satellite by pointing an antenna unit in the direction of the communication satellite and assisting in the adjustment work of aligning a polarization axis.SOLUTION: In a satellite communication device according to this embodiment, a position detection unit detects the position of an antenna unit that transmits and receives radio waves to and from a communication satellite, respective detection units detect the antenna azimuth angle, antenna elevation angle, and antenna polarization angle pointed by the antenna unit, and a processor calculates, from detection information including the detected position of the antenna unit, antenna azimuth angle, antenna elevation angle, and antenna polarization angle, difference information to a target angle, which serves as an index for directing a pointing direction of the antenna unit toward a target communication satellite, and displays the information on a display unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a satellite communication device and an antenna angle adjustment assistance method for the satellite communication device. [Background technology]

[0002] Portable satellite communication devices used outdoors require the installation position to point the antenna direction (hereinafter referred to as the antenna direction) toward the target communication satellite and align the polarization axis of the radio waves transmitted to and received from the communication satellite. For this reason, the user of the communication satellite device deploys the base horizontally and captures the communication satellite by appropriately adjusting the angles of the antenna part (azimuth angle, elevation angle, polarization angle) so that sufficient radio wave strength is obtained. The adjustments required to capture a communication satellite are extremely cumbersome, and are not easy, especially for an inexperienced worker. To facilitate this task, a portable computer terminal may be carried, which is used to determine the direction of the communication satellite to be captured from the installation position, and the antenna angle may be adjusted by referring to the direction information. However, since the computer terminal is a separate device from the satellite communication device that has the antenna, it is difficult to accurately match the elevation angle and azimuth angle to the communication satellite and even adjust the polarization angle, although the computer terminal can refer to the direction of the communication satellite. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-67797 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2021 / 250894 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-183582 [Patent Document 4] JP 2022-114265 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of this embodiment is to provide a satellite communication device and an antenna angle adjustment assistance method for a satellite communication device that can orient an antenna unit in the direction of a communication satellite, assist in the adjustment work of aligning the polarization axis, and easily capture a communication satellite. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] a display unit that displays information; and a processor that calculates information serving as an index for directing the direction of the antenna unit to the communication satellite from information on the position, the antenna azimuth angle, the antenna elevation angle, and the antenna polarization angle detected by the position detection unit, the azimuth angle detection unit, the elevation angle detection unit, and the polarization angle detection unit, The processor acquires information on a target azimuth angle, a target elevation angle, and a target polarization angle for the target communications satellite at the position of the antenna unit, calculates an azimuth angle difference between the target azimuth angle and the antenna azimuth angle, an elevation angle difference between the target elevation angle and the antenna elevation angle, and a polarization angle difference between the target polarization angle and the antenna polarization angle, calculates the information on the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference as indexes for making adjustments in the azimuth angle adjustment mechanism, the elevation angle adjustment mechanism, and the polarization angle adjustment mechanism, respectively, and displays the information on the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference on the display unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a satellite communication system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of the satellite communication device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along the line A in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view taken along the line B in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a control configuration of the satellite communication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of the satellite communication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of antenna angle adjustment assistance for a satellite communication device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a control configuration of the satellite communication device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the disclosure is merely an example, and any suitable modification that a person skilled in the art can easily conceive of while maintaining the gist of the invention is naturally included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, in order to make the drawings and explanations clearer, the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part may be shown in a schematic manner compared to the actual embodiment, but this is merely an example and does not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In this specification and each figure, elements similar to those described above with respect to the previous figures may be given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate. Hereinafter, a satellite communication device according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0008] (First embodiment) First, the satellite communication system will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a satellite communication system according to the first embodiment. This system is formed around a communication satellite SAT in a geostationary orbit. On the ground side, fixed stations FS1 to FSn are installed, for example, at the locations of prefectural offices. It is also possible to install an in-vehicle station MS1 or a portable station MS2 at a disaster site or the like. The fixed stations FS1 to FSn, the in-vehicle station MS1, and the portable station MS2 are each equipped with a satellite communication device and can communicate with each other via the communication satellite SAT.

[0009] For example, the video of the disaster site can be transmitted via a satellite line to the main base (fixed station FS1) or each base (fixed stations FS2 to FSn) to help grasp the disaster situation. It can also be used for information sharing and disaster response conferences among relevant departments through VoIP (Voice over IP) communication or TV conferences via the satellite line. This type of system is often constructed as one of the disaster prevention systems of local governments. It is called a line assignment method DAMA (Demand Assignment Multiple Access) for satellite communication devices. Control stations provided at several locations on the ground are responsible for the control related to DAMA.

[0010] Next, the configuration of the satellite communication device 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the satellite communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view as viewed from arrow A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a side view as viewed from arrow B in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the satellite communication device 1 includes a main body portion 10, an antenna portion 30, an azimuth angle adjustment mechanism 40, an elevation angle adjustment mechanism 50, a polarization angle adjustment mechanism 60, and a support mechanism 70. The satellite communication device 1 is, for example, a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminals) device with a relatively small antenna aperture among communication devices for communicating with geostationary satellites. The main body 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape and has a display unit 11, an operation unit 12, a power switch 13, and a position detection unit 14. The display unit 11, the operation unit 12, the power switch 13, and the position detection unit 14 are provided on a side surface of the main body 10, and in one example, are provided on the upper side surface 10a.

[0011] The display unit 11 displays the state of the antenna unit 30, the target angles (azimuth angle, elevation angle, polarization angle) for the communication satellite SAT to be captured, and the like, and is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation unit 12 switches the information displayed on the display unit 11, and in one example, is a cross key. The power switch 13 is used to start and stop the satellite communication device 1 . The position detection unit 14 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device, and detects the current position information of the satellite communication device 1, for example, the longitude and latitude.

[0012] The antenna unit 30 is a planar transceiver antenna formed in a substantially rectangular shape, which transmits and receives linearly polarized radio waves to and from the communication satellite SAT when pointed toward the communication satellite SAT. The antenna unit 30 is provided on a plane (plane 10b) perpendicular to the side surface of the main body 10. The antenna unit 30 houses an antenna board (not shown) on which antenna elements are arranged in an array.

[0013] The azimuth angle adjustment mechanism 40 is a mechanism for adjusting the azimuth angle of the antenna unit 30, and supports the main body unit 10 and the antenna unit 30 so as to be rotatable about the first axis A1. The azimuth angle adjustment mechanism 40 has a first fixing member 41. In one example, the first fixing member 41 is a bolt, and an operator can make the azimuth angle of the antenna unit 30 adjustable by loosening the first fixing member 41, and can make the azimuth angle of the antenna unit 30 fixed by tightening the first fixing member 41.

[0014] The elevation angle adjustment mechanism 50 is a mechanism for adjusting the elevation angle of the antenna unit 30, and supports the main body unit 10 and the antenna unit 30 so as to be rotatable about the second axis A2. The elevation angle adjustment mechanism 50 has a second fixing member 51 and an adjustment member 52. In one example, the second fixing member 51 is a rotatable lever, and an operator can make the elevation angle of the antenna unit 30 adjustable by loosening the second fixing member 51, and can fix the elevation angle of the antenna unit 30 by tightening the second fixing member 51. The adjustment member 52 is a bolt, and an operator can adjust the elevation angle of the antenna unit 30 by rotating the adjustment member 52 with the second fixing member 51 loosened.

[0015] The polarization angle adjustment mechanism 60 is a mechanism for adjusting the polarization angle of the antenna unit 30, and supports the main body unit 10 and the antenna unit 30 rotatably about the third axis A3. The polarization angle adjustment mechanism 60 has a third fixing member 61. In one example, the third fixing member 61 is a bolt, and an operator can make the polarization angle of the antenna unit 30 adjustable by loosening the third fixing member 61, and can make the polarization angle of the antenna unit 30 fixed by tightening the third fixing member 61.

[0016] The support mechanism 70 supports the main body unit 10, the antenna unit 30, the azimuth angle adjustment mechanism 40, the elevation angle adjustment mechanism 50, and the polarization angle adjustment mechanism 60. In one example, the support mechanism 70 is a tripod and has three legs 71, three horizontal adjustment members 72, and a horizontal detection unit 73. An operator can unfold the three legs 71 to install the satellite communication device 1 on the ground, and adjust the three horizontal adjustment members 72 while checking the horizontal detection unit 73, thereby adjusting the reference plane 70a so that it is horizontal.

[0017] Next, the control configuration of the satellite communication device 1 will be described. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the satellite communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. In addition to the satellite communication device 1, Fig. 5 also shows devices such as a communication terminal 82. As shown in Fig. 5, the satellite communication device 1 has a display unit 11, an operation unit 12, a position detection unit 14, an azimuth angle detection unit 15, an elevation angle detection unit 16, a polarization angle detection unit 17, a MODEM (hereinafter also referred to as "modem") 19, a wireless unit 20, a processor 21, a storage unit 22, and a LAN connector 23. The antenna unit 30 has a transmitting antenna 30a and a receiving antenna 30b. The modem 19 has a received radio wave intensity detection unit 19a.

[0018] First, the modem 19, the wireless unit 20, the LAN connector 23, and the antenna section 30 will be described. The modem 19 is connected to the wireless unit 20 and the LAN connector 23. The wireless unit 20 is connected to the antenna section 30. The LAN connector 23 is connected to a communication terminal 82 such as a notebook PC or a VoIP phone via a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) router 81. The modem 19 modulates communication data from the communication terminal 82, generates a baseband IF band communication signal, and outputs it to the wireless unit 20 (transmitter 20a described later). The modem 19 demodulates communication data from the wireless unit 20 (receiver 20b described later), and outputs it to the communication terminal 82.

[0019] The wireless unit 20 has a transmitter 20a and a receiver 20b. The transmitter 20a is equipped with a BUC that frequency converts (up-converts) an IF band communication signal to an RF band signal. The transmitter 20a power-amplifies the RF band communication signal obtained by frequency-converting the IF band communication signal from the modem 19 using the BUC, and sends the amplified signal to the antenna section 30 (transmitting antenna 30a). The antenna section 30 (transmitting antenna 30a) transmits the RF band communication signal output from the wireless unit 20 to the communication satellite SAT.

[0020] When the antenna section 30 (receiving antenna 30b) receives an RF band communication signal from the communication satellite SAT, it transmits the RF band communication signal to the wireless unit 20. The receiver 20b is equipped with an LNC that frequency converts (down-converts) the RF band communication signal to a baseband IF band signal. The receiver 20b performs low-noise amplification on the RF band communication signal from the antenna section 30 (receiving antenna 30b), frequency converts the signal to an IF band communication signal using the LNC, and transmits the signal to the modem 19. The modem 19 demodulates the communication data from the input baseband IF band communication signal, and transmits the demodulated data to a designated communication terminal. This enables data communication via the communication satellite SAT.

[0021] Next, the azimuth angle detection unit 15, the elevation angle detection unit 16, the polarization angle detection unit 17, the received radio wave intensity detection unit 19a and the storage unit 22 will be described. The azimuth angle detection unit 15 detects the azimuth angle pointed by the antenna unit 30. The azimuth angle detection unit 15 is a magnetic sensor. The azimuth angle detection unit 15 is disposed at a position away from a power supply unit (not shown) that generates a magnetic field. The elevation angle detection unit 16 is an inclination sensor that detects the elevation angle pointed by the antenna unit 30. The elevation angle detection unit 16 is, for example, an acceleration sensor, and can detect the elevation angle by detecting the gravitational acceleration at the installation location.

[0022] The polarization angle detection unit 17 is an inclination sensor that detects the polarization angle at which the antenna unit 30 is oriented. The polarization angle detection unit 17 is, for example, an acceleration sensor, and can detect the polarization angle by detecting the gravitational acceleration at the installation location. The received radio wave intensity detection unit 19a detects the received radio wave intensity (also called “RX level”) from the antenna reception signal, and outputs the detected received radio wave intensity to the processor 21.

[0023] The storage unit 22 can store values ​​detected by each of the detection units 14, 15, 16, 17, and 19a. Hereinafter, "position information of the antenna unit 30 detected by the position detection unit 14" will be referred to as "antenna position information," "the azimuth angle at which the antenna unit 30 is pointed, detected by the azimuth angle detection unit 15" will be referred to as "antenna azimuth," "the elevation angle at which the antenna unit 30 is pointed, detected by the elevation angle detection unit 16" will be referred to as "antenna elevation angle," and "the polarization angle at which the antenna unit 30 is pointed, detected by the polarization angle detection unit 17" will be referred to as "antenna polarization angle." The storage unit 22 has satellite position information 22a. The satellite position information 22a is a table in which position information of a plurality of geostationary satellites is stored, and is set at the time of manufacture.

[0024] Next, the processor 21 will be described. The processor 21 is connected to the display unit 11, the operation unit 12, the detection units 14, 15, 16, 17, the modem 19, and the storage unit 22, and has a calculation unit 21a. The processor 21 is configured as a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a RAM (Random-Access Memory), etc., and controls the operations of various devices of the satellite communication device 1 by executing programs stored in the ROM.

[0025] For example, the processor 21 can acquire antenna position information, antenna azimuth angle, antenna elevation angle, and antenna polarization angle detected by each detection unit 14, 15, 16, and 17, and calculate information in the calculation unit 21a that serves as an index for directing the direction of the antenna unit 30 toward the communication satellite SAT. The processor 21 detects antenna position information by the position detection unit 14, and can obtain information on target angles (target azimuth angle, target elevation angle, and target polarization angle) for a target communication satellite at the position of the antenna unit 30. More specifically, the processor 21 refers to the satellite position information 22a in the storage unit 22, and calculates information on the target angle at the position of the antenna unit 30 based on the position information of the communication satellite SAT.

[0026] The processor 21 can calculate the relationship between the target angle and the antenna angle by the calculation unit 21a. More specifically, the processor 21 can calculate the difference between the target angle and the antenna angle. The difference between the target angle and the antenna angle described above serves as an index for adjustment by the azimuth angle adjustment mechanism 40, the elevation angle adjustment mechanism 50, and the polarization angle adjustment mechanism 60. The processor 21 can visualize the difference between the target angle and the antenna angle described above, and generate information on the visualized difference.

[0027] The processor 21 can display on the display unit 11, in response to an operation by an operator via the operation unit 12, values ​​detected by the respective detection units 14, 15, 16, 17, and 19a and information on the difference between the antenna angle and the target angle. Furthermore, the processor 21 can display on the display unit 11 information visualizing the difference between the target angle and the antenna angle. The processor 21 can switch the information displayed on the display unit 11 in response to an operation on the operation unit 12.

[0028] Next, the information displayed on the display unit 11 will be described. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 11 of the satellite communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the display unit 11 is formed in a rectangular shape, and the display screen of the display unit 11 includes an azimuth angle display area 11a, an elevation angle display area 11b, a polarization angle display area 11c, and a received radio wave intensity display area 11d.

[0029] The azimuth angle display area 11a displays a target azimuth angle, a difference between the target azimuth angle and the antenna azimuth angle (also called "azimuth angle difference"), and visualized azimuth angle difference information that visualizes the azimuth angle difference. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the target azimuth angle is 156.2, and the azimuth angle difference is -5.9. The visualized azimuth angle difference information is made up of a target azimuth angle symbol 11a1 indicating a target azimuth angle, an antenna azimuth angle symbol 11a2 indicating an antenna azimuth angle, and a coordinate axis 11a3.

[0030] The elevation angle display area 11b displays a target elevation angle, a difference between the target elevation angle and the antenna elevation angle (also called an "elevation angle difference"), and visualized elevation angle difference information that visualizes the elevation angle difference. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the target elevation angle is 43.7, and the elevation angle difference is -25.4. The visualized elevation angle difference information is made up of a target elevation angle symbol 11b1 indicating a target elevation angle, an antenna elevation angle symbol 11b2 indicating an antenna elevation angle, and a coordinate axis 11b3.

[0031] The polarization angle display area 11c displays a target polarization angle, a difference between the target polarization angle and the antenna polarization angle (also called a "polarization angle difference"), and visualized polarization angle difference information that visualizes the polarization angle difference. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the target polarization angle is 89.1, and the polarization angle difference is 6.7. The visualized polarization angle difference information is made up of a target polarization angle symbol 11c1 indicating a target polarization angle, an antenna polarization angle symbol 11c2 indicating an antenna polarization angle, and a coordinate axis 11c3.

[0032] The received radio wave strength display area 11d displays the received radio wave strength. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the received radio wave strength is 16.2 dB. The antenna azimuth angle, antenna elevation angle, and antenna polarization angle change according to the adjustment amount in the azimuth angle adjustment mechanism 40, the elevation angle adjustment mechanism 50, and the polarization angle adjustment mechanism 60. That is, the processor 21 controls the azimuth angle detection unit 15, the elevation angle detection unit 16, and the polarization angle detection unit 17 to detect the antenna azimuth angle, antenna elevation angle, and antenna polarization angle at a predetermined interval (e.g., 0.1 second interval), and executes a process of displaying the latest value among the detected values ​​on the display unit 11. Furthermore, the processor 21 executes a process of displaying information (azimuth angle difference, elevation angle difference, and polarization angle difference) for capturing a communication satellite according to the adjustment amount on the display unit 11.

[0033] Next, the capture of a communication satellite by the satellite communication device 1 using assistance in adjusting the antenna angle will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of antenna angle adjustment assistance for the satellite communication device 1. As shown in Fig. 7, when the satellite communication device 1 is installed and capture of the communication satellite SAT is started, in step S1, the processor 21 acquires target angles (target azimuth angle, target elevation angle, target polarization angle) at the antenna position of the antenna unit 30.

[0034] Next, in step S2, the processor 21 causes the azimuth angle detection unit 15, the elevation angle detection unit 16, and the polarization angle detection unit 17 to detect the antenna angles (antenna azimuth angle, antenna elevation angle, antenna polarization angle) pointed by the antenna unit 30. Next, in step S3, the processor 21 calculates the differences between the target angles and the antenna angles (azimuth angle difference, elevation angle difference, and polarization angle difference).

[0035] After that, in step S4, the processor 21 displays on the display unit 11 information on the differences (azimuth angle difference, elevation angle difference, and polarization angle difference) calculated in step S3. At this time, as in the example shown in Figure 6, the processor 21 may generate visualized azimuth angle difference information, visualized elevation angle difference information, and visualized polarization angle difference information, and display the visualized azimuth angle difference information, visualized elevation angle difference information, and visualized polarization angle difference information on the display unit 11.

[0036] When the information is displayed on the display unit 11, the worker performs the adjustment work of the antenna angle using the azimuth angle adjustment mechanism, the elevation angle adjustment mechanism, and the polarization angle adjustment mechanism, using the information on the display unit 11 as an index. For example, when performing the adjustment work of the antenna azimuth angle, the worker loosens the first fixing member 41, rotates the antenna unit 30 around the first axis A1 so as to bring the azimuth angle difference closer to 0 while checking the azimuth angle difference information and the visualized azimuth angle difference information displayed on the display unit 11, and tightens the first fixing member 41 when the azimuth angle difference reaches an allowable value.

[0037] Next, in step S5, the processor 21 determines whether the received radio wave strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the received radio wave strength is less than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S2. If the received radio wave strength is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process of capturing the communication satellite SAT is terminated. The determination in step S5 may be performed by the operator checking the display unit 11. In that case, the processor 21 causes the display unit 11 to display information on the received radio wave intensity in step S4.

[0038] The effects of the first embodiment will be described. According to the satellite communication device 1 of the first embodiment, the satellite communication device 1 calculates the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference, and displays the information of the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference on the display unit 11. The satellite communication device 1 also detects the received radio wave strength, and displays the information of the received radio wave strength on the display unit 11. In this way, the adjustment work of pointing the antenna unit 30 toward the communication satellite SAT and aligning the polarization axis is assisted, so that the operator can adjust the antenna angle to the target angle while checking the difference information, and can easily capture the communication satellite.

[0039] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. The satellite communication device 1 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, except for the configuration described in the second embodiment. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a control configuration of the satellite communication device 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the satellite communication device 1 further includes a first motor 42, a second motor 53, a third motor 62, and a motor operation unit 24.

[0040] The first motor 42 is provided in the azimuth angle adjustment mechanism 40. By driving the first motor 42, the antenna azimuth angle can be controlled to any angle. The second motor 53 is provided in the elevation angle adjustment mechanism 50. By driving the second motor 53, the antenna elevation angle can be controlled to any angle. The third motor 62 is provided in the polarization angle adjustment mechanism 60. By driving the third motor 62, the antenna polarization angle can be controlled to an arbitrary angle.

[0041] The processor 21 can drive the first motor 42, the second motor 53, and the third motor 62 individually in response to the operation of the motor operation unit 24 by the operator, and control the antenna angles of each of them. According to the satellite communication device 1 of the second embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to control the antenna angle more easily and with higher accuracy than in the first embodiment.

[0042] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1...satellite communication device, 11...display unit, 11a...azimuth angle display area, 11a1...target azimuth angle symbol, 11a2...antenna azimuth angle symbol, 11b...elevation angle display area, 11b1...target elevation angle symbol, 11b2...antenna elevation angle symbol, 11c...polarization angle display area, 11c1...target polarization angle symbol, 11c2...antenna polarization angle symbol, 14...position detection unit, 15...azimuth angle detection unit, 16...elevation angle detection unit, 17...polarization angle detection unit, 19a...received radio wave intensity detection unit, 21...processor, 21a...calculation unit, 22...memory unit, 22a...satellite position information, 30...antenna unit, 40...azimuth angle adjustment mechanism, 50...elevation angle adjustment mechanism, 60...polarization angle adjustment mechanism, SAT...communication satellite.

Claims

1. an antenna unit that is directed toward a communication satellite and transmits and receives radio waves to and from the communication satellite; a position detection unit that detects the position of the antenna unit; an azimuth angle detection unit that detects an antenna azimuth angle directed by the antenna unit; an elevation angle detection unit that detects an antenna elevation angle directed by the antenna unit; a polarization angle detection unit that detects an antenna polarization angle directed by the antenna unit; an azimuth angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the azimuth angle of the antenna; an elevation angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the elevation angle of the antenna; a polarization angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the antenna polarization angle; A display unit for displaying information; a processor that calculates information serving as an index for directing the direction of the antenna unit toward the communication satellite from information on the position, antenna azimuth angle, antenna elevation angle, and antenna polarization angle detected by the position detection unit, the azimuth angle detection unit, the elevation angle detection unit, and the polarization angle detection unit, respectively; The processor, acquiring information on a target azimuth angle, a target elevation angle, and a target polarization angle with respect to the target communication satellite at the position of the antenna unit; calculating an azimuth angle difference between the target azimuth angle and the antenna azimuth angle, an elevation angle difference between the target elevation angle and the antenna elevation angle, and a polarization angle difference between the target polarization angle and the antenna polarization angle; calculating information on the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference as the indexes for performing adjustments by the azimuth angle adjustment mechanism, the elevation angle adjustment mechanism, and the polarization angle adjustment mechanism, respectively; displaying information on the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference on the display unit; Satellite communication equipment.

2. A storage unit in which position information of the communication satellite is stored, the processor calculates information on the target azimuth angle, the target elevation angle, and the target polarization angle at the position of the antenna unit based on position information of the communication satellite.

2. The satellite communication device of claim 1.

3. a received radio wave intensity detection unit that detects the intensity of radio waves received by the antenna unit from the communication satellite, The processor causes the display unit to display information about the received radio wave strength.

2. The satellite communication device of claim 1.

4. The processor, visualizing the information of the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference to generate visualized azimuth angle difference information, visualized elevation angle difference information, and visualized polarization angle difference information; displaying the visualized azimuth angle difference information, the visualized elevation angle difference information, and the visualized polarization angle difference information on the display unit; 2. The satellite communication device of claim 1.

5. The visualized azimuth angle difference information includes a target azimuth angle symbol representing the target azimuth angle and an antenna azimuth angle symbol representing the antenna azimuth angle, the visualized elevation angle difference information includes a target elevation angle symbol representing the target elevation angle and an antenna elevation angle symbol representing the antenna elevation angle, The visualized polarization angle difference information includes a target polarization angle symbol representing the target polarization angle and an antenna polarization angle symbol representing the antenna polarization angle.

5. The satellite communication device according to claim 4.

6. an antenna unit that is directed toward a communication satellite and transmits and receives radio waves to and from the communication satellite; a position detection unit that detects the position of the antenna unit; an azimuth angle detection unit that detects an antenna azimuth angle directed by the antenna unit; an elevation angle detection unit that detects an antenna elevation angle directed by the antenna unit; a polarization angle detection unit that detects an antenna polarization angle directed by the antenna unit; an azimuth angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the azimuth angle of the antenna; an elevation angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the elevation angle of the antenna; a polarization angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the antenna polarization angle; A display unit for displaying information; a processor that calculates information serving as an index for directing a direction of the antenna unit toward the communication satellite from information on the position, the antenna azimuth angle, the antenna elevation angle, and the antenna polarization angle detected by the position detection unit, the azimuth angle detection unit, the elevation angle detection unit, and the polarization angle detection unit, respectively; The processor, acquiring a target azimuth angle, a target elevation angle, and a target polarization angle for the target communication satellite at the position of the antenna unit; calculating an azimuth angle difference between the target azimuth angle and the antenna azimuth angle, an elevation angle difference between the target elevation angle and the antenna elevation angle, and a polarization angle difference between the target polarization angle and the antenna polarization angle; calculating information on the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference as the indexes for performing adjustments by the azimuth angle adjustment mechanism, the elevation angle adjustment mechanism, and the polarization angle adjustment mechanism, respectively; displaying information on the azimuth angle difference, the elevation angle difference, and the polarization angle difference on the display unit; A method for assisting in adjusting the antenna angle of a satellite communication device.

Citation Information

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