Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle in which a charging object adhered to an array antenna can be removed with a small number of resources.SOLUTION: A vehicle 10 includes: an array antenna 16 in which a plurality of radiation elements 18 are arrayed; and a control device that moves a charging object 12 adhered to the array antenna 16 by sequentially applying a voltage to the plurality of radiation elements 18, and performs control of collecting the charging object 12 to a predetermined position on the array antenna 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a vehicle equipped with a recognition sensor that recognizes the situation around the vehicle and a sensor washing device that washes the recognition sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-162915 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in desert areas, space environments, etc., there is a risk that charged objects may adhere to the surface of the array antenna, degrading the antenna characteristics. Because charged objects are difficult to remove from the array antenna, it is difficult for the antenna characteristics to recover naturally.

[0005] It is also possible to remove charged objects using the cleaning device described in Patent Document 1 above or compressed air, but since it is difficult to replenish resources in desert areas or space environments, it is necessary to remove charged objects attached to the array antenna using as few resources as possible.

[0006] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle that can remove charged objects attached to an array antenna using fewer resources. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle of the present invention described in claim 1 has an array antenna in which a plurality of radiating elements are arranged, and a control device that applies voltages sequentially to the plurality of radiating elements to move charged objects attached to the array antenna and control the charged objects to be collected at a predetermined location on the array antenna.

[0008] According to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, a control device sequentially applies voltage to a plurality of radiating elements. This moves charged objects attached to the array antenna and collects them at a predetermined location on the array antenna. The charged objects collected at the predetermined location can be removed by using a cleaning device, compressed air, or the like. Therefore, charged objects can be removed from the array antenna with fewer resources than when, for example, blowing compressed air over the entire array antenna. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As described above, the vehicle according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to remove charged objects attached to the array antenna using fewer resources. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a left side view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the phased array antenna shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing how voltages are sequentially applied to the radiating elements of the phased array antenna shown in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A vehicle 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Note that the arrows FR, UP, and RH shown as appropriate in each figure respectively indicate the front side, upper side, and right side in the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, when the directions front-rear, up-down, and left-right are used in the following description unless otherwise specified, they refer to front-rear in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, up-down in the up-down direction of the vehicle, and left-right in the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle, respectively.

[0012] (Overall vehicle configuration) 1 shows a left side view of a vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. As an example, the vehicle 10 is a lunar vehicle capable of traveling on a lunar surface 14 covered with sandy regolith 12 (see FIG. 4).

[0013] The vehicle 10 is equipped with a phased array antenna 16 as an array antenna. As shown in FIG. 3, the phased array antenna 16 has a plurality of radiating elements 18 arranged in a plane. The phased array antenna 16 is an antenna that obtains a desired radiation directivity by exciting at least some of the radiating elements 18 and controlling the amplitude and phase of the excitation current. The phased array antenna 16 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate, as an example. However, the shape of the array antenna is not limited to the above.

[0014] 1, a phased array antenna 16 (hereinafter referred to as "array antenna 16") is supported on a vehicle body 22 by a support portion 20. The support portion 20 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and a lower end portion of the support portion 20 is connected to the rear portion of the roof of the vehicle body 22.

[0015] The vehicle 10 is also equipped with an inspection antenna 24 that receives radio waves transmitted from the array antenna 16 and measures the directivity of the array antenna 16. The inspection antenna 24 is, for example, formed in a rod shape, and its lower end is fixed to the front roof of the vehicle body 22.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the support part 20 (see Fig. 1) supports the array antenna 16 so that it can rotate around the vertical direction of the vehicle as its axial direction. The basic position of the array antenna 16 is such that the front of the array antenna 16 faces forward of the vehicle, i.e., toward the inspection antenna 24, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 2. As the orientation of the array antenna 16 changes, the strength of the radio waves reaching the inspection antenna 24 changes.

[0017] 3, the plurality of radiating elements 18 are arranged in a lattice pattern in the array antenna 16. In this embodiment, 42 radiating elements 18 are arranged in 6 rows and 7 columns in the array antenna 16, but the number of radiating elements is not limited to this.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 is also equipped with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 26 as a control device.

[0019] The ECU 26 has a function for checking the transmission of the array antenna 16. Specifically, the ECU 26 stores data on the directivity (changes in radio waves depending on the orientation of the array antenna 16) when no regolith 12 (see FIG. 4) is attached to the array antenna 16 as a non-defective condition. During the transmission check, the ECU 26 compares the measurement results of the inspection antenna 24 with the non-defective condition to inspect the reception characteristics of the array antenna 16. The transmission check may be performed at any timing or periodically at predetermined time intervals.

[0020] 4, the ECU 26 has a function of performing a process to remove the regolith 12 (see FIG. 4) if it determines through the above-mentioned transmission check that the reception characteristics of the array antenna 16 have deteriorated. Specifically, the ECU 26 performs control to move the regolith 12 adhering to the array antenna 16 by sequentially applying voltages to a plurality of radiating elements, thereby concentrating the regolith 12 in the lower left corner of the array antenna 16 (around the radiating element 18 of G6 in FIG. 3). This control will be described in detail later.

[0021] Furthermore, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a blower (not shown) that blows compressed air toward the surface of the array antenna 16. The direction of the blower's nozzle is adjusted so that the compressed air is blown toward the lower left corner of the array antenna 16 (around the radiating element 18 G6 in FIG. 3). The ECU 26 has the function of controlling the blower to collect the regolith 12 at the lower left corner of the array antenna 16, and then controlling the blower to blow compressed air toward the array antenna 16.

[0022] (action) Next, the regolith removal process executed by ECU 26 will be described with reference to Figures 4(A) to 4(F), and the operation of this embodiment will be described through this description. Note that the area indicated by the dashed dotted line in each of Figures 4(A) to 4(F) indicates the range of radiating element 18 to which voltage is applied.

[0023] The regolith 12 is charged by the influence of sunlight and solar plasma, and floats due to the influence of the electric field on the lunar surface 14 (see Figure 1). In other words, the regolith 12 is an electrically charged object. When the regolith 12 adheres to the surface of the array antenna 16, wavelength shortening occurs when radio waves pass through the interior of the regolith 12, which is a dielectric. If this wavelength shortening causes a deviation in the phase control of the array antenna 16, the antenna characteristics will deteriorate. In the lunar environment, there is no rain or wind and gravity is weak, so the regolith 12 that adheres to the array antenna 16 is unlikely to fall off, and it is difficult for the antenna characteristics to recover naturally.

[0024] In the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, if the ECU 26 determines during a transmission check that the reception characteristics of the array antenna 16 have deteriorated, the ECU 26 controls the application of a voltage to the radiating elements 18 (A1 to A6 in FIG. 3) in row A located at the right end (left side of the page) of the array antenna 16. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the regolith 12 adhering near row A is attracted by Coulomb force to the radiating elements 18 in row A to which the voltage has been applied.

[0025] Next, under the control of the ECU 26, a voltage is applied to the radiating elements 18 (B1 to B6 in FIG. 3) in row B, which is located to the left of row A (to the right on the paper). At this time, the regolith 12 attached near row B, including the regolith 12 attracted to the radiating elements 18 in row A, is attracted to the radiating elements 18 in row B, as shown in FIG. 4(B).

[0026] Furthermore, under the control of the ECU 26, voltage is applied in the order of the radiating elements 18 in row C (C1 to C6 in FIG. 3), the radiating elements 18 in row D (D1 to D6 in FIG. 3), the radiating elements 18 in row E (E1 to E6 in FIG. 3), the radiating elements 18 in row F (F1 to F6 in FIG. 3), and the radiating elements 18 in row G (G1 to G6 in FIG. 3).

[0027] In this way, by sequentially shifting the row to which the voltage is applied from the right side to the left side of the array antenna 16 (from the left side to the right side on the paper), the attracted regolith 12 is moved from row A to row G. As a result, as shown in Figure 4(C), the regolith 12 gathers on the radiating elements 18 in row G (G1 to G6 in Figure 3).

[0028] Next, under the control of the ECU 26, a voltage is applied only to the topmost radiating element 18 in row G (G1 in FIG. 3), as shown in FIG. 4(D). As a result, the regolith 12 attached near G1 is attracted to the radiating element 18 of G1. Next, a voltage is applied only to the radiating element 18 of G2 (see FIG. 3), which is positioned one element below G1. As a result, the regolith 12 attached near G2, including the regolith 12 attracted to the radiating element 18 of G1 as described above, is attracted to the radiating element 18 of G2.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(D), a voltage is applied only to the radiating element 18 of G3 (see Figure 3), which is located immediately below G2. As a result, the regolith 12 attached in the vicinity of G3, including the regolith 12 attracted to the radiating element 18 of G2 as described above, is attracted to the radiating element 18 of G3.

[0030] By sequentially shifting the row to which the voltage is applied from the top to the bottom of the array antenna 16 in this way, the attracted regolith 12 moves from G1 to G6. As a result, as shown in Figure 4(F), the regolith 12 gathers at the radiating element 18 of G6 (see Figure 3), that is, at the lower left corner of the array antenna 16 (lower right corner on the paper).

[0031] Furthermore, with the regolith 12 collected at the lower left corner of the array antenna 16 (around the radiating element 18 of G6 in FIG. 3), a blower (not shown) blows compressed air toward the lower left corner of the array antenna 16. As a result, the collected regolith 12 is blown away and removed from the array antenna 16.

[0032] Therefore, according to the vehicle 10 of this embodiment, compressed air is blown onto the regolith 12 collected in one place, so that the regolith 12 can be removed from the array antenna 16 with less compressed air than when compressed air is blown widely over the entire array antenna 16.

[0033] Furthermore, in the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment, during a transmission check, the ECU 26 compares the measurement results of the inspection antenna 24 with the acceptable product conditions and inspects the reception characteristics of the array antenna 16. If the ECU 26 determines through the transmission check that the reception characteristics of the array antenna 16 have deteriorated, it executes a process to remove the regolith 12. This makes it possible to further conserve compressed air compared to removing the regolith 12 periodically regardless of the reception characteristics of the array antenna 16.

[0034] [Supplementary explanation of the above embodiment] In the above embodiment, the regolith 12 is collected at the lower left corner of the array antenna 16 by applying voltages sequentially from row A (A1 to A6) to row G (G1 to G6) in Fig. 3 and then sequentially applying voltages from G1 to G6, but this is not limiting. For example, depending on the order (direction) of applying the voltages, the regolith 12 may be collected at any one of the upper right, lower right, or upper left corners of the array antenna 16.

[0035] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ECU 26 compares the measurement results of the inspection antenna 24 with the conditions for good products, and if it determines that the reception characteristics of the array antenna 16 have deteriorated, a process for removing the regolith 12 is executed. However, this is not limited to this, and the process for removing the regolith 12 may be executed periodically, for example, at predetermined time intervals.

[0036] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the vehicle 10 has been described as a lunar vehicle capable of traveling on the lunar surface 14 covered with regolith 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle may be a vehicle that travels in a desert area, and the control device may perform a process to remove sand that has accumulated on the array antenna.

[0037] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a blower (not shown) is described as discharging compressed air toward the array antenna 16, but the method for finally removing the charged objects collected at a predetermined location on the array antenna is not limited to this. For example, the charged objects may be removed by a fluid discharged from a device that discharges a fluid other than water. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10 vehicles 16 Phased array antenna (array antenna) 18 Radiating element 12 Regolith (charged material) 26 ECU (control unit)

Claims

[Claim 1] an array antenna in which a plurality of radiating elements are arranged; a control device that applies voltages to the plurality of radiating elements in sequence to move charged objects attached to the array antenna and collect the charged objects at predetermined locations on the array antenna; A vehicle having:

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