Self-Installation of Phased Array Antennas Using Augmented Reality

Abstract

Use of augmented reality to assist in the visualization of characteristics of an electronically steerable antenna. The augmented reality device may include one or more sensors that can capture sensor data that can be analyzed to identify and / or confirm the antenna's position and / or orientation. The augmented reality display may then present information about the antenna, which may include information about the antenna's orientation relative to a target orientation. Additionally, information about the antenna's beam may be displayed. Additionally, information about the communication system that includes the target communication device may also be presented. This may enable demonstration and troubleshooting of the operation of the electronically steerable antenna.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Electronically steerable antennas are often used in communication systems. For example, electronically steerable antennas (e.g., phased array antennas) may enable a physically stationary antenna to track a moving communication target (e.g., a communication satellite) by steering the antenna's beam. As such, electronically steerable antennas may be utilized in communication systems (e.g., low Earth orbit (LEO) systems, medium Earth orbit systems, etc.) in which the antenna tracks a communication satellite as it moves overhead relative to the antenna. Even in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) systems, tracking may occur due to slight differences in satellite position and / or ground motion. This may be particularly relevant when using higher frequencies, as slight deviations from optimal antenna aiming can degrade performance.

[0002] However, electronically steerable antennas do not have any visible moving parts. Thus, in contrast to mechanically steered antennas, electronically steered antennas steer the antenna's beam electronically without causing any physical change in the antenna's orientation or appearance. As a result, an observer may not be able to visualize the operation of an electronically steerable antenna. For example, an observer may find the antenna's operation uninteresting or difficult to understand due to the lack of sensory feedback from the antenna when its operation or function is indicated. Furthermore, the lack of sensory feedback may make it difficult to visualize or confirm the electronically steerable antenna's orientation and / or the position of the electronically steerable antenna's beam. Furthermore, troubleshooting communication problems with an electronically steerable antenna may be difficult because the antenna's status is not perceptible to the user. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure is directed to using augmented reality to visualize an electronically steerable antenna. This may include determining a device position of the augmented reality device relative to the Earth and resolving a device orientation of the augmented reality device relative to the Earth. Additionally, the electronically steerable antenna may be identified from sensor data of a field of view of a sensor of the augmented reality device. The use of augmented reality may then include ascertaining an antenna position and an antenna orientation of the electronically steerable antenna based on the sensor data. The antenna position and antenna orientation are provided relative to the field of view of the sensor of the augmented reality device. At least one characteristic of the electronically steerable antenna may then be visually presented within a display of the augmented reality device based on the ascertained antenna position and antenna orientation.

[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce in a simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] Other embodiments are also described and listed herein. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic diagram of an augmented reality device and an electronically steerable antenna. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which an electronically steerable antenna is identified from sensor data of an augmented reality device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining the position and orientation of an antenna relative to an augmented reality device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of the use of an augmented reality device to assist in the orientation of an electronically steerable antenna. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the use of an augmented reality device to display information about a communication system and the beam direction of an electronically steerable antenna. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the use of an augmented reality device to determine potential obstructions or other signal loss events in an electronically steerable antenna. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates an example process for using augmented reality to visualize an electronically steerable antenna. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates an example computing device capable of performing certain functions of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It is to be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but rather the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives included within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0008] The present disclosure generally relates to the use of augmented reality to provide sensory feedback regarding electronically steerable antennas. The use of augmented reality may be beneficial in many situations. For example, augmented reality may be utilized to provide a richer experience to an observer when demonstrating the functionality and / or operation of an electronically steerable antenna. In this regard, an observer may benefit from augmented reality to visualize how the electronically steerable antenna is operating in a communication system. This may result in a better understanding of the antenna's operation and facilitate a more compelling demonstration of the communication system.

[0009] In other situations, augmented reality may aid a user in setting up or troubleshooting an antenna. For example, augmented reality may be used to provide sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback) regarding the orientation and / or placement of an electronically steerable antenna. This may include determining the location and / or desired orientation of the antenna with real-time feedback regarding the actual placement and / or orientation of the antenna.

[0010] Additionally, augmented reality may enable visual feedback for troubleshooting problems in communication systems. For example, an augmented reality representation may help identify obstacles in the field of view of an electronically steerable antenna. Additionally or alternatively, a user may be able to identify whether continuous communication can be achieved by visualizing acquisition of signal (AOS) and loss of signal (LOS) events between the antenna and a target communication device (e.g., historical and / or future status information may be analyzed to determine whether LOS will occur before AOS of a new target).

[0011] Furthermore, information may be provided to supplement the augmented reality display to obtain further information regarding components of the communication system other than the antenna. For example, navigation information for target communication devices (e.g., ephemeris information, almanac information, azimuth and altitude, or other location information regarding the communication target) may be provided to enable representation of the location of one or more target communication devices within the augmented reality display. In addition, status information (e.g., beam pointing direction) of electronically steerable antennas may be presented to the user via the augmented reality display. That is, the antenna may communicate beam pointing direction information regarding the beam pointing direction of the beam relative to the antenna body to the augmented reality device, enabling such beam to be visually represented within the augmented reality display, even if the beam (and beam direction) is not inherently perceptible by the observer. The navigation information and / or beam pointing direction information represented by the augmented reality display may represent the real-time status of the communication system or may be historical and / or predicted status information for previous and / or future times.

[0012] Thus, the use of augmented reality in connection with electronically steerable antennas may facilitate a more engaging experience for observers and / or may aid in understanding the operation of communication systems that include electronically steerable antennas. As a result, sales or other commercial activities may be enhanced through a better understanding and demonstration of the operation of communication systems that include electronically steerable antennas. Furthermore, the augmented reality information may facilitate improvements associated with the setup and / or troubleshooting process, which may enable more efficient operation that reduces costs associated with setup and / or troubleshooting.

[0013] As previously mentioned, the use of augmented reality can assist with antenna positioning and / or orientation. Antennas may be located within communication systems that may be used in homes and / or mobile devices, where consistently achieving such precise pointing can be difficult. Therefore, an installer or user may be responsible for mounting and positioning the antenna to achieve sufficient antenna alignment accuracy to establish a communications link. A traditional approach to verifying proper alignment may utilize sound. The pitch or frequency of the sound may indicate to an installer, who may physically move the antenna, whether the antenna is correctly or incorrectly positioned. However, while such sounds may provide auditory feedback regarding proper placement, they do not provide the installer with feedback regarding which direction to move the antenna or the antenna's real-time status relative to the desired orientation. Thus, a user may have to randomly move the antenna or systematically sweep the antenna while listening to the provided indicator sound until proper alignment is achieved, without receiving any information regarding the direction in which to move the antenna. Once the antenna is correctly aligned, an auditory signal may be provided, and a mechanical fastener may be fastened to maintain the antenna in the position identified by the auditory feedback. As can be seen, this approach does not provide compelling feedback to the user, nor does it allow the user to understand the current orientation of the antenna relative to a desired orientation so that the user knows how to move the antenna to achieve the desired orientation. Rather, the user must simply use trial and error to achieve the desired orientation.

[0014] Because an electronically steerable antenna has no moving parts, the antenna's beam may be electronically steered to steer the beam through different orientations within a beam field relative to a static antenna body. The field into which a beam can be directed is sometimes referred to as a beam field. Thus, the antenna's beam may be electronically controlled to direct the beam relative to the antenna body within the beam field. Because such control is performed electronically rather than by physical manipulation of the antenna, it may not be possible to determine which direction the antenna is pointing simply by looking at the antenna. While an electronically steerable antenna may not require the same level of precision in pointing the antenna as is required for a fixed antenna, it may still be necessary to provide a phased array antenna in a desired orientation, for example, to improve the availability of satellites within the antenna's beam field or to ensure that consistent communications can be provided. Therefore, it may be desirable to position the phased array antenna in a desired orientation at least accurately enough to obtain optimal positioning of the beam field.

[0015] Installation of an electronically steerable antenna may be performed by a relatively inexperienced or untrained user, such as a homeowner. It may be advantageous to provide a user-friendly installation process regardless of who is installing the antenna. In this way, an inexperienced installer may achieve a desired orientation of the electronically steerable antenna, and / or an experienced technician may more efficiently position and orient the antenna. Furthermore, electronically steerable antennas may be used in mobile antenna systems where the orientation of a phased array antenna may need to be adjusted from time to time because the platform on which the antenna is mounted may move and / or change orientation. In light of the foregoing, augmented reality may be useful in providing additional sensory feedback related to the orientation and / or position of an electronically steerable antenna.

[0016] 1, an example system 100 is illustrated schematically. System 100 may include an augmented reality device 150 and an electronically steerable antenna 110. Augmented reality device 150 may include one or more sensors 156. As described in more detail below, sensors 156 may capture information about antenna 110. Augmented reality device 150 may be capable of presenting supplemental sensory feedback to a user about antenna 110 through an augmented reality display 164.

[0017] Augmented reality device 150 may be a computing device that includes features that facilitate presenting information to a user through augmented reality display 164. That is, augmented reality device 150 may show a user supplemental information on augmented reality display 164 about antenna 110 and / or other components of a communication system that would not otherwise be perceptible to an observer. Such supplemental information may be digitally created by augmented reality module 174 and presented on augmented reality display 164. Augmented reality device 150 may be a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or other mobile computing platform. In this regard, augmented reality device 150 may therefore generally include at least one processor 162 and at least one memory 160. Processor 162 may access memory 160 to retrieve machine-readable instructions that control operation of augmented reality device 150 in the manner described herein.

[0018] The augmented reality device 150 may include a communications module 158. The communications module 158 may include one or more networking functions provided by one or more instances of hardware, software, and / or firmware, e.g., a wired and / or wireless communication chipset. In any event, the communications module 158 may facilitate communication between the augmented reality device and another device. The communications module 158 may provide one or more communications protocols that facilitate local communications with the device (e.g., Bluetooth or RF communications). In this regard, the communications module 158 may operate to establish communications with the antenna 110 (e.g., the communications interface 118 of the antenna 110) to exchange information between the augmented reality device 150 and the antenna 110. As described in more detail below, information exchanged between the communications module 158 of the augmented reality device 150 and the communications interface 118 of the antenna 110 may include operational information regarding the antenna 110, such as beam pointing direction information. Additionally or alternatively, the communications module 158 may facilitate network connection communications (e.g., via TCP / IP or other networking protocols). The communications module 158 may communicate over a local area network (LAN), a cellular network, a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, or other communications network. Such networked communications may facilitate receipt of information from the antenna 110 (e.g., via networked communications with the communications interface 118) or may enable receipt of other information (e.g., communications system information including ephemeris and / or almanac information regarding one or more communications target devices).

[0019] Display 164 may be an augmented reality display such that display 164 may show the user information (e.g., visual information) captured by one or more sensors 156 of augmented reality device 150 and virtual information generated by augmented reality module 174 presented on display 164. Examples of information generated by augmented reality module 174 and displayed on augmented reality display 164 are provided in more detail below. Display 164 may include a screen, such as an LED display. In another example, display 164 may comprise a wearable augmented reality display. Such a wearable augmented reality display may include goggles, glasses, or another device that may be worn by a user. The wearable augmented reality display may be positioned within a user's field of view such that digitally created augmented reality data may be presented to the user within the user's field of view. In this regard, rather than displaying sensor information and augmented reality information, the wearable augmented reality display may display augmented reality information relative to the user's field of view such that created virtual information may be superimposed on an environment perceived by a user wearing the wearable augmented reality display. Thus, the wearer's surroundings may be seen through the wearable augmented reality display, which may overlay virtually created images onto the visible environment as perceived by the user.

[0020] The augmented reality device 150 may include a positioning module 152. The positioning module 152 may operate to determine the position of the augmented reality device 150 relative to a known coordinate system. In one example, the known coordinate system may be relative to a geographic coordinate system using latitude, longitude, and altitude. The positioning module 152 may include a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) module. In either case, the positioning module 152 may resolve the position of the augmented reality device 150 relative to the Earth, as described by latitude, longitude, and altitude values. Other techniques for determining the position of the augmented reality device 150 may be provided in addition to or instead of the augmented reality device 150, including, without limitation, the use of terrestrial or other signals to triangulate the position of the augmented reality device 150 relative to the known coordinate system.

[0021] The augmented reality device 150 may also include an orientation module 154. The orientation module 154 may operate to resolve the orientation of the augmented reality device 150 relative to a known coordinate system. Thus, the orientation module 154 may be able to provide information regarding the orientation of the augmented reality device 150 relative to the surface of the Earth. In one example, the orientation module 154 may be able to determine the azimuth, elevation, and yaw angles (or orientation) of the augmented reality device 150 relative to the Earth. In one example, the orientation module 154 may include an accelerometer that can resolve the orientation of the augmented reality device relative to the Earth's gravitational field. Thus, the positioning module 152 and the orientation module 154 may provide feedback that enables the determination of the position and resolution of the orientation of the augmented reality device 150 such that the augmented reality device 150 may be described in a coordinate system relative to the surface of the Earth.

[0022] As previously mentioned, the augmented reality device 150 may include one or more sensors 156. The sensors 156 may include, without limitation, one or more of an image sensor (e.g., a camera), a time-of-flight sensor, a laser sensor (e.g., a laser rangefinder), a lidar sensor, or any other sensor or combination of sensors. The sensors 156 may include a field of view 170 from which the sensors 156 may operate to capture data. When multiple sensors 156 are provided, the respective fields of view 170 of the different sensors may overlap to provide a common field of view, or the different sensors may have different fields of view 170.

[0023] In either case, the sensor 156 may generate sensor data related to the field of view 170. The electronically steerable antenna 110 may be positioned within the field of view 170 of the sensor 156, as shown generally in FIG. 1 . The sensor data from the sensor 156 may then be provided to the analysis module 172. As described in more detail below, the analysis module 172 of the augmented reality device 150 may operate to identify, locate, and / or determine the orientation of the electronically steerable antenna 110 present in the sensor data from the sensor 156. That is, the analysis module 172 may identify the antenna 110 from the sensor data. The analysis module 172 may also determine the position of the antenna 110 relative to the augmented reality device 150. Furthermore, the analysis module 172 may resolve the orientation of the antenna 110 from the sensor data. More details regarding the identification, relative antenna position determination, and antenna orientation determination using the sensor data are provided below. In one example, the captured sensor data may be displayed on the display 164 and supplemented with augmented reality information, as described in more detail below. In other examples, captured sensor data may be used to present overlaid virtual information related to the user's observed environment.

[0024] Referring to electronically steerable antenna 110, antenna 110 may include controller 116, which may control operation of electronically steerable antenna 110 using a processor and / or memory. In one example, antenna 110 may include a phased array antenna. Accordingly, antenna 110 may include an array of elements 112. Array of elements 112 may include a plurality of controllable elements, which may be controllable to facilitate steering a beam 168 of the antenna through a beam field 166. In FIG. 1, beam 168 and beam field 166 are represented by dotted lines to indicate that beam 168 and beam field 166 are not visually perceptible to an observer of antenna 110 using only the observer's natural senses.

[0025] Controller 116 may operate to control the operation of element array 112 to control the pointing of beam 168 of antenna 110 within beam field 166, as previously described. In this regard, the direction in which beam 168 of antenna 110 points relative to the antenna body may be electronically controlled through adjustment of elements of element array 112. As can be appreciated, because control of the pointing direction of beam 168 may be electronically controlled, the physical configuration or appearance of antenna 110 may not change when beam 168 is controlled. Thus, an observer may have no indication as to the status of the beam pointing direction for antenna 110.

[0026] The antenna 110 may also include a transceiver 114 that may transmit and / or receive communication signals. The antenna 110 may also include a communication interface 118. The communication interface 118 may facilitate communication from the antenna 110 to another device. For example, the communication interface 118 may include hardware, software, and / or firmware that facilitates communication. The communication interface 118 may support wired and / or wireless communication. It may support one or more communication protocols that facilitate local communication with a device (e.g., Bluetooth or RF communication). As described above, such local communication capabilities may be used to establish direct communication between the communication interface 118 of the antenna 110 and the communication module 158 of the augmented reality device 150 to exchange information between the antenna 110 and the augmented reality device 150. The communication interface 118 may also facilitate networked communication (e.g., via TCP / IP or other networking protocols). In this regard, the communication interface 118 may support a wired or wireless connection to a network, such as a local area network (LAN), a cellular network, or a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet (e.g., to provide information to the augmented reality device 150 over the network where both devices are in communication).

[0027] The transceiver 114 may facilitate two-way communication between the antenna 110 and another component of a communication system (e.g., a communication satellite, etc.). In this manner, communication data may be received by the transceiver 114 as a forward downlink signal from a satellite received by the element array 112 of the antenna 110. The transceiver 114 may amplify and downconvert the forward downlink signal to generate modulated downlink data (e.g., a receive intermediate frequency (IF) signal) for demodulation by the modem 120. The demodulated downlink data from the modem 120 may be communicated to the communication interface 118 for communication over a network (e.g., the Internet). Additionally, the transceiver 114 may provide uplink data from the antenna 110. As an example, the uplink data may be received via the communication interface 118 and provided to the modem 120 to generate modulated uplink data (e.g., a transmit IF signal). The transceiver 114 may upconvert and amplify the modulated uplink data to generate a return uplink signal for transmission to the satellite via the array of elements 112 of the antenna 110 .

[0028] It may be appreciated that the relative position and / or orientation of the antenna 110 may be ascertained by the augmented reality device 150 in order to display virtual information about the antenna 110 on the display 164 of the augmented reality device 150. As briefly mentioned above, the sensor(s) 156 of the augmented reality device 150 may assist in ascertaining the relative position and / or orientation of the antenna 110. In one example, one or more markers may appear on the antenna 110 in a manner perceptible by the sensor(s) 156. The markers may include information regarding the identity of the antenna 110 (e.g., a model identifier, etc.). Additionally, markers may be provided at known locations on the antenna 110 such that the manner in which the markers are observed in the sensor data of the sensor(s) 156 may provide information regarding the relative position and / or orientation of the antenna 110. In this regard, the markers may include fiducial markers. The fiducial markers allow the analysis module 172 to recognize the markers and determine the relative position and / or orientation of the antenna 110 based on an analysis of the markers observed within the field of view 170 of the sensor 156. Such markers may include QR codes or other machine-readable indicia provided at known locations on the electronically steerable antenna 110.

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates another example system 200 that may use an augmented reality device 202 to identify an electronically steerable antenna 204 from sensor data. Specifically, the approach of FIG. 2 may utilize sensor data to result in antenna identification and / or antenna location and orientation confirmation through analysis of the sensor data. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates that the antenna 204 may be within a field of view 206 of a sensor of the augmented reality device 202. An augmented reality display 208 of the augmented reality device 202 may visually present sensor data from the field of view 206 within the display 208. In the illustrated example, the sensor may include a camera such that the display 208 presents live video data including the sensor's field of view 206, including an image of the electronically steerable antenna 204.

[0030] As described above in connection with FIG. 1 , the augmented reality device 202 may include the analysis module 210. Alternatively, the analysis module 210 may be located remotely from the augmented reality device 202, and the augmented reality device 202 may communicate with the analysis module 210 (e.g., via network connection communications provided by the communications module 158). In either case, the analysis module 210 may include known antenna configuration information 212. The known antenna configuration information 212 may include a database containing information regarding the appearance or physical shape of a plurality of different reference electronically steerable antennas. For example, the known antenna configuration information 212 may include a computer-aided drafting (CAD) model that reflects the physical appearance of a given antenna model or design. Different CAD models may be provided for different reference antennas. Furthermore, because the CAD model itself can be digitally manipulated to any given orientation, the CAD model may represent training data that enables object identification regardless of the orientation of the antenna in the sensor data.

[0031] The analysis module 210 may also include an image analysis model 214. The image analysis model 210 may operate to apply image analysis to sensor data captured by the augmented reality device 202. Specifically, the image analysis module 210 may apply the image analysis model 214, for which the known antenna morphology information 212 may serve as training data. In this regard, the image analysis model 214 may include a machine learning or other artificial intelligence model that may be capable of object detection from the captured sensor data based on the known antenna morphology information. Thus, the image analysis model 214 may compare sensor data acquired by the sensors of the augmented reality device 202 with the known antenna morphology information to identify electronically steerable antennas within the field of view of the sensors. Additionally, the antenna identification may include information provided by the user, such as the antenna manufacturer, model, or other information. Furthermore, such antenna information may be communicated directly from the antenna 204 to the augmented reality device 202.

[0032] Additionally, the position of the antenna 204 relative to the augmented reality device 202 and / or the orientation of the antenna 204 may be determined. In one example, the distance from the augmented reality device 202 to the antenna 204 may be determined based on sensor data measuring such distance (e.g., rangefinder information, lidar data, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the analysis module 210 may analyze the sensor data and determine the position and orientation using the image analysis model 214. For example, the greater the relative distance between the augmented reality device 202 and the antenna 204, the smaller the antenna 204 may appear relative to the augmented reality device 202 due to perspective. The size of the antenna 204 as represented in the sensor data may then help determine the distance between the augmented reality device 202 and the antenna 204. Additionally, the orientation of the electronically steerable antenna 204 may be determined by the image analysis module 210 based on the known antenna morphology information 212 and the image analysis model 214. This may include determining the orientation using only the image analysis model 214 executed by the image analysis module 210 in the absence of any additional information, such as markers. Thus, the object detection performed by the image analysis module 210 may provide sufficient information to ascertain the distance to the antenna 204 and the orientation of the antenna 204 .

[0033] As previously described, the analysis module 210 may execute on the augmented reality device 202 (as shown in FIG. 1 ), or one or more components of the analysis module 210 may be remote from the device 202. In one example, the analysis module 210 may execute on the augmented reality device 202, such that the processing described below is performed using a processor in the augmented reality device 202. Alternatively, the analysis module 210 may be located remotely from the augmented reality device 202. The augmented reality device 202 may then communicate sensor data to the analysis module 210 via a network connection, etc. The augmented reality device 202 may then receive information about the antenna 204 from the analysis module 210 via the network. In yet another example, portions of the analysis module 210 may be remote and other portions may be local to the augmented reality device 202. For example, the morphological information 212 may be stored remotely and used to train an image analysis model 214, which may be executed locally by the analysis module 210 in the augmented reality device 202.

[0034] Continuing with reference to FIG. 3 , an exemplary system 300 is shown. In the exemplary system 300, an augmented reality device 314 is used to identify and locate an electronically steerable antenna 318. As described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 , an analysis module of the augmented reality device 314 may locate the antenna 318 and determine the orientation of the antenna 318. The augmented reality device 314 may include a positioning module 152, as described above in connection with FIG. 1 . In the exemplary system 300, the augmented reality device 314 includes a GPS positioning module operative to receive multiple positioning signals from GPS satellites 302-306. Specifically, GPS satellite 302 may provide positioning signal 308, GPS satellite 304 may provide positioning signal 310, and GPS satellite 306 may provide positioning signal 312. Additional GPS satellites may provide signals such that the augmented reality device 314 may be located relative to the Earth's surface.

[0035] Additionally, the analysis module may resolve the relative position between the augmented reality device 314 and the electronically steerable antenna 318. This relative position is illustrated in Figure 3 by a vector 316 extending between the augmented reality device 314 and the electronically steerable antenna 318. It can be understood that the vector 316 in Figure 3 represents the distance between the augmented reality device 314 and the electronically steerable antenna 318. Once the position of the augmented reality device 314 has been determined and the orientation of the augmented reality device 314 has been resolved, it may be possible to determine the position of the electronically steerable antenna 318 via the relative position vector 316 with respect to the antenna 318.

[0036] Returning to the previous discussion, having determined the antenna's position and orientation, the augmented reality device may generate virtual information using the augmented reality module 174 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1 ) for presentation on the augmented reality display 164. This virtual information may include one or more characteristics of the electronically steerable antenna. In one example, the characteristics of the electronically steerable antenna that may be presented on the augmented reality display 164 may include the antenna axis of the antenna. The antenna axis may correspond to the boresight direction of the antenna. Thus, displaying the antenna axis may help the user visualize the antenna's orientation. Other characteristics may also be displayed, including a target orientation line. The target orientation line may correspond to a desired antenna orientation.

[0037] An example of this is further illustrated in Figure 4. The augmented reality device 400 may include a display 402 that can display sensor data as an image captured by a camera of the augmented reality device 400. Specifically, an electronically steerable antenna 404 may be positioned within the field of view of the sensor. Thus, the antenna 404 may be displayed on the display 402 of the augmented reality device 400. As previously discussed, the sensor data may be analyzed to determine the relative position and orientation of the electronically steerable antenna 404.

[0038] Characteristics of the antenna 404 may be presented by the display 402 such that the characteristics are visually represented for the antenna 404 on the display 402. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 4 , the augmented reality device 400 may provide a visual indication of the orientation of the electronically steerable antenna 404. A target bearing line 408 may be shown for the antenna 404 on the display 402. Additionally, the current orientation of the antenna 404 may be characterized as an antenna axis 406 that is displayed for the electronically steerable antenna 404 on the augmented reality display 402. As can be appreciated, the target bearing line 408 and the antenna axis 406 may be digitally rendered and displayed on the display 402, but may not be visible to an observer of the antenna 404 in person.

[0039] The target bearing line 408 may correspond to a desired pointing direction of the axis 406 of the antenna 404. The target bearing line 408 may be based, at least in part, on the position of the electronically steerable antenna 318 on Earth. Thus, the augmented reality module 174 may receive position information from the positioning module 152 and relative antenna position information from the analysis module 172 to locate the antenna 110. The target bearing line 408 may then be generated by the augmented reality module 174 based, at least in part, on the position of the antenna 110. In this manner, the analysis module 172 of the augmented reality device 400 may determine (e.g., in real time) the orientation of the electronically steerable antenna 404. The display 402 may show the current position of the antenna axis 406 relative to the target bearing line 408, both of which may be determined by the augmented reality module 174. In this manner, the user may be provided with feedback on how to move the antenna 404 to achieve the desired orientation of the antenna 404. When the antenna 404 is at the desired orientation, the axis 406 is aligned with the target orientation line 408. The augmented reality display 402 may provide the user with additional visual feedback, such as the axis 406 and / or the target orientation line 408 changing color, line pattern, or otherwise providing sensory feedback that the antenna 404 is aligned at the desired orientation. The sensory feedback may include visual, auditory, tactile (e.g., tactile feedback such as via vibration), or other feedback indicating that the antenna 404 is in proper alignment. Unlike conventional approaches that may simply provide auditory feedback, the visual representation of the antenna axis 406 relative to the target orientation line 408 may enable the user to intentionally and directly move the antenna 404 to the proper orientation as guided by the visual feedback provided in the augmented reality display 402.

[0040] Thus, the augmented reality device 400 may be used to assist in the orientation of the electronically steerable antenna 404. This may be useful when initially positioning the antenna 404 or may be utilized in the case of a mobile antenna 404 (e.g., the antenna 404 may be reoriented when relocating the antenna 404 to a new location). Additionally, if the electronically steerable antenna 404 is inadvertently moved from a target bearing line 408, the augmented reality device 400 may be utilized to reposition or reorient the electronically steerable antenna 404 based on overlaid information regarding the antenna axis 406 and the target bearing line 408. The target bearing line 408 may be determined and displayed in relation to the position and location of the augmented reality device 400 relative to the antenna 404. That is, as a user moves the augmented reality device 400 relative to the electronically steerable antenna 404, the antenna axis 406 and the target bearing line 408 may be updated in substantially real time, and the display 402 may display live sensor data (e.g., video data) captured by a camera of the augmented reality device 400.

[0041] Additionally, augmented reality may be used to demonstrate and / or troubleshoot an electronically steerable antenna as part of a larger communications system. For example, the antenna may operate to communicate with one or more target communications devices, which may be communications satellites, airborne communications platforms, terrestrial antennas, etc. In this regard, the augmented reality device may receive additional information regarding other components of the communications system to further generate virtual information presented within the augmented reality display. For example, ephemeris and / or almanac data for the communications satellites may be provided, which enables the augmented reality device to present information regarding the satellites' locations and aid in the visualization of the satellites' relative positions in the sky relative to the antenna. As described further below, this information may relate to real-time status or may represent historical or predicted times for visualization within the augmented reality display.

[0042] Additionally, the augmented reality device may receive information from the steerable antenna regarding the operation of the antenna, which it uses to generate information for display within the augmented reality display. For example, the electronically steerable antenna's controller 116 may provide information regarding the beam pointing direction of the beam to the communications interface 118, which may communicate the beam pointing direction information to the communications module 158 of the augmented reality device 150, such that a representation of the beam pointing direction for the antenna 110 may be generated by the augmented reality module 174 and provided on the augmented reality display 164. It may be appreciated that this may be useful for illustrating the operation of the antenna. Furthermore, when combined with information regarding the communications system, this information may assist in troubleshooting operations, such as by determining potential obstructions or determining satellite availability during transitions among communications targets. Regarding the latter, it may be possible to visualize whether an acquisition on signal (AOS) event is available before a loss of signal (LOS) of the current communications target.

[0043] 1 , it can be seen that the communication interface 118 of the electronically steerable antenna 110 and the communication module 158 of the augmented reality device 150 can be utilized to either receive information about the communication system or exchange information between the antenna 110 and the augmented reality device 150 to generate further information to be displayed on the augmented reality display 164. For example, the augmented reality device 150 may receive information about other components of the communication system, such as a target communication device, via the communication module 158. Additionally, the controller 116 of the antenna 110 may provide real-time feedback regarding the pointing direction of the beam 168 formed by the element array 112 of the antenna 110. Thus, the beam pointing direction information provided from the antenna 110 to the augmented reality device 150 may be further used to supplement the augmented reality display 164 to present information regarding the real-time status of the beam 168 of the antenna 110.

[0044] This concept is further illustrated in the exemplary augmented reality device 500 shown in Figure 5. Specifically, an electronically steerable antenna 512 may be brought into the field of view of the sensors of the augmented reality device 500. The electronically steerable antenna 512 may then be presented on the display 502 of the augmented reality device 500. As previously described, the antenna 512 may be identified, and its position and orientation may be determined from the sensor data. The augmented reality device 500 may also obtain information that may be used to supplement the augmented reality display 502 to present the user with further useful information regarding the communication system with which the antenna 512 is interacting.

[0045] In one example, the augmented reality device 500 may be operative to obtain almanac and / or ephemeris data for the first satellite 504 and / or the second satellite 506. In this regard, the augmented reality device 500 may be operative to display digital representations of the satellites 504 and 506 on the augmented reality display 502. This may provide the user with an indication of where each satellite 504 / 506 is located in the sky, even though the satellites may not actually be visible to the user with the naked eye.

[0046] Additionally, the antenna 512 may provide beam pointing direction information regarding the beam pattern to the augmented reality device 500 so that the beam pointing direction of the antenna 512 can be depicted on the augmented reality display 502. In a first example, a beam indicator 508 may be shown that represents the beam pointing direction for the antenna 512. This beam indicator 508 may be provided solely to indicate the status of the antenna to an observer. Further, the beam indicator 508 may reflect that a beam is being directed toward a first satellite 504, as shown on the augmented reality display 502. Additionally, another beam indicator 510 may be shown for a second beam pointing direction toward a second satellite 506. Again, the beam indicators 508 and 510 shown on the augmented reality display 502 are not visible to an observer without utilizing the augmented reality device 500. In this regard, information including the locations of the satellites 504 and 506 and the beam indicators 508 and 510 may be digitally generated and presented on the augmented reality display 502 to provide visual feedback to the observer.

[0047] 5, which represents the current state of the antenna 512. That is, the antenna 512 and the augmented information including the positions of the satellites 504 and 506 and the beam indicators 508 and 510 may represent the current status of the antenna 512. In this regard, the augmented reality device 500 may receive real-time information regarding the beam direction from the antenna 512 to enable the generation and display of the beam pointing indicators 508 and 510. Almanac and ephemeris data regarding the satellites 504 and 506 may be received from the antenna 512 and / or via communication over a network (e.g., via the communication module 158 shown in FIG. 1, as described above).

[0048] Although the augmented reality device 500 may show real-time information regarding the antenna 512 and / or satellites 504 and 506, the augmented reality display 502 may also operate to represent historical or future times. In this regard, the augmented reality display 502 may be utilized to visually represent the operation of the antenna 512 over multiple different times other than its real-time status.

[0049] For example, a user may be provided with control over the time displayed within the augmented reality display. In this manner, a user may select a time to be represented within the augmented reality display (e.g., using a selection menu, a time slider, a clock, or other user interface control). This selected time may be in the past, such that historical data for satellites 504 and / or 506 is rendered within the display. Alternatively, the selected time may be in the future, such that forecast data for satellites 504 and / or 506 is rendered within the display. Furthermore, user control over the displayed time may be selectively applied to one or more of satellites 504 or 506. Thus, a user may step back in time so that a selected time is represented. This selection of a given time may be applied generally to all information within the display or selectively applied to show the historical / future positions of a given satellite (e.g., selected by the user within the display).

[0050] In addition to providing useful example information about the antenna 512, this information may be useful in identifying or troubleshooting issues related to satellite visibility to the antenna 512. For example, a user may view future time to identify potential obstructions between the antenna 512 and a target satellite. As an example, a user may advance time when positioning an antenna to determine whether an obstruction to an available communication target will occur in a future situation based on predictive information about the communication target. For example, satellites 504 and 506 depicted in FIG. 5 may actually represent a single given satellite at different times to ensure visibility is maintained in both situations in time. Alternatively, satellites 504 and 506 may represent different satellites at or near an LOS event for satellite 506. In this regard, a determination may be made as to whether an AOS occurred for satellite 504 prior to an LOS event for satellite 506. In this regard, a user may advance time to determine whether an expected LOS may occur where no other communication targets are available. If an undesirable condition occurs (e.g., losing communication with all available satellites), the user may take affirmative action to reposition and / or reorient the antenna to prevent the undesirable condition.

[0051] 6 illustrates an example augmented reality device 600 presenting an electronically steerable antenna 612 within the field of view of a sensor of the augmented reality device 600. The augmented reality device 600 also virtually depicts the positions of a first satellite 604 and a second satellite 606 (e.g., based on received ephemeris and almanac data for satellites 604 and 606). As previously discussed, the virtual representation of information regarding satellites 604 and 606 may represent real-time, historical, and / or future conditions regarding the positions of satellites 604 and 606. In this regard, beam-pointing direction 610 may indicate that the electronically steerable antenna 612 may be able to communicate with the second satellite 606 without obstruction at the illustrated time. However, beam-pointing direction 608 may indicate that the beam associated with beam-pointing direction 608 may not provide a link with satellite 604 at the illustrated time because the beam may be obstructed. In this regard, it may be determined that beam pointing direction 608 is obstructed from communication with satellite 604 for an exemplary period of time.

[0052] In one example, satellite 604 may represent a given satellite and a first time, and satellite 606 may represent the same given satellite and a second time. Thus, augmented reality display 602 may be utilized to determine when an obstruction (tree 614 in the illustrated example) will result in an interruption of communication with satellite 604. Additionally, the information presented on display 602 may enable repositioning and / or reorienting antenna 612 to provide unobstructed communication between antenna 612 and various locations of satellites 604 / 606.

[0053] 7, example operations 700 of a method for using an augmented reality device to present information about an electronically steerable antenna are shown. The example operations 700 may include a determining operation 702 for determining a location of the augmented reality device. As previously mentioned, the determining operation 702 may include using a positioning module, such as a GPS module, in the augmented reality device to determine the location of the augmented reality device relative to the surface of the Earth.

[0054] Additionally, a solve operation 704 may be performed to solve the orientation of the augmented reality device. As shown in Figure 1, the orientation of the augmented reality device may be solved using an accelerometer or other orientation module.

[0055] A capture operation 706 may be performed that captures sensor data at the augmented reality device. As previously described, the sensor data may be captured by one or more sensors of the augmented reality device. An analysis operation 708 may then be performed that analyzes the sensor data captured at 706. The analysis of the sensor data may include an image analysis module applied to the sensor data to perform object detection based on image analysis models trained on the appearance of different antennas. Thus, an identification operation 710 may be performed that identifies electronically steerable antennas from the sensor data, which may include cross-referencing morphological information.

[0056] Additionally, analysis of the identified electronically steerable antenna may be utilized in a verify operation 712 to verify the antenna's location and orientation. In this regard, the location of the antenna relative to the location of the augmented reality device may be determined by measuring the distance from the augmented reality device at a known orientation to the electronically steerable antenna. Further, the antenna's orientation may be resolved based on sensor data, and the antenna's orientation may be determined based on visual analysis from the sensor data.

[0057] A rendering operation 714 may then be performed to visually render the augmented reality information within the augmented reality display of the augmented reality device.

[0058] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of a computing device 800 suitable for implementing aspects of the disclosed technology. For example, the computing device 800 may comprise an augmented reality device as described above. Additionally or alternatively, the computing device 800 may include hardware, software, and / or firmware capable of providing functionality associated with the analysis module 850 and / or the augmented reality module 852 described above. The computing device 800 includes one or more processor units 802, memory 804, a display 806, and other interfaces 808 (e.g., buttons). The memory 804 generally includes both volatile memory (e.g., RAM) and non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). An operating system 810 (e.g., a Microsoft Windows® operating system, an Apple macOS operating system, or a Linux operating system) resides in the memory 804 and is executed by the processor unit(s) 802, although it should be understood that other operating systems may be used.

[0059] One or more applications 812 are loaded into memory 804 and executed on operating system 810 by processor unit(s) 802. The applications 812 may receive input from various input local devices, such as a microphone 834, input accessories 835 (e.g., keypad, mouse, stylus, touchpad, joystick, on-device input, etc.). Additionally, the applications 812 may receive input from one or more remote devices (e.g., remotely located smart devices). This may be done by communicating with such devices over a wired or wireless network using a number of communications transceivers 830 and antennas 838 to provide network connectivity (e.g., cellular network, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth). Computing device 800 may also include various other components, such as a positioning system (e.g., a global positioning satellite transceiver), one or more accelerometers, one or more cameras, an audio interface (e.g., a microphone 834, an audio amplifier and speaker, and / or an audio jack), and a storage device 828. Other configurations may be used.

[0060] In an example implementation, computing device 800 includes hardware and / or software embodied in instructions stored in memory 804 and / or storage device 828 and processed by processor unit(s) 802. Memory 804 may be memory of the host device or of an accessory coupled to the host. Additionally or alternatively, computing device 800 may include one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or other hardware / software / firmware capable of providing the functionality described herein.

[0061] Computing device 800 may include a variety of tangible processor-readable storage media and intangible processor-readable communication signals. Tangible processor-readable storage media may be embodied by any available medium that can be accessed by computing device 800 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile storage media, removable and non-removable storage media. Tangible processor-readable storage media excludes intangible communication signals and includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable storage media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information (e.g., processor-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Tangible processor-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other tangible medium that can be used to store the desired information and that can be accessed by computing device 800. In contrast to tangible processor-readable storage media, an intangible processor-readable communication signal may embody processor-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data that reside in a modulated data signal (e.g., a carrier wave or other signal transmission mechanism). The term "modulated data signal" means an intangible communication signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, intangible communication signals include signals that travel through wired media (e.g., a wired network or direct-wired connection) and wireless media (e.g., acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media).

[0062] Some embodiments may include an article of manufacture. The article of manufacture may include a tangible storage medium that stores logic. Examples of storage media may include one or more types of processor-readable storage media capable of storing electronic data, such as volatile or nonvolatile memory, removable or non-removable memory, erasable or non-erasable memory, writable or rewritable memory, etc. Examples of logic may include various software elements, such as software components, programs, applications, computer programs, application programs, system programs, machine programs, operating system software, middleware, firmware, software modules, routines, subroutines, operation segments, methods, procedures, software interfaces, application program interfaces (APIs), instruction sets, computing code, computer code, code segments, computer code segments, words, values, symbols, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, for example, an article of manufacture may store executable computer program instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform methods and / or operations in accordance with the described embodiments. The executable computer program instructions may include any suitable type of code, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, etc. The executable computer program instructions may be implemented according to a predefined computer language, style, or syntax to instruct a computer to perform certain operation segments. The instructions may be implemented using any suitable high-level, low-level, object-oriented, visual, compiled, and / or interpreted programming language.

[0063] While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any technology or the scope that may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of a particular described technology. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments herein can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, while features may be described above as working in a particular combination, and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be deleted from that combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination.

[0064] Similarly, although operations are shown in a particular order in the figures, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order or sequentially shown, or that all of the illustrated operations be performed to achieve desired results. In certain situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various system components in the above-described embodiments should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems generally may be integrated together in a single software product or packaged in multiple software products.

[0065] Thus, specific embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0066] Although several embodiments of the described technology have been described, it will be understood that various modifications can nevertheless be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for using augmented reality to visualize an electronically steerable antenna, comprising: determining a device position of the augmented reality device relative to the Earth; resolving a device orientation of the augmented reality device relative to the Earth; identifying an electronically steerable antenna from sensor data of a field of view of a sensor of the augmented reality device; determining an antenna position and an antenna orientation of the electronically steerable antenna based on the sensor data, the antenna position and the antenna orientation being provided relative to the field of view of the sensor of the augmented reality device; and visually representing at least one characteristic of the electronically steerable antenna within a display of the augmented reality device based on the ascertained antenna position and the antenna orientation.

2. The identifying step referencing known antenna configuration information for one or more reference antennas; and comparing the sensor data acquired by the sensor of the augmented reality device with the known antenna morphology information to identify the electronically steerable antennas within the field of view of the sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the sensor comprises an image sensor, and wherein the comparing comprises applying an image analysis model to identify the electronically steerable antenna.

4. The identifying step The method of claim 1 , comprising recognizing markers placed at known locations on the electronically steerable antenna.

5. the field of view of the sensor is known relative to the device orientation of the augmented reality device; the determining includes resolving a distance between the augmented reality device and the electronically steerable antenna; The method of claim 1 , wherein the antenna position is determined based on the distance, the device location, and the device orientation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes an image sensor, and wherein the ascertaining includes applying an image analysis model to determine the antenna position and the antenna orientation of the electronically steerable antenna.

7. The at least one characteristic is an antenna axis of the electronically steerable antenna; a target bearing line corresponding to a desired antenna orientation.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the target bearing line is based on the antenna position.

9. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising visually indicating in the display when the antenna axis is aligned with the target bearing line.

10. receiving beam pointing direction information at the augmented reality device from the electronically steerable antenna; The method of claim 1 , further comprising visually displaying beam pointing directions within the display.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving navigation information for a target communication device with which the electronically steerable antenna has communication capabilities.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising rendering a representation of the location of the target communication device within the display.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: showing the beam pointing direction corresponding to the beam pointing direction information on the display relative to the representation of the location of the target communication device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the beam pointing direction and the location of the target communication device represent a current state of the electronically steerable antenna and the target communication device.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the beam pointing direction and the position of the target communication device represent at least one of a predicted state or a historical state of the electronically steerable antenna and the target communication device.

16. the target communication device includes at least one satellite, and the method further comprises:

16. The method of claim 15, comprising determining a potential signal loss event between the electronically steerable antenna and the target communication device based on the beam pointing direction displayed in the display.

17. 1. An augmented reality system for visualizing an electronically steerable antenna, comprising:

1. An augmented reality device, comprising: a positioning module operative to determine a position of the augmented reality device relative to the Earth; an orientation module operative to resolve an orientation of the augmented reality device relative to the Earth; a sensor operative to capture sensor data within a field of view of the sensor; an augmented reality device including: an augmented reality display viewable by a user; an analysis module operative to identify an electronically steerable antenna from the sensor data and to ascertain an antenna position and an antenna orientation of the electronically steerable antenna based on the sensor data, the antenna position and the antenna orientation being provided relative to the field of view of the sensor of the augmented reality device; The system, wherein the augmented reality device visually represents at least one characteristic of the electronically steerable antenna within the augmented reality display of the augmented reality device based on the identified antenna position and the antenna orientation.

18. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the analysis module operates to access known antenna topology information for one or more reference antennas, identify the antennas by comparing the sensor data acquired by the sensor of the augmented reality device with the known antenna topology information, and identify the electronically steerable antennas within the field of view of the sensor.

19. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the sensor comprises an image sensor, and wherein the comparing comprises applying an image analysis model to identify the electronically steerable antenna.

20. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the analysis module operates to identify the electronically steerable antenna from the sensor data by recognizing markers placed at known locations on the antenna.

21. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the field of view of the sensor is known relative to the device orientation of the augmented reality device, and the analysis module operates to determine a distance between the augmented reality device and the electronically steerable antenna, and the antenna position is determined based on the distance, the device position, and the device orientation.

22. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises an image sensor and the analysis module comprises an image analysis model for identifying the antenna position and the antenna orientation of the electronically steerable antenna.

23. The at least one characteristic is an antenna axis of the electronically steerable antenna; and a target bearing line corresponding to a desired antenna orientation.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the target bearing line is based on the antenna position.

25. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the augmented reality display visually indicates when the antenna axis is aligned with the target bearing line.

26. the augmented reality device further comprising:

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising a communications module in operative communication with the steerable electronic antenna to receive beam pointing direction information from the electronically steerable antenna at the augmented reality device and visually display the beam pointing direction within the augmented reality display.

27. 27. The system of claim 26, wherein the augmented reality device is further operative to receive navigation information for a target communication device with which the electronically steerable antenna has communication capabilities.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the augmented reality display renders a representation of the location of the target communication device.

29. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the augmented reality display shows the beam pointing direction corresponding to the beam pointing direction information relative to the representation of the location of the target communication device.

30. 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the beam pointing direction and the location of the target communication device represent a current state of the electronically steerable antenna and the target communication device.

31. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein the beam pointing direction and the location of the target communication device represent at least one of a predicted state or a historical state of the electronically steerable antenna and the target communication device.

32. 32. The system of claim 31 , wherein the target communication device includes at least one satellite, and the augmented reality device determines potential signal loss events between the electronically steerable antenna and the target communication device based on the beam pointing direction displayed within the display.

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