Wireless line visualization device and wireless line visualization method

The wireless link visualization device addresses labor-intensive and inaccurate obstacle detection by using GPS and laser guidance to superimpose obstacle circles on camera images, ensuring precise alignment and obstacle detection for wireless link installation.

JP7612503B2Active Publication Date: 2025-01-14NHK TECH INC +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021074259
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-04-26
Publication Date
2025-01-14
Estimated Expiration
2041-04-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing methods for determining the presence of obstacles between wireless stations are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and inaccurate due to visual checks influenced by weather, requiring workers at both stations and lacking precise location recognition.

Method used

A wireless link visualization device with a rotatable base, camera, and GPS compass that superimposes Fresnel radius and obstacle circles on a camera image, using GPS and laser guidance for accurate alignment and obstacle detection.

Benefits of technology

Enables precise, efficient, and weather-independent visualization of wireless links, allowing accurate obstacle detection and alignment with partner stations, even at long distances, by integrating GPS and laser guidance for improved installation accuracy.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a wireless line visualization device and a wireless line visualization method that visualize a wireless link between the own station and another station.SOLUTION: A wireless link visualization device according to an embodiment includes a base rotatable in a first plane, a camera mounted on the base in a rotatable state within a second plane orthogonal to the first plane and capturing an image of another station, two antennas that are fixed to the base and receive radio waves for detecting the orientation of the camera, and a display unit. The display unit displays the image of the other station captured by the camera, and a map containing at least one of the own station and the other station, a first circle representing the Fresnel radius of a wireless line and a second circle representing a specific range according to the distance from the installation position of the own station's parabolic antenna and the diameter of the parabolic antenna of the own station are superimposed and displayed on the image of the other station, and a first straight line connecting the own station and the other station and a second straight line representing the camera's bearing calculated from the radio waves received by the two antennas are superimposed and displayed on the map.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a wireless line visualization device and a wireless line visualization method for visualizing a wireless line. [Background technology]

[0002] When laying a wireless line, it is necessary to confirm that there are no obstacles between the local station and the remote station. Conventionally, the presence or absence of obstacles was judged by visually checking the reflected light using a mirror. Alternatively, the remote station would raise a balloon and visually check the balloon at the local station to determine the presence or absence of obstacles. These methods required the placement of workers at both the transmitting and receiving sides, which was labor-intensive. In addition, because it was visual, it was subject to the effects of weather and took time to find the location of the remote station. Furthermore, it was not possible to accurately recognize the location of the remote station, and it was not possible to accurately determine the location of the obstacle, such as where the obstacle was located. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-279508 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless line visualization device and a wireless line visualization method for visualizing wireless lines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to an embodiment, a wireless line visualization device visualizes a wireless line between a local station and a remote station. The wireless line visualization device includes a base rotatable within a first plane, a camera attached to the base in a state in which the camera can rotate within a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, two antennas fixed to the base, and a display unit. The camera captures video of the other station. The two antennas receive radio waves to detect the camera's orientation. The display unit displays an image of the other station captured by the camera and a map including at least one of the local station and the other station. The display unit displays a first circle representing the Fresnel radius of the wireless line and a second circle representing a specific range according to the distance from the installation position of the local station's parabolic antenna and the diameter of the local station's parabolic antenna, superimposed on the image of the other station. The display unit displays a first straight line connecting the local station and the other station and a second straight line representing the direction of the camera calculated from the radio waves received by the two antennas, superimposed on the map. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a wireless line visualization device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of an example of a camera unit in the wireless line visualization device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of an example of a camera unit in the wireless line visualization device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an example of a camera unit in the wireless line visualization device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of the wireless line visualization device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of the wireless line visualization device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a usage example of the wireless line visualization device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an antenna stand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description is an example of an apparatus and method for embodying the technical idea of ​​the embodiment, and the technical idea of ​​the embodiment is not limited to the structure, shape, arrangement, material, etc. of the components described below. Modifications that a person skilled in the art can easily conceive are naturally included in the scope of the disclosure. In order to make the description clearer, the size, thickness, planar dimensions, or shape of each element may be changed from the actual embodiment and shown diagrammatically. Elements having different dimensional relationships or ratios may be included in multiple drawings. In multiple drawings, corresponding elements may be given the same reference numerals and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. Some elements may be given multiple names, but these examples of names are merely examples and do not deny the use of other names for these elements. In addition, it is not denied that elements not given multiple names may be given other names. In the following description, "connection" means not only direct connection but also connection via other elements.

[0008] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a wireless line visualization system including a wireless line visualization device 10 according to an embodiment. The wireless line visualization device 10 visualizes a wireless line between a local station and a remote station. The wireless line includes a microwave line. The microwave line includes an STL (Studio to Transmitter Link) and a TSL (Transmitter to Studio Link). The wireless line visualization device 10 is installed at a location where a parabolic antenna of the local station is to be installed, and is directed toward the remote station. Since a parabolic antenna is usually installed at the top of a steel tower, the wireless line visualization device 10 is also installed at the top of the steel tower. In addition, the wireless line visualization device can be installed on the ground to grasp the position of the remote station in a simple manner. The installation method will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4.

[0010] The wireless line visualization device 10 includes a camera unit 12 and a calculation and display unit 14. The calculation and display unit 14 is detachably connected to the camera unit 12 via a cable. The calculation and display unit 14 may be connected to a remote personal computer 18 via a network 16, for example a personal computer installed in the office of a line installation company. However, the network connection of the wireless line visualization device 10 is not essential.

[0011] The camera unit 12 includes a camera 22, a GPS antenna unit 24, an inclinometer 26, a laser emitter 28, and a GPS compass 32. The camera 22, the GPS antenna unit 24, the inclinometer 26, the laser emitter 28, and the GPS compass 32 are attached to a common base (see Figures 2, 3, and 4). The camera unit 12 is freely rotatable in the horizontal and vertical planes.

[0012] The camera 22 captures the video of the remote station. The transmission distance of microwaves is usually 10 to 20 km, and can reach up to 50 km at most, so the lens of the camera 22 is a high-magnification, for example, 400x zoom lens. This makes it possible to check obstacles on the line to the remote station on the camera video.

[0013] The camera 22 has multiple output terminals. Examples of the output terminals are an HDMI terminal and a USB terminal. A video signal captured by the camera 22 is output from the HDMI terminal and input to the calculation / display unit 14. Zoom magnification information of the camera 22 is output from the USB terminal and input to the calculation / display unit 14.

[0014] The inclinometer 26 has a built-in MEMS sensor and can simultaneously measure angles about two orthogonal axes in a plane on which the inclinometer 26 is placed. By changing the location where the inclinometer 26 is attached in the camera unit 12, the inclinometer 26 can function as an elevation angle sensor for the camera 22 and as a spirit level that detects the horizontality of the camera unit 12. The inclinometer 26 has a display unit (not shown) that displays the measurement results.

[0015] The laser emitter 28 emits a laser beam in the same direction as the optical axis of the camera 22. This laser beam is used as a guideline when measuring the direction of the tower or station building. The method of using the laser emitter 28 will be described in detail later.

[0016] The GPS antenna unit 24 has a first antenna 24a and a second antenna 24b housed in the same housing. The first antenna 24a and the second antenna 24b receive radio waves from positioning satellites. The first antenna 24a and the second antenna 24b are arranged on a straight line parallel to the optical axis of the camera 22.

[0017] The received signals of the first antenna 24a and the second antenna 24b are input to the GPS compass 32. The GPS compass 32 includes an arithmetic processing unit 34 and a display unit 36. The received signals of the first antenna 24a and the second antenna 24b are input to the arithmetic processing unit 34. An example of the arithmetic processing unit 34 is a CPU. An example of the display unit 36 ​​is a liquid crystal panel. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the display unit 36 ​​is provided on the surface of a housing that houses the arithmetic processing unit 34. The arithmetic processing unit 34 and the display unit 36 ​​are connected in an undetachable manner.

[0018] The arithmetic processing unit 34 calculates the latitude, longitude, altitude, and direction of the camera unit 12 based on the received signal of the first antenna 24a and the received signal of the second antenna 24b. Since the first antenna 24a and the second antenna 24b are arranged on a straight line parallel to the optical axis of the camera 22, the direction calculated by the arithmetic processing unit 34 is the direction of the camera 22. The calculation results of the arithmetic processing unit 34 are displayed on the display unit 36 ​​and are also output from an output terminal. An example of the output terminal is a terminal conforming to the RS422 standard.

[0019] The video signal captured by the camera 22 is output from the HDMI terminal and input to the USB hub 64 via the HDMI / USB converter 62. Zoom magnification information of the camera 22 is output from the USB terminal and input to the USB hub 64. The calculation result output from the RS422 standard terminal of the arithmetic processing unit 34 is input to the USB hub 64 via the RS422 / USB converter 66.

[0020] The arithmetic and display unit 14 includes an arithmetic processing unit 42, a display unit 44, a communication device 46, and a USB connector 48. Examples of the arithmetic and display unit 14 are mobile devices such as a notebook computer, a tablet PC, and a mobile PC. The contents displayed on the display unit 14 can be displayed on a PC or a smartphone set in a different location such as a PC 18 via a network 16. An example of the arithmetic processing unit 42 is a CPU. The CPU has a built-in memory. An example of the display unit 44 may be a liquid crystal panel with a touch detection function. When the display unit 44 does not have a touch detection function, the arithmetic and display unit 14 includes a separate input device such as a keyboard. An example of the communication device 46 is a wireless LAN device. The USB connector 48 is connected to a bus 52. The arithmetic processing unit 42, the display unit 44, and the communication device 46 are also connected to the bus 52. The USB connector 48 is connected to a USB hub 64.

[0021] The arithmetic processing section 42 of the arithmetic and display unit 14 receives the image signal and zoom magnification information from the camera 22, as well as the calculation results from the GPS compass 32, via the USB connector 48. The arithmetic processing section 42 performs arithmetic processing on the received information to generate a display screen showing the line status. The memory built into the arithmetic processing section 42 stores map information and topographical cross-section information in advance. The display screen is displayed on the display section 44.

[0022] Since the upper part of the tower on which the wireless line visualization device 10 is installed is narrow, the display unit 44 of the calculation / display unit 14 is likely to be small. Furthermore, since the wireless line visualization device 10 is installed outdoors, the screen of the display unit 44 is likely to be difficult to see. For this reason, the wireless line visualization device 10 may be connected to a network 16, and information on the display screen may be transmitted to a personal computer 18 installed indoors, such as an office, via the network 16. This makes it possible to check the line status, i.e., the presence or absence of obstacles on the propagation path, on a large display that is easily visible indoors.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a front view of an example of the camera unit 12 of the wireless line visualization device 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a side view of the example of the camera unit 12. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the example of the camera unit 12.

[0024] The camera unit 12 is fixed to a pan head 76 on the upper part of a tripod 74 via a base 72. The pan head 76 is rotatable 360 ​​degrees in a horizontal plane. The horizontal plane is referred to as the XY plane. The orientation of the camera unit 12 is adjusted by rotating the pan head 76 in the horizontal plane. The pan head 76 is rotatable by a predetermined angle, for example, about +90 degrees to -80 degrees, in a vertical plane. In this way, the base 72 holds the camera unit 12 rotatably in the horizontal and vertical planes.

[0025] The base 72 includes a horizontal plate 72a and a vertical plate 72b that are integrally formed. The horizontal plate 72a is attached to a pan head 76. The vertical plate 72b is located at a specific position in the X direction of the horizontal plate 72a, for example, at the center. The vertical plate 72b is disposed on the YZ plane.

[0026] The camera 22 and the GPS antenna unit 24 are disposed on either side of the vertical plate 72b. The camera 22 is attached to a bottom plate 78a of an L-shaped mounting fixture 78. The camera 22 is disposed with its optical axis parallel to the Y axis. The side plate 78b of the L-shaped mounting fixture 78 is attached so as to be rotatable within about ±several tens of degrees in the vertical plane relative to the vertical plate 72b. Therefore, the elevation angle of the camera 22 is adjusted by rotating the side plate 78b of the mounting fixture 78 in the vertical plane relative to the vertical plate 72b. The rotation of the mounting fixture 78 in the vertical plane is fixed by a fixing lever 78c.

[0027] The GPS antenna unit 24 is attached to the horizontal plate 72a. The first antenna 24a and the second antenna 24b are arranged parallel to the Y axis.

[0028] In this manner, the camera 22 and the GPS antenna unit 24 are integrated by being disposed on the same base 72 .

[0029] The inclinometer 26 is attached to the bottom plate 78 a of the mounting fixture 78 .

[0030] The laser emitter 28 is attached to a base 72 of the camera unit 12 .

[0031] The laser emitter 28 and the GPS compass 32 are attached to a horizontal plate 72a of a base 72 by thumb turns and are removable.

[0032] 5 shows an example of a display screen created by the calculation processing section 42 of the calculation / display unit 14 and displayed by the display section 44. The display screen includes a title area 102, a date / time area 104, a camera image area 106, an information area 108, a profile area 110, a GPS area 112, a map area 114, and a remote station area 116.

[0033] A title area 102 is located at the top of the screen and displays the line name, which is entered by the line installer.

[0034] The date and time area 104 is located to the right of the title area 102 at the top edge of the screen.

[0035] The camera image area 106, the information area 108 and the profile area 110 are located on the left side of the screen, while the GPS area 112, the map area 114 and the remote station area 116 are located on the right side of the screen.

[0036] The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays the camera image supplied from the camera 22 in the camera image area 106. The camera image is an image centered on the remote station. The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays a first circle 106a representing the Fresnel radius of the wireless line and a second circle 106b representing a specific range according to the distance from the installation position of the parabolic antenna of the local station and the diameter of the parabolic antenna of the local station, superimposed on the camera image. The second circle 106b represents, for example, a conical range of 20 degrees from the fringe of the parabolic antenna. The radius of the first circle 106a changes according to the position (distance) of the propagation path. The radius of the second circle 106b is larger than the radius of the first circle 106a. The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays the first circle 106a and the second circle 106b in different colors. For example, the arithmetic processing unit 42 displays the first circle 106a in red and the second circle 106b in blue. The centers of the first circle 106a and the second circle 106b are the remote stations. This allows the line installer to look at the camera image and determine whether or not an obstacle exists within the first circle 106a or the second circle 106b based on the camera image.

[0037] The contents of the information area 108 are shown in Fig. 6. The calculation processing unit 42 displays in the information area 108 the Fresnel radius (m), the focal length (mm) of the camera 22, the radio frequency (MHz), the display distance of the Fresnel radius (m), the diameter (m) of the parabolic antenna of the own station, the altitude (m) of the own station, the ground line (GL) (height from the ground) (m) of the own station, the distance between the own station and the remote station (m), the diameter (m) of the parabolic antenna of the remote station, the altitude (m) of the remote station, the GL (m) of the remote station, and the elevation difference (m) between the own station and the remote station.

[0038] The calculation processor 42 calculates the Fresnel radius based on the display distance.

[0039] Information on the focal length of the camera 22 is supplied from the camera 22 to the processor 42 .

[0040] The radio frequency, the diameter of the local station's parabolic antenna, and the diameter of the remote station's parabolic antenna are input by the line installer on the setting screen.

[0041] The display distance for calculating the Fresnel radius is entered by the line installer in a profile area 110, described below.

[0042] The altitude of the own station, the ground level of the own station, the distance between the own station and the other station, the altitude of the other station, the ground level of the other station, and the difference in elevation between the own station and the other station are obtained by the GPS compass 32.

[0043] The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays a topographical cross section 110a between the local station and the remote station in the profile area 110. The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays a dashed straight line 110b connecting the local station and the remote station superimposed on the topographical cross section 110a. This allows the line installation company to determine the presence or absence of an obstacle on the line based on the topographical cross section 110a.

[0044] The calculation processing unit 42 displays a slide bar 110c for designating the display distance for calculating the Fresnel radius on the horizontal axis (distance) of the topographical cross section 110a. The slide bar 110c is moved by a touch operation or a cursor operation on the keyboard. If the distance (display distance) from the own station to point A is d1 (m), the distance from point A to the remote station is d2 (m), and the radio frequency is f (MHz), the Fresnel radius r at point A can be calculated as follows.

[0045] r=((300 / f)×((d1+d2) / (d1×d2))) 1 / 2 formula 1 The camera image and the radius of the first circle 106a and the radius of the second circle 106b vary depending on the focal length and viewing distance of the camera.

[0046] The calculation processing unit 42 also displays a reception calculation button in the profile area 110. When the reception calculation button is touched or clicked, the screen switches to a calculation screen for the reception level (dB) of the remote station. The transmission power and the gain of the transmitting antenna are input on the calculation screen. The calculation processing unit 42 calculates the reception level based on the distance between the local station and the remote station, the transmission power, the gain of the transmitting antenna, the gain of the receiving antenna, and the radio frequency used.

[0047] The calculation processing unit 42 displays the direction 112a, elevation angle 112b, latitude 112c, and longitude 112d of the own station in the GPS area 112. The direction 112a, elevation angle 112b, latitude 112c, and longitude 112d of the own station are calculated by the GPS compass 32.

[0048] The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays the azimuth 112e and elevation angle 112f of the remote station to the right of the azimuth 112a and elevation angle 112b of the own station. The arithmetic processing unit 42 calculates the azimuth 112e of the remote station based on the latitude and longitude of the own station and the remote station. The arithmetic processing unit 42 calculates the elevation angle 112f of the remote station based on the difference in elevation and the distance between the own station and the remote station.

[0049] The calculation processing unit 42 displays an OK mark and left and right arrow marks below the azimuth 112e of the remote station. The calculation processing unit 42 displays an OK mark and up and down arrow marks below the elevation angle 112f of the remote station.

[0050] The line installer rotates the pan head 76 and the mounting fixture 78 so that the azimuth and elevation angle of the camera unit 12 match those of the remote station. When these are aligned, the center of the camera image coincides with the remote station.

[0051] The calculation processing unit 42 also displays the roll (ROL), pitch (PIT), height (Height), geoid, the number of captured GPS satellites, an OK mark, and accuracy in the GPS area 112. If the number of captured GPS satellites is four or more, an OK mark is displayed. FIG. 5 shows an example where six satellites are captured and the accuracy is 2.3. The smaller the accuracy value, the higher the accuracy. The height calculated by the GPS compass 32 is the height from the earth ellipsoid that virtually represents the earth to the positioning point (ellipsoid height). On the other hand, the geoid is the height from the surface that extends the mean sea level into the land to the positioning point. The geoids of many standard points are determined in advance. The altitude is obtained by subtracting the geoid from the ellipsoid height.

[0052] The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays a map including at least one of the local station 114a and the remote station 114b in the map area 114. The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays a solid line 114c representing the line route connecting the local station 114a and the remote station 114b and a dashed line 114d representing the direction of the local station, superimposed on the map. The arithmetic processing unit 42 displays the solid line 114c and the dashed line 114d in different colors. For example, the arithmetic processing unit 42 displays the solid line 114c in blue and the dashed line 114d in orange. The display magnification and display position of the map can be changed.

[0053] The line installer rotates the camera platform 76 so that the dashed straight line 114d overlaps with the solid straight line 114c. When these lines are aligned, the orientation of the camera 22 coincides with the orientation of the remote station.

[0054] The calculation processing unit 42 displays the latitude and longitude of the remote station in the remote station area 116. The calculation processing unit 42 also displays a local station center button, a remote station center button, and a setting button in the remote station area 116. When the map is enlarged, the local station may be removed from the map. At this time, when the local station center button is touched or clicked, the display position of the map is shifted so that the local station is displayed on the map. When the display position is shifted, the remote station may be removed from the map. At this time, when the remote station center button is touched or clicked, the display magnification of the map is changed so that the remote station is displayed on the map. When the setting button is touched or clicked, a screen for various settings is displayed.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of how the wireless channel visualization device 10 is used.

[0056] In order to lay a microwave link between an existing partner station, the line installation contractor constructs a station building for the station and constructs a steel tower for installing a parabolic antenna on the roof of the station building. The steel tower may be constructed on a place other than the roof of the station building. The line installation contractor places a tripod 74 at the planned location for installing the parabolic antenna on the steel tower, and installs the wireless line visualization device 10 on the tripod 74. If there is no space to place the tripod 74 on the steel tower, the line installation contractor may remove the pan head 76 from the tripod 74 and fix the pan head 76 directly to the pillar of the steel tower. The line installation contractor looks at the display of the inclinometer 26 and adjusts the orientation of the pan head 76 so that the camera unit 12 is horizontal.

[0057] When laying a microwave link, the parabolic antenna is not directly attached to the tower, but is first attached to an antenna mount, and then the antenna mount is installed on the tower. The antenna mount allows the orientation of the parabolic antenna to be adjusted, but there is an upper limit to the adjustable angle. If the orientation of the other station falls outside the adjustable angle range, the antenna mount must be redesigned. Therefore, line installers must take the orientation of the tower into consideration when designing the antenna mount.

[0058] The line installer first measures the direction of the tower (S102). Specifically, the line installer irradiates a laser beam from the laser emitter 28, and rotates the camera unit 12 in a horizontal plane so that the laser beam is in the same direction as one side of the tower. If the directions of the tower and the station building are the same, the camera unit 12 may be rotated in a horizontal plane so that the laser beam is in the same direction as one side of the station building. At this time, the direction calculated by the GPS compass 32 is the direction of one side of the tower. In this way, the direction of the tower is measured.

[0059] The line installation company reads the direction 112a of the own station on the display screen displayed on the display unit 44. The line installation company designs and manufactures an antenna stand taking into consideration the measured direction (S104).

[0060] Fig. 8 shows an example of an antenna mount. Fig. 8(a) is a side view of the antenna mount. Fig. 8(b) is a plan view of the antenna mount. A vertical pole 202 is installed on the floor surface at the top of a steel tower. A horizontal arm 204 is attached to the top of the vertical pole 202. A parabolic antenna 206 is attached to the tip of the horizontal arm 204. The attachment angle of the horizontal arm 204 with respect to the front of the vertical pole 202 can be set to any angle. This allows the parabolic antenna 206 to be installed facing the azimuth of the remote station.

[0061] The line installer then photographs the remote station with the camera 22. The location of the remote station can be confirmed from the camera image area 106, azimuth 110e, elevation angle 112f, and straight line 114d on the map area 114 on the display screen (see FIG. 5) of the display section 44 of the computing and display unit 14. The line installer adjusts the base 72 and the mounting fixture 78 so that the center of the camera image coincides with the remote station. The line installer rotates the base 72 in the horizontal plane to adjust the azimuth of the camera 22, and rotates the mounting fixture 78 in the vertical plane to adjust the elevation angle of the camera 22 (S106). The elevation angle is adjusted so that the numerical values ​​of the elevation angles 112b, 112f displayed in the GPS area 112 coincide with each other. The direction may be adjusted so that the numerical values ​​of directions 112a, 112e displayed in the GPS area 112 match, or so that a solid straight line 114c showing the line route connecting the own station 114a and the remote station 114b displayed in the map area 114 matches a dashed straight line 114d showing the direction of the own station. In this way, a straight line showing the direction on the map is displayed, making it easy to adjust the direction.

[0062] After aligning the center of the camera image with the remote station by adjusting the azimuth and elevation, the line installer moves the slide bar 110c on the horizontal axis of the topographical cross section 110a displayed in the profile area 110 to the left or right to specify the display distance d1 (S108). The calculation processing unit 42 subtracts the display distance d1 from the distance between the local station and the remote station to obtain the distance d2, and calculates the Fresnel radius at the display distance d1 based on the formula 1 using the display distance d1, the distance d2, and the radio frequency f. The calculation processing unit 42 calculates a 20-degree cone range from the antenna fringe based on the diameter of the parabolic antenna of the local station. The calculation processing unit 42 displays the first circle 106a and the second circle 106b superimposed on the camera image of the remote station displayed in the camera image area 106.

[0063] The line installer visually checks whether or not there are obstacles in these circles 106a and 106b (S110). The line installer may also visually check whether or not there are obstacles on the propagation path based on the topographical cross section 110a and the straight line 110b displayed in the profile area 110.

[0064] If there is any distance between the local station and the remote station that has not been visually confirmed (No in S112), the line installer changes the displayed distance (S108) and continues visual confirmation (S110). If the line installer has visually confirmed the entire distance between the local station and the remote station (Yes in S112), the process ends.

[0065] As described above, the wireless line visualization device according to the embodiment integrates the camera 22 and the GPS compass 32. When laying a microwave line, the camera 22 is accurately aimed at the position of the other station based on the direction measured by the GPS compass 32, and it is possible to confirm from the image whether there is an obstacle to the microwave line between the other station and the other station. Since the GPS compass 32 is used, the direction of the other station can be accurately measured, and the camera image of the other station can be accurately captured.

[0066] The transmission distance of a microwave link is usually 10 to 20 km, and can be as long as 50 km, so in most cases it is difficult to confirm the other station even with a telescope. However, by using a visualization device, the position (azimuth, elevation) of the other station can be accurately identified. Once the position of the other station has been identified, the direction can be photographed with a camera 22 using a high-magnification zoom lens, and it can be confirmed based on the image whether there is an obstacle in the way of the microwave link. When determining whether there is an obstacle in the microwave link, it is necessary to confirm that there is no obstacle within the Fresnel radius and within a cone area of ​​20 degrees from the fringe of the parabolic antenna. The visualization device displays these ranges overlaid on the camera image, allowing the line installer to easily determine whether there is an obstacle in the microwave link.

[0067] Since the Fresnel radius and the 20 degree cone region from the fringe change depending on the distance from the own station, the visualization device allows the distance to be specified in the profile area 110.

[0068] In the profile area 110, a dashed straight line 110b connecting the user's station and the remote station is displayed superimposed on the terrain cross section 110a. This allows the user to check not only the camera image but also the terrain cross section 110a to see whether there are any obstacles such as mountains or buildings on the propagation path to the remote station.

[0069] In the map area 114, the actual line route and the camera direction are displayed by straight and broken lines of different colors, and by adjusting the camera direction so that the two straight lines coincide with each other, the direction of the camera 22 can be accurately matched with the direction of the other station on the map.

[0070] The wireless line visualization device of the embodiment can display a display screen on a remote personal computer 18 via a network 16. Therefore, the camera image captured on the top of the tower can be confirmed on a personal computer 1 on the ground, and the camera image captured in a small space can be shared by a large number of people using a PC on the ground.

[0071] The camera unit 12 is equipped with a laser emitter 28, and by adjusting the horizontal angle of the camera so that the direction of the laser light and one side of the tower or station (building) coincides with the direction of the other station, the direction of one side of the building can be easily and accurately known. Once the direction of one side of the building is known, the direction of one side of the tower can also be known. If the parabolic antenna stand is designed based on the direction of the tower, there is no chance of failure in adjusting the direction of the parabolic antenna.

[0072] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the components can be modified and embodied in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10...wireless line visualization device, 12...camera unit, 14...calculation and display unit, 16...network, 22...camera, 24...GPS antenna unit, 26...inclinometer, 28...laser emitter, 32...GPS compass, 42...calculation processing unit, 44...display unit, 46...communication device, 48...USB connector.

Claims

1. A wireless line visualization device for visualizing a wireless line between a local station and a remote station, comprising: A base that is rotatable within a first plane; a camera attached to the base in a state in which the camera can rotate within a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, the camera capturing an image of the remote station; Two antennas fixed to the base for receiving radio waves for detecting the orientation of the camera; a display unit that displays an image of the other station captured by the camera and a map including the local station and at least one of the other station, and displays a first circle representing the Fresnel radius of the wireless line and a second circle representing a specific range corresponding to the distance from the installation position of the local station's parabolic antenna and the diameter of the local station's parabolic antenna, superimposed on the image of the other station, and displays a first straight line connecting the local station and the other station and a second straight line representing the orientation of the camera calculated from the radio waves received by the two antennas, superimposed on the map.

2. The display unit is displaying the first circle and the second circle in different colors; 2. The wireless line visualization device according to claim 1, wherein said first straight line and said second straight line are displayed in different colors.

3. The display unit is A topographical cross-sectional view between the local station and the remote station is also displayed; 3. The wireless line visualization device according to claim 1, further comprising: a display unit configured to display a straight line connecting said own station and said remote station on said topographical cross section.

4. The display unit is A slide bar indicating the distance from the own station is also displayed superimposed on the topographical cross section.

4. The wireless line visualization device according to claim 3, wherein the Fresnel radius is displayed based on a distance designated by the slide bar.

5. The display unit is 5. A wireless line visualization device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first numerical value representing the direction of the camera; a second numerical value representing the direction of the local station relative to the remote station calculated based on the difference between the latitude and longitude of the local station and the latitude and longitude of the remote station; and a third numerical value representing the elevation angle calculated based on the distance between the remote station and the local station and the difference between the height of the remote station and the height of the local station.

6. A base that is rotatable within a first plane; a camera attached to the base in a state in which the camera can rotate within a second plane perpendicular to the first plane, the camera capturing an image of a remote station; and two antennas fixed to the base and configured to receive radio waves for detecting the orientation of the camera, the wireless line visualization method being for visualizing a wireless line between a local station and the remote station by an electronic device comprising: displaying an image of the remote station captured by the camera and a map including at least one of the local station and the remote station; a first circle representing the Fresnel radius of the wireless link and a second circle representing a specific range according to the distance from the installation position of the parabolic antenna of the own station and the diameter of the parabolic antenna of the own station are displayed superimposed on an image of the other station; A wireless line visualization method that displays, on the map, a first straight line connecting the local station and the remote station and a second straight line representing the orientation of the camera calculated from the radio waves received by the two antennas.

Citation Information

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