Antenna holding device

Abstract

To provide an antenna holding device capable of adjusting the angle of an antenna such that the antenna faces the zenith direction when a mobile terminal is tilted.SOLUTION: An antenna holding device includes a terminal mounting portion 2 for mounting a mobile terminal B, an antenna fixing portion 3 installed near the terminal mounting portion 2 and fixing an antenna A, and a hinge portion 4 that allows the terminal mounting portion 2 to rotate with respect to the antenna fixing portion 3. The axis serving as the rotation center of the hinge portion 4 is arranged in a direction intersecting the reception direction of the antenna A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an antenna supporting device for mounting an antenna compatible with RTK-GNSS (Real Time Kinematic-Global Navigation Satellite System) and a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. [Background technology]

[0002] Destination guidance systems using mobile terminals such as smartphones have been used for a long time as navigation devices for vehicles and guidance systems for pedestrians. In particular, a system capable of high-precision positioning called RTK-GNSS has recently been put into practical use. In the case of previous destination guidance systems that only used GPS, the location information data had an error of around 2m, but by using RTK-GNSS, it is possible to reduce the error to within a few centimeters.

[0003] In such a destination guidance system, the position of the person carrying the mobile device is used as a reference point, and guidance is given on the direction, orientation, and distance from that position to the destination, etc. In particular, with RTK-GNSS, which limits errors to within a few centimeters, highly accurate positioning of the person's position, i.e., the current position of the mobile device, is important for accurate guidance to the destination.

[0004] In addition, in the past, destination guidance systems provided guidance by displaying azimuth, direction, distance, numbers, etc. on the screen of a mobile device. However, in recent years, in order to provide guidance that is easier to understand, it has become necessary to display these guidance displays not only as numbers, but also together with real-life images using AR (Augmented Reality) technology. For example, it has been proposed to display real-life images on a mobile device and superimpose markers such as arrows indicating the destination and direction on them.

[0005] In such a destination guidance system using AR technology, the distance to the destination is calculated using an image sensor such as a camera installed in a mobile device. Using an antenna compatible with RTK-GNSS (RTK-GNSS antenna) enables high-precision positioning, and if the positional relationship with the image sensor can be accurately grasped, the distance to the destination can be calculated starting from the position of the image sensor, and the destination can be accurately marked on the display panel of the mobile device. In other words, if the RTK-GNSS antenna can be fixed near the image sensor, it becomes possible to mark the destination with high precision.

[0006] Conventionally, RTK-GNSS has been mainly used for applications such as surveying and remote control of construction equipment, and since the RTK-GNSS antenna has a certain size, it cannot be built into a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. Therefore, even in a guidance system using a mobile terminal, the RTK-GNSS antenna is arranged separately from the mobile terminal. In a guidance system using a mobile terminal, it is necessary to fix the antenna near the mobile terminal and to make the RTK-GNSS antenna face the zenith direction even while the mobile terminal is moving during guidance. For example, Patent Document 1 is a technology for arranging an RTK-GNSS antenna near a mobile terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-182068 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In the conventional technology, a mobile terminal is attached to the middle part of a rod-shaped grip, and a security guard at a construction site holds an antenna fixed to the top of the grip upward to obtain location information. However, this conventional technology is used in a stationary state such as land surveying, and the angle of the mobile terminal during positioning is always constant, so the angle between the mobile terminal and the antenna is fixed. Therefore, when used in a guidance system in which the angle of the mobile terminal changes as the user moves to the destination, the angle of the antenna also changes with the change in the angle of the mobile terminal, causing the antenna to deviate from the zenith direction, resulting in a problem of reduced reception sensitivity.

[0009] The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an antenna holding device that can adjust the angle of the antenna so that the antenna faces the zenith when the mobile terminal is tilted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The antenna holding device of the present invention has the following configuration. (1) A terminal attachment section for attaching a mobile terminal. (2) An antenna fixing portion that is installed near the terminal mounting portion and fixes an antenna. (3) A hinge portion that enables the terminal mounting portion to rotate relative to the antenna fixing portion. (4) The axis around which the hinge portion rotates is disposed in a direction intersecting the receiving direction of the antenna.

[0011] The antenna holding device of the present invention may further include the following configuration. (1) The antenna fixing portion can be folded toward the terminal mounting portion around the hinge portion. (2) A gripping portion that is held by a user is provided at the lower end of the terminal attachment portion. (3) A visor is provided to block light from entering the display panel of the mobile terminal. (4) The portable terminal device has a leg portion supporting the antenna fixing portion and a terminal support arm horizontally connected to the leg portion and supporting the mobile terminal, and the terminal mounting portion is fixed to the terminal support arm via the hinge portion. (5) The leg is a monopod consisting of a single extendable member having a contact part at its lower end for contacting the ground. (6) A tilt sensor is provided to measure the degree of tilt of the antenna, and a motor is provided to rotate the antenna fixing part about the hinge part relative to the terminal mounting part so that the antenna faces the zenith direction based on a command from the tilt sensor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the second embodiment when used in a vertical mode. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the second embodiment when used in horizontal mode. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the third embodiment when used in a vertical mode. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the third embodiment when used in the horizontal mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] [1. First embodiment] [1-1. Configuration] Hereinafter, an antenna holding device according to a first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an antenna holding device having an angle adjustment function, and a state in which an RTK-GNSS antenna and a mobile terminal are attached to the antenna holding device and are in use.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the antenna holding device 1 includes a terminal mounting section 2 for mounting a mobile terminal, an antenna fixing section 3 installed near the terminal mounting section 2 and fixing an antenna A, and a hinge section 4 that enables the terminal mounting section 2 to rotate relative to the antenna fixing section 3.

[0015] The terminal mounting part 2 has a box-shaped case 2a with an open top fixed to a plate-like surface made of metal or synthetic resin by means of adhesion, fitting, gripping, or the like, and the portable terminal B is mounted to this case 2a. The case 2a is not limited to the open-top type, and any appropriate type can be used, such as a notebook type or book cover type that accommodates the portable terminal B from the side. Also, the terminal mounting part 2 itself may be the case 2a, and the portable terminal B may be mounted inside it.

[0016] The antenna fixing part 3 is made of a plate-like member made of metal or synthetic resin, and is installed near the terminal mounting part 2. An antenna A compatible with RTK-GNSS is fixed to the surface of the antenna fixing part 3 by means of screwing, fitting, adhesive, or the like. There is no restriction on the type or size of the antenna A fixed to the antenna fixing part 3. There is no restriction on the size of the antenna fixing part 3, and depending on the shape of the antenna A, it may be one in which a part of the bottom or side surface of the antenna A is fixed.

[0017] The hinge part 4 is, for example, a hinge-shaped member made of metal or synthetic resin that is provided as a separate member from the terminal mounting part 2 and the antenna fixing part 3, and is provided between the terminal mounting part 2 and the antenna fixing part 3, with one end fixed to the terminal mounting part 2 and the other end fixed to the antenna fixing part 3 by means of screwing, bonding, fitting, or the like. The hinge part 4 can also be provided by processing a part of the terminal mounting part 2 and the antenna fixing part 3. For example, the hinge part 4 may be formed by providing a pipe-shaped bearing in each of the terminal mounting part 2 and the antenna fixing part 3 and passing an axis through the inside of the pipe-shaped bearing. The axis that is the rotation center of the hinge part 4 is arranged in a direction that intersects with the receiving direction of the antenna A. In other words, the hinge part 4 makes the terminal mounting part 2 rotatable relative to the antenna fixing part 3, and adjusts the angle of the terminal mounting part 2 or the antenna fixing part 3 so that the antenna A faces the zenith direction regardless of the direction in which the mobile terminal B is tilted.

[0018] The hinge unit 4 may be provided with a stopper or the like for maintaining the rotation angle. For example, a set screw of the same structure as that for fixing the angle of the pan head of a camera tripod may be provided, or a friction material such as resin may be sandwiched between the axis and bearing of the hinge unit 4, so that the angle of the hinge unit 4 changes only when the user applies a certain amount of force or more, and the angle is maintained when the user releases the stopper.

[0019] [1-2. Operation of the embodiment] An example of a method of using the antenna holding device 1 according to the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, an antenna A compatible with RTK-GNSS is fixed to the antenna fixing part 3 of the antenna holding device 1. A user mounts a mobile terminal B in a case 2a fixed to a terminal mounting part 2. Then, while holding the case 2a, the user adjusts the angle of the antenna fixing part 3 via the hinge part 4 so that the antenna A faces the zenith direction. When the mobile terminal is tilted during the movement of the destination guidance system, the angle of the antenna fixing part 3 is adjusted via the hinge part 4 each time so that the antenna A always faces the zenith direction. When the destination is reached and the destination guidance system is ended, the antenna fixing part 3 of the antenna holding device 1 is folded around the hinge part 4 toward the terminal mounting part 2 and stored.

[0020] [1-3. Effects of the embodiment] (1) The antenna holding device 1 in this embodiment is provided with a hinge portion 4 so that the terminal mounting portion 2 can be rotated relative to the antenna fixing portion 3. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the angle of the antenna so that the antenna faces the zenith direction when the mobile terminal B is tilted. For example, when the antenna holding device 1 of this embodiment is used in a search system having a vertical mode in which the user holds the mobile terminal B in a nearly vertical state to search for a destination point, and a horizontal mode in which the mobile terminal B is used sideways and almost parallel to the ground, it is possible to always keep the RTK-GNSS antenna A fixed to the antenna fixing portion 3 facing the zenith direction in either mode by adjusting the angle between the terminal mounting portion 2 and the antenna fixing portion 3 around the hinge portion 4. As a result, it is possible to always receive positioning signals from satellites with high sensitivity.

[0021] (2) In the antenna holding device 1 of this embodiment, the antenna fixing part 3 is installed near the terminal mounting part 2. Therefore, the RTK-GNSS antenna A can be fixed near the image sensor, and by minimizing the measurement error between the image sensor and the RTK-GNSS antenna A, it becomes possible to mark the destination point with high accuracy in the destination guidance system.

[0022] (3) In the antenna holding device 1 of this embodiment, the antenna fixing part 3 can be folded toward the terminal attachment part 2 side around the hinge part 4. Therefore, when the antenna holding device 1 is not in use, the antenna fixing part 3 does not get in the way and can be stored in a space-saving manner.

[0023] (4) The antenna holding device 1 in this embodiment can fix a part of the bottom or side surface of the antenna A to the antenna fixing part 3. Therefore, the antenna A can be fixed regardless of the shape or size, and even if the antenna A itself is large, by using the small and lightweight antenna holding device 1, the antenna A can be installed near the terminal mounting part 2, enabling highly accurate positioning.

[0024] [1. Second embodiment] [2-1. Configuration] The configuration of the antenna holding device 1 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. In this embodiment, a gripping part 5 to be gripped by a user is provided at the lower end of the terminal mounting part 2, and a visor part 6 for blocking light from entering the display panel of the mobile terminal B is provided. In the embodiment described below, only the points different from the first embodiment will be described, and the same parts as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.

[0025] The grip part 5 is made of a tubular member made of wood, metal, or synthetic resin, and is fixed to the lower end of the terminal attachment part 2 by means of screwing, fitting, adhesive, or the like. The shape of the grip part 5 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and any appropriate shape such as a square, rod, plate, hook, or ring can be used. The grip part 5 may be fixed to any location, including the lower end, side, or back of the terminal attachment part 2.

[0026] The eaves portion 6 is an L-shaped plate-like member made of metal or synthetic resin. It is fixed between the terminal mounting portion 2 and the hinge portion 4 by means of screwing, fitting, adhesion, or the like. In this embodiment, the eaves portion 6 is made by connecting two plate-like members via the hinge portion 4, and is fixed so that the angle of the eaves portion 6 can be moved around the connection point with the terminal mounting portion 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the length of the eaves portion 6 on the hinge portion 4 side is longer than the thickness of the mobile terminal B mounted on the terminal mounting portion 2, and blocks direct light from entering the display panel of the mobile terminal B when the mobile terminal B is used in the vertical mode.

[0027] [2-2. Operation of the embodiment] As shown in FIG. 2, in the vertical mode in which the user searches for a destination point while holding the mobile terminal B in a nearly vertical state, the user adjusts the angle of the antenna fixing part 3 via the hinge part 4 so that the antenna A faces the zenith direction while holding the grip part 5. In this case, to avoid direct sunlight from the zenith direction, the user adjusts the angle of the visor part 6 to block direct light from entering the display panel of the mobile terminal B. As shown in FIG. 3, in the horizontal mode in which the mobile terminal B is used sideways, almost parallel to the ground, the user adjusts the angle of the antenna fixing part 3 via the hinge part 4 so that the antenna A always faces the zenith direction. When the destination is reached and the destination guidance system is terminated, the antenna fixing part 3 and the visor part 6 are folded and stored on the terminal mounting part 2 side.

[0028] [2-3. Effects of the embodiment] (1) The antenna holding device 1 in this embodiment is provided with a gripping part 5 to be held by a user at the lower end of the terminal attachment part 2. This has the advantage that the user can easily hold the antenna holding device 1, the antenna holding device 1 can be prevented from falling, and the user does not get tired even when using the device for a long period of time.

[0029] (2) The antenna holding device 1 in this embodiment is provided with a visor portion 6 that blocks light from entering the display panel of the mobile terminal B. Therefore, it is possible to block direct light from entering the display panel of the mobile terminal B, and it becomes possible to clearly view the display panel of the mobile terminal B even on a sunny day.

[0030] [1. Third embodiment] [3-1. Configuration] The configuration of an antenna holding device 1 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. In this embodiment, an antenna holding device 1 is provided with a configuration similar to that of a monopod for a camera.

[0031] In this embodiment, the device has a leg 7 supporting the antenna fixing part 3, and a terminal support arm 8 connected to the leg 7 in the horizontal direction and supporting the mobile terminal B, and the terminal mounting part 2 is fixed to the terminal support arm 8 via a hinge part 4. The leg 7 is made of wood, metal, or synthetic resin, and is a member consisting of a multi-tube body that is freely expandable and contractible, and its lower end is a part that abuts against the ground when the monopod is used. In this embodiment, the leg 7 is a monopod, but a tripod or the like may also be used. The antenna fixing part 3 is fixed to the upper part of the leg 7 by means of screwing, fitting, adhesive, or the like. The terminal support arm 8, which is provided in a direction perpendicular to the leg 7, is connected to a position on the leg 7 below the antenna fixing part 3. In this embodiment, the leg 7 and the terminal support arm 8 are connected via an aluminum T-joint, but the method of connection is not limited to this, and any appropriate method such as welding, adhesive, or screwing may be used.

[0032] The terminal support arm 8 is a rod-shaped member made of wood, metal, or synthetic resin. A hinge portion 4 is fixed to the terminal support arm 8, which is provided around the axis of the terminal support arm 8, and the terminal mounting portion 2 is rotatably fixed via the hinge portion 4. The length of the leg portion 7 and the terminal support arm 8 is not important, but it is preferable that the height of the mobile terminal B fixed to the terminal support arm 8 is fixed at a position of about 1 m to 1.2 m above the ground because this makes it easy for the user to view the screen display of the mobile terminal B.

[0033] [3-2. Operation of the embodiment] In this embodiment, the hinge portion 4 is provided on the terminal support arm 8 protruding horizontally from the leg portion 7, so that the angle between the antenna A and the portable terminal B can be adjusted by rotating the portable terminal B around the hinge portion 4 of the terminal support arm 8 without changing the angle of the leg portion 7 itself while it is standing on the ground. As a result, even if the angle of the portable terminal B changes, the antenna A can always be directed toward the zenith. For example, when the antenna holding device 1 of this embodiment is used in a search system having a vertical mode and a horizontal mode, the user extends the retractable leg portion 7 and stands the leg portion 7 on the ground so that the abutment portion of the lower end touches the ground, and then uses the antenna holding device 1. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, in the vertical mode in which the user searches for a destination point while holding the portable terminal B in a nearly vertical state, the user adjusts the angle of the terminal mounting portion 2 via the hinge portion 4 so that the display panel of the portable terminal B is easily visible while avoiding direct sunlight. 5, in the horizontal mode in which mobile terminal B is used sideways and nearly parallel to the ground, the user adjusts terminal mounting part 2 via hinge part 4 so that the screen of mobile terminal B is horizontal. When the destination is reached and the destination guidance system is terminated, legs 7 are retracted and stored.

[0034] [3-3. Effects of the embodiment] (1) The antenna holding device 1 in this embodiment is provided with a retractable leg 7, and furthermore, a contact part for contacting the ground is provided at the lower end of the leg 7, so that the mobile terminal B can be fixed at a certain height by standing the leg 7 on the ground. Therefore, when the destination guidance system uses AR (Augmented Reality) technology to display the image on the screen together with the actual image, the height of the mobile terminal B can be precisely measured, and the destination can be marked with high accuracy.

[0035] (2) In the antenna holding device 1 of this embodiment, the hinge portion 4 is fixed to the axis of the terminal support arm 8. Therefore, the user can easily and freely adjust the angle of the screen display of the mobile terminal B to an easy-to-view angle.

[0036] 3. Other embodiments In this specification, several embodiments according to the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and gist of the invention.

[0037] (1) In the above embodiment, the user manually adjusts the angle of the terminal mounting part 2 or the antenna fixing part 3 via the hinge part 4 so that the antenna faces the zenith direction when the mobile terminal B is tilted. However, an angle adjustment mechanism may be provided so that the antenna fixing part 3 always faces the zenith direction automatically even when the mobile terminal B is tilted. Specifically, the antenna fixing part 3 is equipped with a tilt sensor that measures the tilt degree of the antenna A, and the position information of the antenna A that changes depending on the tilt amount of the antenna A and the relative position information of the image sensor can be set in advance in the mobile terminal B. When the mobile terminal B is a smartphone, the image sensor is a camera for taking videos and is provided on the surface opposite to the display panel. The camera for taking videos reads the surrounding environment information of the smartphone, and the current position information is read from the antenna A. An angle adjustment mechanism is provided that recognizes the exact position of the image sensor using the current position information read from the antenna A and the relative position information of the antenna A and the image sensor that is set in advance. As an example of the angle adjustment mechanism, an actuator is built into the hinge portion 4 so that the inclination of the antenna holding device 1 can be adjusted by the actuator.

[0038] (2) A gimbal function may be incorporated so that antenna A always faces the zenith direction according to the inclination of mobile terminal B using the smartphone's gyro signal. This not only saves the user the trouble of adjusting the angle, but also makes it possible to more accurately keep the RTK-GNSS antenna A fixed to antenna fixing part 3 always facing the zenith direction. As a result, positioning signals from satellites can be constantly received, making it possible to implement a destination guidance system using high-precision positioning.

[0039] (3) The antenna fixing part 3 may be equipped with a tilt sensor that measures the tilt degree of antenna A, and the results of the measurement by the sensor may be displayed on the display panel of the mobile terminal B. This allows the user to easily recognize the tilt degree of antenna A, and enables the angle of the terminal attachment part 2 or the antenna fixing part 3 to be adjusted via the hinge part 4 according to the tilt degree of antenna A displayed on the display panel.

[0040] (4) In the above embodiment, one antenna A is fixed to one antenna fixing part 3, but multiple antennas A may be fixed to the antenna fixing part 3. Also, multiple antenna fixing parts 3 may be provided according to the number of antennas A.

[0041] (5) In the above embodiment, one hinge portion 4 is provided between the terminal mounting portion 2 and the antenna fixing portion 3, but multiple hinge portions 4 may be provided. In addition, another member such as the canopy portion 6 may be interposed between the terminal mounting portion 2 and the antenna fixing portion 3, and multiple hinge portions 4 may be provided corresponding to the number of other members.

[0042] (6) A battery that serves as the power source for antenna A and mobile terminal B can be fixed or built into each part of antenna holding device 1, for example, inside one leg 7 or in gripping part 5. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] A…Antenna B: Mobile device 1...Antenna holding device 2. Terminal attachment section 2a…Case 3…Antenna fixing part 4…Hinge section 5...Gripping part 6…Eaves 7…Legs 8…Terminal support arm

Claims

1. A terminal mounting section for mounting a mobile terminal; an antenna fixing part that is installed near the terminal mounting part and fixes an antenna; a hinge portion that enables the terminal mounting portion to rotate relative to the antenna fixing portion. an axis serving as a rotation center of the hinge portion is disposed in a direction intersecting a receiving direction of the antenna, The hinge portion is configured to adjust the angle of the antenna fixing portion, and is equipped with an adjustment mechanism for orienting the antenna toward the zenith when the mobile terminal is tilted.

2. The antenna holding device according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna fixing portion is capable of being folded toward the terminal mounting portion around the hinge portion.

3. 3. The antenna holding device according to claim 1, wherein a gripping portion for being gripped by a user is provided at a lower end of the terminal mounting portion.

4. 4. The antenna holding device according to claim 1, further comprising a visor for blocking light from entering a display panel of the portable terminal.

5. A leg portion supporting the antenna fixing portion; a terminal support arm connected to the leg in a horizontal direction and supporting the mobile terminal, 2. The antenna holding device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal mounting portion is fixed to the terminal support arm via the hinge portion.

6. 6. An antenna holding device according to claim 5, wherein said leg is a monopod consisting of a single elastic member having a bottom end portion that abuts against the ground.

7. a tilt sensor for measuring the degree of tilt of the antenna; An antenna holding device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a motor that rotates the antenna fixing portion around the hinge portion relative to the terminal mounting portion so that the antenna faces the zenith direction based on a command from the tilt sensor.

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