Mobile autonomous video recording system with hybrid power supply and radio relay data transmission channel

Abstract

FIELD: mobile video information collection and transmission systems.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to mobile video information collection and transmission systems, in particular portable complexes for operational deployment in the absence of a fixed communications and power supply infrastructure, and can be used in traffic monitoring systems and emergency response. A complex is proposed that includes a telescopic mast with a tripod base, a video module mounted at the upper end of the mast with pan and tilt capabilities, a transceiver radio relay module, and a single sealed power unit rigidly fixed to the mast, inside which are located the battery and the charge / discharge controller, as well as a photovoltaic panel mounted on the outer surface of the power unit. The charge controller is designed to measure the battery charge level and selectively disconnect the power supply to the video module when the charge drops below the threshold value, while maintaining power supply to the radio module to ensure the transmission of accumulated data. The transceiver module is a radio relay with an operating frequency of 80–100 GHz and includes a mechanism for orienting the antenna’s radiation pattern in the vertical plane, kinematically linked to the mechanism for securing the extendable mast sections; this ensures automatic adjustment of the radio module’s tilt angle when the mast height changes.EFFECT: technical result is to ensure guaranteed delivery of video data to the control room at a critical battery charge level, eliminating the need for manual reconfiguration of the radio relay channel when changing the height of the mast, increasing the efficiency of using stored energy, increasing the video transmission range to 20 km and reducing deployment time to 7 minutes.2 cl, 2 dwg

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the field of mobile systems for collecting and transmitting video information, in particular to portable complexes designed for rapid deployment in conditions of the absence of a stationary communications infrastructure and power supply, and can be used in traffic monitoring systems, in the liquidation of emergency situations, as well as for the protection of temporary facilities.

[0002] Mobile video surveillance systems are known, designed for rapid deployment in the absence of fixed infrastructure. For example, an autonomous mobile video and thermal imaging surveillance system is known under patent RU 2671155 C1 [1], comprising a video camera and a thermal imager on a rotating device mounted on a quickly deployable telescopic mast, an autonomous power source with the ability to recharge from renewable energy sources (400 W solar modules), and a radio relay data transmission system with a range of up to 8 km in the 5 GHz frequency range.

[0003] The disadvantages of this solution are:

[0004] Using separate battery packs for different consumers (video camera, thermal imager and radio module), which leads to an imbalance in the battery charge and reduces the efficiency of using the accumulated energy, since when one of the packs is discharged, the system switches off, despite the presence of residual capacity in the others;

[0005] the absence of a mechanism for prioritizing power between consumers when the charge level decreases, which leads to a complete power outage of the system when the charge drops below the threshold value and the inability to transfer critical data;

[0006] Limited range of radio relay communication (8 km) due to the use of the 5 GHz band, as well as the lack of a mechanism for automatic compensation for changes in the antenna radiation pattern when the mast height changes, which requires manual reconfiguration and increases deployment time.

[0007] Also known is a device for remote video surveillance in the field, according to patent RU 118816 U1 [2], comprising a PTZ video camera, a video encoder, a wireless router, and three independent battery units housed separately. The disadvantages of this solution include a short radio communication range (up to 300 m), a lack of renewable energy sources, and a long deployment time due to the need to assemble disparate units.

[0008] There are known solar panel powered video surveillance systems, such as the solar powered modular intelligent video camera patented by CN107835340A [3], but they use standard wireless data transmission, which does not provide a range of more than 300m.

[0009] The closest in technical essence and achieved result to the claimed invention is the mobile complex according to patent RU 2671155 C1, selected as a prototype.

[0010] The technical problem solved by the invention is the creation of a mobile video recording system with increased battery life and communication range, free from the shortcomings of the prototype, by integrating energy sources, communication and recording means into a single functional system with centralized power supply management and automatic compensation of radio channel parameters.

[0011] The technical result of the claimed invention is as follows.

[0012] Thanks to the implementation of a charge controller with a selective shutdown function for the video module when the battery level drops below a threshold (15%), while maintaining power to the radio module, the delivery of accumulated video data to the control center is guaranteed even if the camera's battery is exhausted. This, in turn, increases the overall battery life of the system (including the radio channel's operation time in critical data transmission mode) to 72 hours, which is unachievable with a prototype with independent power supplies.

[0013] At the same time, the use of the 80-100 GHz radio relay band, coupled with a kinematic link between the mast locking mechanism and the radio module rotation mechanism, which automatically adjusts the antenna's radiation pattern as the height changes, ensures stable video signal transmission over a distance of up to 20 km without manual reconfiguration. This reduces deployment time to just 7 minutes.

[0014] Thus, the combination of the declared features provides a systemic effect, expressed in an increase in the autonomy, range and speed of deployment of the complex.

[0015] The specified technical result is achieved by the fact that the mobile autonomous video recording complex contains:

[0016] telescopic mast with adjustable height and tripod base;

[0017] Video module installed at the upper end of the mast with pan and tilt capability, designed with sensitivity in the visible and infrared ranges;

[0018] transceiver radio relay module operating in the 80-100 GHz range, mounted on a mast coaxially with a video module with the ability to change the tilt angle;

[0019] A single sealed power unit, rigidly mounted on the mast, containing a battery and a charge / discharge controller inside;

[0020] photovoltaic panel fixed on the outer surface of the power unit;

[0021] Connecting cable with sealed connectors for connecting the video module and radio module to the controller outputs.

[0022] The essential features that ensure the achievement of the specified technical result are:

[0023] implementation of a charge controller with the function of measuring the current charge level of the battery and, upon reaching a threshold value (for example, 15% of the nominal capacity), selectively turning off the power of the video module while maintaining the power of the radio module - ensures guaranteed delivery of data to the control center and an increase in the operating time of the radio channel by 4-6 hours beyond the operating time of the video camera;

[0024] The implementation of the transmitting-receiving module as a radio relay with an operating frequency of 80-100 GHz ensures an increase in the video signal transmission range of up to 20 km due to the use of highly directional antennas of small diameter with an acceptable level of atmospheric attenuation in the specified range;

[0025] The kinematic connection of the locking mechanism of the retractable sections of the mast with the rotation mechanism of the radio module, implemented, for example, by means of a toothed rack and pinion, ensures automatic correction of the directional pattern of the radio module antenna when the height of the mast changes, eliminating the need for manual readjustment and reducing deployment time;

[0026] The combination of all consumers (video module and radio module) under the control of a single charge controller connected to a single battery provides increased efficiency in the use of accumulated energy by eliminating the imbalance of batteries typical for the prototype.

[0027] The invention is explained by the following drawings:

[0028] Fig. 1 - General view of the mobile autonomous video recording complex.

[0029] The figure shows:

[0030] 1 - video camera;

[0031] 2 - receiving and transmitting device (radio relay);

[0032] 3 - telescopic tripod stand;

[0033] 4 - section fixing bracket;

[0034] 5 - monoblock case;

[0035] 6 - battery;

[0036] 7 - charge controller;

[0037] 8 - monoblock case cover;

[0038] 9 - cover fastening bolt;

[0039] 10 - solar panel;

[0040] 11 - installation pipe bracket;

[0041] 12 - fixing hole;

[0042] 13- cable connection connector;

[0043] 14 - connecting cable;

[0044] 15 - support for telescopic tripod stand.

[0045] Fig. 2 - Functional diagram of the operation of the complex as part of a mobile control center.

[0046] The figure shows:

[0047] 16 - vehicles;

[0048] 17 - installation surface;

[0049] 18 - state registration plate;

[0050] 19 - radio relay communication (80-100 GHz);

[0051] 20 - control center receiving and transmitting device;

[0052] 21 - mobile control center;

[0053] 22 - wired communication line;

[0054] 23 - video decoder;

[0055] 24 - video monitor;

[0056] 25 - automated operator workstation.

[0057] The mobile autonomous video recording system operates as follows.

[0058] Deployment

[0059] The device is delivered to the operating site in the transport position (mast folded, cable disconnected). The operator installs the telescopic mast (3) on the surface (17) by spreading the supports (15), extends the mast sections to the required height (in the range from 1.5 to 5 m) and fixes them with brackets (4). During the fixing process, bracket (4) via a gear transmission rotates the radio module (2) at an angle automatically adjusted to the new height, ensuring optimal orientation of the antenna radiation pattern to the remote receiving point. The power unit (5) with the photovoltaic panel (10) is oriented to the south (in the northern hemisphere) at an optimal angle to the horizon. The connecting cable (14) connects the video module (1) and radio module (2) to the connectors (13) of the power unit. The total deployment time is no more than 7 minutes.

[0060] The achievable deployment time of 7 minutes is confirmed by the timing of the operations: mast installation on the surface and extension of the supports - 1.5 minutes; extension of sections up to 5 meters and fixation with brackets - 3 minutes; orientation of the power unit and photovoltaic panel - 1.5 minutes; connection of connecting cables - 1 minute. All operations do not require the use of special tools.

[0061] Power supply

[0062] During daylight hours, the photovoltaic panel (10) converts solar energy into electrical energy. The MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) charge controller (7) matches the panel's output voltage to the charging voltage of the lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePOD) battery (6), ensuring maximum conversion efficiency. Upon reaching full charge, the controller stops charging; when the battery voltage drops below a set threshold (15% of the nominal capacity), the controller selectively disconnects power to the video module (1), while maintaining power to the radio module (2), allowing the accumulated data to be transmitted to the control center.

[0063] In the dark or in cloudy weather, power is supplied from the energy stored in the battery (6).

[0064] The achievable battery life of 72 hours is confirmed by calculations. With a battery capacity of 40 Ah and a nominal voltage of 12 V, the total energy is 480 Wh. The consumption of the video module is 10 W, the radio module is 5 W, and the controller is 1 W. In joint operation mode, the continuous battery life is 480 / (10 + 5 + 1) ~ 30 hours. However, when the video module is disabled and the radio module switches to critical data transmission mode (periodic transmission of accumulated frames with a duty cycle of 1 / 10), the average consumption decreases to 1.5 W, which provides an additional 4-6 hours of radio channel operation. Taking into account recharging from a photovoltaic panel during daylight hours (average daily output on a clear day is up to 150 Wh), the total operating time of the complex reaches 72 hours.

[0065] Video recording and data transmission

[0066] The video module (1) captures video at a resolution of at least 1920x1080 pixels. The video signal is sent via the connecting cable (14) to the radio module (2), which converts the video signal into data packets and transmits them via a radio relay at a frequency of 80-100 GHz via a highly directional antenna to the receiving station (20-21), located up to 20 km away.

[0067] The attainability of a transmission range of 20 km is confirmed by radio link calculations. In the 80-100 GHz range, with an antenna beamwidth of 1.5 and a gain of 35 dBi, a transmitter power of 100 mW, the free-space attenuation at a frequency of 90 GHz over a range of 20 km is

[0068] L = 20⋅log10(4π⋅R⋅f / e) = 20⋅log10(4⋅3.14⋅20000⋅90⋅10 9 / 3⋅10 8 )≈128 dB.

[0069] Taking into account atmospheric losses (≈10 dB at 20 km in clear weather), the total losses are 138 dB. The line power potential is: 20 dBm (100 mW) + 35 dBi (transmitter) + 35 dBi (receiver) - 138 dB = -48 dBm, which exceeds the sensitivity of a typical receiver (-70 dBm), providing a 22 dB margin. Installing the radio module at a height of up to 5 m ensures clearance over obstacles (the curvature of the Earth at 20 km is 31 m, which is compensated for by the height of the receiving antenna at the control center and the elevation of the transmitting antenna).

[0070] At the receiving point, the signal is received, decoded and displayed on the video monitor (24) of the automated operator workstation (25) for analysis and processing.

[0071] Sources of information

[0072] 1. Patent RU 2671155 C1, IPC H04N 7 / 18, publ. 10 / 30 / 2018 (prototype).

[0073] 2. Patent RU 118816 U1, IPC H04N 7 / 18, publ. 07 / 27 / 2012.

[0074] 3. Patent CN107835340A, IPC H04N 5 / 225, published 03.23.2018.

Claims

1. A mobile autonomous video recording system comprising a telescopic mast with an adjustable height and a tripod-shaped base, a video module with sensitivity in the visible and infrared ranges, a transmitting and receiving module, a battery and a power management controller, characterized in that the battery and the power management controller are located inside a single sealed housing rigidly fixed to the mast, wherein a solar panel is fixed to the outer surface of the housing, electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is configured to selectively turn off the power supply to the video module when the charge level of the battery drops below a threshold value while maintaining the power supply to the transmitting and receiving module, wherein the video module and the transmitting and receiving module are connected to the controller via a connecting cable with sealed connectors,wherein the transmitting and receiving module is made as a radio relay module with an operating frequency of 80-100 GHz and is fixed on the mast with the possibility of changing the tilt angle, and the mechanism for changing the tilt angle is kinematically connected with the mechanism for fixing the retractable sections of the mast, ensuring automatic adjustment of the antenna radiation pattern when the height of the mast changes.

2. A mobile autonomous video recording system according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the power management controller contains a maximum power point tracking converter (MPPT).

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