Antenna Tilt Control Using Onboard Memory Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current antenna electrical tilting systems face issues with human error in configuration data entry, leading to incorrect antenna adjustments, increased installation costs, and maintenance challenges due to the need for manual data recording and potential damage during RCU and motor installation and removal.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a readable and writable memory within the antenna to store configuration data and antenna information, allowing for remote loading and adjustment of the electrical down-tilt angle via an external RCU, reducing human error and facilitating accurate and efficient installation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If RCU and motor are built in the antenna, then antenna volume increases and maintenance difficulty increases, but this integration approach was considered to reduce external components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the RCU from the antenna structure, placing it externally on the tower. This segmentation allows the antenna to maintain a compact volume while the RCU is accessible for maintenance. The motor remains integrated with the phase shifter inside the antenna, but the control unit is externalized.
Solution Approach 2:
The RCU is extracted from the antenna interior and positioned externally. This extraction resolves the contradiction by removing the volume-consuming and hard-to-maintain component from the antenna structure while preserving the antenna's functional integrity and compactness.
2Ease of operation
If manual data recording is used for configuration, then installation flexibility is maintained, but human error increases and installation accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna system performs self-identification by automatically providing its serial number and configuration data to the RCU through automated reading. This eliminates manual data recording while maintaining installation flexibility, as the system serves itself by providing the necessary configuration information without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of writing down configuration data is replaced with an automated electronic data reading system. The RCU automatically reads the antenna's serial number and configuration data from its memory, substituting the manual recording process with an automated electronic interaction that eliminates human error.
3Adaptability or versatility
If configuration data is manually entered, then system adaptability is maintained, but time consumption increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna automatically provides its own configuration data to the RCU, eliminating the need for manual data entry. This self-service mechanism maintains system adaptability as each antenna provides its own specific configuration information, while simultaneously dramatically increasing installation speed by removing the time-consuming manual recording and entry process.
Solution Approach 2:
The configuration data is pre-stored in the antenna's memory during manufacturing. This preliminary action allows the data to be immediately available during installation, eliminating the need for manual entry and significantly accelerating the installation process while maintaining the ability to adapt to different antenna types through their unique pre-stored configurations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If RCU serial number is manually written down, then configuration flexibility is maintained, but error rate increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical writing process for recording RCU serial numbers is replaced with automated electronic data reading. The RCU automatically reads the antenna's serial number and configuration data directly from its memory, eliminating transcription errors while maintaining configuration flexibility through the ability to store and retrieve different configuration sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the RCU reads the antenna's serial number and configuration data, then uses this information to automatically load the correct configuration. This closed-loop feedback process eliminates manual errors by ensuring the RCU is correctly identified and configured based on actual antenna characteristics rather than manual transcription.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide an antenna apparatus, a system, and an adjusting method. The antenna apparatus is configured to be used in conjunction with an RCU (remote control unit, external remote control unit). The antenna apparatus includes a readable and writable memory and a motor. The readable and writable memory is configured to store configuration data of an antenna and antenna information corresponding to the configuration data, where the configuration data is used to control the RCU to drive the motor to move, so as to adjust an electrical down-tilt angle of the antenna. By disposing the readable and writable memory inside the antenna to store the configuration data of the antenna, an external device can conveniently call the configuration data to configure the RCU.