Array Antenna Beam Steering Using Fisheye Marker Coordinates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Adjusting beam directions using elevation and azimuth angles in conventional antenna devices involves complex calculations, making it difficult to achieve simple and efficient beam direction adjustments.
Innovation Solution
An antenna device with a two-dimensional array of antenna elements, phase adjusting units, an image capturing unit with a fisheye lens, and a control unit that converts image data into polar coordinates to determine and adjust elevation angles for beam direction control, allowing for simplified beam direction adjustments within a specific plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If beam direction is adjusted using elevation angles and azimuth angles in conventional antenna devices, then beam direction control is achieved, but complex calculations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the coordinate system parameters from conventional elevation-azimuth angles to a simplified two-dimensional coordinate system (u, v) that directly maps to antenna element positions. This parameter transformation eliminates complex trigonometric calculations while maintaining beam direction control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the azimuth angle component from the conventional spherical coordinate system, retaining only the essential elevation angle information needed for beam direction control in the specific application scenario. This extraction simplifies the calculation model by removing unnecessary complexity.
2Ease of operation
If multiple phase shifters are used to adjust beam directions in conventional antenna devices, then beam direction control is achieved, but implementation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple phase shifters into a reduced set of phase adjusting units by exploiting the geometric symmetry and redundancy in the antenna array configuration. This merging reduces the total number of phase shifters required while maintaining full beam direction control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes each phase adjusting unit universal by designing it to control multiple antenna elements simultaneously through the simplified coordinate system. Each phase adjusting unit serves multiple functions, controlling beams in different directions through the reduced parameter set, thereby reducing the total number of units needed.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna device and a feed device that allows a beam direction to be adjusted with a simple calculation are provided.An antenna device includes an array antenna with multiple antenna elements that are arranged in two dimensions, multiple antenna elements being arranged along each of a first axis and a second axis. The antenna device includes at least one phase adjusting unit configured to adjust, with respect to a first axial direction, a phase of power supplied to each of the multiple antenna elements. The antenna device includes an image capturing unit configured to capture an image through a fisheye lens. The antenna device includes a position converting unit configured to convert a first position, which is used in the image capturing unit, of a marker included in the image captured by the image capturing unit, into a second position of polar coordinates on a first plane that includes the first axis and the second axis. The antenna device includes an elevation-angle acquiring unit configured to determine, within a second plane that includes the first axis and a third axis, an elevation angle of a projected position relative to the third axis, based on the second position, the projected position being obtained by projecting the first position onto the second plane. The antenna device includes a control unit configured to control the phase adjusting unit such that a direction of a beam radiated through the array antenna is derived from the elevation angle within the second plane.