Articulating Antenna Positioner for Near-Vertical FoV Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional decoy vehicles have limited near-vertical Field of View (FoV) due to obstructions within the vehicle, which impairs their ability to effectively detect and track incoming threats.
Innovation Solution
An antenna positioner system that moves from a collapsed position inside the decoy vehicle to an extended position outside, enhancing the FoV by positioning antennas to capture a wider range of angles, including near-vertical views, through a mechanism involving a base, frame, and cover that allows the antennas to extend beyond the vehicle's exterior wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If antennas are disposed inside the decoy vehicle under a radome or in central/lower portions, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the near-vertical Field of View is obstructed and detection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna positioner transitions from a two-dimensional planar arrangement inside the vehicle to a three-dimensional configuration that extends vertically outward from the vehicle exterior. This dimensional change allows the antennas to access near-vertical Field of View angles (70-90 degrees) that were previously blocked by the vehicle structure, while the positioner can be retracted into a compact form for launch.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna positioner is designed as a dynamic system that can change its configuration between a collapsed state (inside the vehicle during launch) and an extended state (outside the vehicle during operation). This dynamic transformation allows the system to overcome the static limitation of internal antenna mounting, enabling both ease of manufacture and improved detection capability at different operational phases.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If antennas are mounted on a pivotable mechanism inside the decoy vehicle, then the Field of View is improved to some extent, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna positioner extracts the antennas from the constrained internal environment of the decoy vehicle and positions them outside the vehicle exterior. This extraction eliminates the need for complex internal pivotable mechanisms while achieving superior Field of View, as the antennas operate in an unobstructed external environment rather than being confined within the vehicle's interior space.
3Device complexity
If antennas are located in a central or lower portion of the decoy vehicle, then the device complexity is minimized, but the near-vertical Field of View is severely obstructed by internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna positioner utilizes the vertical dimension by extending outward from the vehicle exterior, allowing antennas to access elevation angles of 70-90 degrees. This vertical deployment overcomes the horizontal plane limitation of internal mounting, providing unobstructed near-vertical Field of View while maintaining a simple retraction mechanism for launch configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna positioner provided on a deployable vehicle. The antenna positioner includes a base and a frame having a plurality of plates oriented at an angle relative to one another. Each plate may include a low band antenna and a high band antenna. The base is located inside a chamber of the deployable vehicle. The frame is movable relative to the base between a collapsed position, where the entire frame is positioned within the chamber, and an extended position wherein at least a portion of the frame extends outwardly through an opening in the deployable vehicle's exterior wall. The frame is pivotally engaged with the base and a gearing mechanism pivots the frame between the collapsed position and the extended position to arrange the antennas at a desired orientation relative to the deployable vehicle's exterior wall so as to maximize the antenna's near-vertical Field of View (FoV).