Rotatable Antenna Motor Control for Moving Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for vehicles, vessels, and airplanes fail to efficiently and accurately rotate radiation emitting/receiving elements, such as antennas, to maintain directional communication and navigation, especially when the vehicle or vessel is in motion, due to limitations in motor control and encoder precision.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing an electrical motor with a rotational encoder to control the rotation of a radiation emitting/receiving element around multiple axes, with a controller receiving information from sensors to adjust the direction and torque, ensuring precise alignment with external antennas or satellites, even during movement, by using stepper or brushless motors and advanced encoder technologies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional motor control systems are used to rotate antennas on moving vehicles, then the system structure is simple, but the antenna cannot maintain precise directional alignment with external targets during vehicle motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where encoders mounted on the motor shafts provide real-time position feedback to controllers. The controllers process this feedback information along with vehicle motion data from sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS) to dynamically adjust motor commands, ensuring the antenna maintains precise directional alignment with external targets despite vehicle movement. This closed-loop feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by achieving high precision through intelligent control rather than mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical precision mechanisms with electronic and software-based solutions. Instead of using highly precise mechanical gears, linkages, or passive alignment mechanisms, the system uses electronic motor control with encoder feedback and software algorithms to calculate and execute the required antenna orientations. This substitution of mechanical systems with electronic control achieves high directional alignment precision while keeping the physical system relatively simple.
2Speed
If high-speed rotation of antennas is implemented to track moving targets, then the response speed improves, but the accuracy of directional control deteriorates due to mechanical vibrations and positioning errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic control actions through pulse-width modulation (PWM) motor control and iterative feedback adjustments. The system continuously sends periodic control signals to the motors, with the frequency and duty cycle adjusted based on real-time feedback from encoders and sensors. This periodic control approach allows the antenna to achieve fast rotation speeds while maintaining directional accuracy through continuous small adjustments that compensate for mechanical vibrations and positioning errors during motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements predictive compensation algorithms that anticipate and counteract mechanical vibrations and positioning errors before they affect directional accuracy. The system uses sensor data from accelerometers and gyroscopes to predict upcoming vibrations during high-speed rotation, and pre-adjusts the motor control commands to compensate for these anticipated disturbances. This beforehand cushioning approach maintains directional control accuracy even during high-speed antenna rotation to track moving targets.
3Measurement precision
If multiple encoders and controllers are used to control antenna rotation on multiple axes, then the positioning precision improves, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional integrated control architecture where a single main controller coordinates multiple encoders and motors across different axes. The same controller hardware and software framework are used for controlling rotation on multiple axes (azimuth and elevation), rather than having separate dedicated control systems for each axis. This universal approach allows the system to achieve high positioning precision through multiple encoders while reducing overall system complexity by sharing control resources and using a unified control algorithm across all axes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise and smooth rotation of radiation emitting/receiving elements, maintaining communication and navigation signals despite the movement of the vehicle or vessel, with high torque at low RPM and accurate directional control, facilitating reliable data transmission and positioning.
Implementation Method 1
The electric motor operates by converting the electric signal into an electromagnetic field, acting on one or more permanent magnets/poles of the motor
Implementation Method 2
Another type of encoder is based on one or more magnets attached to the shaft or attached element where the rotation may be determined by a sensing of the change in magnetic field from the magnet(s) during rotation
Implementation Method 3
The variation may be generated by a change in reflection of the surface, such as if a number of reflective surfaces are provided along a periphery, so that a degree of reflected radiation may be used for determining a rotational position of the shaft
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle, vessel or airplane having an antenna and a motor rotating the antenna, a rotation encoder outputting information relating to the rotation and outputting the information to two controllers of which one controls the motor. The other controller receives the rotation information and information relating to a position/direction/axis in relation to the vehicle/vessel/airplane and outputting a second signal based thereon. The output of the second controller may be used for controlling the motor to have the antenna directed toward e.g. a satellite irrespective of the motion of the vehicle/airplane/vessel.