Rotor-Mounted mmWave Antenna Control for Wider Drone Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication networks, particularly in the millimetre-wave frequency range, face limitations in coverage and require a high density of transceivers to maintain connectivity, especially in environments like factories where flexibility is needed.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a millimetre-wave antenna device into a rotor blade of a drone, with a control system that adjusts the antenna's directionality based on the rotor's rotational position to establish a stable and reliable communication link.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If millimetre-wave transceivers are used to provide wireless communication links, then communication speed and bandwidth are improved, but coverage range is reduced and transceiver density must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by mounting the millimetre-wave antenna on a rotating rotor blade of a drone, allowing the antenna to dynamically change its orientation and coverage direction during rotation. This enables a single transceiver to cover a wider area over time by sweeping the beam across different spatial zones, effectively expanding coverage range without increasing transceiver density.
2Reliability
If transceiver density is increased to ensure connectivity in millimetre-wave networks, then coverage is improved, but device complexity and deployment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the universality principle by enabling a single millimetre-wave transceiver on the drone to serve multiple communication zones through rotational movement. The rotating antenna sequentially covers different spatial areas, allowing one transceiver to perform the function of multiple fixed transceivers would otherwise be needed, thereby reducing overall system complexity and deployment cost while maintaining connectivity reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a millimetre-wave antenna is mounted on a rotating rotor blade, then coverage flexibility and dynamic directionality are improved, but maintaining stable communication connection becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the feedback principle by implementing a control system that receives data about the drone's rotational position and uses this information to dynamically adjust the antenna's transmission directionality. The control device computes the appropriate beam direction based on real-time rotor position feedback, ensuring the millimetre-wave signal is continuously directed toward the intended communication partner despite the rotating mounting, thereby maintaining connection stability while preserving coverage flexibility.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a rotorcraft drone device (1), comprising at least one lifting rotor device (2) and a millimetre-wave communication device (8), wherein the at least one lifting rotor device (2) comprises a motor (5) and a lifting rotor (3), wherein the motor (5) is mechanically coupled to lifting rotor (3), and the millimetre-wave communication device (8) comprises an antenna arrangement (12) and a control device (11) configured to control the antenna arrangement (12). The antenna arrangement (12) comprises at least one antenna device (13) mechanically coupled to the lifting rotor (3), the control device (11) is configured to receive a current rotational position (7) of the lifting rotor (3) and to control the antenna arrangement (12) as a function of the current rotational position (7) of the lifting rotor (3) to set a predefined communication directionality of the antenna arrangement (12) to a predefined communication direction.