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WO1999065105A1 - Dispositif et procede d'alignement d'un emetteur et d'un recepteur - Google Patents

Dispositif et procede d'alignement d'un emetteur et d'un recepteur Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1999065105A1
WO1999065105A1 PCT/GB1999/001802 GB9901802W WO9965105A1 WO 1999065105 A1 WO1999065105 A1 WO 1999065105A1 GB 9901802 W GB9901802 W GB 9901802W WO 9965105 A1 WO9965105 A1 WO 9965105A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
transmitter
receiver
viewer
target
viewing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1999/001802
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Ian Andrew Murphy
Original Assignee
Radiant Networks Plc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Radiant Networks Plc filed Critical Radiant Networks Plc
Publication of WO1999065105A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999065105A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
    • H01Q1/125—Means for positioning

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for aligning a transmitter and a receiver.
  • a channel sounder typically consists of a transmission system and a receiving system.
  • the transmission system repeatedly sends known data sequences, for example a pseudo-random byte sequence, over the appropriate radio channel to the receiving system.
  • the receiving system receives transmitted signals and attempts to reconstruct the original transmitted data sequence. The ease with which this process can be carried out by the receiving system and the quality of the resulting decoded information can be used to provide information about the nature of the wireless transmission path between the transmitting system and the receiving system.
  • the frequency used may be for example 2.4 GHz or 4 GHz or even higher frequencies such as 40 GHz, 60 GHz, 200 GHz or higher.
  • the channel sounding should be carried out at these frequencies with a transmission system and a receiving system which have operating characteristics which approximate closely to those of the transceiver and receiver which will be used at a node in practice.
  • the transmitter and receiver antennae for the nodes of the communications network will typically be microwave antennae horns with high gain with highly directional and collimated beams.
  • the antennae horns will typically be positioned in urban, suburban and rural environments at heights of less than 10 to 15m above local ground level with an inter-node spacing of up to 5km.
  • apparatus for aligning an antenna of a transmitter with an antenna of a receiver comprising: a transmitter having an antenna for transmitting a substantially directional wireless transmission along a transmission axis of the transmitter; a receiver having an antenna for receiving a substantially directional wireless transmission from the transmitter along a receiving axis of the receiver; a first viewer associated with the transmitter for viewing a target on the receiver along a viewing axis of the first viewer; a second viewer associated with the receiver for viewing a target on the transmitter along a viewing axis of the second viewer; the first and second viewers being arranged relative to the transmitter and the receiver such that the receiver is oriented to receive substantially directional wireless transmissions from the transmitter when the second viewer views a target on the transmitter and the first viewer views a target on the receiver.
  • the transmitter and the receiver can be aligned in a very quick and simple manner as a person merely has to line up the viewers with their targets to automatically align the transmitter and the receiver.
  • the alignment can be carried out by an unskilled user if necessary. Adjustment of the alignment, and location of and alignment with an alternative transmitter or receiver, can be accomplished very easily and accurately.
  • the viewing axis of the transmitter is preferably substantially parallel to the transmission axis of the transmitter and the viewing axis of the receiver is preferably substantially parallel to the receiving axis of the receiver. This facilitates alignment of the transmitter and the receiver.
  • Each viewer may be an optical viewer for viewing a target in the visible spectrum.
  • Each viewer preferably comprises a camera.
  • a “camera” includes any device which can view an image and relay the image to a remote display device where the image can be displayed.
  • a display screen for each of the transmitter and the receiver for displaying an image viewed by the camera associated with said transmitter and receiver.
  • Each target at the transmitter and the receiver may conveniently be the viewer associated with said transmitter and receiver.
  • alignment of the transmitter and the receiver can be achieved by simply viewing the first viewer with the second viewer and vice versa.
  • Each viewer is preferably mounted on a pan-tilt mechanism whereby the viewer can be selectively panned and tilted.
  • the apparatus preferably includes a remote controller for remotely controlling movement of the viewer.
  • apparatus for aligning a receiver with a transmitter comprising: a receiver for receiving a substantially directional wireless transmission from a directional transmitter along a receiving axis of the receiver; and, a viewer for viewing a target on a transmitter along a viewing axis of the viewer, said viewing axis being arranged relative to the receiving axis of the receiver such that the receiver is oriented to receive substantially directional wireless transmissions from a directional transmitter when the viewer views a target on a said transmitter.
  • the viewing axis is preferably substantially parallel to the receiving axis.
  • the viewer may be an optical viewer for viewing a target in the visible spectrum.
  • the viewer preferably comprises a camera.
  • the apparatus preferably comprises a display screen for the receiver for displaying an image viewed by the camera.
  • the apparatus may comprise a transmitter, wherein the target at the transmitter is a viewer associated with said transmitter.
  • the viewer is preferably mounted on a pan-tilt mechanism whereby the viewer can be selectively panned and tilted.
  • the apparatus preferably comprises a remote controller for remotely controlling movement of the viewer.
  • a method of aligning an antenna of a transmitter with an antenna of a receiver the transmitter having an antenna for transmitting a substantially directional wireless transmission along a transmission axis of the transmitter; the receiver having an antenna for receiving a substantially directional wireless transmission from the transmitter along a receiving axis of the receiver; there being a first viewer associated with the transmitter for viewing a target on the receiver along a viewing axis of the first viewer and a second viewer associated with the receiver for viewing a target on the transmitter along a viewing axis of the second viewer; the method comprising the steps of: remotely controlling the orientation of the second viewer to view a target on the transmitter with the second viewer and remotely controlling the orientation of the first viewer to view a target on the receiver with the first viewer, thereby orienting the transmitter and the receiver such that the receiver is oriented to receive substantially directional wireless transmissions from the transmitter.
  • Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an example of apparatus according to the present invention with some parts cut away for clarity; and, Fig. 2 is a schematic side elevation of two transceivers connected by a wireless transmission link.
  • a node 10 and a second node 11 which may form part of a communications apparatus comprising a plurality of such nodes.
  • a node 10,11 will typically be associated with a user of or subscriber to the communications apparatus.
  • Each node 10 has a radio transceiver subsystem 12 which is connected to a transmitter/receiver (transceiver) unit 13 which is in turn mounted on top of a tall structure such as a mast 14, a rooftop, etc.
  • Signals for transmission are generated by the radio subsystem 12 and mixed with a carrier frequency signal for transmission by the transmitter part of the transceiver 13.
  • signals received by the receiver part of the transceiver 13 are down converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal and sent to the radio subsystem 12.
  • IF intermediate frequency
  • the signals actually transmitted by the transceiver 13 are highly directional and collimated and will typically have a carrier frequency greater than 1 GHz .
  • the carrier frequency might be for example 2.4 GHz, 4 GHz, 40 GHz, 60 GHz, 200 GHz or even higher frequencies such as 100,000 GHz.
  • the transceiver 13 has an antenna in the form of a horn 15 which is arranged to transmit and receive signals along a longitudinal transceiver axis 16 of the horn 15.
  • the transceiver 13 is mounted via a fixing 17 on a camera housing 18.
  • the camera housing 18 is mounted on a pan-tilt mechanism 19 which is in turn mounted on the top of the mast 14.
  • the pan-tilt mechanism 19 allows the camera housing 18 and the transceiver 13 to be panned (i.e. pivoted or rotated in a horizontal plane) and tilted (in a vertical plane) .
  • the pan-tilt mechanism 19 is controlled remotely from a pan-tilt controller 20 at the node 10, possibly under servo control for accuracy.
  • the camera housing 18 contains a camera 21 having a lens 22.
  • the optical axis 23 of the camera lens 22 is in this example parallel to the transceiver axis 16 of the horn 15 of the transceiver 13.
  • the lens 22 can be controlled from a computer 24 to move back and forth parallel to the optical axis 23 to vary the zoom or magnification of the camera 21.
  • the camera 21 is preferably operable in at least optical wavelengths.
  • the output of the camera 21 is passed to the camera controller 24 so that the image seen by the camera 21 can be displayed on a display screen of the camera controller 24.
  • Operation is as follows. A person is situated at each node 10,11 to view the display screen of the camera controller 24 on which the image viewed by the camera 21 is displayed. The person operates the pan-tilt controller 20 at the first node 10 to steer the camera 12 at the first node 10 until an image of the camera 21 at the other node 11 is displayed on the display screen of the pan-tilt controller 24. The person at the second node 11 similarly operates the pan-tilt controller 24 of the second node 11 so that the camera 21 of the first node 10 is viewed through the camera 21 of the second node 11 and displayed on the display screen of the pan-tilt controller 24 of the second node 11.
  • the transceiver axes 16 of the horns 15 of the transceivers 13 at the two nodes 10,11 are each respectively parallel to the optical axis 23 of their respective cameras 21, the transceiver axes 16 of the two nodes 10,11 will be coincident when the cameras 21 of each node 10,11 are lined up to view each other. In other words, optically aligning the two cameras 21 inevitably and automatically aligns the transceiver horns 15 of the transceivers 13 of the two nodes 10,11.
  • the separation 25 between the two nodes 10,11 may be for example anything from 5m to 5km or more , it may be difficult in fact to locate one node 10 from the other 11 through the cameras 21, at least initially.
  • a source of light 26 may be mounted on top of each transceiver 13 and operated to flash when alignment is taking place.
  • the cameras 21 will normally use optical wavelengths, infra red wavelengths may be used instead or in addition with appropriate image enhancement being used in the pan-tilt controllers 24 to enable the received image to be viewed on the screen of the pan-tilt controllers 24.
  • the pan-tilt controllers 24 may incorporate a video interface card to enable the received images to be electronically captured along with the data taken for the channel sounding radio measurements. In this way, a visual log of the environment and ambient weather conditions can accompany the raw data obtained from the channel sounding for use later in subsequent analysis.
  • a camera 21 at a particular node 10 may be arranged so that the transceivers 13 of the respective nodes 10,11 are aligned when the camera 21 views some other target on the other node 11,10; in such a case, the transmission/reception axis 16 need not be precisely parallel to the viewing axis 13 at one or both of the nodes 10,11.
  • the present invention provides a very simple apparatus and method for aligning a transmitter with a receiver.
  • the apparatus can be so simple to operate that users associated with the nodes 10,11 can set up and align the respective transceivers as necessary themselves and skilled and/or trained personnel are not required to align the transceivers 13 of nodes 10,11 which communicate with each other.
  • the antennae horns 15 can be steered remotely, avoiding the need for manual steering of the antennae horns 15 which would be difficult where the antennae horns 15 are positioned high on a mast or rooftop for example.
  • An electronic viewer such as a camera, can be used so that the image can be captured thereby providing a record of ambient weather conditions for example for analysis later. Because the viewer can be steered remotely and electronically, its position settings can be stored for analysis and so that the precise position of the viewer can be repeated later if necessary, perhaps following maintenance or replacement of the antennae horn for example .

Landscapes

  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un dispositif et un procédé destinés à l'alignement d'un antenne d'un émetteur (13) avec l'antenne d'un récepteur (13). Un premier viseur (21) est associé à l'émetteur (13) afin de viser une cible fixée au récepteur (13) selon un axe de visée (23) du premier viseur (21). Un second viseur (21) est associé au récepteur (13) afin de viser une cible fixée sur l'émetteur (13) le long d'un axe de visée (23) du second viseur (21). Les premier et second viseurs (21) sont disposés relativement à l'émetteur (13) et au récepteur (13) de manière à ce que le récepteur (13) soit orienté pour recevoir, de l'émetteur (13), des transmissions hertziennes pratiquement directives lorsque le second viseur (21) vise une cible fixée sur l'émetteur (13) et que le premier viseur (21) vise une cible fixée sur le récepteur (13).
PCT/GB1999/001802 1998-06-09 1999-06-08 Dispositif et procede d'alignement d'un emetteur et d'un recepteur WO1999065105A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB9812431.6A GB9812431D0 (en) 1998-06-09 1998-06-09 Apparatus and method for aligning a transmitter and a receiver
GB9812431.6 1998-06-09

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1999065105A1 true WO1999065105A1 (fr) 1999-12-16

Family

ID=10833481

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1999/001802 WO1999065105A1 (fr) 1998-06-09 1999-06-08 Dispositif et procede d'alignement d'un emetteur et d'un recepteur

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB9812431D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1999065105A1 (fr)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9706419B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2017-07-11 Airspan Networks Inc. Antenna apparatus and method of performing spatial nulling within the antenna apparatus
US9924385B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2018-03-20 Airspan Networks Inc. Antenna apparatus and method of configuring a transmission beam for the antenna apparatus
US9973943B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2018-05-15 Airspan Networks Inc. Wireless network configuration using path loss determination between nodes
US10070325B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2018-09-04 Airspan Networks Inc. Sub-sampling antenna elements
US10098018B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2018-10-09 Airspan Networks Inc. Configurable antenna and method of operating such a configurable antenna
US10231139B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2019-03-12 Airspan Networks Inc. Node role assignment in networks
US10257733B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2019-04-09 Airspan Networks Inc. Managing external interference in a wireless network
US10306485B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2019-05-28 Airspan Networks Inc. Configurable antenna and method of operating such a configurable antenna
US10667145B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2020-05-26 Airspan Networks Inc. Bearing calculation
US10834614B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2020-11-10 Airspan Networks Inc. Quality of service in wireless backhauls

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2125647A (en) * 1982-08-10 1984-03-07 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Active optical transponder system
EP0237433A1 (fr) * 1986-03-11 1987-09-16 CENTRE NATIONAL D'ETUDES SPATIALES (C.N.E.S.) Etablissement public, scientifique et Ensemble d'étalonnage des angles d'élèvation et d'azimut de l'axe radioélectrique d'une antenne
WO1997049204A1 (fr) * 1996-06-21 1997-12-24 Trex Communications Dispositif de communication par laser
WO1998051986A1 (fr) * 1997-05-16 1998-11-19 Yair David Appareil de visee

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2125647A (en) * 1982-08-10 1984-03-07 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Active optical transponder system
EP0237433A1 (fr) * 1986-03-11 1987-09-16 CENTRE NATIONAL D'ETUDES SPATIALES (C.N.E.S.) Etablissement public, scientifique et Ensemble d'étalonnage des angles d'élèvation et d'azimut de l'axe radioélectrique d'une antenne
WO1997049204A1 (fr) * 1996-06-21 1997-12-24 Trex Communications Dispositif de communication par laser
WO1998051986A1 (fr) * 1997-05-16 1998-11-19 Yair David Appareil de visee

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9706419B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2017-07-11 Airspan Networks Inc. Antenna apparatus and method of performing spatial nulling within the antenna apparatus
US9924385B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2018-03-20 Airspan Networks Inc. Antenna apparatus and method of configuring a transmission beam for the antenna apparatus
US9973943B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2018-05-15 Airspan Networks Inc. Wireless network configuration using path loss determination between nodes
US10070325B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2018-09-04 Airspan Networks Inc. Sub-sampling antenna elements
US10098018B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2018-10-09 Airspan Networks Inc. Configurable antenna and method of operating such a configurable antenna
US10231139B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2019-03-12 Airspan Networks Inc. Node role assignment in networks
US10257733B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2019-04-09 Airspan Networks Inc. Managing external interference in a wireless network
US10306485B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2019-05-28 Airspan Networks Inc. Configurable antenna and method of operating such a configurable antenna
US10667145B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2020-05-26 Airspan Networks Inc. Bearing calculation
US10834614B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2020-11-10 Airspan Networks Inc. Quality of service in wireless backhauls
US11811127B2 (en) 2015-06-25 2023-11-07 Airspan Ip Holdco Llc Wireless network controller and method of controlling a wireless network

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
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