Unmanned aerial vehicle as well as direction finding system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11754657-B2
Application number	US-202017083410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2019
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a main body and at least two rotor units configured to propel the unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least two antenna units configured to receive a radio signal. The antenna units are located with respect to the main body such that the antenna units are assigned to different lateral sides of the main body. Further, a direction finding system is described.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle with a main body and at least two rotor units configured to propel the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises at least two antenna units configured to receive a radio signal, and wherein the antenna units are located with respect to the main body such that the antenna units are assigned to different lateral sides of the main body,
wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises at least one of a base interface, the base interface being configured to be connected to a mast, or a communications interface configured to transmit direction finding data measured, wherein the communications interface is configured to use optical communication techniques.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two antenna units are assigned to the at least two rotor units.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna units are located close to the rotor units.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein each of the antenna units corresponds to a support for its assigned rotor unit.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein each antenna unit and its assigned rotor unit together form an integrated module.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna units are located such that the distance between the antenna units is maximized.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle has at least two arms, wherein each arm holds one of the at least two antenna units and the dedicated rotor unit.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two arms extend from the main body in a radial and/or equidistant manner.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in a first operation mode, the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to be operated as a flying unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in a second operation mode, the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to be operated as a direction finder.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 10 , in the second operation mode, the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to be operated as a stationary direction finder.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to be operated as a mobile locator for direction finding.

13. A direction finding system comprising a mast and an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is fixedly connected with the mast.

14. The direction finding system according to claim 13 , wherein the direction finding system comprises a base unit that is configured to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. An unmanned aerial vehicle with a main body and at least two rotor units configured to propel the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises at least two antenna units configured to receive a radio signal, and wherein the antenna units are located with respect to the main body such that the antenna units are assigned to different lateral sides of the main body,
wherein each of the antenna units corresponds to a support for its assigned rotor unit, and
wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle has several arms that are connected with the main body, wherein the arms extend from the main body in a radial manner, wherein the antenna units are located at free ends of the arms, and wherein the antenna units extend in perpendicular direction with respect to an extension direction of the arms.

Assignees

• Rohde & Schwarz

Inventors

• Guezelarslan Baris
• Hettich Dominik

Classifications

• B64U30/29

  Constructional aspects of rotors or rotor supports; Arrangements thereof · CPC title

• B64U10/16

  with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters · CPC title

• G01S3/043 Primary

  Receivers · CPC title

• G01S3/38 Primary

  using adjustment of real or effective orientation of directivity characteristic of an antenna or an antenna system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that antenna or antenna system, e.g. to give a maximum or minimum signal (G01S3/16, G01S3/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01S3/14

  Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction {(aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00)} · CPC title