Adjustable antenna system for unmanned aerial vehicle
An antenna system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes one or more antennas, a reflector, and a control system. The control system is configured to determine a density of antenna towers near the UAV, determine a position for an active antenna of the one or more antennas based on the density, and adjust the active antenna to the determined position. In some embodiments, the antenna system further includes one or more switches, each of the one or more antennas is a different distance from the reflector, and the switches are used to adjust the active antenna to the determined position by selecting a one of the one or more antennas closest to the determined position as the active antenna. In some embodiments, the antenna system further includes an actuator and the active antenna is moved to the determined position using the actuator.
1. An antenna system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the antenna system comprising:
a reflector comprising at least one of a material that reflects Radio Frequency (RF) signals or a material that blocks transmission of RF signals through the reflector;
one or more antennas mechanically coupled to the reflector; and
a control system communicatively coupled to the one or more antennas;
wherein the control system is configured to:
determine a density of antenna towers near the antenna system;
determine a position for an active antenna of the one or more antennas relative to the reflector based on the density and an angular width of at least one of RF signals received by or receivable from the active antenna at the position relative to the reflector; and
adjust the active antenna to the determined position relative to the reflector.
2. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
determine a location of the antenna system; and
determine the density based on the location.
3. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
determine a height of the antenna system; and
determine the position further based on the height.
4. The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the density is an average number of antenna towers per unit area of the antenna towers, an average distance between the antenna towers, or a number of the antenna towers that can communicate with the antenna system.
5. The antenna system of claim 4 , wherein to determine the number of the antenna towers that can communicate with the antenna system the control system is configured to determine the number of the antenna towers that have a reference signals received quality (RSRQ), reference signals reference power (RSRP), or signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) above a threshold.
6. The antenna system of claim 4 , wherein the number of the antenna towers that can communicate with the antenna system is determined for each of the one or more antennas.
7. The antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more switches;
wherein:
each of the one or more antennas is a different distance from the reflector; and
to adjust the active antenna to the determined position the control system is configured to use the one or more switches to select one of the one or more antennas closest to the determined position as the active antenna.
8. The antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an actuator;
wherein:
to adjust the active antenna to the determined position the control system is configured to use the actuator to move the active antenna to the determined position.
9. A method of controlling an antenna system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
determining, by a control system of the antenna system, a density of antenna towers near the UAV;
determining, by the control system, a position for an active antenna of one or more antennas of the antenna system relative to a reflector of the antenna system based on the density and an angular width of at least one of RF signals received by or receivable from the active antenna at the position relative to the reflector; and
adjusting, by the control system, the active antenna to the determined position relative to the reflector.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a location of the UAV; and
determining the density based on the location.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a height of the UAV; and
determining the position further based on the height.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the density is an average number of antenna towers per unit area of the antenna towers, an average distance between the antenna towers, or a number of the antenna towers that can communicate with the antenna system.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
each of the one or more antennas is a different distance from the reflector; and
adjusting the active antenna to the determined position comprises using one or more switches to select one of the one or more antennas closest to the determined position as the active antenna.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjusting the active antenna to the determined position comprises using an actuator to move the active antenna to the determined position.
15. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the UAV comprising:
a body;
an antenna system mounted to the body for receiving commands for the UAV via a network and for transmitting data from the UAV via the network, the antenna system having a reflector coupled to one or more antennas; and
a control system;
wherein the control system is configured to:
determine a density of antenna towers near the UAV;
determine a position for an active antenna of the one or more antennas relative to the reflector based on the density and an angular width of at least one of RF signals received by or receivable from the active antenna at the position relative to the reflector; and
adjust the active antenna to the determined position relative to the reflector.
16. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
determine a location of the UAV; and
determine the density based on the location.
17. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
determine a height of the UAV; and
determine the position further based on the height.
18. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein the density is an average number of antenna towers per unit area of the antenna towers, an average distance between the antenna towers, or a number of the antenna towers that can communicate with the antenna system.
19. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein:
the antenna system further comprises one or more switches;
each of the one or more antennas is a different distance from the reflector; and
to adjust the active antenna to the determined position the control system is configured to use the one or more switches to select one of the one or more antennas closest to the determined position as the active antenna.
20. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein:
the antenna system further comprises an actuator; and
to adjust the active antenna to the determined position the control system is configured to use the actuator to move the active antenna to the determined position.