• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The determination of the position and orientation of base station antennas in mobile radio is of great importance for the optimization of the transmission parameters. It requires time-consuming and costly effort, since it has to be measured directly on the antenna. In addition, access to the antennas is often impossible. This is very detrimental to the accuracy of the data, so the optimization results suffer greatly. With the inventive method and the presented device, the rapid, accurate and cost-effective detection of the position and orientation of the transmitting antenna is possible without having to measure it in the vicinity of the antenna. In this case, the absolute position of the antenna is determined by means of automatic determination of the coordinates of the reference point, distance measurement to the target antenna, measurement of the inclination angle, as well as the orientation of the measuring apparatus. From an image taken from the measuring point, the orientation of the base station antenna to be measured is determined by means of photogrammetric surveying methods, the knowledge of the absolute dimensions of the antenna, and mathematical methods of the conformal coordinate transformation.
    公开号:AT511191A4
    申请号:T966/2011
    申请日:2011-07-01
    公开日:2012-10-15
    发明作者:Thomas Dr Neubauer
    申请人:Thomas Dr Neubauer；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    1.25
    Method and device for determining and storing position and
    Alignment of antenna structures
    The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining position and orientation of antenna structures.
    A mobile communication system typically includes one or more base stations, which may be interconnected via other network elements, such as exchanges or gateways. Each of these base stations provides a specific area of radio technology - a so-called radio cell. Terminals within a cell establish a connection to the mobile radio system via one or more antennas of one or more base stations. The antennas are usually mounted on the highest possible structures, for example on roofs of houses and buildings, towers or masts own.
    The orientations of antennas and antenna structures can have a significant impact on the supply, quality, capacity, and maximum data rates of a
    Mobile radio systems have. The influence of antenna alignment on radio coverage is, for example, in Esmael Dinar et al., UMTS Radio Interface System Planning and Optimization, Bechtel Telecommunications Technical Journal, December 2002, Vol 1, No 1, PP 1-10 or in Jaana Laiho. Radio Network Planning and Optimization for UMTS, Second Edition, John Wiley and Sons 2006, Chapter 9 (Advanced Analysis Methods and Radio Access Network Autotuning), PP 505-569.
    By optimizing the antenna alignment in radio systems, there are a number of advantages, such as an improvement of the supply, a reduction of the interference, an increase of the range and / or an increase of the capacity of a mobile radio system.
    In order to be able to carry out a corresponding optimization of these antenna orientations, both in the transmission and in the reception case, it is necessary to determine the corresponding parameters (for example received signal power, interference, data rate, bit error rate) at the receiver. In general, there are various ways to do this, such as test drives, reference receiver measurements, terminal measurements taken at each event, such as call setup, handover, changing the strongest utility cell, etc. Measurements can be made during an active session 2/25
    or passive connection according to the respective standardized method. Today, mainly standardized systems such as Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or Long Term Evolution (LTE) are used for mobile radio transmission. However, optimizing the antenna alignment is a problem that can occur with all radio systems, whether standardized or proprietary.
    The radio link direction into which the antenna structure sends to the receiving device to the user is called the downlink. The reverse direction, in which the antenna structure is on the receiver side and the user transmits, is again called the uplink.
    In the downlink, due to the measurements, the detected position of the respective measuring points (for example by means of GPS localization during test drives), as well as the position, orientation and transmission power at the transmitting antenna, the path loss of the mobile radio channel can be deduced. 15 The received power results from the transmitted power in the direction of the measuring point. Thus, it is very much dependent on the orientation of the antenna. The path loss (propagation characteristics of the mobile radio channel) is independent of the transmission power and can therefore - with knowledge of the transmission power, antenna alignment and structure (antenna gain), and the measured 20 receive power - be determined.
    Based on the thus determined path loss, an improvement of the alignment of the antenna structure can be made, which has the improvement of the supply, reduction of the interference, increase of the range, capacity or data rate, etc. the goal. 25 The transmission power is known in the system and can be called up relatively easily. The type of antenna is typically known because all antenna manufacturers provide appropriate antenna diagrams. Likewise, the reception values due to the measurements are known. It is therefore of utmost importance for the optimization of antenna parameters that the original position and orientation data in the optimization underlying database correspond to the values actually implemented in the system.
    By external influences, in particular by wind and weather, improper installation, or the like, it may for example always come back to unwanted shifts in the antenna orientation. 3/25 ····· · t 4 4 4 4 4 444 4 · 44 4
    The optimization of Antennenparametem occurs both in the construction of a mobile network, the expansion, so the addition of new transmitters - where both the new antenna alignments, as well as the alignments of the surrounding transmitters can be optimized, as well as continuously on the fly to maximize the supply and 5 Minimize interference and interference due to ever-increasing traffic.
    For detecting the position and orientation of antenna structures and for storage in databases, various options are available according to the prior art. 10 A common method for detecting the position and orientation of antenna structures is the on-site measurement of the position by means of GPS system (x, y, z), the determination of azimuth alignment by compass, as well as the determination of antenna tilt by means of inclination angle measuring devices.
    However, these methods have a number of practical disadvantages, such as: 15 - Access restrictions for transmitters during operation: without switching off, measurements must not be made in the immediate vicinity of the antennas. Furthermore, access to these objects is sometimes not possible or only to a very limited extent, e.g. Electricity pylons, private homes, transmitters that are shared with other operators - which would mean switching off all networks, etc. A subsequent measurement is therefore costly and takes a long time. - High cost: even if access is permitted, accurate metering usually requires qualified and therefore expensive personnel, e.g. Safety precautions for climbing a mast, etc. - Errors during manual reading: 25 errors are possible due to the manual reading of measured data - Disturbances of the magnetic field in the immediate vicinity of the metallic transmission masts: A compass does not always indicate north in the electromagnetic field of a transmitter , This results in both systematic and random measurement errors. 30 - Incorrect entry of the data in the database: The data is entered almost exclusively manually in a database. Even if the data is read correctly, the manual input is another source of error. «* * ♦ • 4/25« ·· »♦ · ·» * * * * «« »♦» · · »t *
    The object of the invention is to provide a method and a device with which an efficient determination of the position and orientation of an antenna structure is made possible.
    This is done according to the invention by calculating the antenna orientation based on 5 features of the captured digital image of the antenna and other data measurable from a location remote from the antenna.
    This allows alignment measurement without direct access to the antenna.
    According to the invention, a method for determining the orientation of an antenna is provided which comprises the following steps: taking a digital image of a 10 antenna with a camera at a measurement location, determining the relative position of the antenna
    Measuring location with respect to the antenna, determining the size of the antenna and calculating the orientation of the antenna based on features of the captured digital image, the specific relative position and the size of the antenna.
    According to the invention, a device for determining the orientation 15 of an antenna is further provided with an alignment computing unit for determining the
    Orientation of an antenna based on features of a digital image of the antenna recorded in a measurement location and with a camera, the relative position of the measurement location with respect to the antenna and the size of the antenna.
    The determination of the relative position preferably comprises a measurement of the position of the measurement location and a measurement of the distance between the measurement location and / or a measurement of the direction in which the distance was measured. The measuring location is the location (measuring point, measuring position) at which the measurement of the relative position and the recording of the antenna image take place.
    For example, determining the relative position may further include aligning a distance measuring device with a display to display the target object so that the antenna is displayed on the display, wherein the alignment is to be performed by a user at the measurement location. The determining may further comprise measuring the orientation of the device and the distance between the device and the antenna. The device may, for example, be a laser-based distance measuring device.
    A part of the method and / or a function of the device according to one of the embodiments may be the marking of predefined locations of the antenna by the 5/25 * «Φ Φ
    Users on the display or in the captured digital image, wherein the calculation of the orientation of the antenna is based on the marked locations and the measured distance and orientation of the device. The predefined locations may be, for example, the corners of a rectangle-shaped antenna, and / or a plurality of points on the edges of the antenna outline. The user can mark these by means of a cursor. The user may alternatively be displayed on the display of the device, a frame whose size is adjustable. The user can then adjust the shape and size of the frame and frame the antenna with the frame.
    The features of the digital image may be predetermined locations (and / or their relative position relative to each other) of the antenna captured in the image and computing the orientation of the antenna by coordinate transformation.
    The determination of the size of the antenna expediently comprises extraction of the technical data of the antenna from a database based on the image of the antenna and / or on the position of the antenna and / or on a user input. 15 The calculated orientation of the antenna and / or the captured image can be stored in a database. This may be part of the device according to the invention or may be connected to the device (via a cable or a radio link).
    The location of the measurement site can be determined by a GPS receiver or other methods 20. For example, the position can also be marked manually on a map and thus reference points and position can be entered, or a location with known coordinates can be selected. The GPS receiver may be part of the inventive device, or the device may include a port for connecting the GPS receiver. The present invention may be implemented by means of a program run on a computer. The program carries out the calculation of the orientation of the antenna. The recording of the image, the position measurement, and / or the distance measurement can be performed by external devices and the data thus obtained can be provided to the program. The size (dimensions) of the antenna can also be made available to the program from an external database.
    However, the above-mentioned measuring devices can also be connected to the computer in accordance with the invention and thus form a measuring system. 6/25 «Φ · · · · · • 4M * · ** · #« Φ I · · Φ «··» »« · * Φ · · f »· ·« ·· * Φ Φ *
    However, the device according to the invention may also comprise some of the above-mentioned components and be connectable to others.
    According to a further embodiment, a computer program is provided which implements the features of the method according to the invention. The program can be stored on a storage medium, for example on an optical disk (CD, DVD, BD, etc.), on a hard disk, on a ÜSB stick, or the like.
    Further details, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings, to which reference is expressly made with respect to the disclosure of all details not described in the text. 10 It shows:
    Figure 1 is a coordinate transformation
    Figure 2 schematically shows a downlink of a radio transmission with a
    Transmitter masts, a 3-sector configuration with an antenna orientation, associated Antennenrichtdiagramm, and a receiver, 15 Figure 3 shows an example of an inventive device for determining the orientation of antennas,
    Figure 4 is a schematic representation of an antenna structure mounted on a mast, where on the basis of the distortion of the pixels from the reference point (corner points of the antenna structure), the orientation can be determined and Figure 5 shows an example of the logic function blocks in accordance with the present invention.
    The invention relates to a method and a device for determining alignment of antenna structures, so that an optimization and thus an improvement of the supply, an increase in the number of user serviceable, an increase in data rates and an increase in capacity can be achieved. The position of the antenna can also be determined.
    In particular, there is provided a method and apparatus for detecting and automatically storing the position and orientation of antenna structures so that optimization and thus enhancement of the supply, an increase in the number of times, can be achieved. • ··················································································································· The determination of the home position and orientation of the antenna structures can be automated from the street level, without costly searching and measuring of the antenna position and orientation directly at the installation site required 5, and the storage of the data is automated.
    It can thus the absolute position of the reference point (measuring point), the orientation of the measuring device with respect to the antenna structure, the spatial distance between the measuring point and the antenna, the actual dimensions of the antenna, and image measuring points on the antenna itself for determining the position and orientation of the antenna structure laid to 10 reasons.
    Based on the image measurement points of the antenna structure, the known dimensions of the antenna, and the distortion of the antenna structure from the viewpoint (reference point), the orientation of the antenna structure is determined according to the invention.
    Both position (x, y, z) and orientation (azimuth, inclination and rotation) of the antenna 15 can be calculated using the inventive method or the device according to the invention and stored by means of automatic electronic data acquisition and transmission in a database, from where they wertere for Uses are available, for example, for the verification of the measurement result on a digital map, eg Google Earth, etc. 20 The technique of the invention has several advantages over the conventional ones
    Techniques. It is fully applicable to the propagation of electromagnetic waves and thus equally applicable to urban to rural environments. There are no assumptions about the directional pattern of the antenna array, so there are no restrictions. There are no assumptions about the frequency range in which the invention is used. There are no assumptions about the access technology on the radio interface, so there are no restrictions on a frequency, time or codeduplex method.
    No assumptions are made about the resolution or accuracy of the position and orientation, so there are no restrictions. There are no restrictions on the determination of the reference point for the measurements, ie whether it is determined by GPS or similar methods. No assumptions are made about the calibration of the reference point orientation in both the horizontal (azimuth) and vertical (tilt angle) planes, so there are no restrictions. No assumptions are made about the way 8/25 • * * * 9 • · · · ··· • I · * · »« · · * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * • * • • »« * of the distance measurement so that there are no restrictions. For example, various methods can be used, such as optical interferometry, runtime measurements, etc. There are no limitations on which method is used to create an image of the antenna structure. Thus, for example, a 5 integrated photo sensor can be used, but also a commercially available digital SLR camera, or a low-cost compact camera. There are no restrictions as to which methods of digital image processing, photogrammetry, coordinate transformations, pattern recognition or the like are used to determine the orientation of the antenna structure due to an image. 10
    No assumptions are made about the number of measurement points for determining the orientation of the antenna structure. No assumptions are made about the choice of measurement points for determining the orientation of the antenna structure. No assumptions are made about the type of database structures of the position and alignment data to be stored. No assumptions are made about what data is collected and stored, so there are no restrictions. No assumptions are made about the nature of the interfaces for transmitting the data to the database, so there are no restrictions. No assumptions are made about the type of geo-referencing of the position data of the antenna structure.
    FIG. 2 shows the essential components for determining the pathloss, which is calculated as follows:
    PdthlOSSsector ~ PfX ~ PrX + @ Αη! ~ Gmask ffAntenna alignment}
    In this case, the power Prx is transmitted from antenna 211 with the antenna gain Ga * in the direction 25 240 of the receiver 230. Due to the position and orientation of the antenna 211 relative to the position of the receiver 230, in combination with the antenna directional diagram 220, a directional radiation pattern and gain are obtained. [Antenna Alignment] The power at the receiver 230 is measured and is, as well the position of the receiver (eg GPS, various other methods It state of the art) available (eg 30 test drives, geo-localized Mobile Measurements, etc.). This can be used to calculate the antennas and power-independent path loss used to subsequently optimize the alignment of the transmit antenna. * * «· 9/35
    The position and orientation of the transmitting antenna 211 are essential for the correct determination of the path loss. If this is wrong, the results of the optimization may be mindenwertig, or simply wrong, so that no or only a slight improvement can be achieved. If the output values are wrong, 5 degradations in the quality and capacity of the mobile network are possible.
    Fig. 3 shows schematically the measurement setup. The measuring apparatus 310 is at the reference position. This reference position is determined by automatic calibration of the position (x-i.yt.zi) and the automatic determination of the orientation (azimuth, inclination and rotation, ie ωχι, ojy1, ωζ1) during the measurement at the target object 330. 10 The measuring apparatus 310 includes technical devices for determining the position (xt.yt.Zt), the distance measurement 320, for determining the orientation (azimuth,
    Tilt, rotation) to the target object (ωχ1, u> yi, ωζ0, as well as for capturing images of the target object 330.
    Starting from the reference point, the target object, the antenna structure 330, which is possibly located on a building 340, or a mast or the like, is measured. Distance measurement 320 determines the distance to the target object. By position and orientation or orientation of the reference point in the direction of the target object (ωχ1, cuy1, ωζ1), as well as the precise distance measurement 320 between reference point and target object, the position of the antenna structure 330 can be determined unambiguously and accurately (x2, y2, Z2).
    Furthermore, the camera integrated or connected in the measuring apparatus creates an image of the target object and of the antenna structures contained therein. The camera does not have to be connected directly to the measuring apparatus 310, but can also transmit the images, which are taken from the position of the measuring apparatus, by means of a data card or a radio link to the arithmetic unit. In turn, the arithmetic unit may be integrated directly into, or connected to, the measuring apparatus 310, or by other data transmission methods, e.g. Radio connection, data card, manual input the similar, the required information received.
    The orientation of the antenna structure is then determined by means of digital image processing, pattern recognition, image measurement or similar technologies, the image captured by the measuring apparatus 310 serving as the basis. This calculation is done, for example, by methods of three-dimensional conformal coordinate transformations, whereby the rotation parameters (ω ^, ω ^, ωώ) of the ······· 10/25 :: · · · ·, · e · * ··· ·· # * • · · · # ♦ · · * »
    Antenna structure can be determined. From this, the absolute position and orientation of the antenna structure can be calculated.
    The programs necessary for the calculation are executed either directly in the measuring apparatus 310 or on a computer 380 5 connected to the measuring apparatus. In this case, the data transmission 362 can be connected to the computer 380 either permanently or else via radio interfaces, data cards or the like.
    The thus determined orientation and orientation, together with the position of the antenna structure via electronic data processing methods 361, 363 automatically stored on a data carrier 360. This can be both in the measuring apparatus integrated 10 data storage, as well as online databases, web servers, etc. The data transfer 363 can thus be integrated into the measuring apparatus 310, wired or carried out via wireless technologies.
    The data recorded, determined and stored in this way can subsequently be stored, managed and displayed in a further software application and / or hardware device 370 via electronic data transmission methods 371, which may be permanently connected but also executed via radio interfaces. For example, the determined data in the application "Google Earth" can be displayed on current map material and checked for plausibility. Another example would be the direct integration into software applications for infrastructure inventory, databases of 20 planning software applications, etc.
    According to one of the embodiments, the position and orientation are determined on the basis of measurements which are carried out from a reference point (measurement point) whose position can be determined automatically, whereby the absolute position and orientation are determined by means of distance measurements from the reference point to the respective antenna structure and electronic image processing the antenna structure are determined.
    Furthermore, the data thus determined on the position and orientation of the antenna structure, via an interface, directly into a database (eg online database, web server, or in the databases of commercial software programs for planning and optimization 30 of mobile networks) are transmitted, with an absolute Geo Reference (eg GPS data, WGS 84, etc.) of the locations is based.
    It is known in the art that position data can be measured by GPS. Furthermore, methods are known which enable an automatic spatial orientation of a plane or the definition of a corresponding coordinate system in space by means of rotation and elevation and rotation (for example gyrosensors in mobile telephones). Furthermore, methods are known which allow an automatic calibration of the position and orientation of a measuring device at a 5 measuring point.
    It is known in the art that distance measurements by laser technology are highly accurate. An example of a known method and apparatus for measuring the distance and the angle of inclination to a target object according to the prior art is the "laser type FG 21-LR" from Riegl Laser 10 Measurement Systems GmbH (see data sheet for laser type FG 21, free available at www.riegl.com). In this case, pulsed laser signals are emitted by the device. Based on the transit time of the signal reflected at the target object, which is received by the device, the distance is determined. The inclination relative to the horizontal plane is automatically determined by means of a built-in inclination angle measuring device. This can be used to determine the distance and height of a target object. Such a device can also be used to determine the range and height of an antenna in accordance with the present invention. A number of measurement methods are known which are the basis of the distance measurement and which can also be used for the present invention. For example, the following 20 methods are suitable for obtaining range data: Fujima, S.lwasaki and K.Seta, High-Resolution Distance Meters Using Optical Intensity Modulation at 28 GHz, Meas.Sci.Tech., PP.1049-1052 (US Pat. 1998). G.Bazin and B. Journet, 'A New Laser Range Finder Based on FMCW-Like Method', IEEE. Ins. Measu. Tech. Conference, Belgium, June 4-6, PP.90-93 (1996). 25 - Amann et al. 'Laser ranging: a critical review of conventional techniques for distance measurement', Optical Engineering, Vol. 1, January 2001, PP. 10-19 (2001); Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. K.Maatta, 'Profiling of hot surfaces by pulsed time of flight laser rank finder techniques', Applied Optics, Vol. 32, No.27, 1993, PP. From 5334 to 5342. 30 - Ari. Kilpela, 'Pulsed Time-of-Flight Laser Range Finder Techniques for Fast, High
    Precision Measurement Applications', OULLI, Section 2.2.2, 'TOF method', 2004. http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514272625/isbn9514272625.pdf. φ · φ φφφφ φφ φφφφ φ · φφφφφφφφφφφφη & 5ΐ: • φφφφφφ • φφφ «• · · * - Ki-Nam Joo, Yunseok Kim, and Seung-Woo Kim, " Distance measurements by a combined method based on a femtosecond pulse laser, " Opt. Express 16, 1997, 1980-19806 (2008), http://www.opticsinfobase.org/abstract.cfm URI=oe-16-24-19799.
    For distance measurement, for example, lasers are used which are based on the time-to-flight 5 method. In this case, a short optical pulse is emitted by an apparatus. This is reflected on the target object and the time that elapses until the reflected signal is received is measured. From this, the distance is determined.
    Another method for determining distance is the phase shift method. The transmitter transmits a laser signal modulated with a sinusoidal signal. The reflected light is compared at the receiver with the transmitted signal, wherein the phase offset is directly proportional to the time offset and thus the distance.
    In addition, there are a number of other methods where, for example, frequency modulated laser signals and improved combined technologies are used.
    According to the invention, the captured image of the antenna is analyzed to determine its orientation. For this purpose, known methods from photogrammetry,
    Pattern recognition and image measurement calculation methods can be applied, which can determine the rotation, displacement and scaling of image coordinates of the image of an object point in an image.
    An example of this is the determination of the transformation of a coordinate system (x, y, z) into another coordinate system (Χ, Υ, Ζ) in FIG. 20, wherein the coordinate systems are twisted relative to one another. These generally valid methods for three-dimensional conformal transformations are described in detail in the following references, among others: • W. Niemeier, "Equalization Calculation - Statistical Evaluation Methods", 2nd Edition, Section 10.2, "Models for Coordinate Transformations", page 343 ff, De Gruyten -25 textbook , Berlin / New York 2008, ISBN: 978-3-11-019055-7, - Ghilani, CD and Wolf, PR (2007) "Coordinate Transformations, in Adjustment Computations: Spatial Data Analysis", Section 18.7 (Three Dimensional Conformal Coordinate Transformation ), Page 380ff, Fourth Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA. doi: 10.1002 / 9780470121498.ch18. 30 < * * 13/25
    Fig. 1 shows the basic approach as such a method is replaceable according to the invention. In the concrete example, the antenna is located in a three-dimensional, rectangular coordinate system (x, y, z). The measuring point, and thus the reference point in the origin of the measurement, is in the coordinate system (Χ, Υ, Ζ). The reference point in the coordinate system (x, y, z), which is identified by Xo, may be, for example, a vertex of the antenna at which the distance from the measuring point and reference point of the measuring apparatus is determined.
    Both coordinate systems are shifted relative to one another (Xo, Yo, Z0), rotated (ω1, ω2, ω3) and are related to one another via a scale factor m. The angles ω1, ω2, ω3 10 thus indicate the rotation of the antenna relative to the measuring point. The following applies: ~ x X &quot; X Y - Yo + m * R (o, ω2, d) 3) y z Λ. z where the rotation matrix can be decomposed into: R (β> i, ω2, <y3) = Rj (ωχ) · R2 (ω2) · R3 (ω3) where Ί 0 0 Ri (ry1) = 0 COSöJj sin ω] _0 - sin o COSβ) f cos (y2 0 -sin0) 2 R2 (g> 2) = 0 1 0 sin6> 2 0 COSβ> 2 15 R3 (β> 3) COSβ) 3 sin ^ 0 -sinft) 3 COS03 0 0 0 1
    From these relationships, the determination of the dimensions in the image, the knowledge of the actual dimensions of the antenna, and a minimum of 20 measuring points to solve the equation system, the rotation matrix can be determined (see the references above). From this, the twisting angles of * * * * »· · 44 * 1
    Antenna, based on the reference system of the measuring point are calculated. The position X0, Yo, Z0 corresponds to the measured absolute position of the antenna, which may be defined, for example, as the corner point of the antenna structure.
    The above-mentioned methods are just one example for determining the twist angles 5 of the antenna. Other methods are possible.
    The dimensions of the antennas are typically known. These data are executed and published by the manufacturer of the antennas in the data sheets, as for example in the case of the antennas of the manufacturer Kathrein "Kathrein-Scala, 742215 - 65 * Panel Antenna", Datasheet, freely available on www.kathrein-scala.com11. 10
    Embodiment of an integrated measuring device in the following embodiment, the case is described in which the calculation of the data takes place directly in the measuring apparatus:
    The user mounts the measuring device according to the invention on a holder (for example a tripod) and switches it on. The position of the measuring device is automatically determined using an integrated GPS receiver or other methods. For example, the measuring point can be entered on a georeferenced map and thus determines the coordinates. The determined position can be displayed on a graphical user interface. A software application guides the user step by step through the measurement process.
    First, the measuring equipment must be aligned in the direction of the object to be measured. This is done manually by the user either by a designated viewfinder and a corresponding target optics, similar to a pair of binoculars or a digital SLR, the targeted target sighted and identified for example by a marker or a crosshair, or the representation is not through a viewfinder or a search optics, but directly on a screen, similar to the image display of a compact digital camera, which does not have its own viewfinder.
    The user can target one or more corner points of the antenna as reference measurement points. These reference measurement points determine the absolute position of the antenna. It can also be defined several points and from it
    Center be determined. If necessary, the points can be marked directly so that they can be automatically captured on the image for the measurement evaluation. Furthermore, a ··· * ·· · «···· ··· * ·· ·« ····
    15 £ 5 *
    Window of adjustable size can be defined, which framed the antenna. Thus, with appropriate image processing, the frame structure of the antenna and the associated corner points can be detected automatically.
    Another possibility is that the frame detection is based on color gradient patterns, 5 so that it can be determined automatically due to an inhomogeneous transition from the antenna to the environment, for example "gray" of the antenna to "blue" of the sky in the background. By marking a reference point within the antenna structure, which is also identified in the later image acquisition, so can the reference color and thus the frame detection, including detection of the corner points 10 automatically detect. Other techniques of image processing may be used in addition or independently, such as edge detection, or object recognition methods that make use of characteristic points (predefined features). Examples of such techniques are known in the art, for example, R.Jain et al., "Machine Vision," MCGraw-Hill, Inc., ISBN 0-07-032018-7, 151995 (see, in particular, Chap 15 for object recognition, chapter 5 for edge detection, as well as
    Cape. 3 for image registration).
    In summary, the present invention captures from the captured digital image the spatial structure (e.g., geometric shape, color, etc.) of the antenna by one of the known image processing techniques and / or with the assistance of the user, who may designate predetermined features of the antenna in the digital image ,
    Once the target is detected, the range finding is performed. In doing so, first the alignment data is detected, i. Orientation (azimuth), inclination and rotation of the measuring device towards the DUT. Thereafter, by means of distance measurement (e.g., long distance rangemeter with a range of about 100m, 300m up to 1km - depending on the design), the distance to the reference point, e.g. measured a lower corner point on the measuring object.
    From the reference values of the position of the measuring device and the measured values determined, the position of the measuring object is uniquely determined.
    By determining a reference point on the measurement object, for example by a crosshair in the target optics or on the display, a reference point for a
    Image capture. In this case, an image of the measurement object is created and stored with the highest possible resolution. * ··· * * * * * ♦ · · 16Ä25: t
    The user has the option of using finger control on the touch-sensitive display to enlarge the image before it is stored. Contour recognition software calculates the contours of the antenna structure and defines measurement points on the structure, whereby the user can also manually define voting capabilities (e.g., contrast adjustment, number and position of the measurement points). This allows reference points, such as corner points, to be specified.
    Antenna structures of the type described are accurately documented and published by the manufacturer of the antennas, and are thus known to the operator of the mobile network. Due to the structural knowledge of the antenna shape (rectangular systems and 10 known edge lengths, etc.), the angular relationships on the image, the reference position, the orientation of the measuring apparatus and the distance measurement, the orientation of the coordinate system in which the antenna is located, and thus the orientation of the antenna Antenna, using methods of conformal coordinate transformation are calculated. The calculated tilt angles can be shown in the display. 15 Storing the data thus obtained is the next step. The antenna must be assigned a name, for example a name. This can be done manually or automatically assigned unique names. Ideally, existing reference data could be read in directly, for example from an inventory database, a planning tool or similar. Thus, the antenna name, its type, manufacturer data, etc. would be directly readable and known. After this data, the required dimensions of the antenna can then be determined.
    In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the antenna models could also be recognized directly by means of image recognition and a database of antennas. For this purpose, the antenna is detected in the recorded image of the antenna. In this case, the user 25 can provide auxiliary data by manually identifying the outer contour of the antenna or the edges and corners of the antenna are automatically detected. The detected antenna and / or its proportions are then correlated with the antennas in the antenna database and thereby the type of antenna can be determined.
    Furthermore, the calculated values can be taken over-by means of automatic user guidance in the display 30 of the device-and transmitted to a database (locally, or web server, or another external storage device) and stored. The user also has the possibility to save additional details as well as an image of the antenna in the database. ·· * ψ • ** 17 ^ 5 i: · ** · · · · «m ·« ·
    For rapid transmission of data, the measuring apparatus can therefore, depending on the design, also include a radio module (wireless module), with which the data is transmitted directly online and stored in a registered web server.
    In an advantageous embodiment, the measuring apparatus according to the above example has a graphical user interface which can be operated via a touch-sensitive screen. However, the invention can also be equipped with a simple display (display) and the control can be done by means of ausgestaiteten keys and / or other controls. 10 embodiment of a calculation outside the measuring apparatus
    In the following Ausführungsbetspiel the case is described, in which the calculation of the alignment data is outside the actual measuring devices:
    The user uses the meter and turns it on. The measuring device has a handy shape and is freely handled by the user, such as a 15 binoculars. The user aligns the measuring device in the direction of the target object, which is done by a corresponding target optics, a viewfinder with integrated reticle, or the like.
    Once the user has targeted the target object, the measurement is performed by means of a trigger. It is determined by means of integrated or connected position determination, the 20 position of the user. Furthermore, the height difference between the user and the target object is determined by means of integrated or connected inclination measurement, and determined by means of an integrated or connected compass of the azimuth in the measuring direction. In addition, the rotation is detected with respect to the vertical axis by means of level measurement. Furthermore, the distance between user 25 and target object is measured.
    In a particularly advantageous embodiment, all of these measurements, by actuating the trigger, carried out at the same time or imperceptibly offset in time.
    In addition, an image of the target object, so the antenna is created, the user can adjust through the viewfinder, the magnification of the antenna shown in the picture. This can be done 30, for example, by an additional actuating mechanism, the one
    Zooming in or out of the image, comparatively a digital compact camera, allows. .....: ......: 18 £ 5 ::. ·; ··. · · · · · · »·. , ·· ·· ·· «Μ ·
    The data thus obtained are transmitted by means of electronic data transmission (wired, via data card, radio transmission or the like) to a computer (laptop, tablet, other device). On the laptop (tablet, etc) run those software applications that are necessary for the inventive calculation of the absolute position and orientation of Ziei-5 antenna.
    The software applications now allow the user to enlarge the image, run contour recognition software, define measuring points and manually influence the properties of the calculation.
    The calculated positions and angles of the antennas can be displayed on the screen of the computer and processed further.
    The storage and further processing of the data can be done as in the example given above.
    Embodiment of a Calculation on the Computer with External Modules 15 Another example of the implementation provides that the calculation of the alignment takes place on the computer 380, wherein the position of the antenna 330 takes place by means of distance measurement and height measurement 320. The necessary alignment data (azimuth and rotation from the horizontal plane) can also be determined manually, e.g. read from compass and level gauge 392. The necessary position measurement can also be made via an external position measuring device, e.g. GPS receiver 391, done. All of these measurements should be made at the location of range finding 310.
    The image acquisition can also be done manually via a commercially available camera 393, wherein the position in the measurement of the Entfemungsmessgeräts should be the same or at least very similar. The registration data are based on the
    Target object automatically and are thus the data of the distance measurement equal. Therefore, the image material thus stored can also be transmitted to the computer (for example, memory card of a digital camera) manually. The data (position, orientation to the antenna, distance, image) must then be combined manually, which can be done using 30 corresponding instructions in a software application on the computer 380.
    The further calculation, processing and storage of the data is performed by software applications according to the above embodiment.
    The measuring apparatus has, in an advantageous embodiment, an automatic positioning device, e.g. a GPS receiver that automatically determines the position.
    In an advantageous embodiment, the measuring apparatus has a device for automatic detection of the orientation (azimuth, inclination, rotation) of the
    Measuring apparatus based on an absolute reference coordinate system (horizontal plane, vertical plane normal to the horizontal plane, geographical north).
    In a further advantageous embodiment, the calibration of the measuring apparatus 310 is carried out automatically by pressing a button (for example on a control knob or a touch-sensitive display, etc.) 10.
    Preferably, the measuring apparatus has a device for distance measurement, which can be controlled by software, or wherein the data can be read out electronically.
    The measuring apparatus may have a device for acquiring a digital image of the target object (the antenna).
    In an advantageous embodiment, the measuring apparatus has an integrated camera, which can produce high-resolution images of the target object and the user can influence the magnification.
    The measuring apparatus preferably has possibilities of electronic data processing for the exchange, processing and storage of the measured data.
    In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the data from the measuring device can be transmitted via a radio interface to a computer in order to be stored there and / or further processed.
    Furthermore, the interface 371 may represent an interface to existing radio network planning tools or optimization tools available on the market, which would then each run on a computer (370).
    In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the characteristics (size of the antennas, dimensions, etc.), designations and names of the sectors to be assigned to the antennas may be derived from a database, e.g. Radio network planning tool imported before the measurement so that measurement data can be assigned to the existing data records.
    • · * · + ♦ · ♦ ···· · ···
    • ·
    In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the imported data from a database can be compared with the measured data and compared, and reports on deviations can be created. For example, the user can check the data available in the database for their quality. In doing so, the "target" Values read according to 5 database, and compared with the measured "actual" values. The "target" values herein may be, for example, values calculated by a network optimization method or specified by the network operator. The "actual" values can then be, for example, the measured values. The main advantages are that there is no need for further manual input to the basic antenna data and station designations, a rapid and efficient method of checking the antenna data, and the data being able to be tuned directly to the database.
    In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the measurement results of the target object can be combined from a plurality of different measurement positions and reference points, and thus evaluated jointly. Significant advantages exist in the
    Improving the accuracy of the measurement, improved precision or resolution, and the ability to calculate three-dimensional properties. Due to several measuring points and digital images from different viewing angles, for example, 3D projections of the antennas can be created. Calculation methods 20 for the calculation methods of 3D projections from 2D images can be found, for example, in: I. Stamos and P.K. Allen. Automatic registration of 2-D with 3-D imagery in urban environments. In ICC V, pages 731-737, 2001.
    These 3D models can be stored in a database so that the user can view the antenna orientation from different viewpoints at a later time. This is particularly of great advantage, because an engineer can make the best possible impression of the overall situation.
    FIG. 4 shows an example of the determination of the orientation of the antenna structure 412 mounted on the pole 410. It is known how the antenna structure looks in the frontal view, resulting in a rectangular structure 411. Furthermore, due to the information about the antenna model, the dimensions of the antenna are known. Due to the actual size, orientation, and relative viewing angle from the measurement point to the antenna structure, contour distortion occurs as shown in 413. From this distorted contour, a set of fixed measuring points, the position of the reference measuring point, the orientation of the measuring apparatus, and the distance to the target object can now be the orientation of the antenna, or the rotation of the 2φ5 * · ΦΦ • Φ Φ · »Φ · * ··· «·· Φ · # ···
    Coordinate system in which the antenna is relative to the coordinate system of the viewer, are determined. This happens, for example, by means of conformal three-dimensional coordinate transformations. This in turn results in the angles for determining the orientation of the antenna. 5 Fig. 5 shows by way of example a sequence of the method according to the invention for calculating the orientation. The determination of the absolute position of the measuring point 510 is followed by the determination of the distance to the target object 520. The determination of the position of the measuring point 510 can take place by means of GPS or other localization possibilities. For example, the position can also be entered manually, 10 or a measuring location with known coordinates can be selected. There are also a number of implementation possibilities for the distance measurement, for example optical (for example laser) and microwave-based methods. After determining the orientation 530 from the measuring point to the target object and the results of the distance measurement 520, as well as the absolute position of the measuring point 510, the absolute position of the target object 540, 15 or a reference point at the target object, for example a marked or automatically fixed corner point can be determined. The processes 510 to 540 can be carried out manually in succession, or else automatically by pressing a button on a device. The advantages of the common process are the ease of handling and a necessary compact design of the device. Further, a digital image 550 of the target object is captured and processed. The determination of the antenna size 560 can be made from a database, manually entered by the user or else automatically performed based on optical criteria, due to pattern recognition and comparison database. It is essential that the actual size of the antenna structure is delivered as a result.
    By means of the existing information, it is thus possible to start within the frame of the image analysis and the associated coordinate transformation 570. Based on the combination of target position 540 and the image analysis 570, the absolute position of the antenna as well as its three-dimensional orientation can thus be determined. Afterwards, the data is stored on a storage medium, which in the simplest case can be a local data storage, up to the synchronization with on-line databases in the internet, as well as a special software application for the adjustment of stored data and measured data. The latter, for example, also allows a • · &gt; ··· 22 ^ 25- statistical survey of the accuracy and quality of the data quality in the existing database.
    Finally, the measurement is terminated 590. The method in Figure 5 is just one possible embodiment of the invention. The order of steps may be different. For example, in particular, steps 510-560 may be performed in any order because the measured values are not needed until step 570 to calculate antenna alignment.
    In summary, the determination of the position and orientation of base station antennas in mobile communications is important for optimizing transmission parameters. It requires time-consuming and costly effort, since it has to be measured directly on the antenna. In addition, access to the antennas is often not possible. This is very detrimental to the accuracy of the data, so the optimization results that change antenna parameters will suffer greatly. With the new method and apparatus, the rapid, accurate detection of the position and orientation of the transmitting antenna is possible without having to measure in the vicinity of the antenna. The new method makes it possible to determine the absolute position of the base station antenna and its orientation from a greater distance. In this case, the absolute position of the antenna is determined by means of automatic determination of the coordinates of the reference point (measuring point), distance measurement to the target antenna, measurement of the 20 tilt angle, and the orientation of the measuring apparatus. From an image recorded from the measuring point, the orientation of the base station antenna 25 to be measured is determined by means of photogrammetric surveying methods, the knowledge of the absolute dimensions of the antenna, and mathematical methods of the conformal coordinate transformation. Applications are the rapid, cost-effective and high-quality determination of the position and orientation of antenna structures.
    权利要求:
    Claims (3)
    [1]
    A method of determining the orientation of an antenna, comprising capturing (550) a digital image of an antenna with a camera at a measurement location, determining (520) the relative location of the measurement location relative to the antenna, determining (560) the size of the antenna, and calculating (570 ) of the orientation of the antenna based on features of the captured digital image, the particular relative position and the size of the antenna. The method of claim 1, wherein determining (520) the relative position comprises measuring the position of the measurement location and measuring the distance between the measurement location and / or measuring the direction in which the distance was measured, determining (560) the magnitude The antenna comprises extraction of the technical data of the antenna from a database based on the image of the antenna and / or on the position of the antenna and / or on a user input. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the relative position comprises: aligning a distance measuring device with a display to display the target object so that the antenna is displayed on the display, wherein the alignment is performed by a user at the measurement location (530) aligning the device and the distance between the device and the antenna, marking predefined locations of the antenna by the user on the display or in the captured digital image, wherein calculating (570) the orientation of the antenna based on the marked ones Positions and the measured distance and orientation of the device takes place. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the features of the digital image are predetermined locations of the antenna received in the image and computing (570) the orientation of the antenna by a coordinate transformation. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising storing (580) the calculated orientation of the antenna and / or the captured image into a database. An apparatus for determining the orientation of an antenna, comprising: an alignment computing unit (380) for determining the orientation of an antenna (330) based on features of a digital image of the antenna (330) taken in a measurement location and with a camera (393); Position of the measuring location with respect to the antenna and the size of the antenna. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: distance measuring means (310) having a display for displaying the target object so that the antenna (330) is displayed on the display, the means (310) being alignable by a user in the measurement location and adapted to determine the orientation and to measure the distance between the measurement site and the antenna. 8. Claim 6 or 7, further comprising a GPS receiver (391) for determining the position of the measurement location or a port for connecting the GPS receiver.
    [2]
    The apparatus of any of claims 6 to 8, further comprising a camera (393) for capturing the digital image of the antenna (330).
    [3]
    The apparatus of any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the features of the digital image are predetermined locations of the antenna captured in the image and the alignment alignment unit (380) is adapted to perform the computing of the orientation of the antenna by coordinate transformation.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    ES2547921T3|2015-10-09|
    AT511191B1|2012-10-15|
    PL2727180T3|2016-03-31|
    EP2727180A1|2014-05-07|
    WO2013003872A1|2013-01-10|
    US20140205205A1|2014-07-24|
    EP2727180B1|2015-09-09|
    US9316486B2|2016-04-19|
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    法律状态:
    2017-03-15| MM01| Lapse because of not paying annual fees|Effective date: 20160701 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    ATA966/2011A|AT511191B1|2011-07-01|2011-07-01|METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING AND STORING THE POSITION AND ORIENTATION OF ANTENNA STRUCTURES|ATA966/2011A| AT511191B1|2011-07-01|2011-07-01|METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING AND STORING THE POSITION AND ORIENTATION OF ANTENNA STRUCTURES|
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    US14/129,272| US9316486B2|2011-07-01|2012-06-13|Method and apparatus for determining and storing the position and orientation of antenna structures|
    PCT/AT2012/000167| WO2013003872A1|2011-07-01|2012-06-13|Method and apparatus for determining and storing the position and orientation of antenna structures|
    PL12729333T| PL2727180T3|2011-07-01|2012-06-13|Method and apparatus for determining and storing the position and orientation of antenna structures|
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