Adjustable antenna system for unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An antenna control system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 determining an average distance between antenna towers in an area in which an antenna is located, resulting in a first distance, wherein the antenna is fixed to an antenna mounting spar that extends from a reflector; and 
 facilitating, via a system that communicatively couples the antenna control system to the antenna, placement of the antenna at a second distance, along the antenna mounting spar, from the antenna to the reflector, the second distance being selected according to a function of an angle, from vertical with respect to a line from the antenna to an edge of the reflector, and the first distance. 
   
     
     
         2 . The antenna control system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining a first location of the antenna; and   determining respective second locations of the antenna towers.   
     
     
         3 . The antenna control system of  claim 2 , wherein the determining of the second locations comprises receiving the second locations from an antenna tower of the antenna towers. 
     
     
         4 . The antenna control system of  claim 2 , wherein the antenna is a first antenna of a group of antennas fixed to the antenna mounting spar at different third distances from the reflector, and wherein the facilitating of the placement of the first antenna comprises selecting, as the first antenna, one of the group of antennas that is positioned at a third distance, of the different third distances, from the reflector that is closest to being the second distance. 
     
     
         5 . The antenna control system of  claim 1 , wherein the antenna mounting spar comprises an actuator, and wherein the facilitating of the placement of the antenna comprises facilitating positioning the antenna at the second distance from the reflector via movement of the actuator. 
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 determining an average distance between antenna towers located within a communication range of an antenna associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, resulting in a first distance, wherein the antenna is positioned on an antenna mounting spar that extends from a reflector coupled to a surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and   controlling a second distance, along the antenna mounting spar, from the antenna to the reflector, as a result of which an angle, from vertical of a line extending from the antenna to an outer edge of the reflector and resulting from placement of the antenna at the second distance from the reflector, is a function of the first distance.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the antenna is a first antenna of antennas positioned on the antenna mounting spar, and wherein the controlling of the second distance comprises selecting, as the first antenna, one of the antennas that is closest to the second distance from the reflector. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the controlling of the second distance comprises facilitating movement of the antenna to the second distance from the reflector via an actuator. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the function of the first distance is a first function, and wherein the controlling of the second distance comprises further controlling the second distance, as a result of which the angle is further a second function of an average antenna height associated with the antenna towers. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the function of the first distance is a first function, and wherein the controlling of the second distance comprises further controlling the second distance, as a result of which the angle is further a second function of an altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . An antenna system, comprising:
 an antenna mounted on an antenna spar extending from a first surface of a reflector, wherein the reflector comprises the first surface and a second surface that is opposite the first surface; and   a controller that controls a distance, along the antenna spar, from the antenna to the reflector, resulting in the antenna being situated at a position in which an angle, from vertical, of a line from the antenna at the position to an edge of the reflector is a function of an average distance between antenna towers in an area in which the antenna system is located.   
     
     
         12 . The antenna system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller determines the distance from the antenna to the reflector based on a first location of the antenna system and respective second locations of the antenna towers. 
     
     
         13 . The antenna system of  claim 12 , wherein the controller retrieves the second locations of the antenna towers from a data store. 
     
     
         14 . The antenna system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller accesses the data store by submitting a query, via the antenna, to an antenna tower of the antenna towers. 
     
     
         15 . The antenna system of  claim 11 , wherein the first surface of the reflector reflects radio frequency signals, and wherein the second surface of the reflector blocks the radio frequency signals. 
     
     
         16 . The antenna system of  claim 15 , wherein the first surface of the reflector comprises a first material, and wherein the second surface of the reflector comprises a second material that is different from the first material. 
     
     
         17 . The antenna system of  claim 11 , wherein the distance is a first distance, wherein the antenna is a first antenna of a plurality of fixed antennas mounted on the antenna spar at different second distances from the reflector, and wherein the controller controls the first distance from the first antenna to the reflector by selecting, as the first antenna, a fixed antenna of the plurality of fixed antennas having a second distance from the reflector that is closest to the first distance. 
     
     
         18 . The antenna system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an actuator that moves the antenna spar orthogonal to the reflector, wherein the controller places the antenna at the position using the actuator.   
     
     
         19 . The antenna system of  claim 11 , wherein the angle from vertical of the line from the antenna at the position to the edge of the reflector is further a function of an average antenna height associated with the antenna towers in the area in which the antenna system is located. 
     
     
         20 . The antenna system of  claim 11 , wherein the reflector is of a parabolic shape or a circular shape.