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  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
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    • 专利摘要:
    method of determining current antenna orientation compared to desired orientation, communication antenna and communication device coupled thereto A method of determining a current orientation of an antenna compared to a desired orientation is provided. in the method, current orientation data indicating a current orientation of the antenna is generated in the circuit mounted to the antenna. data indicating a desired antenna orientation at the geographic location of the antenna is received. the desired orientation data is compared with the current orientation data. based on this comparison, alignment information is generated that indicates whether the current antenna orientation aligns with the desired antenna orientation.
    公开号:BR112012030922B1
    申请号:R112012030922-6
    申请日:2011-06-03
    公开日:2021-09-08
    发明作者:Troy Otto；Harold Jaramillo；Joseph E. Tomko
    申请人:DISH Technologies L.L.C；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    DESCRIPTIVE REPORT BACKGROUND
    [001] Many communication antennas are "directional" in that they must be aligned in a desired direction or must maintain a specific orientation, to transmit communication signals and/or receive communication signals from a particular remote communication system or device . An example of such an antenna is a parabolic “disk” antenna typically associated with Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) and related satellite television systems. This antenna typically must be aimed at the intended source satellite with a relatively small angular tolerance to allow the antenna's parabolic surface to direct the received television signals to a low noise blocking converter (LNB) or similar signal receiving circuit antenna to reliably capture television programming.
    [002] During the antenna installation process, a satellite system installer typically employs the television receiver or set-top box converter connected to the antenna or a separate electronic device, to monitor the strength or strength of the satellite signal that is being received when the installer changes the angular orientation of the antenna to search for the orientation in which the received signal strength is maximized. To this end, the installer adjusts the antenna's orientation in any or all three angular directions: azimuth (ie, left and right parallel to the horizon), elevation (ie, up and down perpendicular to the horizon) and polarization or "tilt" (ie, rotationally about a central axis perpendicular to and passing through the disk portion of the antenna).
    [003] Generally, the angle adjustment process is meticulous and can sometimes result in a less-than-optimal antenna orientation due to the inherent difficulty in changing three separate antenna angles representing three degrees of freedom while searching for the maximum signal strength. Furthermore, even if the initial antenna angle adjustment made during installation is exact, events such as high winds and unintended contact with the antenna can move the antenna from its desired orientation, typically resulting in unacceptable signal reception. Additionally, this lack of signal strength can also occur as a result of foliage obstructions, electronic failures, and other causes, making a definitive antenna misalignment diagnosis uncertain without an onsite customer service call. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
    [004] Many aspects of the present description can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily described to scale, as emphasis is instead placed on clear illustration of the principles of description. Furthermore, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the various views. Furthermore, while various embodiments are described in conjunction with these drawings, the description is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, the intention is to cover all alternatives, modifications, equivalents.
    [005] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a wireless communication system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
    [006] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention of determining a current orientation of an antenna compared to a desired orientation.
    [007] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a satellite television system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
    [008] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a satellite antenna of the satellite television system of Figure 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
    [009] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a low noise block converter (LNB) of the antenna of Figure 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
    [0010] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a satellite television receiver of the satellite television system of Figure 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
    [0011] The accompanying drawings and the following description describe the specific embodiments of the invention to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the best mode of the invention. For the purpose of teaching inventive principles, some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art will consider variations of these embodiments which fall within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the features described below can be combined in various ways to form multiple embodiments of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific modalities described below, but only by the Claims and their equivalents.
    [0012] Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication system 100 including an electronic device 104 communicatively coupled with an antenna 102. If the electronic device 104 is configured as a communication receiver, the antenna 102 is configured to receive a communication signal without wire 110a of a communication signal source, such as a satellite or terrestrial transmit antenna, potentially processes the received signal 110a and then transfers the resulting communication signal 110b to the electronic device 104. In addition or instead , acting as a communication receiver, electronic device 104 can operate as a communication source or transmitter, transmitting communication signal 110b to antenna 102, which can process and transmit the resulting wireless communication signal 110a.
    [0013] The electronic device 104 may be a broadcasting receiver or transmitter, such as that employed for satellite or terrestrial radio and television signals. In other embodiments, electronic device 104 may employ any other type of wireless signals received or transmitted through an antenna.
    [0014] Similarly, antenna 102 can be any antenna for transmitting or receiving wireless communication signals 210a. The antenna 102 may also process the received communication signal 110, such as frequency up-conversion or down-conversion, amplification and filtering before advancing or retransmitting the signal 110 to its ultimate destination. Additionally, antenna 102 includes a structure or surface configured to send or receive communication signals 110a in a particular direction defined by the structure or surface. As a result, the particular physical orientation of antenna 102 in at least one of the three angular directions, such as azimuth, elevation, and/or tilt, directly affects the strength and/or quality of a communication signal 110a transmitted to or received from a particular area or point in space.
    [0015] For example, the actual orientation of a satellite television antenna, as employed in a DBS system, may be required to align with a particular satellite of interest at some tolerance level to receive a television signal of sufficient strength. to appropriately downconvert and decode the signal for presentation to a user. This orientation may require the antenna to be correctly aligned in each of the azimuth, elevation, and tilt directions at some level of error (eg, less than one angular degree) of a desired antenna orientation.
    [0016] In other examples, the antenna may only be required to be aligned in one or two angular directions, with antenna alignment of the other angular directions not being as critical. For example, a terrestrial television antenna can be mounted on a vertical pole or similar structure so that the antenna is aligned in a generally vertical position, thereby eliminating the need to precisely align the elevation or tilt of the antenna. In this case, the only adjustable angle of interest can be the azimuth of the antenna so that the antenna can receive the signals from a specific terrestrial based transmission tower.
    [0017] Generally, for wireless communication antennas 102 that are not omnidirectional in nature, the physical orientation of antenna 102 in at least one angular direction relative to earth affects the antenna's ability to transmit and/or receive communication signals appropriately. In the situations described above, “communication” may involve signals purposely transmitted between two specific devices, such as a satellite and a terrestrial base antenna. In other examples, the antenna can be physically targeted to a particular area or point without a specific known source or destination for the communication signals. For example, antennas employed for space exploration, surveillance and the like, which can be employed to transmit and/or receive communication signals not easily identified with a particular source, destination or type of signal, can also be considered as communication antennas capable of employ the various concepts described below.
    [0018] Using Figure 1 for reference, Figure 2 presents a method 200 of determining a current orientation of an antenna 102 compared to a desired orientation. In method 200, current orientation data indicating a current orientation of antenna 102 is generated in circuit mounted on antenna 102 (operation 202). Desired orientation data indicating a desired orientation for antenna 102 at the geographic location of the antenna is received (operation 204). The desired guidance data is compared with the current guidance data (operation 206). Alignment information such as whether the current orientation of the antenna 102 aligns with the desired orientation of the antenna is then generated based on the comparison (operation 208).
    [0019] In other embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium may have encoded therein instructions for a processor or other control circuit of antenna 102 or electronic device 104 of communication system 100 to perform method 200.
    [0020] As a result of employing method 200, the current alignment of antenna 101 can be determined in a straightforward manner without having to rely on signal strength as described above or other less accurate substitutes to verify proper antenna alignment. In some implementations, signal strength can be considered in conjunction with measurement of alignment to determine if antenna 101 is correctly aligned. Additional advantages can be recognized from the various implementations of the invention described in greater detail below.
    [0021] Figure 3 illustrates a satellite television system 300 that includes a satellite television receiver 304 connected to a satellite antenna 302. The satellite antenna 302 receives one or more satellite television signals 310a carrying the television content received from a satellite uplink center (not shown in Figure 3) by mode from one or more transponders residing on a 301 satellite in geostationary orbit. Satellite antenna 302 then downconverts the frequencies of satellite television signal 310a and sends the resulting converted television signal 310b to satellite television receiver 304.
    [0022] The satellite television receiver or set-top box 304 then also processes the converted television signals 310b, selects at least one television channel or program under control of a user of the receiver 304, formats the channel or program to output and then outputs the resulting output television signal 310c to at least one television 306 for user presentation. In addition, receiver 304 may be communicatively coupled with a remote communication node 308, which may be a node operated by a satellite television signal service provider 310a.
    [0023] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the satellite antenna 302 of Figure 3 according to an embodiment. Satellite antenna 302 is configured as a typical satellite dish or "disk" antenna 302 having a reflection structure 412 with a reflection surface 414 designed to receive wireless television signal 310a and reflect signal 310a to a signaling structure 410. Typically, the signaling structure, the resulting structure 410 includes a signal receiving device, such as a low noise blocking (LB) converter 409 adapted to receive the incoming wireless television signal 310a, downconverts the frequencies of the signal 310a and sends the signal to the satellite television receiver 304 by coaxial cable mode (not explicitly shown in Figure 4) or other means. A support arm 411 connects the LNB 409 with the reflection structure 412 and correctly positions the LNB 409 to receive the reflected wireless signal 310a from the reflection surface 414. Generally, the reflection surface and thus the antenna 302 at general must be oriented correctly relative to the desired satellite 301 to receive wireless television signal 310a from satellite 301. Furthermore, while Figure 4 depicts a single television signal 310a being received from a single satellite 301, the LNB 409 may include circuitry that permits simultaneous reception of signals 310a from multiple satellites 301 when antenna 302 is aligned in a specific orientation.
    [0024] In one implementation, the desired orientation of the antenna302 depends at least on the orbits or locations of the satellites or satellites 301 from which the signals 310a are to be received and the geographic location of the antenna 302. Such information may be sufficient to determine the appropriate angle and, thereby, the desired orientation of antenna 302. In another example, the type or structure of antenna 302 may also be needed to determine the desired orientation. For example, different reflection structures 412 from different antennas 302 can cause the input signal 310a to be directed in different directions, thereby requiring different desired orientations. Various types of LNBs 409, support arms 411 and other parts of antenna 302 may also require consideration before a desired orientation can be determined.
    [0025] To determine the current orientation of the antenna 302, circuits capable of performing such a task without the input of any external source are affixed or attached to the antenna 302 in a fixed orientation relative to them. In one example, the guidance circuit resides on the LNB 409, although other locations of the antenna 302, such as the reflection frame 412 and the cantilever 411, may serve as hotspots for the guidance circuit. More specifically, the guidance circuit can be positioned such that azimuth 420 (eg the angular position in the left-right direction), elevation 422 (eg the angular position in the up-down direction) and tilt 424 ( for example, the angular position of the reflecting surface 414 about an axis extending perpendicular to and through the center of the reflecting surface 414) of the antenna 302 relative to ground, as shown in Figure 4, can be measured. In some implementations, each of azimuth 420, elevation 422, and tilt 424 of antenna 302 can be mechanically adjusted by hardware coupling mode of antenna 302 to stable structure, such as a building, fence, mast, or the like.
    [0026] An example in which the guidance circuit is included in the LNB 409 of Figure 4 is present in the block diagram of Figure 5. In this implementation, the LNB 409 includes control circuit 502, filtering/signal conversion circuit 504, a signal interface 506, guidance circuit 510 and possibly local circuit 514. Other components, such as a power supply, coupler or converter, may be included but are not mentioned below to simplify the following description.
    [0027] The conversion and filtering circuit 504 is configured to receive or capture the wireless television signal 310a from the reflection surface 414 and perform any conversion, filtering and other processing of the received signal 310a, before sending the signal by interface mode. of signal 506 as converted television signal 310b to satellite television receiver 304. In one example, wireless television signal 310a is a radio frequency (RF) signal that is down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) and transported over the coaxial cable to the receiver 304.
    [0028] Signal interface 506 may also be configured to send and receive control and status information 512 between control circuit 502 and television receiver 304. In one implementation, signal interface 506 conforms to the protocol of Digital Satellite Equipment Control (DiSEqC) communication for transmission and reception of control and status information 512, although other protocols or formats may be employed in other modalities. As described in more detail below, control and status information 512 can be used to transfer information regarding the current orientation of antenna 302, current location of antenna 302, and so on.
    [0029] The orientation circuit 10 is configured to determine the current orientation of the antenna 302. In some embodiments, the orientation circuit 510 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) incorporating micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology that detects and measures the angular orientation of the CT relative to the ground. Thus, assuming that the orientation circuit 510 is fixed to the LNB 409 in a fixed or constant orientation relative to the LNB 409, the orientation circuit 510 is thereby configured to provide the information quantifying the current orientation of the antenna 302, including its surface. of reflection 414, relating to the earth. In the particular example of Figure 5, guidance circuit 510 includes two-axis inclinometer circuit 510a and time signature circuit 510b, each of which can be packaged as a separate IC. More specifically, the two-axis inclinometer circuit 510a may be positioned and configured to provide an indication or measurement of either the elevation 422 or the tilt 424 of the antenna 302 relative to gravity. In other implementations, separate single-axis inclinometer circuits, one for each to measure the elevation 422 and the tilt 424 of the antenna 302, may be employed. Complementarily, caliper circuit 510b may be positioned and configured to sensitize the earth's magnetic field to provide a measurement of the azimuth 420 of antenna 302 relative to earth. Depending on the implementation, the 510a two-axis inclinometer circuit and the 510b compass circuit can be packaged in separate ICs, a single IC, or some other physical arrangement.
    [0030] Possibly included in LNB 409 is local circuit 514 configured to identify a physical location of antenna 514. In one example, local circuit 514 may be configured to communicate with satellites associated with the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine the location of circuit 14 and therefore antenna 302. Another local circuit 514 configured to determine the location of antenna 302 can be used in alternate implementations.
    [0031] The control circuit 502 is configured to control or communicate with each of the components of the LNB 409, such as the signaling circuit 504, the signal interface 506, the guidance circuit 510, and, if included, the local circuit 514. Control circuit 502 may include one or more processors, such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, or digital signal processor (DSP), configured to execute instructions directing the processor to perform functions associated with control circuit 502. In another implementation, control circuit 502 may be completely logical based on hardware or may include a combination of hardware, firmware, and/or software elements.
    [0032] In addition, the control circuit 502 can be configured to control one or more 516 motors coupled with the 302 antenna. The 516 motors can be configured to adjust one or more of azimuth 420, elevation 422 and tilt 424 of the antenna 302 with based on the input that control circuit 502 provides. As described more fully below, control circuit 502 can employ motors 516 to change the current orientation of antenna 302 to a more desirable orientation.
    [0033] Coupled with the signal interface 506 of the antenna 302 is the satellite television receiver 304, an example of which is shown in the block diagram of Figure 6. In this implementation, the satellite television receiver 304 includes control circuit 602 , a signal interface 604, an output interface 608, a communication interface 610, and a user interface 612. Receiver 304 may also include data storage 606. Other possible components of receiver 304 may include a power supply, a removable signal processing device (“smart credit card”) interface and a television signal storage device such as a digital video recorder unit (DVR), however these components are also not mentioned here for simplicity the following description.
    [0034] Signal interface 604 of receiver 304 is configured to receive the converted television signal 310b from antenna 302, perform any necessary processing to select and reformat signal 310b for use by output interface 608 and transfer the signal to the interface of output 608. Signal interface 604 may include one or more tuners allowing a user of receiver 304 to select particular programming channels from input content in converted television signal 310b for sending to television 306, as well as to a receiver. audio or other entertainment system components. Processing of the converted signal 310b may include, for example, any description, decoding, and/or demultiplexing of the signal 310b. In one implementation, signal 310b carries multiple television programming channels whose data is formatted in accordance with one of the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) formats, such as MPEG-2 or MPEG-4, although other content format standards of television can be used in other modalities. In another example, if receiver 304 has been configured as a terrestrial television receiver, signal interface 604 can receive the converted television signal 310b through a terrestrial antenna that receives television signals "over the air".
    [0035] Signal interface 604 is also used to transmit control information 512 and receive status information 512 from LNB 409 of satellite antenna 302. As described more fully below, such information 512 may include current or desired guidance data, geographic or local data and the like. In one example, control and status information 512 adheres to the DiSEqC protocol mentioned above.
    [0036] The output interface 608 provides the converted television signal 310b, after any processing by the signal interface 604, as an output television signal 310c to the television 306. For this purpose, the output interface 608 can encode the content according to one or more television output formats. For example, the 608 output interface can format content for one or more of a composite or component video connection with associated audio connection, a modulated radio frequency (F) connection, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface connection ( HDMI) or any other format compatible with the 306 television.
    [0037] In one arrangement, receiver 304 may include a separate communication interface 610 configured to transmit and receive one or more types of information, such desired orientation data for antenna 302, location data, and the like. Communication interface 610 can be any interface configured to communicate over a network, such as the Internet or other wide area network (WAN), a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cellular communication network, or the like. Examples of communication interface 610 may include, but are not limited to, an IEEE 802.11 (ie, Wi-Fi), Ethernet, Bluetooth®, or HomePlug® interface to a telephone line or to a cable gateway or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) to access the Internet or another WAN.
    [0038] To allow a user of receiver 304 to control the television content selection of converted television signal 310b, as well as perform other operations typically associated with a television receiver 304, user interface 612 can facilitate command entry by 622 user input mode. In many examples, the 612 user interface may be a remote control interface, configured to receive such input 622 by infrared (IR), radio frequency (RF), acoustic or other signal technologies mode. wireless. To facilitate such input of information, receiver 304 may provide a menu system presented to the user through television 306. In some implementations, user interface 612 may also include any of a keyboard, mouse, and/or other input device. of user.
    [0039] Receiver 304 may also include data store 606 for storing one or more types of data or information, such as the orientation and location data associated with antenna 302. Data store 606 may include any type of data memory. volatile data (such as static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory) and/or non-volatile memory (including, but not limited to, flash memory, hard disk drive storage, optical disk storage, devices storage, memory cards, and Universal Serial Bus (USB) disk drives).
    [0040] Control circuit 602 is configured to control and/or access other components of receiver 304, including, but not limited to, signal interface 604, data store 606 (if included), output interface 608, interface communication interface 610 and user interface 612. Control circuit 602 may include one or more processors, such as a microprocessor, microcontroller or DSP, configured to execute instructions directing the processor to perform functions associated with control circuit 602 In another implementation, control circuit 602 may be completely logical based on hardware or may include a combination of hardware, firmware, and/or software elements.
    [0041] In operation, the control circuit 502 of the LNB 409 communicates with the guidance circuit 510 to receive information describing the current orientation of the antenna 302 according to at least one of the azimuth 420, elevation 422 and tilt 424 of the antenna 302 Control circuit 502 may then transfer current guidance data as control/status information 512 to satellite television receiver 304 via signal interface 506. In one implementation, control circuit 502 may also obtain information location of local circuit 514 and transfer the local information to receiver 304 over signal interface 506.
    [0042] Correspondingly, control circuit 602 of receiver 304 receives current orientation information from antenna 302 through its signal interface 604. Control circuit 602 may also receive geographic location data from antenna 304, as indicated above. In another implementation, control circuit 602 may receive location data 624 for antenna location 302 from a separate communication node 308 (shown in Figure 3) through communication interface 610. In another alternative, location data it may have been previously stored in data store 606 of receiver 304, such as by a user or installer mode. In another example, receiver 304 may include local circuitry similar to that shown on LNB 409 from which control circuit 602 may obtain location data indicating the geographic location of receiver 304. In this situation, receiver 304 is assumed to be located close enough of antenna 302 which location of receiver 304 is virtually the same as that of antenna 302, which may be true in the vast majority of embodiments.
    [0043] Depending on the particular implementation, location and geographic data 624 may represent the location of antenna 302 by latitude and longitude mode, postal address, ZIP code or some other formats. The accuracy of the location data required may depend on a number of factors, including the nature of the communication signals carried through the antenna 302, the structure of the antenna 302 itself, and other factors.
    [0044] Based on the location data 624, the control circuit 602 determines at least one desired orientation for the antenna 302. More specifically, assuming a particular satellite 301 residing in geostationary orbit, the geographic location of the antenna 302 determines the orientation of the antenna 302 required to align antenna 302 correctly with satellite 301. In some cases, antenna 302 can be aligned to communicate with multiple satellites 301 at different locations in the sky simultaneously, assuming the LNB 403 is configured to receive and process the signals of multiple satellites 301.
    [0045] In one implementation, the control circuit 602 transmits the location data 624 to a remote communication node 308, which receives the location data 624, determines the desired guidance data 620, and returns the desired guidance data 620 to the receiver via communication interface 610. Remote communication node 308 can determine this desired orientation data 620 by way of a lookup table listing a variety of possible locations and associated desired orientations of antenna 302. In another embodiment, the antenna node remote communication 308 can calculate desired orientation data 620 from antenna 302 using location data 624 as input. In other implementations, control circuit 502 may perform necessary calculations or table lookup operations using location data 624 to generate desired guidance data 620. For example, data store 606 may store lookup tables or formulas of guidance for access by control circuit 602 to retrieve or generate the desired guidance data 620.
    [0046] Once the desired orientation data 620 is determined, the control circuit 602 can comprise the desired orientation data 620 with the current orientation data received from the antenna 302. Based on this comparison, the control circuit 602 can generate the alignment information as to whether the current antenna orientation aligns with your desired orientation. In one implementation, control circuit 602 determines that the current orientation aligns with the desired orientation if the current orientation data is within some error percentage or level of the desired orientation data. For example, if the current bearing data for each axis of interest (ie, azimuth 420, elevation 422, and/or slope 424) is within some predefined fraction of a degree of the corresponding part of the desired bearing data, the circuit control panel 602 may consider antenna 302 to be aligned with its desired orientation.
    [0047] Based on the comparison, the control circuit 602 may generate some indication in the form of alignment information as to whether the antenna 302 aligns with its desired orientation. In one implementation, control circuit 602 may merely generate a yes or no indication. In other embodiments, control circuit 602 may produce more descriptive offset data 626 indicating the difference between the current orientation and the desired orientations for each of the azimuth, elevation, and slope components.
    [0048] In some cases, the control circuit 602 may transmit the offset data 626 and/or the current guidance data to the remote communication node 308 through the communication interface 610. In addition, such information may be generated periodically or on request of control circuit 602 or remote communication device 308, thereby providing an indication of the current orientation of antenna 302 compared to its desired orientation over some period of time, such as days or weeks. Remote communication node 308, such as that operated by a service provider responsible for installing and maintaining the receiver 304, can then use this information to determine whether the orientation and initial installation of the antenna 302 is incorrect or whether the orientation antenna 302 is deviating from its desired orientation for a period of time. In addition, such information from receiver 304 can be combined with corresponding information from multiple other receivers 304 to allow the service provider to determine whether the full scope of alignment issues can be isolated to particular installations, specific installers or indicative of a project. antenna or abnormally on the transmitting satellite 301.
    [0049] The offset data 626 and/or the current guidance data may condition or "control" other information available to the control circuit 602 to more accurately interpret that information. For example, control circuit 502 of antenna 302 may generate and transmit a value indicating the relative signal strength of satellite television signal 310a received at LNB 409 as status information 512 via signal interfaces 506, 604 to the circuit. control circuit 602 of receiver 304. Control circuit 602 may then compare the signal strength value to a signal strength threshold, which may be received by communication interface 610 or previously stored in data store 606. If the signal strength value is less than the threshold and the antenna 302 is not aligned according to its desired orientation, the control circuit 602 can generate an indication that the signal strength is less than desirable because the antenna is misaligned. If, on the contrary, antenna 302 is not misaligned, control circuit 602 may generate an indication that the signal strength is low due to some reason other than a misaligned antenna 302, such as poor weather conditions or a physical obstruction of the via between the antenna 302 and the satellite 301. In other implementations, the control circuit 602 provides the offset data 626 and/or the current location data along with the signal strength value through the communication interface 610 to the node of remote communication 308, which can then determine whether a signal strength condition exists, as well as a possible cause for such condition.
    [0050] Current guidance data may also be used in conjunction with location data 624 to verify that antenna 302 (and thereby receiver 304) is located at the location identified with the subscriber associated with receiver 304. To this end, the control circuit 602 can transfer the current orientation data current orientation data to the antenna 302 via the communication interface 610 to the remote communication node 308, which can compare such data with the location data 624 which has been received from receiver 304 or previously known. Based on this comparison, node 308 can determine that the current orientation data does not match the location at which receiver 304 is to be deployed, assuming that the antenna is correctly aligned with a satellite 301 of interest. In addition, the control circuit 602 can send the above mentioned signal strength value to validate that the current antenna orientation is correct. If location data 624 thereby indicates a location not in accordance with the current operational antenna orientation, node 308 can assume that receiver 304 is located in an area that does not correspond with the subscriber's address. This event can occur when multiple geographically separated users subscribe to satellite television service under a single subscriber to receive an unauthorized discount on subscription service fees. In one implementation, in response to the determination that the receiver is not located in the expected geographic location, remote communication node 308 may at least partially disable receiver 304. In other arrangements, control circuit 602 of receiver 304 may perform these functions instead of node 308.
    [0051] Current guidance data generated in guidance circuit 510 may also be employed to assist an installer of antenna 302 in precisely orienting antenna 302. In one example, the installer may communicatively couple a small communication device such as a handheld device with a visual display, with the LB409. Coupling can be performed by way of the 604 signal interface or a separate communication interface provided on the LNB 409, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface (not shown in Figure 5). In this mode, the handheld device can provide continuous feedback as to the current orientation of the antenna 302 while the installer adjusts the orientation of the antenna 302. The handheld device can also provide data indicating the difference between the orientation of the current antenna 302 and its desired orientation either visually or via an audible warning.
    [0052] If the antenna 302 is equipped with one or more motors 516 to change one or more of the azimuth 420, elevation 422 and tilt 424 of the antenna 302, the offset data 626 described above can be employed to change the orientation of the current antenna 302 by activating motors 516 to reorient antenna 302 to the desired direction. The amount of rotation transmitted on antenna 302 can be determined by offset data 626 described above. By comparing the current orientation data with the desired orientation data 620 and then employing the motors 516 to align the antenna 302 according to the desired orientation data 620, in a periodic manner, the misalignments of the antenna 302 due to wind conditions, improvised physical contact with the 302 antenna, mechanical fatigue and the like can be readily corrected.
    [0053] If the antenna 302 can be directed to another satellite301 other than the satellite 301 to which the antenna 302 is currently directed, the control circuit 602 can generate or obtain the desired guidance data 620 for the new satellite 301 using the data current location 624 by any of the processes described above. Once the desired new orientation data 620 is acquired, the control circuit 602 can activate the one or more motors 516 to direct the antenna 302 to the new satellite 301.
    [0054] In other examples, the control circuit 602 can use the current guidance data and the desired guidance data 620 to update the orientation of the antenna 302 in mobile applications, such as receivers 304 and antennas 302 employed in aircraft, land transport and similar applications. In such cases, the current guidance data and the location data 624 employed to determine the desired guidance data must be regularly updated to control the rate at which the desired antenna orientation 302 can change. In some cases, control circuit 602 may employ a predictive algorithm based on the current direction and speed indicated by recent history of changes in location data 624 to anticipate the motor control 16 needed to maintain the desired antenna orientation.
    [0055] In other implementations, the receiver 304 may communicate with a satellite 301 that is not in geostationary orbit. In such cases, the desired orientation of antenna 302 may change over time, even if receiver 304 is stationary. To control this scenario, the control circuit 602 may periodically or continuously receive or generate new desired guidance data 620 based on a current time value and the location of the antenna 302. The desired guidance data 620 must then be used to changing the current orientation of the antenna 302 over time through the control circuit 502 of the antenna 302 and the motors 516 coupled to it.
    [0056] While most implementations described above utilize the control circuit 602 of satellite television receiver 304 to provide most functionality in determining current orientation not limited to antenna 301 and possibly adjusting antenna orientation 302 accordingly, this functionality may reside, in whole or in part, between the control circuit 502 of the LNB 409, the control circuit 602 of the receiver 304, and the control circuit residing in the remote communication node 308. For example, the data desired orientation 620 received from remote communication node 308 or generated at receiver 304 may be passed to control circuit 502 of LNB 409 via signal interfaces 506, 604. Control circuit 502 may then generate the indication as to the fact if the antenna 302 is misaligned. In another example, current orientation data, possibly together with location data 624, can be transmitted from LNB 409 through receiver 304 to remote communication node 308. Node 308 can then compare the current orientation data with the desired orientation data 620 to establish whether antenna 302 is oriented when desired.
    [0057] At least some embodiments as described herein thereby facilitate detection and possible correction of communication antenna misalignment using antenna-mounted orientation detection circuitry. The use of such angular measurement of antenna orientation provides a direct means of determining orientation, unlike the use of proxies such as communication signal strength. As a result, fewer customer service calls may be required, as fewer instances of reduced signal strength will be identified as a misaligned antenna. Also, in many cases, the use of guidance circuitry can result in the detection of antenna misalignment before any effect on signal strength or other guidance proxies, thus likely providing a time-sensitive detection and correction mechanism. responsive enough to be employed in mobile communication applications.
    [0058] While various embodiments of the invention have been described here, other implementations falling within the scope of the invention are possible. For example, while various modalities have been described broadly in the context of satellite television receiver or set-top box converters, other electronic devices engaging in wireless directional signal reception and/or transmission, such as set-top converters terrestrial television top box, mobile communication devices and the like may incorporate various aspects of the functionality described above to similar effect. Furthermore, aspects of an embodiment described herein can be combined with those of alternative embodiments to create additional implementations of the present invention. Therefore, while the present invention has been described in the context of specific embodiments, such descriptions are provided for illustration and not limitation. Accordingly, the proper scope of the present invention is delimited only by the following Claims and their equivalents.
    权利要求:
    Claims (21)
    [0001]
    1 - Method for Determining Antenna Current Orientation in Comparison with Desired Orientation, characterized in that the method comprises: in a circuit mounted on a low noise block converter (LNB), where the circuit is in a fixed orientation with respect to the antenna, determine elevation and slope information from at least one inclinometer and determine azimuth information from a caliper, where at least one inclinometer and caliper reside in the circuit; generate current guidance data indicating the current orientation of the antenna, in which the current orientation data is determined from the determined elevation, slope and azimuth; receive the desired orientation data indicating the desired orientation for the antenna based on a geographic location of the antenna; compare the desired orientation data with the current orientation data; and generate alignment information as to whether the current antenna orientation aligns with the desired antenna orientation based on the comparison.
    [0002]
    2 - Method To Determine Current Antenna Orientation Compared to Desired Orientation, according to Claim 1, characterized in that: the current orientation data comprises a current azimuth value, a current elevation value and a value of current slope for the antenna, as determined by the inclinometer and the circuit compass mounted on the LBN; the desired orientation data comprises a desired azimuth value, a desired elevation value and a desired slope value for the antenna; and the current orientation aligns with the desired antenna orientation when the current azimuth value is within a first error value of the desired azimuth value, the current elevation value is within an error value of the desired elevation value, and the current slope value is within a third error value of the desired slope value.
    [0003]
    3 - Method To Determine Current Antenna Orientation Compared to Desired Orientation, according to Claim 1, characterized in that receiving the desired orientation data comprises: based on the geographic data corresponding to the geographic location of the antenna, extracting the desired orientation data from a data structure comprising information indicating a desired antenna orientation for each of a plurality of geographic locations.
    [0004]
    4 - Method To Determine Current Antenna Orientation Compared to Desired Orientation, according to Claim 1, characterized in that receiving the desired orientation data comprises: transmitting the geographic data corresponding to the geographic location of the antenna to a remote node of communications; and receiving the desired guidance data from the remote communications node, the desired guidance data being determined at the remote communications node in response to receiving the transmitted geographic data.
    [0005]
    5 - Method To Determine Current Antenna Orientation Compared With Desired Orientation, according to Claim 4, characterized in that: in response to determining that the geographic location of the antenna does not correspond to a location identified with a subscriber, disable at least partially a receiver that receives a signal from the LNB.
    [0006]
    6 - Method To Determine Current Antenna Orientation Compared With Desired Orientation, according to Claim 5, characterized by the fact that: by the fact that determining that the geographic location of the antenna does not correspond to the location identified with the subscriber occurs in the remote communications node.
    [0007]
    7 - Method for Determining Current Antenna Orientation in Comparison with Desired Orientation, according to Claim 5, characterized in that determining that the geographic location of the antenna does not correspond to the location identified with the subscriber occurs at the receiver.
    [0008]
    Method To Determine Current Antenna Orientation Compared to Desired Orientation, according to Claim 1, characterized in that: the alignment information comprises a binary indication as to whether the current antenna orientation aligns with the desired orientation of the antenna.
    [0009]
    9 - Method for Determining Current Antenna Orientation Compared to Desired Orientation, according to Claim 1, characterized in that: the alignment information comprises at least one value quantifying a difference between the current antenna orientation and the orientation desired antenna.
    [0010]
    10 - Method for Determining Antenna Current Orientation in Comparison with Desired Orientation, according to Claim 1, characterized in that it receives a signal strength value indicating an intensity of a signal received through the antenna; receive a threshold value of signal strength; egenerate an indication that the signal strength is reduced for a reason other than the antenna being misaligned if the alignment information indicates that the antenna is aligned according to its desired orientation and the signal strength value is below the value of signal strength threshold.
    [0011]
    11 - Method To Determine Current Antenna Orientation Compared to Desired Orientation, according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: if the alignment information indicates that the current antenna orientation does not align with the desired orientation of the antenna, activate at least one electric motor to align the antenna based on the alignment information.
    [0012]
    12 - Communications Antenna, characterized in that it comprises: a mechanical structure that defines an angular orientation of the communications antenna; a signaling structure fixed to the mechanical structure, in which the signaling structure is in a fixed orientation in relation to the antenna of communications; a signaling circuit in the signaling structure, the signaling circuit being configured to at least receive wirelessly reflected signals from the communications antenna; a guidance circuit in the signaling structure, the guidance circuit being configured to generate data a current orientation indicating the angular orientation of the communications antenna relative to a reference orientation; a signal interface to the signaling structure, the signal interface being configured to communicate a signal corresponding to the received wireless reflected signals to a receiver; and a control circuit configured to transfer current guidance data from the guidance circuit to the receiver and configured to receive alignment information from the receiver, wherein the alignment information corresponds to a difference between the current orientation of the antenna. communications and a desired orientation of the communications antenna which is based on at least one location of the antenna.
    [0013]
    13 - Communications antenna, according to Claim 12, characterized in that: the current orientation data comprises at least one of a current azimuth value, a current elevation value and a current inclination value relative to the orientation of reference.
    [0014]
    14 - Communications antenna, according to Claim 12, characterized in that: the guidance circuit comprises a two-axis inclinometer circuit to determine a current elevation value and a current inclination value for the communications antenna .
    [0015]
    15. A communications antenna according to Claim 12, characterized in that: the guidance circuit comprises a compass circuit for determining a current azimuth value for the communications antenna.
    [0016]
    16 - Communications antenna, according to Claim 12, characterized in that it additionally comprises: at least one motor coupled to the mechanical structure and configured to change at least one of an azimuth, an elevation and an inclination of the current orientation of the antenna wherein the control circuit is configured to control at least one motor to align the current orientation of the communications antenna to a desired orientation of the communications antenna based on the current orientation data and the desired orientation data indicating the orientation. desired communication antenna.
    [0017]
    17 - Communications antenna, according to Claim 13, characterized in that it additionally comprises: a local circuit configured to generate current location data indicating the current location of the communications antenna, wherein the current location data is determined through of communicating with a global positioning system wherein the signal interface is configured to transfer current location data to the communications device.
    [0018]
    18 - Device Fixed to the Antenna Support Structure, in which a communications device is in a fixed orientation with respect to the antenna, the communications device being characterized in that it comprises: a signal interface configured to communicate a signal to a node communications remote, the signal corresponding to at least reflected signals received from the antenna; a guidance circuit configured to generate current guidance data indicating a current guidance of the antenna; and a control circuit configured to: receive current orientation data indicating the current orientation of the antenna; compare the current orientation data with the desired orientation data indicating a desired orientation for the antenna, wherein the desired orientation for the antenna is received at from the remote communications node and wherein the desired orientation for the antenna is based on a current location of the antenna and a location of at least one satellite; and generating offset information indicating whether the current orientation aligns with the desired orientation within a predetermined range based on the current orientation data and the desired orientation data.
    [0019]
    19 - Device Attached to the Antenna Support Structure, according to Claim 18, characterized in that the control circuit is configured to: periodically repeat the receipt of the current orientation data and compare the current orientation data with the data of desired orientation; and generate new offset information for each repetition to the remote communications node via the signal interface to identify changes in antenna orientation.
    [0020]
    20 - Device Attached to the Antenna Support Structure, according to Claim 18, characterized in that it further comprises: a location circuit configured to determine a location that indicates a current location of the antenna, in which the control circuit is also configured to transmit current location data indicating a current antenna location to the communications node; and wherein the control circuit receives the desired orientation data from the communications node after transmitting the current location data.
    [0021]
    21 - Device Attached to the Antenna Support Structure, according to Claim 15, characterized in that it comprises: data storage configured to store multiple entries of the desired orientation data and geographic location data, each entry of desired orientation data is associated with a corresponding entry of geographic location data; wherein the control circuit is configured to compare the determined location indicating the current location of the antenna with the geographic location data to determine the desired orientation data for the current location of the antenna.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    EP2580810A1|2013-04-17|
    EP2580810B1|2016-01-20|
    US20110298672A1|2011-12-08|
    US8284112B2|2012-10-09|
    WO2011156223A1|2011-12-15|
    TWI482362B|2015-04-21|
    TW201218513A|2012-05-01|
    BR112012030922A2|2016-11-08|
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    法律状态:
    2018-12-26| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according [chapter 6.6 patent gazette]|
    2020-07-21| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: procedure suspended [chapter 6.21 patent gazette]|
    2020-08-11| B25D| Requested change of name of applicant approved|Owner name: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C. (US) |
    2020-08-25| B25G| Requested change of headquarter approved|Owner name: DISH TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C. (US) |
    2021-08-03| B09A| Decision: intention to grant [chapter 9.1 patent gazette]|
    2021-09-08| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted [chapter 16.1 patent gazette]|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 03/06/2011, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. PATENTE CONCEDIDA CONFORME ADI 5.529/DF, QUE DETERMINA A ALTERACAO DO PRAZO DE CONCESSAO. |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    US12/796,542|2010-06-08|
    US12/796,542|US8284112B2|2010-06-08|2010-06-08|Antenna orientation determination|
    PCT/US2011/039055|WO2011156223A1|2010-06-08|2011-06-03|Antenna orientation determination|
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