US5077560A — Automatic drive for a TVRO antenna

Claim 1

Independent Claim 168 words

A satellite television receiver having means to process signals received by an antenna from a plurality of satellites in geo-synchronous orbits over the equator, the antenna comprising a dish, means mounting the dish to a support, a signal pickup means, and means to drive the dish in the azimuth and elevation directions to point it at one of said satellites, the receiver having means to control the drive means, means for an operator to program the receiver by initializing the antenna and entering data corresponding to the geographic location of the antenna, means to calculate the data required to automatically control the drive means to point the antenna to each of said satellites, means to control the drive means to automatically peak the antenna for maximum signal strength at each antenna position in both the azimuth and elevation directions including means to sense signal strength, means to rotate the signal pickup means to a signal null, and means to rotate the signal pickup means 90° from the null.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 168 words

A satellite television receiver having means to process signals received by an antenna from a plurality of satellites in geo-synchronous orbits over the equator, the antenna comprising a dish, means mounting the dish to a support, a signal pickup means, and means to drive the dish in the azimuth and elevation directions to point it at one of said satellites, the receiver having means to control the drive means, means for an operator to program the receiver by initializing the antenna and entering data corresponding to the geographic location of the antenna, means to calculate the data required to automatically control the drive means to point the antenna to each of said satellites, means to control the drive means to automatically peak the antenna for maximum signal strength at each antenna position in both the azimuth and elevation directions including means to sense signal strength, means to rotate the signal pickup means to a signal null, and means to rotate the signal pickup means 90° from the null.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 13 words

The device of claim 1 wherein the peaking means is under operator control.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 47 words

The device of claim 1 further comprising means to rotate the signal pickup means to change from horizontal polarity to vertical polarity, the receiver further comprising means to control the rotating means to automatically peak the signal pickup means for maximum signal strength at each antenna position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 15 words

The device of claim 3 wherein the signal rotating peaking means is under operator control.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

The device of claim 4 further comprising a remote control, all functions under operator control being controllable with said remote control.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 16 words

The device of claim 3 wherein the signal pickup peaking means has means to minimize skew.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 44 words

The device of claim 1 wherein the antenna drive means comprises a motor for each of the azimuth and elevation directions, and a gear reduction means associated with each motor, each gear reduction means being entirely comprised of a plurality of substantially circular gears.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 13 words

The device of claim 7 wherein the gear reduction means utilize non-worm gears.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 14 words

The device of claim 7 wherein the gear reduction means exclusively utilize spur gears.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 12 words

The device of claim 7 wherein the gears are injection molded plastic.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 26 words

The device of claim 1 further comprising means to determine the directional orientation of the antenna, and means to communicate said orientation data to the receiver.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 40 words

The device of claim 1 wherein the receiver further comprises means to store the antenna positions corresponding to maximum signal strength, and means to automatically control the drive means to move the antenna into said antenna positions upon operator command.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 25 words

The device of claim 12 wherein the receiver further comprises means to repeat the peaking and store the antenna positions determined in said repeated peaking.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 38 words

The device of claim 1 wherein the peaking means comprises means to sense signal strength, means to scan the antenna through a pre-determined arc, and means to select that position in the arc corresponding to maximum signal strength.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 173 words

A programmable controller for a satellite television reception only antenna, the antenna having means to receive signals broadcast from a plurality of satellites in geo-synchronous orbits over the equator, the antenna comprising a dish, means mounting the dish to a support, a signal pickup means and means to drive the dish in the azimuth and elevation directions to point it at one of said satellites, the controller having means to control the drive means, means for an operator to program the controller by initializing the antenna and entering data corresponding to the geographic location of the antenna, means to calculate the data required to automatically control the drive means to point the antenna to each of said satellites, means to control the drive means to automatically peak the antenna for maximum signal strength at each antenna position in both the azimuth and elevation directions including means to sense signal strength, means to rotate the signal pickup means to a signal null, and means to rotate the signal pickup means 90° from the null.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 173 words

A programmable controller for a satellite television reception only antenna, the antenna having means to receive signals broadcast from a plurality of satellites in geo-synchronous orbits over the equator, the antenna comprising a dish, means mounting the dish to a support, a signal pickup means and means to drive the dish in the azimuth and elevation directions to point it at one of said satellites, the controller having means to control the drive means, means for an operator to program the controller by initializing the antenna and entering data corresponding to the geographic location of the antenna, means to calculate the data required to automatically control the drive means to point the antenna to each of said satellites, means to control the drive means to automatically peak the antenna for maximum signal strength at each antenna position in both the azimuth and elevation directions including means to sense signal strength, means to rotate the signal pickup means to a signal null, and means to rotate the signal pickup means 90° from the null.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 47 words

The device of claim 15 further comprising means to rotate the signal pickup means to change from horizontal polarity to vertical polarity, the receiver further comprising means to control the rotating means to automatically peak the signal pickup means for maximum signal strength at each antenna position.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 44 words

The device of claim 16 wherein the antenna drive means comprises a motor for each of the azimuth and elevation directions, and a gear reduction means associated with each motor, each gear reduction means being entirely comprised of a plurality of substantially circular gears.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 14 words

The device of claim 17 wherein the gear reduction means exclusively utilize spur gears.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 26 words

The device of claim 18 further comprising means to determine the directional orientation of the antenna, and means to communicate said orientation data to the receiver.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 76 words

An antenna for a satellite television receiver, said antenna having means to drive it in the azimuth and elevation directions, said drive means comprising an azimuth drive motor and associated gear means and an elevation drive motor and associated gear means, each of said gear means being comprised of a plurality of gears, said gears being only circular or spur gears and means to detect and measure the rotational movement of each of said gear means.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 76 words

An antenna for a satellite television receiver, said antenna having means to drive it in the azimuth and elevation directions, said drive means comprising an azimuth drive motor and associated gear means and an elevation drive motor and associated gear means, each of said gear means being comprised of a plurality of gears, said gears being only circular or spur gears and means to detect and measure the rotational movement of each of said gear means.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 38 words

The device of claim 20 wherein at least one of said gear means has an output gear and further comprising means to mechanically limit the travel of said output gear to thereby limit the travel of said antenna.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 15 words

The device of claim 21 wherein the output gear is in the azimuth gear means.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 19 words

The device of claim 20 wherein each of said gear means has means to minimize gear backlash and slippage.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 27 words

The device of claim 23 wherein said gear backlash and slippage minimizing means comprises sufficiently large reduction ratios between the gears comprising each of said gear means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-12-30	1995-07-01	1995-12-31	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-12-30	1999-07-01	1999-12-31	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-12-30	2003-07-01	2003-12-31	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Automatic drive for a TVRO antenna

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag