Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – Antenna with parasitic reflector
Patent
1998-07-30
2000-12-26
Ho, Tan
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
Antenna with parasitic reflector
343727, 343700MS, H01Q 1912
Patent
active
06166703&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns antennas for receiving broadcast signals such as television signals.
BACKGROUND
Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service has been established recently in the U.S. DBS provides television programming, movies and other video and audio services to users nationwide without requiring connection to a cable service. In addition to subscribing to a DBS service, such as DirecTV.RTM. from Hughes, Primestar, and Echostar, receiving DBS typically involves obtaining a receiver, such as the DSS.RTM. receiver manufactured by Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. of Indianapolis, Ind., and installing a suitable antenna system, such as the 18" reflector antenna included with the DSS.RTM. system.
One problem associated with DBS is that local broadcast services such as television programming provided by local VHF/UHF broadcast stations may not be available via a DBS service. A simple solution to this problem is to install a separate antenna assembly suitable for receiving local broadcast signals. An example of a separate antenna assembly suitable for receiving local broadcast signals is the Freedom Antenna.RTM. manufactured by Antennas America, Inc. The Freedom Antenna.RTM. conforms to the back of a dish-shaped DBS antenna and is installed using the hardware associated with the dish reflector. However, adding another antenna assembly to a DBS system to receive local broadcast signals undesirably requires additional equipment, additional installation effort, and added cost.
Even if a second antenna assembly such as the Freedom Antenna.RTM. is used, broadcast signal reception from the second antenna assembly may be poor. Specifically, because a DBS antenna is typically fixed in a position that aims at a particular satellite location, a second antenna assembly mounted with the DBS antenna also has a fixed position. The fixed position, or orientation, of the second antenna assembly with respect to the broadcast signal source may not provide optimum broadcast signal reception.
Therefore, a need exists for an antenna arrangement that provides acceptable reception of both DBS and local broadcast signals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the described problem by providing an antenna comprising a reflector for reflecting and focusing electromagnetic signals in a first band of frequencies and means incorporated with the reflector for receiving electromagnetic signals in a second band of frequencies.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention may be better understood by referring to the enclosed drawing in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a dual-purpose antenna for receiving satellite and local broadcast signals;
FIGS. 2a-2d illustrates an embodiment of the dish-shaped reflector of the antenna shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 illustrates a stand-alone Folded Bow-Tie antenna;
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a dual-purpose antenna system incorporating features shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 shows, in schematic diagram form, an embodiment of a voltage-controlled antenna switch/amplifier;
FIG. 6 shows, in schematic diagram form, an embodiment of a tone-controlled antenna switch/amplifier;
FIG. 7 shows, in schematic diagram form, an embodiment of a power supply regulator circuit for generating control signals for a frequency converter and an antenna switch/amplifier;
FIG. 8 illustrates an antenna pattern associated with a switched Folded Bow-Tie antenna;
FIG. 9-a illustrates another embodiment of a dual-purpose antenna for receiving satellite and local broadcast signals;
FIG. 9-b illustrates, in schematic diagram form, high-pass filters shown in FIG. 9-a;
FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of a dual-purpose antenna system including features shown in FIG. 9-a;
FIG. 11-a illustrates an embodiment of the reflector of the antenna system shown in FIG. 10; and 10 FIG. 11-b illustrates an aspect of the reflector embodiment shown in FIG. 11-a.
In the various Figures, the same or similar elements shown are identified by the same reference numbers.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4348677 (1982-09-01), Salmond
patent: 4400701 (1983-08-01), Dupressoir
patent: 5451969 (1995-09-01), Toth et al.
Akiyama Kuniyuki
Ho Tan
Shedd Robert D.
Thomson Licensing S.A.
Tripoli Joseph S.
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