Interactive video distribution systems – Satellite video distribution system – Receiver
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2001-04-10
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Satellite video distribution system
Receiver
C348S570000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216266
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods of transmitting and receiving audio/visual information, and in particular to a method and system allowing a user to remotely determine the strength of a signal received on an antenna.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, television programming has been delivered to viewers at home by very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) transmission from local broadcasting facilities. In the 1980s, dish antennas and receivers became available, allowing home viewers to receive television programming directly from satellite transmissions. Typically, however, these dish antennas were large and unsightly, and required professional installation. In the 1990s, satellite television service evolved to include smaller dish antennae and specially designed receivers. These smaller dish antennae are visually unobtrusive and can be installed by the viewer.
After the dish antenna is secured to a mounting, it must be aligned. This involves physically boresighting the antenna so that its sensitive axis is directed at the broadcasting satellite. Since the user cannot determine the precise location of the broadcasting satellite and because reasonably precise pointing is required, this task cannot be accomplished by simply visual boresighting. Instead, the strength of the signal from the satellite is measured and an indication of the signal strength is presented to the installer. In many cases, this involves a graphical and/or aural depiction of a relative received signal strength presented by an attached display device, such as a television.
The problem with the foregoing method is that the antenna and the television are typically separated by a substantial distance. Often, the antenna is installed on the roof of the home or on an outside wall, while the television is inside the home. In such cases, the antenna boresighting operation requires either two persons to complete, or requires that the installer travel back and forth between the antenna and the television several times, while trying to adjust the antenna for maximum signal reception.
In other devices, a visual indication is presented at a low noise block converter (LNB) of the satellite antenna. Circuits incorporated into the LNB measure the relative strength of the signal at the LNB and provide a visual indication of that signal. This is implemented, for example, by a variable duty cycle drive coupled to an output light emitting diode (LED), thus presenting a flashing rate to the user corresponding to the signal strength at the LNB. The user can then boresight the antenna by angularly displacing the antenna to maximize the strength of the received signal.
The problem with this method is that the LNB is typically capable of less precise measurements than are provided by circuits in the set top box. Further, some signal quality measurement parameters, such as bit error rate, or multipath distortion, cannot be measured at the LNB without substantial modifications. Moreover, more complex aiming algorithms utilizing outputs from multiple LNBs (e.g. for receiving signals from multiple satellites) cannot be supported by this approach.
What is needed is a system that allows precision antenna orientation adjustments to be made by a single user without making several trips to the television. The present invention satisfies that need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the requirements described above, the present invention discloses an apparatus and method for adjusting an antenna to maximize the strength of a program information signal.
The apparatus is described by two primary embodiments. The first embodiment includes a remote control comprising a user input interface, for accepting at least one user input command and for translating the user input command into at least one command signal; a remote control receiver, for receiving a first signal from a controlled device, wherein the first signal is indicative of a measured quality of a second signal received by the controlled device; a remote control processor, communicatively coupled to the user input interface and the remote control receiver, for processing the received first signals, and for generating coded signals according to the command signal; a remote control transmitter, communicatively coupled to the remote control processor, for transmitting the coded signals to the controlled device to execute the user command; and a user output interface communicatively coupled to the remote control processor, for presenting the processed received signals.
The second embodiment includes a set top box comprising a first set top box receiver for receiving a first signal having program information; a second set top box receiver for receiving coded command signals from a remote control; a set top box processor for determining at least one parameter indicative of a measured quality of the first signal; and a set top box transmitter, communicatively coupled to the processor, for transmitting a second signal having information including the parameter to the remote control.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5386587 (1995-01-01), Yuzawa
patent: 5396293 (1995-03-01), Shellard
patent: 5677895 (1997-10-01), Mankovitz
patent: 5966186 (1999-10-01), Shigihara et al.
patent: 5973756 (1999-10-01), Erlin
patent: 6011511 (2000-01-01), Chuong et al.
patent: 6075330 (2000-06-01), Terk
patent: 06351023 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 11136708 (1999-05-01), None
Eastman Jon M.
Sasaki Gregory R.
Crook John A.
Faile Andrew
Hughes Electronics Corporation
Sales Michael W.
Vu Ngoc
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