Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g. – Directive – Including antenna orientation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2001-05-08
Tarcza, Thomas H. (Department: 3662)
Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,
Directive
Including antenna orientation
C342S077000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229480
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for facilitating the alignment or positioning of an antenna adaptable for receiving transmitted signals.
In an analog broadcasting system (such as that associated with an NTSC TV system or the like), analog television signals may be transmitted and received by a number of television receivers with the use of respective antennas. Each of such antennas may be aligned by moving or rotating the same until an acceptable picture is displayed on the respective television receiver. In such system, a picture signal may be received and the corresponding picture displayed on a respective display screen of the television receiver in real time or substantially real time. As a result, since a picture signal may be received and the corresponding picture displayed on the screen of the television receiver in real time, changes in the displayed picture may be viewed in real time as the respective reception antenna is moved or rotated. Such ability to display pictures and changes thereto in real time enables the optimum or acceptable orientation or alignment of the antenna to be easily found.
In a digital television (DTV) broadcasting system, broadcasted DTV signals may be transmitted from a DTV transmitter directly or by way of a satellite or other type of relaying device(s) for reception by a number of television receivers with the use of antennas. Such broadcasted DTV signals may enable clearer pictures and sound to be produced by the television receivers as compared to those obtained from broadcasted analog television signals (such as those associated with the NTSC TV system). However, in a DTV broadcasting system, it may be difficult to align an antenna so as to properly receive the broadcasted television signals. That is, in a DTV broadcasting system, a picture may be received, processed and displayed wherein such processing could take several seconds or longer. As a result, a delay of several seconds or longer may occur from the time in which the picture signal is received until the corresponding picture is displayed so that a picture signal may not be received and the corresponding picture displayed on the television receiver in real time. Such inability to receive and display in real time may inhibit the finding of the optimum or acceptable orientation or alignment of the antenna.
Further, DTV transmitters may be located on different towers and/or at different locations on the same tower. As a result, a receiving antenna coupled to a user's television receiver may need to be positioned so as to properly receive signals transmitted from such different towers and/or locations. Additionally, even if the DTV transmitters or the antennas thereof are at the same locations but are located at different heights and/or are transmitting at different frequencies, the multipaths may be different thereby necessitating different respective orientations of a user's antenna so as to obtain optimal reception.
The above-mentioned processing delay may be due to the processing performed by the receiver, such as the digital receiver
8
illustrated in FIG.
1
. Such digital receiver
8
may include a tuner
10
, a demodulator
12
, a demultiplexer
14
, an audio decoder
16
, a video decoder
18
, and a microprocessor
20
which may be arranged as shown in FIG.
1
. In the receiver
10
, a broadcasted DTV signal may be received by the tuner
10
by way of antenna
22
. The tuner
10
may include a phase-locked-loop (PLL) circuit. An output from the tuner
10
may be supplied to the demodulator
12
so as to be demodulated. A demodulated signal from the demodulator
12
may be supplied to the demultiplexer
14
so as to be demultiplexed into audio and video signals which may be respectively supplied to audio decoder
16
and video decoder
18
. The tuner
10
, demodulator
12
, demultiplexer
14
, and decoders
16
and
18
may be controlled by the microprocessor
20
. The processing performed from the tuner
10
to the decoders
16
and
18
may cause the above-mentioned delay of several seconds or longer.
Thus, due to the afore-mentioned processing delay, it may be difficult for a user to adjust the orientation or positioning of an antenna for use in a DTV broadcasting system by using the TV picture as an indicator.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for facilitating the alignment of an antenna adaptable for receiving broadcasted DTV signals.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for facilitating the alignment of an antenna adaptable for receiving broadcasted DTV signals wherein bit error rate information is utilized to determine an acceptable orientation of the antenna for each of a number of channels and, if the bit error rate information is unavailable, information pertaining to at least one of a signal level, equalizer tap coefficients, and error correction is utilized to determine such acceptable orientation or orientations of the antenna.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a technique as aforesaid wherein information pertaining to the determined acceptable antenna orientation(s) is stored in a memory.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a technique as aforesaid wherein the antenna orientation information corresponding to a selected channel is read from the memory and either (i) displayed on a screen so that an operator may utilize the same to manually adjust the antenna to the orientation corresponding thereto or (ii) the antenna is automatically aligned in accordance therewith.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a system for aligning a movable antenna is provided. Such system comprises a device for receiving signals broadcasted over at least one channel for each of a plurality of orientations of the antenna; and a device for obtaining from the received broadcasted signals information pertaining to at least one of (i) an error rate, (ii) a signal level, (iii) equalizer tap coefficients, and (iv) error correction for each of the orientations of the antenna for each channel and for determining therefrom an acceptable orientation for the antenna for each channel.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system for aligning a movable antenna is provided which comprises a device for receiving signals broadcasted over at least one channel for each of a plurality of orientations of the antenna; a device for obtaining from the received broadcasted signals information pertaining to an error rate for each orientation of the antenna for each channel and for determining therefrom an acceptable orientation for the antenna for each channel; and a device, operative when the obtaining device is unable to obtain error rate information, for obtaining from the received broadcasted signals information pertaining to at least one of (i) a signal level, (ii) equalizer tap coefficients, and (iii) error correction for each respective orientation of the antenna for each respective channel and for determining therefrom an acceptable orientation for the antenna for each respective channel.
Other objects, features and advantages according to the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which corresponding components are identified by the same reference numerals.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5043737 (1991-08-01), Dell-Imagine
patent: 5463403 (1995-10-01), Walker et al.
patent: 5515058 (1996-05-01), Channey et al.
patent: 5561433 (1996-10-01), Channey et al.
patent: 5583514 (1996-12-01), Fulop
patent: 5589837 (1996-12-01), Soleimani et al.
patent: 5629709 (1997-05-01), Yamashita
patent: 5923288 (1999-07-01), Pedlow
patent: 5940028 (1999-08-01), Iwamura
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Phan Dao L.
Smid Dennis M.
Sony Corporation
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