Method and apparatus for adjusting signal component strength

• US 20040203425A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Coffin, Louis F. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,072,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity

Abstract

A first signal component is received having a first signal strength and a second signal component is received having a second signal strength. A difference is identified between the first signal strength and the second signal strength. A determination is made as to whether the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength exceeds a threshold. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength exceeds a threshold, the first signal strength is adjusted to reduce the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal component having an associated first signal strength;

receiving a second signal component having an associated second signal strength;

identifying a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength;

determining whether the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength exceeds a threshold; and

if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength exceeds the threshold, adjusting the first signal strength to reduce the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a signal from a satellite, the signal including the first signal component and the second signal component.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a first signal from a satellite and receiving a second signal from the satellite, the first signal including the first signal component and the second signal including the second signal component.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first signal component is received from a first satellite and the second signal component is received from a second satellite.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first signal component is received as a transducer of left-hand polarity and the second signal component is received as a transducer of right-hand polarity.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a signal from a satellite, the signal including the first signal component and the second signal component, and wherein the first signal component is a transducer of left-hand polarity and the second signal component is a transducer of right-hand polarity.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a signal from a satellite, the signal including the first signal component and the second signal component, and wherein the first signal component is a transducer of a particular polarity and the second signal component is a transducer of the particular polarity.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first signal component is received from a first satellite as a transducer of left-hand polarity, and wherein the second signal component is received from a second satellite as a transducer of right-hand polarity.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first signal component is received from a first satellite as a transducer of a particular polarity, and wherein the second signal component is received from a second satellite as a transducer of the particular polarity.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein adjusting the first signal strength includes attenuating the first signal strength.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein adjusting the first signal strength includes amplifying the first signal strength.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising adjusting the second signal strength to reduce the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength exceeds the threshold.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein adjusting the first signal strength includes attenuating the first signal strength, and wherein adjusting the second signal strength includes amplifying the second signal strength.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein adjusting the first signal strength includes amplifying the first signal strength, and wherein adjusting the second signal strength includes attenuating the second signal strength.

15. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 1.

16. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a satellite signal processing system to perform the method of claim 1.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a signal component with a first device, the signal component having an associated signal strength and received from a second device via a communication link;

identifying a desired range of signal strengths;

determining whether the signal strength of the received signal component is within the desired range of signal strengths; and

if the signal strength of the received signal component is outside the desired range of signal strengths, communicating a signal strength adjustment of the signal component to the second device via the communication link.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the signal component is received from a satellite with the second device.

19. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the signal strength adjustment is communicated as a generated tone to the second device.

20. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising adjusting the signal strength of the signal component with the second device such that the signal strength is within the desired range of signal strengths.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein adjusting the signal strength includes attenuating the signal strength.

22. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein adjusting the signal strength includes amplifying the signal strength.

23. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 17.

24. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a satellite signal processing system to perform the method of claim 17.

25. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal component from a first satellite, the first signal component having an associated first signal strength;

receiving a second signal component from a second satellite, the second signal component having an associated second signal strength;

communicating the first signal component and the second signal component to a receiving device;

receiving an instruction from the receiving device to adjust the first signal strength, wherein the instruction to adjust the first signal strength includes a magnitude of the adjustment based on a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength; and

adjusting the first signal strength based on the received instruction.

26. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein adjusting the first signal strength includes attenuating the first signal strength.

27. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein adjusting the first signal strength includes amplifying the first signal strength.

28. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the instruction to adjust the first signal strength is received as a generated tone.

29. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the first signal component is received as a transducer of a particular polarity, and wherein the second signal component is received as a transducer of the particular polarity.

30. A method as recited in claim 25 wherein the first signal component is received as a transducer of a left-hand polarity, and wherein the second signal component is received as a transducer of a right-hand polarity.

31. A method as recited in claim 25 further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the receiving device to adjust the second signal strength, wherein the instruction to adjust the second signal strength includes a magnitude of the adjustment based on the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength; and

adjusting the second signal strength based on the received instruction.

32. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein adjusting the first signal strength includes amplifying the first signal strength, and wherein adjusting the second signal strength includes attenuating the second signal strength.

33. A method as recited in claim 31 wherein adjusting the first signal strength includes attenuating the first signal strength, and wherein adjusting the second signal strength includes amplifying the second signal strength.

34. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 25.

35. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a satellite signal processing system to perform the method of claim 25.

36. An apparatus comprising:

a satellite signal receiving antenna;

an outdoor tuning device coupled to receive at least one satellite signal from the satellite signal receiving antenna, wherein the outdoor tuning device is configured to adjust a signal strength associated with the received satellite signal; and

an indoor receiver coupled to receive the satellite signal from the outdoor tuning device, wherein the indoor receiver is configured to instruct the outdoor tuning device to adjust the signal strength associated with the received satellite signal.

37. An apparatus as recited in claim 36 wherein the outdoor tuning device and the indoor receiver are coupled together via a single communication link.

38. An apparatus as recited in claim 36 wherein the outdoor tuning device and the indoor receiver are coupled together via a single communication link, and wherein the indoor receiver receives the satellite signal from the outdoor tuning device via the single communication link and further instructs the outdoor tuning device to adjust the signal strength via the single communication link.

39. An apparatus as recited in claim 36 wherein the indoor receiver is further configured to decode the received satellite signal and display the decoded signal on a display device.

40. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory; and

an application program stored in the memory and executed by the processor, the application program configured to analyze signal strengths of each of a plurality of received satellite signal components, wherein the application program determines a difference between the signal strengths of the received satellite signal components and generates an instruction to adjust at least one signal strength if the difference between the signal strengths exceeds a threshold.

41. An apparatus as recited in claim 40 wherein the instruction to adjust at least one signal strength includes attenuating at least one signal strength.

42. An apparatus as recited in claim 40 wherein the instruction to adjust at least one signal strength includes amplifying at least one signal strength.

43. An apparatus as recited in claim 40 wherein the instruction to adjust at least one signal strength includes attenuating a first signal strength and amplifying a second signal strength.

44. An apparatus as recited in claim 40 wherein the instruction to adjust at least one signal strength includes attenuating at least a first signal strength and amplifying at least a second signal strength.

45. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of signal components;

means for analyzing received signal strengths of each of the plurality of signal components and determining whether differences in received signal strengths exceed a threshold; and

means for adjusting a signal strength associated with a particular received signal component if differences in received signal strengths exceed the threshold.

46. An apparatus as recited in claim 45 wherein the means for receiving a plurality of signals is a satellite antenna.

47. An apparatus as recited in claim 45 wherein the means for analyzing received signal strengths is an indoor receiver.

48. An apparatus as recited in claim 45 wherein the means for adjusting a signal strength is an outdoor tuning device.

49. An apparatus as recited in claim 45 wherein the means for analyzing received signal strengths is an analog-to-digital converter.

50. An apparatus as recited in claim 45 wherein the means for adjusting a signal strength is an automatic gain control device.

51. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing device to:

receive a first signal from a first satellite, the first signal including a first signal component having an associated first signal strength;

receive a second signal from a second satellite, the second signal including a second signal component having an associated second signal strength;

communicate the first signal component and the second signal component to a receiving device;

receive an instruction from the receiving device to adjust the first signal strength, wherein the instruction to adjust the first signal strength includes a magnitude of the adjustment which is based on a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength; and

adjust the first signal strength based on the received instruction.

52. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 51 wherein the received instruction indicates that the first signal strength should be attenuated.

53. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 51 wherein the received instruction indicates that the first signal strength should be amplified.