Satellite communication subscriber device with a smart antenna and associated method

• US 20050285784A1
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cha, Inhyok, Lynch, Michael J., Gorsuch, Thomas E., Chiang, Bing A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/359
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/002 providing at least two patterns of different beamwidth; Variable beamwidth antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/446 the radiating element being at the centre of one or more rings of auxiliary elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0808 comparing all antennas before reception
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving

Abstract

A satellite communication subscriber device includes a smart antenna for generating antenna beams for receiving signals from at least one satellite, and a receiver. The receiver includes a quality metric module for calculating a quality metric on the signals received by each antenna beam. A beam selector is coupled to the smart antenna for selecting the antenna beams. An antenna steering algorithm module runs an antenna steering algorithm for operating the beam selector for scanning the antenna beams, receiving the calculated quality metrics from the receiver for each scanned antenna beam, and comparing the calculated quality metrics. The algorithm selects one of the scanned antenna beams based upon the comparing for continuing to receive signals from the at least one satellite.

Claims

1. A satellite communication subscriber device comprising:

a smart antenna for generating a plurality of antenna beams for receiving signals from at least one satellite;

a receiver comprising a quality metric module for calculating a quality metric on the signals received by each antenna beam;

a beam selector coupled to said smart antenna for selecting the plurality of antenna beams; and

an antenna steering algorithm module for running an antenna steering algorithm for

operating said beam selector for scanning the plurality of antenna beams,

receiving the calculated quality metrics from said receiver for each scanned antenna beam,

comparing the calculated quality metrics, and

selecting one of the scanned antenna beams based upon the comparing for continuing to receive signals from the at least one satellite.

2. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 wherein the calculated quality metrics are also compared to a low quality metric threshold, and for calculated quality metrics falling below the low quality metric threshold, the corresponding antenna beams associated therewith are ignored when performing the selecting.

3. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of antenna beams has different polarizations.

4. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 3 wherein the different polarizations comprise at least one of linear and circular polarizations.

5. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 wherein the calculated quality metrics comprise at least one of a received signal strength indicator and a signal-to-noise ratio of the received signals.

6. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 wherein the calculated quality metrics comprise at least one of an error rate and a data throughput of the received signals.

7. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of antenna beams comprise a plurality of directional antenna beams and an omni-directional antenna beam.

8. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 7 wherein the antenna steering algorithm operates said beam selector for scanning the plurality of directional antenna beams.

9. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 8 wherein the antenna steering algorithm operates said beam selector for selecting the omni-directional antenna beam before scanning the plurality of directional antenna beams, and also for:

receiving a calculated quality metric from said receiver for the signals received by the omni-directional antenna beam; and

comparing the calculated quality metric to a scan threshold for determining if the plurality of directional antenna beams are to be scanned.

10. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of antenna beams only comprise a plurality of directional antenna beams.

11. A satellite communication subscriber device according. to claim 1 wherein said smart antenna comprises a switched beam antenna for generating a plurality of directional antenna beams and an omni-directional antenna beam.

12. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 wherein said smart antenna comprises a phased array antenna for generating a plurality of directional antenna beams and an omni-directional antenna beam.

13. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 12 wherein said phased array antenna generates directional antenna beams in an azimuth direction and in an elevation direction.

14. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 13 wherein said smart antenna also receives signals from at least one terrestrial repeater;

and wherein said beam selector selects the directional antenna beams in the azimuth direction for receiving signals from the at least one terrestrial repeater, and selects the directional antenna beams in the elevation direction for receiving signals from the at least one satellite.

15. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 further comprising a transmitter for transmitting signals from said smart antenna.

16. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 1 wherein the antenna steering algorithm operates said beam selector during the scanning so that only a portion of the plurality of antenna beams are scanned based upon a known direction of the at least one satellite.

17. A satellite communication subscriber device comprising:

a smart antenna for generating a plurality of directional antenna beams in an azimuth directional and in an elevation direction, the plurality of directional antenna beams for receiving signals from at least one of a satellite and a terrestrial repeater;

a transceiver comprising a quality metric module for calculating a quality metric on the signals received by each directional antenna beam;

a beam selector coupled to said smart antenna for selecting the plurality of directional antenna beams in the azimuth and elevation directions; and

an antenna steering algorithm module for running an antenna steering algorithm for

operating said beam selector for scanning the plurality of directional antenna beams,

receiving the calculated quality metrics from said transceiver for each scanned antenna beam,

comparing the calculated quality metrics, and

selecting one of the scanned directional antenna beams in the elevation or azimuth direction based upon the comparing for continuing to receive signals from the satellite or terrestrial repeater.

18. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 17 wherein the calculated quality metrics are also compared to a low quality metric threshold, and for calculated quality metrics falling below the low quality metric threshold, the corresponding antenna beams associated therewith are ignored when performing the selecting.

19. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 17 wherein the calculated quality metrics comprise at least one of a received signal strength indicator and a signal-to-noise ratio of the received signals.

20. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 17 wherein the calculated quality metrics comprise at least one of an error rate and a data throughput of the received signals.

21. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 17 wherein said smart antenna also generates an omni-directional antenna beam;

and wherein the antenna steering algorithm operates said beam selector for selecting the omni-directional antenna beam before scanning the plurality of directional antenna beams, and also for;

receiving a calculated quality metric from said transceiver for the signals received by the omni-directional antenna beam; and

comparing the calculated quality metric to a scan threshold for determining if the plurality of directional antenna beams are to be scanned.

22. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 17 wherein said smart antenna comprises at least one of a switched beam antenna and a phased array antenna.

23. A satellite communication subscriber device according to claim 17 wherein the antenna steering algorithm operates said beam selector during the scanning so that only a portion of the plurality of antenna beams are scanned based upon known directions of the satellite and terrestrial repeater.

24. A method for operating a satellite communication subscriber device comprising a smart antenna for generating a plurality of antenna beams for receiving signals from at least one satellite, a receiver comprising a quality metric module for calculating a quality metric on the signals received by each antenna beam, a beam selector coupled to the smart antenna, and an antenna steering algorithm module for running an antenna steering algorithm, the method comprising:

operating the beam selector for scanning the plurality of antenna beams;

receiving the calculated quality metrics from the receiver for each scanned antenna beam;

comparing the calculated quality metrics; and

selecting one of the scanned antenna beams based upon the comparing for continuing to receive signals from the at least one satellite.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the calculated quality metrics are also compared to a low quality metric threshold, and for calculated quality metrics falling below the low quality metric threshold, the corresponding antenna beams associated therewith are ignored when performing the selecting.

26. A method according to claim 24 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of antenna beams has different polarizations.

27. A method according to claim 24 wherein the calculated quality metrics comprise at least one of a received signal strength indicator, a signal-to-noise ratio of the received signals, an error rate and a data throughput of the received signals.

28. A method according to claim 24 wherein the plurality of antenna beams comprise a plurality of directional antenna beams and an omni-directional antenna beam.

29. A method according to claim 24 wherein the antenna steering algorithm operates the beam selector for selecting the omni-directional antenna beam before scanning the plurality of directional antenna beams, and further comprising:

receiving a calculated quality metric from the receiver for the signals received by the omni-directional antenna beam; and

comparing the calculated quality metric to a scan threshold for determining if the plurality of directional antenna beams are to be scanned.

30. A method according to claim 24 wherein the smart antenna generates directional antenna beams in an azimuth direction and in an elevation direction.

31. A method according to claim 30 wherein the smart antenna also receives signals from at least one terrestrial repeater;

and wherein the beam selector selects the directional antenna beams in the azimuth direction for receiving signals from the at least one terrestrial repeater, and selects the directional antenna beams in the elevation direction for receiving signals from the at least one satellite.