Sectored antenna receiving system
First Claim
1. A radio frequency communication system comprising:
- a sectored antenna means having a plurality of sectors, each sector predeterminedly oriented with respect to the remaining sectors;
an antenna switch means having a plurality of input terminals, a control terminal, and an output terminal and further including means responsive to control signals at the control terminal to couple a selected input terminal to the output terminal;
antenna coupling means for coupling each antenna sector to a predetermined input terminal of the antenna switch means;
receiver means adapted for receiving radio frequency signals;
signal strength detector means, coupled to the receiver means, for producing a signal representative of the strength of the radio frequency signal being received;
receiver coupling means for coupling the antenna switch means output terminal to the receiver means; and
scan control logic means, having an input coupled to the signal strength detector and an output coupled to the antenna switch means control terminal, and operable in a first mode for producing control signals at its output causing sequential coupling of the sectors to the receiver means for effecting the scanning thereof, the scan control logic means including comparator means for monitoring the signal strength detector produced signal and activating the scan control logic to a second mode in response to said signal being of predetermined magnitude, the scan control logic means operable in its second mode to continue sector scanning for a predetermined interval after which scanning is inhibited and the receiver is coupled to that sector which produces the greatest detected signal strength.
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Abstract
A plurality of horizontally directive antenna sectors are arranged in configuration to receive signals from remote transmitters over a given angle in the horizontal plane. A scanning system is operative in one of several modes to sequentially couple each sector to a receiver. In its first mode, each sector is sequentially scanned with the output signal level therefrom being compared to a reference level. If the signal level on any sector exceeds the reference level the scanner activates to its second mode wherein scanning continues for a predetermined interval. At the end of the interval, scanning is inhibited and the receiver is coupled to that sector which produced the strongest signal level during the second mode scanning cycle. In the inhibit scan mode, if the signal level from the sector falls to a minimum level for a given time period the system reverts to the first scanning mode.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A radio frequency communication system comprising:
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a sectored antenna means having a plurality of sectors, each sector predeterminedly oriented with respect to the remaining sectors; an antenna switch means having a plurality of input terminals, a control terminal, and an output terminal and further including means responsive to control signals at the control terminal to couple a selected input terminal to the output terminal; antenna coupling means for coupling each antenna sector to a predetermined input terminal of the antenna switch means; receiver means adapted for receiving radio frequency signals; signal strength detector means, coupled to the receiver means, for producing a signal representative of the strength of the radio frequency signal being received; receiver coupling means for coupling the antenna switch means output terminal to the receiver means; and scan control logic means, having an input coupled to the signal strength detector and an output coupled to the antenna switch means control terminal, and operable in a first mode for producing control signals at its output causing sequential coupling of the sectors to the receiver means for effecting the scanning thereof, the scan control logic means including comparator means for monitoring the signal strength detector produced signal and activating the scan control logic to a second mode in response to said signal being of predetermined magnitude, the scan control logic means operable in its second mode to continue sector scanning for a predetermined interval after which scanning is inhibited and the receiver is coupled to that sector which produces the greatest detected signal strength. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. The method of receiving a radio frequency broadcast signal comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a multisectored antenna array; (b) orienting each sector in predetermined relationship with respect to the remaining sectors; (c) scanning the array by sequentially switching the signal from each sector to a receiver means; (d) detecting, via the receiver means, the strength of the signal from each sector; (e) comparing said signal strengths to a reference level and determining the condition of the signal strength level of at least one sector exceeding said reference level; (f) continuing scan for a predetermined interval subsequent to determination of a sector signal strength exceeding said reference level; and (g) inhibiting scan following said predetermined interval and coupling the receiver to that sector which produced the greatest detected signal strength. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification