Satellite controlled clock

• US 4,287,597 A
• Filed: 09/05/1978
• Issued: 09/01/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arbiter Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arbiter Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Burpee, Lee, Paynter, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Application Number:
  US05/939,849
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 324/181, 324/188, 340/700, 358/192, 325/4, 325/58, 325/67, 325/363, 325/470, 178/69.1, 58/23 R, 58/24 R, 343/225
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/04 Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/06 Decoding time data; Circuits therefor

Abstract

A satellite disseminated time and date code is received and converted into local time signal and displayed. The ground stations scan a frequency spectrum for signals from geosynchronous satellites. Once found, the position and time information from the satellites is used to compute the correct local time.

Claims

1. A receiver from satellite transmitted radio frequency carrier modulated signals in the form of pulse coded information of time values and satellite position having a known pulse rate, comprising:

a variable frequency radio frequency stage;

means for scanning said radio frequency stage over a range including the frequency of said radio frequency carrier;

means for detecting said radio frequency carrier;

means responsive to the detection of said radio frequency carrier to terminate frequency scanning and for tracking said carrier thereafter;

a clock having a nominal frequency related to the pulse rate of said time value signals from said satellite;

means responsive to the termination of scanning of said radio frequency stage for synchronizing said clock with the pulse rate of said time value signals from said satellite;

a delay path calculator;

means responsive to a detection of synchronization of said clock with the pulses of said time signals for enabling said delay path calculator for calculating the transmission path delay time to said satellite;

said delay path calculator including;

means for introducing actual receiver location information into said delay path calculator, means for calculating the path delay from satellite position received from said satellite and receiver position data;

means responsive to the delay path calculation for shifting said clock time value corrected by said delay path calculation; and

means for displaying path delay corrected decoded local time code signals.

2. The combination in accordance with claim 1 including means responsive to the initiation of or said tuning means for displaying elapsed time on said time display means.

3. The combination in accordance with claim 1 including display means for indicating when said receiver is in a tuning mode as represented by operation of said tuning means.

4. The combination in accordance with claim 1 including display means for indicating when said receiver is in a synchronization mode as represented by operation of said synchronizing means.

5. The combination in accordance with claim 1 including display means for indicating when said receiver is in a calculating mode as represented by operation of said calculating means.

6. The combination in accordance with claim 1 including means responsive to loss of synchronization with said satellite for driving said time display by said clock whereby said display is operative in the absence of time code signals after a decoded time code signal has once been detected and decoded.

7. The combination in accordance with claim 1 including means responsive to the loss of said radio frequency carrier trasmitted signal for re-enabling said scanning means.

8. The combination in accordance with claim 7 including switch means for selectively establishing different frequency bands associated with different time signal source and means responsive to said switch means for automatically scanning the selected band.

9. The combination in accordance with claim 1 for use when said radio frequency carrier modulated signals originate at a ground base and are relayed by a relatively geostationary satellite to the receiver;

wherein said delay time calculator computes and totals the time of travel of time code signals from said ground base to said satellite and from said satellite to the location of said receiver and uses said total time as the path for which correction is made.

10. The combination in accordance with claim 9 wherein the ground based originated signals include satellite position information wherein said delay time calculator continuously compares the satellite position information responsive to at least two sequential satellite position signals different from the satellite position, recomputes the time delay correction and introduces that correction in the time display calculation.

11. The combination in accordance with claim 1 including means for receiving pulse train from a local source having a rate substantially equal to the data pulse rate of the remotely transmitted time signals and means for detecting deviation between said local pulse source and said data pulse rate, and means for displaying any deviation detected.

12. A receiver in accordance with claim 8 wherein said frequency scanning means includes a phase lock loop circuit employing a voltage controlled oscillator for tuning said receiver and means connecting said voltage controlled oscillator for control by said band select switch and said synchronizing means in addition to said phase locked loop whereby the operating frequency of said receiver automatically tuned and synchronized with the remote signal source.

13. The combination in accordance with claim 12 including means for detecting phase deviation of said local clock and means for slewing said local clock into synchronization with said incoming time pulses.

14. A satellite controlled clock operative to receive time code a standard pulse rate and satellite position modulated radio frequency carrier waves from either of two geostationary satellites operating at predetermined different carrier wave frequencies comprising:

a variable radio frequency receiving stage including means for detecting radio frequency carrier waves;

switch means for allowing the selection of the nominal carrier frequency of the selected one of the two satellites;

frequency scanning means for incrementally sweeping said radio frequency receiving stage through a frequency band including the selected satellite carrier frequency responsive to the application of power to the receiver and selection of satellite by said switch means;

phase lock loop means for tracking said selected satellite carrier wave responsive to the detection thereof;

means responsive to the detection of satellite carrier by said detecting means of said variable radio frequency receiving stage and tracking of said selected satellite carrier by said phase lock loop means for disabling said frequency scanning means;

a local clock operating at a nominal frequency related to the pulse rate of transmissions from said satellite;

means responsive to disablement of said frequency, scanning means for synchronizing said local clock with pulses received from said satellite;

means for decoding the time code transmitted by said satellite;

coding switch means for introducing the receiver'"'"'s position into said receiver in coded form;

calculator means for calculating the path time delay of signals from said satellite from the known satellite position information and the receiver'"'"'s position as introduced by said coding switch means;

means for combining the decoded time signals from said satellie and the path time delay calculator means; and

means for correcting the decoded time signals from said satellite by the correction factor calculated by said path time delay calculator means for displaying the corrected local time.

15. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including first visual indicator means responsive to the initiation of frequency scanning for providing a visual indication thereof.

16. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including means responsive to the synchronizing of said local clock with satellite signals for disabling said first visual indicator means.

17. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including a second visual indicator means and

means responsive to synchronization of said local clock with satellite signals for enabling said second visual indicator means.

18. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including third visual indicator means and

means responsive to the operation of said calculator means for enabling said third visual indicator means.

19. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including means for enabling said calculator means, only after said local clock is synchronized with pulses received from said satellite.

20. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including means responsive to the loss of synchronism of said clock with said satellite signals for re-enabling said frequency scanning means.

21. The combination in accordance with claim 14 wherein said display means is driven by said local clock whereby the display means is incremented responsive to said clock after the loss of satellite signals.

22. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including time zone selector switch and

means responsive to the position of said time zone selector switch for incrementing or decrementing the hour indication of said display means.

23. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including daylight saving time switch means and

means responsive to the position of said last switch for incrementing or decrementing the hour indication of said display means by one hour.

24. The combination in accordance with claim 14 including means for receiving a local standard pulse rate nominally equal to the standard pulse rate transmitted by said satellite,

means for detecting the standard pulse from said satellite,

means for comparing the local and satellite standard pulse rates;

and

means for displaying the deviation if any from said satellite standard pulse rate.