Compact antenna system

• US 4,369,518 A
• Filed: 11/28/1980
• Issued: 01/18/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tanner Electronic Systems Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tanner Electronic Systems Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Olson, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NG, JIN FAY
• Application Number:
  US06/211,314
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3, 455/281, 455/282, 455/286, 455/291, 333/204, 333/246, 343/702, 358/86, 358/114
• US Class Current: 725/151
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/247 with frequency mixer, e.g. for direct satellite reception or Doppler radar
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/60 Amplifiers in which coupling networks have distributed constants, e.g. with waveguide resonators H03F3/54 takes precedence

Abstract

A compact antenna system for use in connection with pay television reception comprises a resonant cavity including a small dipole, the latter being connected to a circuit board containing circuitry for converting the received pay television signal to a frequency usable by the television receiver of the subscriber. The member defining the cavity is affixed to the circuit board, which in turn is mounted upon a holder attached to the exterior of the structure in which the television receiver is located. The circuit board includes a preamplifier-filter stage to filter extraneous signals and to promote preamplification of the signal from the antenna. The preamplified signal goes to the input of a mixer and from there is filtered to the frequency of the channel selected by the user of the television receiver. At least one triangular circuit element is utilized in the preamplifier and in the mixer.

Claims

1. A compact antenna system for use in connection with subscription television at the exterior of a structure containing a television receiver of a subscriber comprising:

a housing;

antenna means disposed within said housing to receive subscription television signals, said antenna means being connected to circuitry on a circuit board for processing said signals received by said antenna;

a circuit board member attached to said housing and mounted upon a holder member, said circuit board member containing circuitry connected to the output of said antenna member to process signals received thereby;

a holder member adaptable to be mounted outside a structure containing a television receiver to receive said subscription television signals;

circuitry disposed upon said circuit board member, said circuitry including preamplification and filter means for providing preamplification to, and to remove unwanted frequencies from, signals received from said antenna means, said preamplification and filter means including amplifier means having bias and supply lines and having a bias terminal, and at least one circuit element having a substantially triangular configuration, a first one of said at least one circuit element being connected between the bias line and the bias terminal of said amplifier means and being tuned to resonate at the frequency of said subscription television signals to be amplified, and a second of said circuit elements being connected between the supply line and the output of said amplifier means and being tuned to resonate at said frequency of said subscription television signal to be amplified.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first triangular circuit element is coupled to a quarter wave line.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein said at least one triangular circuit element is configured substantially as an isosceles right triangle and wherein said quarter wave line is connected to said triangle at the vertex of said triangle adjacent said right angle.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein said quarter wave line is connected between the bias terminal of said amplifier means and said one triangular circuit element.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4 wherein said amplifier means includes a collector terminal and wherein said second triangular circuit element is connected to a quarter wave line, the latter being connected to the collector terminal of said amplifier means.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 5 wherein said second triangular circuit element comprises substantially an isosceles right triangle and wherein said quarter wave line is connected thereto at the vertex thereof adjacent said right angle.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said circuitry further includes mixer means coupled to the output of said preamplifier and filter means and coupled to local oscillator means, said local oscillator means being adjustable to provide a frequency such that the difference of said frequency from said local oscillator means and the frequency of the signals received from said preamplifier and filter means constitutes the frequency of a television channel to which said television receiver is tuned.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 7 further including filter means connected to the output of said mixer means for substantially limiting the output bandwidth to that of the desired channel.