Radio method and apparatus for gathering and processing information coming from a plurality of stations
First Claim
1. Apparatus for acquiring and processing a plurality of input signals received asynchronously from a plurality of sources comprising:
- means for acquiring successive values of level from said input signals and for associating with each of said level values a respective frequency value which is an estimate of the frequency of the input signal from which the level value is acquired;
a plurality of devices each settable in response to an adjustable frequency estimate for processing a signal in said input signals at a frequency in the vicinity of the frequency set; and
means for allocating said frequency estimate to one of said processing devices to set it in response thereto in dependence upon said frequency estimate and associated level values.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a satellite which asynchronously receives radio frequency signals from alurality of beacons scattered at the surface of the earth, each signal received has a pure carrier wave portion followed by a phase modulated message carrying portion. The frequencies of the signals are not known within a predetermined frequency band. The satellite has a plurality of essentially identical processing units which each receive on their input all the signals present at any given instant in the input frequency band. Each processing unit has a phase locked loop which may be progressively tuned to the frequency of one of these input signals in response to a frequency estimate of this signal to which the operating frequency of the phase locked loop is preset. This frequency estimate is updated until the phase lock occurs on this input signal, ready for demodulation of the message part to begin. The estimate frequencies are derived from an input band frequency spectrum analyzer. A command unit selectively allocates each new frequency estimate to a respective processing unit as a result of a comparison therof with the previously allocated frequency estimates to accelerate the tuning of the processing units and prevent any duplication of the processing of a same input signal.
16 Citations
30 Claims
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1. Apparatus for acquiring and processing a plurality of input signals received asynchronously from a plurality of sources comprising:
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means for acquiring successive values of level from said input signals and for associating with each of said level values a respective frequency value which is an estimate of the frequency of the input signal from which the level value is acquired; a plurality of devices each settable in response to an adjustable frequency estimate for processing a signal in said input signals at a frequency in the vicinity of the frequency set; and means for allocating said frequency estimate to one of said processing devices to set it in response thereto in dependence upon said frequency estimate and associated level values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Apparatus for acquiring and processing a plurality of input signals received asynchronously from a plurality of sources, said signals including respective frequency carriers within a predetermined frequency range, comprising:
- means for receiving radio signals reaching said station asynchronously to produce representative electrical input signals;
means for producing a sweep signal having a frequency varying across at least a portion of the band width of the frequency range of said input signals; means for combining said sweep signal with the input signals to produce a combined frequency signal; means for analysing said combined frequency signal comprising means for filtering said combined signal, means for detecting signal levels at the output of said filtering means, and means for determining the respective frequencies of said combined signal; a plurality of devices for processing at least one of said input signals in response to respective frequency estimates allocated to said processing devices; and means for allocating frequency estimates to said processing devices in response to the signal levels at the output of said filter means and the respective frequencies of said combined signal at the input thereof.
- means for receiving radio signals reaching said station asynchronously to produce representative electrical input signals;
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20. A method for acquiring and processing a plurality of input signals received asynchronously at a station from a plurality of sources, comprising:
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producing values of signal level and respective frequency related to at least one frequency component of said input signals, said respective frequency being an estimate of said frequency component for allocation to one of a plurality of devices for processing one of said input signals at said frequency component; analysing said frequency and level values with respect to frequency estimates previously allocated to such processing devices and their respective level values and providing an analysis result; and allocating newly produced frequency and level values to one of said processing devices in response to the result of said analysing step. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. Apparatus for acquiring a plurality of input signals received asynchronously at unknown frequencies within a known input frequency band comprising:
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means for analyzing the frequency spectrum of said input frequency band to produce at least one respective frequency estimate indication for each input signal detected therein; a plurality of processing devices each having means for setting operating frequency thereof in response to such a frequency estimate produced and means operative to progressively tune the operating frequency to that of an input signal having a frequency in the vicinity of the setting frequency estimate; and means for selectively allocating each frequency estimate produced by said analyzing means to the setting means of one of said processing devices in dependence upon the setting frequency estimate of at least one of said processing devices. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. Apparatus for acquiring input signals of unknown frequency received asynchronously within a predetermined input frequency band, comprising:
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at least one processing device having means for setting operating frequency thereof in response to a frequency estimate and means operative to tune the operating frequency of the device to the frequency of an input signal having a frequency in the vicinity of the frequency estimate; means for detecting and analyzing the spectrum of input signals in the input frequency band to produce successive frequency estimates for each input signal detected within the input frequency band which estimates each correspond to an associated signal level; and means for selectively allocating such a frequency estimate to said processing device for setting the operating frequency thereof, as a result of a comparison of the value of such frequency estimate and of the associated signal level respectively with the frequency estimate previously allocated to said processing device and the associated signal level. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. Apparatus for acquiring input signals received asynchronously at frequencies unknown within an input frequency band comprising:
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at least one processing device settable in reponse to a frequency estimate for tuning an operating frequency thereof to that of an input signal in the vicinity of the frequency estimate; means for scanning the input frequency band and producing respective indications of frequencies scanned within said band; means for producing successive signal level indications which pass through a maximum each time said frequency scanning means crosses the frequency of one input signal in the input frequency band; each said level indications corresponding to a respective one of said frequency indications which is a frequency estimate of the input signal whose frequency is crossed; and means for allowing the operating frequency of said processing device to be set in response to a newly produced frequency estimate if the respective level indication is higher than the level indication associated with the frequency estimate in response to which said processing device was set previously. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. Apparatus for acquiring a plurality of input signals received asynchronously at respective unknown frequencies within a known input frequency band comprising:
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a plurality of signal processing devices each having an operating frequency presettable in response to a frequency estimate to allow the operating frequency to progressively tune itself to the frequency of an input signal in the vicinity of the frequency estimate; means for scanning the input frequency band and producing respective frequency indications; means for producing successive signals which pass through a maximum level each time said frequency scanning means crosses the frequency of an input signal in the input frequency band; and means for selectively allocating to one of the processing devices the frequency indication which corresponds to such maximum level indication as a frequency estimate of the respective input signal, to preset the operating frequency of said processing device, in dependence upon the frequency estimate already allocated to at least one of said processing devices.
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Specification