Receiving apparatus, signal demodulating method, antenna apparatus, receiving system and antenna direction adjusting method

• US 5,966,638 A
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mita, Hiroyuki, Ido, Toshikazu, Kajiwara, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): OEN, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/184,090
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 455/5.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/25, 455/70, 455/313, 455/317, 340/825.39, 342/428, 342/352
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/247 with frequency mixer, e.g. for direct satellite reception or Doppler radar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/005 using remotely controlled antenna positioning or scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/00 Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/28 the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving

Abstract

An SHF-band receiving apparatus is used for demodulating a signal received by an antenna and input through a cable by using an indoor receiving unit which comprises: demodulation means for demodulating an input signal supplied thereto through the cable; detection means for detecting a detection signal representing the direction of the antenna from a demodulated signal output by the demodulation means; and output means for generating a modulated signal for displaying information on the direction of the antenna by modulation of a carrier signal based on the detection signal produced by the detection means and for outputting the modulated signal through the cable to the antenna side.

Claims

1. An SHF-band receiving apparatus for demodulating an SHF-band signal comprises:

antenna means having an outdoor converter;

a signal cable for supplying a signal from said converter;

an indoor unit for receiving a signal from said converter having;

demodulating means for demodulating a signal from the converter,

detection means for detecting a detection signal representative the direction of said antenna from a demodulated signal of said demodulating means;

modulating means for modulating said detection signal with a carrier signal, and

output means for supplying a signal from said modulating means to said antenna through said signal cable, and for displaying information of the antenna direction at the output-end of said signal cable.

2. An SHF-band receiving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said detection means detect the level of said input signal supplied through said cable.

3. An SHF-band receiving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said detection means detect an error rate of said demodulated signal output by said demodulation means.

4. An SHF-band receiving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said antenna is a parabola antenna and an outdoor converter is provided for modulating a signal transmitted by a satellite into an IF signal having a predetermined intermediate frequency and for outputting said IF signal.

5. An SHF-band receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said modulating means modulates said carrier signal having a predetermined frequency required in a demodulation process of said input signal carried out by said demodulating means.

6. An SHF-band receiving apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said carrier signal having said predetermined frequency required in said demodulation process of said input signal carried out by said demodulation means is a clock signal used in a D/A conversion process of digital audio data included in said signal received by said antenna.

7. An SHF-band receiving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said modulated signal generated and output by said output means varies a frequency at which said information on the direction of said antenna is displayed.

8. A method for displaying information of the antenna direction in a satellite broadcast receiving system comprising an antenna having an outdoor converter, a signal cable for supplying a signal from said converter, an indoor unit for receiving a signal from said converter through the signal cable, said method comprising the steps of:

demodulating, at the indoor unit, an input signal from said converter;

detecting, from a demodulated signal at the indoor unit, a detection signal representative of the direction of said antenna;

modulating, at the indoor unit, said detection signal with a carrier signal;

supplying, at the indoor unit, a modulated signal to said antenna through said signal cable; and

displaying, at the antenna, information indicative of the antenna direction in response to a supplied modulated signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said detecting step detects a level of the signal from said converter.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said detecting step detects an error rate of said demodulated signal.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said antenna is a parabola antenna and the outdoor converter is provided for modulating a signal transmitted by a satellite into an IF signal having a predetermined intermediate frequency and for outputting said IF signal.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein said carrier signal has a predetermined frequency required in demodulating said input signal.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said carrier signal is a clock signal used in D/A conversion of digital audio data included in said signal transmitted by a satellite.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein said modulated signal varies a frequency at which said information on the direction of said antenna is displayed.