Method and system of directing an antenna in a two-way satellite system

• US 6,441,782 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baer, Matthew, Petronic, Mark, Kelly, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Application Number:
  US09/789,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20010045906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 342/359, 342/352
• US Class Current: 342/359
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/005 using remotely controlled antenna positioning or scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18528 Satellite systems for providing two-way communications service to a network of fixed stations, i.e. fixed satellite service or very small aperture terminal [VSAT] system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18597 Arrangements for system physical machines management, i.e. for construction, operations control, administration, maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2125 Synchronisation

Abstract

A system for directing an antenna for transmission over a two-way satellite network is disclosed. A transceiver is coupled to the antenna; the transceiver transmits and receives signals over the two-way satellite network. A user terminal is coupled to the transceiver and executes an antenna pointing program. The program instructs a user to initially point the antenna to a beacon satellite using predefined pointing values based upon the location of the antenna. The program receives new antenna pointing parameters that are downloaded from a hub over a temporary channel that is established via the beacon satellite. The program displays the new antenna pointing parameters and instructs the user to selectively re-point the antenna based upon the downloaded new antenna pointing parameters.

Claims

1. A method for directing an antenna for transmission over a two-way satellite communication system, the method comprising:

receiving location information associated with the antenna;

displaying antenna pointing details associated with a beacon satellite based upon the location information;

receiving new antenna pointing parameters downloaded from a hub over a temporary channel established via the beacon satellite;

displaying the new antenna pointing parameters; and

instructing a user to selectively re-point the antenna based upon the downloaded new antenna pointing parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the beacon satellite in the receiving step has a designated default transponder to support the temporary channel.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hub in the receiving step has connectivity to a packet switched network.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the packet switched network is an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying signal strength associated with the antenna based upon antenna position.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the new antenna pointing parameters in the displaying step include satellite longitude (East or West), satellite longitude, satellite polarization, satellite polarization offset, and satellite frequency.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

measuring signal strength associated with the antenna using a voltmeter that is coupled to the antenna.

8. A system for directing an antenna for transmission over a two-way satellite network, the system comprising:

a transceiver coupled to the antenna and configured transmit and receive signals over the two-way satellite network; and

a user terminal coupled to the transceiver and configured to execute an antenna pointing program,

wherein the program instructs a user to initially point the antenna to a beacon satellite using predefined pointing values based upon the location of the antenna, the program receiving new antenna pointing parameters downloaded from a hub over a temporary channel established via the beacon satellite, the program displaying the new antenna pointing parameters and instructing the user to selectively re-point the antenna based upon the downloaded new antenna pointing parameters.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the beacon satellite has a designated default transponder to support the temporary channel.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the hub has connectivity to a packet switched network.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the packet switched network is an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the program displays signal strength associated with the antenna based upon antenna position.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the new antenna pointing parameters include satellite longitude (East or West), satellite longitude, satellite polarization, satellite polarization offset, and satellite frequency.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the user measures signal strength associated with the antenna using a voltmeter that is coupled to the antenna.

15. A system for directing an antenna for transmission over a two-way satellite network, the system comprising:

means for receiving location information associated with the antenna;

means for displaying antenna pointing details associated with a beacon satellite based upon the location information;

means for receiving new antenna pointing parameters downloaded from a hub over a temporary channel established via the beacon satellite;

means for displaying the new antenna pointing parameters; and

means for instructing the user to selectively re-point the antenna based upon the downloaded new antenna pointing parameters.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the beacon satellite has a designated default transponder to support the temporary channel.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the hub has connectivity to a packet switched network.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the packet switched network is an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the antenna pointing parameters include satellite longitude (East or West), satellite longitude, satellite polarization, satellite polarization offset, and satellite frequency.

20. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for directing an antenna for transmission over a two-way satellite communication system, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving location information associated with the antenna;

displaying antenna pointing details associated with a beacon satellite based upon the location information;

receiving new antenna pointing parameters downloaded from a hub over a temporary channel established via the beacon satellite;

displaying the new antenna pointing parameters; and

instructing the user to selectively re-point the antenna based upon the downloaded new antenna pointing parameters.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the beacon satellite in the receiving step has a designated default transponder to support the temporary channel.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the hub in the receiving step has connectivity to a packet switched network.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the packet switched network is an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the one or more processors are instructed to further perform the step of:

displaying signal strength associated with the antenna based upon antenna position..

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the new antenna pointing parameters in the displaying step include satellite longitude (East or West), satellite longitude, satellite polarization, satellite polarization offset, and satellite frequency.