Antenna peak strength finder

• US 8,134,512 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Ernest C., Stroes, Gustave R., Zhou, Guangcai, Shi, Yang-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Amal
• Application Number:
  US12/269,811
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 343/757, 343/894, 343/702, 725/72, 342/359
• US Class Current: 343/757
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems for aligning an antenna reflector with satellites in a satellite configuration. A method in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises aligning the reflector in tilt based on a geographic location of the reflector, passing the reflector through an azimuth arc wherein the azimuth arc intercepts at least a first point and a second point, the first point having a first signal strength received from the satellite configuration on the azimuth arc and the second point having a second signal strength less than the first signal strength, the second point located on the azimuth arc after the first point, passing the reflector through an elevation arc, the elevation arc intercepting at least the second point and a third point, the third point having a third signal strength received from the satellite configuration on the elevation arc, determining an alignment point having a maximum signal strength received from the satellite configuration based on a Gaussian antenna pattern of a reception of the satellite signal and the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the third signal strength, and aligning the reflector with the alignment point.

Claims

1. A method for aligning a reflector of an antenna with a satellite configuration, comprising:

aligning the reflector in tilt based on a geographic location of the reflector;

passing the reflector through an azimuth arc wherein the azimuth arc intercepts at least a first point and a second point, the first point having a first signal strength received from the satellite configuration on the azimuth arc and the second point having a second signal strength less than the first signal strength, the second point located on the azimuth arc after the first point;

passing the reflector through an elevation arc after passing the reflector through the azimuth arc, the elevation arc intercepting at least the second point and a third point, the third point having a third signal strength received from the satellite configuration on the elevation arc;

determining an alignment point having a maximum signal strength received from the satellite configuration based on a Gaussian antenna pattern of a reception of the satellite signal and the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the third signal strength; and

aligning the reflector with the alignment point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a coarse alignment by pointing the reflector to an approximate satellite configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the reflector is aligned with the alignment point by measuring a signal strength at the alignment point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the alignment point is performed by a signal strength meter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the alignment point is done by a receiver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment point is determined from a plurality of orbital slots.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the third signal strength are measured using a time-average of multiple samples of the first signal strength, second signal strength, and third signal strength to counteract scintillation.

8. A meter for use in aligning a reflector in a satellite-based communications system, comprising:

a memory;

a processor, coupled to the memory; and

an indicator, coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores a plurality of signal strengths from at least a first point, a second point, and a third point, the first point having a first signal strength received from the satellite-based communications system along an azimuth arc of the reflector, the second point having a second signal strength less than the first signal strength, the second point located on the azimuth arc after the first point, and after passing the reflector through the azimuth arc, the third point having a third signal strength received from the satellite-based communications system being shown on the indicator, the second point and the third point being along an elevation arc of the reflector;

wherein the meter determines an alignment point having a maximum signal strength received from the satellite-based communications system based on a Gaussian antenna pattern of a reception of the satellite signal and the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the third signal strength.

9. The meter of claim 8, wherein the alignment point is determined from a plurality of orbital slots.

10. The meter of claim 8, wherein the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the third signal strength are measured using a time-average of multiple samples of at least one of the first signal strength, the second signal strength, and the third signal strength to counteract scintillation.