Tool to automatically align outdoor unit

• US 8,451,171 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Santoru, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US12/186,435
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 342/359
• US Class Current: 342/359
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1221 onto a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/17 the primary radiating source comprising two or more radiating elements H01Q19/15, H01Q25/00 take precedence

Abstract

An alignment tool for aligning an antenna to a satellite configuration and a method for aligning an antenna to a satellite configuration is disclosed. An alignment tool for aligning an antenna to a satellite configuration in accordance with the present invention comprises a meter for measuring a satellite downlink signal power from the antenna, a motor for adjusting at least one fine adjustment mechanism of the antenna, and a processor, coupled to the motor and to the meter, for commanding the motor based on the received power from the antenna, wherein the processor commands the motor to maximize a received power from the antenna.

Claims

1. An alignment tool for aligning an antenna to a satellite configuration, comprising:

a meter for measuring a satellite downlink signal power from the antenna;

a motor for adjusting at least one fine adjustment mechanism of the antenna; and

a processor, coupled to the motor and to the meter, for commanding the motor based on the received power from the antenna, wherein the motor is coupled to the at least one fine adjustment mechanism after a coarse alignment mechanism adjusts the antenna and the processor commands the motor to maximize a received power from the antenna.

2. The alignment tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one fine adjustment mechanism adjusts the antenna in an azimuth direction.

3. The alignment tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one fine adjustment mechanism adjusts the antenna in an elevation direction.

4. The alignment tool of claim 1, further comprising a power supply, coupled to the meter and the motor, for providing power to the meter and the motor.

5. The alignment tool of claim 1, further comprising a coupler for coupling the motor to the at least one fine adjustment mechanism of the antenna.

6. The alignment tool of claim 1, further comprising an indicator, coupled to the processor, wherein the indicator shows when an alignment of the antenna is completed.

7. The alignment tool of claim 1, wherein the meter senses a raw radio frequency signal power from the satellite configuration.

8. A method for aligning an antenna to a satellite configuration, comprising:

coupling a meter to an output of the antenna;

measuring a signal strength from the output of the antenna;

coarsely aligning the antenna in azimuth and elevation with a coarse alignment mechanism;

coupling a motor to at least one fine alignment mechanism of the antenna after the coarse alignment; and

adjusting the fine alignment mechanism with the motor, wherein the motor is moved based on the signal strength received from the output of the antenna such that signal strength is maximized using the fine alignment mechanism.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one fine adjustment mechanism adjusts the antenna in an azimuth direction.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one fine adjustment mechanism adjusts the antenna in an elevation direction.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein a power supply provides power to the meter and the motor.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein coupling the motor to the at least one fine alignment mechanism is performed using a flexible coupler.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising indicating when an alignment of the antenna is completed.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein measuring a signal strength from the output of the antenna further comprises sensing a raw radio frequency signal power from the satellite configuration.