Transceiver having steerable antenna and associated method
US5559806A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 27, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 24, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 27, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B7/18541
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An earth station transceiver (210) is provided for communicating with at least one satellite (110, 120) in orbit. The earth station transceiver (210) has an antenna with an array of antenna elements (220, 230) and steering circuitry (240) for steering an antenna pattern created by the array of antenna elements. A position of a beam (310-330) from a satellite can be represented by a beam number. The antenna pattern can be determined without taking signal quality measurements when the beam is at an extreme elevation angle as represented by the beam number. Signal quality measurements can alternatively be made during a time slot or frame to choose an antenna pattern instead of choosing an antenna pattern based on satellite beam number when the beam is not at an extreme elevation angle. Signal quality measurements using the same antenna pattern are made to perform an intra-site handoff. Signal quality measurements using all antenna patterns are made to perform an intersite handoff.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.