Patent · US Expired

Method for automatically positioning a satellite dish antenna to satellites in a geosynchronous belt

US5585804A · kind A · utility

24Cited by
9References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 3, 1995
Grant dateDec 17, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 3, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01Q1/3275
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A TVRO satellite dish antenna system mounted on the roof of a parked vehicle automatically determines its location and bearing relative to two geosynchronous satellites and then uses this information to accurately calculate the azimuths and elevations of any other geosynchronous satellites. A magnetic compass generates a magnetic bearing signal for the system. An estimated latitude and longitude for the vehicle are provide by the user based on the approximate geographic location of the vehicle. The estimated positions for a first geosynchronous satellite and a second geosynchronous satellite relative to the satellite dish antenna are calculated from this information. The satellite dish antenna is moved to an initial search position corresponding to the estimated position of the first satellite and then moved in a search pattern until the receiver detects a signal peak for a selected channel. The actual azimuth and elevation of the first satellite are calculated based on the position of the satellite dish antenna upon detecting the signal peak. These steps are repeated for the second satellite. Revised bearing, latitude, and longitude coordinates for the satellite dish antenna are c…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.