Automatic antenna positioning system

A microprocessor-controlled antenna positioning system for automatically steering a rotatable antenna in the direction of a source of radiated signals is disclosed. The present invention, which is particularly adapted for use in a television receiver or a subscription television receiver (STV) decod...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author HORNBACK; DONALD L
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 17.09.1985
Edition4
Subjects
ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES
ELECTRICITY
LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES
MEASURING
PHYSICS
RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING
RADIO NAVIGATION
TESTING
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Summary:A microprocessor-controlled antenna positioning system for automatically steering a rotatable antenna in the direction of a source of radiated signals is disclosed. The present invention, which is particularly adapted for use in a television receiver or a subscription television receiver (STV) decoder, automatically seeks the best signal when a new channel or frequency is selected, remembers that preferred antenna position, and will return to it whenever that channel or frequency is subsequently selected. A large number of desired antenna headings may be stored in memory for subsequent use and the computer-selected antenna heading may be modified to avoid TV ghosts or to select a second station on the same channel. The system determines optimum antenna direction by sweeping the antenna through a full 360 DEG circle, keeping track of the width of receivable signal lobes. Upon completing the sweep, it selects the widest transmitted signal lobe at the desired frequency and positions the antenna in the center of that lobe. In addition, an intermediate frequency automatic gain control (IFAGC) voltage representing received signal strength is compared with a predetermined signal level established by the viewer for insuring that received signal strength is sufficient for presentation of a minimally acceptable video image. Accurate positioning is insured by incrementally rotationally displacing the receiving antenna, sequentially and repetitively comparing the new position with a programmed, or stored, position by means of a control signal feedback loop, and generating antenna positioning commands in response thereto.
Bibliography:Application Number: US19820433568