Wavetek Corporation

Thomson Licensing

Wavetek Wandel Goltermann

Andrew E Bowyer

Pingnan Shi

Qin Zhang

John James Fitzpatrick

Douglas J Franchville

Daniel Keith Chappell

Robert Alan Pitsch

Brian David Bajgrowicz

John Joseph Curtis, Iii

Jeffrey Owen Allender

Adam A Nowotarski

Suresh Vishwanatm Leley

A method of processing an LNB power supply output signal comprising providing an LNB selection signal to select a first of the plurality of LNB signals as the input signal, superimposing a tone onto the LNB selection signal to select a second of the plurality of LNB signals as the input signal, providing a first transponder selection voltage to select a first set of transponders within the input signal, providing a second transponder selection voltage to select a second set of transponders within the input signal, and activating an adaptive load to preserve the tone if the second of the plurality of LNB signals is selected.

Satellite LNB power supply adaptive load

A power supply for a satellite receiver system includes a dual input supply voltage arrangement. When a higher output voltage is selected, a source of a lower supply input voltage is coupled to an input main current conducting terminal of a series pass transistor. On the other hand, when a lower output voltage is selected, a source of a lower supply input voltage is coupled to the input main current conducting terminal of the series pass transistor. A comparator senses a magnitude of an output voltage produced by the series pass transistor. When, as a result of an over current condition, the output voltage is lower than a reference threshold level, any selection of the higher output voltage is automatically overridden and the source of the lower supply input voltage, instead, is coupled to the input main current conducting terminal of the series pass transistor.

Power supply for a satellite receiver

A method of transmitting a leakage tagging signal includes inserting a tagging signal into a CATV television signal only during portions of the television signal in which control information is present. A method according to the present invention is a method of transmitting a tagging signal in a communication system, the communication system transmitting television signals comprising control information and program information. One step of the method includes generating a tagging signal that is detectable by corresponding leakage detecting equipment. The method also includes the step of identifying a portion of a television signal in which control information is present. Finally, the method of the present invention encompasses inserting the tagging signal into the television signal only during the portion of the television signal in which control information is present.

Pulsed leakage tagging signal

A receiver circuit, which may be used in a leakage detector, includes an RF input, a narrow band filter, and a direct demodulator. The leakage detector in which the receiver circuit may be used is operable to measure leakage in a communication system, the communication system operable to transmit broadband communication signals comprising one or more radio frequency carrier signals modulated by one or more baseband communication signals, wherein each radio frequency carrier signal has a channel frequency. Essentially, the exemplary receiver circuit according to the present invention is operable to generate a baseband leakage signal. To this end, the RF input is coupled to a source of broadband communication signals and receives a broadband communication signal therefrom, the broadband comnunication signal including a first signal associated with a first channel frequency. The narrow band filter is operably coupled to the RF input to receive at least a portion of the broadband communication signal and producing a filtered first signal therefrom, the narrow band filter having a Q value at least on the order of 1000 and further having a pass band that includes the first channel frequency. The direct demodulator is coupled to the narrow band filter, and is operable to generate a baseband leakage signal from the filtered first signal.

Method and apparatus for direct detection of communication system leakage signals

Disclosed are method and apparatus which measure signal level of an RF signal. The measured RF signal includes a baseband signal modulated onto a first carrier signal having a first frequency and the baseband signal includes program information and control information. The method and apparatus digitize the RF signal which includes the baseband control information and determine a signal level measurement from the baseband control information in the digitized RF signal. Furthermore, method and apparatus are disclosed which determine from the digitized RF signal whether a tagging signal is present in the RF signal.

Method and apparatus for measuring a radio frequency signal having program information and control information

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for receiving sweep testing signals and generating frequency response values therefrom. The apparatus includes a test input, a controller, a receiver circuit and a measurement circuit. The test input has a first connection arrangement for connecting to a test output of the sweep transmitter and also has a second connection arrangement for connecting to a terminal of the communication system to be tested. The controller is operable to generate a sweep control signal responsive to a sweep plan. The receiver circuit has a control input connected to receive the sweep control signal from the controller, and is operable to tune to a plurality of frequencies responsive to the sweep control signal. The measurement circuit is coupled to the receiver circuit and is operable to generate measurement signals corresponding to the plurality of frequencies. In accordance with the present invention, the controller is further operable to: receive a first set of measurement signals from the measurement circuit when said test input is connected in the first connection arrangement; receive a second set of measurement signals from the measurement circuit when said test input is connected in the second connection arrangement; and generate a frequency response based on the first set of measurement signals and the second set of measurement signals.

Preconfigured CATV sweep testing method and apparatus

An exemplary leakage tagging signal generator according to the present invention is intended for use in connection with a leakage tagging signal detector that detects signal leakage in a communication system. In particular, the leakage tagging signal generator is intended for use with a leakage tagging signal detector that identifies leakage tagging signals based on the detection of a characteristic leakage tagging frequency component. The leakage tagging signal generator includes an RF signal source, an output, a switch, and a pulse signal source. The RF signal source is operable to generate an RF carrier signal having a first frequency. The output connects to the communication system. The pulse signal source is a device operable to generate a pulse signal having a first state and a second state, said pulse signal having a pulse period. The pulse period of the pulse signal includes a first portion in which the pulse signal is in the first state and a second portion in which the pulse signal is in the second state. The pulse period futhermore corresponds to the characteristic tagging frequency. The switch is connected to the pulse signal source. The switch is operable to provide a first discrete signal level of the RF carrier signal to the output responsive to the pulse signal being in the first state, and to provide a second discrete level of the RF carrier signal to the output responsive to the pulse signal being in the second state, thereby producing a pulsed RF signal having the pulse period.

Method and apparatus for leakage detection using pulsed RF tagging signal

An RF circuit for use as a front end for a combined leakage signal detector and signal level monitor includes a shared frequency conversion stage utilized for both leakage signals and signal level monitoring ('SLM') signals. One embodiment of the present invention includes an RF circuit comprising a first RF input, a second RF input, a frequency conversion circuit and a coupling device. The first RF input is operable to receive first signals to be monitored, the first signals being in a first frequency range. The second RF input is operable to receive leakage signals to be detected, the leakage signals also being in a first frequency range. The frequency conversion circuit is operable to convert signals in the first frequency range to signals in a second frequency range, the frequency conversion circuit operable to receive unconverted first signals and unconverted leakage signals and produce output signals therefrom. The output signals produced by the frequency conversion stage have a frequency in the second frequency range. The coupling device alternately connects the first RF input to the frequency conversion circuit and the second RF input to the frequency conversion circuit. The output signal may then be provided to a suitable measurement circuit that performs leakage signal detection or signal level monitoring using known methods.

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Andrew E Bowyer