Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.

John Bryan Wilson

Charles Michael Luke

A method and apparatus for providing command and control of remote systems using low earth orbit satellite communications is disclosed. According to the present invention, a programmable transceiver apparatus provides a two-way communications path between a remote user and a control center via a low earth orbit satellite at frequencies below 1 GHz. The transceiver apparatus includes a transceiver for communicating with the low earth orbit satellite; an antenna coupled to the transceiver; at least one interface communicating signals between at least one external device located at the remote user, wherein the transceiver apparatus is programmed to transmit data related to the external device to the satellite in response to a signal communicated to the transceiver via the low earth orbit satellite, an internal program of the transceiver or an alarm or exception signal generated by any of the external devices or the user. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the command signals from the control center are embedded in an information signal of a direct-to-home subscription information system signal via a geostationary satellite operating at frequencies greater than 1 GHz, and are separated at the user location and communicated to the programmable transceiver. The transceiver, in turn, selectively communicates the command signal to the devices and receives data from the devices. The received data is then transmitted to the control center via a low earth orbit satellite.

Method and apparatus for command and control of remote systems using low

A system located in a region to determine information about an unknown car relative to a moving train includes first and second satellite navigation receivers, first and second transceivers and first and second controllers. The moving train includes a first car, and the region includes the moving train and the unknown car. The region is defined by points at which radio communication with the first car is possible. The first satellite navigation receiver, located in the first car, provides first location data, and the second satellite navigation receiver, located in the unknown car, provides second location data. The first transceiver is located in the first car, and the second transceiver is located in the unknown car. The first controller, located in the first car, reads the first location data from the first satellite receiver at a first time and sends via the first transceiver a first request to the second transceiver at the first time. The second controller, located in the unknown car and responsive to the first request received via the second transceiver, reads the second location data from the second satellite receiver and sends via the second transceiver a first response to the first transceiver, the first response including the second location data, wherein the first controller receives via the first transceiver the response and calculates a first distance from a first difference between the first and second location data. Alternatively, the first controller polls the region for unknown cars. An unknown car responds with it identification number. The first controller has a Doppler receiver to determine whether the unknown and responding car is moving with respect to the first controller. From the Doppler indications of all responding cars, the first controller determines a train manifest, and then transmits the manifest and equipment status via satellite to a central station.

Method and apparatus to automatically generate a train manifest

Method and apparatus for making phase stable measurements of charateristics of microwave antennas and other devices utilizing an optical transmission path as a phase stable reference in order to identify phase errors along a radio frequency transmission path induced by flexing of a radio frequency transmitting cable as the antenna probe or antenna under test is moved in the course of testing. Similar apparatus and techniques are described for use with a harmonic mixer to gather receiver data which is free of phase errors caused by movement of the antenna.

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Lawrenceville, GA, United States of America

John Bryan Wilson