Capetronic (bsr) Ltd.

Other

Zenith Radio Corporation

Astec International Limited

John Y Ma

Steven A Weiss

Albert C Houston, Iii

David H McCracken

Akio Tanaka

Louis H Jandrell

Bonnie Houston

Chung W Cheong

Leo Wu

A TVRO receiver for receiving frequency-modulated video signals comprises a tuner including a super-heterodyne circuit having a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), means for supplying a cotnrolling input voltage to the VCO, and a mixer for combining incoming 1st intermediate frequency (IF) sigals within a 1st predetermined IF frequency range with the output of the VCO to reduce the frequency of the 1st IF signals to generate 2nd IF signals within a 2nd predetermined IF frequency range, and a filter for selectively rejecting undersired interference signals. The interference filter comprises separate trap means for respectively blocking out interfering signals having selected bottom and top trap frequencies, tuning means for adjusting the bottom and top trap frequencies, means for increasing the quality factor of the trap means, and means for selectively switching the trap means into and out of the receiver based on the presence or absence of signals which interfere with the received signals.

Interference filter with high degree of selectivity for TVRO receiver

A TVRO receiver for the reception of frequency modulated satellite broadcast signals is provided with the capability of efficiently rejecting image frequencies generated as the received signals undergo intermediate frequency translation. A TVRO tuner, which includes a super-heterodyne circuit having a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), means for supplying a controlling tuning voltage to the VCO, and a mixer for combining incoming 1st IF signals with the output frequency of the VCO to reduce the frequency of the 1st IF signals to a selected 2nd IF frequency, is provided with a tracking filter which is adapted to pass only the incoming 1st IF signals and effectively reject any image frequencies generated at the received signal frequencies. The tracking filter comprises at least one low-pass filter section and has a cut-off frequency which is controlled by the same tuning voltage used to regulate the output frequency of the VCO in such a way that the filter rejects frequencies exceeding the VCO output frequency. The filter is designed so that image frequencies, which are generated during the intermediate frequency translation stage as the sum of a given VCO output frequency and the selected 2nd IF frequency, fall substantially beyond the filter cut-off frequency and are thereby attenuated. The tracking filter allows adequate rejection of image frequencies without need for accurate tuning of the low-pass filter sections or precisely matched variable capacitance devices.

TVRO receiver system with tracking filter for rejection of image

A TVRO receiver for receiving frequency-modulated video signals, the receiver comprising a tuner including a superheterodyne circuit having a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), means for supplying a controlling input voltage to the VCO, and a mixer for combining incoming 1st IF signals with the output of the VCO to reduce the frequency of the 1st IF signals to a 2nd IF frequency which is sufficiently high to permit the output frequency of the VCO to be above the frequency range of the 1st IF signals, and a linear phase passband filter for passing a single video channel in the 2nd IF output from the mixer, the filter producing an output which is at least about 10 dB down from its peak at both +10 MHz and -10 MHz from the center of the passband of the filter.

TVRO receiver system with low-cost video-noise reduction filter

An FM receiver for the reception of digital data modulated on a Subsidiary Communication Authorization (SCA) subcarrier is provided with automatic tuning capability and a coherent demodulator for minimizing noise, distortion and interference. The FM receiver is tuned automatically to minimize the measured amplitude of noise and distortion at the high frequency end of the spectrum of the FM demodulator output, above the frequencies of the SCA signal. The SCA signal is tuned by a heterodyne circuit including a balanced modulator, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), and a bandpass filter. The VCO is automatically tuned to maximize the measured amplitude of the SCA signal selected by the bandpass filter. For coherent detection of BPSK (Binary-Phase-Shift-Keying), the coherent demodulator is preferably and kind of data-aided Costas loop in which digital logic circuits perform phase shifting, phase detecting, a multiplying functions. The feedback of the phase error signal is preferably inhibited whenever the signal-to-noise ratio falls below the level which ensures phase-lock, for example, by inhibiting feedback whenever the amplitude of the filtered in-phase signal in the Costas loop fails to exceed a predetermined threshold level. Preferably the phase error signal is fed back through an integrating low-pass filter to control the VCO of the heterodyne circuit, and is fed back through a bandpass filter to control the oscillator of the Costas loop.

BPSK demodulator and FM receiver for digital data pagers

A ferrite core antenna for use in the VHF and UHF range has a first coil on the core which is connected to a capacitance selected to resonate with the inductance of the coil at the desired frequency of operation. The ferrite core antenna also has a second coil for providing a signal to the input stage of a radio receiver. In contrast to conventional loopstick antennas for low frequencies, the operation of the ferrite core antenna in the VHF to UHF range is remarkably improved by using an input stage having a relatively high input impedance and using a greater number of turns in the second coil than the first which is tuned instead of the second. Preferably the first coil is centrally disposed and has a single turn in the form of a relatively wide band of conductive metal foil, and the second coil is offset by a certain distance from the first coil and feeds an input signal to the gate of a gallium arsenide field-effect transistor. For operation in the FM broadcast band, the ferrite core preferably has dimensions of 7 cm.times.1 cm.times.1.5 cm, and the second coil has about three turns. So that the first coil has a sufficiently high Q, the capacitance for resonating the first coil is provided by a number of capacitors connected in parallel.

Ferrite-core antenna

A TVRO earth station having a satellite seeking system comprising at least one controllable motor for adjusting the position of an antenna for receiving signals from a satellite having multiple transponders transmitting signals at prescribed nominal center frequencies and with different polarizations, control means for energizing the motor to move said antenna along a predetermined satellite-searching path, a receiver for receiving the incoming signals from the antenna and successively tuning to the center frequencies at each of a succession of intervals along the searching path, means responsive to the signals detected by the receiver for producing a signal or value representing the quality of the detected signals at each of the successive intervals along the searching path, and means responsive to the quality-representing signal or value for identifying the locations along the searching path at which the antenna receives signals from a satellite.

Satellite seeking system for earth-station antennas for TVRO systems

An improved TVRO receiver for receiving signals broadcast over a plurality of channels with varying bandwidths and having a tuner producing output signals corresponding to the received signals and having bandwidths which vary from channel to channel is provided with a band pass filtering arrangement receiving the output signals and having a controllably adjustable pass band, a bandwidth detection circuit for receiving the output signals passing through the filtering arrangement and being responsive to a current output signal corresponding to the channel being received for producing a control signal indicative of the extent of deviation of the bandwidth of the current output signal beyond the current pass band of the filtering arrangement, and a control circuit responsive to the control signal for adjusting the pass band of the filtering arrangement to accommodate the bandwidth of the current output signal corresponding to the channel being received, if the bandwidth deviation of the current output signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

TVRD receiver system with automatic bandwidth adjustment

In a TVRO earth station having an antenna for receiving incoming satellite signals and polarizing means associated with the antenna for adjusting the relative alignment of the antenna orientation and the polarization of the incoming signals, an automatic polarization control system comprising means for producing an electrical control signal for controlling the polarizing means to adjust the relative alignment, means for detecting the noise level in the satellite signals received by the antenna, and means responsive to the detected noise level for adjusting the control signal, and thereby adjusting the polarizing means, to minimize the detected noise level.

Automatic polarization control system for TVRO receivers

An improved satellite receiver system is provided which automatically locates audio signals among the various audio subcarriers received by an earth station; manual scanning of transmissions received from different transponders in order to locate audio signals embedded therein is eliminated. The improved receiver system does not require any input data characterizing the frequencies or bandwidth of the incoming audio signals and locates desired audio subcarriers in response to a command signal, without need for any manual intervention after generation of the command signal.

TVRO receiver system for locating audio subcarriers

A method of reducing terrestrial interference is provided for a TVRO earth station receiver comprising a super-heterodyne circuit including a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a mixer for combining incoming first IF signals with the output of the VCO to reduce the frequency of the first IF signals to a second IF range having a predetermined nominal center frequency, a pass band filter for filtering the second IF signals and having a pass band centered on the nominal second IF center frequency, and a microprocessor for controlling the input voltage to the VCO and for automatically setting the controlling input voltage at prescribed levels in response to a 'channel select' command signal, so that the VCO produces an output frequency which centers the received signal for a selected channel on the nominal second IF center frequency. The method includes offsetting the controlling input voltage from the prescribed level for a selected channel to offset the actual second IF center frequency relative to the center of the pass band of the filter, in a direction that removes at least a portion of the terrestrial interference from the pass band.

TVRO earth station receiver for reducing interference and improving

A digitally temperature compensated oscillator (TCO) system is provided which is capable of ascertaining and memorizing in an EEPROM-based look-up table, appropriate digital values of a temperature-compensating tuning voltage to the TCO during calibration. An on-board temperature sensing mechanism tracks variations in temperature in the TCO and produces an analog voltage value corresponding to the instantaneous temperature. The voltage value of the sensor output is digitized and designated to constitute an address into the EEPROM based look-up table. As the temperature changes, the digitized output of the temperature sensor and hence the address to the EEPROM changes accordingly. The TCO tuning voltage value corresponding to the address represented by the measured temperature is extracted from the values stored within the EEPROM table and then converted into a corresponding analog voltage which is used to drive the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in order to maintain the output frequency of the TCO stabilized at a desired value. The EEPROM contained within the TCO is preferably calibrated during production, under the control of a calibration and test circuit which regulates the calibration and testing of a TCO in a chamber whose temperature is ramped over a desired temperature range. The TCO includes an on-board microprocessor which allows integration of several of the TCO functions, including the analog-to-digital and the storage and retrieval of data to and from the EEPROM containing the look-up table and extremely simplifies the calibration and test procedure.

Digitally temperature compensated voltage-controlled oscillator

A TVRO receiver utilizes an improved voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) of the surface mounted type which has a wide bandwidth of operation extending into the microwave frequency range. The VCO comprises a dielectric substrate with a patterned-metal layer on one side and a surface mounted oscillator on the patterned-metal side of the substrate. The oscillator comprises amplifying means which produce an oscillating output by the use of regenerative feedback means including an open-circuit-stub inductance formed in the patterned metal layer, and a tunable resonant circuit coupled to the amplifying means in order to control the frequency of the oscillating output. The resonant circuit includes a short-circuit-stub capacitance formed within the patterned middle layer, at least one variable capacitance diode in series with the short-circuit stub, and means for applying a controllable tuning potential to the resonant circuit.

TVRO receiver with surface mounted high frequency voltage-controlled

An improved system is provided for accurately referencing the revolving motion of electric motors used as positioning devices, and is particularly applicable to the automatic positioning and repositioning of ground station antennas in the reception of satellite TV signals. The system utilizes the action of the positioning motor itself as a reference and involves the extraction and counting of variations in the form of pulses produced in the current within the motor as a result of pulses generated, during motor operation, by the commutation process. A low impedance source senses the motor current pulses and feeds them to an active lowpass filter which suppresses any high frequency noise produced during motor commutation. Peak following circuitry, including separate positive and negative peak detectors, detects and follows the positive and negative peaks of the motor current pulses and produces a pulsating output waveform which is proportional to the number of motor current pulses detected by the peak detectors. The output pulses can be counted to provide an accurate referencing of the motor revolving motion with improved resolution and reduced susceptibility to measurement errors.

Motor pulse extraction system

An elongated active element for an antenna has an internal resonator providing a high quality matching impedance. The internal resonator is formed by a pair of conductors including an outer conductor and a coaxial inner conductor that is connected to signal ground. The signal connection of the active element is made to one end of the outer conductor in the neighborhood of the ground connection to the inner conductor. The inner conductor is shorted to the outer conductor at approximately a quarter of a wavelength, plus an integral number of half wavelengths, from the signal and ground connections to provide a parallel-resonant condition complementing the series resonant characteristics of the radiation impedance of the active element. Preferably, the active element is approximately a quarter wavelength long, and may be lengthened or shortened to obtain a desired radiation resistance. The antenna is easily fabricated from a length of coaxial cable. The antenna is advantageously used in pagers and other kinds of VHF and UHF radios, since the coaxial cable can be coiled to fit inside a miniature radio housing. For relatively low frequencies, a coil of coaxial cable including a number of turns provides a relatively efficient broadband antenna.

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

John Y Ma