Stanford Telecommunications, Inc.

Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Kenneth D Cunningham

Aaron Weinberg

Daniel Urban

Leonard Schuchman

Joseph Smallcomb

Marc A Harlacher

Ray Allen Daniel

Ronald C Bruno

Scott Bierly

Robert McCarthy

Thomas Land

Matthew S Simmons

Martin W Tucker

Rudy Rihani

Joseph Ziegler

A miniature, multimode, modular RF terminal includes a plurality of processing modules, where at least one of the processing modules includes an external connector for conveying an input or output RF signal. The terminal further includes a segmented coaxial analog bus comprising a plurality of multi-conductor coaxial connectors, wherein each of the multi-conductor coaxial connectors is integrated in or forms a portion of one of the processing modules, and wherein the segmented coaxial analog bus conveys RF signals between the processing module having the external connector and at least one other processing module. The modules of the terminal can be arranged in a stack, on a rigid substrate, connected via a flexible substrate or combinations thereof. The terminal supports processing of communication, navigation and sensor signals.

Modular RF terminal having integrated bus structure

A communications system operating in one or more frequency bands of various number of channels per band (for a total of N channels), and a novel transceiver for receiving these multiple bands of signals. The transceiver comprises an antenna and RF front end for each said band, a separate RF to IF downconverter for each said band. The IF for each band is centered at a succession of frequencies F such that the spectra for each band are non-overlapping, with the center frequencies. Analog-to-digital converter sampling rate is chosen such that one band is centered at baseband, and one or more other bands are centered at a specific relationship with the sampling rate such that each band is individually downconverted to baseband by appropriate selection of tap weight multiplying sequences (such as alternating &plus;/&minus; sequence for the case of F equal to one-fourth the sampling rate). An analog-to-digital converter converts analog signals to digital signals from the combiner. A digital downconverter converts the digital signals to baseband signals and a single digital processor sequentially time shared among all the bands and channels.

Multi-band, multi-function integrated transceiver

Most cable television systems in the United States (over 75% as of this application) are structured for one-way only service between the cable headend and the user. With more and more services being introduced that require a two-way connection with the user (e.g. impulse-pay-per-view, home shopping, Internet access), it has become necessary for more and more cable systems to upgrade to a two-way capability at considerable cost and over a fairly long period of time. The typical short-term solution to the lack of two-way capability is to send request backlinks over he user's telephone line. The problem with this solution is that when used, it ties up the telephone line and requires an additional telephone connection to be located near the cable set-top-box or modem. A more practical solution is the hub centered backhaul invention described herein. With this invention, users can operate their cable systems as if they were two-way systems, with all available interactive capabilities available. The request channel, however, will be intercepted at a central location between multiple users, and returned to the cable headend via an alternate communication path. The backlink request will be intercepted at a location in the cable distribution prior to hardware that precludes two-way transmissions, such as amplifiers.

Local upstream hub for one-way cable system data/video/services requests

A position enhanced cellular telephone system wherein a cellular telephone device incorporates an RF position finder facility, a data modem and controller and a car alarm device, having a system for flexibly merging the functionality of the telephone device, position finder facility, data modem, controller, and car alarm, reduce overall components and lower the cost. A microprocessor, with a memory, is provided with a plurality of data input and output terminals. Car alarm and position signals from said RF position finder facility to an input terminal on the microprocessor. A signal conversion circuit converts RF to baseband and vice versa, and electronic switch device controlled by the microprocessor for coupling RF signals to and from the cellular telephone device to the signal conversion circuit. A digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to said microprocessor and controlled thereby, said DSP being adapted to a microphone and a speaker connected to the DSP, and the DSP is coupled to the signal conversion circuit.

Integrated vehicle applique unit for the position enhanced cellular system

An accessory device for portable telephones which provides simultaneous functionality of a hands-free accessory device and a data-in-voice modem enabling a portable telephone to be used in a vehicle such that the driver can be engaged in a hands-free conversation at the same time as data (such as GPS position information) is being sent over the same cellular voice channel.

System for providing a simultaneous data and voice channel within a single channel of a portable cellular telephone to provide position-enhanced cellular services (PECS)

An existing TDRSS satellite communication system is incorporated, together with low-power ground-based remote transceivers of special design, and additional beamforming and steering elements at the ground terminals, to make possible digital communication between low power field transceivers and satellite ground terminals. The satellite communication system transmits to its ground terminals a composite signal, comprising amplified, phase-coherent signals received by an array of broad-coverage antennas on the satellite. The field transceiver transmits a pseudonoise coded signal spread across all or a portion of the satellite's receive bandwidth. At the ground terminals, the downlinked composite signal is processed by a beamformer to define a narrow, high-gain beam between the satellite and low-power transceiver. Signal processing gain and beamformer gain in combination serve to elevate the received, demodulated signals well above the noise level at the receiver. Through this invention, a large multiplicity of non-interfering reverse-link (remote-to-central) communication channels may be supported by a host satellite communication system of the nature described. By the introduction of forward link signal channels into the satellite ground terminal, and scheduling of forward link transmissions to the set of low-power remote transceivers along with normal transmit activities, highly useful two-way communication can be extended to a class of users not initially served by the satellite communication system.

Satellite for increasing the utility of satellite communication systems

An information broadcast system having a broadband broadcast system selected from cable and satellite for broadcasting requested information from a selected information source, including the Internet, to one or more selected subscriber stations includes an independent backhaul channel for communicating information request signals from a subscriber station to one or more central processing stations. The system includes a data broadcast station for transmitting requested data from the selected data source and central station via the data broadcast station to the one or more selected subscriber stations. The high-data rate broadcast station forwards requested data from a data source to the data broadcast station. A backhaul satellite communication system, independent of the broadband broadcast system, has a backhaul satellite ground terminal for coupling information request signals from backhaul satellite communication system to high data broadcast station terminal. Each subscriber station has a broadband broadcast receiver for receiving requested information broadcast by the high data rate broadcast and a satellite antenna for transmitting backhaul request signals to the backhaul satellite.

Wireless request channel for use with information broadcast system

A universal interactive control system for the downloading and playback of information and entertainment services from one or more network distribution centers, said one or more network distribution centers providing information and entertainment signals selected from video and audio programs, video catalogs, and data files, said universal interactive control system. The interactive control system includes: a controller circuit, a data distribution circuit controlled by the controller circuit, a data processor circuit controlled by the controller circuit, and a first plurality of interface connector circuits, with a first of the interface connector circuits for connecting the distribution circuit to a display device under control of the controller, and a second of the interface connector circuits for connecting the data distribution circuit to a storage device under control of the controller circuit.

Universal interactive set-top controller for downloading and playback of

An existing TDRSS satellite communication system is incorporated, together with low-power ground-based remote transceivers of special design, and additional beam forming and steering elements at the ground terminals, to make possible digital communication between low power field transceivers and satellite ground terminals. The satellite communication system transmits to its ground terminals a composite signal, comprising amplified, phase-coherent signals received by an array of broad-coverage antennas on the satellite. The field transceiver transmits a pseudonoise coded signal spread across all or a portion of the satellite's receive bandwidth. At the ground terminal, the downlinked composite signal is processed by a beamformer to define a narrow, high-gain beam between the satellite and low-power transceiver. Signal processing gain and beamformer gain in combination serve to elevate the received, demodulated signals well above the noise level at the receiver. Through this invention, a large multiplicity of non-interfering reverse-link (remote-to-central) narrow-band communication channels may be supported by a host satellite communication system of the nature described. By the introduction of forward link signal channels into the satellite ground terminal, and scheduling of forward link transmissions to the set of low-power remote transceivers along with normal transmit activities, highly useful two-way communication can be extended to a class of users not initially served by the satellite communication system.

System for increasing the utility of satellite communication systems

This invention relates to a novel receiver architecture, the Charge-Coupled-Device Integrated Receiver (IR), which simplifies electronic circuitry requirements and reduce baseband processing rates through efficient signal processing. The focus of this receiver's design is its use of Charge-Coupled-Device (CCD) technology. By using CCD's, in conjunction with other key technologies, to implement the signal processing techniques disclosed herein, it is possible to provide a receiver that is suitable for a wide range of applications (e.g., communications, sonar, radar, etc.). Information is presented which outlines the fundamental receiver architecture that is appropriate for a wide range of commercial services (e.g., AMPS, NAMPS, Digital Cellular, GSM, PCS, ISM, CT1, CT2, etc.) Furthermore, tile versatility of this architecture makes it suited for uses ranging from simple AM/FM receivers to complex high-order modulation TDMA/CDMA receivers.

Receiver having for charge-coupled-device based receiver signal

A demodulator apparatus for demodulating a data bearing broadcast signal in the absence of mixers and without incurring quantization errors. The apparatus incorporates a receiver for receiving a broadcast signal and producing therefrom a predetermined intermediate carrier frequency (F.sub.IF), transversal filter connected to receive the intermediate carrier frequency F.sub.IF has N active stages and tap weight means at each of said stages for entering a tap weight sequence to yield maximum correlation energy when desired alignment occurs to thereby make phase and frequency agreement between local timing and the received signal, and the frequency F.sub.IF is sampled at a clock rate (F.sub.s) of: ##EQU1## wherein F.sub.IF is the intermediate frequency and K is a scaling factor which is related to the number of carrier cycles per stage, the transversal filter includes a charge coupled device having the N active stages.

Growing community of inventors

Hamilton, VA, United States of America

Kenneth D Cunningham