Hughes Electronics Corporation

The Directv Group, Inc.

Richard Sims

Neal David Becker

Yezdi F Antia

Peter Hou

Jack Lundstedt

Richard Clewer

J Mark Steber

Lawrence Cronise

John Schmid

Patrick Marrone

An apparatus for providing automatic gain control for use in a satellite terminal of a satellite communication system capable of transmitting a plurality of different modes of data. The apparatus includes a demodulator circuit having an analog to digital converter; a first variable attenuator having an attenuation value set on the basis of a measured power level of a predetermined data signal; and a second variable attenuator having an attenuation value set on the basis of the mode of data being received by the satellite terminal, where each of the data modes have a corresponding predetermined attenuation value associated therewith which is utilized as the attenuation value of the second variable attenuator when the satellite terminal receives the data mode.

Method and system for adaptive equalization for receivers in a wide-band satellite communications system

A method of pointing an antenna at a transmitter comprising the steps of: (a) varying the azimuth of the antenna dish a predetermined number of degrees in a first direction from a predetermined azimuth angle; (b) measuring a first signal strength of an incoming signal received by the antenna dish; (c) varying the azimuth of the antenna dish the same predetermined number of degrees in a second direction from the predetermined azimuth angle, where the second direction is opposite to the first direction; (d) measuring a second signal strength of the incoming signal received by the antenna dish; and (e) comparing the first signal strength to the second signal strength, and if the first signal strength substantially equals the second signal strength, the current predetermined azimuth angle represents the optimal angle of azimuth for the antenna dish. However, if the first signal strength does not substantially equal the second signal strength, the process further comprises the steps of: (f) adjusting the predetermined azimuth angle, and (g) repeating steps (a)&#x2013;(e). The same process is then repeated for the elevation adjustment.

Method and apparatus for satellite antenna pointing

Growing community of inventors

Walkersville, MD, United States of America

Richard Sims