Method and apparatus for mitigating interference from terrestrial broadcasts sharing the same channel with satellite broadcasts using an antenna with posterior sidelobes

Abstract

An apparatus for simultaneously receiving a first signal from a non-terrestrial source and a second signal from a terrestrial source on the same or overlapping channels using a receive antenna with posteriorly-directed sidelobes is disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one terrestrial transmitter transmitting information on at least one frequency simultaneously usable by at least one satellite transmitting to a satellite receive antenna having a sensitivity characterizable by a primary sensitive axis directed substantially at satellite. The terrestrial transmitter includes a azimuthal gain characteristic directed substantially away from the Earth's Equator. In an alternative embodiment, the terrestrial transmitter is disposed at a location defining a vector angularly displaced from the primary sensitive axis by an angle of less than 90 degrees. A method of transmitting information is also disclosed. In this method the information is transmitted on at least one frequency simultaneously usable by at least one satellite transmitting to a satellite receive antenna having a sensitivity characterizable by a primary sensitive axis directed substantially at the satellite and a posterior secondary sensitive axis. The method is performed by transmitting the information from a terrestrially-based transmitter to a terrestrial receive antenna in a direction substantially away from the Equator.