EP1014481B1 - Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Antennenausrichten - Google Patents

Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Antennenausrichten Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1014481B1
EP1014481B1 EP99125145A EP99125145A EP1014481B1 EP 1014481 B1 EP1014481 B1 EP 1014481B1 EP 99125145 A EP99125145 A EP 99125145A EP 99125145 A EP99125145 A EP 99125145A EP 1014481 B1 EP1014481 B1 EP 1014481B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
antenna
signal
quality
image
digital
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP99125145A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP1014481A1 (de
Inventor
Gunnar Fogelstöm
Olle Lundström
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nokia Oyj
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Nokia Oyj
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Application filed by Nokia Oyj filed Critical Nokia Oyj
Publication of EP1014481A1 publication Critical patent/EP1014481A1/de
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Publication of EP1014481B1 publication Critical patent/EP1014481B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and a device for aligning the direction of an antenna connected to a receiver for digital signals.
  • Another solution to the said problem consists of using a signal indicator to show "signal-to-noise” (AGC, Automatic Gain Control), which is shown as a kind of rough adjustment via an indicator, after which BER was presented as a fine adjustment via another indicator.
  • AGC Automatic Gain Control
  • a dilemma of all the solutions for installing a satellite receiver today is that they do not offer a total solution for installing the receiver via a single signal indicator in one unified sequence from the receiver being unpacked to the antenna being aligned with the transmitting satellite.
  • EP-A-0,548,844 describes a reception level indicator for AGC provided, on a signal cable to and from a satellite antenna, in the vicinity of the antenna. Hence a satellite antenna is easier adjusted at site by an antenna rigger.
  • the present invention relates to a method and a device for aligning the direction of an antenna connected to a receiver for digital signals in accordance with the enclosed independent claims.
  • the present invention specifies a method of aligning the direction of an antenna connected to a receiver for digital signals.
  • the antenna is aligned at the digital signals using a unified sequence of directions that include at least two methods for measuring the quality of a digital signal and that indicates the quality via one and the same means of indication regarding directions for both methods.
  • the first method measures that a digital signal is received, which is indicated on the said means, whereby the means having received the signal automatically switches to showing the quality of the digital signal using a second method.
  • the first method is AGC (Automatic Gain Control) and the second method is BER (Bit Error Rate).
  • the means of indication is a whole screen or occupies part of a screen.
  • An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises that the means is part of a portable unit.
  • the said scale comprise different colours in a field in the indicator, whereby the best signal quality is obtained when a specific colour occupies a specific field during the alignment of the antenna.
  • an image is called-up during the directions to prompt a user to carry out a unified alignment of the antenna.
  • the picture is partly transparent when an antenna alignment has been made so that a received digital channel appears whose digital signal contents are reproduced on the transparent part of the image.
  • the present invention specifies a device to align an antenna connected to a receiver for digital signals.
  • the device includes:
  • the device includes embodiments in accordance with the non-independent claims in the procedure according to that above.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates a flow scheme for aligning an antenna (in this case a parabolic dish) towards a transmitter according to the present invention.
  • Block or step 100 in Fig. 1 shows that a user of a satellite receiver calls-up a special image on their TV receiver for adjusting their antenna, with which the user is guided through the whole adjustment procedure in a unified sequence, via at least two methods for measuring the signal quality, with one and the same means as well as with the same scale for indicating the quality of the signal.
  • the user looks at the called-up page for antenna adjustment on the TV set. It is, however, not excluded that the user has a portable set with an indicator for signal quality according to the present invention, whereby the portable unit is remotely connected with the satellite receiver or TV set for acquiring signal quality information. It is even possible to obtain information via a cable between the portable unit and the other said units. Remote transmission takes place via well-known technology that is built on transmission of electromagnetic beams or ultrasound between connected units.
  • FIG. 2-5 in connection with a run through of Fig. 1, whereby the designations 1-4 in Fig. 1 (within so-called balloons) refer to Figs. 2-5 respectively.
  • step 110 in the adjustment procedure is taken if lock-on to the desired channel has not been achieved.
  • channel position 3 Astra® MTV has been selected for adjusting the antenna with the satellite Astra®.
  • a TV image 5 is acquired with the prompt to select 10 to "Select a predefined channel on ASTRA to be able to get a picture and check the signal strength", which is achieved with the signal quality indicator 20.
  • indicator 20 constitutes part of a screen image (TV picture) 5, whereby it shows the signal quality or strength in AGC according to 110 in Fig. 1.
  • the indicator is divided in to twenty fields, ten on either side of a distinct line in the middle 15.
  • the colour in the field immediately to the right of yellow 14 is green 16, and the colour in the field to the right of the green is blue/green 18.
  • the best signal quality that can be acquired with the indicator according to the invention is thus indicated when only field 19 shows the blue/green colour 18.
  • AGC Automatic Gain Control
  • signal amplification control is acquired though an AGC circuit that takes its power from either the IF (Intermediate Frequency) amplifier or the audio amplifier, i.e. IF-derived or Audio-derived amplification control respectively.
  • IF Intermediate Frequency
  • the AGC amplifier starts to decrease the amplification in the RF and IF steps in the electronics, whereby the level of the output audio signal in the loudspeakers is adjusted.
  • a well-designed AGC system achieves a uniform level for audio output signals.
  • the block or step 110 is maintained for alignment until the moment that the signal indication with AGC is acquired on indicator 20, which means that the antenna is "roughly” aligned with Astra® MTV from a digital point of view.
  • step 100 in Fig. 1 shows that the indication on the signal indicator 20 is acquired at the same moment (directly) without any special alignment step being performed, step 120 comes into play and step 110 thereby becomes unnecessary, which is also the case after AGC signal indication in step 110.
  • Step 120 in Fig. 1 is a condition box that describes the condition of the satellite receiver for deciding if the receiver has locked-on to a digital signal or not locked on to this. If the signal has been lost after step 110 has been performed, the receiver is conditioned to re-enter (NO) condition 110. If, however, the received digital signal is locked-on via AGC measurement, the receiver is switched to automatically begin measuring the signal quality with BER from the same indicator 20, see Fig. 3, which illustrates a television screen with BER signal quality indications in accordance with Fig. 1.
  • BER Bit Error Rate
  • Fig. 3 clarifies the signal quality in indicator 20 after the AGC measurement has been performed. It can be seen with the colour indications according to that above that the BER is still high because indicator 20 shows red colours 12 to the left in indicator 20 and blue/green 18 to the right. Better signal quality is acquired the further the blue/green colour 18 is located on the right. Ideally, this colour should only be found in field 19 for optimal quality according to the present embodiment of the invention.
  • the indicator 20 acquires a colour scheme in accordance with Fig. 4, which shows another television screen 5 with BER signal quality measurement in accordance with Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 4 shows the optimal signal quality for digital reception according to the present embodiment, which is seen in that only field 19 is blue/green 18, whereby the yellow colour 14 is essentially once again found in the centre of indicator 20 surrounded by red 12 to the left and green 16 to the right as seen by the viewer.
  • the receiver is now placed in the condition according to step 140 in the flow scheme according to Fig. 1 where it self-tunes to the pre-programmed channel MTV. If the channel is found, conditional step 150, the TV image 22 appears, as is evident from Fig. 5, which illustrates a television screen with a BER signal quality indicator 20 where a digitally processed TV image 22 is acquired in accordance with Fig. 1, whereby the condition in step 160 of the flow scheme then becomes active.
  • the user activates 170 the OK icon in Fig. 5 and the called-up image is switched off 180, whereby the tuned-in digital TV channel MTV appears and occupies the whole of the screen.
  • the present invention also relates to a device for aligning an antenna connected to a receiver for digital signals.
  • the device includes a means of indication 5, 20 for acquired in accordance with Fig. 1, whereby the condition in step 160 of the flow scheme then becomes active.
  • the user activates 170 the OK icon in Fig. 5 and the called-up image is switched off 180, whereby the tuned-in digital TV channel MTV appears and occupies the whole of the screen.
  • the present invention also relates to a device for aligning an antenna connected to a receiver for digital signals.
  • the device includes a means of indication 5, 20 for showing a unified sequence 10, 12-19 of directions when an antenna is aligned towards digital signals, and a means of detection in the receiver for detecting that a digital signal has been received by the receiver by measuring the quality of the signal according to a first method such as AGC. The quality is shown simultaneously on the means of indication 20.
  • the device includes a means of switching for switching from the first method to a second method for measuring the quality of the signal, whereby the switching takes place when a signal has been detected with certainty and the means of indication switches to showing the quality of the signal according to a second method.
  • a means of switching can be a program function that switches between, for example, two drive routines for a graphical reproduction of indicator 20 with scale 12-19 in AGC and BER.
  • the actual alignment of the antenna with the digital signal is allowed using indications on a scale 12-19 via a single means of indication 20 in a unified sequence on the means of indication.
  • the device allows embodiments in accordance with that specified in the method according to that stated above.

Landscapes

  • Circuits Of Receivers In General (AREA)
  • Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
  • Testing, Inspecting, Measuring Of Stereoscopic Televisions And Televisions (AREA)
  • Waveguide Aerials (AREA)
  • Details Of Aerials (AREA)

Claims (12)

  1. Verfahren zum Ausrichten einer mit einem Empfänger für digitale Signale verbundenen Antenne, wobei die Antenne auf die digitalen Signale unter Verwendung einer vereinheitlichten Folge von Anweisungen (12-19) ausgerichtet wird das Verfahren zumindest zwei Verfahren (110, 130) zum Messen der Qualität eines digitalen Signals umfaßt,
       dadurch gekennzeichnet,    daß die Qualität über ein und dieselbe Einrichtung (20) mit der gleichen Skala für die Anweisungen (12-19) in Bezug auf beide Verfahren angezeigt wird, wobei ein erstes Verfahren, das eine automatische Verstärkungsregelung (110) umfaßt, mißt, daß ein digitales Signal empfangen wurde, was auf der genannten Einrichtung (20) angezeigt wird, und wobei die Einrichtung (20), die das Signal empfangen hat, automatisch auf die Darstellung der Qualität unter Verwendung eines zweiten Verfahrens (130) umschaltet, das die Bitfehlerrate darstellt.
  2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Einrichtung (20) zur Ausgabe der Anweisungen ein ganzer Bildschirm (5) ist oder einen Teil eines Bildschirms (5) besetzt.
  3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Einrichtung (20) Teil einer tragbaren Einheit ist.
  4. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Skala verschiedene Farben (12, 14, 16, 18) in Feldern in der Indikatoreinrichtung umfaßt, wobei die beste Signalqualität erreicht ist, wenn während des Ausrichtens der Antenne eine spezifische Farbe (18) ein spezifisches Feld (19) besetzt.
  5. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 bis 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß während der Anweisungen ein Bild (5) aufgerufen wird, das den Benutzer auffordert, eine einheitliche Ausrichtung der Antenne vorzunehmen.
  6. Verfahren nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Bild (5) teilweise transparent wird (22), wenn eine Antennenausrichtung in der Weise durchgeführt wurde, daß ein empfangener digitaler Kanal erscheint, dessen digitale Signalinhalte in dem transparenten Teil des Bilds reproduziert werden.
  7. Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten einer mit einem Empfänger für digitale Signale verbundenen Antenne,
       mit einer Anzeigeeinrichtung (20) zur Darstellung einer vereinheitlichten Folge von Anweisungen (12-19), wenn eine Antenne auf digitale Signale ausgerichtet wird,
       mit einer Detektoreinrichtung zum Detektieren, daß ein digitales Signal von dem Empfänger empfangen wurde, durch Messen der Qualität des Signals nach einem ersten Verfahren, das eine automatische Verstärkungsregelung umfaßt, wobei die Qualität von der Anzeigeeinrichtung (20) angezeigt wird,
       gekennzeichnet durch
       eine Umschalteinrichtung zum Umschalten von dem ersten Verfahren, das eine automatische Verstärkungsregelung umfaßt, auf ein zweites Verfahren zur Messung der Qualität, das die Bitfehlerrate darstellt, wobei das Umschalten stattfindet, wenn ein Signal mit Sicherheit detektiert wurde (120) und die Anzeigeeinrichtung (20) beginnt, die Qualität des Signals nach zweiten Verfahren, das die Bitfehlerrate darstellt, zu zeigen,
       wobei das Einstellen der Antenne auf ein digitales Signal durch Anzeigen mit Hilfe einer einzigen Anzeigeeinrichtung (20) in einer vereinheitlichten Folge (12-19) auf der Anzeigeeinrichtung ermöglicht wird.
  8. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Einrichtung (20) zur Bereitstellung der Anweisungen ein ganzer Bildschirm (5) ist oder einen Teil eines Bildschirms (5) besetzt.
  9. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 7 oder 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Vorrichtung Teil einer tragbaren Einheit ist.
  10. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 7 bis 9, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Skala verschiedene Farben (12, 14, 16, 18) in den Feldern in der Indikatoreinrichtung umfaßt, wobei die beste Signalqualität erreicht ist, wenn während des Ausrichtens der Antenne eine spezifische Farbe (18) ein spezifisches Feld (19) besetzt.
  11. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 7 bis 10, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß während der Anweisungen ein Bild (5) aufgerufen wird, das den Benutzer auffordert, eine einheitliche Ausrichtung der Antenne vorzunehmen.
  12. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 11, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Bild (5) teilweise transparent wird (22), wenn eine Antennenausrichtung in der Weise durchgeführt wurde, daß ein empfangener digitaler Kanal erscheint, dessen digitale Signalinhalte in dem transparenten Teil des Bilds reproduziert werden.
EP99125145A 1998-12-16 1999-12-16 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Antennenausrichten Expired - Lifetime EP1014481B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE9804352 1998-12-16
SE9804352A SE9804352L (sv) 1998-12-16 1998-12-16 Förfarande och anordning för att rikta in en antenn

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1014481A1 EP1014481A1 (de) 2000-06-28
EP1014481B1 true EP1014481B1 (de) 2002-11-13

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EP99125145A Expired - Lifetime EP1014481B1 (de) 1998-12-16 1999-12-16 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Antennenausrichten

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EP (1) EP1014481B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE227891T1 (de)
DE (1) DE69903906T2 (de)
SE (1) SE9804352L (de)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3573663B2 (ja) * 1999-09-21 2004-10-06 松下電器産業株式会社 デジタル放送復調装置
US6799364B2 (en) 2000-12-29 2004-10-05 Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation Antenna aligning methods
US20020083574A1 (en) 2000-12-29 2002-07-04 Matz William R. Method for aligning an antenna with a satellite
US6683581B2 (en) 2000-12-29 2004-01-27 Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation Antenna alignment devices
US6937188B1 (en) * 2001-11-13 2005-08-30 Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation Satellite antenna installation tool
EP1746683A1 (de) 2005-07-18 2007-01-24 Advanced Digital Broadcast S.A. Signalempfänger und Verfahren zur Anpassung einer Antenne zur Empfangsnahme von mindestens zwei Signalen
CN105577903B (zh) * 2015-03-24 2019-04-12 宇龙计算机通信科技(深圳)有限公司 一种信号显示方法及移动终端

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH05176329A (ja) * 1991-12-20 1993-07-13 Sony Corp 衛星放送受信システム
US5287115A (en) * 1992-07-10 1994-02-15 General Instrument Corporation Automatic adjustment of receiver apparatus based on channel-bit-error-rate-affected parameter measurement
US5561433A (en) * 1994-06-09 1996-10-01 Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. Apparatus and method for aligning a receiving antenna utilizing an audible tone

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE9804352D0 (sv) 1998-12-16
SE512542C2 (sv) 2000-04-03
EP1014481A1 (de) 2000-06-28
DE69903906T2 (de) 2003-07-03
SE9804352L (sv) 2000-04-03
ATE227891T1 (de) 2002-11-15
DE69903906D1 (de) 2002-12-19

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