System and method for uplink power control

An uplink power control system for a satellite communication station, said system transceiving RF signals with a satellite, said power control system comprising:

• a control unit having a modem and a DC current sensing mechanism, said modem providing a signal for transmission to said satellite in accordance with said DC current sensing mechanism;
• an antenna unit having an antenna for receiving said RF signal from said satellite and transmitting an RF signal to said satellite, said transmitted RF signal in accordance with said signal for transmission received from said modem of said control unit;
• a signal transfer means between said control unit and said antenna unit;
• and
• a processor in communication with said control unit, said processor having code stored thereon to cause said DC current sensing mechanism to detect a DC current supplied to said antenna unit, to calculate an amount of compression of said system, and to instruct said control unit based on said amount of compression.

A method for signal control in a satellite ground station, said station of the type for transmitting and receiving signals between a satellite, said method comprising:

• receiving, at a transceiver unit of said station, a signal for satellite transmission from a control unit of said station;
• detecting, at said control unit, a DC current supplied to said transceiver unit in the presence of said signal for satellite transmission;
• determining at least one derivative from a mathematical expression derived from at least two DC current values from said detecting step;
• modulating said signal in accordance with said determining step;
• and
• transmitting said modulated signal from said transceiver unit to said satellite.

A computer program embodying instructions executable by a processing means to perform method steps for determining a compression point in an uplink power control system, the system including a control unit having processing means and an antenna unit configured to communicate with each other over a communication channel, said method steps comprising:

• generating a signal in said control unit to produce a low level RF signal in said antenna unit;
• increasing said signal strength in said control unit to produce a higher level RF signal in said antenna unit;
• detecting, in said control unit, a current level in said signal;
• determining, in said control unit, a derivative of a theoretical current curve created from at least two detected current levels;
• determining, in said control unit, a compression corresponding to said derivative;
• comparing said compression to a maximum compression;
• and
• repeating the method steps until said comparing step determines said maximum compression has been reached.

A method for predicting an output power in a transmission signal for use in a power control system, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating a transmission signal in said power control system;
• determining a theoretical curve from at least two of current levels detected in said signal;
• determining a derivative of said curve;
• storing said derivative in said memory;
• and
• determining, from a look-up table stored on said memory, a predicted output power corresponding to said derivative.