US 4,792,815 AGranted

Reception system for satellite signals

OwnerRoger F. G. Moisdoninventor

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Abstract

There is disclosed a reception system for satellite signals. The system includes parabolic petals, each having a reflective receiving surface, each of the petals constituting one radial segment of a surface of a parabaloid. There is also provided a servo-motor for controlling the polar position of one or more of the petals about the common polar axis, thereby enabling the overlap or nesting of one or more of said petals onto each other, this providing an amplification control means for receiving surface. Additionally provided is an actuator for changing and controlling the direction of the polar axis of the reception system. There is also furnished a control shaft for electro-mechanically defining a particular channel parameter reception matrix, this matrix constituting one or more of the channel parameters of signal strength, geosynchronous direction of the antenna axis, transponder polarity and frequency, video polarity and bandwidth, and subcarrier frequency. by preprogramming many such control shafts, a tuning panel can be created by which a user need only press a particular control shaft to tune into a particular channel of a particular transponder of a particular satellite that is of interest to the user. Included also are an enclosure for enclosing the folded satellite dish and means for automatically deploying the dish from its enclosure.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A system for selectively receiving signals from satellites in earth orbit, comprising:

parabolic reflector means to focus said signals from a particular satellite on receptive means located at a focal region defined by the curvature of said reflector means;
receptive means operatively connected to said reflective means for receiving said signals for ultimate conversion to intelligible information;
said reflector means including a plurality of petals rotatably joined at a common polar axis by axial joint means, each said petal being a radial segment of a paraboloid and said petals overlapping one another when folded;
said petals each having a concave reflective surface, a convex surface, an outer rim that is substantially an arc of a circle, a polar axial element forming a component of said axial joint means, a leading edge and a trailing edge each extending from an end of said arc to said axial element;
each of said rotatable petals further including petal shape retaining means extending substantially radially from said axial element substantially to said rim and contained within the concavity of said paraboloid for maintaining the parabolic shape at any degree of rotation for effective signal focus;
reflector support means connected to said reflector means for supporting said reflector in position;
and reversible petal rotation means operatively connected to said petals for rotating said petals relative to one another to increase overlapping to reduce reflective surface and signal and also to reduce overall dimensions in a folded position for storage in a first rotational direction and to reduce overlapping and increase reflective surface for forming a larger portion of said paraboloid for increased signal in a second rotational direction.

4 more elements

A folding antenna system for receiving microwave radiation signals from a distant source comprising:

a reflector with a substantially parabolic-shape, inner, concave reflector surface for focussing said radiation;
source directing and reflector support means for automatically supporting said reflector in stable position directed toward said source when said reflector is deployed for receptive operation and for lowering said reflector to a storage position for storing said reflector when inoperative;
said reflector including a plurality of petals rotatably joined at a common polar axis by axial joint means, each said petal being a radial segment of a paraboloid, and said petals arranged to overlap one another when folded;
said petals each having a concave reflective surface, a convex surface, an outer rim that is substantially an arc of a circle, a polar axial element forming a component of said axial joint means, a leading edge and a trailing edge each extending from an end of said arc to said axial element;
each of said rotating petals further including petal shape retaining means extending substantially radially from said axial element substantially to said rim and contained within the concavity of said paraboloid for maintaining the parabolic shape at any degree of rotation for effective signal focus;
and reflector folding and unfolding means operatively connecting said petals for rotating said petals relative to one another to increase overlapping to reduce reflective surface and signal and also to reduce overall dimensions in a folded position for storage in a first rotational direction and to reduce overlapping and increase reflective surface for forming a larger portion of said paraboloid for increased signal in a second rotational direction.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.