Portable satellite earth station

A device for receiving a signal from a satellite, said device comprising:

• a hand-held support having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion connected by a hinge to the second portion, wherein said first portion is movable from a closed position with respect to the second portion to an open position with respect to the second portion;
• a satellite antenna mounted on said hand-held support;
• satellite receiver electronics supportably mounted on said hand-held support and operatively coupled to the satellite antenna;
• a decoder fixably mounted on said hand-held support and in communication with said satellite receiver electronics;
• and
• a video display monitor mounted on said hand-held support and in communication with said decoder.

A device for receiving a signal from a satellite, said device comprising:

• an enclosure including a first mounting panel and a second mounting panel, said first panel connected by at least one hinge to said second panel, said panels movable from a closed position to an open position wherein in said open position said panels are separated by an acute angle about said hinge;
• a satellite antenna positioned adjacent to said first panel;
• and
• a display monitor positioned adjacent to one of said panels.

A device for receiving a signal from a satellite, said device comprising:

• a hand-held enclosure having a first portion movably connected to a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable from a closed position with respect to the second portion to an open position with respect to the second portion;
• a satellite antenna supportably mounted to said hand-held enclosure that receives the signal from the satellite;
• a tuner/demodulator operatively coupled to the satellite antenna to receive the satellite signal from said satellite antenna, said tuner/demodulator fixably housed within said hand-held enclosure;
• a decoder fixably housed within said hand-held enclosure and including forward error correction logic that forward error corrects the satellite signal to produce a video signal;
• and
• a display monitor operatively coupled to the decoder that displays the video signal, said display monitor housed within said hand-held enclosure;
• wherein said satellite antenna, said tuner/demodulator, said decoder and said display monitor are operational when the first portion is in the open position.

A device for receiving a signal from a satellite, said device comprising:

• an enclosure including a base and a cover hinged to said base;
• a satellite antenna mounted to said enclosure that receives satellite signals;
• a tuner/demodulator that receives signals from said satellite antenna, said tuner/demodulator housed within said enclosure;
• a decoder housed within said enclosure;
• and
• a display monitor displaying video signals, said display monitor housed within said enclosure.

A device for receiving a satellite signal from a satellite, said device comprising:

• an enclosure;
• a satellite antenna mounted to said enclosure that receives the satellite signal;
• a tuner/demodulator that receives the satellite signal from said satellite antenna, said tuner/demodulator housed within said enclosure;
• a decoder housed within said enclosure;
• and
• a display monitor displaying video signals, said display monitor housed within said enclosure;
• wherein said enclosure comprises a plurality of walls and said antenna is mounted to receive said satellite signals through at least one of the plurality of walls of said enclosure.

A device for receiving a signal from a satellite, said device comprising:

• a hand-held support having a first portion movably connected to a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable from a closed position with respect to the second portion to an open position with respect to the second portion;
• a display monitor mounted to said hand-held support;
• a satellite antenna input fixably mounted to said hand-held support;
• satellite receiver electronics fixably mounted to said hand-held support and communicatively coupled with said satellite antenna input;
• and
• forward error correction logic that forward error corrects the signal from the satellite;
• wherein said display monitor, said satellite receiver electronics and said forward error correction logic are operational when the first portion is in the open position.

A device for receiving a satellite signal from a satellite, said device comprising:

• a hand-held housing having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion connected by a first hinge to the second portion, wherein said first portion is movable from a closed position with respect to the second portion to an open position with respect to the second portion;
• a satellite antenna mounted to said hand-held housing;
• and
• a display monitor mounted within said hand-held housing.

A device for communicating via a satellite, said device comprising:

• a hand-held portable housing having a first portion movably connected to a second portion, wherein said first portion is movable from a closed position with respect to the second portion to an open position with respect to the second portion;
• a satellite antenna mounted within said hand-held portable housing;
• a display monitor mounted within said hand-held portable housing;
• a video camera mounted within said hand-held portable housing;
• a microphone mounted within said hand-held portable housing;
• and
• a decoder fixably mounted to said hand-held portable housing and including forward error correction logic;
• wherein said antenna, said display monitor, said video camera, said microphone, and said decoder are in communication with each other and cooperate to allow audio and video teleconferencing via a satellite with said device when the first portion is in the open position.

A portable satellite earth station for decoding a satellite signal, comprising:

• a unitary hand-held portable housing including a flip-open section having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion connected by a hinge to the second portion, wherein said first portion is movable from a closed position with respect to the second portion to an open position with respect to the second portion;
• a display monitor disposed within the unitary hand-held portable housing;
• a receiver for receiving the satellite signal;
• and
• a satellite signal decoder disposed within the unitary hand-held portable housing for decoding the satellite signal and providing the decoded signal to the display monitor.

A portable satellite earth station for decoding a satellite signal, comprising:

• a unitary housing including a flip-open section;
• a display monitor disposed within the unitary housing;
• a receiver for receiving the satellite signal;
• a satellite signal decoder disposed within the unitary housing for decoding the satellite signal and providing the decoded signal to the display monitor, wherein the display monitor includes an LCD monitor connected to the flip-open section of the housing;
• and
• a power switch on the flip-open section that provides power to the LCD monitor and to the decoder when the flip-open section is in an open position.

A portable satellite earth station including:

• a hand-held portable housing having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion connected by a hinge to the second portion, wherein said first portion is movable from a closed position with respect to the second portion to an open position with respect to the second portion;
• a receiver disposed within the hand-held portable housing adapted to receive a satellite signal;
• a decoder disposed within the hand-held portable housing that decodes the satellite signal;
• a microprocessor disposed within the hand-held portable housing coupled to the decoder that controls the decoder;
• and
• a PCMCIA card slot disposed within the hand-held portable housing and coupled to the microprocessor, wherein the PCMCIA card slot is adapted to receive a PCMCIA card for implementation via the microprocessor.