Command, control and communications with intelligent antennas
View Patent ↗A system and method to provide a means of communication, command and control between a mobile antenna and a satellite receiver that allows the receiver to send tuning information to the antenna and the antenna to provide feedback to the receiver when a signal has been acquired. The antenna and the receiver can share the appropriate states and status such as diagnostics, test, GPS coordinates, etc.
1. A receiving system comprising:
a receiver that generates a first communication signal; and
an antenna having an antenna control module that receives the first communication signal, said antenna control module generating a response communication signal corresponding to an antenna status and communicating the response communication signal to the receiver in response to the first communication signal.
2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the receiver is a mobile satellite receiver.
3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a satellite antenna.
4. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein the satellite antenna is a movable antenna.
5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein two-way communicating comprises handshaking between the antenna and the receiver.
6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the receiver comprises a controller having a data port.
7. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein said antenna is coupled to the data port with a wire.
8. A method of operating a system comprising:
resetting a receiver;
requesting antenna information from an antenna;
reporting the information to the receiver;
communicating desired tuning information from the receiver to the antenna; and
communicating a tuning status from the antenna to the receiver.
9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein communicating desired tuning information comprises requesting a program guide.
10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein resetting comprises starting or powering a receiving device.
11. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein resetting a receiver comprises resetting a satellite receiver.
12. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein requesting antenna information from an antenna comprises requesting satellite antenna information from a satellite antenna.
13. A receiving system as recited in claim 1 wherein further comprising a wired communication line coupling the antenna and the receiver, said wired communication line communicating the first communication signal therethrough.
14. A receiving system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first communication signal comprises an antenna information request and wherein the response communication signal comprises an antenna information signal.
15. A receiving system as recited in claim 14 wherein the receiver generates the antenna information request signal during boot-up.
16. A receiving system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first communication signal comprises a desired tuning information signal, and wherein the response communication signal comprises an antenna status tuning information signal.
17. A receiving system as recited in claim 16 wherein the receiver generates desired tuning information signal during a program guide acquisition stage.
18. A receiving system as recited in claim 16 wherein the receiver generates the desired tuning information signal during a channel tuning stage.
19. A receiving system as recited in claim 16 wherein the receiver generates the desired tuning information signal during a channel tuning stage, and wherein antenna control module generates a response communication signal corresponding to an actual tuning information signal.
20. A receiving system as recited in claim 16 wherein the receiver generates desired tuning information signal during a program guide boot stage.