Smart antenna for RF receivers

Abstract

A controller controls the automatic positioning of an antenna. The controller is arranged to position the antenna dependent upon a channel selected by a user, a location of a receiver tuned to the selected channel, and a location of a source of a signal associated with the selected channel.

1. A system for automatically positioning an antenna comprising:
 a motor arranged to be coupled to the antenna; and,  
 a controller coupled to the motor, wherein the controller is arranged to control the motor in response to selection of a channel so as to automatically drive the antenna to a position at which the antenna is aimed at a source of a signal associated with the selected channel, wherein the controller operates the motor to drive the antenna to the position based upon a location of the signal source and a location of the antenna, wherein the controller is arranged to receive the signal from the positioned antenna and to process the received signal so as to improve reception of the received signal, and wherein the processing of the received signal is dependent upon the position.  
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller stores a location of a known offending source, and where the controller processes the received signal by reducing reception of a signal from the known offending source based upon the stored location of the known offending source. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2  wherein the antenna has a reception path between the antenna and the signal source, and wherein the controller blocks reception of the signal from the known offending source only if the known offending source is effectively in the reception path between the antenna and the signal source. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2  wherein the controller includes an FM trap to notch out a signal from the known offending source. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller includes a variable gain amplifier electrically coupled between the antenna and a receiver tuned to the channel selected by the user, wherein the controller processes the received signal by controlling the gain of the variable gain amplifier according to the location of the signal source so as to improve reception of the received signal. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein the location of the antenna is supplied by a global position sensor. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to operate the motor in response to a compass reading derived from a compass. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to cancel ghosts depending upon the position of the antenna. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1  wherein the antenna comprises first and second antennas, and wherein the controller is arranged to switch between the first and second antennas depending upon the channel selected by the user. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1  wherein the location of the signal source and the location of the antenna are global locations. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller includes an FM trap to notch out a signal from the known offending source, and wherein the controller processes the received signal by controlling FM trap according to the location of the signal source so as to improve reception of the received signal. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller processes the received signal by controlling a circuit in a signal processing path so as to improve reception of the received signal. 
     
     
       13. A method of automatically positioning an antenna having a motor coupled thereto comprising:
 controlling the motor so as to drive the motor automatically in response to selection of a channel to a position at which the antenna is aimed at a source of a signal associated with the selected channel;  
 receiving a signal from the positioned antenna; and,  
 processing the received signal so as to improve reception of the received signal, wherein the processing of the received signal is dependent upon the position.  
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  further comprising storing a location of a known offending source, wherein the processing of the received signal comprises reducing reception of a signal from the known offending source based upon the stored location of the known offending source. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  wherein the antenna has a reception path between the antenna and the signal source, and wherein the reducing of reception of a signal from the known offending source comprises blocking reception of the signal from the known offending source only if the known offending source is effectively in the reception path between the antenna and the signal source. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14  wherein the reducing of reception of a signal from the known offending source comprises notching out a signal from the known offending source. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13  wherein the processing of the received signal comprises controlling the gain of a variable gain amplifier according to the location of the signal source so as to improve reception of the received signal. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 13  further comprising supplying the location of the antenna by way of a global position sensor. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13  wherein the controlling of the motor comprises driving the motor in response to a compass reading derived from a compass. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 13  further comprising canceling ghosts depending upon the position of the antenna. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 13  wherein the antenna comprises first and second antennas, and wherein the method further comprises switching between the first and second antennas depending upon the channel selected by the user. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 13  wherein the location of the signal source and the location of the antenna are global locations. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 13  wherein the processing of the received signal includes controlling an FM trap to notch out a signal from the known offending source according to the location of the signal source. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 13  wherein the processing of the received signal comprises controlling a circuit in a signal processing path so as to improve reception of the received signal. 
     
     
       25. A method of receiving a signal transmitted by a source comprising:
   controlling an antenna in response to selection of a channel so that the antenna has a preferential direction of reception dependent upon the selected channel, wherein the antenna receives the signal; and,        processing the signal as received by the antenna so as to improve reception of the received signal, wherein the processing of the received signal is dependent upon a stored value associated with the selected channel.     
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25  further comprising storing a location of a known offending source, wherein the processing of the signal comprises reducing reception of a signal from the known offending source based upon the stored location of the known offending source. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26  wherein the reducing of reception of a signal from the known offending source comprises notching out a signal from the known offending source. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 25  wherein the processing of the signal comprises controlling the gain of a variable gain amplifier dependent upon the selected channel so as to improve reception of the received signal. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 25  wherein the controlling of the antenna includes controlling the antenna based upon a global position sensor. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 25  wherein the controlling of the antenna includes controlling the antenna based upon a compass reading derived from a compass. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 25  further comprising canceling ghosts depending upon the selected channel. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 25  wherein the selected channel is received in one of a plurality of bands, and wherein the method further comprises selecting one of the plurality of bands depending upon the channel selected by the user. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 25  wherein the processing of the signal includes controlling an FM trap to notch out a signal from a known offending source. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 25  wherein the processing of the signal comprises controlling a circuit in a signal processing path so as to improve reception of the received signal. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 25  wherein the controlling of an antenna comprises controlling a motor so as to drive the antenna automatically in response to selection of a channel to a position at which the antenna has the preferential direction of reception. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 25  wherein the controlling of an antenna in response to selection of a channel comprises retrieving information related to the preferential direction from memory, wherein the information related to the preferential direction is stored in the memory in conjunction with the selected channel. 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 25  wherein the processing of the signal comprises retrieving information from the memory and processing the signal as received by the antenna in accordance with the information so as to improve reception of the received signal, wherein the information is stored in the memory in conjunction with the selected channel. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 37  wherein the information relates to gain. 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 38  wherein the information comprises frequency information. 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 37  wherein the information comprises ghost canceling information. 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 37  wherein the information comprises equalizer information. 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 37  wherein the controlling of an antenna in response to selection of a channel comprises retrieving information related to the preferential direction from memory, wherein the information related to the preferential direction is stored in the memory in conjunction with the selected channel. 
     
     
       43. The method of  claim 25  further comprising sending a band selection signal to the antenna based on the selected channel. 
     
     
       44. The method of  claim 25  wherein the processing of the signal comprises canceling ghosts depending upon the selected channel. 
     
     
       45. The method of  claim 25  wherein the processing of the signal comprises controlling an adaptive equalizer depending upon the selected channel. 
     
     
       46. A method of receiving a signal transmitted by a source comprising:
   controlling an antenna in response to selection of a channel so that the antenna has a preferential direction of reception dependent upon the selected channel, wherein the antenna receives the signal;        processing the signal as received by the antenna so as to improve reception of the received signal, wherein the processing of the received signal is dependent upon the selected channel; and        storing a location of a known offending source, wherein the processing of the signal comprises reducing reception of a signal from the known offending source based upon the stored location of the known offending source;        wherein the antenna has a reception path between the antenna and the source, and wherein the reducing of reception of a signal from the known offending source comprises blocking reception of the signal from the known offending source only if the known offending source is effectively in a path along the preferential direction.     
     
     
       47. A method of receiving a signal transmitted by a source comprising:
   controlling an antenna in response to selection of a channel so that the antenna has a preferential direction of reception dependent upon the selected channel, wherein the antenna receives the signal; and,        processing the signal as received by the antenna so as to improve reception of the received signal, wherein the processing of the received signal comprises controlling a gain of a variable gain amplifier with a stored gain value associated with the selected channel.     
     
     
       48. The method of  claim 47  wherein the controlling of an antenna in response to selection of a channel comprises retrieving information related to the preferential direction from memory, wherein the information related to the preferential direction is stored in the memory in conjunction with the selected channel. 
     
     
       49. The method of  claim 47  further comprising sending a band selection signal to the antenna based on the selected channel. 
     
     
       50. A method of receiving a signal transmitted by a source comprising:
   controlling an antenna in response to selection of a channel so that the antenna has a preferential direction of reception dependent upon the selected channel, wherein the antenna receives the signal; and,        processing the signal as received by the antenna so as to improve reception of the received signal, wherein the processing of the received signal comprises controlling a gain of a variable gain amplifier dependent upon the selected channel,        wherein the processing of the signal comprises retrieving information related to the gain from the memory, wherein the information related to the gain is stored in the memory in conjunction with the selected channel.     
     
     
       51. A method of receiving a signal transmitted by a source comprising:
   controlling an antenna in response to selection of a channel so that the antenna has a preferential direction of reception dependent upon the selected channel, wherein the antenna receives the signal; and,        processing the signal as received by the antenna so as to improve reception of the received signal, wherein the processing of the received signal comprises controlling a gain of a variable gain amplifier dependent upon the selected channel;        wherein the controlling of an antenna in response to selection of a channel comprises retrieving information related to the preferential direction from memory, wherein the information related to the preferential direction is stored in the memory in conjunction with the selected channel, and wherein the processing of the signal comprises retrieving information related to the gain from the memory, wherein the information related to the gain is stored in the memory in conjunction with the selected channel.     
     
     
       52. A method of receiving signals transmitted by sources over corresponding channels comprising:
   storing a corresponding preferential direction, by channel, for an antenna to receive each of the signals from the sources;        storing corresponding gain information, by channel, for each of the sources;        retrieving a preferential direction corresponding to a selected channel and controlling the antenna in response to the retrieved preferential direction to receive the signal corresponding to the selected channel; and,        retrieving gain information corresponding to the selected channel and processing the signal corresponding to the selected channel in accordance with the retrieved gain information so as to improve reception of the signal corresponding to the selected channel.     
     
     
       53. The method of  claim 52  wherein the selected channel is received in one of a plurality of bands, and wherein the method further comprises selecting one of the plurality of bands depending upon the channel selected by the user.