Neal J Becker

US Patent:

6985523, Jan 10, 2006

Filed:

Jan 10, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/043775

Inventors:

Richard Sims - Walkersville MD, US
Richard Clewer - Ijamsville MD, US
Neal Becker - Frederick MD, US
Yezdi Antia - Gaithersburg MD, US
J. Mark Steber - Frederick MD, US

Assignee:

Hughes Electronics Corp. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

H03K 5/159

US Classification:

375232

Abstract:

An apparatus for providing automatic gain control for use in a satellite terminal of a satellite communication system capable of transmitting a plurality of different modes of data. The apparatus includes a demodulator circuit having an analog to digital converter; a first variable attenuator having an attenuation value set on the basis of a measured power level of a predetermined data signal; and a second variable attenuator having an attenuation value set on the basis of the mode of data being received by the satellite terminal, where each of the data modes have a corresponding predetermined attenuation value associated therewith which is utilized as the attenuation value of the second variable attenuator when the satellite terminal receives the data mode.

US Patent:

7369633, May 6, 2008

Filed:

May 10, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/842325

Inventors:

Yimin Jiang - Rockville MD, US
Neal Becker - Frederick MD, US

Assignee:

The DIRECTV Group, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

H04L 7/00

US Classification:

375354, 375326, 375327, 375362, 375368, 370503, 704503

Abstract:

An approach is provided for supporting carrier synchronization in a digital broadcast and interactive system. A carrier synchronization module receives one or more signals representing a frame that includes one or more overhead fields (e. g. , preamble and optional pilot blocks and one or multiple segments separated by pilot blocks). The module estimates carrier frequency and phase on a segment by segment basis and tracks frequency between segments. Carrier phase of the signal is estimated based upon the overhead field. Estimates carrier phase of random data field are determined based upon the estimated phase values from the overhead fields, and upon both the past and future data signals. Further, the frequency of the signal is estimated based upon the overhead fields and/or the random data field. The above arrangement is particularly suited to a digital satellite broadcast and interactive system.

US Patent:

7817759, Oct 19, 2010

Filed:

Mar 26, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/079377

Inventors:

Yimin Jiang - Rockville MD, US
Neal Becker - Frederick MD, US

Assignee:

DTVG Licensing, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

H04L 7/00

US Classification:

375354, 375326, 375327, 375362, 375368, 375361, 375363, 375364, 375371, 375373

Abstract:

An approach is provided for supporting carrier synchronization in a digital broadcast and interactive system. A carrier synchronization module receives one or more signals representing a frame that includes one or more overhead fields (e. g. , preamble and optional pilot blocks and one or multiple segments separated by pilot blocks). The module estimates carrier frequency and phase on a segment by segment basis and tracks frequency between segments. Carrier phase of the signal is estimated based upon the overhead field. Estimates carrier phase of random data field are determined based upon the estimated phase values from the overhead fields, and upon both the past and future data signals. Further, the frequency of the signal is estimated based upon the overhead fields and/or the random data field. The above arrangement is particularly suited to a digital satellite broadcast and interactive system.

US Patent:

8275081, Sep 25, 2012

Filed:

Sep 29, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/893843

Inventors:

Yimin Jiang - Rockville MD, US
Neal Becker - Frederick MD, US

Assignee:

DTVG Licensing, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

H04L 7/00

US Classification:

375354, 375326, 375327, 375362, 375368, 375361, 375363, 375364, 375371, 375373, 375376

Abstract:

An approach is provided for supporting carrier synchronization in a digital broadcast and interactive system. A carrier synchronization module receives one or more signals representing a frame that includes one or more overhead fields (e. g. , preamble and optional pilot blocks and one or multiple segments separated by pilot blocks). The module estimates carrier frequency and phase on a segment by segment basis and tracks frequency between segments. Carrier phase of the signal is estimated based upon the overhead field. Estimates carrier phase of random data field are determined based upon the estimated phase values from the overhead fields, and upon both the past and future data signals. Further, the frequency of the signal is estimated based upon the overhead fields and/or the random data field. The above arrangement is particularly suited to a digital satellite broadcast and interactive system.

US Patent:

8355462, Jan 15, 2013

Filed:

Oct 29, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/608430

Inventors:

Bassel Beidas - Alexandria VA, US
Stan Kay - Rockville MD, US
Neal Becker - Frederick MD, US

Assignee:

Hughes Network Systems, LLC - Germantown MD

International Classification:

H04L 25/03

US Classification:

375296, 375295, 375285, 375260, 375259, 375297, 375267, 4551142, 4551143

Abstract:

The present invention provides a communication system for use with a first source signal and a second source signal. The first source signal is on a first channel and includes M symbols, where M is an integer greater than 1. The second source signal is on a second channel and includes X symbols, where X is an integer greater than 1. The first channel is different from the second channel. The communication system includes a first modulator unit, a second modulator unit and an adder. The first modulator unit can generate a first modulated signal based on the first source signal and includes a first inter-symbol distortion estimating unit and a first stage predistortion unit. The second modulator unit can generate a second modulated signal based on the second source signal and includes a second inter-symbol distortion estimating unit and a predistortion unit. The adder can generate an added signal based on the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal. The first inter-symbol distortion estimating unit can generate a distorted symbol vector based on an estimate of a distortion of the first through (a−1)-th symbols and an estimate of a distortion of the (a+1)-th through M-th symbols, where 1≦a≦M.

US Patent:

8594230, Nov 26, 2013

Filed:

Feb 28, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/407684

Inventors:

Neal Becker - Frederick MD, US

Assignee:

Hughes Network Systems, LLC - Germantown MD

International Classification:

H04L 27/00

US Classification:

375295, 375219, 375220, 375267, 375299, 455101, 455132, 455500, 4555621, 370334, 341173

Abstract:

A system and method of construction of unique word sets together with an efficient method of implementing correlation with the members of the set is presented. The set of UWs is constructed by breaking a UW sequence in to equal length segments, and then multiplying this vector by an orthogonal matrix. First an arbitrary vector U is chosen of length K for a set of N UWs. Then a matrix H of size N×N is chosen. The columns of H are then repeated L times to form a matrix H′. The set of N UW consists of the rows of H′U. N sub-correlations of the N segments of the vector U with the segments of the (suitably delayed) received signal is performed at the receiver. Then the N different outputs are obtained as Z=HC, where C=[C. . . C] is the vector of correlated outputs. The receiver only requires N correlators, each of length L, instead of length K, which provides a less complex and more efficient solution for detection of UW sets.

US Patent:

8619974, Dec 31, 2013

Filed:

Dec 24, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/647096

Inventors:

Russell Fang - Potomac MD, US
Mustafa Eroz - Germantown MD, US
Neal Becker - Frederick MD, US

Assignee:

Hughes Network Systems, LLC - Germantown MD

International Classification:

H04L 29/06

US Classification:

380 28, 713162

Abstract:

A spread scrambled multiple access (SSCMA) scheme is described. A first encoded bit stream of a first terminal is scrambled according to a first scrambling signature. A second encoded bit stream of a second terminal is scrambled according to a second scrambling signature. The first scrambled bit stream is spread to match a communication channel bandwidth. The second scrambled bit stream is spread to match the communication channel bandwidth.

US Patent:

20020110206, Aug 15, 2002

Filed:

Dec 13, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/023115

Inventors:

Neal Becker - Frederick MD, US
Liping Chen - Germantown MD, US
James Inge - Germantown MD, US
Yimin Jiang - Rockville MD, US
Stan Kay - Rockville MD, US
Victor Liau - Montogomery Village MD, US

International Classification:

H04L001/00

US Classification:

375/346000

Abstract:

A combined interference cancellation communication system employing forward error code (FEC) decoding for high spectral efficiency satellite communications. The disclosed system enables efficient utilization of available bandwidth through overlapping adjacent channels. A receiver is used to receive a waveform having data information and noise information. A filter bank is coupled with the receiver to receive and filter waveform and output channel information received by the receiver. The channel information received includes a combination of data signals and adjacent channel interference signals. A demodulator is provided to provide an estimation signal representative of an estimation of at least one parameter of the channel information. Soft-input and soft-output decoders are provided to receive the channel information in order to calculate and estimate interference values based on the estimation signal. Additionally, the soft-input and soft-output interference canceler is provided for receiving the output channel information and the estimated interference value calculated from the decoders in order to provide a data signal based on substantially without interference the channel information and estimated interference value. Thus, a substantially more accurate data signal is provided. Typically, such systems employ remote ground terminals, e.g., VSAT, which are used for communicating via a geosynchronous satellite from a remote location to a central hub station or other remote locations. A particular advantage of the disclosed systems is their relatively low site cost and small earth station size.