Patent ID: 6961538

Claim:
A device for use in a satellite communication system having an antenna that receives a broadcast signal and an integrated receiver decoder coupled to the antenna the device comprising: a bypass circuit that is adapted to be coupled between the antenna and the integrated receiver decoder to convey a first portion of the broadcast signal from the antenna to the integrated receiver decoder; a first filter circuit that is adapted to be coupled to the antenna to receive a second portion of the broadcast signal from the antenna and to pass a service signal to a first filter output; a second filter circuit that is adapted to be coupled to the antenna to receive a third portion of the broadcast signal from the antenna and to pass a noise signal to a second filter output; a difference circuit coupled to the first and second filter outputs that subtracts the second filter output from the first filter output to produce a difference signal; and a comparison circuit that compares the difference signal to a first threshold associated with an incipient loss of lock on the broadcast signal.