Patent ID: 7366545

Claim:
A method for controlling a depression angle of a radio antenna including: self-calibrating the antenna with respect to the adjustment range of the downtilt angle by interpolating between plural limit positions using a plural point calibration process, the self-calibrating being performed based on the plural-point calibration process by (a) first moving a driveable operating device to a first extreme or limit position, (b) sensing said driveable operating device has reached said first extreme or limit position, (c) then moving said driveable operating device from the first extreme or limit position to a second extreme or limit position different from said first extreme or limit position while measuring adjustment movement between the first extreme or limit position and the second extreme or limit position, and (d) sensing said drivable operating device has reached said second extreme or limit position; associating reaching of the first extreme or limit position with a first specific value of a maximum or minimum depression angle, associating reaching of the second extreme or limit position with a second specific value of a maximum or minimum depression angle, based at least in part on said measured adjustment movement, using the sensed first extreme or limit position and the sensed second extreme or limit position to interpolate depression angles between said first depression angle value and said second depression angle value, said interpolated depression angles corresponding to intermediate relative positions between the first extreme or limit position and the second extreme or limit position; and using said interpolated depression angles at least in part to drive said driveable operating device to a desired position, intermediate between said first extreme or limit position and said second extreme or limit position, corresponding to a desired depression angle.