Patent ID: 6934314

Claim:
Method for determining characteristics of components of a satellite communication channel, comprising: generating a first pseudo noise signal PN(t); modulating a clean carrier signal f(t) with said first pseudo noise signal PN(t) to generate a spreaded clean carrier signal s(t); transmitting said spreaded clean carrier signal s(t) through said communication channel at a first predetermined level; receiving a receive signal s′(t) corresponding to said spreaded clean carrier signal s(t) after having travelled through said communication channel; correlating said receive signal s′(t) with said first pseudo noise signal PN(t) to generate said despreaded carrier signal f′(t); determining the group delay of the communication channel at the selected frequency of the clean carrier signal f(t) on the basis of the time delay between the first pseudo noise signal PN(t) and said receive signal s′(t); determining the amplitude response of the communication channel at the selected frequency of the clean carrier signal f(t) on the basis of the correlation peak between the first pseudo noise signal PN(t) and said receive signal s′(t).