Patent ID: 7010266

Claim:
A method for controlling an amount of power that may be applied to a power amplifier of a transmitter unit of a satellite-based data communications system, the method comprising: delivering a transmission signal from a satellite modem to the transmitter unit of the satellite-based data communications system; monitoring, at the transmitter unit, a direct current component of an input signal applied to the power amplifier of the transmitter unit to determine when the direct current component of the input signal applied to the power amplifier exhibits a predetermined characteristic, wherein said predetermined characteristic is exhibited when, in a graph of input power compared to said direct current component, said direct current component begins to plateau; in response to control signals received from a selected element of the satellite-based data communications system, allowing for increased input signal power to be applied to the power amplifier of the transmitter unit so long as the direct current component of the input signal applied to the power amplifier does not exhibit the predetermined characteristic; and preventing increased input signal power from being applied to the power amplifier of the transmitter unit when the direct current component of the input signal exhibits the predetermined characteristic.