Abstract: An automatic remote control device and method which compensates for ambient, environmental noise changes and sudden changes in program material volume. The microphones and circuitry associated with the volume control apparatus are located in an autonomous, preferably portable, remote control unit that will work with any existing audio/video device that is configured to respond to a remote control input. In one embodiment, the remote control device comprises a microprocessor, at least one directional microphone for receiving a sound level emitted from a sound-emitting device, and at least one omni-directional microphone for receiving the total noise level in the vicinity of the remote control device. The microprocessor located in the remote control device utilizes the received sound level and the total received noise level to calculate a reference sound-to-noise ratio.

Abstract: The wireless communication system includes antennas having electrically controllable downtilt angles and downtilt controllers associated with each antenna. The downtilt controllers receive instructions from a main controller, and adjust the downtilt angles of the associated antennas in accordance with the received instructions.

Abstract: A system for enhancing signal reception comprises delay devices coupled to a combiner. The delay devices are adapted to delay respective input signals by corresponding offset delay durations to produce time-staggered delayed signals with respect to one another. The combiner is coupled to the delay devices for combining the delayed signals to form a combined signal. A recorder receives the combined signal for recording the combined signal in the time-domain. The recorder records the combined signal in successive measurement cycles. Each successive measurement cycle contains a time window corresponding to each of the delayed signals. An evaluator evaluates the recorded signal for determining average power, within each time window, over a group of the successive measurement cycles for each of the delayed signals to prepare for determining cross-correlation between pairs of the delayed signals.