GB2264012A - Providing radio station information by converting detected frequency or coded information to readable form. - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for presenting identification information relating to signal transmission stations and/or sources involving conversion of station/source transmission frequency information into alpha numeric form, with or without R.D.S being present in the transmission from the station/source. <IMAGE>

Description

SIGNAL TUNING This invention relates to the tuning of electronic equipment.

In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention is concerned with the tuning of radio frequency receivers.

Historically, the tuning of a radio frequency receiver has involved rotational/sliding movement of a tuning control, the result of which is to produce displacement of a station indication pointer over a calibrated scale which can be, for example, circular, part circular or linear.

As is well known radio signal transmitting stations operate at predetermined freqences/wavelengths which latter have been classified into a number of well defined bands. For example, those commonly known as short, medium and long wave bands.

Transmitting stations conventionally operate within a precisely defined/selected band or perhaps in more than one band with each transmitting station operating within a closely defined range of wavelengths/frequencies within the associated band.

Whilst there are many well known technical reasons and conditions defining and establishing the precise frequencies/wavelength to be used by any one transmitting station an important aspect in so so far as the present Application is concerned is that the tuning of the radio signal receiving apparatus is able readily to locate and thus tune to reception of a desired transmitting station.

Satisfactory tuning is indicated when the radio signalreceiving apparatus produces the desired signal at such a reception strength that signals from any other transmitting station do not adversely affect the reception in so far as the user/listener is concerned.

In the early days of radio reception when there were relatively few transmitting stations it was a conventional practice to identify a transmitting station by the its name rather than using a numerical value as the station identification.

With the proliferation of transmitting stations it has become the standard practice to identify transmitting stations by their transmission frequency.

Whilst this use of numbers to identify a transmitting station affords convenience it does involve the need for a user to to remember a series of number groups (at least one for each transmitting station from whom signals are likely to be required)0 Whilst the use of numerical data to identify a transmitting station is inherently efficient and convenient it has been noted that, the transmitting stations themselves, particularly with the ever increasing number of local radio stations, frequently identify themselves by name, and that whenever operating frequencies are mentioned, such mention seems to have been relegated to a secondary role. In other words a significant proportion of the self identification of a transmitting station is by the name of station rather than by mention only of a frequency range or wavelength range.

It is believed that this is because the transmitting station personnel have realised that for the creation of Goodwill in a transmitting station it is important to obtain and retain listeners, and that it is usually easier for their listeners to recall a name or well flowing word group than to recall a frequency number range which latter can appear to be relatively complex in form to those persons not particularly conversant with radio frequency nomenclature.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for and a method of accurately and efficiently tuning radio signal receiving apparatus or other apparatus requiring to tune into a variety of transmitted signal sources, and presenting said information in a user friendly manner.

Thus, broadly, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of presenting identification information relating to signal transmissions, with or without Radio Data System (R.D.S) information being present in the transmissions, from transmitting stations/sources, the method involving conversion of station/source transmission frequency information into a form including at least some readable characters.

A further aspect of the invention provides apparatus for identification information relating to signal transmissions, with or without Radio Data System (R.D.S) information being present in the transmissions, from transmitting stations/sources, the apparatus involving means for the conversion of station/source transmission frequency information into a form including at least some readable characters.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic block diagram of radio signal receiving apparatus exhibiting the concepts of the invention.

Referring now to the Figure a tuner unit l is adapted to receive as input, radio frequency signals from transmitting stations (not shown) by way of an aerial 2. The output from the tuner unit 1 is fed by way of an amplifier 3 to a signal reproducing arrangement 4 illustrated as a loud speaker.

In accordance with the proposals of the invention the tuner unit 1 is tuned i.e., caused to select signals from a specified/desired radio transmitting station, by an arrangement incorporating a microprocessor 5, which is connected to receive transmitting station identification input from the tuner unit l. In the case of transmitted signals including R.D.S. i.e., from a station transmitting within a very high frequency, frequency modulated band (VHF FM Band) this decoding is effected by means of a R.D.S.

signal decoder 6. The microprocesser 5 is arranged to produce by means of a visual display 7, in a form including at least some readable letters, the identification name of a transmitting station as the tuner unit 1 is 'tuned-in' to the transmitting station.

In operation, the tuner unit 1 is so controlled by the microprocssor 5 that, on initial switching-on of the radio signal receiving apparatus, the tuner unit 1 is caused to effect a calibratory continuous tuning sweep across the VHF FM Band, and to produce therefrom a characteristic output each time, during the sweep, a received radio signal level exceeds a predetermined signal threshold level.

As each transmitting station is 'tuned-in' the identifying information characteristic thereof and carried by the R.D.S (if such system is involved) is decoded by the decoder 6 and is stored by the microprocessor 5 in alpha-numeric form i.e., in the form of station names of other readable alpha-numeric form.

Following this initial calibration cycle during which identification information relative to each transmitting station having a signal strength above the threshold has been stored for a subsequent demand by the user, the microprocessor 5 can be caused to scroll through (or otherwise present) the stored information, so that the stored names of the stations together with corresponding numerical data., are displayed on the display 7 with respect to a pointer 8. The display produced by the visual display 7 can be of such form that the display of a station name appears within a moveable window on a linear scale of station names.

Alternatively, if a particular station name is readily known the microprocesser 5 can be caused to display the name at the pointer 8 without the need for successive scrolling of the stored information.

The system of the invention is such that if any station name (number) is allowed to dwell at the pointer 8 for a presettable time interval the microprocessor 5 causes the tuner unit 1 automatically to tune the tuner unit 1 to the to the indicated transmitting station.

In addition, the control of the tuner unit is such that once tuned the system effectively locks onto the station thereby maintaining tuning in the event of transmission signal drift.

To facilitate the tuning process the display can be arranged to display in the window the stations immediately adjacent to a required station so that the display system may be regarded as being more user friendly.

Whilst the system decoder 6 is particlarly intended to decode from an R.D.S type signal, arrangements can be provided to enable transmitting station detection and identification by measurement of the signal frequency and to record numerical data for use in the tuner setting for such stations.

To avoid the need for the user to recall such numerical data the microprocessor is such that the user user can store in the microprocessor code names and/or letter groups etc., so that the user is able to call-up such stations by the stored code name.

The proposals of the invention makes it possible to prioritise stations so that only chosen stations will automatically appear in the visual display. With this facility second choice stations whilst still being stored will be produced in the display only when required.

It is convenient to note that the proposals of the invention enable the production of a radio or HI-FI tuner apparatus which does not incorporate band switching; which presets, or which involves any references to frequency or waveband since it is only neceesary to know a station name and to present such name to the visual display pointer 8.

Historically, the tuning of radio receivers has involved the relative displacement of the vanes or the like of a variable capacitor, such relative displacement being commonly produced by rotation of a tuning control which, in addition, to producing relative displacement of the capacitor vanes moves a pointer relative to a scale or scales representing a particular wave band, the scale(s) being marked at appropriate positions corresponding to the receiver tuning setting for transmitting stations operating within the band in question.

Claims (15)

1. A method of presenting identification information relating to signal transmissions, with or without Radio Data System (R.D.S) information being present in the transmissions, from transmitting stations/sources, the method involving conversion of station/source transmission frequency information into a form including at least some readable characters.

2 Apparatus for presenting identification information relating to signal transmissions, with or without Radio Data System (R.D.S) information being present in the transmissions, from transmitting stations/sources, the apparatus involving means for the conversion of station/source transmission frequency information into a form including at least some readable characters.

3. Radio frequency tuning apparatus including signal tuning means for detecting requisite signals from a plurality of signals emitted by a plurality of transmitting stations or sources and a microprocessor connected to receive the selected/desired signals and adapted to produce therefrom an output that is utilisable to produce on a V.D.U or other convenient visual/audible presentation means an output including at least some letters forming a readable group serving for the identification name or the like ascribed to the selected sigals.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, and including a control connection between the microprocessor and the tuning unit, the control connection being such that on initial switch-on of the apparatus the tuning means is caused to effect a calibration tuning sweep over the radio frequency band(s) to which the tuner unit is responsive and to produce a characteristic output each time during the calibratory sweep that the received radio frequency signal exceeds a predetermined signal threshhold level.

5 Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or 4, and wherein when the received signal includes radio data system signals the information characteristic thereof is decoded by an R.D.S signal decoder and the decoded R.D.S information is arranged to be stored by the microprocessor in the form of a station name or other convenient user friendly readable alpha-numeric form.

6. Apparatus as claimed in clain 5, and wherein the microprocessor can be caused to scroll through (or otherwise present) the stored information for examination, so that the stored names of the stations together with corresponding numerical data., are displayed on the display with respect to a pointer or the like.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, and wherein the display produced by the visual display can be of such form that the display of a station name appears within a moveable window on a linear scale of station names.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, and wherein if a particular station name is readily known the microprocesser can be caused to display the name at the pointer without the need for successive scrolling of the stored information.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6,7 ot 8, and wherein if any station name (number) is allowed to dwell at the pointer for a presettable time interval the microprocessor causes the tuner means automatically to tune the tuner means to the indicated transmitting station.

10 Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, and wherein the control of the tuner means is such that once tuned the apparatus effectively locks onto the station thereby maintaining tuning in the event of transmission signal drift.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, and wherein the information presented can be arranged to display in a window the stations immediately adjacent to a required station so that the display system may be regarded as being more user friendly.

12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 11, and wherein whilst the decoder is particlarly intended to decode from an R.D.S type signal, arrangements can be provided to enable transmitting station detection and identification by measurement of the signal frequency and to record numerical data for use in the tuner setting for such stations.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 12, and wherein in order to avoid the need for the user to recall such numerical data the microprocessor is such that the user user can store in the microprocessor code names and/or letter groups etc., so that the user is able to call-up such stations by the stored code name.

14. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 13, and wherein arrangements are provided for prioritising stations so that only chosen stations will automatically appear in the visual display, the arrangement being such that second choice stations whilst still being stored will be produced in the disp1ay only when required.

15. Radio frequency tuning apparatus including signal tuning means for detecting requisite/desired signals from a plurality of signals emitted by a plurality of transmitting stations or sources, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.