JP2590477Y2 - Radio receiver - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

This invention has two sets of tuners.
A radio data system (hereinafter referred to as RDS) that has a receiving broadcast station preset function.
The present invention relates to a radio receiver that also receives data of the radio receiver.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art RDS is a system described in the European Broadcasting Union Technical Specification (EBU document 3244), which allows a listener to easily search for a desired radio program. Among the functions of this system is a function to notify the radio receiver that the frequency is assigned to another broadcasting station that is broadcasting the same program as the program currently being received. , It is possible to switch the radio receiver to that reception. For this reason, the radio receiver receives the RDS data, stores frequency information (hereinafter, referred to as AF data) of the alternative broadcast station, and searches for a list of stored frequency information (hereinafter, referred to as AF list) (hereinafter, referred to as AF).
Search) is performed.

On the other hand, when a preset instruction is given to a radio receiver having a preset function, frequency information (AF data) of a broadcasting station received at the time of the preset instruction and frequency information (AF data) of an alternative broadcasting station of the broadcasting station are received. ) And PI code are stored in the storage device for each preset channel, and when a preset broadcast station is called by designating a preset channel, the AF is performed according to the AF list of the preset broadcast station stored in the designated preset channel. A search is performed, and the broadcast is set to the broadcast reception of a broadcast station having a good reception state. Here, the PI code is a code indicating that the broadcast content is the same, and is the same for each preset channel.

[0004]

However, in a conventional twin tuner, when a preset broadcast station is called, one tuner operates according to the AF list.
Since the F signal is searched one by one and the audio signal is muted during the search, a preset broadcast station having an AF list with a large number of AF data and a preset broadcast station having an AF list with a small number of AF data are used. In this case, there is a problem that a time lag occurs between when the preset broadcast station is called and when the sound is output. For this reason, there has been a problem that the listener feels strange.

[0005] Further, in an area where the radio wave condition is poor, the same frequency as the frequency corresponding to the AF data, but a completely different broadcasting station irrelevant to the broadcasting station corresponding to the AF data may be broadcasting. Yes, P
Since it takes a long time to check the I code, the mute period becomes longer, and there is a problem that the time from when the call is started to when the voice is output varies greatly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a radio receiver in which the period from when a preset broadcasting station is called to when a voice is output is reduced.

[0007]

A radio receiver according to the present invention has two sets of tuners, calls a preset broadcast station by designating a preset channel, and calls a preset broadcast station to receive the broadcast of the called preset broadcast station. In a radio receiver having a function, when a preset broadcast station call is instructed, the preset preset channels stored from the preset broadcast stations which are alternative broadcast stations are stored in the designated preset channel. Each tuner alternately and independently searches for a receivable broadcasting station having the same PI code as the PI code and a good reception state, and searches for a receivable broadcasting station with a good reception state first. Preset broadcast station calling control means for receiving the broadcast of the selected receivable broadcast station; Characterized by comprising the period mute state from at note broadcasting station call instruction to be receivable broadcast station search end receiving status and mute control means for controlling the muting circuit.

[0008]

According to the radio receiver of the present invention, when a preset broadcast station call is instructed, the designated preset channel is selected from preset broadcast stations that are alternate broadcast stations stored with respect to the designated preset channel. The tuner which has the same PI code as the PI code stored in the tuner and which independently searches for a receivable broadcasting station with a good reception state is alternately and independently searched by each tuner, and first searches for a receivable broadcasting station with a good reception state. , The broadcast of the searched receivable broadcast station is received. At the same time, the muting circuit is controlled to be in a mute state during a period from when the preset broadcast station call is instructed to when the search for a receivable broadcast station in a good reception state is completed.

[0009] Accordingly, both tuners alternately and independently search for a receivable broadcasting station having the same PI code in a good reception state, so that the time required for the search is one half of that of the conventional art.
The search time becomes shorter even if it takes more time to check the PI code. As a result, even if there is a difference between the search period when the number of alternative broadcast stations is large and the search period when the number of alternative broadcast stations is small, the listener hardly feels strange.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

The radio receiver according to the present embodiment has a front end 2 for selectively amplifying a signal received from an antenna 1, converting the signal to an intermediate frequency, and outputting the intermediate frequency. The front end 2 cooperates with the front end 2 to selectively amplify the signal from the antenna 1. A frequency synthesizer 3 having a PLL structure acting as a local oscillator for converting a signal into an intermediate frequency signal, an intermediate frequency amplifying circuit 4 for amplifying an intermediate frequency signal output from the front end 2, and a demodulation of the output of the intermediate frequency amplifying circuit 4 The tuner A includes a demodulation circuit 5 that performs the demodulation.

Further, a tuner B having the same configuration as the tuner A, comprising a front end 7, a frequency synthesizer 8, an intermediate frequency amplifying circuit 9 and a demodulating circuit 10 for receiving a received signal from the antenna 6, and demodulating circuits 5 and 10
And a composite signal switching circuit 11 for selecting and outputting one of the outputs.

Further, a stereo demodulation output is input to the radio receiver of the present embodiment via a stereo demodulation circuit 12 for receiving the output from the composite signal switching circuit 11 and demodulating in stereo, and a muting circuit 13 for muting. A tuner A or a tuner B selected by the composite signal switching circuit 11 comprising a low frequency amplifier circuit 14 for amplifying and driving the left and right speakers 15 separately.
Is demodulated in stereo and amplified to perform a receiving operation.

Further, the tuner A has an electric field intensity detecting circuit 17 for detecting an electric field intensity based on an output from an intermediate stage of the intermediate frequency amplifier circuit 4, and a noise level for detecting a noise level based on an output of the demodulating circuit 5. RDS for demodulating RDS data from outputs of detection circuit 18 and demodulation circuit 5
The tuner B includes a demodulation circuit 19, and the tuner B has an electric field strength detection circuit 21 and a noise level detection circuit 22 similarly to the tuner A.
And an RDS demodulation circuit 23.

Therefore, the radio receiver of the present embodiment
The electric field strength is determined by the electric field strength detection circuits 17 and 21.
Noise levels are detected by noise level detection circuits 18 and 22, respectively, and RDS demodulation circuits 19 and 2
3 demodulates the RDS data.

Further, the radio receiver of this embodiment has a preset broadcast station call instruction switch 1 for designating a preset channel and issuing a preset broadcast station call instruction.
6, a RAM 24 for storing frequency information of the broadcasting station and its alternative broadcasting station received at the time of the preset instruction, a PI code for the alternative broadcasting station, and the like, and a microcomputer 2 acting as a control device in cooperation with the RAM 24
5 is provided.

The microcomputer 25 controls the tuner A based on the detected electric field strength from the electric field strength detection circuit 17 and the detected noise level from the noise level detection circuit 18.
The reception state of the tuner B is determined based on the detected electric field strength from the electric field strength detection circuit 21 and the noise level detected from the noise level detection circuit 22,
The selection of the broadcasting station to be called is controlled based on the preset broadcasting station calling instruction, and the switching of the composite signal switching circuit 11 is controlled so as to select the output from the tuner based on the selection result. Muting circuit 1 until the preset broadcast station is selected
3 to a muting state.

Further, the microcomputer 25 alternately and independently searches for different receivable alternative broadcast stations by the tuner A and the tuner B from the time when the preset broadcast station call instruction is issued. The reception is controlled to receive the broadcast.

Here, the microcomputer 25 functionally includes a receiving state determining means 26 for determining the receiving state of each tuner, and a preset broadcasting station which is a substitute broadcasting station which is called when a preset broadcasting station is called. From among the broadcasting stations, each tuner alternately and independently searches for a receivable broadcasting station having the same PI code as the PI code stored for the designated preset channel and having a good reception state, and A preset broadcast station call control means 27 for receiving a broadcast of the searched receivable broadcast station by a tuner that has searched for a receivable broadcast station having a good reception state, and a search for a receivable alternative broadcast station from the preset broadcast station call instruction. At least a mute control means 28 for controlling the muting circuit 13 to be in a mute state until completion. There.

The operation of the radio receiver according to the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

Preset broadcasting station call instruction switch 1
6, when a preset broadcast station call is instructed (step S1), the muting circuit 13 is controlled to a muting state by the mute control means 28,
It is checked whether or not a PI code check timer for setting a PI code check period for tuner A is counting time (step S2). When the time is not being counted in this check, it is usually when a receivable broadcast station has already been found by the search by the tuner A.
Is set to the frequency divider constituting a part of the above, the frequency division ratio data corresponding to the searched AF data of the receivable broadcast station is set, and the broadcast of the receivable broadcast station searched for in the tuner A is received (step). S3).

Subsequent to step S3, it is checked whether the reception state of tuner A is good (step S4).
The reception state is checked by the reception state determination means 26, and is checked based on the electric field strength and the noise level. When the electric field strength is equal to or higher than a predetermined value and the noise level is lower than the predetermined value, it is determined that the reception state is good. Step S
4, when it is determined that the reception state is good, the PI code check timer for tuner A is reset,
Subsequently, timing is started (step S5).

Subsequent to step S5, it is checked whether the PI code of the receivable broadcast station searched by tuner A is the same as the PI code stored in the preset channel (step S6). If it is determined in step S6 that the PI codes are not the same, it is checked after step S6 whether a search has been performed for all AF data stored for the preset channel (step S7). When it is determined that the PI codes are not the same, when all the bits of the PI code are not aligned, that is, when the PI code is not yet determined, or when the searched receivable broadcasting station broadcasts different contents. This is the case when it is a broadcasting station.

If it is determined in step S7 that the search has not been performed for all the AF data, the tuner B is executed following step S7 in the same manner as in step S2.
It is checked whether or not the PI code check timer for setting the PI code check period for is counting time (step S8). When the time is not being counted in this check, it is usually when a receivable broadcasting station has already been found in the search by Chu B, and a part of the frequency synthesizer 8 corresponding to the searched AF data is formed in the same manner as in step S3. The frequency divider corresponding to the searched AF data is set to the frequency divider, and the tuner B receives the broadcast from the receivable broadcast station (step S9).

After step 9, it is checked whether or not the reception state of the tuner B is good as in step S4 (step S10). The reception state is also checked by the reception state determination means 26, and is checked based on the electric field strength and the noise level. When the electric field strength is equal to or higher than a predetermined value and the noise level is lower than the predetermined value, it is determined that the reception state is good. If it is determined in step S10 that the reception state is good, the PI code check timer for the tuner B is reset, as in step S5, and then timekeeping is started (step S11).

After step S11, whether or not the PI code of the receivable broadcast station searched by the tuner B is the same as the PI code of the preset broadcast station is checked in the same manner as in step S6 (step S12). If it is determined in step S12 that the PI codes are not the same, subsequent to step S12, it is checked whether a search has been performed for all AF data, as in step S7 (step S13). Step S13
When it is determined that the search has not been performed for all the AF data in step S13, the process is executed again from step S2 following step S13, and the search by the tuner A is performed.

Therefore, when a preset broadcast station call is instructed, tuner A and tuner B are used as described above.
Thus, the search for the receivable broadcasting station is performed alternately and independently.

In steps S2 and S8, it has been described that when the PI code check timer is not counting, it is usually when the receivable broadcasting station has already been found by the search by the tuners A and B. If no possible broadcast station has been found, the PI code has not yet been determined in steps S6 and S12, and the PI code is not determined to be the same, and step S7 follows step S6.
Is executed, and step S13 is similarly executed following step S12.

When the PI code check timer is counting at step S2, the PI code may or may not have been determined, but step S6 is executed following step S2. You.
If the PI code has not been determined yet in step S2, it is always determined in step S6 that the PI code is not the same, and step S7 is executed. Step S8, Step S12 and Step S1
The same applies to the relationship of No. 3.

[0030] Subsequent to step S4 in which it is determined in step S4 that the reception state of the tuner A is not good, step S7 is executed. This is because there is no point in calling a receivable broadcasting station whose reception condition is not good.
Subsequent to step S10 in which it is determined in step S10 that the reception state of the tuner B is not good, step S1 is performed.
3 is executed. This is because there is no point in calling a receivable broadcasting station whose reception condition is not good.

If it is determined in step S6 that the PI codes are the same, the PI code check timer for tuner A is reset following step S6 (step S15), and the division ratio set in step S3 is reset. The composite signal switching circuit 11 is switched to the output side of the tuner A to be controlled to the receiving state, the mute state is released, and the sound based on the output from the tuner A is output in order to output the received sound of the broadcasting station capable of receiving the frequency. This is output and the process ends (step S16).

If it is determined in step S12 that the PI codes are the same, the PI code check timer for tuner B is reset following step S12 (step S15), and the frequency division ratio set in step S9 is reset. The composite signal switching circuit 11 is switched to the output side of the tuner B and is controlled to the receiving state in order to output the received audio of the broadcasting station capable of receiving the frequency, the mute state is released, and the audio based on the output from the tuner B is output. This is output and the process ends (step S16).

If the check has been completed for all the AF data in steps 7 and 13, it means that the check has been made for all the AF data but there is no receivable broadcast station of the same broadcast content. In this case, step S7,
Subsequent to step S13, the frequency division ratio is set so as to receive the broadcast station that was received before calling the preset broadcast station, and the broadcast station is received (step S14).

[0034]

As described above, according to the radio receiver of the present invention, when a preset broadcast station call is instructed, the preset broadcast stations, which are alternate broadcast stations, are stored for the designated preset channel. Since the same receivable broadcasting station with the same reception condition is searched alternately and independently by both tuners, the time required for the search becomes shorter than half of the conventional one, and the time required to check the PI code is reduced. Even if necessary, there is an effect that the search time can be shortened. As a result, there is also an effect that the period in which the voice is interrupted can be reduced.

As a result, the period required for the search can be shortened. As a result, even if there is a difference between the search period when the number of the alternative broadcast stations is large and the search period when the number of the alternative broadcast stations is small, the listener is almost uncomfortable. There is also the effect that there is nothing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 A and B tuners 11 Composite signal switching circuit 13 Muting circuit 16 Preset broadcast station calling instruction switch 17 and 21 Electric field strength detection circuit 18 and 22 Noise level detection circuit 19 and 23 RDS demodulation circuit 24 RAM 25 Microcomputer 26 Reception state determining means 27 Preset broadcast station call control means 28 Mute control means

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] A radio receiver having two sets of tuners, a preset broadcast station calling function for calling a preset broadcast station by designating a preset channel, and receiving a broadcast of the called preset broadcast station. When instructed, the same PI code as the PI code stored in the designated preset channel is selected from preset broadcast stations that are alternative broadcast stations stored for the designated preset channel.
A tuner that has a code and alternately and independently searches for a receivable broadcast station with a good reception state by each tuner, and searches for a receivable broadcast station with a good reception state first Preset broadcast station call control means for receiving the broadcast of the first broadcast station, and mute control means for controlling the muting circuit in a mute state during a period from the time of the preset broadcast station call instruction to the end of the search for a receivable broadcast station having a good reception state. A radio receiver.