JP2004201108A - High frequency signal receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily add a function capable of receiving and utilizing a high frequency signal such as a television broadcast signal and making the high frequency signal usable to an electronic device such as the so-called mobile device. <P>SOLUTION: A front end part 11 consisting of a high frequency circuit 11a and an intermediate frequency circuit 11b, and a digital signal processing circuit such as an A/D converting part 12 are provided in a card type case. A digital signal formed in the digital signal processing circuit is outputted from an output terminal provided in the card type case, and a reception signal made to be a digital signal in a format processable by the opposite device is supplied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention adds, for example, a function of receiving and demodulating a high-frequency broadcast signal such as a terrestrial television broadcast signal to a so-called mobile device such as a mobile phone terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), and a notebook personal computer. The present invention relates to a so-called card-type high-frequency signal receiving device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In electronic devices such as a mobile phone terminal, a PDA, and a personal computer, for example, a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) card (hereinafter, referred to as a PC card), a Memory Stick (registered trademark), an SD memory card ((registered) It has been practiced to add an additional function by using a small memory card such as a trademark (Secure Digital Memory card).
[0003]
For example, by loading a memory card storing map information and a map display program into a mobile phone terminal or PDA, a map display function and a map search function can be added to the mobile phone terminal or PDA, or a wireless LAN card can be connected to a personal computer. For example, a wireless LAN function is added to the personal computer by loading the personal computer.
[0004]
Similarly, for example, a television broadcast signal reception and demodulation function (television function) can be easily added as an additional function to an electronic device such as a personal computer or a video camera having a display element such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). If possible, these electronic devices can be used as television receivers, and the range of use can be expanded.
[0005]
As a technique for adding a television broadcast signal receiving function to an electronic device such as a personal computer having a display element, for example, a card-type electronic tuner described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-1133) is disclosed. There is technology. This card-type electronic tuner has a built-in tuner circuit section, a channel control circuit section, and a demodulation circuit section in a card-type case, and is provided with an input / output connector so that it can be attached to and detached from an electronic device. It is.
[0006]
By using the card-type electronic tuner configured as described above, a tuner function of a television broadcast can be easily added to an electronic device having a PC card slot, such as a personal computer or a video camera, and can also be used as a television receiver. To be able to use.
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-14133
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Incidentally, in recent years, so-called mobile electronic devices such as a mobile phone terminal, a PDA, and a notebook personal computer having an LCD having a relatively large display screen have been widely used. If it is possible to easily add a television broadcast signal receiving function to such a mobile device as an additional function, it is possible to view a television broadcast program even when going out of the office, thereby expanding the use of the mobile device and increasing its value.
[0009]
However, the card-type electronic tuner described in Patent Document 1 described above has a so-called high-frequency circuit section including a tuner circuit section and a channel control circuit section, and an analog baseband demodulating an intermediate frequency signal from the high-frequency circuit section. And a so-called intermediate frequency circuit section for obtaining the video signal and the audio signal of the mobile device, and cannot output a digital video signal and a digital audio signal in a format that can be directly processed by the mobile device.
[0010]
Mobile devices are pursuing good portability, and are being reduced in size and weight. An A / D converter that receives analog video signals and analog audio signals and converts them into digital signals. It is difficult to newly install an (analog / digital conversion unit), and this is not preferable because it causes a cost increase. In the case of a mobile phone terminal or a PDA, a card-type tuner having a size of a PC card is too large.
[0011]
In view of the above, the present invention has been made to eliminate the above-mentioned problems and to provide high-frequency signals such as television broadcast signals to electronic devices such as so-called mobile devices such as mobile phone terminals, PDAs, and notebook personal computers which have already been used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a high-frequency signal receiving device that can easily add a function of receiving and using a received signal.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a high-frequency signal receiving circuit according to the first aspect of the present invention has been developed by a recent research on a high-frequency amplifier circuit or a mixer circuit of a high-frequency circuit unit that receives and selects a high-frequency signal such as a television broadcast signal. By adjusting various parameters in various ways and reducing the power consumption in each circuit element of the high-frequency circuit, the power consumption has been reduced while maintaining the performance, and the size of the high-frequency circuit has been reduced to a level comparable to that of the high-frequency circuit. Focusing on the heuristic fact that a one-chip LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) can be realized, it was made by considering the above problems,
Amplify a received high-frequency signal, select a target high-frequency signal, and convert the selected high-frequency signal into an intermediate-frequency signal with a low-power and compact high-frequency circuit;
An intermediate frequency circuit that demodulates the intermediate frequency signal from the high frequency circuit unit to obtain a target information signal,
A digital signal processing circuit for converting the information signal demodulated in the intermediate frequency circuit into a digital information signal of a target format;
Is stored in a card-shaped case,
The card type case is provided with an output terminal for outputting the digital information signal from the digital signal processing circuit.
[0013]
According to the high frequency signal receiving device of the first aspect of the present invention, the high frequency circuit, the intermediate frequency circuit, and the digital signal processing circuit are provided in the card type case, and the digital signal formed in the digital signal processing circuit is The output is provided from an output terminal provided in a card type case.
[0014]
As described above, by adopting a configuration in which a digital signal processing circuit is also mounted in a guard type case having a limited size, by mounting this high-frequency signal receiving circuit to a mobile device such as a notebook personal computer, A desired television broadcast signal or the like that has been received and selected is supplied as a digital signal in a format usable by the mobile device, and is supplied to the mobile device. Therefore, it is possible to use a high frequency signal such as a television broadcast signal without changing the configuration of the mobile device.
[0015]
A high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to the first aspect,
An external information signal input terminal for receiving an information signal from an external device and supplying the information signal to the digital signal processing circuit is provided.
[0016]
According to the high-frequency signal receiving apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, a configuration is provided in which an information signal from an external device is received and supplied to a digital signal processing circuit. Thus, an information signal from an external device can be used in an electronic device such as a mobile device to which the high-frequency signal receiving device is attached.
[0017]
A high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to the first or second aspect,
The volume of the card-type case accommodating the high-frequency circuit, the intermediate frequency circuit, and the digital signal processing circuit is set to 3 cubic centimeters or less.
[0018]
According to the high-frequency signal receiving apparatus of the third aspect of the present invention, low power consumption is realized, and a card type having a volume of 3 cubic centimeters (3 cc) is realized by using a high-frequency circuit which has succeeded in realizing an extremely small LSI. In the case, three cases of a high frequency circuit, an intermediate frequency circuit, and a digital signal processing circuit can be mounted.
[0019]
As a result, a high-frequency signal receiving device having a size equal to or smaller than various small memory cards is realized, and a so-called small memory card mounting slot provided in a mobile device such as a conventional mobile phone terminal or PDA is realized. By simply mounting the high-frequency signal receiving device, high-frequency signals such as television broadcast signals can be received and used in mobile devices.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, an example in which the high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a card-type tuner module that receives and tunes to a terrestrial analog television broadcast signal to use it will be described.
[0021]
As will be described later, the size of the card-type tuner module described below is, for example, equal to or smaller than that of a PC card, depending on the electronic device such as a mobile device to which the card type tuner module is attached. Or, when used in the same manner as various small memory cards provided, it is configured to have a size equal to or smaller than the small memory card. In addition, as a specific reference in the latter case, for example, the volume is 3 cubic centimeters (3 cc) or less.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a card-type tuner module according to this embodiment. The card-type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be broadly divided, as shown in FIG. 1A, into a so-called front-end that receives, selects and demodulates a television broadcast signal and outputs an analog video signal AVd and an analog audio signal AAu. It comprises an end section 11 and an A / D conversion section 12 for converting the analog video signal AVd and the analog audio signal AAu from the front end section 11 into a digital video signal and a digital audio signal of a predetermined format. .
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 1A, a reception antenna ANT for receiving a television broadcast signal and supplying the same to the front end unit 11 is provided at a stage preceding the front end unit 11, and an A / D conversion unit 12 is provided. A connector OT, which is an output terminal for outputting a digital signal from the A / D converter 12 to the outside, is provided at a subsequent stage.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 1B, the front end unit 11 receives and selects a television broadcast signal, converts the selected high frequency signal into an intermediate frequency signal, and outputs the intermediate frequency signal. And an intermediate frequency amplification and detection circuit section (intermediate frequency circuit section) 11b for amplifying the intermediate frequency signal from the receiver, performing synchronous detection, and demodulating the video signal and the audio signal.
[0025]
Further, the A / D converter 12 receives the supply of the analog video signal AVd and converts it into a digital video signal DVd, and receives the supply of the analog audio signal AAu, and converts this into a digital audio signal DAu. Receiving an audio decoder 12b for converting the digital video signal DVd and the digital audio signal DAu into a predetermined format, for example, a predetermined format standardized by ITU (International Telecommunication Union). And a video processor 12c for forming and outputting a digital signal.
[0026]
In the card-type tuner module 1 configured as described above, a part that greatly contributes to downsizing so that the card-type tuner module 1 can be stored in the card-type case 1C is the front end unit 11 illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. . FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram for explaining an example of a specific circuit configuration of the front end unit 11.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 2, the high-frequency circuit section 11 of the front-end section 11 of this example includes a high-frequency amplifier circuit (hereinafter abbreviated as an RF amplifier) 111, mixer circuits 112 and 116, and transmitters 115 and 118. , PLL circuits 114 and 117, an oscillator 113, and an amplifier circuit (hereinafter, referred to as an amplifier) 119 of a double superheterodyne system (up-down converter system).
[0028]
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate frequency amplification detection circuit 11b includes an intermediate frequency amplifier (hereinafter abbreviated as an IF amplifier) 121 and a phase shifter having a PLL circuit configuration for shifting the phase by 90 degrees. 122, mixer circuits 123 and 126, a low-pass filter (hereinafter abbreviated as LPF (Low Pass Filter)) 124, a local oscillation circuit (hereinafter abbreviated as LO (Local Oscillator)) 125, and an LPF 127. , An amplifier 128, a band pass filter (hereinafter abbreviated as BPF (Band Pass Filter)) 129, and an FM detector 130.
[0029]
The gain of the RF amplifier 111 of the high-frequency circuit unit 11a and the gain of the IF amplifier 121 of the intermediate-frequency amplification detection circuit unit 11b are automatically controlled by an AGC (Auto Gain Control) circuit 131. The AGC circuit 131 controls the gain of the RF amplifier 111 and the IF amplifier 121 based on an output signal from, for example, a video amplifier circuit.
[0030]
Further, the so-called externally attached state includes a SAW filter (Surface Acoustic Wave Filter) F1 and a crystal oscillator OS, and a high-frequency circuit section 11a is provided between the high-frequency circuit section 11a and the intermediate frequency amplification detection circuit 11b. Also, a SAW filter F2 is provided, and a front end unit 11 is formed.
[0031]
Then, the TV broadcast signal of 90 MHz to 770 MHz including the VHF band and the UHF band received by the receiving antenna ANT is supplied to the RF amplifier 11 of the high-frequency circuit section 11a through the unbalanced / balanced converter BL. After being amplified to the target level, it is supplied to the mixer circuit 112.
[0032]
An oscillation signal from an oscillator 115 is supplied to the mixer circuit 112. The oscillation signal from the oscillator 115 is oscillated from the oscillator 113 based on a reference signal from the crystal oscillator OS, and is formed based on a signal obtained by dividing the frequency in the PLL circuit 114.
[0033]
The mixer circuit 112 up-converts a high-frequency signal from the RF amplifier 111 into a signal in the 1.2 GHz band based on the oscillation signal from the oscillator 115, and supplies this to the SAW fill F1. The SAW filter F1 supplies the 1.2 GHz band signal after the band limitation to the mixer circuit 116 after removing the unnecessary component by band limiting the signal in the 1.2 GHz band from the mixer circuit 112.
[0034]
The oscillation signal from the oscillator 118 is supplied to the mixer circuit 116. An oscillation signal from the oscillator 118 is oscillated from the oscillator 113 based on a reference signal from the crystal oscillator OS, and is based on a signal formed by being divided by the PLL circuit 117 at a division ratio according to a channel selection instruction. It was formed.
[0035]
The mixer circuit 116 converts a target signal included in the 1.2 GHz band signal from the SAW filter F1 into a 58.75 MHz intermediate frequency signal based on the oscillation signal from the oscillator 118, and converts the signal into a SAW filter F2. To the IF amplifier 121 of the intermediate frequency amplification detection circuit 12
[0036]
The IF amplifier 121 amplifies the supplied intermediate frequency signal to a predetermined level, and supplies the amplified intermediate frequency signal to a phase shifter 122 configured as a PLL circuit and a mixer circuit 123. The circuit portion including the phase shifter 122, the mixer circuit 123, the LPF 124, the LO (local section) 125, and the mixer circuit 126 adjusts the phase of the output signal from the IF amplifier 121 and the oscillation signal from the LO 125, This is a section for performing synchronous detection by mixing the intermediate frequency signal whose phase is shifted by 90 degrees from 122 and the oscillation signal from the LO 125 in the mixer circuit 126.
[0037]
The signal from the mixer circuit 126 is supplied to the LPF 127 and the BPF 129. The LPF 127 obtains the analog video signal AVd by extracting only the low frequency component of the signal supplied thereto. The analog video signal Avd is amplified by the amplifier 128, and is output through the analog video signal output terminal.
[0038]
On the other hand, the BPF 129 obtains an FM-modulated analog audio signal by extracting only a signal component in a predetermined band from the signal from the mixer circuit 126. The analog audio signal is demodulated in the FM detector 130 to be a baseband analog audio signal AAu, which is output through an analog audio signal output terminal.
[0039]
In this way, the analog video signal AVd and the analog audio signal AAu output from the intermediate frequency amplification detection circuit 11b are supplied to the A / D decoding circuit section 12 shown in FIG. The converted data is supplied to a mobile device, such as a mobile phone terminal, a PDA, or a notebook personal computer, into which the card-type tuner module 1 is loaded.
[0040]
The high-frequency circuit section 11a of the card-type tuner module according to the present embodiment employs a double superheterodyne method, and upconverts a received high-frequency signal to a signal in the 1.2 GHz band. Signal components can be extracted, and the desired signal components can be efficiently extracted without using a filter composed of a large number of air-core coils as in a conventional high-frequency circuit. Like that.
[0041]
Generally, in configuring a high-frequency circuit unit, air-core coils of 25 points or more are used to configure necessary filters and oscillators. However, the high-frequency circuit 11b of this example having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 does not need to use an air-core coil, and can be reduced in thickness and area.
[0042]
Further, by devising the RF amplifier 111, the mixer circuits 112 and 116, and adjusting various parameters, the power consumption of the RF amplifier 111, the mixer circuits 112 and 116, and other circuit elements can be reduced. The power consumption in the front end unit 11 including the high-frequency circuit unit 11a and the intermediate frequency amplification detection circuit 11b has been successfully reduced to 0.8 W (800 mW) or less.
[0043]
As described above, since the power consumption is extremely small, downsizing is realized, the high-frequency circuit section 11a can be formed by one LSI, and the substrate for heat dissipation is not enlarged. Of course, the intermediate frequency amplification detection circuit 11b can also be formed by one LSI. With these two extremely miniaturized LSIs, the front end unit 11 can be configured. The volume of the front end unit 11 composed of these two LSIs is 1 cubic centimeter or less.
[0044]
In addition, the front end unit 11 configured as described above realizes practically sufficient performance from the values of various electric characteristics such as noise figure, intermodulation distortion characteristics, other waves, and interfering wave characteristics. Has been demonstrated.
[0045]
Even when the A / D conversion unit 12 formed as an LSI is connected to the front end unit 11 thus miniaturized, a card-type tuner module smaller than a PC card can be formed. It is possible. As described above, a card-type tuner module having a size smaller than that of a PC card, which also includes an A / D converter that cannot be mounted conventionally, can be realized.
[0046]
Therefore, a card-type tuner module 1 of a PC card size that can be used for a notebook personal computer can be realized. Moreover, since the card-type tuner module 1 of this example also includes the A / D converter 12, there is no need to make any change such as mounting the A / D converter on the notebook personal computer. A television function can be easily added as an additional function to a conventional notebook personal computer.
[0047]
Then, an image based on the video data from the card-type tuner module 1 is displayed on a display element such as an LCD included in the notebook personal computer, and a sound based on the audio data from the card-type tuner module 1 is output from a speaker included in the notebook personal computer. By emitting sound, a television broadcast program can be easily viewed.
[0048]
It is also possible to record the video data and the audio data from the card-type tuner module 1 on a large-capacity storage medium such as a hard disk included in the notebook personal computer, and the notebook personal computer has a transmission function. It is also possible to transmit video data and audio data from the card-type tuner module 1 to other devices as long as they have the same.
[0049]
Here, the case where the size of the card-type tuner module 1 is mainly smaller than the PC card has been described, but the volume of the part including the front end unit 11 and the A / D conversion unit 12 is set to 3 cubic centimeters or less. It is also possible to realize a small card-type tuner module that can be used as a small memory card. That is, a small card-type tuner module that can be used for a mobile device such as a mobile phone terminal or a PDA that can use a small memory card can be realized.
[0050]
Also in this case, since the card type tuner module 1 also includes the A / D conversion unit 12, it is not necessary to make a change such as mounting the A / D conversion unit on a mobile device such as a mobile phone terminal or a PDA. Not at all. By simply loading the card-type tuner module 1 into a mobile device, a television function can be added to the mobile device.
[0051]
As shown in FIG. 1A, an external A / V input terminal (external audio / video input terminal) is provided for the card-type tuner module 1 so that an analog video signal or analog audio signal from an external device can be transmitted to an A / V input terminal. By supplying the card type tuner module 1 to the / D conversion unit 12, for example, a video signal or an audio signal from an external device such as a VTR or a DVD playback device can be used in an electronic device such as a mobile device. can do.
[0052]
In the case of the card-type tuner module 1 of this example, the output terminal OP conforms to the connector of the PC card when the size is the same as that of the PC card. In this case, it is formed in a shape that matches a connector of an electronic device such as a mobile device to be loaded.
[0053]
Here, for the sake of simplicity, a case has been described in which a digital video signal and a digital audio signal are output from the card-type tuner module 1 to an electronic device such as a mobile device. It is also possible to receive a control signal from a mounted electronic device and supply it to a corresponding circuit, for example, by receiving an input of a channel selection control signal from the electronic device and supplying the same to the front end unit 11. That's what it was.
[0054]
[Other examples of card type tuner module configuration]
By the way, in the case of the above-described card-type tuner module 1, the mobile device to which the card-type tuner module 1 is attached can be used, for example, when it can receive a digital signal of a predetermined format standardized by the ITU. There are also mobile devices that handle digital signals of the form. For this reason, it is possible to configure card-type tuner modules of various configurations according to the mobile device to be used.
[0055]
[Configuration Example 1 (with MPEG Encoding Unit)]
It is considered that some mobile devices require supply of video data and audio data that are compressed by the MPEG method. Assuming such a device, the card type tuner module 2 shown in FIG. 3 is provided with an MPEG encoding unit 21. In FIG. 3, the same components as those of the card type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1A are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0056]
As shown in FIG. 3, the card-type tuner module 2 of the configuration example 1 includes a front-end unit 11 configured as described with reference to FIG. 2, similarly to the card-type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1A. And an A / D converter 12 configured as shown in FIG. 1C, and receives a digital signal composed of video data and audio data from the A / D converter 12 and converts the digital signal into an MPEG signal. And an MPEG encoder 21 for compressing digital data and outputting the compressed digital data from a connector OT which is an output terminal.
[0057]
Note that the shape of the connector OT is a shape that matches a corresponding connector of an electronic device such as a mobile device into which the card-type tuner module 2 of this example is loaded. Also, in the case of the card-type tuner module 2 shown in FIG. 3, the size (the size of the case 2C) is set so as to be equal to or less than a PC card or the volume is equal to or less than 3 cubic centimeters.
[0058]
By configuring the card-type tuner module 2 also including the MPEG encoding unit 21 as described above, a mobile device capable of processing digital data in which a video signal and an audio signal are data-compressed by the MPEG system is provided. The video signal and the audio signal of the television broadcast program which have been compressed by the system can be supplied.
[0059]
In a mobile device that receives a video signal and an audio signal of a television broadcast program that has been compressed by the MPEG system, the mobile device restores the digital signal before data compression by using a compression / decompression function originally provided in the mobile device. The corresponding video is displayed on its own LCD, and the audio can be output through its own speaker or headphone terminal.
[0060]
Of course, when an electronic device such as a mobile device loaded with the card-type tuner module 2 of this example has a large-capacity recording medium such as a hard disk, data compression from the card-type tuner module 2 is performed on the hard disk. The recorded digital video data and digital audio data can be recorded, and the digital data after compression and decompression can be recorded.
[0061]
When an electronic device such as a mobile device in which the card-type tuner module 2 of this example is mounted has a transmission function, the data from the card-type tuner module 2 is transmitted using the transmission function. It is also possible to transmit the compressed digital video data and digital audio data to another electronic device, and to transmit the compressed and decompressed data.
[0062]
[Configuration Example 2 (with PCI conversion unit)]
Many mobile devices using a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus are provided. This PCI bus is a local bus architecture formulated by the PCI Special Interest Group, which includes over a dozen personal computer-related manufacturers, and most personal computers equipped with a Pentium (registered trademark) processor employ the PCI bus.
[0063]
In view of this, the card type tuner module 3 shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the card-type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1A, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.
[0064]
As shown in FIG. 4, the card-type tuner module 3 of the configuration example 1 includes a front-end unit 11 configured as described with reference to FIG. 2, similarly to the card-type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1A. In addition to receiving the analog video signal and the analog audio signal supplied from the front end unit 11, the front end unit 11 converts the analog video signal and the analog audio signal into digital data in a format that can be processed through a PIC bus, and outputs the converted digital data to an output terminal. This is provided with a PCI conversion unit 31 for outputting from the connector OT.
[0065]
The size of the card-type tuner module 3 (the size of the case 3C) shown in FIG. 4 is mainly equal to the size of a PC card, and is mainly used in a notebook personal computer. Of course, as described above, the size of the case 3C can be configured to be the same as or smaller than the small card memory having a volume of 3 cubic centimeters or less.
[0066]
As described above, by configuring the card-type tuner module 3 also including the PIC decoding unit 31, a television function can be easily added as an additional function to most personal computers including a notebook-type personal computer.
[0067]
In a personal computer that receives digital data in a format that can be transmitted from the card-type tuner module 3 to the PCI bus, the digital data from the card-type tuner module 3 can be used to watch a television broadcast program or the like. The digital data of the supplied broadcast program can be recorded on its own hard disk or transmitted to another electronic device.
[0068]
[Structural Example 3 (with DSP (Digital Signal Processor))]
In addition, for example, there are a number of types of mobile devices that have available card memory, and digital data is transmitted and received in a predetermined format with a loaded memory card. Exists.
[0069]
Therefore, the card-type tuner module 4 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a DSP 41 for forming digital data of a desired format. In FIG. 5, the same components as those of the card-type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1A are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0070]
As shown in FIG. 5, the card-type tuner module 4 of the configuration example 3 includes a front-end unit 11 configured as described with reference to FIG. 2, similarly to the card-type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1A. , An A / D converter 12 configured as shown in FIG. 1C, and receives a digital signal composed of video data and audio data from the A / D converter 12 and Is provided with a DSP 41 for converting the digital data into a format that can be processed and outputting the digital data from a connector OT which is an output terminal.
[0071]
In the DSP 41, a predetermined program is executed, and the digital data supplied from the A / D conversion unit 12 is transmitted / received to / from a small memory card, for example, a memory stick (registered trademark). It can be converted into digital data conforming to the format and output. Of course, by changing the program to be executed by the DSP 41, it is also possible to convert the digital data into a format compatible with another small memory card.
[0072]
Note that the shape of the connector OT is a shape that matches a corresponding connector of an electronic device such as a mobile device into which the card-type tuner module 4 of this example is loaded. Also, in the case of the card-type tuner module 4 shown in FIG. 5, the size (the size of the case 4) is set so as to be equal to or less than a PC card or the volume is equal to or less than 3 cubic centimeters.
[0073]
As described above, by configuring the card-type tuner module 4 including the DSP 41, it is possible to configure the card-type tuner module 4 having a size of a large number of various small-sized memory cards. The TV function can be easily added as an additional function to various mobile devices that differ from each other.
[0074]
Of course, in an electronic device in which the card-type tuner module 4 is loaded, digital data from the card-type tuner module 4 is recorded and held on its own hard disk, or transmitted to another electronic device through its own transmission function. The transmission can be performed in the same manner as the other cases described above.
[0075]
[Configuration Example 4 (with USB (Universal Serial Bus) driver)]
Some mobile devices have a USB interface as a connection end with other devices. The card tuner module 5 shown in FIG. 6 is configured to be connectable to the USB interface. 6, the same components as those of the card-type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1A are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0076]
As shown in FIG. 5, the card-type tuner module 5 of the configuration example 5 includes a front-end unit 11 configured as described with reference to FIG. 2, similarly to the card-type tuner module 1 shown in FIG. 1A. , An A / D converter 12 configured as shown in FIG. 1C, and receiving a digital signal composed of video data and audio data from the A / D converter 12, And a USB driver 51 that forms digital data in a format that can be transmitted to the OT and outputs the digital data through a connector OT that is an output terminal.
[0077]
In this case, the connector OT is configured to match the USB interface. By doing so, a television function can be added as an additional function to various mobile devices having a USB interface.
[0078]
As described above, even in the case of a card type module connectable to the USB interface, it is desirable that the size is small to some extent in consideration of portability and a state when the card module is attached to a mobile device. ) Can be formed so as to be equal to or smaller than a PC card or to have a volume equal to or smaller than 3 cubic centimeters.
[0079]
Similarly to the card-type tuner module of the other example described above, in an electronic device to which the card-type tuner module 5 is attached, digital data from the card-type tuner module 5 is recorded and held on its own hard disk. It is also possible to transmit to another electronic device through the transmission function of the mobile device.
[0080]
As is clear from the description of the embodiment including the above-described modification, according to an electronic device such as a mobile device to be loaded, the device has a function of forming digital data in various formats, and the size is equal to or smaller than a PC card, or It is possible to configure a card-type tuner module having a volume of 3 cubic centimeters or less and various shapes depending on the electronic device to which the connection connector (the connector OT in the above example) is mounted.
[0081]
In addition to mobile devices such as a notebook personal computer, a mobile phone terminal, and a PDA, electronic devices that are used in a stationary type at home or office and are provided with a display element such as an LCD. That is, a so-called television function can be easily added as an additional function.
[0082]
In any of the card-type tuner modules 2, 3, 4, and 5 described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6, an external A / V input terminal (external audio / video input terminal). Is provided, for example, video signals and audio signals from an external device such as a VTR or a DVD playback device can be used in an electronic device such as a mobile device in which the card-type tuner module 2 is mounted.
[0083]
The connectors OT of the card-type tuner modules 2, 3, 4, and 5 described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6 receive an input of a tuning control signal from an electronic device such as a mobile device. For example, it is possible to receive a control signal or the like from an attached electronic device, such as supplying the control signal to the front end unit 11, and supply the control signal to a corresponding circuit.
[0084]
[Specific examples of card-type tuner module size]
As described above, the size of the card-type tuner modules 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 is smaller than that of a PC card, It has been described that the size is further reduced and the volume is configured to be 3 cubic centimeters or less.
[0085]
There are three types of PC cards of which the size in the vertical and horizontal directions is the credit card size and the thickness is 3.3 mm, 5 mm, and 10.5 mm. Therefore, the size of the card-type tuner module of this embodiment is equal to or less than the size of the above-described three types of PC cards, and the connector is configured to conform to the PCMCIA standard.
[0086]
Further, as an example of a size having a volume of not more than 3 cubic centimeters, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, Sony Corporation having a size of 21.5 mm in length, 50 mm in width, and 2.8 mm in thickness is manufactured by Sony Corporation. The volume of the developed Memory Stick (registered trademark) is about 3 cubic centimeters when calculated from its outer shape, and can be realized by making the size equal to or less than this.
[0087]
Of course, the configuration of the size of the Memory Stick (registered trademark) is merely an example, and the volume can be reduced to 3 cubic centimeters or less by changing the length, width, and thickness.
[0088]
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, in addition to a memory stick (registered trademark), smart media (registered trademark), a compact flash (registered trademark), a multimedia card (registered trademark) (Trademarks), SD memory cards (registered trademark), microdrives (registered trademark), and the like of various sizes proposed by respective electric appliance manufacturers.
[0089]
As described above, the front end unit 11 used in the present invention can have a volume of 1 cubic centimeter or less. In addition to the front end unit 11, the A / D conversion unit 12, the PCI conversion unit 31, Alternatively, the A / D conversion unit 12 and the MPEG encoding unit 21, the A / D conversion unit 12 and the DSP 41, and the A / D conversion unit 12 and the USB driver are added to each of the small memory cards as shown in FIG. A card-type tuner module having a size can be configured.
[0090]
In addition, the mounting form of each circuit part housed in a card-type case such as the front end unit 11 and the A / D conversion unit 12 is not mounted on the board on both sides, or mounted on the board in a so-called rare form instead of a molded form. It is possible to further reduce the size by making improvements such as the following.
[0091]
Even when a card-type tuner module having a small card memory size smaller than a PC card is configured as described above, the card-type tuner module may be attached to a PC card slot provided in an electronic device such as a notebook personal computer. By using a so-called PC card adapter, a card type tuner module having a small card memory size can be used as a PC card.
[0092]
Note that, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which an analog terrestrial television broadcast signal is received, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a card-type tuner module that receives a digital terrestrial television broadcast signal can be configured. In this case, in addition to the front end unit, a so-called format conversion unit that converts the format of the digital signal to be output into a format that can be directly processed by the partner device may be provided.
[0093]
In addition to receiving and demodulating not only television broadcast signals but also various high-frequency signals for transmitting some information, such as radio broadcast signals and data broadcast signals, whether analog or digital, so that they can be used. The present invention can be applied to the present invention.
[0094]
In the above-described embodiment, the card-type tuner module to which the present invention is applied has been described as being suitable for use in a so-called mobile device such as a notebook personal computer, a mobile phone terminal, or a PDA. The present invention is not limited to this, and can of course be used for an electronic device that is installed and used in a predetermined place such as a home or a company.
[0095]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the television function and the A / V (audio / visual) processing function can be provided to the electronic device of the other party without any change or improvement. Can be added.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a card-type tuner module to which an embodiment of a high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of a front end unit of the card-type tuner module shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining another example of a card-type tuner module to which an embodiment of the high-frequency signal receiving device according to the present invention is applied;
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining another example of a card-type tuner module to which an embodiment of the high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to the present invention is applied;
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of a card-type tuner module to which an embodiment of the high-frequency signal receiving apparatus according to the present invention is applied;
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining another example of a card-type tuner module to which an embodiment of the high-frequency signal receiving device according to the present invention is applied;
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a specific example of the size of the card-type tuner module.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a reference example of the size of an existing small card memory.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... card-type tuner module, 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5C ... case, 11 ... front end section, 11a ... high frequency circuit section, 11b ... intermediate frequency amplification detection section, 12 ... A / D converter, 12a video decoder, 12b audio decoder, 12c video processor, ANT reception antenna, OT connector, 111 RF amplifier, 112, 116 mixer circuit, 113 oscillator, 114, 117 PLL circuit 115, 118 oscillator, 121 IF amplifier, 122 phaser, 123, 126 mixer circuit, 127 low-pass filter, 128 amplifier, 129 band-pass filter, 130 FM detector, 131 AGC circuit, 21: MPEG encoding unit, 31: PCI conversion unit, 41: DSP, 51: USB driver Bas

Claims (7)

Amplify a received high-frequency signal, select a target high-frequency signal, and convert the selected high-frequency signal into an intermediate-frequency signal with a low-power and compact high-frequency circuit;
An intermediate frequency circuit that demodulates the intermediate frequency signal from the high frequency circuit unit to obtain a target information signal,
A digital signal processing circuit that converts the information signal demodulated in the intermediate frequency circuit into a digital information signal of a target format is accommodated in a card type case,
A high-frequency signal receiving device, wherein an output terminal for outputting the digital information signal from the digital signal processing circuit is provided in the card type case. The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1,
A high-frequency signal receiving device comprising: an external information signal input terminal for receiving an information signal from an external device and supplying the information signal to the digital signal processing circuit. The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1 or 2,
A high-frequency signal receiving apparatus, wherein the volume of the card-type case accommodating the high-frequency circuit, the intermediate-frequency circuit, and the digital signal processing circuit is 3 cubic centimeters or less. The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3,
The high frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal processing circuit includes a data compression processing circuit. The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3,
The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal processing circuit includes a digital conversion circuit that forms a digital information signal that can be transmitted to a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus. The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3,
The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal processing circuit includes a digital conversion circuit that forms a digital information signal that can be transmitted to a USB (Universal Serial Bus). The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1 or 2,
The high-frequency signal receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal processing circuit includes a digital signal processor for forming a digital information signal that can be transmitted to a predetermined bus.

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