JP2008011118A - Wireless broadcast receiving device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wireless broadcast receiving device capable of displaying reception levels of respective channels to a user to assist the user in selecting a broadcasting channel without letting the user select the broadcasting channel. <P>SOLUTION: The wireless broadcast receiving device 1 according to the present invention includes a receiving means 2 which is provided to a moving body and receives broadcast radio waves of a plurality of broadcasting channels broadcast from a base station or satellite, and a selecting means 13 for selecting a broadcasting channel to be viewed out of the plurality of broadcasting channels. Further, the wireless broadcast receiving device includes a level detecting means 11a for detecting reception levels of broadcasting channels other than the broadcasting channel to be viewed which is selected by the selecting means 13, and a level display means 11e for displaying the reception levels of the broadcasting channels detected by the level detecting means 11a while relating them to the broadcasting channels. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio broadcast receiving apparatus capable of displaying a radio broadcast reception level to a user before the user selects a broadcast channel.

Conventionally, as a representative of a wireless broadcast receiving apparatus, it is described in Patent Document 1 in which a user can enjoy radio broadcasting such as music and news by receiving AM / FM broadcasting in a moving body such as a vehicle. There is a car radio. There is also a car TV that can receive a broadcast wave broadcast from a satellite and enjoy a TV broadcast. In such a wireless broadcast receiving apparatus, there may occur a situation where the reception level of the broadcast radio wave is lowered depending on the geographical position of the vehicle, and the broadcast cannot be received.
Japanese Patent No. 3303139

  However, in such a wireless broadcast receiving apparatus, there is no means for displaying the reception level of the broadcast channel before the user selects the broadcast channel to be viewed, so the user selects a broadcast channel with a poor reception level. In spite of the selection, there is a fear that the broadcast cannot be received and the user cannot hear the sound or view the image.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a radio broadcast reception capable of assisting the user in selecting a broadcast channel by displaying the reception level of each broadcast channel to the user without the user selecting the broadcast channel. An object is to provide an apparatus.

In order to solve the above problems, a wireless broadcast receiving apparatus according to the present invention is provided in a mobile unit, receiving means for receiving broadcast radio waves of a plurality of broadcast channels broadcast from a base station or a satellite, and a plurality of broadcast channels. A wireless broadcast receiving device comprising a selection means for selecting a broadcast channel to be viewed,
Level detection means for detecting a reception level of a broadcast channel other than the broadcast channel to be viewed and selected by the selection means;
It further comprises level display means for displaying the reception level of the broadcast channel detected by the level detection means in association with the broadcast channel.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to display the reception level of each broadcast channel to the user before selecting the broadcast channel to be viewed by the user, and to assist the user in selecting the broadcast channel.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a car radio (radio broadcast receiving apparatus) according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing display contents of the car radio according to the present invention.

  The car radio 1 includes an antenna 2, a high frequency amplifier circuit 3, a mixing circuit 4, a local oscillation circuit 5, a band pass filter 6, an intermediate frequency amplifier circuit 7, a detection circuit 8, and a low frequency amplifier circuit 9. , A speaker 10, a car radio ECU 11, a display 12, and a selection switch 13. The mixing circuit 4 and the local oscillation circuit 5 constitute a frequency conversion circuit.

  The antenna 2 receives a broadcast radio wave transmitted from each base station as a high frequency signal, and the high frequency amplifier circuit 3 amplifies the high frequency signal.

  The mixing circuit 4 mixes the local oscillation frequency signal corresponding to each broadcast channel generated by the local oscillation circuit 5 and the high frequency signal, and the band pass filter 6 mixes the generated intermediate frequency signal among the generated frequency signals. Only signals in the vicinity of this frequency are passed. By these things, each broadcast channel can be selected.

  The intermediate frequency amplifier circuit 7 amplifies the intermediate frequency signal, the detection circuit 8 extracts an audio signal from the amplified intermediate frequency signal, and the low frequency amplifier circuit 9 amplifies the audio signal to drive the speaker 10. To generate sound.

  The car radio ECU 11 (Electronic Control Unit) is composed of, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a data bus connecting them, and the CPU performs predetermined processing described below in accordance with a program stored in the ROM. In addition, the car radio ECU 11 includes a level detection unit 11a, a level evaluation unit 11b, a local oscillation circuit control unit 11c, a low frequency amplification circuit control unit 11d, and a display unit 11e.

  The level detection unit 11a acquires an intermediate frequency signal from between the band pass filter 6 and the intermediate frequency amplification circuit 7 for each broadcast channel selected by the mixing circuit 4 and the local oscillation circuit 5, and receives the reception level of the intermediate frequency signal. The level evaluation unit 11b evaluates the detected reception level in five stages and stores the reception level for each broadcast channel.

  The local oscillation circuit control unit 11c adjusts the capacitance of the variable capacitor and the inductance of the coil of the LC oscillation circuit (not shown) constituting the local oscillation circuit 5, and selects the local oscillation frequency corresponding to each broadcast channel.

  The low-frequency amplifier circuit control unit 11d turns off the power source of the low-frequency amplifier circuit 9 in order to prevent unnecessary sound from being output from the speaker 10 when evaluating the reception level of the intermediate frequency signal. It is to turn off.

  The display unit 11e displays the five levels of reception levels for each broadcast channel evaluated by the level evaluation unit 11b on the display 12, for example, at levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 5 levels as shown in FIG. A list is displayed in association with the corresponding broadcast channel n. In addition, about the form to display, the display which combined the number and the text may be sufficient, and it may be based on a pictograph or a symbol.

  The selection switch 13 is provided on the operation panel of the car radio 1 (not shown) so that the user can select a broadcast channel. Based on the selection operation of the selection switch 13, the local oscillation circuit control unit 11c The local oscillation frequency corresponding to each broadcast channel is selected by adjusting the capacitance of the variable capacitor and the inductance of the coil of the LC oscillation circuit (not shown) constituting the local oscillation circuit 5.

  Thus, before the user selects a broadcast channel, the reception level for each broadcast channel is evaluated, and each reception level is associated with each corresponding broadcast channel and displayed to the user on the display 18 in five stages. Can do. For this reason, since the user can recognize the reception level of each broadcast channel in advance without selecting a broadcast channel, the user can select a broadcast channel with a low reception level and know that it cannot be received after selection. It is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable and to assist the user in selecting a broadcast channel.

  Hereinafter, the control contents of the car radio 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to flowcharts. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the car radio ECU 11 of the car radio 1 according to the present invention.

  In S1, the level evaluation unit 11b determines whether or not there is a broadcast channel selection operation by the user's selection switch 13, and if there is a selection operation, the control ends, and if not, the process proceeds to S2. In S2, the low frequency amplifier circuit control unit 11d turns off the power of the low frequency amplifier circuit 9, and in S3, the local oscillation circuit control unit 11c sets the local oscillation frequency generated by the local oscillation circuit 5 to the broadcast channel n. Adjust to the frequency corresponding to. Thereafter, in S4, the level detection unit 11a acquires an intermediate frequency signal from between the bandpass filter 6 and the intermediate frequency amplifier circuit 7, and in S5, the level evaluation unit 11b evaluates the level of the intermediate frequency signal, and in S6 the level evaluation The unit 11b stores the reception level corresponding to the broadcast channel n.

  Subsequently, in S7, the level evaluation unit 11b increments n, proceeds to S8, determines whether n is larger than the total number m of broadcast channels, and returns to S3 if n is not larger than the total number m of broadcast channels. Step S7 is repeated, and if n is larger than the total number of broadcast channels m, the process proceeds to S9, and the level display unit 11e associates the reception level corresponding to m broadcast channels n with the corresponding broadcast channel n using the display 12. Display a list.

  Note that the control content described above is performed immediately after the user turns on the car radio 1 and at regular intervals, and when the user performs an operation of selecting a broadcast channel during the above control, Control shall be terminated.

  According to the car radio 1 of the first embodiment realized by the control content described above, the reception level for each broadcast channel is evaluated without the user selecting the broadcast channel with the selection switch 13, and the The reception level can be related to each corresponding broadcast channel and displayed to the user on the display 12 in five stages. Thus, the user can recognize the reception level of each broadcast channel in advance without selecting the broadcast channel with the selection switch 13, so that the user selects and selects the broadcast channel with a low reception level. It is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable when he / she knows that he / she cannot receive it later, and to assist the user in selecting a broadcast channel.

  Further, the reception level of each broadcast channel is evaluated by evaluating the reception level of the intermediate frequency signal using the local oscillation circuit 5, the mixing circuit 4, and the band pass filter 6 that the car radio 1 originally has. Thus, the overall configuration of the car radio 1 can be simplified and the weight can be reduced.

  In the first embodiment, the level evaluation unit 11b evaluates the signal level detected by the level detection unit 11a in five stages, and the level display unit 11e displays the evaluation result on the display 12. The unit 11b may be eliminated, and the level display unit 11e may display the signal level itself.

  In the first embodiment described above, the frequency conversion constituted by the mixing circuit 4 and the local oscillation circuit 5 is performed by adjusting the local oscillation frequency by using the local oscillation circuit 5 originally provided in the car radio. The circuit has a function as a so-called spectrum analyzer, but instead, a local oscillation circuit, a mixing circuit, and a bandpass filter are separately provided, and an intermediate frequency signal is obtained from the subsequent stage of the separately provided bandpass filter. It is good also as a structure which acquires and detects and evaluates and displays a reception level. The configuration will be described below.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the car radio according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the display contents of the car radio according to the present invention.

  The car radio 21 includes an antenna 2, a high frequency amplification circuit 3, a mixing circuit 4, a local oscillation circuit 5, a band pass filter 6, an intermediate frequency amplification circuit 7, a detection circuit 8, and a low frequency amplification circuit 9. The speaker 10, the mixing circuit 14, the local oscillation circuit 15, the band pass filter 16, the car radio ECU 17, the display 18, and the selection switch 19 are configured. The mixing circuit 4 and the local oscillation circuit 5 constitute a first frequency conversion circuit, and the mixing circuit 14 and the local oscillation circuit 15 constitute a second frequency conversion circuit.

  The antenna 2, the high frequency amplifier circuit 3, the mixing circuit 4, the local oscillation circuit 5, the band pass filter 6, the intermediate frequency amplifier circuit 7, the detection circuit 8, the low frequency amplifier circuit 9, and the speaker 10 are the same as those shown in the first embodiment. Therefore, the individual explanation is omitted.

  The mixing circuit 14 mixes the local oscillation frequency signal corresponding to each broadcast channel generated by the local oscillation circuit 15 and the high-frequency signal at the subsequent stage of the high-frequency amplifier circuit 3, and the band-pass filter 16 mixes the generated frequency. Of the signals, only signals in the vicinity of the frequency of the intermediate frequency signal are allowed to pass. By these things, each broadcast channel can be selected.

  The car radio ECU 17 (Electronic Control Unit) is composed of, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a data bus connecting them, and the CPU performs predetermined processing described below in accordance with a program stored in the ROM. In addition, the car radio ECU 17 includes a level detection unit 17a, a level evaluation unit 17b, a local oscillation circuit control unit 17c, and a level display unit 17d.

  The level detection unit 17a acquires an intermediate frequency signal from the subsequent stage of the bandpass filter 16 for each broadcast channel, and the level evaluation unit 17b evaluates the reception level of the intermediate frequency signal in five stages, and for each broadcast channel. The reception level is stored.

  The local oscillation circuit control unit 17c adjusts the capacitance of the variable capacitor and the inductance of the coil of the LC oscillation circuit (not shown) constituting the local oscillation circuit 15, and selects the local oscillation frequency corresponding to each broadcast channel.

  The level display unit 17d displays the five levels of reception levels for each broadcast channel evaluated by the level evaluation unit 17b on the display 12, for example, at levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 5 levels as shown in FIG. A list is displayed in association with the corresponding broadcast channel n. In addition, about the form to display, the display which combined the number and the text may be sufficient, and the stage display by a pictogram, a symbol, and a graph may be sufficient.

  The selection switch 19 is provided on the operation panel of the car radio 1 (not shown) so that the user can select a broadcast channel. Based on the selection operation of the selection switch 19, the local oscillation circuit control unit 17c The local oscillation frequency corresponding to each broadcast channel is selected by adjusting the capacitance of the variable capacitor and the inductance of the coil of the LC oscillation circuit (not shown) constituting the local oscillation circuit 5.

  As a result, before the user selects a broadcast channel by the selection switch 19, the reception level for each broadcast channel is evaluated, and the reception level is correlated with each broadcast channel, and the display 18 gives the user five levels. Can be displayed. Accordingly, the user can recognize the reception level of each broadcast channel in advance without being selected by the broadcast channel selection switch 19, and therefore cannot receive after selecting and selecting a broadcast channel with a low reception level. It is possible to avoid the user from feeling uncomfortable and to assist the user in selecting a broadcast channel.

  The second embodiment described above is executed based on the following control contents. Hereinafter, the control contents of the car radio 21 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to flowcharts. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the car radio ECU 17 of the car radio 21 according to the present invention.

  In S11, the local oscillation circuit control unit 17c adjusts the local oscillation frequency generated by the local oscillation circuit 15 to a frequency corresponding to the broadcast channel n. Thereafter, in S12, the level detection unit 17a acquires the intermediate frequency signal from the subsequent stage of the bandpass filter 16, and in S13, the level evaluation unit 17b evaluates the reception level of the intermediate frequency signal. In S14, the level evaluation unit 17b The reception level corresponding to n is stored.

  Subsequently, in S15, the level evaluation unit 17b increments n and proceeds to S16 to determine whether n is larger than the total number m of broadcast channels. If n is not larger than the total number m of broadcast channels, the process returns to S11, and from S11. If step S15 is repeated and n is larger than the total number of broadcast channels m, the process proceeds to step S17, and the level display unit 17d displays a list of reception levels corresponding to the m broadcast channels on the display 18 in association with the corresponding broadcast channels n. indicate.

  Even in the car radio 21 of the second embodiment realized by the control content described above, similarly to the configuration shown in the first embodiment, the user can select the broadcast channel without selecting the broadcast channel with the selection switch 19. Each reception level can be associated with each broadcast channel and displayed to the user in five stages on the display 18. As a result, the user can recognize the reception level of each broadcast channel in advance before selecting the broadcast channel, so that the user cannot select the broadcast channel with a low reception level and cannot receive it after selecting it. Can be prevented, and the user's selection of the broadcast channel can be assisted.

  In addition, the local oscillation circuit 15, the mixing circuit 14, and the bandpass filter 16 are provided separately without using the local oscillation circuit 5, the mixing circuit 4, and the bandpass filter 6 that the car radio 21 originally has. Since the reception level of each broadcast channel is detected and evaluated by evaluating the reception level of the subsequent intermediate frequency signal, the following advantages can be obtained compared to the configuration shown in the first embodiment.

  That is, in the configuration shown in the first embodiment, the local oscillation circuit 5, the mixing circuit 4, and the band-pass filter 6 for evaluating the reception level, and the local oscillation circuit 5, the mixing circuit 4, and the band for receiving the broadcast. Since the path filter 6 is shared, the user selects the broadcast channel by operating the selection switch 13 of the car radio 1 and wants to select another broadcast channel while receiving the broadcast. Even if the user wants to know the reception level of another broadcast channel prior to the selection operation, the reception level cannot be evaluated and displayed.

  However, in the configuration shown in the second embodiment, the local oscillation circuit 15, the mixing circuit 14, and the bandpass filter 16 for detecting and evaluating the reception level, the local oscillation circuit 5 for receiving the broadcast, and the mixing circuit 4 are used. Since the band-pass filter 6 has a separate configuration, while the user operates the selection switch 19 to select a station and listen to the car radio 21, the reception level of each broadcast channel to be selected next can be evaluated and The display can be performed prior to the next operation of the selection switch 19. In addition to this, compared to the configuration shown in the first embodiment, when the user operates the selection switch 19, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of ending the above control content. Therefore, the control content of the car radio ECU 17 can be eliminated. Can be simplified.

  Further, since the low frequency amplifier circuit control unit required in the configuration shown in the first embodiment in order to prevent the speaker 10 from operating while the reception level is being evaluated can be eliminated. The control content of the radio ECU 17 can be simplified.

  Also in the second embodiment, the signal level detected by the level detection unit 17a is evaluated by the level evaluation unit 17b in five stages, and the evaluation result is displayed on the display 18 by the level display unit 17d. The evaluation unit 17b may be eliminated and the signal level itself may be displayed by the level display unit 17d.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions are made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. be able to. In the embodiment described above, a car radio is shown as an example of a radio broadcast receiving device provided in a mobile body. However, an in-car car TV, a one-segment broadcast from a base station, a mobile phone that receives a music broadcast, and an in-vehicle that receives a satellite broadcast. The present invention can also be applied to other car TVs, portable TVs, and the like.

  The present invention relates to a radio broadcast receiving apparatus mounted on a moving body such as a vehicle, and allows the user to recognize the reception level of each broadcast channel before selecting the broadcast channel. Since it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable by selecting a low broadcast channel and performing unnecessary operations, the present invention is useful when applied to various vehicles such as passenger cars, trucks, and buses.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a car radio according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the display content of the display of the car radio concerning this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control content of one Embodiment of the car radio which concerns on this invention. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a car radio according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the display content of the display of the car radio concerning this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control content of one Embodiment of the car radio which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car radio 2 Antenna 3 High frequency amplifier circuit 4 Mixing circuit 5 Local oscillation circuit 6 Band pass filter 7 Intermediate frequency amplifier circuit 8 Detection circuit 9 Low frequency amplifier circuit 10 Speaker 11 Car radio ECU
11a level detection unit 11b level evaluation unit 11c local oscillation circuit control unit 11d low frequency amplifier circuit control unit 11e level display unit 12 display 13 selection switch 21 car radio 14 mixing circuit 15 local oscillation circuit 16 bandpass filter 17 car radio ECU
17a level detection unit 17b level evaluation unit 17c local oscillation circuit control unit 17d level display unit 18 display 19 selection switch

Claims (1)

A radio broadcast receiving apparatus provided on a mobile body, comprising: reception means for receiving broadcast radio waves of a plurality of broadcast channels broadcast from a base station or satellite; and selection means for selecting a broadcast channel to be viewed from among the plurality of broadcast channels. Because
Level detection means for detecting a reception level of a broadcast channel other than the broadcast channel to be viewed and selected by the selection means;
A radio broadcast receiving apparatus comprising: level display means for displaying the reception level of the broadcast channel detected by the level detection means in association with the broadcast channel.

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