JP2015233239A - Setting method of area related item based on broadcast radio wave - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a setting method of an area related item for economically executing predetermined processing relating to a rough area including a current place by easily identifying the area without requiring a GPS related component or high-grade arithmetic processing.SOLUTION: The setting method includes: a broadcast area information access step of accessing broadcast area information relating to a correspondence between a broadcasting frequency and a broadcast area; a broadcasting frequency detection step of making a frequency to be received up or down successively and detecting one or more broadcasting frequencies receivable at a position where a device is located at present; a location area identification step of identifying an area in which the device is located, by collating the broadcast area information with the one or more detected broadcasting frequencies; and an area correspondent item setting step of executing setting processing of an area correspondent setting item on the basis of the identified location area.

Description

    The present invention relates to a method for simply executing an area-related item setting process in a predetermined apparatus based on a correspondence relationship between a broadcast frequency and a broadcast area that are different for each area.

    In communication devices and information devices, there are cases where predetermined parameters relating to the area of the current location are set (preset) in advance. For example, a reception function of a public broadcast whose reception frequency is different for each area such as radio broadcast or television broadcast, or a reception function of a data distribution system whose reception frequency is different for each area such as VICS (registered trademark) (Vehicle Information and Communication System). In order for these to operate normally, it is necessary to preset a reception frequency corresponding to the area of the current location among a plurality of predetermined reception frequencies in a channel selection switch or the like. At that time, it is common for a person to manually input information specifying the current location, and the operation is troublesome. In particular, in the case of communication devices and information devices mounted on automobiles, etc., every time an automobile passes through multiple frequency areas, it is necessary for the driver etc. to manually input information specifying the current location. The operation that occurs is extremely troublesome and has safety restrictions that it can only be operated when it is stopped. In addition, there is a risk that important information may be missed due to the delay of the preset or the forgetting of the preset itself.

  In order to improve this, it is desirable to provide a communication device and an information device with a function of automatically specifying and setting the area of the current location where the device exists. As a method of specifying the area of the current location, for example, there is a method of applying a positioning system using GPS (Global Positioning System) (for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, the positioning system as described in Patent Document 1 is intended to accurately measure the current position of the mobile terminal, requires expensive GPS-related components, and is accompanied by advanced arithmetic processing. Therefore, it cannot be said that it is economical as a positioning method for a purpose of setting a predetermined parameter related to the area of the current location, in other words, a purpose of positioning the approximate position.

JP 2005-189154 A

    Therefore, an object of the present invention is to easily specify an approximate area of the current location and economically execute a predetermined process related to the area without requiring GPS-related parts or advanced calculation processing.

    In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a method for executing a setting process of the area-corresponding setting item in an apparatus having a predetermined area-corresponding setting item related to an area, the device storing or A broadcast area information access step for accessing broadcast area information related to a correspondence relationship between a broadcast frequency and a broadcast area stored in a device other than the device connected to the device, and broadcast receiving means included in the device receives the broadcast area information. A broadcast frequency detection step of detecting one or more broadcast frequencies that can be received at a position where the device is present by sequentially increasing or decreasing the frequency, the broadcast area information accessed by the broadcast area information access step, and the broadcast Compares one or more broadcast frequencies detected by the frequency detection step, and the device currently exists A presence area specifying step of specifying a rear, on the basis of the presence area of the existing area specifying step is identified, characterized by having a, an area corresponding item setting step of performing setting processing of the area corresponding setting item.

    According to the present invention, since the approximate area of the current location is specified only by the public broadcast reception frequency that can be received at the current location, a dedicated device for specifying the location, such as a GPS receiving device, is not necessary, and advanced calculation processing is performed. Therefore, the predetermined setting process related to the current location area can be executed economically and easily.

  For example, channel presets for each area such as portable radio and portable TV, channel presets for each area such as home digital television, special broadcasting such as VICS (registered trademark) (Vehicle Information and Communication System) and emergency notification broadcasting. Suitable for area selection and the like.

It is a whole explanatory view concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a block block diagram of the receiver 1 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the example of the content memorize | stored in the broadcast area information storage part 16 and the setting item data storage part 17 classified by area. It is an operation | movement flowchart of the receiver 1 which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

    Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, radio broadcast (for example, FM broadcast) is set as a public broadcast wave having a different broadcast frequency for each area, and setting of preset channels of a radio receiver mounted on a car is set as a setting item to be set according to the current location. Will be described as an example.

  FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a receiving device (hereinafter referred to as the present device) 1, a plurality of broadcast station groups 2, and a plurality of broadcast areas to which broadcast radio waves from each broadcast station group 2 reach 3. It is composed of an automobile 4 that carries the apparatus 1 and moves in each broadcasting area 3. Here, each broadcasting station group 2 is an aggregate of a plurality of broadcasting stations with different series existing in the center of the prefecture or city, and each broadcasting station is relatively close to receive radio waves from each broadcasting station. The broadcast area 3 is assumed to be substantially the same.

  Also, different broadcast channels (hereinafter abbreviated as “CH”) transmitted from each broadcast station group 2 are assigned to different areas so as not to interfere with broadcast radio waves from the adjacent broadcast area 3. That is, in the example of FIG. 1, in the broadcast area 3-1 (area A) of the A broadcast station 2-1, CH1, 4 and 7 can be received, and the area 3-2 (area of the B broadcast station 2-2) In B), CH2, 5, and 8 can be received, and in areas 3-3 (area C) of the C broadcasting station 2-3, CH3, 6, and 9 can be received.

  In an area where a plurality of broadcast areas 3 overlap, all broadcast CHs in the overlapped broadcast area can be received, and in areas AB where the broadcast areas 3-1 and 3-2 overlap, CH1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 can be received. In the area BC in which the broadcast areas 3-2 and 3-3 overlap, CH2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9 can be received. In the area AC where the broadcast areas 3-1 and 3-3 overlap, CH1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 can be received. In the area ABC where the broadcast areas 3-1, 3-2 and 3-3 are overlapped, all the channels 1 to 9 can be received. Similarly, there are an area D where radio waves from the D broadcasting station reach, an area E...

  The automobile 4 equipped with the apparatus 1 moves freely in each broadcast area 3. For example, when the automobile 4 moves from the area A (broadcast area 3-1) to the area B (broadcast area 3-2), the CHs 1, 4, and 7 received before the movement cannot be received and are the destinations. CHs 2, 5, and 8 in area B are receivable CHs. Therefore, the present apparatus 1 starts scanning the reception frequency periodically or irregularly, searches for a receivable CH, identifies the broadcast area at the current location from the receivable CH information, and selects a CH corresponding to the broadcast area. Preset. Details of this operation will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is an internal block configuration diagram of the apparatus 1. The apparatus control unit 10, presence area specifying unit 11, reception frequency control unit 12, broadcast reception unit 13, broadcast detection unit 14, reception frequency storage unit 15, broadcast area information It comprises a storage unit 16, an area-specific setting item data storage unit 17, and an operation unit 18.

  The apparatus control unit 10 is a means for controlling the entire apparatus 1, and exchanges data with each of the existence area specifying unit 11, the broadcast receiving unit 13, the setting item data storage unit 17 for each area, and the operation unit 18. Preset data of the reception frequency of the broadcast receiving unit 13 is set. It should be noted that a general function as a radio receiving apparatus is executed by the apparatus control unit 10, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The presence area specifying unit 11 is a means for specifying the area where the present device 1 is present, and controls the reception frequency control unit 12 according to an instruction from the device control unit 10 to scan the reception frequency of the radio broadcast. To do. Here, the scanning of the reception frequency is performed by, for example, sequentially increasing or decreasing the reception frequency in units of 100 kHz, and scanning the entire bandwidth of the broadcast frequency in time series. The reception frequency information is stored in the reception frequency storage unit 15 every time the broadcast detection unit 14 detects the broadcast frequency of the radio broadcast. Then, a plurality of reception frequency information stored in the reception frequency storage unit 15 and the broadcast frequency information for each area stored in advance in the broadcast area information storage unit 16 are compared, and the broadcast area in which the present apparatus 1 currently exists is compared. The specified area information is notified to the apparatus control unit 10. For example, in FIG. 1, when the broadcast CH detected by the scan of the reception frequency is CH1, 4 and 7, the broadcast area information storage unit 16 is referred to and the areas where CH1, 4 and 7 are broadcast (this device) 1) is identified as area A.

  The reception frequency control unit 12 is means for controlling the reception frequency of the radio broadcast received by the broadcast reception unit 13 according to the control from the presence area specifying unit 11.

  The broadcast receiving unit 13 is a means for receiving a radio broadcast, and sets the reception frequency to a frequency specified by the reception frequency control unit 12 or a frequency specified by the device control unit 10 in accordance with an instruction from the device control unit 10. . Also, a broadcast signal obtained by detecting and demodulating the received radio broadcast radio wave is output to the apparatus control unit 10 or the broadcast detection unit 14.

  The broadcast detection unit 14 is a means for detecting whether or not the signal input from the broadcast reception unit 13 is a broadcast signal. When the broadcast signal is detected, the broadcast detection unit 14 notifies the presence area specifying unit 11 and detects the broadcast signal. The frequency information is stored in the reception frequency storage unit 15. Note that a specific method for detecting a broadcast signal is, for example, when a carrier wave having a level equal to or higher than a predetermined value is received and the reception frequency matches one of the broadcast frequencies stored in the broadcast area information storage unit 16. What is necessary is just to judge having detected the broadcast signal.

  The reception frequency storage unit 15 stores the reception frequency information detected by the broadcast detection unit 14 (information on the broadcast frequency received at the current location) input from the presence area specification unit 11 according to the control from the presence area specification unit 11. It is a means to put.

  The broadcast area information storage unit 16 is a means for preliminarily storing information related to the broadcast frequency for each area. For example, the broadcast area information storage unit 16 may be a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which the information is written in advance. It may be a non-volatile memory in which the information is downloaded and stored via a means (not shown) or an external device connection means (not shown).

  The area-specific setting item data storage unit 17 is a means for storing in advance setting data relating to radio broadcast channels to be preset for each area. The setting data includes the broadcast frequency in each area, the name of the broadcast CH, the series of broadcast stations, and the like. For example, in the case of G prefecture, the data is (◯ HK-FM, 81.6 MHz, ○ HK series), (FM-G, 86.3 MHz, FMOO series). The device control unit 10 sets the setting item of the area in a preset corresponding unit (not shown) in the device control unit 10 according to the operation content from the operation unit 18 or the area information input from the existence area specifying unit 11. To do.

  The area unit in the area-specific setting item data storage unit 17 and the area unit in the broadcast area information storage unit 16 may not be the same. That is, as the setting item data by area, selection of an area in a unit larger than the area in the broadcast area information storage unit 16 (for example, East Japan / West Japan / South Japan / North Japan) is set as the setting item by area, and the broadcast area and the setting item What is necessary is just to memorize | store the correspondence of an area in the setting item data storage part 17 classified by area.

  The operation unit 18 is means for operating the apparatus 1 and includes general switches and displays related to a radio broadcast reception operation. Although not shown, the switches include a plurality of preset switches, and the operator can select a preset radio broadcast channel by pressing the preset switch.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of contents stored in the broadcast area information storage unit 16 and the setting item data storage unit 17 for each area, and shows the correspondence between the area, the broadcast CH, and the setting data. For example, the broadcast CH in area A is CH1, 4 and 7 and the setting data is data 1. This data 1 is the broadcast frequency of CH1, 4 and 7, the name of the broadcast CH, the series of broadcast stations, and the like. In FIG. 3, the areas where the broadcast areas overlap (areas AB, AC, BC, ABC) are data 1 or 2, but may be data that presets all receivable broadcast CHs.

  FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the apparatus 1. Hereinafter, this flow will be described with reference to FIGS. This flow starts with the power turned on (S400). When the power is turned on, the apparatus 1 activates each function as a radio receiving apparatus (S401), and proceeds to S410.

  In S410, the apparatus control unit 10 monitors the arrival of the timing for executing the periodic reception frequency scan or the occurrence of an event for performing the irregular reception frequency scan, and determines that the reception frequency scan should be performed. In the case (S410, YES), the presence area specifying unit 11 sets the reception frequency of the broadcast receiving unit 13 to the initial frequency (for example, 70 MHz) via the reception frequency control unit 12 (S411), and proceeds to S420.

  Here, when the broadcast receiving unit 13 cannot simultaneously receive a plurality of broadcast CHs, the periodic reception frequency scan execution timing is, for example, every hour, and the radio broadcast program being viewed is the timing when the radio broadcast program changes. This is suitable because it has little influence on broadcasting.

  Further, the non-periodic event for which the reception frequency scan is to be performed is, for example, when it is detected that the S / N ratio or C / N ratio of the radio broadcast being viewed has become a predetermined value or less, or from the operation unit 18. This is a case where a command for executing a reception frequency scan is input.

  In S420, the broadcast detection unit 14 monitors whether or not the signal input from the broadcast reception unit 13 is a broadcast signal. When the broadcast signal is detected (YES in S420), the reception frequency at which the broadcast signal is detected is stored in the reception frequency. It memorize | stores in the part 15 (S421), and progresses to S422. When the broadcast signal is not detected (S420, NO), S421 is skipped and the process proceeds to S422.

  In S422, the reception frequency control unit 12 increases or decreases the reception frequency, and proceeds to S423. Here, the method of raising or lowering the reception frequency may be a method of raising or lowering in a unit of a constant value (for example, 100 KHz unit) or discrete corresponding to the broadcast frequency stored in advance in the broadcast area information storage unit 16. It may be a method of up or down automatically.

  If the reception frequency scan is not completed in S423 (S423, NO), the process returns to S420. If the reception frequency scan is completed (S423, YES), the process proceeds to S430. Here, the reception frequency scan completion determination is made when the reception frequency scan is completed when the processing of S420 and S421 is completed for each band of the bandwidth to be scanned (for example, 70 MHz to 90 MHz).

  In S430, the presence area specifying unit 11 compares the plurality of reception frequency information stored in the reception frequency storage unit 15 with the broadcast frequency information for each area stored in advance in the broadcast area information storage unit 16, and the apparatus 1 The currently existing area is specified, the specified area information is notified to the apparatus control unit 10, and the process proceeds to S431. For example, in FIG. 3, if the stored reception frequency is CH1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, the area specified is area AB.

  In S431, the device control unit 10 refers to the setting item data storage unit 17 by area, and sets the setting data corresponding to the area information notified from the existence area specifying unit 11 in the preset corresponding unit in the device control unit 10. Then, the reception frequency information stored in the reception frequency storage unit 15 is cleared, and the process returns to S410. Henceforth, whenever it determines with YES by S410, the process of S411-S431 is repeated.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. According to the present invention, only the radio broadcast reception frequency in the currently existing area is detected and the broadcast area is specified, so that a dedicated device for position specification such as a GPS receiving device is unnecessary, economical and It is simple.

  In the present embodiment, the setting of the preset channel of the radio reception device has been described as an example of the setting item to be set according to the current location. However, the preset channel can be set only by the reception frequency scan, for example, the reception frequency scan , And all the reception frequencies having a detected reception intensity equal to or higher than a predetermined level can be preset in the order of frequency (this method is generally used). However, in this case, the broadcast frequency of the distant area that happened to be reached may be preset, or the broadcast frequency of the area that happens to be missed may be missed, and the preset is often not appropriate.

  On the other hand, in the case of the present invention, the local area of the device 1 is specified by the received broadcast frequency, and a predetermined broadcast frequency corresponding to the specified area is preset, so that the accidental far area is reached. It is possible to prevent presetting of the broadcast frequency, or failure to preset the broadcast frequency of the area that has failed to be detected, and there is a high possibility that the preset is appropriate.

  In the present embodiment, radio broadcasting is described as a public broadcast wave having a different broadcast frequency for each area, and setting of preset channels of a radio receiving device mounted on a car is described as an example of setting items to be set according to the current location. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  Public broadcast waves having different broadcast frequencies for each area may be, for example, terrestrial digital television. The setting item to be set according to the current location may be, for example, a preset channel for each area in a portable or home-installed radio or television. Moreover, area selection in special broadcasts such as VICS (registered trademark) (Vehicle Information and Communication System) shared with public broadcast radio frequencies and emergency notification broadcasts may be used.

  Further, the setting item to be set according to the current location may be a setting item according to the current location area of a device not related to broadcasting. For example, it is also suitable as a method for inputting approximate current location information in a map information display system for setting a server address of an information device (including information appliances) that accesses a different server for each area and displaying a peripheral area of the current location.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reception apparatus which concerns on this invention 2 ... Broadcasting station 3 ... Broadcasting area 4 ... Automobile 10 ... Device control part 11 ... Existence area specific | specification part 12 ... Reception frequency control part 13 ... Broadcast receiving unit 14 ... Broadcast detection unit 15 ... Reception frequency storage unit 16 ... Broadcast area information storage unit 17 ... Area-specific setting item data storage unit 18 ... Operation unit

Claims (1)

A method of executing setting processing of the area correspondence setting item in an apparatus having a predetermined area correspondence setting item related to an area,
A broadcast area information access step for accessing broadcast area information related to a correspondence relationship between a broadcast frequency and a broadcast area, which is stored in the device or stored in a device other than the device connected to the device;
Broadcast frequency detection step of detecting one or more broadcast frequencies that can be received at a position where the device is present by sequentially increasing or decreasing the frequency received by the broadcast receiving means included in the device;
A presence area specifying step for comparing the broadcast area information accessed by the broadcast area information access step with one or more broadcast frequencies detected by the broadcast frequency detection step, and specifying an existing area where the device is present;
An area-related item setting step for executing an area-related setting item setting process based on the presence area specified by the presence area specifying step.

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