JP2643109B2 - Empty channel shifter for wireless communication equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a channel switching device for a radio communication device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a plurality of cars may be used for skiing, touring and the like. In such a case, if there is a wireless communication device, it is convenient to be able to communicate with each other while traveling. For this reason, a citizen band radio, a personal radio, and the like have been widely used. In addition, wireless communication devices using weak radio waves that do not require legal procedures are also widely used.

[0003] Among them, the personal radio is relatively frequently used in recent years. This personal radio has a so-called control channel separately from a general communication channel. If a failure such as interference occurs during communication, a microcomputer or the like built in the main body shifts the temporary channel to search for an empty channel, and during that time, the other station temporarily evacuates to the control channel. When your station finds an empty channel,
The vacant channel information is transmitted to the control channel, and the vacant channel is transferred. A microcomputer or the like controls the channel so that communication can be performed on a channel with relatively little interference.

[0004]

However, the personal radio has only one control channel. Therefore, if the control channel is interrupted, communication becomes difficult. In addition, since communication is not allowed on the control channel, the user may have to wait a long time until the interference is eliminated on the control channel. In this case, as a rescue means, there is a means for transmitting the communication channel information to the slave unit when the wireless communication device on the master unit comes down to the control channel. However, for example, when touring with a plurality of vehicles, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult for other vehicles to notice which wireless communication device of the vehicle has dropped out and is waiting on the control channel.

[0005] Although the personal radio has a relatively large transmission output, it requires a legal procedure to use it, and furthermore, the operation method is relatively difficult and the price is high due to the complicated structure of the channel shift means. There were many. On the other hand, many of the citizen band radios had relatively low transmission output and relatively simple operation methods and were inexpensive, but required legal procedures. In addition, these wireless communication devices need to provide a dedicated antenna. In addition, as an example of a wireless communication device having a control channel, there is a cordless telephone, but it has only one channel like a personal radio.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a radio communication device having a broadcast receiver, in which a plurality or all of the communication channels are switched to a control channel when interference occurs, a vacant channel is detected, the communication is shifted to the vacant channel, and communication is possible. It is an object of the present invention to provide an empty channel transfer device.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a receiving section for receiving a signal for communication or a broadcast signal , and detecting and decoding an encoded channel control signal from the received signal. A decoder, a transmission unit for transmitting a signal, an encoder for encoding a channel control signal and inserting it into transmission signals of a plurality or all channels, and performing transmission and reception.
For writing the carrier frequency of the frequency-modulated signal for the first
The frequency of the amplitude-modulated signal for broadcast reception with the memory
A memory and a second memory writing, a channel control unit to shift the reception frequency to the empty channel in accordance with said channel control signal, prior to said first memory
Switch the memory to one of the second memories
And a memory switch which is set for communication.
If a channel becomes unavailable due to interference,
Alternatively, all channels can be
Switch to a channel for
Is detected and the communication channel is transferred to this empty channel.
Is performed .

[0008]

When a channel control unit detects an empty channel and generates a channel control signal, the channel control signal is encoded by an encoder, inserted into a transmission signal, transmitted to a plurality of or all channels, and transmitted at the same time. To an empty channel. On the other hand, the encoded channel control signal is detected from the received signal and decoded by the decoder. This channel control signal is decoded by the channel control unit, and an empty channel is identified, and the reception frequency is shifted to this empty channel.

Frequency modulation for transmitting / receiving a memory
First memory storing signal carrier frequency and broadcast reception
The frequency of the amplitude-modulated signal for performing the second
Constituted by two memories of memory. Thus obtain Switching Operation changeover <br/> memory switcher, it may be used also a wireless communication device and the broadcast receiver.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of an idle channel shifter for a wireless communication device according to the present invention.
FIG. 1A is an overall configuration diagram of the present invention. An empty channel shifter 1 includes a receiving unit 2 that receives a signal, a decoder 3 that detects and decodes a channel control signal from the received signal,
A channel control unit 4 for decoding the decoded channel control signal, a memory 5 for writing the transmission / reception frequency, a transmission unit 6 for transmitting the signal, and an encoder 7 for encoding the channel control signal and inserting it into the transmission signal. Be composed. Further, the output signal of the receiving unit 2 is supplied to a speaker 22 through an amplifier 21.
And the sound is reproduced, and the transmitting unit 6 has the microphone 23
Is input via the amplifier 24.

The channel control unit 4 writes the transmission / reception frequencies to be used in the memory 5, reads out one of the frequencies, and transmits or receives the frequency. When a signal is received by the receiving unit 2, the received signal is reproduced by a speaker 22 via an amplifier 21. The received signal is simultaneously input to the decoder 3 and coded from the received signal. Is decoded, decoded and input to the channel control unit 4. The channel control section 4 shifts the reception frequency to an empty channel specified by the channel control signal.
On the other hand, when the channel control unit 4 detects an empty channel by an operation described later, this empty channel information is encoded by the encoder 7 to become a channel control signal. This channel control signal is input to the transmitting unit 6 and transmitted. Thereafter, the channel control unit 4 shifts the transmission frequency to an empty channel.

FIG. 1B shows an embodiment in which the memory 5 is composed of two memories. The memory 5 is composed of a first memory 5a and a second memory 5b.
b, and a memory switch 8 for switching between b and b is provided and connected to the channel controller 4. That is, transmission and reception are performed in the first memory 5a.
The carrier frequency of the frequency-modulated signal is written in the second memory 5b, and the frequency of the amplitude-modulated signal for performing broadcast reception is written in the second memory 5b.
If the number is written, the memory can be switched by the memory switch 8 to be a wireless communication device or a broadcast receiver. That is, it is possible to configure a transceiver that serves both as a radio and a receiving unit, and the transceiver further includes an idle channel shifter. Hereinafter, a specific example will be described.

FIG. 2 is an external view of an example of a wireless communication device according to the present invention, Table 1 is a table showing an example of combinations of channel frequencies, FIG. 3 is a diagram of a channel control signal format, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an idle channel shift operation, and FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the second embodiment.

In FIG. 2, the radio communication device 11 includes eight channel selection keys 11a, an empty channel search key (hereinafter referred to as VCS key) 11b, and a rotation search key (hereinafter referred to as RCH key) 11c. And a microphone 23, a frequency display section 11e, a cassette tape insertion section 11f, etc., but illustration and description of parts not directly related to the present invention are omitted. VCS key 1
Reference numeral 1b denotes a key which is pressed when transmitting empty channel information to the child device, and RCH key 11c is a key which is pressed when receiving empty channel information transmitted from the parent device. This wireless communication device 1
One channel is set as shown in Table 1 as an example.

[0015]

[Table 1]

That is, the first memory 5a carries a frequency modulation signal for transmission and reception when used as a wireless communication device.
The transmission frequency is written, and amplitude modulation for performing broadcast reception of a broadcast station when used as a broadcast receiver is performed in the second memory 5b.
Writing the frequency of the signal . In the present embodiment, a frequency modulation signal (FM signal) is used when used as a wireless communication device, and an amplitude modulation signal (AM signal) and an FM signal are received when used as a broadcast receiver. Therefore, the receiving unit 2 and the transmitting unit 6 have a function of receiving or transmitting an FM signal and an AM signal by a generally used circuit. Of course, the mode is not limited to this mode. For example, an AM signal may be used when used as a wireless communication device.

Next, the operation will be described. The same parts as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. First, when using as a wireless communication device (hereinafter,
Described as wireless mode. ) Will be described. In FIG. 2, in the wireless mode, one channel is selected by the channel selection key 11a. Next, when the VCS key 11b is pressed, the operation shifts to the operation of searching for an empty channel. That is, each channel from channel 1 to channel 8 is scanned to check whether the channel is free. When an empty channel is detected, the channel number m having the weakest electric field strength among the empty channels, the synchronization signal and the user number u are combined to form a channel control signal, and this channel control signal is transmitted several times. As shown in FIG. 3, the format of this channel control signal is composed of a synchronizing signal and a code of 15 bits in total of u and m.
SK (Minimum Shift Keying) is modulated and used. Also, unlike the idle channel transition means in the conventional wireless communication device, there is no distinction between the control channel and the communication channel, so in this embodiment, the control signal is transmitted for all the idle channels. It should be noted that the user number u can be set to 0 to 7, and interference with other users can be prevented in advance if the user numbers are matched.

Next, the operation of the idle channel search will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. Your station is now the parent machine,
Assume that an interference signal is generated on the seventh channel during communication. First, the VCS key 11b is pressed in S1 of FIG. Then S
Proceeding to 2, the channel control unit 4 sequentially receives the first to eighth channels and checks whether there is an empty channel.
Next, the process proceeds to S3, where empty channels 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 are found, and this number is written in the memory 5a. Next, proceeding to S4, if the channel controller 4 detects that the channel having the weakest electric field strength among the empty channels is the second channel, the second channel is set to m and the memory 5 is set.
Write to a. Next, in S5, a channel control signal composed of m, u and a synchronization signal is transmitted to an empty channel.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, channel scanning is performed only on the empty channel. Channel scanning is performed several times in the clockwise direction, and channel control signals are transmitted to these channels several times. Then, when the channel scanning is completed, the process proceeds to S6 in FIG. 5 to fix the channel to m, that is, the second channel, and proceeds to S7 to return to the normal mode. Note that the normal mode refers to a mode in which a channel is manually selected.

Next, the operation of the slave unit will be described. When an interfering signal is generated in the slave unit, in FIG.
Press the CH key 11c. Then, channel scanning is performed in S11. That is, as shown in FIG. 4 (B), channel scanning is performed in a counterclockwise direction opposite to that of the master unit, and all of the eighth to first channels are received for approximately one second. When a channel having a constant electric field strength, that is, a channel that can be determined as having a signal is detected by the channel control unit 4, the channel stays there for several seconds. When a control signal is received from the master unit in S12, m is decoded, and the flow advances to S6 to fix the channel to m, that is, the second channel, and returns to the normal mode in S7.

When an interference signal is generated in both the master unit and the slave unit and communication becomes impossible, the VCS key 11b, the RCH
What is necessary is just to determine in advance to press the key 11c. Also, when an interference signal or the like starts to be generated, the RCH key 1
1c is pressed, and then the master unit starts the VCS key 11b.
May be pressed. In this case, even if connection is not possible, the slave unit scans all channels as described above, so that it is possible to search for the channel of the master unit by judging from the conversation content for each channel. When the channel is found, the RCH key 11c is pressed again so that the channel control unit 4 stops at that channel.
May be configured. Of course, the search may be performed by manually switching channels.

Next, a case where the apparatus is used as a broadcast receiver (hereinafter, referred to as a broadcast mode) will be described. In the case of the broadcast mode, the memory switch 8 is switched to the second memory 5b. When this switching is performed, the channel control unit 4
Is stopped by, for example, setting the power supply voltage supplied to the transmission unit 6 to approximately 0 volt. That is, only the receiving unit 2 operates.
Also, the operations of the decoder 3 and the encoder 7 are stopped in the same manner as in the transmission unit 6. Therefore, in this broadcast mode, it operates as a general so-called radio.

In other words, for example, a commonly used FM
It is relatively easy to provide the so-called car stereo provided with a radio or the like with the empty channel transfer device according to the present invention.
Furthermore, there is no need to add a new antenna for the wireless mode.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of the second embodiment, showing an example in which an empty channel transfer device according to the present invention is provided in a car stereo. The wireless communication device 12 according to the present invention has a wireless mode and a broadcast mode, and also operates as a cassette tape playback mode (hereinafter, referred to as a cassette mode) and a compact disc playback mode (hereinafter, referred to as a CD mode). It is configured as follows. That is, the cassette player 31 and the CD player 32 are switched by the source switch 33, and one of them is connected to the signal attenuation circuit (attenuator) 34. When the switch is switched to the empty terminal of the switch 33, only the wireless mode and the broadcast mode operate as described in the first embodiment. Further, the attenuator 34 includes a reception signal detector 35 for detecting an output signal of the receiving unit 2, for example, a signal of a partner station. When the reception signal detector 35 detects a signal of the partner station, the attenuator 34 controls the cassette player 31 and the like. Attenuates the playback signal. Further, the output signal of the receiving section 2 is also connected to a squelch circuit 36, and when the reception signal detector 35 detects a signal of the partner station, the squelch circuit 36
Is turned on, the signal of the other station passes through the squelch circuit 36, and is further reproduced by the speaker 22 via the amplifier 21. The output signals of the attenuator 34 and the squelch circuit 36 are mixed by a mixer 37.

That is, for example, if the signal of the other station comes in while listening to the music of Mozart by the CD player 32, the attenuator 34 operates to reduce the volume of the music of Mozart, the squelch circuit 36 is turned on, and the other party turns on. The station signal is mixed with the Mozart music and reproduced from the speaker 22. Therefore, the voice of the partner station is reproduced relatively louder than the music of Mozart. When the signal of the partner station disappears, the attenuator 34 stops operating and the squelch circuit 36 is turned off, so that the volume of the music of Mozart returns to the original level again.

On the other hand, when the user speaks through the microphone 23, an audio signal is input to the signal detector 38 via the amplifier 24. When the signal detector 38 detects an audio signal, an antenna switch 40 for switching the antenna 39 switches the antenna 39.
Is switched from the receiving side to the transmitting side. The signal detector 38 is also connected to the attenuator 34 and attenuates signals from the cassette player 31 and the like when detecting an audio signal. It should be noted that the hand-free switch 41 is a switch for switching to the transmission side by speaking through the microphone 23 when turned on, and for manually switching when turned off. The control signal switch 9 is a switch that is turned on by the channel control unit 4 only when a channel control signal is transmitted.

As described above, the present invention exerts a remarkable effect particularly when used in a car stereo or the like. That is, most car stereos are now equipped with FM tuners, and the empty channel transfer device according to the present invention can be relatively easily combined with such a car stereo. Further, since the antenna of the FM tuner can be shared as the communication antenna, and a so-called wireless microphone generally used can be used for the transmission unit, the cost can be reduced.

[0027]

According to the present invention, an idle channel shifter for a radio communication apparatus encodes a channel control signal and transmits empty channel information to a plurality or all channels, and decodes an empty channel control signal to transmit an empty channel. Since information is received, it is easy to shift to an empty channel for communication. Further, the idle channel shifter of the wireless communication device according to the present invention is provided with dedicated memories for transmission and reception and for broadcast reception, respectively, and by switching the memory by the memory switching means, a legal procedure is not required.
Communication is performed by wireless output used for receivers such as geo.
In addition, since the wireless communication device and the broadcast receiver can be shared, an economical and highly convenient wireless communication device can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a first embodiment of an idle channel shifter of a wireless communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of an example of a wireless communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a format diagram of a channel control signal.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of channel scanning.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an idle channel shift operation;

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... empty channel transfer device, 2 ... receiving unit, 3 ... decoder
4 channel controller, 5 memory, 5a first memory, 5b second memory, 6 transmitter, 7 encoder, 8
Memory switch, 11a ... channel selection key, 11b ...
Empty channel search key, 11c ... rotation search key.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A receiving unit for receiving a signal or a broadcast signal for communication, a decoder for detecting and decoding an encoded channel control signal from the received signal, a transmitting unit for transmitting the signal, and a channel control signal an encoder for inserting the transmission signals of a plurality or all of the channel codes the row transmission and reception
The carrier frequency of the frequency-modulated signal for
Frequency of the amplitude modulation signal for performing broadcast reception
A second memory in which the first memory is written, a channel control unit that shifts the transmission / reception frequency to an empty channel according to the channel control signal ,
Switching the memory to one of the second memories
And a memory switch that can be set to communicate with a channel set for communication by interference.
If it becomes impossible, select multiple or all channels
Switch to a channel for idle channel detection control
Detect a vacant channel with which communication is possible, and
An idle channel shift device for a wireless communication device, which shifts a communication channel to a channel.