JP6253540B2 - Broadcast receiver - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving apparatus that receives a broadcast of a radio data system (hereinafter referred to as RDS) adopted in, for example, Europe.

  In RDS, information related to radio programs and information such as traffic information are multiplexed on FM radio broadcast signals to provide various services to the driver. The radio data signal from the RDS includes RDS signals such as a program identification code, broadcast station name data, traffic information station identification data, traffic announcement identification data, and an alternative frequency (AF) list.

  A program identification code (hereinafter referred to as a PI code) identifies a program name of a country, a reception area, or a broadcasting station. The broadcast station name data (hereinafter referred to as PS data) is data indicating the broadcast station name of the station receiving the broadcast.

  The traffic information station identification data (hereinafter referred to as TP data) is identification data for identifying a broadcast station that broadcasts by adding traffic information to an FM radio broadcast signal. Hereinafter, such a broadcasting station is called a traffic information station. If the TP data has a logical value “1” (a state where the TP flag is set “1”), the broadcasting station is a traffic information station, and the TP data has a logical value “0” (the TP flag is not set). If the state is “0”), this indicates that the broadcast station is not a traffic information station.

  Traffic announcement identification data (hereinafter referred to as TA data) is identification data for identifying the start of traffic information. For example, when the TA data has a logical value “1”, transmission of traffic information from the traffic information station is started, and when the transmission of traffic information ends, the TA data has a logical value “0”.

The AF list is a list in which frequencies (alternative frequencies) of broadcast stations of the same broadcast series that broadcast the same program as the currently receiving broadcast station (broadcast station listening to radio broadcast) are registered.
Hereinafter, a broadcast station of the same broadcast series as the currently receiving broadcast station is referred to as “same affiliate station”, and a broadcast station of another broadcast series is referred to as “different affiliate station”.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a broadcast receiving apparatus that performs an auto-retune operation that sequentially receives broadcast waves of other traffic information stations with good reception status when the reception status of the traffic information station deteriorates. Yes. In this apparatus, the PI code and the AF list are extracted from the broadcast wave of the traffic information station received by the auto-retune operation, and the contents of the existing AF list are updated based on the PI code and the AF list. Thereby, even if the reception state of the traffic information station deteriorates, it is possible to switch the reception by selecting the station with the best reception state from the traffic information stations of the same affiliated station registered in the AF list.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-162817

In the conventional technique represented by Patent Document 1, when the reception state of the traffic information station deteriorates, the traffic information station having the best reception state is selected from the same affiliated stations registered in the AF list.
However, if the broadcast receiving apparatus moves outside the broadcast area covered by the broadcast series of the broadcast station that is receiving the radio broadcast, the same affiliate station in a good reception state is not searched. In this case, conventionally, traffic information is received from a traffic information station of the same affiliated station whose reception state has deteriorated until a new traffic information station of the same affiliated station having a good reception state is newly searched. There was a problem that bad traffic announcements were output.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a broadcast receiving apparatus that can reduce the output of traffic announcements with poor sound quality.

  A broadcast receiving apparatus according to the present invention is a broadcast receiving apparatus that includes first and second tuner units that receive a broadcast, and performs a frequency search for a broadcast station that can be received by the second tuner unit. A storage unit storing a station list in which receivable broadcast stations searched by the tuner unit are registered, and reception in the station list when the reception state of the broadcast received by the first tuner unit falls below an allowable level. When switching reception to a possible broadcast station, there is no broadcast station that broadcasts traffic information in the broadcast series of the broadcast station from which the first tuner unit is receiving broadcasts. When the broadcasting station to be broadcast is in the station list, a broadcasting station that broadcasts traffic information in another broadcasting series is selected from the station list, and a control unit that sets the broadcasting station that receives traffic information in the first tuner unit; Is provided.

  According to this invention, there is an effect that it is possible to reduce the output of traffic announcements with poor sound quality.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the broadcast receiver which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 3 is a flowchart showing a broadcast station list creation process in the first embodiment. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a station list in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a broadcast reception process in the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a traffic information station selection process in the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen of switching of a traffic information station.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a broadcast receiving apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a broadcast receiving apparatus 1 is a broadcast receiving apparatus for a mobile body that is mounted on or used in a mobile body (for example, a vehicle), and receives an RDS FM broadcast. The configuration includes a main tuner section 10a, a sub tuner section 10b, a digital signal processor (hereinafter abbreviated as DSP) 11, a microcomputer (hereinafter abbreviated as microcomputer) 12, and a memory 13.

In FIG. 1, a speaker 2 is an audio output device for outputting radio audio and traffic announcements. As the speaker 2, a speaker mounted on the broadcast receiving device 1 can be considered, but an in-vehicle speaker disposed in a vehicle compartment may be used.
The display unit 3 is a display unit that displays the broadcast station name of the broadcast station received by the main tuner unit 10a and the receivable broadcast station name of the station list obtained as a result of the frequency search. It consists of a device (LCD).
The operation unit 4 includes a touch panel and operation buttons necessary for operating the broadcast receiving apparatus 1. The user operates the operation unit 4 to designate a channel for the broadcast receiving apparatus 1.

The antenna 5a captures a broadcast wave from a broadcast station and outputs it to the main tuner unit 10a. For example, an antenna installed on a part of the vehicle body may be used. Similarly to the antenna 5a, the antenna 5b captures a broadcast wave from the broadcast station and outputs it to the sub-tuner unit 10b.
It is assumed that a broadcasting station in the station list searched using the antenna 5b can obtain the same reception state even when receiving the antenna 5a.
Moreover, although the structure provided with the two antennas 5a and 5b was shown in FIG. 1, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the main tuner unit 10a and the sub tuner unit 10b may be connected to one antenna.

The main tuner unit 10a is a first tuner unit that receives a broadcast via the antenna 5a. The main tuner unit 10a extracts the RF signal of the channel (frequency) designated by the microcomputer 12 from the broadcast wave RF signal received via the antenna 5a, and performs processing such as signal amplification and frequency conversion on the extracted RF signal. And output to the DSP 11.
Further, the main tuner unit 10a has a function of detecting the reception state of the reception signal. For example, the main tuner unit 10a detects reception electric field strength (signal meter; S meter) as reception state information.
Note that the main tuner unit 10a receives radio sound while acquiring the RDS signal while fixing the frequency specified by the microcomputer 12 as described above.

  The sub-tuner unit 10b is a second tuner unit that receives broadcasts via the antenna 5b, and executes a frequency search for receivable broadcast stations at a predetermined period (30-second interval or the like). For example, the sub-tuner unit 10b has a function of detecting the reception state of the received signal, similarly to the main tuner unit 10a, and the entire FM reception band is set at a predetermined frequency interval (such as 0.1 MHz). The reception state is detected while switching the reception frequency. Then, the searched broadcast station frequency, reception status information (S meter, etc.) and RDS signal are sent to the microcomputer 12 via the DSP 11.

The DSP 11 performs various signal processing such as filtering and decoding on the signals output from the main tuner unit 10a and the sub tuner unit 10b.
For example, the radio audio signal output from the main tuner unit 10a is decoded and amplified, and then output to the speaker 2. Thereby, radio sound is output from the speaker 2.
The DSP 11 decodes the RDS signal output from the main tuner unit 10 a or the sub tuner unit 10 b and outputs the decoded RDS signal to the microcomputer 12.

The microcomputer 12 is a control unit that executes a program stored in a built-in read-only memory (ROM) (not shown) or the like and controls the operation of each component of the broadcast receiving apparatus 1.
In particular, the microcomputer 12 according to the present invention is configured so that the main tuner unit 10a can switch the reception to a receivable broadcast station in the station list when the reception state of the broadcast station receiving the broadcast is lower than an allowable level. When the traffic information station of the same affiliated station as the broadcasting station receiving the broadcast is not in the station list and there is a traffic information station of another affiliated station, the traffic information station of another affiliated station is selected from the station list. The main tuner unit 10a is set to a broadcasting station that receives traffic information.
By doing so, the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 moves outside the broadcast area covered by the broadcast series of the broadcast station that is receiving the radio broadcast, and the same affiliated station with a good reception state is not searched. Even in this case, the traffic information station can be immediately switched to another affiliated station whose reception state is good. For this reason, the traffic information is not received from the traffic information station of the same affiliated station whose reception state has deteriorated as in the prior art, and it is possible to prevent the output of a traffic announcement having a poor sound quality including noise.

  In addition, when a channel of a broadcasting station that the user desires to listen to is specified by operating the operation unit 4, the microcomputer 12 sets a broadcasting station (frequency) that matches the specified channel in the main tuner unit 10a (user). Tuning). Further, the microcomputer 12 determines the reception state of the broadcast wave based on the reception state information of the main tuner unit 10a and the sub tuner unit 10b.

In addition, the microcomputer 12 determines broadcast stations that can be received by the main tuner unit 10 a based on the reception status information input from the sub tuner unit 10 b via the DSP 11, and lists the receivable broadcast stations in the station list of the memory 13. Register with. For example, a broadcast station having a broadcast wave S meter (received electric field strength) equal to or greater than a threshold is determined as a broadcast station having a good reception state and capable of receiving.
Further, the microcomputer 12 attaches a TP flag (an identification flag indicating whether or not the broadcast station is a traffic information station) to the broadcast station registered in the station list based on the TP data.
The station list in the present invention is a list in which broadcast stations that have a good reception state and can be received regardless of the broadcast series are registered.
Further, the microcomputer 12 updates the registered content of the AF list at a broadcasting station of the same affiliated station as the broadcasting station from which the main tuner unit 10a is receiving the broadcasting among the broadcasting stations registered in the station list.
That is, the AF list and the station list are updated with each other from the result of the frequency search by the sub tuner unit 10b, and the broadcasting stations included in the AF list are also included in the station list.

  The memory 13 is a storage unit that stores a station list and an AF list created by the microcomputer 12. For example, it is composed of a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

Next, the operation will be described.
First, a process for creating a station list and an AF list by the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing broadcast station list creation processing according to the first embodiment.
The sub-tuner unit 10b performs a frequency search for a broadcast station that can be received via the antenna 5b at a predetermined period (30-second interval or the like).
For example, the reception state is detected while switching the reception frequency over the entire FM reception band at intervals of 0.1 MHz, and the searched frequency (broadcast station), its reception state information (S meter, etc.) and the RDS signal received at this frequency And sent to the microcomputer 12 via the DSP 11.

Based on the reception state information input via the DSP 11, the microcomputer 12 determines whether or not the reception state of the frequency (broadcast station) searched by the sub tuner unit 10b is good and is receivable (step ST1). .
For example, if the S meter (received electric field strength) at the frequency (broadcast station) searched by the sub-tuner unit 10b is greater than or equal to a predetermined electric field strength threshold value (when the received state is greater than or equal to an allowable level), the received state Is determined to be good and receivable and is less than the threshold value (when the reception state is lower than the allowable level), it is determined that the reception state is bad and reception is impossible.

If it is determined that the reception state is good and reception is possible (step ST1; YES), the microcomputer 12 acquires TP data from the RDS signal (step ST2).
Next, the microcomputer 12 registers, in the station list, the broadcasting stations (frequency) that are determined to be good and can be received (step ST3). At this time, the microcomputer 12 sets a TP flag (an identification flag indicating whether or not the broadcast station is a traffic information station) in the broadcasting station based on the TP data acquired in step ST2, and receives the reception status information. (S meter) is registered in the station list. In this way, broadcast stations with good reception status are registered in the station list regardless of the broadcast series. Also, the microcomputer 12 updates the AF list with a broadcasting station of the same affiliated station as the broadcasting station from which the main tuner unit 10a is receiving the broadcasting among the broadcasting stations registered in the station list.

On the other hand, if it is determined that reception is bad and reception is not possible (step ST1; NO), the microcomputer 12 determines that the broadcast station determined not to be received is in the station list updated in the previous frequency search, from the station list. The broadcast station that has been made unreceivable by this determination is deleted (step ST4). If the broadcast station determined to be unreceivable is the same affiliate station, it is also deleted from the AF list.
Thereafter, the process proceeds to step ST5.

In step ST5, the microcomputer 12 confirms whether or not all frequencies in the FM reception band have been searched by the sub-tuner unit 10b. Here, if not all frequencies have been searched (step ST5; NO), the microcomputer 12 instructs the sub-tuner unit 10b to switch to the next frequency. Thereby, the sub-tuner unit 10b switches the search target frequency (step ST6) and repeats the processing from step ST1.
On the other hand, when the search of all frequencies by the sub-tuner unit 10b is completed (step ST5; YES), the process is terminated. A series of processes so far are repeatedly performed in the above cycle.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the station list in the first embodiment. In the station list, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the frequency of a broadcast station determined to be receivable, data of an RDS signal received from this broadcast station, and reception status information (S meter) are registered.
If the PI code of the broadcasting station receiving the broadcast by the main tuner unit 10a is “Δ”, the broadcasting stations having the PI code “Δ” in the station list are the same affiliated stations, and the AF list is set by these broadcasting stations. Is updated.
If the reception state of the broadcast in the main tuner unit 10a deteriorates (when it is less than the allowable level), the broadcast station with the best reception state among the same affiliated stations registered in the AF list is the target of switching. Selected as a broadcasting station. In the example of FIG. 3, the broadcast station having the frequency “◯ △ ◯” at which the S meter has the highest level 5 is selected as an alternative station, and reception is switched.

  In the station list, the broadcasting station name acquired from the PS data is registered, and the value of the TP flag acquired from the TP data is registered. In FIG. 3, “◯” in the TP column indicates that the TP flag is on (logical value “1”), and the broadcasting station that transmitted this TP data is a traffic information station. “X” in the TP column indicates that the TP flag is off (logical value “0”), and the broadcasting station that has transmitted the TP data does not have traffic information (not a traffic information station). In the example of FIG. 3, a broadcast station with a frequency “Δ × Δ” and a broadcast station with a frequency “xxx” are determined as traffic information stations.

Next, radio broadcast and traffic information reception processing by the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing broadcast reception processing in the first embodiment.
First, the microcomputer 12 determines whether or not the broadcast station receiving the broadcast by the main tuner unit 10a is a traffic information station having a good reception state (a broadcast station that broadcasts traffic information with a reception state exceeding an allowable level). Is confirmed (step ST1a). For example, based on the S meter input from the main tuner unit 10a and the value of the TP flag, it is determined whether the reception state of the broadcasting station and the traffic information station.

When the broadcast station receiving the broadcast at the main tuner unit 10a is a traffic information station in a good reception state (step ST1a; YES), the microcomputer 12 sets this broadcast station as a traffic information station that receives the traffic information. Select and move to step ST3a.
On the other hand, when the broadcast station receiving the broadcast at the main tuner unit 10a is not a traffic information station in a good reception state (step ST1a; NO), the microcomputer 12 executes a traffic information station selection process unique to the present invention. Then, the traffic information station to be switched is selected from the same affiliated station or another affiliated station (step ST2a).
Details of the process of step ST2a will be described later with reference to FIG.

Next, the microcomputer 12 confirms whether or not the traffic information station is broadcasting traffic information (step ST3a). For example, the microcomputer 12 confirms whether or not the broadcast of traffic information has been started from this broadcast station based on the TA data received from the broadcast station currently receiving the broadcast by the main tuner unit 10a. On the other hand, when the traffic information station to be switched is selected from the same affiliated station or another affiliated station in step ST2a, the microcomputer 12 broadcasts traffic information based on the TA data received by the sub-tuner unit 10b from this traffic information station. Check if it has started.
When the TA data has a logical value “1”, the microcomputer 12 determines that transmission of traffic information from the traffic information station has started.

  If the traffic information is being broadcast (step ST3a; YES), the microcomputer 12 instructs the DSP 11 to output the traffic announcement of the traffic information received from this traffic information station to the speaker 2 (step ST4a). In addition, the display unit 3 displays the broadcast station name of the traffic information station specified from the PS data by the microcomputer 12.

  In addition, when traffic information is not broadcast (step ST3a; NO), the process of step ST3a is repeated until traffic information is started. At this time, the microcomputer 12 instructs the DSP 11 until the broadcast of traffic information is started, and causes the main tuner unit 10a to output the radio sound received from the traffic information station from the speaker 2.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a traffic information station selection process in the first embodiment, and shows a series of processes in step ST2a of FIG.
In the station list, receivable broadcast stations are registered regardless of the broadcast series, and the same affiliate stations registered in the station list are also registered in the AF list. Therefore, hereinafter, the same affiliated station is searched from the station list.

First, the microcomputer 12 checks whether or not there is a traffic information station in the station list that is the same affiliated station as the broadcast station receiving the broadcast at the main tuner unit 10a (step ST1b).
Here, when the traffic information station of the same affiliated station exists in the station list (step ST1b; YES), the microcomputer 12 selects this traffic information station as a traffic information station that receives traffic information at the main tuner unit 10a ( Step ST2b).

On the other hand, when the traffic information station of the same affiliated station as the broadcasting station receiving the broadcast at the main tuner unit 10a is not in the station list (step ST1b; NO), the microcomputer 12 indicates that the traffic information station of another affiliated station is in the station list. (Step ST3b).
At this time, when the traffic information station of another affiliated station is not in the station list (step ST3b; NO), the process returns to step ST1b, and the above process is repeated until a traffic information station of the same affiliated station is searched.

When the traffic information station of another affiliated station exists in the station list (step ST3b; YES), the microcomputer 12 selects the traffic information station of the other affiliated station in the station list and receives traffic information from the main tuner unit 10a. (Step ST4b).
At this time, the microcomputer 12 preferentially selects a traffic information station of another affiliated station registered in the station list with a good reception state. For example, the traffic information station having the best reception state is selected based on the S meter of the traffic information station of another affiliated station. As a result, traffic information can be received preferentially from a traffic information station having a good reception state.

Conventionally, when a traffic information reception target is switched to another affiliated station with a different broadcast series, a traffic announcement with degraded sound quality may be presented as described above.
Therefore, in the present invention, the traffic information station having the best reception state in the station list is selected as a target for receiving the traffic information regardless of whether or not they are the same affiliated station.
By doing in this way, traffic information can be received in a favorable reception state, and a traffic announcement with good sound quality can be provided to the user.

  The broadcast station name (traffic information station name) displayed on the display unit 3 may be switched according to the selection result of the traffic information station to be received. For example, a pop-up screen 3a shown in FIG. The pop-up screen 3a displays the broadcast station name (“Δ □ station”) of the traffic information station that transmitted the traffic announcement. Thereafter, when the reception is switched to a traffic information station of another affiliated station, the broadcast station name on the pop-up screen 3a is also switched (the display is changed to the broadcast station name “ΔΔ station” of the traffic information station after the switch). ). In this way, the user can easily recognize that the traffic information station has been switched.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the memory 13 stores a station list in which receivable broadcast stations searched by the sub tuner unit 10b are registered. When the microcomputer 12 switches the reception to a receivable broadcasting station in the station list when the reception state of the broadcasting station where the main tuner unit 10a is receiving the broadcast is lower than the allowable level, the main tuner unit 10a If the traffic information station of the same affiliated station as the broadcasting station receiving the broadcast is not in the station list and there is a traffic information station of another affiliated station, select the traffic information station of another affiliated station from the station list and select the main tuner. The broadcasting station that receives traffic information is set in the unit 10a.
With this configuration, the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 moves outside the broadcast area covered by the broadcast series of the broadcast station that is receiving the radio broadcast, and the same affiliated station in a good reception state is not searched. However, the traffic information reception target is immediately switched to the traffic information station of another affiliated station in a good reception state. For this reason, traffic information is not received from the traffic information station of the same affiliated station whose reception state has deteriorated, and the output of traffic announcements with poor sound quality including noise can be reduced.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the microcomputer 12 preferentially selects a traffic information station of another affiliated station in the station list with a good reception state and receives the traffic information at the main tuner unit 10a. Set to the traffic information station. In this way, traffic information is preferentially received from a traffic information station in a good reception state, and the output of traffic announcements with poor sound quality can be reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 is a mobile RDS receiving apparatus. In this case, for example, even when the moving body moves outside the broadcast area covered by the broadcast series of the broadcast station that is receiving the radio broadcast, as described above, the traffic of another affiliated station in a good reception state. Traffic information is received from the information station. Thereby, the output of the traffic announcement with bad sound quality can be reduced.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the RDS receiver is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a case where traffic information from a VICS (registered trademark) center is multiplexed and broadcasted on FM broadcasts.

  In the present invention, any component of the embodiment can be modified or any component of the embodiment can be omitted within the scope of the invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Broadcast receiving apparatus, 2 Speaker, 3 Display part, 3a Pop-up screen, 4 Operation part, 5a, 5b Antenna, 10a Main tuner part, 10b Sub tuner part, 11 DSP, 12 Microcomputer, 13 Memory

Claims (3)

A broadcast receiving apparatus comprising first and second tuner units for receiving broadcasts, and performing a frequency search for a broadcasting station that can receive the second tuner unit,
A storage unit for storing a station list in which the receivable broadcast stations searched by the second tuner unit are registered;
When the reception state of the broadcast received by the first tuner unit falls below an allowable level and the reception is switched to the receivable broadcasting station in the station list, the first tuner unit receives the broadcast. If there is no broadcasting station that broadcasts traffic information in the broadcasting list of the broadcasting station in the station list and there is a broadcasting station that broadcasts traffic information in another broadcasting series in the station list, A broadcast receiving apparatus comprising: a control unit that selects a broadcast station that broadcasts information from the station list and sets the broadcast station that receives traffic information at the first tuner unit.   The control unit preferentially selects a broadcast station that broadcasts traffic information in the other broadcast series in the station list, and receives traffic information at the first tuner unit. The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus is set to a broadcast station.   3. The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the broadcast receiving apparatus is a radio data system receiving apparatus for a moving body.

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