JPS646575B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a wireless device that becomes tuned to any one of a number of radio frequency channels, and more particularly to a wireless device that becomes tuned to any one of a number of radio frequency channels, and more particularly, to One aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic channel change device used to automatically tune the wireless device.

There are many wireless services in which one radio frequency band is divided into multiple radio frequency channels. For example, in the United States, frequencies for the Citizens Radio Band (CB) and the Coastal, Marine Radio Band (Marine Band) are arranged in this manner.

In order to also provide effective communication between wireless stations in such wireless services, the radios are typically configured to transmit and receive on any one of the designated channels. Such multi-channel radios include a tuning section that is selectively operable to tune the radio to any one of a plurality of frequencies assigned to a plurality of channels. To simplify the use of this type of wireless device, the frequency readout is provided in channel format rather than frequency format.

At least one CB or marine zone service to facilitate emergency or emergency communications.
One channel is given priority over other channels for that purpose. For example, in the United States, channel 6 is assigned as an emergency channel for CB services, and channel 16 is assigned as an emergency channel for marine band services. Many CB and Marine band operators monitor outbound emergency channels and are ready to respond to emergency calls even when non-emergency channels are not in use.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a wireless device that automatically tunes to a scheduled channel, such as an emergency channel, upon the occurrence of a scheduled event.

A more particular object is to provide an apparatus that includes a microphone support device for supporting a microphone when not in use, and that tunes a wireless device to a scheduled channel, such as an emergency channel, when the microphone is placed on the microphone support device of the wireless device. be.

According to the present invention, it is possible to use a wireless device that becomes tuned to any one of a plurality of corresponding radio frequencies assigned to a plurality of channels, and to be tuned to a predetermined one channel at the occurrence of a predetermined event. A device is provided for automatically tuning the radio. The apparatus includes actuating means for generating a control signal in response to the occurrence of a predetermined event. Channel selection means are provided for tuning the radio to any one channel. Conditioning means are connected to the channel selection means, which cause the channel selection means to tune the radio to a predetermined channel in response to a control signal.

The present invention also provides a microphone housing support that receives a removable microphone from a radio. The microphone is supported by a microphone support of the radio when not in use. The radio includes channel selection means for tuning the radio to any one channel, activation means for generating a control signal in response to placement of the microphone on the microphone housing support of the radio, and channel selection means. and conditioning means connected to and operative in response to a control signal to cause the channel selection means to tune the radio to a predetermined channel (e.g. an emergency channel).

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a radio device 10 includes a receiving section 12 and a transmitting section 14. The antenna 16 has a receiving section 12, an input section, and a transmitting section 1.
4 output. Therefore, the antenna 16
is used for both transmission and reception. The radio 10 is
Although preferred for both CB and marine band services, it is of course applicable to other wireless services as well. For purposes of this preferred embodiment, radio 10 is envisioned as having particular application to marine radio, where channel 16 is assigned as an emergency channel.

The transmitter 14 has a microphone 18 connected to a modulator 20 via a microphone amplifier 22. Also connected to modulator 20 is a phase lock loop (PLL) 24 via a buffer amplifier 26. With this configuration, when there is audio input to microphone 18, modulator 20 provides an envelope pattern that is modulated or superimposed on the carrier frequency signal, and the envelope pattern represents the content of the audio waveform.

The output of the modulator 20 is the frequency multiplier 2
5. Provided to mixer 30 via RF amplifier and local oscillator 28. Mixer 30 is also connected to phase lock loop 2 via a second oscillator 32.
4 outputs are given. The output frequencies of RF amplifier 28 and second oscillator 32 are mixed by mixer 30 to produce the desired radio frequency output signal for transmission. Accordingly, the output frequency of mixer 30 is determined by the output frequency of PLL 24, which tunes the radio to any one of a plurality of similar radio frequency channels assigned to a plurality of radio frequencies.

The output of mixer 30 is given to output amplifier 34 via driver 33. Driver 33 and output amplifier 34 amplify the output of mixer 30 to a desired level for transmission by antenna 16.

The receiver 12 has an RF amplifier 40 whose input is connected to the antenna 16 and whose output is connected to a first mixer 42 . The first mixer 42 is connected to the transmitter's RF amplifier and local oscillator 28 and is adapted to receive the local oscillator signal therefrom. The frequency of the received signal provided by RF amplifier 40 and the frequency of local oscillator 28 are mixed by a first mixer 42 to provide a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal. This signal has the modulated information component of the received signal superimposed thereon. This first IF signal is then applied to a first intermediate frequency amplification means 44 and further to a second mixer 46. The second mixer 46
oscillator 48 , which mixes the frequency signal of the first oscillator 48 with the first IF signal from the first IF amplifier 44 . second mixer 46
The second IF signal from is applied to second IF means 50, which extracts the sum or difference portion of the second IF signal. The second intermediate frequency stage is connected to an IF amplifier 52. This amplifies the selected sum or difference frequency and provides it to the detection stage 54. Detector 5
4 detects the modulated tuned component of the received signal and converts it into an audio frequency signal. The output of the detector 54 is provided to an audio amplifier 56. This amplifies the detector output and drives the speaker 58 to tune the received information.

FIG. 2 shows channel selection means 60. This is an automatic channel change device 9 embodying the invention.
used in combination with 0 to tune the radio of FIG. Channel selection means 60 is NC-
Contains IC62, known as 6400. This IC
62 includes a programmable divider and display decoder 64 and a phase comparator 66. IC 62 is part of a well-known PLL circuit that selects the radio's tuning frequency. The PLL circuit further includes a reference oscillator 68 and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 70.
and a keyboard switch matrix 72. Program divider and display
Decoder circuit 64 is connected to phase comparator 66;
This is also connected to voltage controlled oscillator 70. The output of voltage controlled oscillator 70 is connected to programmable divider and display decoder circuit 6.
Connected to 4. Phase comparator 66 is connected to reference oscillator 68.

In operation of the PLL circuit, phase comparator 66 compares the frequency of reference oscillator 68 and the output frequency of programmable divider and display decoder circuit 64. In response to the comparison, phase comparator 66 produces an error or control voltage. This voltage is applied to a voltage controlled oscillator 70, thereby producing an output frequency that is a stabilized predetermined multiple of the reference frequency. Programmable divider and display decoder circuit 64 has a plurality of frequency selection program inputs 74, 76, 78, 80,
82, 84 and 86. For example, in response to selectively energizing a pair of programmable inputs by 3x4 keyboard matrix 72, the programmable divider portion of circuit 64 increases the output frequency of voltage controlled oscillator 70 at a predetermined count. Divide the frequency. For example, if reference oscillator 68 generates a frequency of 1 MHz and programmable divider 68 generates a frequency of 1 MHz,
If the error voltage applied to VCO 70 is set to
When 1MHz (i.e. error voltage is 0, normal oscillation frequency of VCO is 1MHz with 0 voltage input) VCO is 1MHz
oscillate at the frequency of If the programmable divider is set to divide the output frequency of VCO 70 by two, the VCO will oscillate at a frequency of 2 MHz to keep the PLL balanced or locked. The other frequencies of VCO 70 are selected in a manner known as PLL frequency synthesis.

A keyboard switch matrix 72 is provided for activating the channel selection inputs of the programmable divider. Matrix 72 is 0
9 through 9 and an additional key E for inputting the desired frequency channel into the programmable divider. When it is desired to select channel 16, first press the 1 key, then the 6 key, then the E entry key. In this way, channel 16 is selected, and in order to select radio 16 as channel 16, the VCO
The programmable divider portion of circuit 64 is set to divide the output frequency of 70.

The display decoder portion of circuit 64 has multiple outputs that are connected to display driver circuit 87. This circuit 87 is configured in a well-known manner to provide a seven segment channel display 88.
and 89. Thus, for example, when selecting channel 28 and placing it into the programmable divider, the programmable divider provides a decoded output display signal for display driver 87 so that displays 88 and 89 indicate the selected channel 28. make it happen.

The output of the VCO 70 is also given to a frequency divider 71. Its output is applied at terminal B to the second oscillator 32 of the transmitting section 14 of the circuit of FIG.
The output of the VCO 70 is also applied at terminal D to the buffer amplifier 26 of the transmitting section of the circuit of FIG. In this manner, selection of the corresponding desired channel by pressing a key in matrix 72 causes the appropriate frequency to be applied to the transceiver circuitry to tune the radio to the selected frequency.

According to one embodiment of the invention, automatic change device 90 shown in FIG. 2 includes actuation means 92 and conditioning means 94. The actuating means 92 is the microphone 1 of the radio.
8 to a microphone support supported by the radio housing. In such an embodiment of the invention, the rear of the microphone 18 is connected to the conductive plate 9.
6, which provides electrical continuity between a pair of contact terminals 98 and 100 of the microphone support. When the microphone is placed on the support, the actuation means 92 provides a control signal to the output of the inverter 102. As will be discussed below, this control signal activates the conditioning means 94 to cause the channel selection means 60 to automatically tune the radio to channel 16.

More specifically, the actuating means 92 is connected to the inverter 10
2 and 104. The input of inverter 104 is connected to terminal 98. Its terminal is capacitor 1
06, 108 and Zener diode 110 to ground. The input of inverter 104 is connected to the +5V power supply by resistor 112. The output of the inverter 104 is connected to the +5V power supply by a resistor 114 and connected to the inverter 10 by a capacitor 116.
2 input. The input of inverter 102 is grounded through resistor 118. Inverter 10
The output of 2 is the output of the activation means and is connected to one input of the NAND gate 120.

In operation, a control signal is generated when microphone 18 is placed on its support and terminals 98 and 100 are brought into conduction, thereby discharging capacitor 108. Inverter 1 due to discharge of capacitor 108
The input of 04 goes low, its output goes high, and then the output of inverter 102 goes low. The low level output provided by this inverter 102 is a control signal generated by the actuation means and is provided to one of the two inputs of the gate 120. NAND
Another input of gate 120 receives a shut off signal from a ring counter 128 in the form of an IC.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the conditioning means 90 include a NAND gate 120, a pulse generator in the form of a multivibrator (consisting of NAND gates 122, 124), and an inverter 12.
6 and IC-configured ring counter (8 bits)
128 and switch means 130 having internal semiconductor switches 132, 134 and 136.
Ring counter 128 is an IC named TC4022 and switch means 130 is an IC named TC4066 (containing four independent bidirectional switches), both ICs manufactured by National Semiconductor and RCA. Manufactured in

Starting (preparing a circuit for proper operation when the radio's power switch (not shown) is turned on) is performed using the inverter 126 and the diode 14.
2, by a circuit consisting of resistor 140 and capacitor 138. The input of inverter 126 is grounded by capacitor 138 and connected to the +5V power supply by a parallel circuit of resistor 140 and diode 142. The output of inverter 126 is connected to the clear input of ring counter 128. When the power is turned on, capacitor 138 is charged to a high level, causing the output of inverter 126 to be low. This low level signal is applied to the clear input of counter 128, setting counter 128 to zero count.

NAND gate 120 is used to turn on the glocking oscillator formed by NAND gates 122 and 124. The output of NAND gate 120, which is normally low, is connected to the input of NAND gate 122. NAND gate 1
When the output of 20 goes high, the oscillator is activated.

This oscillator connects the output of NAND gate 122 to both inputs of NAND gate 124 by a capacitor 144 and connects the output of NAND gate 124 to a second input of NAND gate 122 and to a resistor 14.
6 is connected to its own input. When activated by NAND gate 120, the output of NAND gate 122 forms the output of the pulse generator and is applied to the clock input of counter 128.

Counter 128 has a grounded clock enable input (CLK ENABLE) and multiple output terminals Q ₁ , Q _{2 .}
and _Q3 , the output terminals of which are connected to switch means 130 for sequentially setting semiconductor switches in response to pulses applied by a pulse generator to the clock (CLK) input of counter 128.

The switch means 130 is a semiconductor switch 132,
A plurality of inverters 150, 152 and 154 are included to operate inverters 134 and 136, respectively. Inputs to inverters 150, 152 and 154 are connected to outputs Q ₁ , Q ₂ and Q ₃ of counter 128, respectively. When a pulse is applied to the “CLK” input of counter 128, outputs Q ₁ , Q ₂ and
_Q3 sequentially closes switches 132, 134, and 136, respectively. Switches 132, 134 and 136 operate respective keyboard switches of matrix circuit 72, as described below.

Keyboard switch matrix 72 includes a plurality (12) of switches, each switch connected to a respective pair of inputs of the keyboard matrix portion of programmable divider circuit 64. Ten switches are used for digits 0 to 9, another one (E) is used to input the selected channel, and the 12th one is unused. Each semiconductor switch 132, 13
4,136 have a pair of outputs which are selectively connected to the predetermined control or matrix inputs of divider circuit 64 and in parallel with selected switches of keyboard switch matrix 72. More specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, semiconductor switch 132 has control or matrix input 78
and the other output is connected to the control or matrix input 86 of the programmable divider 64, both outputs connected to the parallel of the switches of the matrix 72 corresponding to the "1" keys of the matrix. Connected. Therefore, when output Q ₁ operates switch 132, a ``1'' digit is automatically applied to circuit 164 just as if a ``1'' switch in switch matrix 72 had been manually selected by the operator. given to. In a similar manner, semiconductor switch 134 has one output connected to control or matrix input 74 and the other output connected to control input 84 of programmable divider circuit 64, both outputs connected to ``Connected in parallel with the switch corresponding to the key. Therefore, the output of counter circuit 128
Q <sub>2</sub> automatically provides the "6" digit to circuit 64. Semiconductor switch 136 has one output connected to control or matrix input 74 and one output connected to control or matrix input 80 of programmable divider 64.
and the other output is connected in parallel to the switch corresponding to the "E" (input) key of matrix 72. Therefore, the output Q <sub>3</sub> of counter circuit 128 automatically provides an ``input'' instruction for the ``1'' and ``6'' digits, which are thus input into the programmable divider portion of circuit 64. Although the illustrated embodiment of the present invention is configured to select channel 16 (the Marlin Radio emergency or paging channel), the present invention provides a
6 and keyboard matrix switch 72 can be used to automatically change or revert the radio to any desired channel by simply changing the connection between switch 6 and keyboard matrix switch 72.

In operation, conductive plate 96 connects terminals 98 and 100 when the operator places microphone 18 on the microphone support of the radio housing. As a result, capacitor 108 (of relatively large capacity, such as 1 microfarad) discharges and actuating means 92
Or, a low level control signal is applied to the output of the inverter 102. The low level output of the inverter 102 is given to the NAND gate 120,
In response, a high logic level signal is generated at the output of NAND gate 120, which signal is applied to the input of NAND gate 122.

Depending on the high level logic signal at its input,
NAND gate 122 operates in conjunction with NAND gate 124 as a blocking oscillator, providing a series of electrical pulses to the clock input of ring counter 128. In response to electrical pulses at its clock (CLK) input, ring counter 128 provides successive high level signals at its outputs Q ₁ , Q ₂ and Q ₃ . A first high level signal applied to output Q ₁ operates semiconductor switch 132 to thereby provide an electrical connection between control inputs 78 and 86 of programmable divider 64 . A second high level signal applied to output Q ₂ of ring counter 128 operates semiconductor switch 134 and outputs control inputs 74 and 8 of programmable divider 64.
Provide a connection between the four. A third high level signal applied to output Q ₃ of ring counter 128 operates semiconductor switch 136 to control the control input of programmable divider 64 to effectuate the channel selection provided by semiconductor switches 132 and 134. An electrical connection is established between 74 and 80. As a result, the emergency channel 16 is automatically selected by the channel selection means 60 according to the condition determining means. The condition determining means detects the event that the operator places the microphone in its holding position (not shown) (i.e., when the conductive piece 96 reaches the terminal 98).
to the other terminal 100) to generate a control signal.

When channel 16 is input to a programmable divider, the programmable divider divides the output of voltage controlled oscillator 70 by an appropriate factor, and phase comparator 66 provides the desired control or error voltage to voltage controlled oscillator 70. So,
In this manner, the voltage controlled oscillator 70 oscillates at a frequency that tunes the radio to the automatically selected channel 16. Programmable divider 64 also provides input to display divider 87 so that displays 89 and 88 are selected from channel 16.
to be displayed.

After semiconductor switches 132, 134 and 136 are set sequentially, ring counter 12
8 gives a high level logic signal to its Q ₇ output,
This signal is applied to NAND gate 120,
Stop the blocking oscillator. capacitor 1
08 charges to its original voltage level and makes the output of inverter 102 high, causing its output to
The NAND gate 120 is made to supply the signal. Since both inputs of NAND gate 120 go high, its output goes low, which is applied to NAND gate 122 to disable the pulse generator. This completes the automatic channel selection operation.

Although the illustrated embodiment of the invention relates to an automatic channel change (or revert) device for use with Marlin radios, the invention is also readily applicable to CB radio services (where channel 9 is the emergency channel). . Furthermore, the device of the present invention can be used to automatically select not only the emergency channel but also any desired channel. Further, although the conductive plate 96 has been described in this embodiment as providing a connection between the terminals 98 and 100 when the microphone is placed on the support of the radio, it is of course possible to determine the operating conditions by other means. For example, it may be a switch provided on a microphone cable or the like. The control signal generated by actuating means 92 may be generated in a variety of suitable manners. The embodiment merely shows an example in which an emergency call channel is set when the microphone is hung on its hanger when not in use, and the above-mentioned control signal may simply be generated under certain conditions.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the priority channel is automatically set simply by placing the microphone on the support.

Moreover, since both the priority channel setting signal and the normal communication channel setting signal are provided as program inputs of the programmable divider, the priority channel setting signal is simply responsive to placing the microphone on the support. The priority channel setting signal is automatically reset if this event no longer occurs. Therefore, setting of a normal communication channel can be easily performed by simply applying a program input corresponding to a desired channel to the programmable divider by operating a key matrix or the like.

Furthermore, changing the channel number of the priority channel can be easily handled by changing the connection to the key matrix.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block circuit diagram of a radio device incorporating an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 60 is a channel selection means, 92 is an operating means, and 94 is a condition determining means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The radio is adapted to be tuned to any one of a plurality of corresponding radio frequencies assigned to a plurality of channels, and when the microphone is placed on its support, said radio is tuned to one of said channels. Apparatus is provided for automatically tuning said microphone to any one of said channels, said apparatus comprising actuating means for generating a control signal in response to said microphone being placed on said support; a channel selection means for tuning the radio; and a condition determining means connected to the channel selection means so that the channel selection means tunes the radio to the scheduled channel in response to the control signal. The channel selection means includes a programmable divider and display decoder, a reference oscillator, a phase comparator for comparing the output frequencies of the decoder and the reference oscillator, and an output of the phase comparator. a voltage controlled oscillator whose oscillation frequency is controlled by a voltage controlled oscillator, and a frequency setting key matrix switch connected to a plurality of frequency selection program inputs of the programmable divider, and the condition determining means includes a NAND gate, a pulse generator,
A ring counter and a switch means are connected in this order, the NAND gate is actuated by the control signal, and the switch means is connected to the key matrix switch to change the program input to the above in response to the output of the condition determining means. A radio device characterized in that the output of the voltage controlled oscillator is set to the frequency of a scheduled channel and used as a tuning signal for the radio device.