KR20060133751A - Automatic tuning apparatus and method for use in a vehicular radio system - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and a method for automatically tuning in to radio broadcasting stations in a car audio system are provided to have an effect on safe driving by automatically tuning in to another radio station without an additional function operation when the state of the present radio broadcast gets worse while a user listens to the radio. A system for automatically tuning in to radio broadcasting stations in a car audio system comprises a radio tuner(10), the first A/D converter(40), the second A/D converter(50), and a microcomputer(30). The first A/D converter(40) converts the level value of an analog electric field, outputted from the radio tuner(10), into digital data. The second A/D converter(50) converts the level value of an analog audio signal, outputted from the radio tuner(10), into digital data. The microcomputer(30) compares the digital data, inputted from the first and second A/D converters(40,50), with preset values and checks the state of the broadcast signals received from the present radio station. At this moment, in case the state of the received broadcast signals is not good, the microcomputer(30) controls the radio tuner(10) so that broadcast signals of another radio station can be received.

Description

Auto radio tuning system and method for vehicle {AUTOMATIC TUNING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USE IN A VEHICULAR RADIO SYSTEM}

1 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of an automatic vehicle radio tuning operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a view showing the configuration of a vehicle radio automatic tuning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for tuning radio broadcasts, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for automatically tuning a vehicle radio broadcast.

Car audio systems typically provide the ability to listen to radio broadcasts. Radio station tuning in this car audio system uses BSM (AS) to find the strength of the electric field or the user can operate a separate function such as "TUNE" or "SEEK" to find broadcast channels and preset these found broadcast channels. This was possible by storing it in (Preset).

In this method, since a user operates a function of a previously stored broadcast station (broadcast channel), the user cannot listen to a broadcast state that varies depending on the situation. That is, according to the strength of the radio wave and the broadcast when listening to the vehicle radio, the radio wave of the broadcasting being weakened or the frequency of the broadcasting station is changed when moving in the region, the broadcast signal does not come out from the listening broadcast, only general noise may be output. . In this case, if the broadcast that is being listened to is not well received, the user has to find another broadcast through a separate function operation.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for automatically tuning to another broadcasting station when a radio wave is weakened while listening to a vehicle radio.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for automatically tuning to another broadcast station when the broadcast being listened to does not come out as the vehicle radio is moved to another area while listening to the radio.

According to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving these objects, a method for automatically tuning a radio station in a vehicular audio system with a radio tuner comprises: receiving a signal of one of a plurality of preset stations; And checking the state of the received signal of the one broadcasting station, and if the state of the received signal of the one broadcasting station is not good, receiving the signal of a broadcasting station other than the one broadcasting station. Control process. The checking process may be performed by comparing a digital conversion value of an audio signal output from the radio tuner with a preset digital value, or by comparing a digital conversion value of a level of an electric field output from the radio tuner with a preset digital value. The checking process and the control process are repeatedly performed until a signal of a good broadcasting station is received.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that reference numerals and like elements among the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and symbols as much as possible even though they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The present invention, which will be described below, is implemented by a method of automatically searching for the next broadcast station when it is determined that the reception state of the current broadcast is bad by comparing and examining the electric field strength of the currently received broadcast or the components of the voice signal. By comparing the difference between the sound signal in the absence of a broadcast and the sound signal in the presence of a broadcast, it is checked whether the sound signal has a value of the sound signal in the absence of a broadcast or the strength of an electric field is weak. It will automatically tune into the next station.

The processing flow of the vehicle radio automatic tuning operation according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, in step 110, a signal of one of a plurality of preset broadcasting stations is received. In step 120, the state of the received signal of the one broadcasting station is checked. In the case where the state of the received signal of the one broadcasting station is not good (No in step 120), in step 130, a process of controlling the radio tuner to receive a signal of a broadcasting station other than the one broadcasting station is performed. The check step 120 and the control step 130 are repeatedly performed until it is determined that a signal from a good broadcasting station is received. If a signal of a good broadcasting station is received (YES in step 120), in step 140, a process of maintaining the radio tuner is performed such that a signal of a tuned controlled station is received.

For example, the checking process may be performed by comparing a digital conversion value of an audio signal output from the radio tuner with a preset digital value. As another example, the checking process may be performed by comparing a digital conversion value of a level of an electric field output from the radio tuner with a preset digital value. As another example, the checking process may be implemented in a form that considers both of the above factors.

2 is a view showing the configuration of a vehicle radio automatic tuning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment checks the situation that changes depending on the electric field and frequency change of the broadcast depending on the region while listening to the broadcast already stored in the preset or the tuned station using Seek-up / down. This corresponds to a configuration that controls other stations to automatically tune in when there are no or weak broadcasts compared to the data values stored in. The determination of whether there is no broadcast or a weak case may take into account the level of the audio signal or the electric field output from the radio tuner as already mentioned with reference to FIG. 1. Although embodiments of the form in which only one of these elements are considered are possible, it should be noted that the drawings are shown here for the sake of convenience in consideration of both elements.

In FIG. 2, the radio wave induced by the antenna ANT is demodulated by a radio tuner 10 and then output as an audio signal. The audio signal is amplified by the amplifier 20 and then through a speaker (not shown). Can be output. The analog / digital converter 40 converts the level value of the analog electric field output from the radio tuner 10 into digital data. The analog / digital converter 50 converts the level value of the analog audio signal output from the radio tuner 10 into digital data. The microcomputer 30 inputs the digital data converted by the analog / digital converters 40 and 50 and checks the state of the received signal of the currently tuned broadcasting station by comparing these values with preset values. At this time, when it is determined that the state of the received signal of the current broadcast station is not good, the microcomputer 30 controls the radio tuner 10 to receive a signal of a broadcast station other than the current broadcast station. The microcomputer 30 repeatedly performs the operation of controlling the radio tuner 10 until it is determined that a signal of a good broadcasting station is received. In this case, the operation of tuning a broadcast station other than the current broadcast station may be performed by the user in the order of the broadcast stations stored in the preset.

Meanwhile, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the scope of the following claims, but also by those equivalent to the scope of the claims.

As described above, the present invention checks the reception state of a radio that is frequently changed while driving, and when the state of the broadcast being listened to becomes worse, the user can find another broadcast without any additional function operation, so that the front surface can be easily operated and the operation according to the separate function operation is performed. By eliminating the distraction of the gaze, it is also effective in safe driving.

Claims (10)

A method for automatically tuning a radio station in a car audio system having a radio tuner, the method comprising: Receiving a signal of any one of a plurality of preset broadcasting stations, Checking a state of a received signal of the one broadcasting station; And controlling the radio tuner to receive a signal of a broadcast station other than the one broadcast station when the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is not good. The automatic tuning method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking process is performed by comparing a digital conversion value of an audio signal output from the radio tuner with a preset digital value. The method of claim 1, wherein the checking process is performed by comparing a digital conversion value of a level of an electric field output from the radio tuner with a preset digital value. The automatic tuning method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the checking process and the control process are repeatedly performed until a signal of a good broadcasting station is received. An apparatus for automatically tuning radio stations in a car audio system, With radio tuner, An analog / digital converter for digitally converting an audio signal output from the radio tuner; The radio tuner is controlled to receive a signal of any one of a plurality of preset broadcast stations, and the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is checked using a digital conversion value by the analog / digital converter. And a microcomputer for controlling the radio tuner to receive a signal of a broadcast station other than the one broadcast station when the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is not good. The method of claim 5, wherein the microcomputer repeatedly performs the operation of controlling the radio tuner until a signal of a good broadcast station is received when the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is not good. Tuning device. An apparatus for automatically tuning radio stations in a car audio system, With radio tuner, An analog / digital converter for digitally converting the level of the electric field output from the radio tuner; The radio tuner is controlled to receive a signal of any one of a plurality of preset broadcast stations, and the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is checked using a digital conversion value by the analog / digital converter. And a microcomputer for controlling the radio tuner to receive a signal of a broadcast station other than the one broadcast station when the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is not good. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the microcomputer repeats an operation of controlling the radio tuner until a signal of a good broadcast station is received when the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is not good. Tuning device. An apparatus for automatically tuning radio stations in a car audio system, With radio tuner, An analog / digital converter for digitally converting an audio signal output from the radio tuner; An analog / digital converter for digitally converting the level of the electric field output from the radio tuner; The radio tuner is controlled to receive a signal of one of a plurality of preset stations, and the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is checked using digital conversion values by the analog / digital converters. And a microcomputer for controlling the radio tuner to receive a signal of a broadcast station other than the one broadcast station when the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is not good. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the microcomputer repeatedly performs the operation of controlling the radio tuner until a signal of a good broadcast station is received when the state of the received signal of the one broadcast station is not good. Tuning device.

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