Method and apparatus for mode balance for analog FM, digital radio blend logic in an automotive environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9559657-B2
Application number	US-201414529954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A radio includes a first tuner and a second tuner. A processor compares a first perceivable volume level of a station tuned by the first tuner to at least one second perceivable volume level of at least one background station tuned by the second tuner. The processor enables automatic volume knob changes using a pre-calibrated lookup table that associates a volume step of the volume knob with a difference between the first perceivable volume level and the second perceivable volume level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radio, comprising:
a first tuner and a second tuner; and
a processor configured to:
compare a first perceivable volume level of a station tuned by the first tuner to at least one second perceivable volume level of at least one background station tuned by the second tuner; and
enable automatic volume knob changes using a pre-calibrated lookup table that associates a volume step of the volume knob with a difference between the first perceivable volume level and the second perceivable volume level.

2. The radio of claim 1 , wherein the automatic volume knob changes comprise volume increases or volume decreases depending upon an existing volume level of the radio.

3. The radio of claim 1 , wherein the station tuned by the first tuner is an analog station.

4. The radio of claim 1 , wherein the background station is an analog station.

5. The radio of claim 1 , comprising temporally computing an average energy of the station tuned by the first tuner, the first perceivable volume level of the station tuned by the first tuner being determined dependent upon the temporally computed average energy.

6. The radio of claim 1 , comprising temporally computing an average energy of the background station, the second perceivable volume level of the background station being determined dependent upon the temporally computed average energy.

7. The radio of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to implement the automatic volume knob changes in association with switching from audibly playing the station tuned by the first tuner to audibly playing the background station.

8. A radio, comprising:
a first tuner and a second tuner; and
a processor configured to:
compare a first perceivable volume level of a station tuned by the first tuner to at least one second perceivable volume level of at least one background station tuned by the second tuner;
perform a volume change dependent upon a difference between the first perceivable volume level and the second perceivable volume level; and
temporally compute an average energy of the station tuned by the first tuner, the first perceivable volume level of the station tuned by the first tuner being determined dependent upon the temporally computed average energy.

9. The radio of claim 8 , wherein the station tuned by the first tuner is an analog station.

10. The radio of claim 8 , wherein the background station is an analog station.

11. A radio, comprising:
a first tuner and a second tuner; and
a processor configured to:
compare a first perceivable volume level of a station tuned by the first tuner to at least one second perceivable volume level of at least one background station tuned by the second tuner;
perform a volume change dependent upon a difference between the first perceivable volume level and the second perceivable volume level; and
temporally compute an average energy of the background station, the second perceivable volume level of the background station being determined dependent upon the temporally computed average energy.

12. A radio, comprising:
a first tuner and a second tuner; and
a processor configured to:
compare a first perceivable volume level of a station tuned by the first tuner to at least one second perceivable volume level of at least one background station tuned by the second tuner;
enable automatic volume knob changes dependent upon a volume step of the volume knob and a difference between the first perceivable volume level and the second perceivable volume level; and
temporally compute an average energy of the station tuned by the first tuner, the first perceivable volume level of the station tuned by the first tuner being determined dependent upon the temporally computed average energy.

13. The radio of claim 12 , wherein the automatic volume knob changes comprise volume increases or volume decreases depending upon an existing volume level of the radio.

14. The radio of claim 12 , wherein the station tuned by the first tuner and/or the background station is an analog station.

15. The radio of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to implement the automatic volume knob changes in association with switching from audibly playing the station tuned by the first tuner to audibly playing the background station.

16. A radio, comprising:
a first tuner and a second tuner; and
a processor configured to:
compare a first perceivable volume level of a station tuned by the first tuner to at least one second perceivable volume level of at least one background station tuned by the second tuner;
enable automatic volume knob changes dependent upon a volume step of the volume knob and a difference between the first perceivable volume level and the second perceivable volume level; and
temporally compute an average energy of the background station, the second perceivable volume level of the background station being determined dependent upon the temporally computed average energy.

Assignees

• Panasonic Automotive Systems Co America Division Of Panasonic Corp North America

Inventors

• Jaisimha Shree
• Thomas Donald
• Morita Kazuo

Classifications

• H04H60/58 Primary

  of audio {(determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00)} · CPC title

• H04H2201/60

  characterised in that the receiver comprises more than one tuner · CPC title

• H03G3/32 Primary

  the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level · CPC title

• H03G3/3026

  the gain being discontinuously variable, e.g. controlled by switching · CPC title

• H04H60/65

  for using the result on users' side · CPC title