Method and apparatus for dynamically adapting FM tuner sensitivity to a local environment for a single-tuner system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577609-B2
Application number	US-201313776027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2013
Priority date	Mar 27, 2008
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A method of operating a single-tuner radio includes tuning into a first frequency. A pause in a first signal associated with the first frequency is detected. Tuning is switched from the first frequency to a second frequency. A signal quality metric for the second frequency is measured. Tuning is switched from the second frequency to the first frequency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a single-tuner radio, comprising the steps of:
tuning into a first frequency;
detecting a pause in a first signal associated with the first frequency;
switching tuning from the first frequency to a second frequency after the pause has been detected, a tuning voltage associated with tuning into the second frequency being dependent upon a frequency difference between the first frequency and the second frequency;
measuring a signal quality metric for the second frequency; and
switching tuning from the second frequency to the first frequency.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of selecting a set of operational frequencies for the tuner, said selecting being dependent upon the measuring step.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the selecting step includes selecting a set of operational frequencies to maximize a number of broadcast stations from which the tuner may receive signals of an acceptable quality.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:
setting a timer after the measuring step;
periodically decrementing the timer;
inhibiting further measurement of the signal quality metric for the second frequency before the timer has decremented to zero; and
allowing further measurement of the signal quality metric for the second frequency after the timer has decremented to zero.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal quality metric is dependent upon at least one of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise, the method comprising the further steps of:
storing measurements of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise in three respective memory locations; and
retrieving the measurements of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise from the three respective memory locations with a single I2C read.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second switching step is performed within seven milliseconds.

7. A method of operating a single-tuner radio, comprising the steps of:
tuning into a first frequency;
detecting a pause in a first signal associated with the first frequency;
switching tuning from the first frequency to a second frequency after the pause has been detected, a tuning voltage associated with tuning into the second frequency being dependent upon a frequency difference between the first frequency and the second frequency;
measuring a signal quality metric for the second frequency during the pause; and
switching tuning from the second frequency to the first frequency.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising the further step of selecting a set of operational frequencies for the tuner, said selecting being dependent upon the measuring step, the step of switching tuning from the second frequency to the first frequency occurring after the pause has been detected.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the selecting step includes selecting a set of operational frequencies to maximize a number of broadcast stations from which the tuner may receive signals of an acceptable quality.

10. The method of claim 7 comprising the further steps of:
setting a timer after the measuring step;
periodically decrementing the timer;
inhibiting further measurement of the signal quality metric for the second frequency before the timer has decremented to zero; and
allowing further measurement of the signal quality metric for the second frequency after the timer has decremented to zero.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the signal quality metric is dependent upon at least one of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise, the method comprising the further steps of:
storing measurements of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise in three respective memory locations; and
retrieving the measurements of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise from the three respective memory locations with a single I2C read.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the second switching step is performed within seven milliseconds.

13. A method of operating a single-tuner radio, comprising the steps of:
detecting a pause in a signal associated with a first frequency;
switching tuning from the first frequency to a second frequency after the pause has been detected, a tuning voltage associated with tuning into the second frequency being dependent upon a frequency difference between the first frequency and the second frequency;
measuring a signal quality metric for the second frequency; and
switching tuning from the second frequency to the first frequency.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising the further step of selecting a set of operational frequencies for the tuner, said selecting being dependent upon the measuring step.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the selecting step includes selecting a set of operational frequencies to maximize a number of broadcast stations from which the tuner may receive signals of an acceptable quality.

16. The method of claim 13 comprising the further steps of:
setting a timer after the measuring step;
periodically decrementing the timer;
inhibiting further measurement of the signal quality metric for the second frequency before the timer has decremented to zero; and
allowing further measurement of the signal quality metric for the second frequency after the timer has decremented to zero.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the signal quality metric is dependent upon at least one of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising the further steps of:
storing measurements of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise in three respective memory locations; and
retrieving the measurements of field strength, level of multipath, and ultrasonic noise from the three respective memory locations with a single I2C read.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the second switching step is performed within seven milliseconds.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the second switching step is performed after the first switching step is performed.

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Jaisimha Shree
• Kanji Mohammad
• Thomas Donald
• Hingerton Jason

Classifications

• H03J1/0066 Primary

  with means for analysing the received signal strength (H03J1/0083 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B1/1638

  Special circuits to enhance selectivity of receivers not otherwise provided for (resonant circuits H03H) · CPC title

• H03J1/0091

  provided with means for scanning over a band of frequencies (H03J1/0058 takes precedence) · CPC title