RECEIVER AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20090325519A1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozeki, Hiroki, Tsukio, Yasunobu, Wada, Yosuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/137
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/29 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A receiver according to the present invention includes a first receiving (RCV) quality detector and a second RCV quality detector connected before a combining unit. The second RCV quality detector determines a quality of a signal output from at least one of a first receiving unit and a second receiving unit by a method different from that of the first RCV quality detector. A controller allows the receiver to operate in a single receiving mode when a determination result of the second RCV quality detector is not better than a predetermined level regardless of a determination result of a determination result of the first RCV quality detector not being a predetermined level. When the receiver passes in an area where the receiver cannot receive a broadcast signal, the determination result of the second RCV quality detector is not better than the predetermined level. In response, the controller allows the receiver to operate in the single receiving mode, thereby reducing power consumption of the receiver.

Claims

1. A receiver comprising:

a first receiving unit and a second receiving unit for receiving a signal;

a combining unit for combining signals output from the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit;

a first receiving quality detector for determining a quality of a signal output from the combining unit;

a second receiving quality detector connected before the combining unit, the second receiving quality detector determining whether or not at least one of the signals output from the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit contains a synchronizing signal or determining a C/N ratio of the at least one of the signals; and

a controller for, in response to a determination result of the first receiving quality detector, switching between a single receiving mode in which at least one of the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit receives the signal and a diversity receiving mode in which both the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit receive the signal,

wherein the controller is operable to allow the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit to operate in the single receiving mode if the second receiving quality detector determines that the at least one of the signals does not contain the synchronizing signal or that the C/N ratio is lower than a predetermined level regardless of the determination result of the first receiving quality detector.

3. The receiver according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first receiving quality detector is operable to determine the quality of the output signal based on an error rate of the output signal.

4. The receiver according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the synchronizing signal is at least one of a frame synchronizing signal, a TMCC synchronizing signal, and an AFC synchronizing signal.

5. The receiver according to claim 1, wherein the second receiving quality detector is operable to determine a modulation method of the received signal and to change a predetermined level for determining a quality of the received signal to a value corresponding to the modulation method.

6. The receiver according to claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to turn off the combining unit or the first receiving quality detector or to reduce power consumption of the combining unit or the first receiving quality detector if a determination result of the second receiving quality detector is not better lower than a predetermined level.

11. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the receiver according to claim 1 or 2;

a decoder connected to an output port of the receiver; and

a display connected to an output port of the decoder,

wherein the controller is operable to turn off the decoder or the display or to reduce power consumption of the decoder or the display if a determination result of the second receiving quality detector is not better than a predetermined level.

2. A receiver comprising:

a receiving unit operating in a first receiving mode for receiving a signal at the first receiving sensitivity and in a second receiving mode for receiving the signal at the second receiving sensitivity higher than the first receiving sensitivity;

a first receiving quality detector for determining a quality of a signal output from the receiving unit;

a second receiving quality detector connected between the receiving unit and the first receiving quality detector, the second receiving quality detector determining whether or not the signal output from the receiving unit contains a synchronizing signal or determining a C/N ratio of the signal output from the receiving unit; and

a controller for, in response to a determination result of the first quality determiner unit, switching the receiving unit between the first receiving mode and the second receiving mode,

wherein the controller is operable to allow the receiving unit to operate in the first receiving mode if the second receiving quality detector determines that the signal does not contain the synchronizing signal or that the C/N ratio is lower than a predetermined level regardless of the determination result of the first receiving quality detector.

7. A receiver comprising:

a first receiving unit and a second receiving unit for receiving a signal;

a combining unit for combining signals output from the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit;

a first receiving quality detector for determining a quality of a signal output from the combining unit; and

a controller for, in response to a determination result of the first receiving quality detector, switching between a single receiving mode in which one of the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit receives the signal and a diversity receiving mode in which both the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit receive the signal,

wherein the controller is operable to switch the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit to the single receiving mode if a predetermined time lapses after switching the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit to the diversity receiving mode regardless of the determination result of the first receiving quality detector.

8. The receiver according to claim 7, wherein the controller is operable to switch the receiving unit to the diversity receiving mode if a time longer than the predetermined time lapses after switching the receiving unit to the signal receiving mode.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the receiver according to claim 7 or 9;

a decoder connected to an output port of the receiver; and

a display connected to an output port of the decoder unit,

wherein the controller is operable to turn off the decoder or the display or to reduce power consumption of the decoder or the display if a predetermined time lapses after switching both the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit to the diversity receiving mode.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to turn off the decoder or the display or to reduce power consumption of the decoder or the display if a predetermined time lapses after switching the receiving unit to the second receiving mode.

9. A receiver comprising:

a receiving unit operating in a first receiving mode for receiving a signal at a first receiving sensitivity and in a second receiving mode for receiving the signal at a second receiving sensitivity higher than the first receiving sensitivity;

a first receiving quality detector for determining a quality of a signal output from the receiving unit; and

a controller for, in response to a determination result of the first quality determiner unit, switching the receiving unit between the first receiving mode and the second receiving mode,

wherein the controller is operable to switch the receiving unit to the first receiving mode if a predetermined time lapses after switching the receiving unit to the second receiving mode regardless of the determination result of the first receiving quality detector.

10. The receiver according to claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to switch the receiving unit from the first receiving mode to the second receiving mode if a time longer than the predetermined time lapses after allowing the receiving unit to operate in the first receiving mode.