Quasi-analog channel indicator for radio receivers

• US 4,227,254 A
• Filed: 06/30/1977
• Issued: 10/07/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Original Assignee: Braun Aktiengesellschaft
• Inventors: Bauer, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Application Number:
  US05/811,484
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 116/241, 116/242, 116/243, 334/36, 334/86, 340/324 R, 340/324 M, 455/154, 455/157, 455/159, 455/183, 358/192.1
• US Class Current: 455/157.2
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/04 with optical indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 7/285 the counter or frequency divider being used in a phase locked loop

Abstract

A radio receiver receives a transmitted high-frequency signal which is mixed within the receiver with a local-oscillator-frequency signal to form an intermediate-frequency signal, which in turn is converted into an audio-frequency signal. A plurality of indicator elements are arranged in a row to form a quasi-analog channel indicator, each indicator element of which is associated with a respective one of the selectable channels. A multi-channel oscillator furnishes the requisite local-oscillator-frequency signals for tuning-in the available channels and furthermore controls the operation of the indicator elements of the quasi-analog channel indicator.

Claims

1. In a radio receiver of the type comprising means for receiving a transmitted high-frequency signal, mixing means for receiving the high-frequency signal and also a local-oscillator-frequency signal and processing the two signals to form an intermediate-frequency signal, and means for converting the intermediate-frequency signal into an audio-frequency signal, the receiver being adapted to receive within a predetermined frequency range a series of main channels spaced apart at predetermined frequency intervals and also left and right side channels, each left side channel being spaced by a predetermined frequency interval below a respective one of the main channels, each right side channel being spaced by a predetermined frequency interval above a respective one of the main channels, in combination therewith, multi-channel oscillator means operative for furnishing the local-oscillator-frequency signals to the mixing means;

and quasi-analog digital channel display means operative for indicating which channel has been tuned in using a display technique visually simulating the display performed by mechanical channel display means of the calibrated-scale-with-shifting-pointer type, the quasi-analog digital channel display means including a plurality of indicator elements arranged in a row to form a quasi-analog channel-indicating scale the successive individual indicator elements of which are each respectively associated with a respective successive one of the channel frequencies in the band of broadcast channel frequencies receivable by the radio receiver in the same sequence as the channel frequencies are located within the receivable band of broadcast channel frequencies, and indicator control means controlled by the multi-channel oscillator means and in turn controlling the operation of the indicator elements, and the display means further including two auxiliary indicator elements respectively operative for indicating that a right side channel or a left side channel has been tuned in, the indicator control means comprising means operative in dependence upon the multi-channel oscillator means for causing the indicator element of said row associated with a tuned-in channel to be operative and for causing one or the other of the auxiliary indicator elements to become operative in dependence upon whether the multi-channel oscillator means has effected the tuning-in of a left side channel or a right side channel.

2. In a radio receiver of the type comprising means for receiving a transmitted high-frequency signal, mixing means for receiving the high-frequency signal and also a local-oscillator-frequency signal and processing the two signals to form an intermediate-frequency signal, and means for converting the intermediate-frequency signal into an audio-frequency signal, the receiver being adapted to receive within a predetermined frequency range a series of main channels spaced apart at predetermined frequency intervals and also left and right side channels, each left side channel being spaced by a predetermined frequency interval below a respective one of the main channels, each right side channel being spaced by a predetermined frequency interval above a respective one of the main channels, in combination therewith, multi-channel oscillator means operative for furnishing the local-oscillator-frequency signals to the mixing means;

and quasi-analog digital channel display means operative for indicating which channel has been tuned in using a display technique visually simulating the display performed by mechanical channel display means of the calibrated-scale-with-shifting-pointer type, the quasi-analog digital channel display means including a plurality of indicator elements arranged in a row to form a quasi-analog channel-indicating scale the successive individual indicator elements of which are each respectively associated with a respective successive one of the channel frequencies in the band of broadcast channel frequencies receivable by the radio receiver in the same sequence as the channel frequencies are located within the receivable band of broadcast channel frequencies, and indicator control means controlled by the multi-channel oscillator means and in turn controlling the operation of the indicator elements and the display means further including three auxiliary indicator elements respectively operative for indicating that a main channel, a right side channel or a left side channel has been tuned in, the indicator control means comprising means operative in dependence upon the multi-channel oscillator means for causing the indicator element of said row associated with a tuned-in channel to be operative and for causing a first, a second or a third of said auxiliary indicator elements to become operative in dependence upon whether the multi-channel oscillator means has effected the tuning-in of a main channel, a left side channel or a right side channel.

3. In a radio receiver as defined in claim 2, the means operative in dependence upon the multi-channel oscillator means for causing the indicator element of said row associated with a tuned-in channel to be operative being means causing only the one indicator element of said row associated with the tuned-in channel to be operative.