Radio receiver having improved signal-to-noise ratio for receiving voice and data signals

• US 5,095,534 A
• Filed: 08/25/1989
• Issued: 03/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hiyama, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US07/398,559
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33-34, 455/38, 455/266, 455/307, 455/296, 455/340, 455/63, 455/65, 455/339, 379/59, 379/63, 370/100.1, 375/5, 371/5.4, 371/47.1
• US Class Current: 455/266
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/24 in frequency-selective amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1054 by changing bandwidth

Abstract

A radio receiver having a frequency converter which frequency converts an RF signal into an IF signal. An IF filter filters the IF signal to provide the filtered output to a frequency discriminator. The discriminator frequency discriminates the filtered IF signal to produce a baseband signal. From the baseband signal, a voice signal is recovered and a data signal is extracted. Using the IF signal, a field detector detects an electromagnetic field strength of RF signal and outputs a signal detect signal when the field strength is higher than a predetermined level. A sync detector detects a sync signal in the extracted data signal and sync detect signals, a controller controls the bandwidth of IF filter so that the S/N ratio of the recovered voice signal is increased and the error rate of the extracted data signal is decreased. The signal detect signal may also be obtained by a noise detector which detects the level of a noise component extracted from the baseband signal and outputs the signal detect signal when the level of noise component is higher than the predetermined level. The frequency of the extracted noise component is positioned adjacent to the higher portion of the voice frequency band.

Claims

1. A receiver comprising:

receiver means for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal to produce a received RF signal;

frequency converter means for frequency converting said received RF signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal;

variable fitler means for extracting said IF signal from the output of said frequency converter means;

demodulator means for demodulating the output of said filter means to produce a demodulated signal;

sync detector means for detecting a sync signal in said demodulated signal to produce a sync detection signal;

field detector means for detecting an electromagnetic field strength of said received RF signal to produce a field detection signal; and

control means responsive to said sync and field detection signals for controlling the bandwidth of said variable filter means.

2. A receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said field detector means comprises:

means for producing a first signal when said field strength is higher than a predetermined level; and

means for producing a second signal when said field strength is lower than said predetermined level, and

wherein said control means comprises;

means responsive to a combination of said first signal and said sync signal for providing a first control signal to said variable filter means to provide a wide bandwidth therefor; and

means responsvie to said second signal and said sync detect signal for providing a second control signal to said variable filter means to provide a narrow bandwidth therefor.

3. A receiver as claimed in claim 2, wherein said variable filter means comprises:

a first filter having a first bandwidth;

a second filter having a second bandwidth narrower than said first bandwidth;

first switch means for connecting the output of said frequency converter means to said first and second filters in response to said first and second control signals, respectively; and

second switch means for connecting the outputs of said first and second filters to the input of said demodulator means in response to said first and second control signals, respectively.

4. A receiver as claimed in claim 2, wherein said variable filter means comprises:

a frist resistor one end of which is connected to the output of said frequency converter means;

an amplifier an output of which is connected to the input of said demodulator means;

a second resistor connected between the other end of said first resistor and the output of said amplifier;

first and second capacitors one end of each being connected to said other end of said first resistor;

first switch means for selectively connecting the other end of each said first and second capacitors to the input of said amplifier in response to said first and second control signals, respectively;

a third resistor connected between the input of said amplifier and ground;

third and fourth capacitors one end of each being connected to the input of said amplifier; and

second switch means for selectively connecting the other end of each said third and fourth capacitors to ground in response to said first and second control signals, respectively.

5. A receiver comprising:

means for receiving an RF signal to produce a received RF signal;

frequency converter means for frequency converting said received RF signal into an IF signal;

filter means for filtering the output of said frequency converter means to extract said IF signal therefrom;

demodulator means for demodulating the output of said filter means to produce a baseband signal;

frist detector means for detecting a specific signal out of said baseband signal to produce a first detect signal;

second detector means responsive to the output of said frequency converter means for detecting whether a received level of said RF signal is higher than a predetermined level and for producing a second detect signal when said received level is higher than said predetermined level; and

control means responsive to said first and second detect signals for controlling the bandwidth of said filter means.

6. A receiver as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control means comprises first means for narrowing said bandwidth in response to a first combination of said first detect signal and said second detect signal;

and second means for causing the bandwidth of said filter means to be normal in response to a second combination of said first and second detect signals.

7. A receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second detector means comprises:

means responsive to the output of said frequency converter means for detecting electromagnetic field strength of said receiver RF signal and for producing said second detect signal when said strength is higher than said predetermined level.

8. A receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second detector means comprises:

noise extractor means for extracting from said baseband signal a noise component; and

noise detector means for producing said second detect signal when the level of said noise component is higher than said predetermined level.

9. A receiver as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

voice recovery means for recovering a voice signal out of said baseband signal, the frequency of said noise component being adjacent to the upper part of the frequency band of said noise signal; and

data extractor means for extracting a data signal out of said baseband signal, the frequency band of said data signal being lower than said frequency band of said voice signal.

10. A receiver as claimed in claim 5, wherein said predetermined level is a threshold level of said receiver.

11. A receiver as claimed in claim 5, wherein said demodulator means comprises means for frequency discriminating the output of said filter means to produce said baseband signal.

12. A receiver as claimed in claim 5, further comprising another filter means for filtering the output of said frequency converter means;

first amplifier means for amplifying the output of said another filter means to produce the output thereof to said filter means; and

second amplifier means for amplifying the output of said demodulator means.

13. A receiver as claimed in claim 5, wherein said frequency converter means comprises:

means for locally generating an oscillation signal; and

means for frequency mixing the output of said receiving means and said oscillation signal to produce said IF signal.

14. A receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein said filter means comprises:

a first filter having a first bandwidth;

a second filter having a second bandwidth narrower than said first bandwidth;

switch means for connecting said first filter between the output of said frequency converter means and the input of said demodulator means in response to said second combination and for connecting said second filter between the output of said frequency converter means and the input of said demodulator means in response to said first combination.

15. A receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein said filter means comprises an active filter.

16. A receiver as claimed in claim 15, wherein said active filter comrpises:

a first resistor one end of which is connected to the output of said frequency converter means;

an amplifier an output of which is connected to the input of said demodulator means;

a second resistor connected between the other end of said first resistor and the output of said amplifier;

first and second capacitors one end of each being connected to said other end of said first resistor;

first switch means for selectively connecting the other end of each said first and second capacitors to the input of said amplifier in response to said first and second control signals, respectively;

a third resistor connected between the input of said amplifier and ground;

third and fourth capacitors one end of each being connected to the input of said amplifier; and

second switch means for selectively connecting the other end of each said third and fourth capacitors to ground in response to said first and second control signals, respectively.

17. A radio receiver comprising:

frequency converter means for frequency converting a radio frequency (RF) signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal;

filter means for filtering said IF signal to produce a filtered IF signal;

demodulator means for demodulating said filtered IF signal to produce a baseband signal;

first detector means for detecting a sync signal from said baseband signal to produce a first sync detect signal;

second detector means responsive to said filtered IF signal for detecting an RF signal whose level is higher than a predetermined level, to produce a second detect signal;

means for narrowing the bandwidth of said filter means in response to a first combination of said first detect signal and absence of said second detect signal.

18. A radio receiver as claimed in claim 17, further comprising means for causing the bandwidth of said filter means to be normal in response to a second combination of said first and second detect signals.

19. A radio receiver as claimed in claim 17, wherein said second detector means comprises:

means responsive to the output of said frequency converter means for detecting electromagnetic field strength of said receiver RF signal and for producing said second detect signal when said strength is higher than said predetermined level.

20. A receiver as claimed in claim 17, wherein said second detector means comprises:

noise extractor means for extracting from said baseband signal a noise component; and

noise detector means for producing said second detect signal when the level of said noise component is higher than said predetermined level.

21. A receiver as claimed in claim 17, wherein said demodulator means comprises means for frequency discriminating the output of said filter means to produce said baseband signal.

22. A method of controlling a bandwidth of an intermediate frequency (IF) filter within a radio receiver, comprising the following steps of:

receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal to produce a received RF signal;

frequency converting said received RF signal into an IF signal;

filtering said IF signal to produce a filtered IF signal;

demodulating said filtered IF signal to produce a baseband signal;

detecting a specific signal out of said baseband signal to produce a first detect signal;

responsive to said IF signal, detecting an RF signal whose level is higher than a predetermined level to produce a second detect signal; and

responsive to said first and second detect signals, controlling said bandwidth.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said step of controlling said bandwidth comprises the steps of:

narrowing said bandwidth in response to a first combination of said first detect signal and absence of said second detect signal; and

widening said bandwidth in response to other combinations of said first and second detect signals.

24. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said stop of detecting an RF signal comprises the steps of detecting electromagnetic field strength of said received RF signal in response to said IF signal;

and producing said second detect signal when said strength is higher than said predetermined level.

25. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said step of detecting an RF signal comprises the steps of:

extracting from said baseband signal a noise component; and

producing said second detect signal when the level of said noise component is higher than said predetermined level.

26. A method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

recovering a voice signal out of said baseband signal; and

extracting a data signal out of said baseband signal, the frequency band of said data signal being lower than the frequency band of said voice signal.

27. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said predetermined level is a threshold level of said radio receiver.

28. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said step of demodulating comprises the step of frequency discriminating said filtered IF signal to produce said baseband signal.