Synthesizer receiver

• US 5,628,061 A
• Filed: 01/17/1995
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shirakawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US08/373,668
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 455/37.1, 455/150.1, 455/171.1, 455/181.1, 455/186.1, 455/145, 455/231, 455/161.1, 455/180.3, 455/190.1, 455/186.2, 455/33.1, 455/185.1 , 455/179.1, 368/21, 368/47
• US Class Current: 455/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/005 in a loop

Abstract

A synthesizer radio receiver having a tuner for tuning in reception frequencies, a storage memory for storing location data and time difference and frequency interval data associated with the location data, an input device for inputting control data, a controller for controlling the tuner in accordance with frequency interval data stored in the storage memory, and a display device for displaying time information.

Claims

1. A synthesizer receiver having a clock circuit for keeping a reference time, a display for displaying a local time for a local area having a predetermined time difference relationship to the reference time kept by the clock circuit, and a PLL in which a receiving signal is frequency-converted based on an output signal of the PLL, and a receiving frequency is changed by changing a frequency dividing ratio of a variable frequency dividing circuit of the PLL, comprising:

a table for storing data of names of areas, data of respective time differences between respective local times of the areas and the reference time, and data of respective frequency intervals, each area having a corresponding frequency interval to be added/subtracted from a first receiving frequency to effect a change to a second receiving frequency adjacent to the first receiving frequency,

wherein the local time displayed on the display is determined by adding a time difference of the local area which is stored in the table to the reference time, and a variation amount of the frequency dividing ratio is set in accordance with a frequency interval corresponding to the local area.

2. A synthesizer radio receiver comprising:

a tuner for receiving a plurality of reception frequencies;

a clock circuit for maintaining a reference time;

storage means for storing location data of a plurality of geographical regions,

interval data of frequency intervals corresponding to said plurality of respective geographical regions, and

time difference data of differences in time between respective local times of said plurality of respective geographical regions and said reference time maintained by said clock circuit;

user input means for supplying control data corresponding to one of said plurality of geographical regions;

controller for retrieving frequency interval data and time difference data corresponding to said one of said plurality of geographical regions which is specified by said control data, from said storage means, said controller including

means for controlling said tuner to receive one of said plurality of reception frequencies, said means controlling said tuner to receive a second one of said plurality of reception frequencies which is adjacent to said one of said plurality of reception frequencies by adding/subtracting a frequency interval corresponding to said frequency interval data retrieved from said storage means, and

means for determining a local time of said one of said plurality of geographical regions based upon said reference time and said time difference data retrieved from said storage means; and

display means for displaying time information including said local time.

4. A synthesizer radio receiver according to claim 2 wherein said user input means further comprises means for inputting a control signal to cause a next successive higher reception frequency to be tuned in by said tuner.

5. A synthesizer radio receiver according to claim 2 wherein said user input means further comprises means for inputting a control signal to cause a next successive lower reception frequency to be tuned in by said tuner.

6. A synthesizer radio receiver according to claim 2 wherein said user input means comprises a plurality of user actuable switches.

7. A synthesizer radio receiver according to claim 2 wherein said display means further comprises means for displaying reception frequency information.

8. A synthesizer radio receiver according to claim 2 wherein said tuner comprises a phase locked loop circuit.

9. A synthesizer radio receiver according to claim 2 wherein said tuner further comprises a variable frequency dividing circuit for establishing a frequency dividing ratio in accordance with a frequency interval;

and

said controller further comprises means for selectably varying said frequency dividing ratio in accordance with said frequency interval data retrieved from said storage means.

3. A synthesizer radio receiver comprising:

a tuner for receiving a plurality of reception frequencies, adjacent reception frequencies being separated by a frequency interval;

a clock circuit for maintaining a reference time;

storage means for storing location data of a plurality of geographical regions,

interval data of frequency intervals corresponding to said plurality of respective geographical regions, and

time difference data of differences in time between respective local times of said plurality of respective geographical regions and said reference time maintained by said clock circuit;

user input means for supplying control data corresponding to one of said plurality of geographical regions;

controller for retrieving frequency interval data and time difference data corresponding to said one of said plurality of geographical regions which is specified by said control data, from said storage means, said controller including

means for controlling said tuner to selectably vary said frequency interval of said tuner to correspond to said frequency interval data of said one of said plurality of geographical regions which is retrieved from said storage means,

means for determining a local time of said one of said plurality of geographical regions based upon said reference time and said time difference data retrieved from said storage means; and

display means for displaying time information including said local time.

10. A synthesizer radio receiver comprising:

a tuner for receiving a plurality of reception frequencies, said tuner including a variable frequency dividing circuit for establishing a frequency dividing ratio in accordance with a frequency interval;

a clock circuit for maintaining a reference time;

storage memory for storing location data of a plurality of geographical regions,

interval data of frequency intervals corresponding to said plurality of respective geographical regions, and

time difference data of differences in time between respective local times of said respective geographical regions and said reference time maintained by said clock circuit;

user input means for supplying control data corresponding to one of said plurality of geographical regions, said user input means including a plurality of user actuable switches;

controller for retrieving frequency interval data and time difference data corresponding to said one of said plurality of geographical regions which is specified by said control data, from said storage means, said controller including

means for supplying said frequency interval data retrieved from said storage means to said variable frequency dividing circuit to cause said frequency dividing ratio of said variable frequency dividing circuit to be selectably varied in accordance with said interval data retrieved from said storage means and to cause said reception frequencies which are received by said tuner to be separated by a frequency interval corresponding to said frequency interval data retrieved from said storage means, and

means for determining a local time at said one of said plurality of geographical regions based upon said reference time and said time difference data retrieved from said storage means; and

display means for displaying reception frequency information and time information including said local time.

11. In a synthesizer radio receiver, a method of tuning in reception frequencies comprising the steps of:

inputting control data corresponding to one of a plurality of geographical region;

retrieving frequency interval data associated with said one of said plurality of geographical regions which corresponds to one of a plurality of frequency intervals of respective geographical regions which are stored in a storage memory;

retrieving time difference data associated with said one of said plurality of geographical regions which corresponds to a time difference between a local time of said one of a plurality of geographical regions and a reference time, from said storage memory; and

tuning in a reception frequency based upon said frequency interval data retrieved from said storage memory.