FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus

• US 5,969,634 A
• Filed: 03/25/1996
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawano, Kazuya, Takashima, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asongwed, Anthony A.
• Application Number:
  US08/618,018
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 340/825.47, 340/825.72, 340/825.22, 340/825.04, 340/825.07, 340/825.2, 340/825.21, 340/185.54, 340/825.69, 455/38.1, 455/38.2
• US Class Current: 340/7.34
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1653 Detection of the presence of stereo signals and pilot signal regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/70 characterised in that receivers can be addressed
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/09 Arrangements for receiving desired information automatically according to timetables
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0283 with sequential power up or power down of successive circuit blocks, e.g. switching on the local oscillator before RF or mixer stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A selective call receiving apparatus for receiving FM multiplexed broadcasting signals which is designed to suppress consumed power by efficiently using a battery as a power supply. This apparatus has a reception circuit, an FM multiplex decoder, a subframe counter and a CPU. The reception circuit receives frames having plural pieces of subframes including ID data for a local terminal. The FM multiplex decoder detects a sync signal in each received subframe. The subframe counter counts the number of subframes in accordance with the detected sync signal. The CPU stops the operation of the reception circuit and FM multiplex decoder after causing the subframe counter to self-operate to perform the counting operation based on the sync signal detected in a continuous reception mode, and activates the reception circuit and FM multiplex decoder only when the count value of the subframe counter matches with a previously assigned subframe number and executes data processing including a process of determining if ID data in received data matches with that of the local terminal.

Claims

1. An FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus for receiving paging service information, comprising:

a reception circuit which receives frame data having a plurality of subframes including selective call data in the form of text information multiplexed on an FM radio wave, each of the subframes including a plurality of blocks each of which includes a substantial sync signal and a data packet;

a decoder which decodes the frame data received by said reception circuit and which reproduces the substantial sync signal and data included in the data packets;

a detector which detects the substantial sync signals which are synchronous with the plurality of blocks and generates block sync signals which are synchronous with the plurality of blocks; and

a controller including an internal counter;

wherein said internal counter counts the block sync signals, detects, based on a count value thereof, a predetermined subframe which is previously assigned to said FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus, and continues self-operation while keeping previous timings when supply of the block sync signals thereto is stopped;

wherein said controller (i) processes the data included in the data packets reproduced by said decoder, (ii) stops operation of said reception circuit, said detector, and said decoder after controlling said internal counter to perform a count operation of the block sync signals generated by said detector, and (iii) determines whether the selective call data received by said reception circuit matches predetermined selective call data previously assigned to the FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus only when said internal counter detects the subframe previously assigned to said FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus; and

wherein said controller controls said reception circuit, said detector and said decoder to ordinarily be in an off state, and turns on said reception circuit, said detector and said decoder at a predetermined time before a timing at which the internal counter is expected to detect the predetermined subframe previously assigned to said FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus.

2. The FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said detector detects the substantial sync signals and the frames in the frame data received by said reception circuit and outputs the block sync signal in synchronism with the blocks and a frame sync signal in synchronism with the frame; and

said internal counter is reset by the frame sync signal, counts the block sync signals, and outputs a signal indicating the predetermined subframe while a count value thereof falls within a predetermined range.

3. The FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller turns on said reception circuit at a timing preceding to a timing at which the internal counter is expected to detect the predetermined subframe by a predetermined time period, and then turns on said decoder.

4. The FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller turns on said reception circuit at a timing preceding to a timing at which the internal counter is expected to detect the predetermined subframe by at least a sum of a tuning operation period needed from the activation of the reception circuit to receipt of the FM radio wave and a bit clock latching period in the decoder, and turns on said decoder at a timing preceding to a timing at which the internal counter detects the predetermined subframe by at least the bit click latching period in the decoder.

5. The FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said controller turns on said reception circuit until said internal counter ends the detection of the predetermined subframe, and turns on said decoder until a time of data processing of said controller passes after the predetermined subframe ends.

6. The FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device, and wherein said controller controls said display device based on the data reproduced by said decoder.

7. The FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sum of power consumption of said reception circuit, said decoder, and said detector is greater than that of said controller.

8. An FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the blocks in the frame data include a service ID code indicating a type of service;

said FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus further includes a service ID code discrimination circuit for discriminating the service ID code, a bus connecting said decoder and said controller, and a memory connected to said bus; and

said service ID code discrimination circuit discriminates that the service ID code reproduced by said decoder indicates a paging mode, said controller checks whether the destination address is equal to the address assigned to said FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus, and when the service ID code indicates the paging mode and the destination addresses is equal to the address assigned to the FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus, said controller stores the reproduced data in said memory through the bus.

9. An FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller turns on said reception circuit, said decoder, and said detector when the count value of said internal counter is shifted from a number of actually received blocks.

10. An FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller includes a CPU which controls the operation of said reception circuit, said decoder, and said detector, and processes the received data.

11. An FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a display device, and wherein said controller controls said display device based on the received data.

12. An FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sum of power consumption of said reception circuit, said decoder, and said detector is smaller than that of said controller.

13. An FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said controller includes a CPU which controls the operation of said reception circuit, said decoder, and said detector, and processes the received data.

14. An FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus for receiving paging service information, comprising:

a reception circuit which receives frame data having a plurality of subframes including a service identification code in the form of information multiplexed on the FM radio wave, each of the subframes including a plurality of blocks each of which includes the service identification code, a substantial sync signal and a data packet;

a decoder which decodes the frame data received by said reception circuit and reproduces the service identification code, the substantial sync signals and data included in the data packets;

a detector which detects the substantial sync signals which are synchronous with the plurality of blocks and generates block sync signals which are synchronous with the plurality of blocks;

a service identification code discriminating circuit which discriminates whether the service identification code reproduced by said decoder indicates a selective paging service, and outputs a discrimination result;

a counter which counts the blocks in the frame data based on the block sync signals generated by said detector and generates an interruption signal when a count value of said counter falls within a predetermined range corresponding to a predetermined subframe which is previously assigned to said FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus and when the discrimination result, output from said service identification code discriminating circuit, indicates that the service identification code indicates a selective paging service; and

a control unit which performs data processing operations responsive to receipt of the interruption signal, including determining whether selective call data of a terminal to be paged which is included in the frame data decoded by said decoder matches predetermined selective call data which is previously assigned to said FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus; and

wherein said control unit is ordinarily in an off state, and is turned on only when the interruption signal is generated.

15. The FM multiplexed broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

said detector detects the substantial sync signals in the frames in the frame data received by said reception circuit and outputs the block sync signal in synchronism with the blocks and a frame sync signal in synchronism with the frame; and

said internal counter counts the block sync signals, is reset by the frame sync signal, and outputs a detection signal indicating the predetermined subframe while a count value thereof is within a predetermined range.