Wireless receiver, wireless receiving method, and recording medium

• US 6,643,498 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyajima, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/535,728
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 455/219, 455/220, 455/226--23, 455/232.1, 455/234.1, 455/239.1, 455/240.1, 455/241.1, 455/242.1, 455/245.1, 455/245.2, 455/254, 453/39, 453/70, 453/136, 453/131, 453/334
• US Class Current: 455/230
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3068 Circuits generating control signals for both R.F. and I.F. stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers

Abstract

A signal processing unit 107 outputs a control parameter of a gain control operation-starting electric field strength value in the form of a signal CN1 in correspondence with data of transfer speed/number of FM level by referring to a memory 108. Then, this signal processing unit 107 controls setting of an Received Signal Strength Indicator 105. When an electric field strength of a signal reaches an operation-starting electric field strength value, the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) 105 changes a voltage of an output GC1 based upon the control parameter (signal CN1). A gain control circuit 106 changes a gain control amount in response to the output signal GC1 derived from the Received Signal Strength Indicator 105. As a consequence, the operation-starting electric field strength value of the AGC operation can be set under optimum condition in correspondence with the sort of signal.

Claims

1. A wireless receiver comprising:

gain control means for controlling a gain of the wireless receiver;

received signal strength detecting means for detecting an electric field strength of a reception signal;

operation-starting electric field electric value determining means for determining an operation-starting electric field strength value by which the gain control operation of said gain control means is commenced in response to a transfer speed of said reception signal and a number of FM level of said reception signal; and

first control means for causing said gain control means to commence the gain control operation when an electric field strength detected by said received signal strength detecting means reaches said operation-starting electric field strength value.

2. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gain control means is a stepped gain control type gain control means for changing the gain only by a predetermined gain amount when a signal level of said reception signal exceeds a predetermined level.

3. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gain control means is a continuous gain control type gain control means for changing the gain in response to a signal level of said reception signal.

4. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first control means includes:

comparing means for comparing the electric field strength detected by said received signal strength detecting means with a preselected reference value; and

said preselected reference voltage of said comparing means is selectively set in response to the transfer speed of said reception signal and the number of FM level thereof.

5. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first control means includes:

a variable gain amplifier for amplifying said reception signal by a predetermined gain to supply the amplified reception signal to said received signal strength detecting means; and

said predetermined gain of said variable gain amplifier is selectively set in response to the transfer speed of said reception signal and the number of FM level thereof.

6. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first control means includes:

converting means for converting the output of said received signal strength detecting means into a voltage level at a predetermined rate; and

said predetermined rate of said converting means is selectively set in response to the transfer speed of said reception signal and the number of FM level thereof.

7. A wireless receiver comprising:

gain control means for controlling a gain of the wireless receiver;

gain control amount determining means for determining a gain control amount of said gain control means in response to a transfer speed of a reception signal and a number of FM level of said reception signal; and

second control means for changing the gain of said gain control means in response to said gain control amount.

8. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 7, wherein said gain control means is a stepped gain control type gain control means for changing the gain only by a predetermined gain amount when a signal level of said reception signal exceeds a predetermined level.

9. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 7, wherein said gain control means includes:

signal amplifying means for amplifying a reception signal; and

distributing means for distributing a reception signal received from an antenna to both said signal amplifying means and another signal path; and

said second control means changes a distribution ratio of said reception signal with respect to said signal amplifying means in said distributing means in response to the transfer speed of said reception signal and the number of FM level thereof.

10. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 7, wherein said gain control means includes:

signal amplifying means, the gain of which is controlled by an output voltage switching circuit capable of selectively setting an output voltage; and

said second control means controls the gain of said signal amplifying means by selectively setting the output voltage of said output voltage switching circuit in response to the transfer speed of said reception signal and the number of FM level thereof.

11. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 7, wherein said gain control means includes:

signal amplifying means equipped with a current source having a current switching function; and

said second control means selectively sets the current value of said current source having the current switching function of said signal amplifying means in response to the transfer speed of said reception signal and the number of FM level thereof.

12. A wireless receiver comprising:

gain control means for controlling a gain of the wireless receiver; and

storage means for storing therein a parameter used to set/control either an operation-starting electric field strength value by which the gain control operation of said gain control means or a gain control amount of said gain control means in response to a transfer speed of a reception signal and a number of FM level thereof.

13. A wireless receiver as claimed in claim 12, wherein said parameter of the storage means is individually adjusted based upon a gain characteristic of said wireless receiver, an intermodulation sensitivity suppressing characteristic thereof, or an electric field strength characteristic thereof.

14. A wireless receiving method of a wireless receiver equipped with gain control means for controlling a gain of the wireless receiver, and received signal strength detecting means for detecting an electric field strength of a reception signal, comprising the steps of:

determining an operation-starting electric field strength value by which the gain control operation of said gain control means is commenced in response to a transfer speed of said reception signal and a number of FM level of said reception signal; and

causing said gain control means to commence the gain control operation when an electric field strength detected by said received signal strength detecting means reaches said operation-starting electric field strength value.

15. A wireless receiving method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising a step of:

storing thereinto a parameter for setting/controlling either said operation-starting electric field strength value or said gain control amount in response to the transfer speed of the reception signal and the number of FM level thereof.

16. A wireless receiving method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said parameter of the storage step is individually adjusted based upon a gain characteristic of said wireless receiver, an intermodulation sensitivity suppressing characteristic thereof, or an electric field strength characteristic thereof.

17. A wireless receiving method of a wireless receiver equipped with gain control means for controlling a gain of the wireless receiver, comprising the steps of:

determining a gain control amount of said gain control means in response to a transfer speed of a reception signal and a number of FM level of said reception signal; and

changing the gain of said gain control means in response to said gain control amount.

18. A wireless receiving method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

storing thereinto a parameter for setting/controlling said gain control amount in response to the transfer speed of the reception signal and the number of FM level thereof.

19. A wireless receiving method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said parameter of the storage step is individually adjusted based upon a gain characteristic of said wireless receiver, an intermodulation sensitivity suppressing characteristic thereof, or an electric field strength characteristic thereof.

20. A recording medium for recording thereon a wireless receiving method of a wireless receiver equipped with gain control means for controlling a gain of the wireless receiver, and number of received signal strength detecting means for detecting an electric field strength of a reception signal as a program to be executed by a computer and readable by the computer, the wireless receiving method comprising:

an operation-starting electric field value determining step for determining an operation-starting electric field strength value by which the gain control operation of said gain control means is commenced in response to a transfer speed of said reception signal and a number of FM level of said reception signal; and

a first control step for causing said gain control means to commence the gain control operation when an electric field strength detected by said received signal strength detecting means reaches said operation-starting electric field strength value.

21. A recording medium for recording thereon a wireless receiving method of a wireless receiver equipped with gain control means for controlling a gain of the wireless receiver as a program to be executed by a computer and readable by the computer, the wireless receiving method comprising:

a gain control amount determining step for determining a gain control amount of said gain control means in response to a transfer speed of a reception signal and a number of FM level of said reception signal; and

a second control step for changing the gain of said gain control means in response to said gain control amount.