Digital and analog broadcast receiver, and digital and analog broadcast reception and output method

• US 6,741,293 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2000
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Obuchi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/573,231
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 348/554, 348/558, 348/725, 348/726, 348/731, 348/553, 348/555, 348/180, 348/570, 375/340, 455/515, 455/516, 455/161.3, 455/337, 455/246.1, 455/134-135, 455/160.1, 455/101-103
• US Class Current: 348/554
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42638 involving a hybrid front-end, e.g. analog and digital tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/27 Circuits special to multi-standard receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 for digital sound signals

Abstract

A digital TV receiver 2 receives digital TV broadcasts and an analog TV receiver 1 receives analog TV broadcasts. A switching control 6 switches between either digital or analog signals to a speaker 7 and a display 8, according to the conditions of received digital and/or analog broadcast waves. Digital broadcast outputs, such as images, cannot be obtained if the field intensity of received broadcast waves is too low for the application of error correction to them. Even in that event, the present equipment can continue image outputs by switching to the analog broadcast. Preferably, the switching control 6 uses the packet error rate during the demodulation of received digital broadcast signals as the index of the conditions of the received waves to perform an output switch between digital and analog broadcasts, according to the error rate.

Claims

1. A broadcast receiving device comprising:

a digital broadcast receiver portion for receiving at least one digital broadcast channel;

an analog broadcast receiver portion for receiving, concurrently with receiving said at least one digital broadcast channel by said digital broadcast receiver portion, analog broadcast signals including a channel transmitting the same content as on said at least one digital broadcast channel received by said digital broadcast receiver portion;

a receive condition sensing means for sensing the condition of either or both of the digital and analog broadcast signals received by said digital broadcast receiver portion and said analog broadcast receiver portion;

a channel selection switch for carrying out channel selection, based on predetermined processing;

a selection means for selecting either said digital broadcast signal or said analog broadcast signal when said channel selection switch has selected a pair of digital and analog channels on which the same content is broadcast, according to the conditions of the received broadcast signals sensed by said receive condition sensing means; and

a broadcast output means for outputting the selected broadcast signal.

2. The broadcast receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said receive condition sensing means senses the conditions of digital broadcast signals received by said digital broadcast receiver portion.

3. The broadcast receiving device according to claim 2, wherein said receive condition sensing means detects the error rate of packets during the demodulation of received signals of said digital broadcast as the index of the condition of the received signals of said digital broadcast.

4. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 3, wherein said selection means selects the digital broadcast when the packet error rate detected as the index of the received wave condition of said digital broadcast is less than a predetermined rate and the analog broadcast when the packet error rate is greater than the predetermined rate.

5. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 2, wherein said receive condition sensing means detects the received power level of the received signals of said digital broadcast as the index of the received wave condition of said digital broadcast.

6. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 5, wherein said selection means selects the digital broadcast when the received power level detected as the index of the received signal condition of said digital broadcast is greater than a predetermined level and the analog broadcast when the received power level is less than the predetermined level.

7. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said receive condition sensing means senses the conditions of analog broadcast signals received by said analog broadcast receiver portion.

8. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 1, wherein:

said receive condition sensing means comprises a received video conditions sensing means for sensing the conditions of video of the received broadcast signals and a received audio conditions sensing means for sensing the conditions of audio of the received broadcast signals; and

said selection means comprises a video selection means for selecting either the video of the digital broadcast or the video of the analog broadcast, according to the received video conditions sensed by said received video conditions sensing means, and an audio selection means for selecting either audio of the digital broadcast signal or audio of the analog broadcast signal, according to the received audio conditions sensed by said received audio conditions sensing means.

9. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 8, wherein:

said received video condition sensing means detects an error rate of video packets during demodulation of the received signals of said digital broadcast as the index of said condition of the video of the received broadcast signals; and

said received audio condition sensing means detects an error rate of audio packets during demodulation of the received signals of said digital broadcast as the index of said condition of the audio of the received broadcast signals.

10. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 9, wherein:

said video selection means selects the video of the digital broadcast when the video packet error rate detected by said received video conditions sensing means is less than a predetermined rate and the video of the analog broadcast when the video packet error rate is greater than the predetermined rate; and

said audio selection means selects the audio of the digital broadcast when the audio packet error rate detected by said received audio conditions sensing means is less than a predetermined rate and the audio of the analog broadcast when the audio packet error rate is greater than the predetermined rate.

11. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 8, wherein:

said received video conditions sensing means detects a received power level of the video of the received signals of said digital broadcast as the index of said condition of the video of the received broadcast waves; and

said received audio conditions sensing means detects a received power level of the audio of the received signals of said digital broadcast as the index of said condition of the audio of the received broadcast waves.

12. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 11, wherein:

said video selection means selects the video of the digital broadcast when the received power level of the video detected by said received video conditions sensing means is greater than a predetermined level and the video of the analog broadcast when the received power level of the video is less than the predetermined level; and

said audio selection means selects the audio of the digital broadcast when the received power level of the audio detected by said received audio conditions sensing means is greater than a predetermined level and the audio of the analog broadcast when the received power level of the audio is less than the predetermined level.

13. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 8, wherein:

said received video conditions sensing means senses the conditions of received video signals of said analog broadcast as said conditions of the video of the received broadcast waves; and

said received audio conditions sensing means senses the conditions of received audio signals of said analog broadcast as said conditions of the audio of the received broadcast waves.

14. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising a received channel control means for controlling said digital broadcast receiver portion and said analog broadcast receiver portion to receive same content broadcasts when said channel selection switch has selected said pair of digital and analog channels broadcasting a same content.

15. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said same content broadcasts are TV broadcasts.

16. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 1, wherein:

said analog broadcast receiver portion receives only audio of said analog broadcast signal;

said receive condition sensing means senses the conditions of audio of the received broadcast signals; and

said selection means selects either audio of the digital broadcast or the audio of the analog broadcast, according to the conditions of the audio of the received broadcast signals, as sensed by said receive condition sensing means.

17. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 16, wherein:

said receive condition sensing means detects error rate of audio packets during demodulation of the received signals of said digital broadcast as the index of said condition of the audio of the received broadcast signals; and

said selection means selects the audio of the digital broadcast when an audio packet error rate detected by said receive condition sensing means is less than a predetermined rate and the audio of the analog broadcast when the audio packet error rate is greater than the predetermined rate.

18. A broadcast receiving device according to claim 16, wherein:

said receive condition sensing means detects a received power level of the received audio signals of said digital broadcast as an index of said conditions of the audio of the received broadcast waves; and

said selection means selects the audio of the digital broadcast when the received power level of the received audio signals detected by said received broadcast wave conditions sensing means is greater than a predetermined level and the audio of the analog broadcast when the received power level of the received audio signals is less than the predetermined level.

19. A broadcast reception and output method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at least one digital broadcast channel and concurrently receiving analog broadcasts that include a channel transmitting the same content as broadcast on at least one of the digital broadcast channels that can be received by said digital broadcast receiver portion; and

(b) selecting and outputting either said digital or analog broadcast, according to conditions of received waves of said digital and/or analog broadcasts when a pair of said digital and analog channels broadcasting the same content have been selected for reception,

wherein said step (b) further includes the steps of detecting an error rate of packets during demodulation of received signals of said digital broadcast as an index of said condition of the received waves, and selecting and outputting the digital broadcast when the detected packet error rate is less than a predetermined rate and the analog broadcast when the packet error rate is greater than the predetermined rate.

20. A broadcast reception and output method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at least one digital broadcast channel and concurrently receiving analog broadcasts that include a channel transmitting the same content as broadcast on at least one of the digital broadcast channels that can be received by said digital broadcast receiver portion; and

(b) selecting and outputting either said digital or analog broadcast, according to conditions of received waves of said digital and/or analog broadcasts when a pair of said digital and analog channels broadcasting the same content have been selected for reception,

wherein said step (b) further includes the steps of detecting a received power level of the received signals of said digital broadcast as an index of said condition of received waves, and selecting and outputting the digital broadcast when the detected received power level is greater than a predetermined level and the analog broadcast when the received power level is less than the predetermined level.

21. A broadcast reception and output method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at least one digital broadcast channel and concurrently receiving analog broadcasts that include a channel transmitting the same content as broadcast on at least one of the digital broadcast channels that can be received by said digital broadcast receiver portion, and

(b) selecting and outputting either said digital or analog broadcast, according to conditions of received waves of said digital and/or analog broadcasts when a pair of said digital and analog channels broadcasting the same content have been selected for reception,

wherein said step (b) further includes the steps of selecting and outputting either video of the digital broadcast or video of the analog broadcast according to the received video conditions of said conditions of received waves, and selecting and outputting either audio of the digital broadcast or audio of the analog broadcast according to the received audio conditions of said conditions of received waves.

22. A broadcast reception and output method according to claim 21, wherein said step (b) further includes the steps of:

(b1) detecting an error rate of video packets during demodulation of received signals of said digital broadcast as an index of said received video condition, and selecting and outputting the video of the digital broadcast when the detected error rate of the video packets is less than a predetermined rate and the video of the analog broadcast when the error rate of the video packets is greater than the predetermined rate; and

(b2) detecting an error rate of audio packets during the demodulation of received signals of said digital broadcast as the index of said received audio condition, and selecting and outputting the audio of the digital broadcast when the detected error rate of the audio packets is less than a predetermined rate and the audio of the analog broadcast when the error rate of the audio packets is greater than the predetermined rate.

23. A broadcast reception and output method according to claim 21, wherein said step (b) further includes the steps of:

(b1) detecting a received power level of the received video signals of said digital broadcast is detected as an index of said received video conditions, and selecting and outputting the video of the digital broadcast when the detected received power level of the received video signals is greater than a predetermined level and the video of the analog broadcast when the received power level of the received video signals is less than the predetermined level; and

(b2) detecting a received power level of the received audio signals of said digital broadcast as the index of said received audio condition, and selecting and outputting the audio of the digital broadcast when the detected received power level of the received audio signals is greater than a predetermined level and the audio of the analog broadcast is selected and output when the received power level of the received audio signals is less than the predetermined level.