Radio device

• US 7,603,086 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsubayashi, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/515,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/423, 455/67.13, 455/67.14, 455/115.2, 455/226.1, 455/3.02, 348/193, 348/569, 348/570
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/12 Arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95

Abstract

A device main unit transmits a bus reset pulse to an antenna unit via a cable transmitting a television reception signal, a controller of the device main unit detects a response of a presence pulse to the bus reset pulse and displays the detection result. The transmission of the bus preset pulse and the reception of the presence pulse are performed by utilizing the existing communication interface with 1-Wire type interactive baseband communication system disposed to control a tunable radio frequency circuit provided for the antenna unit from the controller adopted thereto.

Claims

1. A radio device including an antenna unit and a device main unit and a cable connecting the antenna unit with the device main unit, the radio device transmitting a radio frequency signal transmitted or received by the antenna unit between the antenna unit and the device main unit via the cable, comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit a communication signal differing from the radio frequency signal between the antenna unit and the device main unit via the cable;

a defect detector configured to monitor a transmission state of the communication signal by the communication interface to detect a defect between the antenna unit and the device main unit on the basis of the monitoring result; and

a presentation controller configured to control presentation of detection result from the defect detector to a user of the radio device.

2. The radio device according to claim 1, wherein

the antenna unit comprises a radio frequency circuit controllable its operation state,

the device main unit comprises a first control circuit generates a first control signal for controlling operation state of the radio frequency circuit,

the communication interface comprises a circuit configured to transmit the first control signal generated from the first control circuit to the radio frequency circuit via the cable as the communication signal, and

the defect detector comprises:

a monitor configured to monitor the transmission state of the first control signal; and

a detector configured to detect the defect between the antenna unit and the device main unit on the basis of a monitoring result from the monitor.

3. The radio device according to claim 1, wherein

the antenna unit comprises:

a plurality of antenna units; and

a connector configured to connect each of the plurality of antenna units to the device main unit via different cables,

the communication interface comprises a transmission circuit configured to transmit the communication signal among the plurality of antenna units and the device main unit via the different cables, respectively, and

the defect detector comprises;

a monitor configured to monitor the transmission state of the communication signals transmitted from the communication interface via the different cables; and

a detector configured to individually detecting defects among the plurality of antenna units and the device main unit on the basis of a monitoring result from the monitor.

4. The radio device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a separator configured to separate antenna unit, at which a defect among a part of unit among the plurality of antenna units and the device main unit has been detected, from a transmission and a reception targets of the radio frequency signal when the defect has been detected.

5. The radio device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein

the communication interface comprises a first and a second 1-Wire type communication interface circuits provided for the antenna unit and the device main unit, respectively, and

the first and the second 1-Wire type communication interface circuits comprises:

a converter configured to convert the communication signal into a signal form dividable for the radio frequency signal then transmitting it to the cable; and

a separator configured to separate the communication signal transmitted via the cable from the radio frequency signal to receive it.

6. A radio device including an antenna unit and a device main unit and a cable connecting the antenna unit with the device main unit, the radio device transmitting a radio frequency signal transmitted or received by the antenna unit between the antenna unit and the device main unit via the cable, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a communication signal to the antenna unit;

a defect detector configured to detect a defect between the antenna unit and the device main unit by monitoring a transmission state of the communication signal; and

a informing controller configured to inform presentation of detection result from the defect detector to a user of the radio device.