Radio receiver with adaptive tuner

• US 8,948,715 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Bakhri, Syaiful, Chia, Wei Ming Dan, Fernandes, Brian Sunil Nicholas, Lee, Mintak, Tang, Yinn Sinn, Yuan, Ye
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US13/882,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20130288625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 455/77, 455/150.1, 455/178.1, 455/191.1, 455/280, 455/73, 455/130, 455/160.1, 455/173.1, 455/182.3, 455/184.1
• US Class Current: 455/150.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/082 to be used in vehicles H04B1/086 takes precedence; holding or mounting accessories B60R11/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits

Abstract

A mobile radio receiver for a vehicle. The mobile radio receiver includes a tuner front-end section, a location data port, a sensor port, and a data processing unit. The location data port is used for receiving tuner location data. The sensor port is used for receiving one or more sensor signals. The data processing unit is operably connected with the tuner front-end section, with the location data port, and with the sensor port. The data processing unit further comprises predetermined tuner location data and predetermined relationship data sets for determining a set of tuner front-end section parameters based on the sensor signals. The mobile radio receiver provides an operational mode, a checking mode, a tuner parameter adjustment mode, and a tuner parameter application mode.

Claims

1. A mobile radio receiver for a vehicle comprising:

a tuner front-end section;

a location data port configured to receive tuner location data;

a sensor port configured to receive at least one sensor signal; and

a data processing unit operably connected to;

the tuner front-end section,

the location data port, and

the sensor port,

the data processing unit further comprising;

at least two predetermined tuner location data and at least two pre-determined relationship data sets for determining a set of tuner front-end section parameters based on the at least one sensor signal,

wherein the mobile radio receiver provides an operational mode, a checking mode, a tuner parameter adjustment mode, and a tuner parameter application mode,

in the operational mode, the tuner front-end section operates according to at least one set of tuner front-end section parameters,

in the checking mode, the data processing unit checks the at least one sensor signal against at least one predetermined threshold, such that the mobile radio receiver enters the parameter adjustment mode when the at least one sensor signal exceeds the at least one predetermined threshold,

in the tuner parameter adjustment mode, the data processing unit determines a new set of tuner front-end section parameters based on the tuner location data, a relationship data set, and the at least one sensor signal, and

in the tuner parameter application mode, the data processing unit updates the tuner front-end section with the new set of tuner front-end section parameters.

2. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1, wherein the tuner location data comprises actual geographic data.

3. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1, wherein the tuner location data comprises actual time data.

4. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1,

wherein the data processing unit comprises at least two tuner parameter records, each tuner parameter records comprising a predetermined tuner location data and a pre-determined relationship data set,

wherein in the parameter adjustment mode, the data processing unit determines a new set of tuner front-end section parameters by retrieving a tuner parameter record using the tuner location data and by generating the new set of tuner front-end section parameters with the tuner parameter record.

5. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1,

wherein the data processing unit further comprises a predetermined set of correlations among at least two sensor signals, and

wherein in the tuner parameter adjustment mode, the data processing unit determines a new set of tuner front-end section parameters based at least in part on the tuner location data, a relationship data set, the sensor signal, and the set of correlations.

6. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 5,

wherein the data processing unit comprises at least two correlation records, each correlation record comprising a predetermined tuner location data and a predetermined set of correlations, and

wherein in the turner parameter adjustment mode, the data processing unit determines a new set of tuner front-end section parameters by retrieving a correlation record using the tuner location data and by generating the new tuner front-end section parameters with the set of correlation of this correlation record.

7. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1, wherein the sensor port receives at least one internal measurement signal.

8. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1, wherein the sensor port receives at least one external measurement signal.

9. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1,

wherein in the checking mode the data processing unit checks the tuner location data against predetermined location data, and

wherein the mobile radio receiver enters the tuner parameter adjustment mode when the tuner location data is different than the predetermined location data.

10. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1, wherein the timer front-end parameters comprise a signal sensitivity parameter.

11. The mobile radio receiver according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive an input from a user to grant permission for accepting the new tuner front-end parameter.

12. A method of operating a mobile radio receiver for a vehicle, comprising:

operating a front-end section according to at least one predetermined tuner front-end section parameter,

checking at least one sensor signal against at least one threshold such that the mobile radio receiver performs a parameter adjustment when the at least one sensor signal exceeds the at least one threshold,

determining a new set of tuner front-end section parameters based at least in part on tuner location data, a relationship data set, and the at least one sensor signal, and

wherein the parameter application comprises

updating the tuner front-end section with the new set of tuner front-end section parameter.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising recording sensor signal data.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sensor signal data is recorded together with time data.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the recorded sensor signal data is averaged.

16. The method according to claim 12 further comprising:

checking the tuner location data against predetermined location data such that the mobile radio receiver enters parameter adjustment mode when the tuner location data is different from the predetermined location data.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

requesting permission from a user to apply the new tuner front-end parameter.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

checking whether the new tuner front-end parameter is different than the predetermined tuner front-end parameter such that the mobile radio receiver enters an operation when the checking determines that the new tuner front-end parameter is a same as the predetermined tuner front-end parameter.