Using Signal Strength Or Quality Patents (Class 455/161.3)
  • Patent number: 7580682
    Abstract: Embodiments of a link assessment and frequency monitoring system for use in wireless sensor networks are described. In one embodiment, each frequency utilized by links coupling two or more nodes in the network is sampled to determine a noise measure for each frequency. A correlation measure based on the distance between the noise measures for each pair of frequencies is determined. The frequencies are then clustered into a number of groups of frequencies based on the correlation measure between each pair of frequencies, such that the number of groups is less than the total number of frequencies. A representative frequency for each group of frequencies is selected, and a link quality assessment for each pair of nodes in the network is performed for the representative frequency of each group of frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Dhananjay Lal, Abtin Keshavarzian
  • Patent number: 7551932
    Abstract: A method of assigning transmission channels in a telecommunications network and a user station are provided, which facilitate an increase in the capacity of a telecommunications network. The telecommunications network may include multiple base stations and mobile stations, the transmission channels being provided for transmitting signals between the base stations and the mobile stations. In uncoordinated operation of the base stations, at least one of the transmission channels is assigned for transmitting signals between one of the base stations and one of the mobile stations as a function of a channel measurement, in which the transmission power on all possible transmission channels is measured, if the previously measured transmission power on this transmission channel is minimal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Ipcom GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Hans, Frank Kowalewski, Josef Laumen, Gunnar Schmidt, Detlef Lechner, Siegfried Baer, Mark Beckmann
  • Publication number: 20090143035
    Abstract: A method of configuring a tuner includes scanning at least one range of radio frequencies, measuring a signal quality metric for each of a plurality of the frequencies, and selecting a set of operational frequencies for the tuner. The selecting step is dependent upon the measuring step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation or North America
    Inventors: Shree Jaisimha, Mohammad Reza Kanji, Tatsuya Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 7542746
    Abstract: The invention relates to an RDS radio unit implementing a user friendly algorithm for automatic frequency change without inconveniencing the user with interruptions. A timer is used to delay the start of searches for a better frequency. The RDS radio unit comprises: a radio tuner (2) tunable to radio frequencies; a control unit (3) capable of controlling the radio tuner and monitoring received signal strength on a frequency to which the radio tuner is tuned, a memory (4) for receiving and storing a list of alternative frequencies; a timer (5) capable of timing a number of operations. The control unit is adapted to perform a search for a better channel frequency than an original frequency with a program matching the original frequency only when a first time T1 has elapsed, since the occurrence of an alternative frequency update request or a detection of received signal strength below a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: Johan Olson, Joakim Wesslen
  • Patent number: 7542745
    Abstract: In measurement of wireless channels in an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN), in the case of multi-channel measurement as in North America in which eight wireless channels Ch1 through Ch8 are available, channel measurement according to a predetermined algorithm is made in which odd-numbered channels Ch1, Ch3, Ch5 and Ch7 are first measured, and if radio interference occurs in channel Ch5, channels Ch4 and Ch6 adjacent to channel Ch5 are measured. This shortens the measurement time that conventionally corresponds to measurement of the eight channels to the time of six channels, i.e., the sum of the measurement time for the odd-numbered channels and that for the channels adjacent to the interference-occurring channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Matsui, Taro Mikami, Tadao Inoue
  • Patent number: 7536308
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. One method receives a request for communications service. The request for communications service originates from a client communications device, and the request for communications service is communicated to a service provider of a communications network. A preferred scenario of segmentation, dispersion, and assemblage of electronic data is dynamically ascertained to fulfill the request. The method then bills for the communications service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Donna K. Hodges, Barrett Morris Kreiner, Steven N. Tischer
  • Patent number: 7508458
    Abstract: A digital TV broadcast signal receiver determines, as the best receiving direction, a receiving direction in which a digital TV broadcast signal can be accurately received. The digital TV broadcast signal receiver continuously scans all the receiving directions of a multi-directional antenna for each channel (S1), and demodulates received digital TV broadcast signals so as to detect BER values (S2), and also stores the detected BER values in a memory (S3). It further detects a minimum-error receiving direction or directions, among all the receiving directions, to give a minimum BER value, and determines whether or not there are multiple minimum-error receiving directions (S4). If there are multiple minimum-error receiving directions (YES in S4), it determines one of the minimum-error receiving directions as the best receiving direction for each channel with reference to BER values of receiving directions which are adjacent to the minimum-error receiving directions (S5 to S10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Matsuo
  • Patent number: 7460489
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for managing a network. The management includes storing configuration parameters in cells within the network, sending a commit command and a commit delay time to the cells, sensing failed reception of the commit command, and aborting the commit command if a failure is sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Tropos Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Ridwan (Peter) G. Sugiarto, Devabhaktuni Srikrishna
  • Patent number: 7436908
    Abstract: A UWB receiver having at least one communication module with a limited working band whose on/off state can be controlled. The UWB receiver is adapted to detect power intensity of a received radio signal in the limited working band based on an on/off state of said at least one communication module. The UWB receiver is adapted to control the on/off state of the at least one communication module based on a result of the detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ho-jeong You, In-hwan Kim, Nam-hyong Kim
  • Publication number: 20080214130
    Abstract: Systems and methods may be provided for threshold determinations for spectrum sensing. The systems and methods may include receiving a false alarm rate, where the false alarm rate is associated with false occupancy identifications of a spectrum segment, determining a noise floor as a function of a noise figure and characteristics of a multi-resolution spectrum sensing (MRSS) window, and calculating a sensing threshold based at least in part upon the false alarm rate and the noise floor. The systems and methods may also include determining whether a portion of an RF spectrum is occupied based at least in part on the calculated sensing threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: Jongmin Park, Kyutae Lim, Chang-Ho Lee, Haksun Kim, Joy Laskar
  • Publication number: 20080200137
    Abstract: A method for receiving high frequency signals, wherein several receiver antennas receive said signals and transmit the signals of one antenna to a receiver, representing a selectable program content. It is possible to select at least one other antenna which received signals with the same program content but with better signal properties. According to the invention, the signals received by at least one antenna are examined for the data content thereof and it is possible to switch from one signal received by an antenna to another signal received by an antenna if the data content of one signal corresponds to the data content of the other signal or if, when the signals received by at least two antennas are examined for the data content thereof, it is possible to switch to another signal received by another antenna if the data content of the signal that is received by one antenna corresponds to the content of the other signal received by another antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas Adam, Christian Schwarz, Markus Lausterer, Frank D'Argent
  • Patent number: 7415255
    Abstract: With the objective of providing a scanning receiver capable of capturing a target radio wave in an extremely short period of time by use of a simple constituting means, a plurality of wide frequency division bands in which a full frequency range is divided into predetermined frequency ranges are set and the field intensities of received radio waves are retrieved using the output of an intermediate frequency amplifier circuit over the set wide frequency division bands in order. Further, when a received radio wave having a field intensity greater than or equal to a prescribed level is obtained upon the above retrieval, receive frequencies are swept from one end of each of the wide frequency division bands to the other end thereof. When a target radio wave can be captured upon the above sweeping, transition to the operation of receiving the target radio wave is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: General Research of Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Wakui, Nobuaki Yokoyama, Kazuo Kawai
  • Publication number: 20080182534
    Abstract: An adjustable RF audio receiver and method are provided. The adjustable RF audio receiver includes an RF antenna configured to receive RF audio signals, and a tuner coupled to the RF antenna and configured to decode received RF audio signals. The adjustable RF audio receiver further includes signal processing circuitry coupled to the tuner and configured to determine signal quality characteristics of the signals received by the adjustable RF audio receiver. The signal processing circuitry provides determined signal quality characteristics and identifies an environment in which the RF audio receiver is operating. The signal processing circuitry is configured to adapt how received signals are processed based on the determined environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Robert Dean Bonesteel, Todd M. Brandenburg
  • Publication number: 20080106464
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for altering a frequency of a radio broadcast. The apparatus includes a communication unit, a memory, a radio frequency management unit, and a controller. The communication unit receives a radio broadcast including information on a channel of the radio broadcast and a transmission intensity of the radio broadcast. The memory stores a threshold of an intensity of radio wave for determining a quality of the radio broadcast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Dong-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 7369826
    Abstract: Many broadcast stations transmit their programs via a variety of different frequencies. The invention relates to monitoring alternative frequencies during the reception of a broadcast signal at a present frequency. Whenever the broadcast signal at an alternative frequency is checked, the receiver's gain is instantaneously switched from a present gain value corresponding to the present frequency to a second gain value corresponding to the alternative frequency. The second gain value is adapted to the supposed signal strength of the broadcast signal at the alternative frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Jens Wildhagen
  • Patent number: 7369825
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting radio stations for reception based on a preferred program content. A list of radio station identifiers is stored in a memory and organized according to program content specifiers. When a presently received signal fades, the memory is searched for an alternate radio station with similar program content. If none is available, a prioritized list of alternative program content preferences is accessed and used to index other preferred radio stations for searching. In one embodiment, radio station geographic location information is stored in the memory, and the searching operation considers both program content preference and geographic proximity. The memory can be manually programmed, pre-programmed, updated by subscription, or programmed over-the-air by radio transmission. In one embodiment, a global positioning system receiver is employed to provide instantaneous radio location information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: James Phillip Slupe
  • Patent number: 7366663
    Abstract: For measuring the influence of noise on the talking quality of a telephone link in a telecommunications network, a talker speech signal (s(t)) and a degraded speech signal (s?(t)) are fed to an objective measurement device for obtaining an output signal (q) representing an estimated value of the talking quality. The degraded signal includes a returned signal (r(t)) originating from the network during transmission of the talker speech signal over the telephone link. The objective measurement provided by the device is a modified PSQM-like measurement, which is modified to include modelling of masking effects resulting from noise present in the returned signal. Preferably, the modelling includes noise suppression performed on a difference signal (D(t,f)) in a loudness density domain using noise estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Koninklijke KPN N.V.
    Inventors: John Gerard Beerends, Andries Pieter Hekstra, Symon Ronald Appel
  • Patent number: 7359676
    Abstract: This application is directed to systems and methods for adaptively scanning for wireless communications. Scan data associated with scanning one or more wireless network channels based upon a scan pattern is received. Each wireless channel has a designation of primary or secondary with at least one channel having the secondary designation. A determination is made as to whether anomalous activity is present on a selected wireless channel designated as secondary. If anomalous activity is determined to be present, at least one scanning parameter of the selected channel is altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: AirDefense, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott E. Hrastar
  • Patent number: 7353002
    Abstract: Device and method for measuring a talking quality of a communication link in a communications network (10). The device comprises measurement means (22; 31, 36) connected to the communication link, which are arranged to subject a degraded speech signal s?(t) with respect to a reference speech signal s(t) to an objective measurement technique for measuring a perceptual quality of means are arranged for producing a quality signal (q) which represents an estimated value concerning the talking quality degradation. The degraded speech signal comprises a returned signal r(t). The measurement means (22; 31, 36) are arranged to execute the objective effects in consequence of noise present in the returned signal. The objective measurement technique comprises the determination of a threshold noise level by determining a local minimum value of the degraded speech signal s?(t).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Koninklijke KPN N.V.
    Inventor: Jeroen Martijn Van Vugt
  • Patent number: 7330707
    Abstract: In a heterodyne receiver, the effect of an image interference signal that occurs in a case where a low intermediate frequency is used is alleviated. Circuits (12I), (12Q), (13I), (13Q), and (14) are provided to switch a heterodyne system between an upper heterodyne system and a lower heterodyne system. The switching circuits (12I) to (14) switch the heterodyne system into one of the upper heterodyne system and the lower heterodyne system with less image interference on the basis of each reception frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Taiwa Okanobu
  • Patent number: 7308235
    Abstract: While a plurality of seek object frequencies decided in advance is being set as a receiving frequency in order, seek object frequencies meeting at least the following conditions are selected. The electric field strength of a seek object frequency being currently received must exceed a predetermined threshold value ThE. The second intermediate-frequency signal of the seek object frequency being received must be in a prescribed frequency band. When the electric field strength of a neighboring seek object frequency meets the first and second conditions, the absolute value of the difference between the electric field strength of the neighboring seek object frequency whose electric field strength exceeds ThE and the electric field strength of the seek object frequency being received must not exceed a predetermined threshold value h. The modulation factor of the seek object frequency being received must not exceed a threshold value ThM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shunichi Suto
  • Patent number: 7299019
    Abstract: A method of effecting a handoff in a cellular network. The method includes monitoring a set of frequencies listed in a mobile assisted handoff (MAHO) list for their respective signal strengths, each of the frequencies being associated with neighbor cell site, logically ordering the frequencies based on their relative signal strengths, identifying in the logically ordered set of frequencies those frequencies having a signal strength higher than a predetermined threshold, determining a level of traffic at each frequency/cell site associated with the set of frequencies, and selecting a cell site for handoff based at least in part on signal strength and in part on the level of traffic at the neighbor cell site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: AT&T BLS Intellectual Property, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Austin, Ali Jabarry
  • Patent number: 7277686
    Abstract: An apparatus determines an optimal antenna and frequency combination by selecting the optimal antenna from among a plurality, N, of antennas associated with a receiver and also selects the optimal frequency from among a plurality, M, of alternative receiving frequencies transmitted from a transmitter. This is achieved by determining all N×M possible antenna/frequency combinations, by determining the received signal quality at each combination, by comparing the N×M received signal qualities, and by selecting the one antenna/frequency combination having the optimal received signal quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Joachim Wietzke, Erich Geiger
  • Patent number: 7274918
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for automatically finding an AM radio program, by which an AM radio receiver is tuned through in discrete steps, such that, for each set AM frequency, the reception quality at the currently set AM frequency is determined, the field strength of the neighboring frequencies is measured. If a significant field strength is detected at the neighboring frequencies, these are taken into account in determining the overall reception quality, in that the reception quality is reduced by a noise value, and subsequently the overall reception quality is compared with an upper quality limit. If the upper quality limit is exceeded, the program search is interrupted, and the AM radio program with this high overall reception quality is played. This method succeeds in reducing the number of misjudgments of AM radio programs with actually poor quality, and thus improves the reproduction quality of an AM radio receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Albicker
  • Patent number: 7269397
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring communications link quality provides accurate on-chip estimation of the difficulty of achieving a particular bit error rate (BER) for a communications link. A low cost/complexity accumulator circuit connected to internal signals from a clock/data recovery (CDR) circuit provides a measure of high frequency and low frequency jitter in a received signal. The low frequency jitter measurement is used to correct the high frequency jitter measurement which may otherwise contain error. The corrected output may be used to adjust operational characteristics of the link or otherwise evaluate the link for operating margin. The correction may be performed by subtracting a portion of the low frequency jitter measurement from the measured high frequency jitter, or the value of the low frequency jitter measurement may be used to select between two or more correction factors that are then applied to the high frequency jitter measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Juan-Antonio Carballo, Jeffrey L. Burns, Ivan Vo
  • Patent number: 7236755
    Abstract: Herein disclosed is a broadcast wave receiving apparatus, comprising: first and second tuning circuits each having a resonance frequency; first controlling means for controlling one of the first and second tuning circuits to ensure that the resonance frequency of one of the first and second tuning circuits is tuned to a specific frequency before allowing one of the first and second tuning circuits to detect a broadcast wave at the specific frequency; judging means for judging whether or not to receive the broadcast wave detected by one of the first and second tuning circuits on the basis of predetermined threshold information on the broadcast waves; and second controlling means for controlling the other of the first and second tuning circuits to ensure that the resonance frequency of the other of the first and second tuning circuits is tuned to the specific frequency before allowing the other of the first and second tuning circuits to produce a broadcast signal indicative of the broadcast wave detected by one
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimito Terai, Mikio Mori, Masahiro Kawazoe
  • Patent number: 7224980
    Abstract: A stationary device 20 sends a portable-device finding signal to a portable device 10 from a plurality of stationary-device side antennae 24 and 25, which are located at different positions. Upon receipt of the portable-device finding signal from the stationary device 20, the portable device 10 sends a reception intensity data signal to the stationary device 20. The stationary device 20 determines the current position of the portable device 10 by using reception intensity data of the portable-device finding signals, which are received at the stationary-device side antennae, from the portable device 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventor: Kentaro Hara
  • Patent number: 7212832
    Abstract: A W-LAN communication unit, a personal handyphone communication unit and an EV-DO communication unit include communication functions corresponding to their communication systems. A W-LAN quality measurement unit detects a value corresponding to RSSI, which is the reception power. An EV-DO quality measurement unit periodically obtains EV-DO quality values. A throughput measurement unit measures the throughput values for the individual communication systems. A condition setting unit designates a condition for the selection of the W-LAN communication unit, the personal handyphone communication unit or the EV-DO communication unit. A threshold value storage unit stores threshold values. A first determination unit compares the throughput values for the W-LAN and the RSSI with threshold values. A second determination unit compares the EV-DO quality values with threshold values. And a selector performs the switching of communication systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyoshi Yokota
  • Patent number: 7174141
    Abstract: Apparatus, and an associated method, for a radio communication system having a sending station and a receiving station. The sending station sends data pursuant to a communication service and ultrawide band signals pursuant to a selected time-hopping sequence. An ultrawide band signal detector is positioned at the receiving station. The ultrawide band signal detects the ultrawide band signal transmitted thereto. Correlation is made between the detected ultrawide band signal and a locally-generated replica signal. Correlations therebetween are used to facilitate various receiving station operations, such as equalization operations upon received data, time synchronization of the receiving station to the sending station, and position determination of the positioning of the receiving station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Marilynn P. Green, Shu-Shaw Wang
  • Patent number: 7174186
    Abstract: The broadcasting tower selecting method for selecting one broadcasting tower out of a plurality of broadcasting towers each being able to transmit together broadcast waves on a plurality of channels that can be received in an area, including: a first step of judging an existence or not of the channels that can be received in the area; a second step of extracting, based on a result from the judgment in the first step, one or more broadcasting towers that can provide all channels being receivable in the area out of the plurality of the broadcasting towers; and a third step of selecting one arbitrary broadcasting tower out of the extracted one or more broadcasting towers. Thus, it is possible to select automatically, with an easy operation, a broadcasting tower that can provide best video and audio quality, out of a plurality of broadcasting towers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Onodera
  • Patent number: 7162215
    Abstract: A system and method is directed to setting user preference satellite radio music selections in a mobile vehicle. The method provides creating at least one vehicle preference selection list utilizing a user interface, transferring the vehicle preference selection list into a mobile communication unit, monitoring a satellite radio system broadcast, requesting the vehicle preference selection list from the mobile communication unit, and extracting a selection from the broadcast based on the vehicle preference selection list. The system provides a means for creating a vehicle preference selection list utilizing a user interface, a means for transferring the vehicle preference selection list into a mobile communication unit, a means for monitoring a satellite radio system broadcast, a means for requesting the vehicle preference selection list from the mobile communication unit, and a means for extracting a selection from the broadcast based on the vehicle preference selection list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Matt C. Videtich, Thomas P. Grau, Richard M. Lee
  • Patent number: 7149518
    Abstract: A method of connecting to a radiocommunication network a terminal which is in a standby mode because of temporary unavailability of the signal from the network includes a step of periodically scanning frequencies of the radiocommunication network using one or more sequences each associated with a predetermined list of frequencies selected from all the frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventors: Luc Attimont, Jannick Bodin
  • Patent number: 7149486
    Abstract: Each mobile communication terminal receives an evaluation function threshold value of each base station transmitted from the base station, and calculates the evaluation function value of each base station on the basis of communication quality between the mobile communication terminal and base station. The mobile communication terminal compares the calculated evaluation function value of each base station with the received evaluation function threshold value, selects a base station which is highly likely to select the mobile communication terminal on the basis of the comparison result, and transmits a communication request to the selected base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Kengo Kurose
  • Patent number: 7136114
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a tuner stage, a selective filter stage connected to the tuner stage, and a intermediate-frequency stage connected to the selective filter stage. A field-strength-detection stage is also provided, which generates a field strength signal proportional to the field strength of the received signal. The selective filter stage includes a transfer function that is modifiable by a control signal derived from the field strength signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Erich Geiger
  • Patent number: 7133654
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring communications link quality provides accurate on-chip estimation of the difficulty of achieving a particular bit error rate (BER) for a communications link. A low cost/complexity accumulator circuit connected to internal signals from a clock/data recovery (CDR) circuit provides a measure of high frequency and low frequency jitter in a received signal. The low frequency jitter measurement is used to correct the high frequency jitter measurement which may otherwise contain error. The corrected output may be used to adjust operational characteristics of the link or otherwise evaluate the link for operating margin. The correction may be performed by subtracting a portion of the low frequency jitter measurement from the measured high frequency jitter, or the value of the low frequency jitter measurement may be used to select between two or more correction factors that are then applied to the high frequency jitter measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Juan-Antonio Carballo, Jeffrey L. Burns, Ivan Vo
  • Patent number: 7130653
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wireless transmission apparatus. The wireless transmission apparatus is used for transmitting a RF signal by a selected power allocation to meet the requirement of specific transmission standard. The wireless transmission apparatus comprises a memory, a processor and a power data converting module. The memory is used for storing a plurality of predetermined original power data profiles. Each original power data profile comprises a plurality of predetermined first original power ramp data and a corresponding power allocation for transmitting the RF signal. The processor is used for controlling the data flow. The power data converting module converts the data of original power data profile to a corresponding data of transmission power data profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventor: Ping-Chun Lin
  • Patent number: 7127218
    Abstract: A scanning antenna diversity system for mobile FM radio having an antenna system with controllable logic switch, wherein a different high-frequency reception signal is passed to a receiver. An IF signal turns on a diversity processor, which switches the logic switch into a different switching position in response to reception interference. The diversity processor has two interference detectors whose signals are passed to a logic circuit for evaluation and to produce a logic control signal, so that a different switching positions are selected at the earliest possible time after the occurrence of interference in the reception signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Fuba Automotive GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Heinz Lindenmeier
  • Patent number: 7096016
    Abstract: A cellular phone includes a RSSI measurement circuit for measuring power levels of received baseband signal at divided band portions of the whole band, a band sorting circuit sorting the divided band portions based on the descending order of the power levels, and a cell search circuit searching the carriers of each divided band portion in the order of the results of the sorting, to thereby determine a tentative waiting cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7092706
    Abstract: A signal strength compensation unit for mobile radio receivers is connected upstream of the channel estimator and the channel equalizer and compensates for, in particular, the great, brief signal strength fluctuations within a data burst. Likewise, a method for signal strength compensation compensates for brief signal strength fluctuations within the data burst. To these ends, a signal strength average is determined from the signal strengths for the previously received data symbols. The current signal is then aligned with this signal strength average. The inventive signal strength compensation allows the bit error rate during data equalization to be significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Bin Yang
  • Patent number: 7050784
    Abstract: A weather radio adapted to automatically select a preferred channel of operation. A receiver is coupled to a signal quality circuit that outputs signal quality parameters. A controller is coupled to control the frequency of reception of the receiver and is coupled to receive the signal quality parameters. A memory is used to store several signal quality values, and is coupled to the controller. When the controller receives a stimulus, it controls the receiver to sequentially receive all the weather radio frequencies of reception and store a signal quality value for each. The controller subsequently controls the receiver to receive one of the frequencies of operation based upon a comparison of the stored values to select a preferred one of them. The radio is therefore programmed to receive the preferred channel and monitor NOAA Weather Radio transmissions for the local FIPS codes and other weather alert messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: RadioShack, Corp.
    Inventor: John M. Clark
  • Patent number: 7031680
    Abstract: A method for stopping on a radio station includes calculating a radio signal quality (205) using a multipath echo indicator and determining if the radio signal quality is greater than a predetermined signal quality threshold (210). A zero crossings indicator of a demodulated signal may be used (225) to reduce a false alarm rate. An apparatus includes an antenna (105), a local oscillator (110) coupled to the antenna, an analog-to-digital converter circuit (115) coupled to the local oscillator, a demodulator circuit (120) coupled to the analog-to-digital converter circuit, a signal strength determining circuit (125) coupled to the analog-to-digital converter circuit, a logarithmic circuit (150) coupled to the signal strength determining circuit, a multipath echo bandpass filter (155) coupled to the logarithmic circuit, and a stop-on-station circuit (145) coupled to the demodulator circuit, the multipath echo bandpass filter, and the logarithmic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Raghu G. Raj, Junsong Li
  • Patent number: 7020178
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver. The transceiver includes a microcontroller; a transmitter having a voltage controlled oscillator, a direct digital synthesizer, and a power amplifier; and a receiver having an amplifier, a mixer, an IF amplifier, a demodulator, and a data slicer. When transmitting, the transmitter sends a preamble that allows the receiving device to detect the signal and lock to it to receive the data. When receiving, the receiver first scans all channels and sorts them based on a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and then attempts to lock to the channel with the strongest RSSI value by first sampling the received signal to verify the preamble, then synchronizing to the bit edges of the received signal, then detecting the start of a Start Frame Delimiter (SFD), decoding bits to verify a valid SFD and then sampling data bits to receive the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Elster Electricity, LLC
    Inventors: Robert T. Mason, Jr., Rodney C. Hemminger, Eugene W. Hodges, Brent R. Brian
  • Patent number: 6980784
    Abstract: A system and method of reducing noise in an electronic shelf label system which shifts operation of the receiver away from noise frequencies. The system includes a controller for receiving signal levels and noise levels at different frequencies from a homodyne receiver, and for shifting operation of the receiver away from noise frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Gary C. Dalton, Andrew J. Adamec
  • Patent number: 6961548
    Abstract: A method of masking interruptions in the playback of received radio signals is provided, in which lengthy interruptions are allowed only when modulation of the radio broadcast program currently being received is recognized as speech, and a modulation pause in the received radio signal is detected. This method permits essentially complete masking of lengthy interruptions in playback or making them inaudible, in which these interruptions are necessary, e.g., for analysis/testing for a transmission frequency of transmitted RDS information to be used as an alternative to a transmission frequency currently being received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus-Erwin Groeger, Ulrich Fricke
  • Patent number: 6957053
    Abstract: Method for tuning the reception of radio broadcast signals to an FM RDS transmitter using program related data and transmitter related data and receiver executing the method, providing a band scanning search for detecting FM RDS transmitters exceeding a predetermined reception quality level. To enhance efficiency in data processing and use of storage capacity, transmitter related data including tuning data is stored separately from program related RDS data. Per each detected transmitter a permanency factor indicating the permanency in reception quality thereof is being allocated to each detected RDS transmitter and stored in a first memory bank, along with the relevant tuning data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Siemens AG
    Inventor: Paulus Louis Guido Moers
  • Patent number: 6950638
    Abstract: A system and method is directed to scheduling user preference satellite radio station selections in a mobile vehicle. The method provides creating at least one vehicle preference selection schedule utilizing a user interface, transferring the vehicle preference selection schedule into a mobile communication unit, monitoring a satellite radio system broadcast, requesting the vehicle preference selection schedule from the mobile communication unit, and extracting a radio station selection from the broadcast based on the vehicle preference selection schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Matt C. Videtich, Thomas P. Grau, Richard M. Lee
  • Patent number: 6904272
    Abstract: The invention provides a digital broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast waves comprising multiplexed broadcast signals of a plurality of channels including a main channel and a subchannel. The receiver comprises demodulator circuits for demodulating received data of one of the channels selected and outputting the resulting data, a memory capable of storing received data as to a program transmitted on the subchannel, and a controller for writing the received data as to the program transmitted on the subchannel to the memory while updating the received data at all times, and reading the received data stored in the memory from the head of the program and feeding the read data to the demodulator circuits upon a changeover from the main channel to the subchannel. When the main channel is changed over to the subchannel, the program broadcast on the subchannel can be listened to always from the beginning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Hitomi, Akio Inoue, Yoshikazu Otsubo, Takayuki Hamabata
  • Patent number: 6865379
    Abstract: A system and method of eliminating static while utilizing pre-programmed tuner buttons on a radio is disclosed. The system of the present invention mutes a pre-programmed tuner button frequency when the radio signal for the pre-programmed frequency is below a threshold value. Further the system of the present invention may automatically tune to an alternate frequency when radio signal strength of the pre-programmed tuner button frequency is below a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Gateway Inc.
    Inventor: Frank Liebenow
  • Patent number: 6850743
    Abstract: A tuneable radio and method for automatically adjusting the seek sensitivity alignment for seek operations. The radio has a radio receiver for receiving broadcast radio wave signals, and a tuner adjustable for selecting from a plurality of radio wave signal channels. A detector detects signal strength of the received radio wave signals, and a seek input allows a user to initiate a seek operation to select a signal channel having a signal strength exceeding a seek sensitivity threshold. A controller calculates an average signal value and adjusts the seek sensitivity threshold based on the average value. The controller adjusts the seek sensitivity when it is determined that the radio has travelled beyond a minimum distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Roger Davis, David Arlan Copp
  • Patent number: 6842609
    Abstract: A tuneable radio and method for automatically adjusting the seek sensitivity alignment for seek operations. The radio has a radio receiver for receiving broadcast radio wave signals, and a tuner adjustable for selecting from a plurality of radio wave signal channels. A detector detects signal strength of the received radio wave signals, and a seek input allows a user to initiate a seek operation to select a signal channel having a signal strength exceeding a seek sensitivity threshold. A controller calculates an average signal value and adjusts the seek sensitivity threshold based on the average value. The controller adjusts the seek sensitivity when it is determined that the radio has travelled beyond a minimum distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Roger Davis, David Arlan Copp