Abstract: A frequency scanning radio receiver programming system includes a frequency scanning radio receiver that scans and receives transmissions on discrete radio frequencies. The frequency scanning radio receiver is automatically programmable to monitor frequencies in a geographical area where the receiver is located. A host system including data bases of frequency allocation and geographical information assembles and sends frequency data to the frequency scanning radio receiver to program the receiver to monitor local radio frequency transmissions. The frequency data also includes identification of the transmitting parties and the frequency scanning radio receiver displays identification information to a listener.

Abstract: Method for acquiring frequency of a desired channel having a carrier frequency FMAIN, for a dynamic receiver frequency FMOBILE, from a starting frequency FSTART, in the presence of high power adjacent interfering channels, wherein the starting frequency FSTART is shifted from FMAIN by not more than a predetermined frequency gap &Dgr;F, the method includes the steps of determining a first frequency boundary and a second frequency boundary, detecting channels within a filtering bandwidth, selecting a dominant channel from the detected channels, progressing the dynamic receiver frequency FMOBILE towards the carrier frequency of the dominant channel, detecting when the step of progressing has exceeded one of the first frequency boundary and the second frequency boundary, restarting the step of detecting channels, from the other of the one of the first frequency boundary and the second frequency boundary, and repeating from the step of detecting channels.