Patent ID: 6289207
Filing Date: 2001-09-11
Classification: G06F,H04B

Abstract:
A radio receiver comprising:an RF tuner which is operative to receive an input RF signal from an antenna, the tuner comprising a frequency selector for determining a current selected frequency so that the tuner produces an output signal derived from the selected RF frequency which can be supplied to a peripheral output device;a control system coupled to the tuner to control an operation thereof including operation of the frequency selector;a display screen coupled to the control system, the control system being operative to control the presentation of data and the presentation of user selectable inputs by the display screen;an input peripheral device coupled to the control system by means of which a user can input data or information or commands to the control system;the control system comprising:a tuner frequency display control operative to cause display on the display screen in real time of the current frequency being passed by the tuner;a tuner frequency select control responsive to input of a frequency change command by the user via the input peripheral device to cause the frequency selector of the tuner to change the current selected frequency of the tuner in accordance with the frequency change command;a scan control selectively operable to cause the frequency selector of the tuner to change the current selected frequency of the tuner by a first desired incremental frequency step size;a receiver operating mode control operative to cause display on the display screen in real time of a current mode of operation of the tuner, the mode of operation including at least a current frequency band of the tuner operation;a stepping size memory for storing a magnitude of the first frequency step size by which the tuner frequency is to be changed when the scan control is operating and for storing a second desired incremental frequency step size by which the tuner frequency is to be changed when the user inputs the frequency change command to step up or to step down from an instantaneous tuner frequency;a mode and step size switch responsive to the tuner frequency select control and/or to the scan control and operative if the current selected frequency enters a different band when it is being changed to automatically change the tuner to the appropriate mode of operation for the different band and to automatically retrieve from the stepping size memory an appropriate first or second frequency step size for the different band for use in controlling incremental frequency changes of the current selected frequency; and,an auto stepping switch which, upon user selection of an auto stepping switch image displayed on the display screen, determines incremental changes in the current selected frequency, whereby when the user inputs the frequency change command the frequency selector changes the current selected frequency by the second incremental frequency step size and when the scan control is operated the frequency selector changes the current selected frequency by the first incremental frequency step size, the frequency step size when the frequency change command is inputted or when the scan control is operated and when the auto stepping switch is not selected being able to have a value different from the first or second frequency step size.