EP0279697A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Portable radio apparatus having battery saving channel scanning function
Assignee: NEC Corp
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Filing: 1988-02-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-02-19
Abstract
Abstract A portable radio apparatus includes a receiving section capable of being tuned to one of a plurality of channels, a switch circuit for controlling the supply of power from a battery to the receiving section, a detector circuit for detecting the strength of an electric field which is developed on a channel, and a control section connected to the receiving section and the switch circuit whereby, in response to an output from the detector circuit, the control section scans the channels for tuning the receiving section sequentially to the channels while, at the same time, controlling the switch circuit to feed power continuously to the receiving section and, in the absence of data on a channel within a first predetermined period of time during the channel scanning, executes a saving scan ning step for repeating a cycle in which the channels are sequentially scanned once prior to interrupting the scanning for a second predetermined period of time while controlling the switch circuit to feed power to the receiving section in synchronism with the saving scanning step.
Inventors
- 👤 Tsuguo Maru
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 05:27
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W48/00; H04W48/16; H04B; H04B1/00; H04B1/38; H04B1/40; H04W52/00; H04W52/02; H04W52/0209; H04W52/0225; H04W52/0245; Y; Y02; Y02D; Y02D30/00; Y02D30/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
A portable radio apparatus comprising: a receiving section capable of being tuned to any of a plurality of channels; a switch circuit for controlling supply of power from a battery to said receiving section; a detector circuit for detecting strength of electric fields which are developed on said channels; and a control section connected to said receiving section and said switch circuit and constructed such that, in response to an output of said detector circuit, said control section executes channel scanning for tuning said receiving section sequentially to said channels while, at this instant, controlling said switch circuit to feed power continuously to said receiving section and, when no data has appeared on said channels within a first predetermined period of time during said channel scanning, executes saving scanning for repeating a cycle in which said channels are sequentially scanned by one round and, then, the scanning is interrupted for a second predetermined period of time while, at this instant, controlling said switch circuit to feed power to said receiving section in synchronism with said saving scanning.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
A portable radio apparatus comprising: a receiving section capable of being tuned to any of a plurality of channels; a switch circuit for controlling supply of power from a battery to said receiving section; a detector circuit for detecting strength of electric fields which are developed on said channels; and a control section connected to said receiving section and said switch circuit and constructed such that, in response to an output of said detector circuit, said control section executes channel scanning for tuning said receiving section sequentially to said channels while, at this instant, controlling said switch circuit to feed power continuously to said receiving section and, when no data has appeared on said channels within a first predetermined period of time during said channel scanning, executes saving scanning for repeating a cycle in which said channels are sequentially scanned by one round and, then, the scanning is interrupted for a second predetermined period of time while, at this instant, controlling said switch circuit to feed power to said receiving section in synchronism with said saving scanning.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control section is further constructed such that, when data is received on any of said channels while said saving scanning is under way, said control section tunes and fixes said receiving section to said particular channel while controlling said switch circuit to feed power continuously to said receiving section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a keyboard connected to said control section for generating a key signal through a key switch, said control section, when received said key signal during said saving scanning, controlling said switch circuit to interrupt said saving scanning and resume said channel scanning while feeding power continuously to said receiving section.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
94 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said round of said channel scanning includes at least the steps of: scanning all of said channels, storing, among said channels, a first and a second channel having, respectively, the strongest and the second strongest electric field; determining whether or not data is present on any of said first and second channels; taking in data if present on any of said first and second channels; and terminating said round of said channel scanning if no data is present on said first and second channels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
180 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said channels include a first and a second channel group, said round of said channel scanning including the steps of : where said apparatus is set to a first status, scanning said first channel group; storing a first and a second channel of said first channel group having, respectively, the strongest and the second strongest electric field; determining whether or not data is present on any of said first and second channels; taking in data if present on any of said first and second channels; scanning said second channel group if no data is present on said first and second channels; storing a third and a fourth channel of said second channel group having, respectively, the strongest and the second strongest electric field; determining whether or not data is present on any of said third and fourth channels; taking in data if present on any of said third and fourth channels; and terminating said round of said channel scanning if no data in present on said third and fourth channels.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detector circuit comprises an envelope detector for detecting an envelope of a signal which is outputted by an intermediate frequency (IF) stage of said receiving section, and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter for converting the output of said envelope detector to a digital signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switch circuit comprises a PNP transistor having an emitter and a collector which are connected to, respectively, said battery and said receiving section, a base of said transistor being connected to said control section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
112 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving section comprises: frequency converting means for converting a received signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal in response to a local oscillation signal; demodulating means for demodulating said IF signal into an audio frequency (AF) signal; and frequency synthesizer means responsive to a channel designating signal from said control section for changing an output frequency and delivering an output to said frequency converting means as said local oscillation signal; said detecting means comprising detector means for detecting an envelope of said IF signal, and an A/D converter means for converting the output of said detector means to a digital signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
186 words
A portable radio apparatus having an intermittent scanning function, comprising: a radio section capable of being tuned to any of a plurality of channels; a power switch for establishing and interrupting supply of power to said radio section; means for, in a waiting condition, controlling said radio section to sequentially scan control channels while measuring reception levels on said respective control channels, tuning said radio section to one of said control channels which has the highest reception level and, if necessary, to another of said control channels which has the second highest reception level, repeating said channel scanning when no data is received, and interrupting supply of power to corresponding portions except for said radio section and a timer section by controlling said power switch when data is not received for a predetermined period of time; means for resuming said channel scanning by feeding power to said portions, which have been disconnected from said radio section, at predetermined time intervals after the interruption of the power supply; and means for interrupting said saving scanning and executing said channel scanning instead, when a predetermined condition is reached.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
186 words
A portable radio apparatus having an intermittent scanning function, comprising: a radio section capable of being tuned to any of a plurality of channels; a power switch for establishing and interrupting supply of power to said radio section; means for, in a waiting condition, controlling said radio section to sequentially scan control channels while measuring reception levels on said respective control channels, tuning said radio section to one of said control channels which has the highest reception level and, if necessary, to another of said control channels which has the second highest reception level, repeating said channel scanning when no data is received, and interrupting supply of power to corresponding portions except for said radio section and a timer section by controlling said power switch when data is not received for a predetermined period of time; means for resuming said channel scanning by feeding power to said portions, which have been disconnected from said radio section, at predetermined time intervals after the interruption of the power supply; and means for interrupting said saving scanning and executing said channel scanning instead, when a predetermined condition is reached.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said predetermined condition is the reception of data or the entry of key input on an operating section.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
164 words
A portable radio apparatus comprising: receiving means capable of being tuned to any of a plurality of channels in response to any of a plurality of channels designating signals which are individually associated with said channels; power switch means responsive to a control signal for feeding power to said receiving means; decision means for deciding whether or not data is present on any of said channels to which said receiving means is tuned; first means for, when an output of said decision means is indicative of absence of data on said channels, feeding said channel designating signals to said receiving means while switching said channel designating signals cyclically and sequentially; second means for, when said first means has operated continuously for more than a predetermined period of time, feeding said channel designating signals to said receiving means cyclically and intermittently; and third means for feeding said control signal to said power switch means in synchronism with operation timings of said first and second means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
164 words
A portable radio apparatus comprising: receiving means capable of being tuned to any of a plurality of channels in response to any of a plurality of channels designating signals which are individually associated with said channels; power switch means responsive to a control signal for feeding power to said receiving means; decision means for deciding whether or not data is present on any of said channels to which said receiving means is tuned; first means for, when an output of said decision means is indicative of absence of data on said channels, feeding said channel designating signals to said receiving means while switching said channel designating signals cyclically and sequentially; second means for, when said first means has operated continuously for more than a predetermined period of time, feeding said channel designating signals to said receiving means cyclically and intermittently; and third means for feeding said control signal to said power switch means in synchronism with operation timings of said first and second means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
76 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: fourth means for, when said decision means has decided that data is present on any of said channels while said first means is in operation, fixedly applying one of said channel designating signals which is associated with said channel to said receiving means; and fifth means for applying said control signal to said power switch means in synchronism with operation timings of said fourth means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: key input means for producing a key signal when a key switch is operated; fourth means for, when said key signal is received while said second means is in operation, disenabling said second means while enabling said first means; and fifth means for delivering said control signal to said power switch means in synchronism with operation timings of said fourth means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
83 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising: field strength detector means for detecting the strength of an electric field on said channel to which said receiver means is tuned; and fourth means for storing a predetermined number of said channels according to order of field strength and based on an output of said detector means; said decision by said decision means as to whether or not data is present being effected on said predetermined number of channels stored only.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said predetermined number is two.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
78 words
A portable radio apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said receiving means comprises: frequency converting means for converting a received signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal in response to a local oscillation signal; demodulating means for demodulating said IF signal into an audio frequency (AF) signal; and frequency synthesizer means for changing an output frequency in response to said channel designating signal and delivering an output to said frequency converting means as said local oscillation signal.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of scanning channels of a portable radio apparatus, comprising the steps of: tuning a receiving section to any of a plurality of channels; feeding power to said receiving section in response to a control signal; deciding whether or not data is present on said channel to which said receiving section is tuned; when data is not present on said channels, tuning said receiving section to said respective channels cyclically and continuously; when said cyclic and continuous tuning operation has continued for more than a predetermined period of time, tuning said receiving section to said respective channels cyclically and intermittently; and feeding power to said receiving section continuously during said continuous tuning operation and intermittently during said intermittent tuning operation.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of scanning channels of a portable radio apparatus, comprising the steps of: tuning a receiving section to any of a plurality of channels; feeding power to said receiving section in response to a control signal; deciding whether or not data is present on said channel to which said receiving section is tuned; when data is not present on said channels, tuning said receiving section to said respective channels cyclically and continuously; when said cyclic and continuous tuning operation has continued for more than a predetermined period of time, tuning said receiving section to said respective channels cyclically and intermittently; and feeding power to said receiving section continuously during said continuous tuning operation and intermittently during said intermittent tuning operation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the steps of: when data is present on any of said channels during said intermittent tuning operation, tuning said receiving section to said particular channel fixedly; and when said receiving section is tuned to said particular channel, feeding power to said receiving section continuously.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the steps of: manually generating a key signal; and when said key signal is produced during said intermittent tuning operation, resuming said continuous tuning operation in place of said intermittent tuning operation.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the steps of: detecting strength of an electric field of said channel to which said receiving section is tuned; and storing a predetermined number of said channels according to order of field strength; said step of deciding whether or not said data is present being effected on said predetermined number of channels stored only.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said predetermined number is two.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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