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US 3,961,261 AGranted
Crystalless scanning radio receiver
AssigneeTennelec, Inc.
InventorPeter W. Pflasterer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A scanning FM monitor receiver is disclosed which is of the superheterodyne type and is capable of scanning and receiving a plurality of channels on a plurality of bands. The receiver incorporates a phase-locked-loop frequency synthesizer which eliminates the need for crystals for every channel. The input data that the synthesizer requires to develop the individual preselected frequencies is provided by a random access memory that is programmed by the user for the frequencies desired. Indicator lamps on the receiver illuminate when a channel is being scanned and also provides a visual accuracy check when an operator programs the random access memory with the data codes for producing the various frequencies.
Claims23
A receiver for scanning a plurality of channels of predetermined radio frequency channels and selecting one channel having a radio frequency signal thereon said receiver comprising:
- an RF section including at least one RF amplifier and an associated mixer coupled to said amplifier;
- means for generating one of a plurality of beating signals of preselected frequency for application to said mixer to tune a received channel signal and provide an intermediate signal in response to said channel signal;
- said beating signal generating means comprising a phase-locked-loop frequency synthesizing means having at least one input thereto, wherein various preselected combinations of signals applied to said input produces said beating signals of preselected frequencies at the output of said generating means;
- programmable memory means connected to said input for storing said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses;
- means for programming said memory means to enter said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses in said memory means, said programming means including switching means for manually and separately producing each of the signals within said various preselected combinations of signals;
- means connected to said memory means for selectively addressing said combinations to thereby cause said selected combinations to be applied to said input;
- an IF section connected to said mixer and including an IF amplifier for amplifying said intermediate signal;
- detector means for producing audio signals when said intermediate signal is being received;
- and,
- an audio amplifier connected to said detector means for driving an audio speaker with said audio signals.
7 more elements
A receiver for scanning a plurality of channels of predetermined radio frequency channels and selecting one channel having a radio frequency signal thereon, said receiver comprising:
- an RF section including at lease one RF amplifier and an associated mixer coupled to said amplifier;
- means for generating one of a plurality of beating signals of a preselected frequency for application to said mixer to tune a received channel signal and provide an intermediate signal in response to said channel signal;
- said beating signal generating means comprising a phase-locked-loop frequency synthesizing means having at least one input thereto wherein various preselected signals applied to said input produces said beating signals of preselected frequencies in the output of said generating means;
- programmable memory means connected to said input for storing said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses;
- means for programming said memory means to enter said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses in said memory means, said programming means including switching means for manually and separately producing each of the signals within said various preselected combinations of signals at said predetermined addresses in said memory means;
- means connected to said memory means for selectively addressing said combinations of signals to thereby cause said selected combination to be applied to said input;
- means for activating said addressing means for sequencing among said preselected combinations of signals to scan said channels, said activating means being disabled in response to receiving an inhibiting signal from an IF section, and being subsequently reactivated in response to the cessation of said inhibiting signal;
- an IF section connected to said mixer and including an IF amplifier for amplifying said intermediate signal;
- detector means for producing audio signals when said intermediate signal is being received;
- an audio amplifier connected to said detector means for driving an audio speaker with said audio signals;
- and,
- means for producing an inhibiting signal in response to said audio signal and for disabling said audio amplifier when said intermediate signal is not being received.
9 more elements
A signal seeking receiver for automatically scanning and monitoring a plurality of predetermined radio frequency channels located in a lower frequency RF band and in one or more higher frequency RF bands, and for selecting one channel having a radio frequency signal thereon said receiver comprising:
- an RF section for each of said RF bands and including an RF amplifier and a mixer associated therewith, each of the one or more higher RF band RF sections having a signal generating means for applying a beating signal to its associated mixer to produce a mixer output signal having a frequency within the lower frequency RF band, the mixer output signal of each of said higher RF band RF sections being operably connected to said low RF band amplifier and associated mixer;
- means for generating a beating signal of a preselected frequency for application to said lower frequency band mixer to tune a received channel signal and provide an intermediate signal in response to said channel signal;
- said beating signal generating means comprising a phase-locked-loop frequency synthesizing means having at least one input wherein various preselected signals applied to said input produces said beating signals of preselected frequencies in the output of said generating means;
- programmable memory means connected to said input for storing said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses;
- means for programming said memory means to enter said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses in said memory means, said programming means including switching means for manually and separately producing each of the signals within said various preselected combinations of signals at said predetermined addresses in said memory means;
- means connected to said memory means for selectively addressing said combinations to thereby cause said selected combination to be applied to said input;
- an IF section connected to said low RF band mixer and including an IF amplifier for amplifying said intermediate signal;
- detector means for producing an audio signal when said intermediate signal is being received;
- an audio amplifier connected to said detector means for driving an audio speaker with said audio signal;
- and
- means for producing an inhibiting signal in response to said audio signal and for disabling said audio amplifier when a channel signal is not being received.
8 more elements
A signal seeking receiver for automatically scanning and monitoring a plurality of channels of predetermined radio frequencies located in a lower frequency RF band and in one or more higher frequency RF bands, and selecting one channel having a radio frequency signal thereon, said receiver comprising:
- an RF section for each of said RF bands and including an RF amplifier and a mixer associated therewith, each of the one or more higher RF band RF sections having a signal generating means for applying a beating signal to its associated mixer to produce a mixer output signal having a frequency within the low RF band, the mixer output signal of each of said higher RF band RF sections being operably connected to said low RF band amplifier and associated mixer;
- means for energizing one of said higher RF band RF sections in response to a signal indicating that a channel being scanned is within said one band;
- means for generating a beating signal of a preselected frequency for application to said lower frequency band mixer to tune a received channel signal and provide an intermediate signal in response to said channel signal;
- said beating signal generating means comprising a phase-locked-loop frequency synthesizing means with a plurality of separate inputs wherein various preselected signals applied to said inputs produces said beating signals of preselected frequencies in the output of said generating means;
- programmable memory means connected to said plurality of inputs for storing said various preselected combination of signals at predetermined addresses;
- means for programming said memory means to enter said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses in said memory means, said programming means including switching means for manually and separately producing each of the signals within said various preselected combinations of signals at said predetermined addresses in said memory means;
- means connected to said memory means for selectively addressing said combinations to thereby cause said selected combination to be applied to said plurality of inputs;
- means for activating said addressing means for sequencing among said preselected combinations of input signals to scan said channels, said activating means being disabled in response to receiving an inhibiting signal from an IF section, and being subsequently reactivated for resuming scanning said channels in response to the termination of said inhibiting signal indicating said channel is no longer being received;
- an IF section connected to said low RF band mixer and including an IF amplifier for amplifying said intermediate signal;
- detector means for producing an audio signal when said intermediate signal is being received;
- an audio amplifier connected to said detector means for driving an audio speaker with said audio signal;
- and
- means for producing an inhibiting signal in response to said audio signal and for disabling said audio amplifier when a channel signal is not being received.
10 more elements
A signal seeking receiver for automatically scanning and monitoring a plurality of predetermined radio frequency channels located in a lower frequency RF band and in one or more higher frequency RF bands, and for selecting one channel having a radio frequency signal thereon, said receiver comprising:
- an RF section for each of said RF bands and including an RF amplifier and a mixer associated therewith, each of the one or more higher RF band RF sections having a signal generating means for applying a beating signal to its associated mixer to produce a mixer output signal having a frequency within the lower frequency RF band, the mixer output signal of each of said higher RF band RF sections being operably connected to said low RF band amplifier and associated mixer;
- means for energizing one of said higher RF band RF sections in response to a signal indicating that a channel being scanned is within said one band;
- means for generating a beating signal of a preselected frequency for application to said lower frequency band mixer to tune a received channel signal and provide an intermediate signal in response to said channel signal;
- said beating signal generating means comprising a phase-locked-loop frequency synthesizing means having at least one input wherein various preselected signals applied to said input produces said beating signals of preselected frequencies in the output of said generating means;
- programmable memory means connected to said input for storing said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses, said memory means having a plurality of rows and columns with respective inputs thereto wherein the application of a predetermined binary code at the respective inputs to address a column and a row produces a binary signal at the output thereof;
- means for programming said memory means to enter said various preselected combinations of signals at predetermined addresses in said memory means;
- means connected to said memory means for selectively and sequentially addressing said combinations to thereby cause said selected combination to be applied to said input;
- means for activating said addressing means for sequencing among said preselected combinations of input signals to scan said channels, said activating means being disabled in response to receiving an inhibiting signal from an IF section, and being subsequently reactivated for resuming scanning said channels in response to the termination of said inhibiting signal indicating said channel is no longer being received;
- an IF section connected to said low RF band mixer and including an IF amplifier for amplifying said intermediate signal;
- detector means for producing an audio signal when said intermediate signal is being received;
- an audio amplifier connected to said detector means for driving an audio speaker with said audio signal;
- and
- means for producing an inhibiting signal in response to said audio signal and for disabling said audio amplifier when a channel signal is not being received.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.