Telecommunications – Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter – Remote control of receiver
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-07
2001-01-16
Chin, Wellington (Department: 2746)
Telecommunications
Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter
Remote control of receiver
C455S200100, C455S403000, C455S144000, C455S341000, C330S251000, C330S252000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06175730
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio receiver and, more particularly, to a radio receiver with a potentiometer as volume control.
2. Prior Art
Radio receivers with a potentiometer as volume control have been known for a long time. Customarily the actuation of a switch in the current supply is coupled with the volume control in such a way that by displacing the knob of the potentiometer to the left or lower stop the volume is reduced and thereafter the switch for the current supply is actuated.
However, radio receivers have been on the market for a long time, wherein the switch in the current supply and the volume control must be operated separately from each other. Furthermore, characteristically in motor vehicles the installed car radios are connected via a series connection of two switches to the current supply, namely the series connection of a switch in the ignition lock of the vehicle and of a switch on the instrument.
When turning the radio receiver off with a switch separate from the volume control, it is possible to unintentionally turn the volume control in the turned-off state to full volume, without this being noticed at first. When a radio receiver set in this manner is switched on, the reproduction of the received transmitter takes place at an undesired volume.
In connection with road traffic radio receivers it is known per se to raise the volume of a traffic report automatically to a preset volume if it had been switched to a low volume or even switched off by means of the potentiometer of the radio receiver.
The automatic tracking of the volume in accordance with the respective loudness of the driving noise in the interior of a motor vehicle has been a property of modern car radios for a long time.
Such radio receivers have microprocessors which receive digital control signals and digitally control an audio frequency regulator in the low frequency state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved radio receiver with a potentiometer for volume control of the above-described kind, that does not suffer from the above-described disadvantages.
This object and others which will be made more apparent hereinafter are attained in a radio receiver having a final amplifier stage controlling volume, power supply means for supplying current to the final amplifier stage and other components, as needed, a manually adjustable potentiometer for control of the final amplifier stage to adjust the volume, at least one switch for switching the current supplied to the final amplifier stage on and off, the manually adjustable potentiometer being operable completely independently of the at least one switch.
According to the invention the radio receiver also includes means for controlling the final amplifier stage so that the volume is maintained at a predetermined level when the at least one switch is actuated to switch on the current to the final amplifier stage until subsequent adjustment of the manually operable potentiometer, the predetermined volume level corresponding to that volume level existing when the at least one switch was previously actuated to switch off the current to the final amplifier stage before the at least one switch was actuated to again switch on the current to the final amplifier stage, this predetermined volume level being any volume value in a volume range obtainable by setting the manually operable potentiometer independently of the at least one switch, and means for adjusting the volume after the at least one switch is activated to turn on the current to the final amplifier stage only after the manually adjustable potentiometer is first adjusted manually after the at least one switch is actuated to switch on the current to the final amplifier stage.
By means of a radio receiver according to the invention of the effect of an unintentional displacement of the potentiometer is prevented in the turned-off state of the radio receiver. Until the listener again operates the potentiometer, i.e. until his hand is again on the knob of the potentiometer, and up to that time change in volume are prevented. Features of preferred embodiments are disclosed in the appended dependent claims and in the detailed description hereinbelow.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4292467 (1981-09-01), Odien et al.
patent: 4441086 (1984-04-01), Karlow et al.
patent: 4706294 (1987-11-01), Ouchida et al.
patent: 5073943 (1991-12-01), Chapman
patent: 5394476 (1995-02-01), Tollins et al.
patent: 5872852 (1999-02-01), Dougherty
patent: 59-230311 (1984-12-01), None
patent: 63-048905 (1988-07-01), None
Patent Abstract of Japan vol. 009, No. 106 (E-313), May 10, 1985 & JP 59 230311 A.
Patent Abstract of Japan vol. 012, No. 265 (E-637), Jul. 23, 1988 & JP 63 048905 A.
Chin Wellington
Ferguson Keith
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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