METHOD FOR RECEIVING RADIO BROADCAST SIGNALS BY MEANS OF A RADIO BROADCAST RECIEVER, AND RADIO BROADCAST RECEIVER

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for receiving radio broadcast signals by means of a radio broadcast receiver and to a radio broadcast receiver designed for performing the method, wherein the broadcast receiver has at least two receiving units for different transmission techniques. The user selects a radio broadcast service of a first receiving unit of the at least two receiving units, and the selected radio broadcast service is then played back by the radio broadcast receiver. The other, second receiving unit for the different transmission technique of the radio broadcast receiver searches for an alternative radio broadcast service having preferably the same or comparable content during the playback of the radio broadcast service selected by the user, and the radio broadcast receiver automatically switches over to the second receiving unit having the alternative radio broadcast service if the first receiving unit cannot play back the selected radio broadcast service.

Claims

1. A method for receiving broadcast signals by means of a broadcast receiver that has at least two receiver units for different transmission technologies, in which the user selects a first broadcast service to be received by means of a first receiver unit of the at least two receiver units, and in which the selected first broadcast service is then reproduced by the broadcast receiver, wherein the other, second receiver unit for the different transmission technology of the broadcast receiver is ready to receive alternative broadcast services having the same or comparable content, characterized in that the broadcast receiver automatically switches over at least temporarily to the second receiver unit having the alternative broadcast service when the first receiver unit cannot reproduce the selected broadcast service as a result of a user action that accesses the first receiver unit and impairs or deselects the reproduction of the previously selected broadcast service, or as a result of the first receiver unit receiving data by means of another broadcast service.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the user action and/or the action to receive data is and/or requires the selection of a new broadcast service, and in that after the user action and/or the action to receive data, the broadcast receiver switches over to the second receiver unit and reproduces the alternative broadcast service, in that the first receiver unit seeks the new broadcast service, and in that the broadcast receiver switches over to the first receiver unit once this receiver unit is receiving the new broadcast service.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the user action and/or the action to receive data is and/or requires the selection of a new broadcast service, and in that the second receiver unit seeks the new broadcast service, in that the broadcast receiver switches over to the second receiver unit once this receiver unit is receiving the new broadcast service, and reproduces the new broadcast service, in that after the switchover to the second receiver unit, the first receiver unit seeks the new broadcast service, and in that the broadcast receiver switches over to the first receiver unit once this unit is receiving the new broadcast service.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that more than two receiver units are provided, wherein the more than two receiver units are suitable for a total of at least two transmission technologies.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that more than two receiver units for a transmission technology are used to implement a phase diversity technique, in which in order to increase the quality of the reproduction, the reproduction of the broadcast signal is composed from two receive signals.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that during reproduction of the broadcast service received by the first receiver unit, a plurality of second receiver units seek alternative broadcast services of an ensemble of broadcast services, wherein an ensemble of broadcast services comprises a plurality of different broadcast services that are transmitted by a broadcast transmitter in a broadcast signal.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the plurality of second receiver units first seek the selected broadcast service and then seek additional broadcast services in the order of the probability of said services being selected.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that that the broadcast receiver ascertains which broadcast services, on selection of a seek function by the user, are arranged adjacent to the selected broadcast service in the radio channel of the transmission technology of the first receiver unit, and in that the plurality of second receiver units seek these broadcast services as alternative broadcast services.

9. (canceled)

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that alignment of the broadcast services from the first and second receiver units before switching over between the two receiver units is performed by correlating the audio and volume signal.

11. A broadcast receiver for reproducing a received broadcast signal and comprising at least one first receiver unit for a first transmission technology and at least one second receiver unit for a second transmission technology, which is different from the first transmission technology, and comprising a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is designed to select the broadcast signal from a receiver unit according to a user selection and to reproduce said signal, characterized in that the processing unit is also designed to perform operations comprising: causing the broadcast receiver to automatically switch over at least temporarily to the at least one second receiver unit having an alternative broadcast service when the first receiver unit cannot reproduce the selected broadcast service as a result of user action that accesses the first receiver unit and impairs or deselects the reproduction of the previously selected broadcast service, or as a result of the first receiver unit receiving data by means of another broadcast service.

12. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the first receiver unit is designed for a digital transmission technology, and the second receiver unit for an analog transmission technology.

13. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that a plurality of first and/or second receiver units are provided.

14. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the user action and/or the action to receive data is and/or requires the selection of a new broadcast service, and in that after the user action and/or the action to receive data, the broadcast receiver switches over to the second receiver unit and reproduces the alternative broadcast service, in that the first receiver unit seeks the new broadcast service, and in that the broadcast receiver switches over to the first receiver unit once this receiver unit is receiving the new broadcast service.

15. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the user action and/or the action to receive data is and/or requires the selection of a new broadcast service, and in that the second receiver unit seeks the new broadcast service, in that the broadcast receiver switches over to the second receiver unit once this receiver unit is receiving the new broadcast service, and reproduces the new broadcast service, in that after the switchover to the second receiver unit, the first receiver unit seeks the new broadcast service, and in that the broadcast receiver switches over to the first receiver unit once this unit is receiving the new broadcast service.

16. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that more than two receiver units are provided, wherein the more than two receiver units are suitable for a total of at least two transmission technologies.

17. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that more than two receiver units for a transmission technology are used to implement a phase diversity technique, in which in order to increase the quality of the reproduction, the reproduction of the broadcast signal is composed from two receive signals.

18. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that during reproduction of the broadcast service received by the first receiver unit, a plurality of second receiver units seek alternative broadcast services of an ensemble of broadcast services, wherein an ensemble of broadcast services comprises a plurality of different broadcast services that are transmitted by a broadcast transmitter in a broadcast signal.

19. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the plurality of second receiver units first seek the selected broadcast service and then seek additional broadcast services in the order of the probability of said services being selected.

20. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that that the broadcast receiver ascertains which broadcast services, on selection of a seek function by the user, are arranged adjacent to the selected broadcast service in the radio channel of the transmission technology of the first receiver unit, and in that the plurality of second receiver units seek these broadcast services as alternative broadcast services.

21. The broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that alignment of the broadcast services from the first and second receiver units before switching over between the two receiver units is performed by correlating the audio and volume signal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows schematically a broadcast receiver according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In this regard, the single FIG. 1 shows schematically a broadcast receiver according to the invention having a first receiver unit and two second receiver units according to a preferred embodiment.

[0031] The broadcast receiver 1 has a first receiver unit 2 and two second receiver units 3, 4. In the example shown, each of the receiver units 2, 3, 4 comprises an antenna 5 for receiving broadcast signals. The invention, however, is not limited to the case in which each receiver unit 2, 3, 4 has a dedicated antenna. It is also possible to provide all the receiver units 2, 3, 4 with a shared antenna, for instance having an antenna splitter, in order to feed the various broadcast signals to the different receivers 2, 3, 4.

[0032] The first receiver unit 2 is suitable for receiving broadcast signals 6 in a first transmission technology. The second receiver units 3, 4 are designed to receive broadcast signals 7 in a second transmission technology. The broadcast signals 6, 7 are each transmitted by suitable broadcast transmitters 8.

[0033] The broadcast receiver 1 also comprises a processing unit (not shown), which is designed to implement the following method variant, for example. In this method variant it is assumed that the first receiver unit 2 is a receiver unit for receiving digital broadcast signals from a DAB broadcast and the two second receiver units 3, 4 are intended to receive an analog FM broadcast.

[0034] The starting point for the method in each case is that the user has received a DAB service as the broadcast service, which is received by the first receiver unit 2 and reproduced by the broadcast receiver 1. While this is taking place, the second receiver unit 3 seeks an alternative FM broadcast service that is broadcasting identical content.

[0035] In a first example application of the method proposed according to the invention, the user decides to perform a DAB band-scan in order to find the broadcast signals 6 or broadcast transmitters 8 that can be received under the first transmission technology. Before the DAB band-scan using the first receiver unit 2 is started, the broadcast receiver switches over the audio output from the first receiver unit 2 (DAB receiver unit) to the second receiver unit 3 (FM receiver unit), which was tuned in advance to the applicable service alternative and has selected a broadcast service containing broadcast signals 7 in the second transmission technology, which has the same content as the broadcast service in the first transmission technology. Thus it appears to the user that the originally selected broadcast service continues to be output unchanged even though actually an alternative broadcast service in a different transmission technology has been selected.

[0036] Only after this point does the first receiver unit start to perform the DAB band-scan. During this time, the previous reproduction signal is thus still heard via the second receiver unit 3.

[0037] Only once the DAB band-scan has finished does the broadcast receiver 1 switch back again automatically from the second receiver unit 3 to the first receiver unit 2, which then receives once again the original broadcast service. This service is then output by the broadcast receiver 1.

[0038] In a second example application of the method according to the invention, the user decides to select a different DAB broadcast service, either from a preset or from a service list provided to the user, which list may be, for instance, the result of the DAB band-scan described previously. Before the retuning of the first receiver unit (DAB receiver unit) is started, the audio output from the broadcast receiver 1 is switched from the first receiver unit 2 to the second receiver unit 3 (FM receiver unit), which was tuned in advance to the applicable service alternative. During the retuning of the first receiver unit 2, which involves the processes of frequency selection, ensemble decoding, audio service selection and audio component decoding, the broadcast signal can be received and heard via the second receiver unit 3. Only once the first receiver unit 2 is able to supply the new broadcast service does the broadcast receiver 1 switch back automatically from the second receiver unit 3 to the first receiver unit 2. The user thereafter hears the newly selected DAB service via the first receiver unit 2.

[0039] The previously described embodiment can be combined with an additional embodiment variant, in which the additional second receiver unit 4 seeks the same service that the user has selected for the first receiver unit 2 as the newly selected DAB audio service. Since the response time of the second receiver unit 4 as an FM receiver unit is usually shorter than the response time of the first receiver unit 2 as a

[0040] DAB receiver unit, in an alternative variant, the alternative second receiver unit 4 can output the newly selected broadcast service already during the tuning process of the first receiver unit 2. Only once the first receiver unit 2 is able to supply the newly selected DAB broadcast service does the broadcast receiver 1 switch back automatically from the second receiver unit 4 to the first receiver unit 2, which then receives and outputs via the broadcast receiver 1 the newly selected DAB broadcast service.

[0041] In another variant for implementing the method according to the invention, the user decides to seek a nearest ensemble of broadcast services (either upwards or downwards in frequency). Before the search run of the first receiver unit 2 (DAB receiver unit) is started, the audio output is changed from the first receiver unit 2 to the second receiver unit 3, which was tuned in advance to the applicable service alternative. During the entire ensemble search process by the first receiver unit 2, the previously selected broadcast signal can be heard by means of the alternative broadcast service of the second receiver unit 3. Only once the first receiver unit 2 is able to supply the new audio data from the newly selected DAB broadcast service does the broadcast receiver 1 switch back automatically from the second receiver unit 3 to the first receiver unit 2, with the result that the newly selected broadcast service of the other ensemble can be heard.

[0042] Similar to a case already described previously above, this embodiment can also be implemented in an embodiment variant in which the additional second receiver unit 4 seeks the broadcast service that is expected to be the most probable result of the ensemble search. This assessment is performed in real time as a query to a database of the receivable ensembles or of the known broadcast DAB frequencies and their contents.

[0043] If the user now decides to seek the nearest ensemble of broadcast services (either upwards or downwards in frequency), the second receiver unit 4 can seek and tune to the expected broadcast service. Before this search run by the DAB receiver is finished, the expected broadcast service can be played out via the second receiver unit 4 as an FM broadcast signal.

[0044] Even in the case in which a probability of a change in transmitter by the user is ranked as high, the receive signal from the second receiver unit 4 can be buffered in order to synchronize the audio data from the second receiver unit 4 with the audio data from the first receiver unit 2. This audio data can be played out, for example, only once the first receiver unit 2 (DAB receiver unit) has minimized the risk of a different result during the transmitter search run and hence has validated the original assessment.

[0045] During all or some of the running time of the ensemble search process, the signal reproduced by the second receiver unit 4 can be heard initially. Only once the first receiver unit 2 is able to supply the new audio data from the newly selected broadcast service does the broadcast receiver 1 switch back automatically from the second receiver unit 4 to the audio output of the first receiver unit 2, with the result that the broadcast receiver 1 emits the selected DAB broadcast signal of the broadcast service.