Radio device

Abstract

A device main unit transmits a bus reset pulse to an antenna unit via a cable transmitting a television reception signal, a controller of the device main unit detects a response of a presence pulse to the bus reset pulse and displays the detection result. The transmission of the bus preset pulse and the reception of the presence pulse are performed by utilizing the existing communication interface with 1-Wire type interactive baseband communication system disposed to control a tunable radio frequency circuit provided for the antenna unit from the controller adopted thereto.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram showing a principal configuration of a television broadcast receiver that is a first embodiment of a radio device according the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary flowchart showing a procedure and a processing content of a defect detection processing in the television broadcast receiver shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary example of a control signal used in a defect detection processing shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary block diagram showing a principal configuration of a television broadcast receiver that is a second embodiment of the radio device regarding the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view showing a configuration of a control signal communication means in the broadcast receiver shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary circuit view showing an example of a bias circuit set up in the broadcast receiver shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an exemplary flowchart showing a procedure and a processing content of a defect detection processing in the broadcast receiver shown in FIG. 4.

Claims

1. A radio device including an antenna unit and a device main unit and a cable connecting the antenna unit with the device main unit, the radio device transmitting a radio frequency signal transmitted or received by the antenna unit between the antenna unit and the device main unit via the cable, comprising: a communication interface configured to transmit a communication signal differing from the radio frequency signal between the antenna unit and the device main unit via the cable;a defect detector configured to monitor a transmission state of the communication signal by the communication interface to detect a defect between the antenna unit and the device main unit on the basis of the monitoring result; anda presentation controller configured to control presentation of detection result from the defect detector to a user of the radio device.

2. The radio device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit comprises a radio frequency circuit controllable its operation state,the device main unit comprises a first control circuit generates a first control signal for controlling operation state of the radio frequency circuit,the communication interface comprises a circuit configured to transmit the first control signal generated from the first control circuit to the radio frequency circuit via the cable as the communication signal, andthe defect detector comprises:a monitor configured to monitor the transmission state of the first control signal; anda detector configured to detect the defect between the antenna unit and the device main unit on the basis of a monitoring result from the monitor.

3. The radio device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna unit comprises:a plurality of antenna units; anda connector configured to connect each of the plurality of antenna units to the device main unit via different cables,the communication interface comprises a transmission circuit configured to transmit the communication signal among the plurality of antenna units and the device main unit via the different cables, respectively, andthe defect detector comprises:a monitor configured to monitor the transmission state of the communication signals transmitted from the communication interface via the different cables; anda detector configured to individually detecting defects among the plurality of antenna units and the device main unit on the basis of a monitoring result from the monitor.

4. The radio device according to claim 3, further comprising: a separator configured to separate antenna unit, at which a defect among a part of unit among the plurality of antenna units and the device main unit has been detected, from a transmission and a reception targets of the radio frequency signal when the defect has been detected.

5. The radio device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein the communication interface comprises a first and a second 1-Wire type communication interface circuits provided for the antenna unit and the device main unit, respectively, andthe first and the second 1-Wire type communication interface circuits comprises:a converter configured to convert the communication signal into a signal form dividable for the radio frequency signal then transmitting it to the cable; anda separator configured to separate the communication signal transmitted via the cable from the radio frequency signal to receive it.

6. A radio device including an antenna unit and a device main unit and a cable connecting the antenna unit with the device main unit, the radio device transmitting a radio frequency signal transmitted or received by the antenna unit between the antenna unit and the device main unit via the cable, comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a communication signal to the antenna unit;a defect detector configured to detect a defect between the antenna unit and the device main unit by monitoring a transmission state of the communication signal; anda informing controller configured to inform presentation of detection result from the defect detector to a user of the radio device.