Processor controlled scanning radio receiver

Claim 2

A scanning radio receiver having a plurality of channels for receiving signals at a plurality of discrete frequencies within at least one radio frequency band and comprising: radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means for producing an audio signal from received radio frequency signals; frequency synthesizer means for generating a local oscillator signal for tuning said radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means and having an input for controlling the frequency of said local oscillator signal; squelch circuit means for detecting the presence of a received signal at the frequency to which the receiver is tuned; frequency search circuit means coupled to said frequency synthesizer means input and said squelch circuit means for sequentially and automatically stepping the receiver through said discrete frequencies located until the receiver becomes tuned to a radio frequency at which a received signal is present and resuming stepping the receiver through said discrete frequencies when said received signal terminates; memory circuit means coupled to said frequency search circuit means for sequentially and automatically storing signals representative of the tuned radio frequencies at which a received signal is present; and user selectable means including a recall key operable to an active position by the user, said frequency search means including means coupled to said key and said memory circuit means and arranged to respond to operation of said key to said active position for controllably retrieving from said memory circuit means said stored signals.

Claim 3

A scanning radio receiver having a plurality of channels for receiving signals at a plurality of discrete frequencies within at least one radio frequency band and comprising: radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means for producing an audio signal from received radio frequency signals; frequency synthesizing means for generating a local oscillator signal for tuning said radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means and having inputs for controlling the frequency of said local oscillator signal; squelch circuit means for detecting the presence of a received signal at the frequency to which the receiver is tuned; processor means coupled to said frequency synthesizing means inputs and said squelch circuit means and in a first mode of receiver operation sequentially and automatically stepping the receiver through said plurality of channels until the radio becomes tuned to a radio frequency at which a received signal is present and resuming stepping the receiver through said plurality of channels when said receiver signal terminates; and display means controlled by said processor means, said processor means being arranged to control said display means for providing an indication of the number of occurrences of a signal present at a tuned frequency.

Claim 4

A scanning radio receiver having a plurality of channels for receiving signals at a plurality of discrete frequencies within at least one radio frequency band and comprising: radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means for producing an audio signal from received radio frequency signals; frequency synthesizing means for generating a local oscillator signal for tuning said radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means and having inputs for controlling the frequency of said local oscillator signal; squelch circuit means for detecting the presence of a received signal at the frequency to which the receiver is tuned; processor means coupled to said frequency synthesizing means inputs and said squelch circuit means and in a first mode of receiver operation sequentially and automatically stepping the receiver through said plurality of channels until the radio becomes tuned to a radio frequency at which a received signal is present and resuming stepping the receiver through said plurality of channels when said receiver signal terminates; and display means controlled by said processor means, said processor means being arranged to control said display means for providing an indication of the number of occurrences of a signal present at a tuned frequency.

Claim 5

A scanning radio receiver having a plurality of channels for receiving signals at a plurality of discrete frequencies within at least one radio frequency band and comprising: radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means for producing an audio signal from received radio frequency signals; frequency synthesizing means for generating a local oscillator signal for tuning said radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means and having inputs for controlling the frequency of said local oscillator signal; squelch circuit means for detecting the presence of a received signal at the frequency to which the receiver is tuned; memory circuit means for storing a plurality of channel data words each uniquely associated with one of said channels, said memory circuit means adapted to store said data words in a plurality of data banks each containing a plurality of channel data words; processor means coupled to said memory circuit means, said squelch circuit means and in a scanning mode of receiver operation sequentially and automatically addressing the plurality of channel data words stored in said memory circuit means and causing said addressed channel data words to be sequentially applied to said frequency synthesizing means inputs for automatically stepping the receiver through said plurality of channels until the radio becomes tuned to a radio frequency at which a received signal is present and resuming stepping the receiver through said plurality of channels when said receiver signal terminates; and user selectable means for selecting desired ones of said banks to be included in said memory addressing and for selecting desired ones of said banks to be omitted from said memory addressing.

Claim 6

A scanning radio receiver having a plurality of channels for receiving signals at a plurality of discrete frequencies within at least one radio frequency band and comprising: radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means for producing an audio signal from received radio frequency signals; frequency synthesizing means for generating a local oscillator signal for tuning said radio signal frequency conversion and demodulation means and having inputs for controlling the frequency of said local oscillator signal; squelch circuit means for detecting the presence of a received signal at the frequency to which the receiver is tuned; memory circuit means for storing a plurality of channel data words each uniquely associated with one of said channels, said memory circuit means adapted to store said data words in a plurality of data banks each containing a plurality of channel data words; processor means coupled to said memory circuit means, said squelch circuit means and in a scanning mode of receiver operation sequentially and automatically addressing the plurality of channel data words stored in said memory circuit means and causing said addressed channel data words to be sequentially applied to said frequency synthesizing means inputs for automatically stepping the receiver through said plurality of channels until the radio becomes tuned to a radio frequency at which a received signal is present and resuming stepping the receiver through said plurality of channels when said receiver signal terminates; and user selectable means for selecting desired ones of said banks to be included in said memory addressing and for selecting desired ones of said banks to be omitted from said memory addressing.

Claim 7

The scanning radio receiver of claim 1 wherein said frequency search circuit means comprises a microprocessor controller coupled to both said memory circuit means and said user selectable means for controlling said sequential and automatic storing and retrieving.

Claim 8

The scanning radio receiver of claim 4 wherein said memory circuit means includes a recirculating storage device.

Claim 9

The scanning radio receiver of claim 5 wherein said user selectable means includes a keyboard coupled to said microprocessor controller.

Claim 10

The scanning radio receiver of claim 6 further comprising display means coupled to said microprocessor controller for displaying an indication of the frequency of said retrieved signals.

Claim 11

The scanning radio receiver of claim 5 further comprising a channel scan memory coupled to both said microprocessor controller and said frequency synthesizer for storing a plurality of data words in addressable locations each corresponding to one of a plurality of receiver channels, and said microprocessor adapted to operate in a scan mode to sequentially address said data words and to control sequential application of said data words to said frequency synthesizer means.

Claim 12

The scanning radio receiver of claim 8 wherein said user selectable means includes a keyboard containing said recall key and coupled to said microprocessor controller.

Claim 13

The scanning radio receiver of claim 9 wherein said keyboard includes a key for automatically entering one of said retrieved signals from said recirculating storage device into one of said addressable locations in said channel scan memory.

Claim 14

The scanning radio receiver of claim 10 further comprising display means coupled to said microprocessor to display frequency and status information corresponding to the addressed data word.

Claim 15

The scanning radio receiver of claim 9 wherein said microprocessor controller is adapted to operate in a priority mode to periodically sample a preprogrammed one of said address locations out of said scan sequence and for providing to said display means an indication of the priority status of the receiver.

Claim 16

The scanning radio receiver of claim 9 wherein said processor is adapted to operate in a search mode to automatically and repetitively step the receiver through said discrete frequencies disposed between user programmable frequency limits until the receiver becomes tuned to a radio frequency at which a received signal is present and resuming the search operation when said received signal terminates.

Claim 17

The scanning radio receiver of claim 13 wherein said keyboard includes a key for entering said frequency limits into said microprocessor controller and a key for causing said search operation to proceed toward one of said frequency limits.

Claim 18

The scanning radio receiver of claim 11 wherein said microprocessor controller is adapted to operate in a time mode of operation for causing said display to provide a visual time indication.

Claim 19

The scanning radio receiver of claim 15 wherein said keyboard includes a key for enabling and for disabling said microprocessor controller from operating in said time mode.

Claim 20

The scanning radio receiver of claim 11 wherein said microprocessor controller is adapted to operate in a count mode to display in said display means a count indication of the number of occurrences of a signal at a tuned frequency.

Claim 21

The scanning radio receiver of claim 17 wherein said microprocessor controller is adapted to display a unique count indication for each of said data words addressed during said scan operation.

Claim 22

The scanning radio receiver of claim 13 wherein said microprocessor controller is adapted to store in said recirculating storage device a list of frequencies to be automatically omitted from said search operation in response to actuation of said keyboard.

Claim 23

The scanning radio receiver of claim 9 wherein said keyboard includes a key for causing an auxiliary indication signal to be included in a desired one of said data words, and an auxiliary output circuit including an auxiliary output jack coupled to said microprocessor controller and responsive to said auxiliary indication signal to provide an auxiliary output control signal at said auxiliary output jack wherein the operation of a device remote from said receiver may be controlled.

Claim 24

The scanning radio receiver of claim 4 further including means coupled to said microprocessor controller for receiving an insertable strap option diode wherein said microprocessor controller is adapted to operate with an alternate one of two different frequency synthesizer means upon insertion of said strap option diode.

Claim 25

The scanning radio receiver of claim 4 further comprising means coupled to said microprocessor controller for receiving an insertable strap option diode wherein said microprocessor controller is adapted to cause said frequency synthesizer means to provide said radio frequency conversion and demodulation means with local oscillator signals compatible with an alternate one of two different radio frequency conversion and demodulation means upon insertion of said strap option diode.

Claim 26

The scanning radio-receiver of claim 4 further comprising means coupled to said microprocessor controller for receiving an insertable strap option diode to enable said microprocessor controller to alter the range of operation of said frequency synthesizer means upon insertion of said strap option diode.