Radio device for vehicle and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a radio apparatus for a vehicle and a control method. A method for controlling a radio device of a vehicle includes: determining whether to scan a scan of an alternative broadcast based on a signal quality of listening to the broadcast; scanning the alternative broadcast; determining a noise, the noise determining a noise type of the alternative broadcast based on a plurality of polarizations; comparing and determining signal quality of the listening broadcast and the alternative broadcasts based on a determination result of the determination of noise, and determining whether to switch the listening broadcast to one of the alternative broadcasts; and switching the listening broadcast to the alternative broadcast based on a determination result of the comparison and the determination.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0177338, filed on Dec. 8, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a radio device for a vehicle and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0004] The following description provides only background information related to the present disclosure and does not constitute related art.

[0005] Vehicles are equipped with radios and Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) devices, and vehicle passengers can use these devices to listen to radio (AM / FM) or DMB radio broadcasts. When the vehicle is moving, if the vehicle moves away from the transmitter of the currently tuned broadcast (hereinafter referred to as "listening to the broadcast"), the received signal strength weakens, and the listening condition deteriorates; therefore, it is necessary to improve the broadcast listening condition by switching to a different frequency of the same broadcast.

[0006] In this regard, the broadcast listening condition can be improved by using an additional tuner in addition to the main tuner to scan the same broadcast as the listened-to broadcast and switching the frequency according to the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast.

[0007] Meanwhile, various types of communication noise are introduced into the vehicle. The noise flowing into the vehicle can be classified into external noise caused by various environmental factors outside the vehicle and internal noise caused by the configuration of the radiation antennas and cables inside the vehicle. The noise flowing into the vehicle may affect radio communication and deteriorate the broadcast listening condition.

[0008] The information included in this background of the present disclosure is only for enhancing the understanding of the general background of the present disclosure and may not be regarded as an admission or suggestion in any form that this information forms the prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to providing a method for controlling a radio device of a vehicle, the method including: scan determination of determining whether to scan an alternative broadcast based on the signal quality of a listened-to broadcast; scanning the alternative broadcast; noise determination of determining the type of noise of the alternative broadcast based on a plurality of polarizations; comparing and determining the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast and the alternative broadcast based on the determination result of the noise determination, and determining whether to switch the listened-to broadcast to one of the alternative broadcasts; and switching the listened-to broadcast to the alternative broadcast based on the determination result of the comparison and determination.

[0010] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, the present disclosure provides a radio device for a vehicle, the device including: a polarization switcher configured to generate multiple polarizations; a signal processor configured to process signals related to listening to a broadcast and signals related to an alternative broadcast based on the multiple polarizations; and a processor operably connected to the polarization switcher and the signal processor and configured to switch the listening to the broadcast to an alternative broadcast based on information transmitted from the signal processor, the alternative broadcast being one of the alternative broadcasts, wherein the processor is configured to determine a noise type of the alternative broadcast based on information transmitted from the signal processor, compare signal qualities of the listening to the broadcast and the alternative broadcast based on the noise type, and switch the listening to the broadcast to the alternative broadcast.

[0011] It will be appreciated that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. The predetermined design features of the present disclosure as included herein (including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes) will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0012] In the drawings, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure throughout several views of the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a radio device for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a signal processor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 3 is a table showing an example of information related to listening to a broadcast and an alternative broadcast according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4A and 4B illustrates the principle for determining the noise type of an alternative broadcast according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a radio device of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] It will be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and present a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the disclosure. Certain design features of the disclosure included herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

[0019] In the drawings, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the disclosure throughout several views of the drawings. Detailed Description

[0020] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the disclosure will be described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the disclosure to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0021] A radio device for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to switch frequencies and / or polarizations based on alternative broadcast noise types, improve radio signal quality within the vehicle, and provide high-quality services to passengers.

[0022] The technical objectives achieved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above technical objectives, and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can also clearly understand other technical objectives not mentioned above from the description provided below.

[0023] Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, like reference numerals preferably denote like elements, although the elements are shown in different drawings. In addition, in the following description of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations incorporated therein will be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0024] In addition, various terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. are only used to distinguish one component from another, and do not imply or suggest the substance, order, or sequence of the components. Throughout this specification, when a component "comprises" or "includes" a component, the component is intended to further include other components, without excluding these components, unless stated to the contrary. Terms such as "unit", "module", etc. refer to one or more units for processing at least one function or operation, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0025] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a radio device for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a signal processor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 3 is a table showing an example of information related to listening to a broadcast and an alternative broadcast according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 4A and 4B illustrates the principle for determining the noise type of an alternative broadcast according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a radio device 100 for a vehicle may include a processor 110, a polarization switch 120, a signal processor 130, and a frequency switch 130.

[0030] The signal processor 130 may include a main tuner 211, a sub - tuner 212, a first signal processing module 221, and a second signal processing module 222.

[0031] The processor 110 may receive information about the currently tuned broadcast (hereinafter referred to as "listening broadcast") and an alternative broadcast from the signal processor 130. Here, the alternative broadcast means a radio broadcast that includes the same content as the listening broadcast but is broadcast at a different frequency and / or polarization from the listening broadcast. For example, as Figure 3 shown, when the listening broadcast is the first broadcast, the alternative broadcast refers to the second to sixth broadcasts that provide the same content as the first broadcast (i.e., the same radio program name MBCFM4U) but are broadcast at a different frequency and / or polarization from the first broadcast.

[0032] The processor 110 is configured to determine whether to scan for an alternative broadcast based on the signal (information) transmitted from the signal processor 130. The processor 110 is configured to determine whether to scan for an alternative broadcast based on the signal quality of the listening broadcast. The processor 110 is configured to determine whether to scan for an alternative broadcast based on whether the signal strength of the listening broadcast is greater than or equal to a reference signal strength. When the signal strength of the listening broadcast is greater than the reference signal strength, since the signal quality of the listening broadcast is good enough, the processor 110 may be configured to control the signal processor 130 not to scan for an alternative broadcast. If the signal strength of the listening broadcast is less than the reference signal strength, the processor 110 may be configured to control the signal processor 130 to scan for an alternative broadcast to find a broadcast with better signal quality.

[0033] The signal processor 130 may be configured to receive and process signals related to listening to a broadcast and an alternative broadcast. The main tuner 211 and the first signal processing module 221 of the signal processor 130 may be configured to receive and process signals related to listening to a broadcast, and the sub-tuner 212 and the second signal processing module 222 may be configured to receive and process signals related to an alternative broadcast.

[0034] The signal processor 130 may scan for an alternative broadcast. When the processor 110 determines that the signal strength of the listened-to broadcast is lower than a reference signal strength, the signal processor 130 may scan for an alternative broadcast. The signal processor 130 may use the sub-tuner 212 and the second signal processing module 222 to select an alternative broadcast and collect information about the selected alternative broadcast.

[0035] The signal processor 130 may select an alternative broadcast based on a plurality of detected broadcasts and the signal pattern of the listened-to broadcast. The signal processor 130 may select, from among the plurality of detected broadcasts, a broadcast that exhibits a dual-tuner acoustic correlation (DTAC) with the listened-to broadcast that is higher than a threshold as the alternative broadcast. As described above, here, an alternative broadcast refers to a radio broadcast that has the same content as the listened-to broadcast, has the same broadcast name, but is broadcast at a different frequency and / or polarization. The signal processor is configured to determine the DTAC between the plurality of detected broadcasts and the listened-to broadcast based on information about radio broadcasts stored in the memory and / or server and the signals received by the sub-tuner 212.

[0036] Meanwhile, as described above, the signal processor 130 may select an alternative broadcast based on the received signals, but the processor 110 may also select an alternative broadcast based on the signals received by the signal processor 130.

[0037] The signal processor 130 may receive the signals of the selected alternative broadcast and collect information about the frequency, polarization, signal quality (e.g., signal strength), and / or noise. The signal processor 130 may be configured to process the signals and transmit the collected information to the processor 110.

[0038] The polarization switch 120 may be configured to generate and use a plurality of polarizations. The polarization switch 120 may be configured to generate a first polarization and a second polarization. The difference in the polarization angle between the first polarization and the second polarization may be 90 degrees. The signal processor 130 may be configured to process signals related to an alternative broadcast based on the plurality of polarizations generated by the polarization switch 120.

[0039] The processor 110 may be configured to determine the type of noise of an alternative broadcast based on a plurality of polarizations. The processor 110 may be configured to determine the type of noise of an alternative broadcast based on the change in the noise according to the plurality of polarizations. For example, as Figure 4AAs shown, when the noise change δ according to each of the first polarization and the second polarization is lower than a reference value, the processor 110 is configured to: determine that the noise type of the alternative broadcast is external noise; as Figure 4B As shown, when the noise change δ exceeds the reference value, the processor 110 is configured to determine that the noise type is internal noise. Here, the external noise refers to the noise generated by various environmental factors outside the vehicle, and the internal noise refers to the noise generated by the configuration of the radiation antennas and cables inside the vehicle. Therefore, due to the characteristics of the external noise and the internal noise, the external noise does not continue to flow into the vehicle, but the polarization of the external noise continues to randomly change according to the surrounding environment, while the internal noise continues to flow into the vehicle, but the polarization of the internal noise is constant and independent of the surrounding environment. The radio device 100 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can more effectively improve the radio signal quality by determining the noise type based on multiple polarizations and determining whether to switch the frequency and / or polarization based on the determined noise type.

[0040] The polarization switch 120 may be configured to generate and use multiple polarizations. The polarization switch 120 may be configured to generate a first polarization and a second polarization. The difference in the polarization angle between the first polarization and the second polarization may be 90 degrees. The signal processor 130 may be configured to process signals related to the alternative broadcast based on the multiple polarizations generated by the polarization switch 120.

[0041] The processor 110 may compare the signal quality of the listened broadcast and the signal quality of the alternative broadcast to determine whether to switch the listened broadcast to one of the alternative broadcasts; if the signal quality of the alternative broadcast is better than the signal quality of the listened broadcast, the processor 110 may use the polarization switch 120 and / or the frequency switch 140 to switch the frequency and / or polarization to the values corresponding to the alternative broadcast, and switch the listened broadcast to the alternative broadcast.

[0042] Referring again to Figure 3 , assuming that the first broadcast corresponds to the listened broadcast and the second to the sixth broadcasts are alternative broadcasts, the processor 110 may compare the signal quality of the first broadcast as the listened broadcast with the signal quality of the second to the sixth broadcasts as the alternative broadcasts based on the information transmitted from the signal processor 130. At this time, according to the electric field conditions, the signal quality may be the signal strength or the electric field parameter, where Figure 3An embodiment of the electric field parameters is shown. If the electric field parameter A is superior to B, C, D, E, and F, the processor 110 may be configured to determine that the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast is superior to that of the alternative broadcast and determine not to switch the frequency and polarization. On the contrary, if the electric field parameter B is better than A, the second broadcast corresponds to the alternative broadcast, and the processor 110 is configured to determine that it is necessary to switch the first broadcast, which is the listened-to broadcast, to the second broadcast, which is the alternative broadcast. Here, since the second broadcast includes the same polarization as the first broadcast and only its frequency is different from the frequency of the first broadcast, the processor 110 may change the first broadcast to the second broadcast by switching the frequency using the frequency switch 140. In another embodiment, when the electric field parameter D is better than A, the fourth broadcast corresponds to the alternative broadcast, and the processor 110 is configured to determine that it is necessary to switch the first broadcast, which is the listened-to broadcast, to the fourth broadcast, which is the alternative broadcast. Here, since the fourth broadcast includes the same frequency as the first broadcast but only the polarization of the fourth broadcast is different from the polarization of the first broadcast, the processor 110 may change the first broadcast to the fourth broadcast by switching the polarization using the polarization switch 120. In another embodiment, when the electric field parameter E is better than A, the fifth broadcast corresponds to the alternative broadcast, and the processor 110 is configured to determine that it is necessary to switch the first broadcast, which is the listened-to broadcast, to the fifth broadcast, which is the alternative broadcast. Here, since the fifth broadcast is different from the first broadcast in terms of both frequency and polarization, the processor 110 may switch the first broadcast to the fifth broadcast by switching the frequency and polarization using the frequency switch 140 and the polarization switch 120.

[0043] As described above, the radio device 100 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to switch to an alternative broadcast that exhibits better signal quality than the listened-to broadcast when the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast deteriorates, and improve the signal quality by scanning for alternative broadcasts with frequencies and polarizations different from those of the listened-to broadcast, so as to provide high-quality services to vehicle passengers.

[0044] In addition to the above, the processor 110 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may compare the signal quality of the received broadcast and the alternative broadcast based on the type of noise of the alternative broadcast to determine whether to switch the received broadcast to the alternative broadcast. When the type of noise of the alternative broadcast is external noise, the processor 110 compares the signal quality of the received broadcast and the alternative broadcast multiple times, and is configured to determine whether the number of cases where the signal quality of the alternative broadcast is better than the signal quality of the received broadcast is greater than or equal to a predetermined number. If the number of cases where the signal quality of the alternative broadcast, which is one of the alternative broadcasts, is better than the signal quality of the received broadcast is greater than or equal to the predetermined number, the processor 110 is configured to determine to switch the received broadcast to the alternative broadcast and switch the frequency and / or polarization to the values corresponding to the alternative broadcast. When the type of noise of the alternative broadcast is internal noise, the processor 110 compares the signal quality of the received broadcast and the alternative broadcast; if the signal quality of the alternative broadcast is better than the signal quality of the received broadcast, the processor 110 switches the frequency and / or polarization to the values corresponding to the alternative broadcast. As described above, the radio device 100 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may classify the type of noise of the alternative broadcast into external noise and internal noise, and is configured to determine whether to switch the frequency and / or polarization based on the characteristics of each type of noise, thereby more effectively improving the signal quality.

[0045] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a radio device of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] The processor 110 is configured to determine whether to scan for alternative broadcasts based on the signal quality of the received broadcast. The processor 110 is configured to determine whether to scan for alternative broadcasts based on whether the signal strength of the received broadcast is greater than or equal to a reference signal strength, S510.

[0047] If the signal strength of the received broadcast is weaker than the reference signal strength, the signal processor 130 scans for alternative broadcasts, S520. The signal processor 130 selects an alternative broadcast. The signal processor 130 selects an alternative broadcast based on the signal patterns of the multiple detected broadcasts and the received broadcast. The signal processor 130 may select, as the alternative broadcast, a broadcast that exhibits a DTAC value greater than a threshold from among the multiple detected broadcasts. The signal processor 130 collects information about the alternative broadcast. The signal processor 130 may receive the signal of the selected alternative broadcast and collect information about the frequency, polarization, and / or signal quality.

[0048] The processor 110 is configured to determine the type of noise of the alternative broadcast based on a plurality of polarizations. The processor 110 is configured to determine the type of noise of the alternative broadcast based on the noise variation according to the plurality of polarizations. The processor 110 is configured to determine whether the noise variation according to the plurality of polarizations is less than or equal to a reference value, S530. If the noise variation is less than or equal to the reference value, the processor 110 may be configured to determine that the noise type is external noise, and if the noise variation exceeds the reference value, the processor 110 may be configured to determine that the noise type is internal noise.

[0049] If it is determined that the type of noise of the alternative broadcast is external noise, the processor 110 compares the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast and the signal quality of the alternative broadcast a plurality of times, and is configured to determine whether the number of cases where the signal quality of the alternative broadcast in the alternative broadcast is better than the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, S541. If the number of cases where the signal quality of the alternative broadcast in the alternative broadcast is better than the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast is greater than or equal to the predetermined number, the processor 110 is configured to determine that it is necessary to switch the listened-to broadcast to the alternative broadcast.

[0050] If it is determined that the type of noise of the alternative broadcast is internal noise, the processor 110 compares the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast and the alternative broadcast, and is configured to determine whether the signal quality of one of the alternative broadcasts is better than the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast, S542. If the signal quality of the alternative broadcast is better than the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast, the processor 110 is configured to determine that it is necessary to switch the listened-to broadcast to the alternative broadcast.

[0051] The processor 110 uses the polarization switch 120 and / or the frequency switch 140 to switch the frequency and / or polarization to a value corresponding to the alternative broadcast, S550. If the type of noise of the alternative broadcast is external noise, and the number of cases where the signal quality of the alternative broadcast is better than the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast is greater than or equal to the predetermined number, the processor 110 switches the frequency and / or polarization to a value corresponding to the alternative broadcast. If the type of noise of the alternative broadcast is internal noise, and the number of cases where the signal quality of the alternative broadcast is better than the signal quality of the listened-to broadcast is greater than or equal to the predetermined number, the processor 110 switches the frequency and / or polarization to a value corresponding to the alternative broadcast.

[0052] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a radio device for a vehicle is configured to switch the frequency and / or polarization based on the type of noise of the alternative broadcast, improve the radio signal quality in the vehicle, and provide a high-quality service to passengers.

[0053] Although the processes are described as being performed sequentially in the flowcharts of the present disclosure, this is merely an illustration of the technical concept of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In other words, since those of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure pertain can make various modifications and changes by changing the processes described in the flowcharts / timing diagrams or by performing one or more processes in parallel without departing from the substantial features of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the flowcharts / timing diagrams are not limited to the chronological order.

[0054] The various embodiments of the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented by digital electronic circuits, integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These different implementations can include implementations of one or more computer programs executable on a programmable system. The programmable system includes at least one programmable processor (which can be a dedicated processor or a general-purpose processor) coupled to a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device to receive data and instructions from the storage device and to receive data and instructions from the storage device. A computer program (also referred to as a program, software, software application, or code) includes instructions for a programmable processor and is stored in a "computer-readable recording medium".

[0055] The computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices that store data readable by a computer system. The computer-readable recording medium can include non-volatile or non-transitory media (such as ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, memory card, hard disk, optical disk, and storage devices), and can further include transient media (such as data transmission media). In addition, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed in networked computer systems, and the computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0056] The different implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented by a programmable computer. Here, the computer includes a programmable processor, a data storage system (including volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or another type of storage system or a combination thereof), and at least one communication interface. For example, the programmable computer can be one of a server, a network device, a set-top box, an embedded device, a computer expansion module, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cloud computing system, and a mobile device.

[0057] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the memory and the processor can be provided as one chip or as separate chips.

[0058] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the scope of the present disclosure includes software or machine-executable commands (e.g., operating systems, applications, firmware, programs, etc.) for enabling the operation of methods according to different embodiments to be executed on a device or computer, and non-transitory computer-readable media storing such software or commands and executable on the device or computer.

[0059] In various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control device may be implemented in the form of hardware or software, or may be implemented in a combination of hardware and software.

[0060] In addition, terms such as "unit", "module", etc. included in the specification refer to a unit for processing at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle may be referred to based on a concept including various transportation means. In some cases, a vehicle may be interpreted as based on not only various land transportation means (such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses) traveling on roads but also various transportation means such as airplanes, drones, ships, etc.

[0062] For the convenience of description and to accurately define the appended claims, referring to the positions of such features shown in the drawings, terms such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "upward", "downward", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "back", "inner", "outer", "inward", "outward", "inner", "outer", "inner", "outer", "forward", and "backward" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments. It should be further understood that the term "connected" or its derivatives refer to direct connection and indirect connection.

[0063] The term "and / or" may include combinations of multiple related listed items or any of the multiple related listed items. For example, "A and / or B" includes all three cases, namely "A", "B", and "A and B".

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, "at least one of A and B" may refer to "at least one of A or B" or "at least one of a combination of at least one of A and B". In addition, "one or more of A and B" may refer to "one or more of A or B" or "one or more of a combination of one or more of A and B".

[0065] In this specification, unless otherwise stated, singular expressions include plural expressions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0066] In the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that terms such as "including" or "having" are intended to specify the presence of the features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not preclude the possibility of adding or existing one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0067] For purposes of illustration and description, the foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For purposes of illustrating certain principles of the invention and its practical applications, exemplary embodiments have been selected and described so that others skilled in the art can make and utilize the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and their various alternatives and modifications. The scope of the present disclosure is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a radio device of a vehicle, the method comprising: a scan determination, the scan determination comprising determining whether to scan a plurality of alternative broadcasts based on a signal quality of the listened broadcast; scanning the plurality of alternative broadcasts; noise determination, the noise determination comprising determining a noise type of the plurality of substitute broadcasts based on a plurality of polarizations; comparing and determining, the comparing and determining including comparing a signal quality of the listening broadcast and a signal quality of the plurality of substitute broadcasts based on a determination result of the noise determination, and determining whether to switch the listening broadcast to a substitute broadcast that is one of the plurality of substitute broadcasts; as well as The listening broadcast is switched to the substitute broadcast based on a determination result of the comparing and determining.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The noise determination further includes determining a noise type of the substitute broadcast based on a noise variation according to the plurality of polarizations.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The noise determination further comprises: In response to the noise variation being less than or equal to a reference value, determining the noise type as external noise; and In response to the noise variation exceeding the reference value, the noise type is determined to be internal noise.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: In response to determining in the noise determination that the noise type of the alternative broadcast is external noise, the comparing and determining further includes: comparing the signal quality of the listening broadcast and the signal quality of the alternative broadcast a plurality of times, and determining whether to switch the listening broadcast to the alternative broadcast based on whether the number of cases where the signal quality of the alternative broadcast, which is one of the plurality of alternative broadcasts, is better than the signal quality of the listening broadcast is greater than or equal to a predetermined number; and In response to determining in the noise determination that the noise type of the alternative broadcast is internal noise, the comparing and determining further includes determining whether to switch the listening broadcast to the alternative broadcast based on whether a signal quality of the alternative broadcast, which is one of the multiple alternative broadcasts, is better than a signal quality of the listening broadcast.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: In response to determining in the noise determination that the noise type of the substitute broadcast is external noise, the switching includes: in response to a number of cases where the signal quality of the substitute broadcast is better than the signal quality of the listening broadcast being greater than or equal to a predetermined number, switching the listening broadcast to the substitute broadcast; and In response to determining in the noise determination that the noise type of the substitute broadcast is internal noise, the switching includes: in response to a signal quality of the substitute broadcast being better than a signal quality of the listening broadcast, switching the listening broadcast to the substitute broadcast.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The substitute broadcast provides the same content as the listened broadcast, and at least one of a frequency and a polarization of the substitute broadcast is different from at least one of a frequency and a polarization of the listened broadcast.

7. A radio device for a vehicle, the radio device comprising: a polarization switcher configured to generate a plurality of polarizations; a signal processor configured to process signals associated with a listening broadcast and signals associated with a plurality of alternative broadcasts based on the plurality of polarizations; as well as a processor operably connected to the polarization switch and the signal processor, and the processor is configured to switch the listening broadcast to an alternative broadcast that is one of the plurality of alternative broadcasts based on information transmitted from the signal processor, The processor is further configured to determine a noise type of the alternative broadcast based on information transmitted from the signal processor, compare a signal quality of the listening broadcast with a signal quality of the alternative broadcast based on the noise type, and switch the listening broadcast to the alternative broadcast.

8. The radio device according to claim 7, wherein: The processor is further configured to determine the noise type based on a noise variation according to the plurality of polarizations.

9. The radio device according to claim 7, wherein: The polarization switch includes a plurality of polarization antennas.

10. The radio device according to claim 7, wherein: The polarized antenna includes an antenna, and the polarized antenna is composed of a PIN diode.

11. The radio device according to claim 8, wherein: In determining the noise type, the processor is further configured to: In response to the noise variation being less than or equal to a reference value, determining the noise type as external noise; and In response to the noise variation exceeding the reference value, the noise type is determined to be internal noise.

12. The radio device according to claim 11, wherein: In response to determining that the noise type of the alternative broadcast is external noise in the noise determination, the processor is further configured to: compare the signal quality of the listening broadcast and the signal quality of the alternative broadcast a plurality of times, and determine whether to switch the listening broadcast to the alternative broadcast based on whether the number of cases where the signal quality of the alternative broadcast, which is one of the plurality of alternative broadcasts, is better than the signal quality of the listening broadcast is greater than or equal to a predetermined number; as well as In response to determining in the noise determination that the noise type of the alternative broadcast is internal noise, the processor is further configured to determine whether to switch the listening broadcast to the alternative broadcast based on whether the signal quality of the alternative broadcast as one of the multiple alternative broadcasts is better than the signal quality of the listening broadcast.

13. The radio device according to claim 12, wherein: In response to determining in the noise type determination that the noise type of the substitute broadcast is external noise, the processor is further configured to: in response to the number of cases where the signal quality of the substitute broadcast is better than the signal quality of the listening broadcast being greater than or equal to a predetermined number, switch the listening broadcast to the substitute broadcast; as well as In response to determining in the noise type determination that the noise type of the substitute broadcast is internal noise, the processor is further configured to: in response to a signal quality of the substitute broadcast being better than a signal quality of the listening broadcast, switch the listening broadcast to the substitute broadcast.

14. The radio device according to claim 7, wherein: The substitute broadcast provides the same content as the listened broadcast, and at least one of a frequency and a polarization of the substitute broadcast is different from at least one of a frequency and a polarization of the listened broadcast.

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