Patent attributes
For determining connection of a TV broadcast receiver for receiving terrestrial broadcasts to a smart antenna with multiple receiving directions having a current active receiving direction, the receiver sends, to the connected antenna, a control signal to change the current active receiving direction to a further active receiving direction, so as to determine that a smart antenna is connected to the receiver if intensity of a television broadcast signal received and measured in the further active receiving direction is significantly varied from that in the current receiving direction. If the intensity of the television broadcast signal in the further active receiving direction is not significantly varied, the receiver determines that a smart antenna is disconnected from the receiver, and displays a message indicating the disconnection to a user. Thus, this receiver can automatically determine the kind of connected antenna, and display information about the connected antenna to the user.
