Radio having adjustable seek sensitivity based on average signal strength and method therefor

1. A tuneable radio having an adjustable seek sensitivity, said radio comprising:

a radio receiver for receiving broadcast radio wave signals;

a tuner adjustable for selecting from a plurality of radio wave signal channels;

a signal detector for detecting signal strength of the received radio wave signals;

a seek input for initiating a seek operation to seek a radio wave signal channel having a detected signal strength greater than a seek sensitivity threshold; and

a controller determining an average value of the detected signal strength of the received radio wave signals that exceed a minimum signal strength level, said controller adjusting said seek sensitivity threshold based on said average value.

2. The radio as defined in claim 1 , wherein said controller determines an initial seek sensitivity threshold for use as the seek sensitivity threshold by receiving a predetermined number of received radio wave signals having the highest detected signal strength and computing an initial average signal strength value of the predetermined number of received radio wave signals.

3. The radio as defined in claim 2 , wherein said initial seek sensitivity threshold is set equal to said initial average value.

4. The radio as defined in claim 2 , wherein said initial average signal strength value is computed based on five to ten received radio wave signals.

5. The radio as defined in claim 1 , wherein said average signal strength value is computed based on five to ten received radio wave signals.

6. The radio as defined in claim 1 , wherein said seek sensitivity threshold is adjusted proportional to the change in average signal strength value.

7. The radio as defined in claim 1 , wherein said seek input comprises a pushbutton.

8. The radio as defined in claim 1 , wherein said tuneable radio is located on a movable vehicle.

9. The radio as defined in claim 8 , wherein said radio is a car radio.

10. A method of adjusting seek sensitivity in a tuneable radio, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving broadcast radio wave signals;

selecting from a plurality of radio wave signal channels with a tuner;

detecting signal strength of the received radio wave signals;

calculating an average value of the detected signal strength of the plurality of received radio wave signals that exceed a minimum signal level; and

adjusting a seek sensitivity threshold based on said average value.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising the step of determining an initial seek sensitivity threshold for use as the seek sensitivity threshold by determining an average of a predetermined number of the received broadcast radio wave signals having the greatest detected signal strength.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising the step of initiating a seek operation to seek a radio wave signal channel having a detected signal strength greater than a seek sensitivity threshold.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 , wherein said step of initiating the seek operation comprises depressing a pushbutton.

14. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein said step of calculating an average value comprises computing an average signal value based on five to ten received radio wave signals.

15. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein said step of adjusting the seek sensitivity threshold comprises adjusting the seek sensitivity threshold proportional to the change in the average signal strength value.

16. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein a tuneable radio is located on a movable vehicle.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 , wherein said radio is a car radio.