Digital radio receiver system

• US 10,033,090 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Dawn Innovations Ltd
• Original Assignee: New Dawn Innovations Ltd
• Inventors: Merricks, Jonathan, Copley, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US15/118,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20170055077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 381 86, 381 3, 381 77, 4555759
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/82 of electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/32 on moving objects, e.g. vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

A digital radio receiver system is provided as a single module for retro-fit connection to the external antenna connector of a vehicle or the like. The system includes an antenna connected to a radio receiver which is configured to scan and receive digital radio channels through the antenna. There is also a wireless communications module for wirelessly transmitting to an external display and control unit information relating to the available channels and for receiving back a selected channel. A transmitter is provided for decoding a selected channel and transmitting it as a modulated signal down a wired feed from the eternal antenna connector to an analog radio head unit for output on a given channel. A renewable energy unit is provided on the module for powering the receiver, communications module and transmitter.

Claims

1. A digital radio receiver system for connection to an existing wired feed to a radio head unit, the system comprising:

a casing;

a digital radio receiver for scanning and receiving through an antenna one or more digital radio channels;

a wireless communications module for wirelessly transmitting data indicative of the radio channels to an external device and for receiving selection of a channel from an external device;

a transmitter for transmitting a selected channel to the head unit via the wired feed; and

a renewable energy unit for generating electrical energy for powering the digital radio receiver, wireless communications module and transmitter, wherein the renewable energy unit comprises a wind turbine that supplies generated electrical energy to a battery which powers the digital radio receiver, wireless communications module and transmitter, and wherein the wind turbine is mounted within a generally arcuate opening in a front surface of the casing.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to covert data from the selected channel to a modulated analogue signal corresponding to a channel frequency, selectable at the head unit.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a memory storing a plurality of analogue frequency presets which are assigned to a corresponding digital radio station and in which the transmitter is configured to transmit each of the digital radio stations on their respective preset frequencies to the head unit.

4. The system according to claim 2, further comprising means to automatically scan for an available channel frequency, for the transmitter to transmit the selected channel.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the digital radio receiver, wireless communications module, transmitter and renewable energy unit are provided as part of a self-contained antenna module configured to be connected to an antenna connector which feeds to the radio head unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the self-contained antenna module comprises a bolt extending from a bottom of said self-contained antenna module, and which is dimensioned and arranged to locate within an existing antenna connector socket located externally on a vehicle, for interconnecting internal circuitry of the self-contained antenna module and the existing wired feed.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the antenna module comprises a whip or fin type antenna and in which the digital radio receiver, wireless communications module and transmitter are housed within the antenna module.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wind turbine is located within the antenna module adjacent one or more grilles to enable ingress and egress of air as it drives the turbine.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wind turbine is vertically mounted.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wind turbine is horizontally mounted so as to rotate about a generally vertical axis.

11. The system according to claim 5, wherein the renewable energy unit further comprises a solar cell or cells that supplies generated electrical energy to a battery which powers the digital radio receiver, wireless communications module and transmitter.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the solar cell or cells are mounted on part of the antenna module.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications module is a Bluetooth module configured to communicate with a paired external device.

14. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means to scan and receive one or more analogue radio channels and, in the event that no digital radio channel is available, analogue radio channels are made available for transmission to the head unit.

15. A digital radio receiver system provided as a single module for connection to an external antenna connector of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a casing;

a radio receiver which is configured to scan and receive digital radio channels through an antenna;

a wireless communications module for wirelessly transmitting to an external display and control unit information relating to the available channels and for receiving back a selected channel;

a transmitter for decoding a selected channel and transmitting it as a modulated signal down a wired feed from the eternal antenna connector to an analogue radio head unit for output on a given channel; and

a renewable energy unit provided on the module for powering the receiver, communications module and transmitter, wherein the renewable energy unit comprises a wind turbine that supplies generated electrical energy to a battery which powers the digital radio receiver, wireless communications module and transmitter, and wherein the wind turbine is mounted within a generally arcuate opening in a front surface of the casing.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising geographic position identification receiver, and an information module configured to identify a position of the system when all or certain digital radio channels are not received, said identified position being stored on local memory and/or being transmitted to a remote location.

17. A digital radio receiver system for connection to a wired feed to a radio head unit, the system comprising:

a casing;

a digital radio receiver for receiving through an antenna one or more digital radio channels;

a memory for storing data indicating a plurality of analogue radio frequencies and associated with each a respective digital radio channel;

a transmitter for converting and transmitting simultaneously each of the digital radio channels identified on the memory down the wired feed on their associated analogue radio frequency for selective output at the radio head unit; and

a renewable energy unit for generating electrical energy for powering the digital radio receiver, the memory and the transmitter, wherein the renewable energy unit comprises a wind turbine that supplies generated electrical energy to a battery which powers the digital radio receiver, the memory and the transmitter, and wherein the wind turbine is mounted within a generally arcuate opening in a front surface of the casing.