Method for operating a radio system, radio system and motor vehicle having a radio station

• US 10,205,546 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Hartmann, Jurgen, Sassmannshausen, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US15/552,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20180041297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 455 306, 340 437, 340 44, 381 77- 85
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/70 using geographical information, e.g. maps, charts or atlases

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a radio system of a motor vehicle. In one embodiment, the method comprises: specifying an area surrounding the motor vehicle, determining which digital radio stations within this area can be received error-free using a receiving device of the radio system, and displaying only those digital radio stations which can be received error-free within this area. The invention furthermore relates to a radio system for a motor vehicle and to a motor vehicle with a radio system.

Claims

1. A method for operating a radio system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

specifying an area surrounding the motor vehicle that moves with the motor vehicle at a speed of the motor vehicle, wherein a size of the area is set based on the speed the motor vehicle is traveling, or the size and a shape of the area are set based on a road type currently being traveled by the motor vehicle, or the size and the shape of the area are set based on a predefined uninterrupted minimum reception duration for digital radio stations;

determining a digital radio station is received error-free within the area using a receiving device of the radio system; and

displaying the digital radio station.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining the digital radio station is received error-free within the area based on a file, wherein the file specifies digital radio stations that is received error-free based on a location, wherein the file comprises a digital receiver card.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the file is updated at predefined intervals based on data provided by another motor vehicle regarding a location-dependent reception quality of the digital radio stations.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

specifying a navigation route for the motor vehicle;

wherein the specifying the area surrounding the motor vehicle further comprises;

specifying the area surrounding the motor vehicle to cover at least a portion of the navigation route for the motor vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a navigation route of the motor vehicle being unknown, determining an anticipated route of the motor vehicle, wherein the determining the anticipated route of the motor vehicle is based on a time of day or a day of week and a route previously traveled by the motor vehicle, wherein the area is set to cover at least a portion of the anticipated route.

6. The method of claim 1, the moving the area surrounding the motor vehicle further comprising:

moving the area surrounding the motor vehicle such that a position of the motor vehicle within the area is constant.

7. The method of claim 1, the specifying further comprising:

specifying the area surrounding the motor vehicle based on the speed the motor vehicle is traveling.

8. The method of claim 1, the specifying further comprising:

specifying the area surrounding the motor vehicle based on the road type currently being traveled by the motor vehicle.

9. A radio system for a motor vehicle, the radio system comprising:

a control device configured to;

specify an area surrounding the motor vehicle that moves with the motor vehicle at a speed of the motor vehicle, wherein a size of the area is set based on the speed the motor vehicle is traveling, or the size and a shape of the area are set based on a road type currently being traveled by the motor vehicle, or the size and the shape of the area are set based on a predefined uninterrupted minimum reception duration for digital radio stations;

determine a digital radio station that is received error-free within the area using a receiving device of the radio system; and

display the digital radio station.

10. The radio system according to claim 9, the control device further configured to:

determine the digital radio station is received error-free within the area based on a file, wherein the file specifies digital radio stations that can be received error-free based on a location, wherein the file comprises a digital receiver card.

11. The radio system according to claim 10, wherein the file is updated at predefined intervals based on data provided by another motor vehicle regarding a location-dependent reception quality of the digital radio stations.

12. The radio system according to claim 9, the control device further configured to:

specify a navigation route for the motor vehicle; and

specifying the area surrounding the motor vehicle to cover at least a portion of the navigation route for the motor vehicle.

13. The radio system according to claim 9, the control device further configured to:

in response to a navigation route of the motor vehicle being unknown, determine an anticipated route of the motor vehicle based on a time of day or a day of week and a route previously traveled by the motor vehicle, wherein the area is set to cover at least a portion of the anticipated route.

14. The radio system according to claim 9, the control device further configured to:

move the area surrounding the motor vehicle at the speed the motor vehicle is traveling.

15. The radio system according to claim 14, the control device further configured to:

move the area surrounding the motor vehicle such that a position of the motor vehicle within the area is constant.

16. The radio system according to claim 9, the control device further configured to:

specify the area surrounding the motor based on the speed the motor vehicle is traveling.

17. The radio system according to claim 9, the control device further configured to:

specify the area surrounding the motor vehicle based on the road type currently being traveled by the motor vehicle.