Entertainment device having a content library and adaptive content selection

• US 20030040293A1
• Filed: 08/22/2001
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Rahman, Mahfuzur, Braun, David, Johnson, Stephen, Bushmitch, Dennis, Fish, Robert, Chang, Chieh-Chung, Li, Luyang
• Granted Patent: US 6,952,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0083 using two or more tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/12 Radio receiver combined with a GPS receiver

Abstract

An entertainment device is provided for adaptively tuning to a content signal. The entertainment device includes a receiver responsive to content signals provided to the entertainment device. A selected channel of the receiver provides an output signal to an output terminal of the automobile entertainment device. A data processor is operably linked to the receiver for receiving a signal index of the content signal. The data processor is responsive to a predetermined signal index for actuating the receiver to select the specific channel corresponding to the predetermined signal index. A memory stores the predetermined signal index in accordance with an operator preference. Thus, the predetermined signal index enables the entertainment device to adaptively adjust to an operator'"'"'s preferred content.

Claims

1. An automobile entertainment device for receiving and presenting user preferred content signals, comprising:

a receiver responsive to content signals provided to the automobile entertainment device to provide an output signal representing user preferred content to an output terminal of the automobile entertainment device;

a data processor operably linked to the receiver for receiving a signal index of the user preferred content signal, the data processor being responsive to a the signal index for actuating the receiver to receive the preferred content signal; and

a memory for storing the received preferred content signal and the signal index,

whereby the stored signal index enables the automobile entertainment device to automatically receive and record the preferred content.

2. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 1, Wherein the memory includes a plurality of sections, each section corresponding to a respectively different category of content and the predetermined signal index includes a respective indicator for each category of content.

3. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 2, wherein the memory further includes a content directory indicating attributes of content that the receiver is able to receive and the processor compares the respective signal indexes to cause the receiver to receive the preferred content signal.

4. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 3, wherein each of the sections of the memory ha s a predetermined size and new content recorded into the section replaces the stored content that has been in the section longer than any other content in the section.

5. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores a further signal index corresponds to undesirable content, wherein the data processor is responsive to the further signal index to inhibit the receiver from providing content represented by the further signal index.

6. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 1, further including a command interface that converts spoken commands into control signals for the automobile entertainment device.

7. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 1, further including a command interface configured to be mounted on a steering wheel of an automobile in which the automobile entertainment device is located.

8. An automobile entertainment device for receiving and presenting content signals, comprising:

at least first and second tuning devices for receiving the content signals provided to the automobile entertainment device, the first tuning device providing an output signal to an output terminal of the automobile entertainment device;

a data processor operably linked to the at least first and second tuning devices for receiving a signal index representing a user preferred content signal, the data processor being responsive to a the signal index for actuating the second tuner to receive the preferred content signal; and

a memory for storing the received preferred content signal and the signal index,

whereby the stored signal index enables the automobile entertainment device to receive and record the preferred content automatically using the second tuner while the first tuner is providing the output signal to the output terminal of the automobile entertainment device.

9. An entertainment device according to claim 8, wherein the memory further includes a content directory indicating attributes of content that the receiver is able to receive and the processor compares the respective signal indexes to cause the receiver to receive the preferred content signal.

10. An entertainment device according to claim 8, further including first and second content processors for processing the content signals received by the first and second receivers, each of the first and second content processors being coupled to the output terminal of the entertainment device, to the memory and to the data processor, whereby one or both of the first and second receivers provides received content signals to the memory while one of the first and second receivers provides content signals to the output terminal.

11. An automobile entertainment device for receiving and presenting user preferred content signals, comprising:

a receiver responsive to content signals provided to the automobile entertainment device for receiving the preferred content signals

a memory for storing the received preferred content signals,

content processing means coupled to the receiver and to the memory for processing the received preferred content signals and providing an output signal representing user preferred content signals to an output terminal of the automobile entertainment device; and

a data processor operably linked to the receiver, to the memory and to the content processing means for receiving a signal index of the user preferred content signal, the data processor being responsive to a the signal index for actuating the receiver to receive the preferred content signal, and for selecting one of the received content signal and the stored content signal to provide to the content processing means.

12. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 11, wherein the data processor causes the memory to store the content at a predetermined rate and controls the content processing means to provide the content stored in the memory at a rate greater than the predetermined rate.

13. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 11, wherein the memory includes a plurality of sections, each section corresponding to a respectively different category of content and the predetermined signal index includes a respective identifier for each category of content.

14. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 13, wherein the memory further includes a content directory indicating attributes of content that the receiver is able to receive and the processor compares the respective signal indexes to cause the receiver to receive the preferred content signal.

15. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 14, wherein each of the sections of the memory has a predetermined size and new content recorded into the section replaces the stored content that has been in the section longer than any other content in the section.

16. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 11, wherein the memory stores a further signal index corresponds to undesirable content, wherein the data processor is responsive to the further signal index to inhibit the receiver from providing content represented by the further signal index.

17. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 11, further including a command interface that converts spoken commands into control signals for the automobile entertainment device.

18. An automobile entertainment device according to claim 11, further including a command interface configured to be mounted on a steering wheel of an automobile in which the automobile entertainment device is located.