PORTABLE PERSONAL NAVIGATION DEVICE

• US 20080270025A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wlotzka, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/082 to be used in vehicles H04B1/086 takes precedence; holding or mounting accessories B60R11/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/086 Portable receivers

Abstract

A portable personal navigation device having at least one receiver for receiving radio waves and an output unit for outputting audio signals, where the receiver is configured to receive radio programs and where the output unit is configured to play back the radio programs.

Claims

1. A portable personal navigation device comprising:

a navigation unit;

at least one radio wave receiver configured to receive radio programs; and

an audio signal output unit configured to play back the radio programs.

2. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, where that at least one receiver is configured to also receive a traffic message channel.

3. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, further comprising at least two radio wave receivers, where one receiver is configured to receive radio programs and other receiver is configured to receive a traffic message channel.

4. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, where the at least one receiver can be tuned to at least a portion of one or a plurality of the following radio bands:

very high frequency (VHF), shortwave (HF), medium wave, longwave.

5. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, further comprising a recording mechanism for recording radio programs.

6. The portable personal navigation device of claim 5, further including a slot for receiving a memory card and a where the recording unit is a memory card arranged in the slot.

7. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, where the audio signal output unit includes at least one loudspeaker that is integrated in the portable personal navigation device.

8. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, where the audio signal output unit includes a connector for providing audio signals in the form of time varying voltages.

9. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, where an antenna is provided for receiving the radio waves, the antenna being mounted to the portable personal navigation device.

10. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, further including an antenna connector and where an antenna is connected to the portable personal navigation device by the connector.

11. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, further including

a display;

and

at least one control element, where by actuating the at least one control element a radio menu is displayed on the display, the radio menu having at least functions for controlling the receiver for radio waves.

12. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, where the portable personal navigation device is provided with functionality similar to that of a multi-band radio.

13. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, where the at least one receiver is an existing traffic message channel receiver of the portable personal navigation device reconfigured to receive radio broadcasts and the audio signal output unit is an existing output unit of the portable personal navigation device reconfigured to play the radio broadcasts.

14. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, where the at least one receiver is configured to receive digital radio programs.

15. The portable personal navigation device of claim 1, further including at least three radio receivers, where one receiver is for receiving a traffic message channel, one receiver is for receiving analog radio programs and one receiver is for receiving digital radio programs.

16. A portable personal navigation device comprising:

a navigation unit;

at least one radio wave receiver configured to receive a radio program;

an audio signal output unit configured so as to play back the radio program; and

a recording unit capable of recording a radio program at predetermined times.

17. The portable personal navigation device of claim 16, further comprising:

a position determination unit determining a position of the personal navigation device;

where the at least one receiver is configured so as to tune to a radio channel in accordance with position information supplied by the position determination unit.

18. The portable personal navigation device of claim 17, further comprising a memory for storing radio channel frequency information in association with position information.

19. A portable personal navigation device comprising:

an analogue receiver for radio waves configured to receive a radio program;

a receiver configured so as to receive a traffic message channel; and

an output unit for outputting an audio signal configured to play back the radio program.

20. The portable personal navigation device of claim 19, further comprising a recording unit capable of recording a radio program at predetermined times.

21. A method of operating a portable personal navigation device, the method comprising the steps of:

tuning a receiver of the portable personal navigation device to a frequency for receiving a radio program;

determining a position with a position determination unit of the portable personal navigation device; and

adjusting the frequency for receiving a radio program if the determined position meets a predetermined criterion.

22. The method of claim 21, where the predetermined criterion is whether the determined position is located within a predetermined geographical area.

23. A method of operating a portable personal navigation device, the method comprising the step of:

determining a position with a position determination unit of the portable personal navigation device; and

at predetermined times, recording a radio program received by a receiver of the portable personal navigation device using a recording unit.

24. The method of claim 23, where the position is continuously being determined by the portable personal navigation device while the radio program is being recorded.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of providing navigation to a user of the portable personal navigation device while recording the radio program.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of storing the recorded radio program in a memory of the portable personal navigation device, and enabling the playback of said recorded radio program at a later time.