ENHANCED RADIO SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
1. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver configured for continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio program signal;
(b) a storage module configured to simultaneously store in a buffer at least an audio portion of every radio signal received by the two radio receivers while the apparatus is turned on and while the apparatus is turned off for later output by selection of a user wherein the storage module is configured to be connected to a power source to receive power while the apparatus is turned on and also while the apparatus is turned off; and
(c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof;
wherein the control module is configured to allow the user to select a stored radio signal from the buffer in the storage module for the output while the apparatus is turned on, said stored radio signal having been received and stored while said apparatus was turned off.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An enhanced radio system is disclosed that provides for the capture and playback of one or more radio stations. The user may tune to a station, or scan through stations, rewind to hear what was missed (even while the system is turned off), and fast-forward through undesired content. The system allows a user to rate content, and to be notified when that content is being played on any station. The system may recognize content as it is broadcast and may jump to desirable content, save a copy of desirable content, or skip over undesirable content. The system may make radio station recommendations. The system may support multiple sets of configuration information to allow its use by multiple listeners and in multiple locations. The system allows the user to respond easily to radio content, download and upload audio content, and send radio content to another user. The system may allow a user to download information about content that the user wishes to record a copy of. The system may include security features to prevent the unauthorized downloading, uploading, and saving of copies of the radio content. The system may provide other radio related and radio content related information. The system may provide a karaoke mode. The system may also allow the user to integrate a telephone with the radio. The system may report usage information to a collection facility.
143 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver configured for continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to simultaneously store in a buffer at least an audio portion of every radio signal received by the two radio receivers while the apparatus is turned on and while the apparatus is turned off for later output by selection of a user wherein the storage module is configured to be connected to a power source to receive power while the apparatus is turned on and also while the apparatus is turned off; and (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; wherein the control module is configured to allow the user to select a stored radio signal from the buffer in the storage module for the output while the apparatus is turned on, said stored radio signal having been received and stored while said apparatus was turned off. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver configured for continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to simultaneously store in a buffer at least an audio portion of every radio signal received by the two radio receivers for later output by selection of a user; (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; and (d) a communication module configured to receive audio content; wherein a user can select a stored radio signal from the buffer in the storage module for the output and wherein the storage module is configured to store in a separate buffer audio content received by the communication module for later output by selection of the user. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver configured for continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to simultaneously store in a buffer at least an audio portion of every radio signal received by the two radio receivers for later output by selection of a user; (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof, and (d) a communication module configured to send radio content; wherein the user can select a stored radio signal from the buffer in the storage module for output using the communication module. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes radio signals, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least one radio receiver capable of continuously receiving a radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to store in a buffer at least an audio portion of the radio signal received by the radio receiver for later output by selection of a user; (c) a communication module configured to receive information representative of an item of audio content wherein the information representative of the item comprises an item signature; (d) a processing module configured to recognize an item of audio content based on the received information representative of the item; and wherein the storage module is additionally configured to automatically save a copy of the item of audio content when it is recognized based on the received information. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes radio signals, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver configured for continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to simultaneously store in a buffer at least an audio portion of every radio signal received by the two radio receivers for later output by selection of a user; (c) a processing module configured to recognize an item of audio content based on information representative of the item wherein the information representative of the item comprises an item signature; and (d) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; wherein the processing module is additionally configured to take an action when an item of audio content is recognized based on a setting configured by the user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus configured for radio programming that process radio signals, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver configured for continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to simultaneously store in a buffer at least an audio portion of every radio signal received by the two radio receivers for later output by selection of a user; (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; (d) a memory used for storing a user setting of one or more favorite radio stations, wherein the control module uses the user setting of the one or more favorite radio stations to control the received radio signals; and wherein content of a radio station defined by the user as a favorite station is automatically accessed. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver configured for continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio program signal and the two radio receivers configured to receive radio signals from different types of radio sources; (b) a storage module configured to simultaneously store in a buffer at least an audio portion of every radio signal received by the two radio receivers for later output by selection of a user; and (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; wherein the user can select a stored radio signal from the buffer in the storage module for the output. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes radio signals and provides telephone communications, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least one radio receiver configured for continuously receiving a radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to store in a buffer at least an audio portion of the radio signal received by the radio receiver for later output by selection of a user; (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; (d) a telephone configured to support voice communication with another telephone; and (e) a user interface comprising a microphone and a speaker, the user interface providing voice input and output for the voice communication using the telephone and the output for the stored radio signals; wherein the output of the radio signals is automatically paused while a telephone call is in progress.
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27. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver configured for continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to simultaneously store in a buffer at least an audio portion of every radio signal received by the two radio receivers for later output by selection of a user; (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; (d) a user input device configured to allow a user to specify a preference for an item of radio content; (e) memory for storing the user preference; wherein the control module is configured to automatically output radio signals retrieved from different buffers associated with different receivers within the radio receiver module based on the stored user preferences associated with content identified to be similar to that stored in the different buffers associated with the different receivers.
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28. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes radio signals, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least one radio receiver configured for continuously receiving a radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to store in a buffer at least an audio portion of the radio signal received by the radio receiver for later output by selection of a user; (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; (d) a user interface configured to allow a user to enter a command to the apparatus; wherein a particular user command received by the user interface causes the control module to identify a current song and perform an action related to the current song. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus configured for radio programming that processes radio signals, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a radio receiver module having at least one radio receiver configured for continuously receiving a radio program signal; (b) a storage module configured to store in a buffer at least an audio portion of the radio signal received by the radio receiver for later output by selection of a user; (c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof; (d) a user interface configured to allow a user to enter a traffic command to the apparatus to listen to current traffic; wherein the traffic user command received by the user interface causes the control module to identify a traffic report and to play the report from the storage module.
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Specification