SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CUSTOMIZING RADIO PRESETS

• US 20100178938A1
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Haughay, Allen P. JR., Lee, Jeffery, Ingrassia, Michael I. JR.
• Application Number:
  US12/353,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for customizing radio presets. The radio presets can be customized based on one or more of geographic location and user preferences. For example, radio presets bookmarking particular radio frequencies can be associated with a particular location. When a user device is in the particular location, the associated radio frequencies can be used to populate “hot keys.” In some embodiments, if radio presets are not available for a particular location, recommended radio presets can be determined by, for example, comparing radio station information with user preferences. This radio station information can include, for example, a listing of available radio stations, the genre of these radio stations, and radio station names. User preferences can include, for example, preferred songs, preferred radio stations, preferred radio shows, and preferred genres. Recommended radio presets can be determined by identifying available radio stations that match the user preferences.

Claims

1. A method for customizing radio presets, the method comprising:

determining a current geographical location;

identifying radio preset information associated with the current geographical location, wherein radio preset information is available for a plurality of geographic locations; and

loading the identified radio preset information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a current geographical location comprises:

defining an area fingerprint based on one or more data points related to received radio station frequencies and their associated signal strengths; and

identifying the current geographical location from a plurality of geographical locations, wherein the current geographical location corresponds to the defined area fingerprint.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein defining an area fingerprint comprises:

performing a background scan to define the area fingerprint.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a current geographical location comprises:

determining the current geographical location from one of a user-entered geographic location, a global positioning system (GPS), a location service provider, and a cellular network system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying radio preset information comprises:

retrieving the radio preset information associated with the current geographic location from one of a local database and a remote database.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a particular radio frequency; and

associating the particular radio frequency with the current geographical location to define a radio preset.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a particular radio frequency;

receiving a selection of a particular geographical location; and

associating the particular radio frequency with the particular geographical location to define a radio preset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the identified radio preset information comprises:

determining that the current geographical location is a new location; and

updating current radio preset information with the identified radio preset information in response to determining the current geographical location is a new location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying radio preset information comprises:

identifying recommended radio presets based on one or more of radio station information, user preferences, and radio preset information associated with locations that are not the current geographical location.

10. A system for providing geographic-specific radio presets, the system comprising:

a portable device, the portable device comprising;

communications circuitry operative to receive radio preset information for each of a plurality of geographic locations from a host device;

a radio tuner operative to tune a radio frequency; and

a processor operative to;

identify a current geographic location;

select radio preset information associated with the current geographic location and received from the host device; and

direct the radio tuner to tune to a radio frequency associated with the selected radio preset information.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine that the current geographic location is one of the plurality of geographic locations for which radio preset information is stored in memory.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the processor is further operative to define new radio preset information by associating a particular radio frequency with the current geographic location; and

the portable device'"'"'s communication circuitry is further operative to transmit the new radio preset information to the host device for storing.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the communication circuitry is further operative to;

transmit a selection of a particular radio frequency to the host device; and

transmit a selection of a particular geographical location to the host device to be associated by the host device with the particular radio frequency to define new radio preset information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication circuitry is further operative to:

receive the new radio present information in response to the host device determining that the particular geographic location corresponds to the current geographic location.

15. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a tuner operative to tune radio frequencies;

positioning circuitry operative to identify a current location of the portable electronic device; and

a processor operative to;

identify a subset of a plurality of radio presets, wherein the subset of radio presets are associated with the current location; and

load the identified subset of radio presets.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the positioning circuitry is further operative to:

identify the current location from one of an area fingerprint, a global positioning system (GPS), a location service provider, a cellular network system, and a user-entered geographic location.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operative to:

associate each radio preset of the identified subset of radio presets with a distinct selectable option of the portable device;

receive a selection of a particular selectable option; and

direct the tuner to tune to a radio frequency of the radio preset associated with the particular selectable option.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operative to:

identify recommended radio presets for the current location.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine that the current location is not associated with any radio presets; and

automatically load the recommended radio presets.

20. Machine-readable media for customizing radio presets, comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

determining a current geographical location;

identifying radio preset information associated with the current geographical location, wherein radio preset information is available for a plurality of geographic locations; and

loading the identified radio preset information.

21. A host device comprising:

a storage device operable to store radio preset information for each of a plurality of geographic locations; and

communications circuitry operable to;

receive, from a portable electronic device, a selection of at least one geographic location of the plurality of geographic locations; and

transmit radio preset information associated with the at least one geographic location to the portable electronic device.

22. The host device of claim 21, further comprising a processor operable to:

receive a selection of a particular radio frequency;

receive a selection of a particular geographical location; and

associate the particular radio frequency with the particular geographical location to define new radio preset information, wherein the storage device is further operable to store the new radio preset information.

23. The host device of claim 21, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further operable to receive a current geographic location of the portable electronic device; and

the host device further comprises a processor operable to;

compare the current geographic location to the plurality of geographic locations to determine a matching geographic location; and

direct the communications circuitry to transmit radio preset information associated with the matching geographic location to the portable electronic device.

24. The host device of claim 21, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further operable to receive a current geographic location of the portable electronic device; and

the host device further comprises a processor operable to automatically identify recommended radio preset information to associate with the current geographic location.

25. The host device of claim 24, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine the current geographic location is not associated with any radio preset information; and

identify the recommended radio preset information to associate with the current geographic location in response to determining the current geographic location is not associated with any radio preset information.

26. The host device of claim 24, wherein the processor is further operable to identify the recommended radio preset information based on one or more of radio station information, user preferences, and radio preset information associated with at least one geographic location that does not match the current geographical location.