Radio broadcasting system with transmitter identification

• US 4,252,995 A
• Filed: 02/17/1978
• Issued: 02/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Voorman, Johannes O., Schmidt, Johan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Application Number:
  US05/878,666
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 179/15 BT, 179/15 BY, 179/1 GD, 179/1 GE, 325/36, 325/48, 325/64, 325/44, 325/320, 178/66 R, 178/67, 370/76, 375/52
• US Class Current: 381/14
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal

Abstract

FM radio broadcasting system with transmitter identification by means of a transmitted subcarrier whose frequency is a harmonic of subharmonic of the stereo pilot and which is binary phase modulated with transmitter identification signals. In the transmitter the subcarrier is locked to the stereo pilot and the unmodulated wave, which is required for detection of the transmitter identification signal, is derived in the receiver from the received stereo pilot.

Claims

1. A transmitter for a radio broadcasting system with transmitter identification, said transmitter comprising means for providing an audio frequency information signal, a modulator for modulating a stereo information signal on a suppressed stereo subcarrier, an oscillator for generating a stereo pilot whose frequency is located between the frequency spectra of the audio frequency information signal and of the modulated stereo information signal, a source of binary transmitter identification signals, a circuit for deriving from the stereo pilot a further subcarrier whose frequency is a harmonic of a subharmonic of the stereo pilot which is not coinciding with a harmonic of the stereo pilot, a further modulator for binary phase modulating said further subcarrier with the transmitter identification signal, and a combination circuit for combining the modulated transmitter identification signal with the audio information signal, the stereo information signal and the stereo pilot.

2. A transmitter for a radio broadcasting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frequency of said further subcarrier is located in the middle between two harmonics of the stereo pilot.

3. A receiver for the reception of radio broadcasting signals with transmitter identification wherein a main carrier is frequency modulated by a multiplex signal comprising an audio frequency information signal, a stereo information signal modulated on a suppressed stereo subcarrier, a stereo pilot, and a binary transmitter identification signal which is binary phase modulated on a further subcarrier which is a harmonic of a subharmonic of the stereo pilot not coinciding with a harmonic of the stereo pilot, said receiver comprising a frequency discriminator for demodulating the received main carrier, a synchronous demodulator having first and second inputs and an output, a first transmission path coupled to the output of the discriminator for applying the binary phase modulator transmitter identification signal to the first input of the synchronous demodulator, a second transmission path coupled to the output of the frequency discriminator for applying an unmodulated wave synchronized by the stereo pilot to the second input of the synchronous demodulator, and and output circuit coupled to the output of the synchronous demodulator for the demodulated transmitter identification signal.

4. A receiver as claimed in claim 3, which further comprises means for generating a control signal in dependance upon the relative phase of the carrier wave of the binary phase modulated signal applied to the first input of the synchronous demodulator and the unmodulated wave applied to the second input of the synchronous demodulator, said means having an input connected to a connection point of the first transmission path, an input connected to a connection point of the second transmission path, and an output;

and an electronically controllable phase-shifter connected in one of said transmission paths and having a control input coupled to the output of said means for controlling said relative phase.

5. A receiver as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means for generating a control signal comprises a phase detector having first and second inputs and an output, and a frequency doubler connected between the connection point of the first transmission path and the first input of the phase-detector, the connection point of the second transmission path being coupled to the second input of the phase detector, the output of the phase detector being coupled to the control input of the electronically controllable phase-shifter for controlling said relative phase.

6. A receiver as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means for generating a control signal comprises a phase detector having first and second inputs and an output, a phase-inverter, first coupling means for coupling the connection point of the first transmission path to the first input of the phase detector, a second coupling means for coupling the connection point of the second transmission path to the second input of the phase detector, a third coupling means for coupling he output of said phase detector to the control input of the controllable phase-shifter, said phase inverter being included in one of said first, and a second and third coupling means and being controlled by the output signal of the synchronous detector.

7. A receiver as claimed in claim 4, wherein said electronically controllable phase-shifter is connected in said second transmission path before said connection point of the second transmission path.