Audio system programmable for recording preselected audio broadcasts

• US 5,671,195 A
• Filed: 05/31/1996
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Science and Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Science and Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Howard Hong-Dough
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US08/658,948
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 369/7, 369/6, 369/21, 369/84, 369/8, 369/9, 369/10, 369/12, 360/7, 360/5, 455/344, 455/345, 455/115, 455/127, 455/296, 455/297, 381/34, 381/35
• US Class Current: 369/7
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/09 Arrangements for receiving desired information automatically according to timetables
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information

Abstract

An audio system comprising programmable means and power-distributing means is capable of recording preselected audio broadcasts in accordance with the program data manually set by a user based on the best projection of his/her routine or particular schedule. In addition to making latest traffic/weather information available in advance, an audio system in accordance with this invention is capable of automatically outputting the sound data of the recorded information either at a preselected time when a use is being waken up or when his/her vehicle is started. Said audio system is optionally afforded with an additional radio receiving means so that a user has a choice of continuously listening in to a musical broadcast during a preselected traffic/weather broadcast from a different radio station is being automatically recorded.

Claims

1. An audio system programmable for recording preselected audio broadcasts, the audio system comprising:

(a) radio receiving means for receiving audio signals;

(b) recording-and-reproducing means comprising a data storage means, for recording audio signals to said data storage means and for reproducing recorded audio signals from said data storage means;

(c) sound data output means for outputting audio signals generated by said radio receiving means and by said recording-and-reproducing means;

(d) a plurality of manually-operable input means comprising channel-frequency-setting input means and time-setting input means for setting program data of a program, including program channel-frequency data and program time data;

(e) memory storing means for storing said program data input by said plurality of manually-operable input means;

(f) clock means for affording current time data;

(g) channel selecting means responsive to a signal so as to control said radio receiving means for receiving audio signals at a channel frequency in accordance with said program channel-frequency data;

(h) system control microprocessor means for detecting when a current time from said clock means coincides with said program time data stored in said memory storing means, and for causing said channel selecting means to generate and hold a channel selecting signal in accordance with said program channel-frequency data, so as to actuate said recording-and-reproducing means to perform information recording in accordance with said program data; and

(i) a power supply system comprising a power source, a first set of power distributing means and a second set of power distributing means, said power source selectively supplying power to said system control microprocessor means through one of said first and second sets of power distributing means, said first set of power distributing means being manually controllable for distributing power from said power source at least to said radio receiving means and to said recording-and-reproducing means, and said second set of power distributing means being automatically controllable by said system control microprocessor means for distributing power from said power source at least to said radio receiving means and to said recording-and-reproducing means in accordance with said program time data.

2. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising an ignition signal detecting means capable of detecting a turn-on or -off signal of an ignition switch of an engine, for requesting said system control microprocessor means to reactivate the execution of said program for a next programmed day.

3. The audio system of claim 2 further comprising automatic monitoring means for generating and holding a signal for requesting said recording-and-reproducing means to perform information reproduction when said system control microprocessor means receives a turn-on signal from said ignition signal detecting means.

4. The audio system of claim 1, wherein said channel selecting means is further responsive to a signal generated in accordance with manual activation of said channel-frequency-setting input means for generating and holding a channel selecting signal so as to control said radio receiving means for receiving audio signals at a channel frequency manually selected.

5. The audio system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of manually-operatable input means further includes program-category input means for requesting a plurality of recorded broadcasts to be reproduced in a categorized manner.

6. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising automatic monitoring means for generating and holding a signal for requesting said system control microprocessor means to automatically pause the proceeding of any manually-activated sound output not actuated in accordance with said program data, so as to output the audio signals of a preselected broadcast to said sound data output means in accordance with said program data.

7. The audio system of claim 6, wherein said automatic monitoring means causes said system control microprocessor means to store a code representing said proceeding of manually-activated sound output to said memory storing means so as to allow said proceeding of manually-activated sound output to resume when said system control microprocessor detects a coincidence signal between a current time from said clock means and recording ending-time data of said program data stored in said memory storing means.

8. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising a cassette player having a cassette playing function pausable and resumable by said system control microprocessor means in accordance with said program time data.

9. The audio system of claim 1 further comprising a means selected from the group consisting of visual-type display means, voice-type generating means, and the combination of both, wherein said means is responsive to an input actuated by said manually-operatable input means for facilitating the proceeding of setting programs.

10. An audio system capable of being manually controlled to output sound data of a broadcast for immediate listening while automatically recording a preselected broadcast, said audio system comprising:

(a) at least two radio receiving means, each capable of independently receiving audio signals;

(b) recording-and-reproducing means comprising a data storage means, for recording audio signals to said data storage means and for reproducing recorded audio signals from said data storage means;

(c) sound data output means for outputting audio signals generated by either one of said at least two radio receiving means and by said recording-and-reproducing means;

(d) a plurality of manually-operable input means comprising channel-frequency-setting input means and time-setting input means for setting program data of a program, including program channel-frequency data and program time data;

(e) memory storing means for storing said program data input by said plurality of manually-operable input means;

(f) clock means for affording current time data;

(g) at least two channel selecting means, one being responsive to a signal generated in accordance with automatic activation of said program channel-frequency data for generating and holding a channel selecting signal so as to control one of said at least two radio receiving means for receiving audio signals at a preselected channel frequency in accordance with said program data, and another of said at least two channel selecting means being responsive to a signal generated in accordance with manual activation of said program channel-frequency input means for generating and holding a channel selecting signal so as to control another of said at least two radio receiving means for receiving audio signals at a channel frequency manually selected;

(h) system control microprocessor means for detecting when a current time from said clock means coincides with said program time data stored in said memory storing means, and for causing said one of said at least two channel selecting means to generate and hold a channel selecting signal in accordance with said program channel-frequency data, so as to actuate said recording-and-reproducing means for performing information recording in accordance with said program data; and

(i) a power supply system comprising a power source means, a first set of power distributing means and a second set of power distributing means, said power source means selectively supplying power to said system control microprocessor means through one of said first and second sets of power distributing means, said first set of power distributing means being manually controllable for distributing power from said power source at least to said another of said two radio receiving means and to said recording-and-reproducing means, and said second set of power distributing means being controllable by said system control microprocessor means for distributing power from said power source at least to said one of said at least two radio receiving means and to said recording-and-reproducing means in accordance with said program data.

11. The audio system of claim 10 further comprising ignition signal detecting means capable of detecting a turn-on or -off signal of an ignition switch of an engine, for requesting said system control microprocessor means to reactivate the execution of said program for a next programmed day.

12. The audio system of claim 11 further comprising automatic monitoring means for generating and holding a signal for requesting said recording-and-reproducing means to perform information reproduction when said system control microprocessor means receives a turn-on signal from said ignition signal detecting means.

13. The audio system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of manually-operatable input means further includes program-category input means for requesting a plurality of recorded broadcasts to be reproduced in a categorized manner.

14. The audio system of claim 10 further comprising automatic monitoring means for generating and holding a signal to request said system control microprocessor means to automatically pause the proceeding of any manually-activated sound output not actuated in accordance with said program data, so as to output the audio signals of a preselected broadcast to said sound data output means in accordance with said program data.

15. The audio system of claim 14, wherein said automatic monitoring means causes said system control microprocessor means to store a code representing said proceeding of manually-activated sound output to said memory storing means so as to allow said proceeding of manually-activated sound output to resume when said system control microprocessor detects a coincidence signal between a current time from said clock means and recording ending-time data of said program data stored in said memory storing means.

16. An audio system programmable for controlling at least a series of constant-time-length radio broadcast events said audio system comprising:

(a) at least one radio receiving means for receiving audio signals;

(b) recording-and-reproducing means for recording audio signals and for reproducing recorded audio signals;

(c) a plurality of manually-operable input means for setting program data of a program, including program channel-frequency data and program time data;

(d) writable memory storing means for storing said program data input by said plurality of manually-operable input means;

(e) read only memory means;

(f) a first set of basic instructions stored in said read only memory means, for requesting an input of said program time data to include program starting-time data defining the starting time point of the first event of a series of constant-time-length events of a program, event length data defining said constant time length for each event of said program to last each time, event cycle time defining the time length between two successive events, event-cycle value defining the total number of constant-time-length events to take place for one programmed day;

(g) a second set of basic instructions stored in said read only memory means, for effecting a computation of event ending-time data and next event starting-time data in accordance with said program time data stored in said writable memory storing means;

(h) dock means for affording current time data;

(i) microprocessor means for processing the request of inputting said program time data to said writable memory storing means in accordance with said first set of basic instructions, for computing said event ending-time data and said next event starting-time data from said program time data stored in said writable memory storing means in accordance with said second set of basic instructions stored in said read only memory means, for effecting the proceeding of storing said computed time data to said writable memory storing means, and for determining when a current time from said clock means coincides with said computed time data stored in said writable memory storing means, so as to actuate said control system to control a periodic occurrence of said constant-time-length events in accordance with said program data; and

(j) a power supply system comprising a power source means and a set of power distributing means, said power source means selectively supplying power to said microprocessor means through said set of power distributing means, said set of power distributing means being controllable by said microprocessor means for distributing power in accordance with said program data.

17. The audio system of claim 16, wherein said constant-time-length events are selected from the group consisting of information recordings for later reproduction, sound outputtings of preselected broadcasts for immediate listening in accordance with said program data, and the combination of said information recordings and said sound outputtings.

18. The audio system of claim 16 further comprising means for setting a time at which said recording-and-reproducing means is actuated by said microprocessor means to reproduce recorded broadcasts.

19. The audio system of claim 16 further comprising means selected from the group consisting of visual-type display means, voice-type generating means, and the combination of both responsive to an input actuated by said manually-operatable input means for facilitating the proceeding of setting programs.