Method of and receiver for processing and reproducing a message

• US 5,724,644 A
• Filed: 12/19/1995
• Issued: 03/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wetsels, Heinz W., Wassink, Derk J. C., Westra, Frans A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Application Number:
  US08/574,827
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 455/45, 455/156.1, 455/38.4, 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 455/345, 340/905, 364/437
• US Class Current: 340/7.51
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/092 Coding or decoding of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/55 for traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]

Abstract

A method of processing and reproducing a coded message, which message is divided into a first and a second part, the first part including information which briefly characterizes the message. The first part is reproduced acoustically and the second part is reproduced visually. By acoustically reproducing only a part of the message, a user is distracted only briefly and need not listen to the entire message if this message is not relevant to the user. If the message is relevant to the user, the user can consult the display for the rest of the message.

Claims

1. A receiver for receiving a message in a code which is independent of the method of reproduction and the processing thereof, said receiver comprising:

input means for receiving said message;

demodulating means for demodulating said message;

a data bank;

acoustic reproducing means;

visual reproducing means;

control means having a first input coupled to receive said demodulated message, and input/output means coupled to the data bank supplying codes contained in said message to said data bank and for receiving data from said data bank relating to the codes in the message, said control unit further including means coupled to said acoustic reproducing means and said visual producing means for reproducing the message on the basis of data read from the data bank,

characterized in that the control means comprises means for dividing the message into a first part and a second part in such a manner that the first part comprises a primary designation, which is characteristic of the message, and the second part comprises a secondary designation, and the control means further comprises means for reproducing at least the first part by the acoustic reproducing means and, selectively, the second part by the visual reproducing means.

2. A receiver as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control means effects said visual reproduction only in response to a command from a user.

3. A receiver as claimed in claim 1, in which the message includes codes relating to a location name and a traffic direction stored in said data bank, characterized in that the control means reproduces the location name by at least the acoustic reproducing means and reproduces the traffic direction by the visual reproducing means.

4. A receiver as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the visual reproducing means comprises means for reproducing the traffic direction by a successive reproduction of a starting location and an end location with a distinctly perceivable mutual difference.

5. A receiver as claimed in claim 1, in which the message includes codes representing a location name comprising a generic and a specific location designation stored in said memory, characterized in that the control means divides the location name into a generic and a specific location designation, and reproduces the generic location designation at least by the acoustic reproducing means and reproduces the specific location designation by the visual reproducing means.

6. A receiver as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the specific location designation includes a starting location and an end location, and the control means causes the visual reproducing means to reproduce the starting location and the end location with a distinctly perceivable mutual difference.

7. A receiver as claimed in claim 1, in which the message further includes codes representing an event description stored in said data bank, characterized in that the control means reproduces the event description by at least the acoustic reproducing means.

8. A receiver as claimed in claim 1, in which the message further includes codes representing an event description stored in said data bank, said event description including a cause and an effect, characterized in that the control means reproduces only the effect of the event description by the acoustic reproducing means.

9. A receiver as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiver comprises in succession a receiving section, an FM demodulating section and a signal-processing section, as well as an RDS demodulator coupled between an output of the FM demodulating section and an input of the control means.