Radio station tuning system

• US 5,864,753 A
• Filed: 03/01/1996
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tatsuo, Fuse, Hidefumi, Nobukuni, Kenji, Tsukada, Seishi, Ogawa, Katsuhiko, Morita, Makoto, Sato, Koji, Kizu, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US08/609,189
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 455/4.2, 455/4.1, 455/5.1, 455/412, 455/456, 455/507, 455/517, 455/524, 455/510, 455/514, 455/66, 455/68-71, 455/77, 455/84, 455/88, 455/150.1-150.2, 455/152.1 , 455/179.1, 455/181.1, 455/182.1, 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 455/345, 455/556-557, 455/561, 455/575, 455/113-117, 455/121, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/6
• US Class Current: 455/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0008 using a central processing unit, e.g. a microprocessor digital tuning in general H03J5/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85

Abstract

A radio station tuning system enables a radio receiver installed in a vehicle to be automatically tuned to a radio station offering a desired program. In the system, a controller receives data recognized by a speech recognizing unit and a current position of the vehicle detected by a navigation unit, provides the data to a communication unit, turns a radio receiver on or off, and tunes the radio receiver to a desired radio station. The communication unit sends data to a base station data via a vehicle telephone line. Receiving the data, the base station has access to its data base storing program data (e.g. broadcasting time, frequencies and so on), retrieves desired data, and transmits them to the vehicle. The controller automatically tunes the radio receiver to the desired radio station on the basis of the received data.

Claims

1. A radio station tuning system comprising:

(a) a radio receiver for receiving radio waves from a radio station;

(b) first transmitting means for transmitting a request message concerning a desired radio program to a base station, the first transmitting means being provided at the radio receiver;

(c) first receiving means for receiving radio station data from the base station the first receiving means being provided at the radio receiver;

(d) second receiving means for receiving the request message, the second receiving means being installed in the base station;

(e) a data base for storing contents of broadcasting programs, the data base being installed in the base station;

(f) second transmitting means for selecting at least one radio station in accordance with the request message received by the second receiving means and sending radio station data including at least one frequency and at least one broadcasting time of the selected radio station to the first receiving means, the second transmitting means being installed in the base station; and

(g) radio receiver control means for tuning the radio receiver to the frequency of the selected radio station;

wherein the request message contains sequential data, the radio station data include sequential data concerning a plurality of radio stations, and the radio receiver control means sequentially tunes the radio receiver to each frequency indicated in the radio station data which are sequential.

2. A radio station tuning system comprising:

(a) a radio receiver for receiving radio waves from a radio station;

(b) first transmitting means for transmitting a request message concerning a desired radio program to a base station, the first transmitting means being provided at the radio receiver;

(c) first receiving means for receiving radio station data from the base station, the first receiving means being provided at the radio receiver;

(d) second receiving means for receiving the request message, the second receiving means being installed in the base station;

(e) a data base for storing contents of broadcasting programs, the data base being installed in the base station;

(f) second transmitting means for selecting at least one radio station in accordance with the request message received by the second receiving means and sending radio station data including at least one frequency and at least one broadcasting time of the selected radio station to the first receiving means, the second transmitting means being installed in the base station; and

current position detecting means, wherein the first transmitting means transmits detected current position data to the base station, and the second transmitting means of the base station provides the first receiving means with the radio station data in accordance with the current position.

3. A radio station tuning system comprising

(a) a radio receiver for receiving radio waves from a radio station;

(b) first transmitting means for transmitting a request message concerning a desired radio program to a base station, the first transmitting means being provided at the radio receiver;

(c) first receiving means for receiving radio station data from the base station, the first receiving means being provided at the radio receiver;

(d) second receiving means for receiving the request message, the second receiving means being installed in the base station;

(e) a data base for storing contents of broadcasting programs, the data base being installed in the base station;

(f) second transmitting means for selecting at least one radio station in accordance with the request message received by the second receiving means and sending radio station data including at least one frequency and at least one broadcasting time of the selected radio station to the first receiving means, the second transmitting means being installed in the base station; and

current position detecting means, wherein the first transmitting means transmits detected current position data to the base station, and the second transmitting means of the base station provides the first receiving means with the radio station data in accordance with the current position,

wherein the radio receiver, the first transmitting means, the first receiving means, and the current position detecting means are installed in a vehicle, and the current position detecting means detects the current position of the vehicle.