Method and system for broadcasting digital audio to a radio

• US 6,185,305 B1
• Filed: 05/04/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Michael E., Geranen, Jack Scott, Cucuzella, Mathew, Reinold, Jurgen, Lee, Jeff, Knappenberger, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T.
• Application Number:
  US09/071,047
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 380/42, 380/53, 846/00, 381/3, 381/4, 700/94
• US Class Current: 380/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/00 Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/005 using digitally weighted transducing elements

Abstract

An audio input interface (122) receives a digital audio signal and identifies an audio bitstream which is optionally decrypted by a decryption unit (123), and decoded by an audio decoding unit (124). An audio digital to analog converter (126) converts the decoded audio bitstream to an analog audio signal which is optionally decrypted by an audio analog decryption unit (127). An analog transmitter (150) transmits the analog audio signal to a radio (110).

Claims

1. A system for broadcasting audio content of a digital audio signal to a radio, comprising:

an audio input interface receiving the digital audio signal and identifying an audio bitstream, wherein the audio bitstream comprises audio data based on a plurality of encoding methods;

an audio decoding unit connected to the audio input interface and decoding the audio bitstream;

an audio digital to analog converter connected to the audio decoding unit and converting the audio bitstream to an analog audio signal; and

an analog transmitter connected to the audio digital to analog converter and transmitting the analog audio signal to the radio.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an audio digital decryption unit connected to the audio input interface and decrypting the audio bitstream.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an audio analog decryption unit connected to the audio digital to analog converter and decrypting the analog audio signal.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the analog transmitter transmits the analog audio signal to multiple devices.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control unit obtaining a radio frequency selection from a user and controlling the analog transmitter to transmit the analog audio signal at the radio frequency selected by the user.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the analog transmitter transmits the analog audio signal in an FM band.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the analog transmitter transmits the analog audio signal in an AM band.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio input interface receives the digital audio signal from a network.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio input interface receives the digital audio signal from a local storage device.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio input interface receives the digital audio signal produced by a digital musical instrument.

11. A method for broadcasting audio content of a digital audio signal to a radio, comprising the steps of:

receiving the digital audio signal and identifying an audio bitstream, wherein the audio bitstream comprises audio data based on a plurality of encoding methods;

decoding the audio bitstream;

converting the audio bitstream to an analog audio signal; and

transmitting the analog audio signal to the radio.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of decrypting the audio bitstream.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of decrypting the analog audio signal.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of decoding the audio bitstream includes decompressing the audio bitstream.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining a radio frequency selection from a user; and

transmitting the analog audio signal at the radio frequency selected by the user.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting the analog audio signal transmits the analog audio signal in an FM band.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting the analog audio signal transmits the analog audio signal in an AM band.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of receiving the digital audio signal receives the digital audio signal from a network.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of receiving the digital audio signal receives the digital audio signal from a local storage device.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of receiving the digital audio signal receives the digital audio signal produced by a digital musical instrument.