In-vehicle audio/video system

• US 6,339,696 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magnadyne Corporation
• Original Assignee: Magnadyne Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Sam C. M., Chan, Lawrence K. Y., Jones, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, John J.
• Application Number:
  US09/435,379
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66, 455/90, 455/62, 455/345, 455/517, 455/566, 455/568, 455/567, 455/184.1, 455/41, 455/182.3, 455/179.1, 455/188
• US Class Current: 455/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

An in-vehicle audio/video system broadcasts audio programming within the vehicle at low power over a system audio channel that is received by a wireless radio frequency receiver that operates in a restricted range to increase tuning resolution and allow fine tuning of the system audio channel. The receiver includes a frequency range adjuster coupled to the tuner. The range adjuster is operable in first and second modes. The first mode selects the frequency range as a full range, and the second mode selects the frequency range as the restricted range.

Claims

1. A wireless radio frequency receiver for an in-vehicle audio/video system in which video programming is sent to a display device and corresponding audio programming is broadcast within the vehicle at low power over a system audio channel, the receiver comprising:

an antenna;

a tuner coupled to the antenna and having an output at a received channel, the tuner having an adjustable component that is adjusted to select the received channel from a selectable frequency range; and

a frequency range adjuster coupled to the tuner, the range adjuster being operable in first and second modes, and being configured such that the first mode selects the frequency range as a full range including local broadcast channels and having a first bandwidth, and such that the second mode selects the frequency range as a restricted range including the system audio channel and having a second bandwidth that is significantly less than the first bandwidth to allow fine tuning by the tuner of the system audio channel.

2. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the audio programming is broadcast as a frequency modulated signal, and wherein the receiver further comprises:

a frequency demodulator coupled to the tuner output.

3. The receiver of claim 2 further comprising:

a downconverter between the tuner output and the frequency demodulator.

4. The receiver of claim 1 wherein the tuner includes a voltage controlled capacitance, and wherein the frequency range adjuster is operative to select the frequency range by supplying a first voltage to the tuner when operating in the first mode and by supplying a second voltage to the tuner when operating in the second mode.

5. The receiver of claim 4 wherein the voltage controlled capacitance is a tuning diode, and wherein the adjustable component selects the received channel by applying a portion of the supplied voltage to the tuning diode.

6. The receiver of claim 1 further comprising:

a demodulator coupled to the tuner output; and

an audio amplifier coupled to the demodulator.

8. The headset of claim 1 wherein the audio programming is broadcast as a frequency modulated signal, and wherein the receiver further comprises:

a frequency demodulator coupled to the tuner output.

9. The headset of claim 8 wherein the receiver further comprises:

a downconverter between the tuner output and the frequency demodulator.

7. A headset for an in-vehicle audio/video system in which video programming is sent to a display device and corresponding audio programming is broadcast within the vehicle at low power over a system audio channel, the headset comprising:

a main body; and

a wireless radio frequency receiver attached to the main body, the receiver including an antenna, a tuner coupled to the antenna and having an output at a received channel, the tuner having an adjustable component that is adjusted to select the received channel from a selectable frequency range, and

the receiver further including a frequency range adjuster coupled to the tuner, the range adjuster being operable in first and second modes, and being configured such that the first mode selects the frequency range as a full range including local broadcast channels and having a first bandwidth, and such that the second mode selects the frequency range as a restricted range including the system audio channel and having a second bandwidth that is significantly less than the first bandwidth to allow fine tuning by the tuner of the system audio channel.

10. The headset of claim 7 wherein the tuner includes a voltage controlled capacitance, and wherein the frequency range adjuster is operative to select the frequency range by supplying a first voltage to the tuner when operating in the first mode and by supplying a second voltage to the tuner when operating in the second mode.

11. The headset of claim 10 wherein the voltage controlled capacitance is a tuning diode, and wherein the adjustable component selects the received channel by applying a portion of the supplied voltage to the tuning diode.

12. The headset of claim 7 wherein the receiver further comprises:

a demodulator coupled to the tuner output; and

an audio amplifier coupled to the demodulator.

13. An in-vehicle audio/video system wherein audio programming is broadcast within the vehicle at low power over a system audio channel, the system comprising:

a display device for receiving video programming;

a wireless radio frequency receiver, the receiver including an antenna, a tuner coupled to the antenna and having an output at a received channel, the tuner having an adjustable component that is adjusted to select the received channel from a selectable frequency range, and

the receiver further including a frequency range adjuster coupled to the tuner, the range adjuster being operable in first and second modes, and being configured such that the first mode selects the frequency range as a full range including local broadcast channels and having a first bandwidth, and such that the second mode selects the frequency range as a restricted range including the system audio channel and having a second bandwidth that is significantly less than the first bandwidth to allow fine tuning by the tuner of the system audio channel.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

an audio/video source operative to provide the video programming to the display device and to broadcast the audio programming within the vehicle at low power over the system audio channel.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the audio/video source further comprises:

a main antenna coupled to the display device and operative to receive over-the-air audio and video programming; and

a converter coupled to the main antenna for converting the audio programming to allow broadcasting the audio programming within the vehicle at low power over the system audio channel.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the audio/video source is a video player.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the tuner includes a voltage controlled capacitance, and wherein the frequency range adjuster is operative to select the frequency range by supplying a first voltage to the tuner when operating in the first mode and by supplying a second voltage to the tuner when operating in the second mode.

18. An in-vehicle audio/video system wherein audio programming is broadcast within the vehicle at low power over a system audio channel, the system comprising:

a display device for receiving video programming;

a wireless radio frequency receiver, the receiver including an antenna, a tuner coupled to the antenna and having an output at a received channel, the tuner having an adjustable component that is adjusted to select the received channel from a selectable frequency range of frequency modulated channels, and

the receiver further including a frequency range adjuster coupled to the tuner, the range adjuster being operable in first and second modes, and being configured such that the first mode selects the frequency range as about 88 megahertz to about 108 megahertz to define a first mode bandwidth, and such that the second mode selects the frequency range as a restricted range including the system audio channel and having a restricted bandwidth that is less than the first mode bandwidth to allow fine tuning of the system audio channel.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the frequency range adjuster includes a switch having a first position that causes the range adjuster to operate in the first mode, and a second position that causes the range adjuster to operate in the second mode.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

an audio/video source operative to provide the video programming to the display device and to broadcast the audio programming within the vehicle at low power over the system audio channel, wherein the audio/video source is configured to allow a user to select the system audio channel from a plurality of channels within the restricted bandwidth.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the restricted bandwidth is a subset of the first mode bandwidth.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the restricted bandwidth ranges from about 88 megahertz to about 92 megahertz.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the tuner includes a voltage controlled capacitance, and wherein the frequency range adjuster is operative to select the frequency range by supplying a first voltage to the tuner when operating in the first mode and by supplying a second voltage to the tuner when operating in the second mode.

24. An in-vehicle system wherein audio programming is broadcast within the vehicle at low power over a system audio channel, the vehicle including a built-in receiver, the system comprising:

a display device for receiving video programming;

a wireless radio frequency receiver, the receiver including an antenna, a tuner coupled to the antenna and having an output at a received channel, the tuner having an adjustable component that is adjusted to select the received channel from a selectable frequency range, and

the receiver further including a frequency range adjuster coupled to the tuner, the range adjuster being operable in first and second modes, and being configured such that the first mode selects the frequency range as a full range including local broadcast channels and having a first bandwidth, and such that the second mode selects the frequency range as a restricted range including the system audio channel and having a second bandwidth that is significantly less than the first bandwidth to allow fine tuning by the tuner of the system audio channel; and

a transmission line having a first end connected to the built-in receiver, the transmission line having a second end located within the vehicle and defining an antenna for receiving the low power broadcast.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

an audio/video source operative to provide the video programming to the display device and to broadcast the audio programming within the vehicle at low power over the system audio channel, wherein the transmission line second end is located approximate the audio/video source.