Computer-based radio scanner internet system

• US 6,496,687 B1
• Filed: 07/15/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: George Switlyk
• Inventors: Switlyk, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/354,033
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 455/150.1, 455/151.1, 455/151.4, 455/154.1, 455/154.2, 455/419, 455/420, 455/161.1, 455/161.2, 455/179.1, 455/180.1, 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 455/186.2, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 455/150.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0091 provided with means for scanning over a band of frequencies H03J1/0058 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is a computer-based radio scanner internet system, with home base user computers with radio scanner hardware and software, a host server computer, a plurality of remotely located antenna computers connected to antennas, and an internet system. The user computer also has conventional operating hardware and software, a sound system, a monitor, a keyboard or mouse, as well as disc drive, CD Rom drive. The radio scanner hardware contained within the user computer includes a radio receiver and frequency changer with a scanner range having at least some frequencies in the range of 25 MHz to 1,300 MHz. The antenna computers are available via the internet connection for connecting to user computers to offer remote scanning of even an intercontinental nature, e.g., a user in Boston can, through this system, use his computer-based scanner to scan frequencies in, for example, Los Angeles. Local scanning is also available using the foregoing user computers with their own antennas.

Claims

1. A computer-based radio scanner internet system, which comprises:

A. plurality of home base user computers having radio scanner capabilities, each of said home base user computers having;

a.) a conventional microprocessor having a central processing unit with operating system hardware and software for conventional microprocessing, including sufficient hardware and software to operate a sound system;

b.) a sound system connected to said microprocessor, said sound system having at least one speaker;

c.) input means connected to said microprocessor for inputting instructions thereto;

d.) a monitor connected to said microprocessor for displaying predetermined information;

e.) radio scanner hardware means connected to said microprocessor, which includes a radio receiver, a frequency changer, and a scanner range which includes at least some frequencies in the range of 25 MHz to 1300 MHz; and

,

f.) radio scanner software contained within said system adapted to connect and function with said microprocessor and said input means so as to operate said radio scanner hardware;

g.) an antenna connected to said system for receiving radio signals from the airways, inputting said radio signals to said system and transmitting sound to a user via said sound systems;

B. at least one host server processor;

C. a plurality of antenna computers each of which is connected to an antenna and is adapted to make antenna connections to said host server processor to permit users to connect to a plurality of antennas;

D. a plurality of antenna remotely located from one another and each being connected to at least one of said antenna computers;

E. an internet system connecting said home base-user computers, said host server processor and said plurality of antenna computers.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said scanner hardware means of said user computers is a scanner card which is functionally and removably installed within said microprocessor CPU.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said home base user computers further include an antenna connected functionally to its scanner hardware and software to permit a user radio scanning on an internet-free local basis, and includes means for switching from internet to internet-free scanning and vice versa.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said antenna computers are wired directly to at least one antenna adapted to receive scanner range frequencies, including at least some frequencies in the range of 25 MHz to 1300 MHz.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said home base user computers further include at least one separate readable medium which is installable into said home base user computers for downloading frequency information thereto.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said home base user computers include sufficient software to permit user to utilize sound system capabilities for radio scanning while using other unrelated non-scanning features simultaneously therewith.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said radio scanner hardware means of said user computers further includes a frequency range containing AM radio and FM radio frequencies for single radio frequency selection.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said home base user computers further include software to provide for automatically selecting frequencies to create a preferred list for scanning.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said home base user computers further include software to provide for automatically selecting antenna regions to create a preferred list.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said home base user computers further include software to provide for automatically selecting frequencies within each preferred antenna region contained within said preferred list of antenna regions to create a preferred list for scanning for each selected antenna region from a web site of said host server.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said system includes portable computers as at least a portion of said plurality of home base user computers.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said radio scanner software of said home base user computers is adapted to:

(i.) receive frequency information which includes at least names of transmitters, transmitter city and frequency;

(ii.) display said frequency information;

(iii.) permit a user to select a frequency from said display and automatically tune said radio scanner hardware means to said frequency; and

,

(iv.) broadcast received signals in audio form from said frequency via said sound system.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said scanner hardware means of said home base user computers is a scanner card which is functionally and removably installed within said user computers.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said input means is selected from and is instruction-receiving means, electromechanical instruction-receiving means and combinations thereof.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said antenna computers are wired directly to at least one antenna adapted to receive scanner range frequencies, including at least some frequencies in the range of 25 MHz to 1300 MHz.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said system further includes at least one separate readable medium which is installed in said home base user computers for downloading frequency information thereto.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said radio scanner hardware means of said user computers further includes a frequency range containing AM radio and FM radio frequencies for single radio frequency selection.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein said host server includes connection software to connect said home base user computers to their selected antenna computers via a web site of said host server and further includes control software for individual home base user computer account management.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein said home base user computers further include software to provide for automatically selecting antenna sites to create a preferred list of scanning regions.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein said home base user computers further include software to provide for automatically selecting frequencies within each preferred region contained within preferred list of scanning regions to create a preferred list for scanning for each preferred region.