Interference prevention for receiver system incorporating RDS-TMC receiver and FM modulator

• US 7,822,380 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wu, Chun-Hsien
• Primary Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US11/580,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20080090515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/55 for traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

A method and apparatus prevents interference between a radio signal from RDS-TMC service provider for receiving traffic and travel data by an RDS-TMC receiver and a radio signal for transmitting audio, text, or image data from an FM modulator. The method includes the steps of starting an operation of the receiver system, stopping an operation of the FM modulator while keeping operation of the RDS-TMC receiver, examining whether an RDS-TMC signal from a service provider is available at a current location, receiving the RDS-TMC signal and retrieving RDS-TMC data therefrom, sending the retrieved RDS-TMC data to an audio/video system, and starting the operation of the FM modulator while allowing to output an FM signal from the FM modulator at allowable frequency bands which are outside of a blocked range to send data to the audio/video system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a receiver system having both an RDS-TMC receiver and an FM modulator, comprising the following steps of:

starting an operation of the receiver system;

stopping an operation of the FM modulator while continuously operating the RDS-TMC receiver;

examining whether an RDS-TMC ((Radio Data System-Traffic Message Channel) signal from a service provider is available at a current location;

receiving the RDS-TMC signal and retrieving RDS-TMC data therefrom;

sending the retrieved RDS-TMC data to an audio/video system; and

starting the operation of the FM modulator while allowing to output an FM signal from the FM modulator at allowable frequency bands which are outside of a blocked range to send data to the audio/video system;

wherein said blocked range is a frequency range determined based on a frequency band at which the RDS-TMC signal is transmitted in such a way that the frequency band for the FM signal from the FM modulator is sufficiently apart from the frequency band for the RDS-TMC signal, thereby avoiding any interference therebetween.

2. A method of operating a receiver system as defined in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving data from a device or service station by the FM modulator and frequency-modulating the received data to produce the FM signal at said allowable frequency band; and

sending the FM signal from the FM modulator to the audio/video system.

3. A method of operating a receiver system as defined in claim 2, wherein said step of receiving said data by the FM modulator includes a step of directly receiving said data through a cable.

4. A method of operating a receiver system as defined in claim 2, wherein said step of receiving said data by the FM modulator includes a step of receiving an FM signal carrying said data through an antenna, and a step of retrieving said data from the FM signal.

5. A method of operating a receiver system as defined in claim 2, wherein said data received by the FM modulator is audio data, text data, or video data.

6. A method of operating a receiver system as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of stopping the operation of the FM modulator includes a step of turning off power of the FM modulator.

7. A method of operating a receiver system as defined in claim 1, said step of sending the retrieved RDS-TMC data to the audio/video system includes a step of directly providing the retrieved RDS-TMC data to the audio/video system through a cable.

8. A method of operating a receiver system as defined in claim 1, said step of sending the retrieved RDS-TMC data to the audio/video system includes a step of frequency-modulating the received RDS-TMC data to produce an FM signal by a modulator within the RDS-TMC receiver and sending the FM signal to the audio/video system through an antenna.

9. A method of operating a receiver system as defined in claim 1, wherein said frequency range blocked to be used by the FM modulator includes at least one lower FM channel and/or one upper FM channel with respect to an FM channel used by the RDS-TMC signal.

10. An apparatus for operating a receiver system having both an RDS-TMC receiver and an FM modulator, comprising:

means for starting an operation of the receiver system;

means for stopping an operation of the FM modulator while continuously operating the RDS-TMC receiver;

means for examining whether an RDS-TMC ((Radio Data System-Traffic Message Channel) signal from a service provider is available at a current location;

means for receiving the RDS-TMC signal and retrieving RDS-TMC data therefrom;

means for sending the retrieved RDS-TMC data to an audio/video system; and

means for starting the operation of the FM modulator while allowing to output an FM signal from the FM modulator at allowable frequency bands which are outside of a blocked range to send data to the audio/video system;

wherein said blocked range is a frequency range determined based on a frequency band at which the RDS-TMC signal is transmitted in such a way that the frequency band for the FM signal from the FM modulator is sufficiently apart from the frequency band for the RDS-TMC signal, thereby avoiding any interference therebetween.

11. An apparatus for operating a receiver system as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving data from a device or service station by the FM modulator and frequency-modulating the received data to produce the FM signal at said allowable frequency band; and

means for sending the FM signal from the FM modulator to the audio/video system.

12. An apparatus for operating a receiver system as defined in claim 11, wherein said means for receiving said data by the FM modulator includes means for directly receiving said data through a cable.

13. An apparatus for operating a receiver system as defined in claim 11, wherein said means for receiving said data by the FM modulator includes means for receiving an FM signal carrying said data through an antenna, and means for retrieving said data from the FM signal.

14. An apparatus for operating a receiver system as defined in claim 11, wherein said data received by the FM modulator is audio data, text data, or video data.

15. An apparatus for operating a receiver system as defined in claim 10, wherein said means for stopping the operation of the FM modulator includes means for turning off power of the FM modulator.

16. An apparatus for operating a receiver system as defined in claim 10, said means for sending the retrieved RDS-TMC data to the audio/video system includes means for directly providing the retrieved RDS-TMC data to the audio/video system through a cable.

17. An apparatus for operating a receiver system as defined in claim 10, said means for sending the retrieved RDS-TMC data to the audio/video system includes means for frequency-modulating the received RDS-TMC data to produce an FM signal by a modulator within the RDS-TMC receiver and sending the FM signal to the audio/video system through an antenna.

18. An apparatus for operating a receiver system as defined in claim 10, wherein said frequency range blocked to be used by the FM modulator includes at least one lower FM channel and/or one upper FM channel with respect to an FM channel used by the RDS-TMC signal.