Location specific in-vehicle frequency tuning data

• US 7,996,018 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2000
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, Rodric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho; Huy C
• Application Number:
  US09/705,564
• Time in Patent Office: 3,931 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/158.4, 455/45, 455/456.2, 455/419, 455/445, 455/186.1, 455/186.2, 455/3.04, 455/458, 455/414.2, 455/456.3, 701/200, 701/208, 340/988, 340/989, 342/357.13, 342/387
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0008 using a central processing unit, e.g. a microprocessor digital tuning in general H03J5/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/12 Radio receiver combined with a GPS receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/02 with variable tuning element having a number of predetermined settings and adjustable to a desired one of these settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers

Abstract

An in-vehicle system comprises a location unit, a frequency selection unit, and a receiving unit. Frequency tuning data is loaded into the selection unit. The frequency tuning data includes a radio signal reception area for each unique frequency in the tuning data. The location unit determines the system location and passes the location information to the frequency selection unit. The selection unit selects tuning data for a particular frequency having a signal reception area that encompasses the present vehicle location, and passes the selected data to the receiving unit. The receiving unit uses the selected tuning data to tune the radio signal.

Claims

1. A location-specific frequency tuning system comprising:

a location unit;

a wireless interface to a wide area network;

a user interface;

a mobile receiving unit configured for tuning to receive a broadcast signal based on a selected frequency provided as input to the mobile receiving unit; and

a frequency selection unit coupled to said mobile receiving unit, said frequency selection unit configured for;

receiving a current location from the location unit, receiving tuning data comprising a set of frequencies of broadcast signals corresponding to different geographic regions through the wireless interface at the current location from a database on the wide area network, selecting a plurality of frequencies from the set of frequencies of broadcast signals based on the strength of said plurality of frequencies, arranging said plurality of frequencies by subject content categories and geographic areas corresponding to said plurality of frequencies based on user-selected content category information, selecting localized content information from said arranged plurality of frequencies when said system moves to a new reception area among a plurality of reception areas, said selected localized content information comprising a plurality of localized content-specific frequencies corresponding to said user-selected content category information and said new reception area, and said selected localized content information further comprising a description of specific broadcast format information for each of said plurality of localized content-specific frequencies, generating a menu listing said selected localized content information, outputting said menu to a user through said user interface, selecting one of said plurality of localized content-specific frequencies based on a user selection, and tuning said mobile receiving unit to said selected localized content-specific frequency.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the selected frequency is the transmission frequency of a frequency modulated (FM) broadcast station.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the selected frequency is a transmission frequency of a satellite transmitter.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising receiving from the frequency selection unit data arranged as radio signal content categories, and to output a menu of the radio signal content categories to a listener.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the menu is output on a visual display.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the menu is audibly output by the user interface.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface electrically coupled to receive and relay to the frequency selection unit a user command to select a particular content category in an arrangement of radio signal content categories stored in the frequency selection unit.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the command is a verbal command.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic position information is provided using global positioning system information.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic position information is provided using cellular wireless communications system information.

11. A method of tuning location-specific frequency data in a mobile signal receiving unit using a frequency selection unit coupled to said mobile signal receiving unit, said method comprising:

receiving geographic position information from a location unit, said geographic position information identifying a present geographic position of said mobile signal receiving unit

receiving tuning data from a remote database said tuning data comprising a set of frequencies of broadcast signals corresponding to different geographic frequencies;

receiving user-selected content category information;

determining a plurality of reception areas in which said system is located based on said geographic position information and said tuning data;

selecting localized tuning data based on signal strength for a plurality of available frequencies having a signal reception area corresponding to at least one of said plurality of reception areas, said localized tuning data corresponding to signals having several broadcast forms;

arranging said localized tuning data by subject content categories associated with said plurality of available frequencies and geographic areas corresponding to each of said plurality of reception areas;

selecting localized content information from said arranged localized tuning data when said system moves to a new reception area among said plurality of reception areas, said selected localized content information comprising a plurality of localized content-specific frequencies corresponding to said user-selected content category information and said new reception area, and said selected localized content information further comprising a description of specific broadcast format information for each of said plurality of localized content-specific frequencies;

generating a menu listing said selected localized content information;

outputting said menu to a user through a user interface;

prompting said user interface for a user selection;

selecting one of said plurality of localized content-specific frequencies based on a user selection; and

tuning said mobile signal receiving unit to said selected localized content-specific frequency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the tuning data comprises frequency modulated (FM) radio station frequencies.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the tuning data comprises satellite transmission radio frequencies.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the tuning data is arranged by categories of content carried by radio signals.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the act of outputting to a user a menu of content categories available for the current position.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the act of receiving a command from a listener to select a particular content category.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said user-selected content category information is provided by a system user selecting one or more content categories via the Internet and wherein the tuning data is provided by downloading via the Internet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user selects the one or more content categories via the World-Wide Web.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographic position information is provided using global positioning system information.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographic position information is provided using cellular wireless communications system information.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the localized tuning data is selected based on a content category of a broadcast signal being received prior to a change in signal reception condition.