Systems and methods for automatically searching a database to tune a frequency modulator in a mobile device

• US 8,478,288 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Haghighi, Houman, Smith, Victoria Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US11/962,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20090163225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0008 using a central processing unit, e.g. a microprocessor digital tuning in general H03J5/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/034 Portable transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices

Abstract

A method for automatically tuning a frequency modulator in a mobile device is described. The geographical location of the mobile device is obtained. A database of one or more frequencies associated with the geographical location of the mobile device is searched. Quality associated with channels of the one or more frequencies is analyzed to identify at least one available channel at a first frequency. The first frequency is assigned to an FM modulator. The FM modulator is integrated as a part of the mobile device. A determination is made as to whether a command to search for a second frequency is received. If the command to search for the second frequency is not received, a signal is transmitted on the first frequency by the FM modulator.

Claims

1. A method for automatically tuning a frequency modulator in a mobile device, comprising:

obtaining a geographical location of the mobile device;

searching a database of one or more frequencies associated with the geographical location of the mobile device;

analyzing noise associated with channels of the one or more frequencies to identify at least one available channel at a first frequency;

assigning the first frequency to an FM modulator, wherein the FM modulator is integrated as a part of the mobile device;

determining, prior to transmitting a signal on the first frequency, if a command to search for a second frequency is received from a user; and

if the user command to search for the second frequency is not received, transmitting the signal on the first frequency by the FM modulator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a frequency search initiation command that initiates the searching of the database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is visually provided on a display of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is audibly provided from one or more speakers of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is generated from one or more media files comprising digital audio files.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is generated from one or more media files comprising Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 (MP3) files.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically monitoring the noise of the channel at the first frequency during the transmission of the signal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining whether a channel quality at the first frequency is acceptable by analyzing gray noise associated with the first frequency.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising searching the database for an available frequency that is different than the first frequency, if the channel quality at the first frequency is unacceptable.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising suspending the transmission of the signal if the database search locates an available frequency that is different than the first frequency.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an incoming call at the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising suspending the transmission of the signal if the detected incoming call is accepted.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is available via a network Internet service or an intranet service.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical location of the mobile device is obtained by a location based service (LBS) system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical location of the mobile device is obtained by a global positioning system (GPS).

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical location of the mobile device is obtained by a cellular telephone identification (Cell ID) system.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is generated from one or more media files stored on the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising streaming the signal from a network across the FM modulator to a receiver.

19. A mobile device for automatically tuning a frequency modulator in the mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to;

obtain a geographical location of the mobile device;

search a database of one or more frequencies associated with the geographical location of the mobile device;

analyze noise associated with channels of the one or more frequencies to identify at least one available channel at a first frequency;

assign the first frequency to an FM modulator, wherein the FM modulator is integrated as a part of the mobile device;

determine, prior to transmitting a signal on the first frequency, if a command to search for a second frequency is received from a user; and

if the user command to search for the second frequency is not received, transmit the signal on the first frequency by the FM modulator.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the mobile device is a cellular telephone.

21. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable to visually provide the first frequency on a display on the device.

22. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable to automatically monitor the noise of the channel at the first frequency during the transmission of the signal.

23. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the instructions are further executable to determine whether a channel quality at the first frequency is acceptable by analyzing gray noise associated with the first frequency.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executable to search the database for an available frequency that is different than the first frequency, if the channel quality is unacceptable.

25. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the signal is generated from one or more media files stored on the mobile device.

26. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable to stream the signal from a network across the FM modulator to a receiver.

27. An apparatus for automatically tuning a frequency modulator in a mobile device, comprising:

means for obtaining a geographical location of the mobile device;

means for searching a database of one or more frequencies associated with the geographical location of the mobile device;

means for analyzing noise associated with channels of the one or more frequencies to identify at least one available channel at a first frequency;

means for assigning the first frequency to an FM modulator, wherein the FM modulator is integrated as a part of the mobile device;

means for determining, prior to transmitting a signal on the first frequency, if a command to search for a second frequency is received from a user; and

if the user command to search for the second frequency is not received, means for transmitting the signal on the first frequency by the FM modulator.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for receiving a frequency search initiation command that initiates the searching of the database.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the signal is generated from one or more media files stored on the mobile device.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising means for streaming the signal from a network across the FM modulator to a receiver.

31. A computer-program product for automatically tuning a frequency modulator in a mobile device, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for obtaining a geographical location of the mobile device;

code for searching a database of one or more frequencies associated with the geographical location of the mobile device;

code for analyzing noise associated with channels of the one or more frequencies to identify at least one available channel at a first frequency;

code for assigning the first frequency to an FM modulator, wherein the FM modulator is integrated as a part of the mobile device;

code for determining, prior to transmitting a signal on the first frequency, if a command to search for a second frequency is received from a user; and

if the user command to search for the second frequency is not received, code for transmitting the signal on the first frequency by the FM modulator.

32. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the signal is generated from one or more media files stored on the mobile device.

33. The computer-program product of claim 31, further comprising code for streaming the signal from a network across the FM modulator to a receiver.