Device and methods of providing radio data system information alerts

• US 8,638,219 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rajan, Rajeev D., Kadakia, Jatin, Miller, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/140,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20090045951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,052 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/901, 340/905, 340/904, 340/902, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.19, 340/539.21, 340/539.22, 340/539.26
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/18 Arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

Devices and methods of generating an alert comprise receiving a broadcast radio transmission at a communication device, wherein the broadcast radio transmission comprises primary content and supplemental content having a relationship to the primary content. Further, the primary content comprises a first audio data, and the supplemental content comprises a non-audio data. The devices and methods further include detecting the receiving of the supplemental content, and generating an alert signal operable to activate an alerting device to output a non-visual notification.

Claims

1. A method of generating an alert, comprising:

receiving a broadcast radio transmission at a communication device, wherein the broadcast radio transmission comprises primary content and supplemental content having a relationship to the primary content, wherein the relationship is defined prior to the transmission of the broadcast radio transmission, wherein the primary content comprises a first audio data, wherein the supplemental content comprises a non-audio data;

detecting the receiving of the supplemental content; and

generating, by the communication device, an alert signal operable to activate an alerting device to output a non-visual notification in response to the detection of the supplemental content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the non-visual notification at the alerting device in response to receiving the alert signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising outputting a first audible sound representing the received primary content, and wherein outputting the non-visual notification further comprises injecting a second audible sound into the outputting of the first audible sound, wherein the second audible sound is distinguishable from the first audible sound.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

converting the non-audio data of the supplemental content into second audio data;

outputting a first audible sound representing the received primary content according to the first audio data; and

wherein outputting the non-visual notification further comprises injecting a second audible sound into the outputting of the first audible sound, wherein the second audible sound represents the supplemental content according to the second audio data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein converting the non-audio data of the supplemental content into second audio data further comprise converting text to speech.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising outputting a first audible sound representing the received primary content, and wherein outputting the non-visual notification further comprises activating a haptic feedback mechanism.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the alert signal to the alerting device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the alert signal to the alerting device further comprises wirelessly transmitting to another communication device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the alerting device is located within a user interface of the communication device, and wherein transmitting the alert signal to the alerting device further comprises transmitting the alerting signal to the user interface of the communication device to prompt the user interface to output a non-visual notification.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing at least a portion of the supplemental content with at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion to determine if a match exists; and

wherein generating the alert signal is responsive to the comparing identifying existence of the match.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein comparing at least a portion of the supplemental content with at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion further comprises comparing at least a portion of text comprising the supplemental content with at least a portion of user-defined text.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparing further comprises comparing only if a mode setting comprises an idle mode.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the broadcast radio transmission further comprises receiving the primary content on a first frequency and receiving the supplemental content on a second frequency different from the first frequency.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the broadcast radio transmission further comprises receiving a radio program signal carried on a first amplitude modulated radio wave having a first carrier frequency, and receiving radio data system information carried on a second amplitude modulated radio wave having a second carrier frequency different from the first carrier frequency, wherein the second carrier frequency is outside of an audible frequency range.

15. A method of generating an alert, comprising:

receiving a broadcast radio transmission at a communication device, wherein the broadcast radio transmission comprises primary content and supplemental content having a relationship to the primary content, wherein the relationship is defined prior to the transmission of the broadcast radio transmission, wherein the primary content comprises a first audio data, wherein the supplemental content comprises a non-audio data;

detecting the receiving of the supplemental content;

generating an alert signal operable to activate an alerting device to output a non-visual notification;

activating, prior to the receiving, an idle mode operable to inactivate an outputting on the communication device of any received primary content and any received supplemental content;

comparing, based on the idle mode, at least a portion of the received supplemental content with at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion to determine if a match exists; and

wherein generating the alert signal is responsive to the comparing identifying existence of the match.

16. The method of claim 15, comparing at least a portion of the received supplemental content to at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion further comprises comparing at least a portion of text comprising the supplemental content to at least a portion of user-defined text.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising tuning to a user-defined frequency of a radio station in response to activating the idle mode.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising disabling a displaying of a representation of the supplemental content and disabling an outputting of an audible sound representing the primary content, both in response to activating the idle mode.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the alert signal further comprises adding a message relating to the supplemental content to the alert signal.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the alert signal further comprises adding a portion of the supplemental content to the alert signal.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, after generating the alert signal, a user input identifying a mode change;

changing from the idle mode to an interactive mode in response to the user input; and

outputting the received primary content and the received supplemental content on the communication device.

22. A computer program product for generating an alert, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

at least one instruction operable to cause a computer to receive a broadcast radio transmission at a communication device, wherein the broadcast radio transmission comprises primary content and supplemental content having a relationship to the primary content, wherein the relationship is defined prior to the transmission of the broadcast radio transmission, wherein the primary content comprises a first audio data, wherein the supplemental content comprises a non-audio data;

at least one instruction operable to cause the computer to detect the receiving of the supplemental content; and

at least one instruction operable to cause the computer to generate, at the communication device, an alert signal operable to activate an alerting device to output a non-visual notification in response to the detection of the supplemental content.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises:

at least one instruction operable to cause the computer to activate, prior to the receiving, an idle mode operable to block an outputting on the communication device of any received primary content and any received supplemental content; and

at least one instruction operable to cause the computer to compare at least a portion of the received supplemental content with at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion to determine if a match exists;

wherein the at least one instruction operable to cause the computer to generate the alert signal is responsive to the at least one instruction operable to cause the computer to compare identifying existence of the match.

24. At least one processor for generating an alert, comprising:

a first module for receiving a broadcast radio transmission at a communication device, wherein the broadcast radio transmission comprises primary content and supplemental content having a relationship to the primary content, wherein the relationship is defined prior to the transmission of the broadcast radio transmission, wherein the primary content comprises a first audio data, wherein the supplemental content comprises a non-audio data;

a second module for detecting the receiving of the supplemental content; and

a third module for generating, by the communication device, an alert signal operable to activate an alerting device to output a non-visual notification in response to the detection of the supplemental content.

25. The at least one processor of claim 24, further comprising:

a fourth module for activating, prior to the receiving, an idle mode operable to block an outputting on the communication device of any received primary content and any received supplemental content; and

a fifth module for comparing at least a portion of the received supplemental content with at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion to determine if a match exists;

wherein the third module for generating the alert signal is responsive to the fifth module for comparing identifying existence of the match.

26. A communication device for generating an alert, comprising:

means for receiving a broadcast radio transmission, wherein the broadcast radio transmission comprises primary content and supplemental content having a relationship to the primary content, wherein the relationship is defined prior to the transmission of the broadcast radio transmission, wherein the primary content comprises a first audio data, wherein the supplemental content comprises a non-audio data;

means for detecting the receiving of the supplemental content; and

means for generating, by the communication device, an alert signal operable to activate an alerting device to output a non-visual notification in response to the detection of the supplemental content.

27. The communication device of claim 26, further comprising:

means for activating, prior to the receiving, an idle mode operable to block an outputting on the communication device of any received primary content and any received supplemental content; and

means for comparing at least a portion of the received supplemental content with at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion to determine if a match exists;

wherein the means for generating the alert signal is responsive to the means for comparing identifying existence of the match.

28. A communication device for generating an alert, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a broadcast radio transmission, wherein the broadcast radio transmission comprises primary content and supplemental content having a relationship to the primary content, wherein the relationship is defined prior to the transmission of the broadcast radio transmission, wherein the primary content comprises a first audio data, wherein the supplemental content comprises a non-audio data;

a detector having a detector algorithm operable to detect the receiving of the supplemental content; and

a generator having an alert signaling algorithm operable to generate an alert signal operable to activate an alerting device to output a non-visual notification in response to the detection of the supplemental content.

29. The device of claim 28, further comprising at least one output device comprising the alerting device and having a generation algorithm operable to output the non-visual notification in response to receiving the alert signal.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the at least one output device is further operable to output a first audible sound representing the received primary content, and wherein the at least one output device is further operable to inject a second audible sound into the outputting of the first audible sound, wherein the second audible sound is distinguishable from the first audible sound.

31. The device of claim 29, further comprising:

a converter module operable to convert the non-audio data of the supplemental content into second audio data;

wherein the at least one output device is further operable to output a first audible sound representing the received primary content according to the first audio data; and

wherein the at least one output device is further operable to inject a second audible sound into the outputting of the first audible sound, wherein the second audible sound represents the supplemental content according to the second audio data.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the converter module is further operable to convert text to speech.

33. The device of claim 29, wherein the at least one output device is further operable to output a first audible sound representing the received primary content, and wherein the non-visual notification further comprises a haptic feedback.

34. The device of claim 28, further comprising a transmitter operable to transmit the alert signal to the alerting device.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the alerting device is located across a wireless communication network.

36. The device of claim 34, wherein the alerting device is located within a user interface of the communication device, and wherein the transmitter is further operable to transmit the alerting signal to the user interface of the communication device to prompt the user interface to output a non-visual notification.

37. The device of claim 28, further comprising:

a comparator module operable to compare at least a portion of the supplemental content with at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion to determine if a match exists; and

wherein the alert signal is generated in responsive to the comparator identifying existence of the match.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the comparator is further operable to compare at least a portion of text comprising the supplemental content with at least a portion of user-defined text.

39. The device of claim 37, further comprising a mode setting comprising an idle mode or an interactive mode, wherein the comparator is operable to compare only if the mode setting comprises the idle mode.

40. The device of claim 28, wherein the broadcast radio transmission further comprises the primary content on a first frequency and the supplemental content on a second frequency different from the first frequency.

41. The device of claim 28, wherein the broadcast radio transmission further comprises a radio program signal carried on a first amplitude modulated radio wave having a first carrier frequency, and radio data system information carried on a second amplitude modulated radio wave having a second carrier frequency different from the first carrier frequency, wherein the second carrier frequency is outside of an audible frequency range.

42. A communication device for generating an alert, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a broadcast radio transmission, wherein the broadcast radio transmission comprises primary content and supplemental content having a relationship to the primary content, wherein the relationship is defined prior to the transmission of the broadcast radio transmission, wherein the primary content comprises a first audio data, wherein the supplemental content comprises a non-audio data;

a detector having a detector algorithm operable to detect the receiving of the supplemental content;

a generator having an alert signaling algorithm operable to generate an alert signal operable to activate an alerting device to output a non-visual notification;

a mode setting comprising an idle mode operable to inactivate an outputting on the communication device of any received primary content and any received supplemental content;

a comparator operable to compare, based on the idle mode, at least a portion of the received supplemental content with at least a portion of one or more user-defined criterion to determine if a match exists; and

wherein the generator generates the alert signal responsive to the comparator identifying existence of the match.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein the comparator is further operable to compare at least a portion of text comprising the supplemental content to at least a portion of user-defined text.

44. The device of claim 42, further comprising a radio player module operable to tune to a user-defined frequency of a radio station in response to the idle mode.

45. The device of claim 42, further comprising a radio player module, based on the idle mode, operable to disable a displaying of a representation of the supplemental content and to disable an outputting of an audible sound representing the primary content.

46. The device of claim 42, wherein the generator is further operable to add a message relating to the supplemental content to the alert signal.

47. The device of claim 42, wherein the generator is further operable to add a portion of the supplemental content to the alert signal.

48. The device of claim 42, further comprising:

a user interface operable to receive, after generating the alert signal, a user input identifying a mode change;

a radio player module operable to change from the idle mode to an interactive mode in response to the user input; and

at least one output device comprising the alerting device operable to output the received primary content and the received supplemental content on the communication device.