Processing data supplementary to audio received in a radio buffer

• US 8,774,954 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Haughay, Allen Paul Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US12/554,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 455/3.06, 704500-504
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for processing supplementary data in a buffered radio stream are provided. In one example, an electronic device capable of processing such supplementary data may include a radio frequency receiver, memory, and data processing circuitry. The radio frequency receiver may be capable of receiving and decoding a radio frequency broadcast signal into an audio signal and an audio-identifying non-audio signal. The memory may be capable of buffering the audio signal. The data processing circuitry may be capable of parsing information from the non-audio signal into an audio-identifying component, which may be inserted into the audio signal buffered in the memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a radio frequency broadcast signal into a radio frequency receiver, the broadcast signal including audio content;

decoding an analog audio signal and a non-audio digital signal from the radio frequency broadcast signal using the radio frequency receiver;

digitizing the analog audio signal into a digital audio stream using an analog to digital converter;

parsing the non-audio digital signal to obtain audio-identifying information using data processing circuitry;

additionally parsing the non-audio digital signal until duplicate audio-identifying information is obtained before collecting the audio-identifying information into a single data component comprising multiple elements of the audio-identifying information decoded from the non-audio digital signal;

using the data processing circuitry, encoding a placeholder into the digital audio stream while parsing the non-audio digital signal; and

encoding the data component into the digital audio stream at the placeholder within the digital audio stream using the data processing circuitry, wherein the placeholder is located in the digital audio stream at a point corresponding approximately to the start of new audio content in the digital audio stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received radio frequency broadcast signal comprises an FM radio broadcast signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-audio digital signal is of the Radio Data System format or the Radio Broadcast Data System format, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding an additional placeholder into the digital audio stream at a point corresponding to a time that new audio-identifying information is received, and encoding a data component comprising the new audio-identifying information into the digital audio stream at the additional placeholder.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising encoding additional placeholder components into the digital audio stream at a regular interval while the non-audio digital signal is being parsed using the data processing circuitry, and additionally encoding the data component comprising the new audio-identifying information into the digital audio stream at one or more of the additional placeholder components.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising analyzing the digital audio stream while parsing the non-audio digital signal to determine an audio transition point, encoding a transition placeholder into the digital audio stream at the audio transition point using the data processing circuitry, and encoding an additional data component into the digital audio stream at the transition placeholder component.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a radio frequency receiver, to receive a radio frequency broadcast signal including audio content, and to decode an analog audio signal and non-audio digital signal from the audio frequency broadcast signal;

an analog to digital converter coupled with the radio frequency receiver, to digitize the analog audio signal into a digital audio stream;

memory coupled with the analog to digital converter, to buffer the digital audio stream; and

data processing circuitry coupled with the memory, wherein the data processing circuitry contains logic to;

parse the non-audio digital signal to obtain audio-identifying information;

additionally parse the non-audio digital signal until duplicate audio-identifying information is obtained;

after the non-audio digital signal is additionally parsed, collect the audio-identifying information into a single data component comprising multiple elements of the audio-identifying information decoded from the non-audio digital signal;

encode a placeholder into the digital audio stream at a point corresponding approximately to the start of new audio content in the digital audio stream; and

encode the data component into the digital audio stream at the placeholder.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the audio-identifying information includes data associated with a currently-playing program of the audio component.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the data associated with the currently-playing program of the audio component includes broadcast station call letters, an artist name, a title, a global unique identifier, or any combination thereof.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the radio frequency receiver is an FM radio frequency receiver having a Radio Data System decoder or a Radio Broadcast Data System decoder, or a combination thereof.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the data processing circuitry is additionally configured to encode placeholder components into the buffered audio stream at a regular interval.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein one of the placeholder components is encoded in the buffered audio stream corresponding approximately to a point at which one of a plurality of data associated with the currently-playing program was received.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the data processing circuitry is additionally configured to analyze the buffered audio stream to determine an audio transition point, encode a transition placeholder component at the audio transition point, and place the identification component into the placeholder component.

14. A system for processing data supplementary to audio received in a radio buffer, the system comprising:

a radio frequency receiver, to receive a radio frequency broadcast signal including audio content, and to decode the broadcast signal into an audio signal and a non-audio signal;

an analog to digital converter coupled with the radio frequency receiver, wherein the audio signal is an analog audio signal, and wherein the analog to digital converter is to digitize the audio signal into a digital audio stream;

memory coupled to the analog to digital converted, to buffer the digital audio stream; and

data processing circuitry coupled to the memory, to parse a non-audio signal received from the radio buffer into an audio-identifying component, encode a placeholder into the audio stream at a point corresponding approximately to the start of new audio content in the audio stream, and encode the audio-identifying component into the audio stream at the placeholder, wherein the data processing circuitry parses the non-audio signal via logic configured to;

parse the non-audio signal to obtain audio-identifying information;

additionally parse the non-audio signal until duplicate audio-identifying information is obtained;

after the additional parsing, collect the audio-identifying information into a single data component comprising multiple elements of the audio-identifying information decoded from the non-audio signal;

encode a placeholder into the audio stream at a point corresponding approximately to the start of new audio content in the audio stream; and

encode the data component into the audio stream at the placeholder.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data processing circuitry is additionally configured to encode placeholder components into the buffered audio stream at a regular interval.