Method for digital radio fringe area learning

• US 9,215,558 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Helm, Sean Lee, Jotanovic, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US13/666,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20140120842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/423, 455/115.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A system on a vehicle is provided operable to notify a user if and when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area. The vehicle includes both the capability to receive digital and analog radio signals. The system further includes a processor and a data storage unit. If the digital signal drops below a certain predetermined threshold, the system will record the location of the low signal and will notify the user of the low signal next time the user is approaching the same area recorded by the GPS.

Claims

1. A method for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area, the method having a digital radio receiver, a GPS signal receiver, a processor, and a data storage unit, the system including the steps of:

receiving a digital radio signal by the digital radio receiver, determining by a processor a strength of the digital radio signal;

receiving a corresponding set of GPS coordinates by the GPS signal receiver if the strength of the digital radio signal is below a predetermined threshold;

storing the digital radio signal strength and the corresponding set of GPS coordinates in the data storage unit;

detecting when the user is re-approaching an area having the strength below the predetermined threshold based on the corresponding set of GPS coordinates;

notifying the user that they are approaching an area having the strength below the predetermined threshold; and

supplying to the user on a display in a vehicle, a wait time until a strong digital radio signal returns.

2. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 1 wherein the predetermined threshold ranges between 10-95%.

3. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 1 wherein the user is notified on a display screen illustrating a map of the user'"'"'s current location.

4. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 2 wherein the user is shown a fringe area graphically illustrating the location of the digital radio signal strength below the predetermined threshold.

5. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 1 wherein a separate signal strength is determined for every digital radio signal within range.

6. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 2 wherein the user is provided with a map and warning indicator of approaching traffic.

7. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 6 wherein the user is provided with an approximated wait time until the digital signal will return.

8. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 1 wherein the user is supplied with options regarding a choice of audio source if they are approaching a set of corresponding GPS coordinates where strength of the digital radio signal is below the predetermined threshold.

9. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 8 wherein the user is given the option to switch to analog radio.

10. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 8 wherein the user is given the option to switch to CD.

11. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 8 wherein the user is given the option to switch to MP3 or other digital media.

12. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 1 wherein the system communicates to a mobile application on the user'"'"'s mobile device, the mobile device connecting to a shared web based storage unit.

13. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 12 wherein the digital radio signal data and the corresponding set of GPS coordinates data is uploaded to the shared web based storage unit.

14. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 13 wherein a set of third party radio signal data and a corresponding set of third party GPS coordinates data is uploaded to the shared web based storage unit.

15. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 14 wherein the digital radio signal data, the corresponding set of third party GPS coordinates data, and the set of third party radio signal data are shared and exchanged through the web based data storage unit.

16. A system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area, the system comprising:

a digital radio receiver, the digital radio receiver receiving a digital radio signal;

a processor connected to the digital radio receiver to determine the strength of the digital radio signal;

a GPS signal receiver to receive GPS coordinates; and

a data storage unit, the data storage unit to store both GPS coordinates and digital radio signal strength data;

wherein the processor of the system detects when the user is re-approaching an area having the strength below a predetermined threshold based on a corresponding set of GPS coordinates and wherein the system notifies the user that they are approaching an area having a signal strength below the predetermined threshold;

wherein the user is supplied on a display in a vehicle, a wait time until a strong digital radio signal returns.

17. A method for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area, the method having a digital radio receiver, a GPS signal receiver, a processor, and a data storage unit, the system including the steps of:

receiving a digital radio signal by the digital radio receiver, determining by a processor a strength of the digital radio signal;

receiving a corresponding set of GPS coordinates by the GPS signal receiver if the strength of the digital radio signal is below a predetermined threshold;

storing the digital radio signal strength and the corresponding set of GPS coordinates in the data storage unit;

detecting when the user is re-approaching an area having the strength below the predetermined threshold based on the corresponding set of GPS coordinates;

notifying the user that they are approaching an area having the strength below the predetermined threshold; and

supplying the user with options regarding a choice of audio source if they are approaching a set of corresponding GPS coordinates where strength of the digital radio signal is below the predetermined threshold.

18. The system for notifying a user when they are approaching a low digital radio signal area of claim 17 wherein the user is supplied with a wait time until a strong digital radio signal returns.