Radio locator application

• US 9,706,038 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gilchrist, James P., Dow, Eli M., Lewis, Brendan C., McMillan, Khaalid, Nycz, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US14/994,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20170201615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 4551791, 4551841, 4551851
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

An embodiment of a method of selecting a radio broadcast includes detecting a radio broadcast and retrieving user preference data, the user preference data specifying one or more preferred radio stations and/or one or more preferred categories of radio broadcast. The method also includes communicating via a local communication device with at least one additional processing device, wherein communicating includes retrieving radio station category information specifying at least one radio station and a category of the at least one radio station. The method further includes correlating the radio station category information with the detected radio broadcast to identify a radio station that originated the radio broadcast and one or more categories associated with the radio station and/or the radio broadcast, and based on determining that the detected radio broadcast corresponds to the user preference data, displaying information describing the detected radio broadcast and/or controlling the radio receiver.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selecting a radio broadcast, the apparatus comprising:

a processing device configured to communicate with a radio receiver in a vehicle, the radio receiver configured to receive and play terrestrial radio signals;

a local communication device; and

a processing module configured to perform;

detecting a radio broadcast received by the radio receiver;

retrieving user preference data selected by a user, the user preference data specifying one or more preferred radio stations, one or more preferred categories of radio broadcast, or a combination thereof;

communicating via the local communication device with at least one additional processing device, wherein communicating includes retrieving radio station category information stored by the at least one additional processing device, the radio station category information specifying at least one radio station having a broadcast range that includes a geographic region that the vehicle is in, and a category of the at least one radio station;

correlating the radio station category information with the detected radio broadcast to identify a radio station that originated the radio broadcast and one or more categories associated with the radio station, the radio broadcast or a combination thereof; and

based on determining that the detected radio broadcast corresponds to the user preference data, performing displaying information describing the detected radio broadcast, controlling the radio receiver, or a combination thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the additional processing device is located in an additional vehicle, and the retrieved radio station category information is stored in a mobile device in the vehicle, the radio receiver in the vehicle or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the radio station category information includes presets programmed into the radio receiver in the additional vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local communication device is a Bluetooth device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein communicating includes broadcasting a communication signal over an area corresponding to a range of the local communication device, receiving reply signals from one or more additional processing devices, and requesting the radio station category information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to measure a strength of each broadcast signal detected, and compile a list of available radio stations, the available radio stations emitting a broadcast signal having a strength above a selected threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to execute a radio station locator application, and communicating with the at least one additional device includes establishing whether the at least one additional device stores an instance of the radio station locator application.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to perform:

monitoring a first signal strength of a current radio station broadcast being played by the radio receiver, and in response to determining that the first signal strength is below a first threshold, performing;

automatically identifying available radio broadcasts based on stored data identifying radio stations having broadcast ranges that include a geographic region that the vehicle is in, radio station data received from the at least one additional processing device, or a combination thereof;

comparing the available radio broadcasts to the user preferences;

in response to identifying a broadcast conforming to the user preferences, measuring a second signal strength of the identified broadcast; and

in response to the second signal strength being greater than a second threshold, automatically tuning the radio receiver to the identified broadcast.

9. A computer program product for selecting a radio broadcast, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a signal, the program instructions readable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method comprising;

detecting a radio broadcast received by a radio receiver in a vehicle, the radio receiver configured to receive and play terrestrial radio signals;

retrieving, by a processing device, user preference data selected by a user, the user preference data specifying one or more preferred radio stations, one or more preferred categories of radio broadcast, or a combination thereof;

communicating via a local communication device with at least one additional processing device, wherein communicating includes retrieving radio station category information stored by the at least one additional processing device, the radio station category information specifying at least one radio station having a broadcast range includes a geographic region that the vehicle is in, and a category of the at least one radio station;

correlating the radio station category information with the detected radio broadcast to identify a radio station that originated the radio broadcast and one or more categories associated with the radio station, the radio broadcast, or a combination thereof; and

based on determining that the detected radio broadcast corresponds to the user preference data, performing displaying information describing the detected radio broadcast, controlling the radio receiver, or a combination thereof.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the additional processing device is located in an additional vehicle, and the retrieved radio station category information is stored in a mobile device in the vehicle, radio receiver in the vehicle, or a combination thereof.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises measuring a strength of each broadcast signal detected, and compiling a list of available radio stations, the available radio stations emitting a broadcast signal having a strength above a selected threshold.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises monitoring a first signal strength of a current radio station broadcast being played by the radio receiver, and in response to determining that the first signal strength is below a first threshold, performing:

automatically identifying available radio broadcasts based on stored data identifying radio stations having broadcast ranges that include a geographic region that the vehicle is in, radio station data received from the at least one additional processing device, or a combination thereof;

comparing the available radio broadcasts to the user preferences;

in response to identifying a broadcast conforming to the user preferences, measuring a second signal strength of the identified broadcast; and

in response to the second signal strength being greater than a second threshold, automatically tuning the radio receiver to the identified broadcast.