Vehicle radio system for multiple drivers

• US 20020081985A1
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christine Liu, Constance Liu, Jonathan Liu
• Original Assignee: Christine Liu, Constance Liu, Jonathan Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Christine, Liu, Jonathan, Liu, Constance
• Application Number:
  US09/796,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20020081985A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0008 using a central processing unit, e.g. a microprocessor digital tuning in general H03J5/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/0245 Discontinuous tuning using an electrical variable impedance element, e.g. a voltage variable reactive diode, in which no corresponding analogue value either exists or is preset, i.e. the tuning information is only available in a digital form microprocessor tuning H03J1/0008

Abstract

It is typical for a car radio to have the last-played radio station be played when the radio is turned ON. For this invention, the frequency of the last-played radio station for each driver of a multi-driver car is stored into a radio memory. And the appropriate driver identity is then linked to that last-played radio station frequency. So that under retrieval when the radio is turned ON again, only the last-played radio station frequency that is linked to the matching driver identity will be tuned to and played.

In this manner, as driver A turns on the radio, the last-played radio station when driver A was last listening to in the car will be played, and the same for each of the other drivers to the same car. Each driver will operate the radio as if he is the only driver that uses the car.

Claims

1. A radio system in a vehicle for allowing multiple drivers to store, select and tune to preferred radio stations, said radio system comprising:

an identification system including a plurality of remote devices of a keyless entry system for the vehicle wherein each remote device being capable of generating a uniquely-coded transmission for generating a first current driver identity;

a vehicle micro-controller located in the vehicle and said vehicle micro-controller being operatively coupled to the identification system for receiving the first current driver identity;

a radio including preference means for receiving preferred station information for storage, memory for storing the preferred station information for storage, and control electronics for preferred station information processing and for receiving the first current driver identity from the vehicle micro-controller and linking in the memory the first current driver identity to the preferred station information for storage; and

the control electronics being further configured for linking in the memory the first current driver identity to a frequency of a last-played radio station before the radio being turned OFF, said control electronics further receiving and using a second current driver identity from the identification system immediately after the radio is turned back ON for locating the frequency of the last-played radio station whose linked first current driver identity matching with the second current driver identity; and

the preference means further receiving and responding to a preferred station information for selection and tuning by selecting and tuning to the preferred station information for storage whose linked first current driver identity matching with the second current driver identity.

2. The radio system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each remote device has more than one trigger button wherein each button generates an identification transmission different from that of others.

3. The radio system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each remote device generates an identification transmission different from that of others.

4. A radio system in a vehicle for allowing multiple drivers to store, select and tune to preferred radio stations, said radio system comprising:

an identification system for generating a first current driver identity;

a vehicle micro-controller located in the vehicle and said vehicle micro-controller being operatively coupled to the identification system for receiving the first current driver identity;

a radio including preference means for receiving preferred station information for storage, memory for storing the preferred station information for storage, and control electronics for preferred station information processing and for receiving the first current driver identity from the vehicle micro-controller and linking in the memory the first current driver identity to the preferred station information for storage; and

the control electronics being further configured for linking in the memory the first current driver identity to a frequency of a last-played radio station before the radio being turned OFF, said control electronics further receiving and using a second current driver identity from the identification system immediately after the radio is turned back ON for locating the frequency of the last-played radio station whose linked first current driver identity matching with the second current driver identity; and

the preference means further receiving and responding to a preferred station information for selection and tuning by selecting and tuning to the preferred station information for storage whose linked first current driver identity matching with the second current driver identity.

5. The radio system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the preference means includes a plurality of mechanical push buttons.

6. The radio system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the identification system includes a His/Her toggle switch located inside the vehicle for generating the first current driver identity.

6-1. A radio system in a vehicle for allowing multiple drivers to store, select and tune to preferred radio stations, said radio system comprising:

an identification system for generating a first current driver identity;

a vehicle micro-controller located in the vehicle and said vehicle micro-controller being operatively coupled to the identification system for receiving the first current driver identity;

a radio including memory for storing the first current driver identity and a frequency of a last-played radio station before the radio being turned OFF, and control electronics for information processing and for receiving the first current driver identity from the vehicle micro-controller and linking in the memory the first current driver identity to the frequency of the last-played radio station before the radio being turned OFF; and

said control electronics further receiving and using a second current driver identity from the identification system immediately after the radio is turned back ON for locating the frequency of the last-played radio station whose linked first current driver identity matching with the second current driver identity.