Enhanced radio systems and methods

• US 20050020223A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Radio, LLC
• Original Assignee: Caron S. Ellis, Michael David Ellis
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Ellis, Caron S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,343,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/186.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/40 characterised in that additional data relating to the broadcast data are available via a different channel than the broadcast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/17 on recording information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• 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 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• 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: H04H 60/85 : which are mobile communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 : Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 : by interfacing with the vehicle audio system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 : with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 : for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 : with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

An enhanced radio system is disclosed that provides for the capture and playback of one or more radio stations. The user may tune to a station, or scan through stations, rewind to hear what was missed (even while the system is turned off), and fast-forward through undesired content. The system allows a user to rate content, and to be notified when that content is being played on any station. The system may recognize content as it is broadcast and may jump to desirable content, save a copy of desirable content, or skip over undesirable content. The system may make radio station recommendations. The system may support multiple sets of configuration information to allow its use by multiple listeners and in multiple locations. The system allows the user to respond easily to radio content, download and upload audio content, and send radio content to another user. The system may allow a user to download information about content that the user wishes to record a copy of. The system may include security features to prevent the unauthorized downloading, uploading, and saving of copies of the radio content. The system may provide other radio related and radio content related information. The system may provide a karaoke mode. The system may also allow the user to integrate a telephone with the radio. The system may report usage information to a collection facility.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver capable of continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio signal;

(b) a storage module having a capacity to simultaneously store in a buffer each radio signal received by the radio receiver module for later output by selection of a user; and

(c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof;

wherein the user can select a stored radio signal from the buffer in the storage module for the output, said stored radio signal having been received while said apparatus was in an off state.

2. An apparatus for processing multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver capable of continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio signal; and

(b) a storage module having a capacity to simultaneously store in a buffer each radio signal received by the radio receiver module for later output by selection of a user;

wherein the amount of memory allocated to the buffer for each radio signal may vary based on a dynamic priority scheme.

3. An apparatus for processing multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver capable of continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio signal;

(b) a storage module having a capacity to simultaneously store in a buffer each radio signal received by the radio receiver module for later output by selection of a user; and

(c) a communication module;

wherein the storage module has the capacity to store in a separate buffer radio content received by the communication module for later output by selection of the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, additionally configured to allow the user to select the radio content from the separate buffer for the output as it is received.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, additionally configured to prevent unauthorized copying of the received content.

6. An apparatus for processing multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver capable of continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio signal;

(b) a storage module having a capacity to simultaneously store in a buffer each radio signal received by the radio receiver module for later output by selection of a user; and

(c) a communication module;

wherein the user can select a stored radio signal from the buffer in the storage module for output to the communication module.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, additionally configured to allow the user to select the stored radio signal from the buffer in the storage module for output to the communication module as it is stored in the buffer.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, additionally configured to prevent unauthorized output of the stored radio signal to the communication module.

9. An apparatus for processing radio signals, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a radio receiver module having at least one radio receiver capable of continuously receiving a radio signal;

(b) a storage module having a capacity to store in a buffer the radio signal received by the radio receiver module for later output by selection of a user;

(c) a communication module configured to receive information representative of an item of audio content;

(d) a processing module configured to recognize an item of audio content based on the received information representative of the item; and

wherein the storage module is additionally configured to automatically save a copy of the item of audio content when it is recognized based on the received information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, additionally configured to prevent the automatic saving of the item of audio content when said saving is unauthorized.

11. An apparatus for processing radio signals, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a radio receiver module having at least one radio receiver capable of continuously receiving a radio signal;

(b) a storage module having a capacity to store in a buffer the radio signal received by the radio receiver module for later output by selection of a user;

(c) a processing module configured to recognize an item of audio content based on information representative of the item; and

wherein the processing module is additionally configured to take an action when an item of audio content is recognized based on a setting configured by the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, additionally configured to allow the user to save the setting.

13. An apparatus for processing radio signals, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a radio receiver module having at least one radio receiver capable of continuously receiving a radio signal;

(b) a storage module having a capacity to store in a buffer the radio signal received by the radio receiver module for later output by selection of a user; and

wherein the radio receiver is additionally configured to access a radio station defined by the user as a favorite station.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, additionally configured to allow the user to save the definition of the favorite station.

15. An apparatus for processing multiple radio signals simultaneously, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a radio receiver module having at least two radio receivers, each receiver capable of continuously receiving a separate unrelated radio signal;

(b) a storage module having a capacity to simultaneously store in a buffer each radio signal received by the radio receiver module for later output by selection of a user; and

(c) a control module having a programmable selection scheme to control functions including received radio signals, stored radio signals and portions thereof, and an output of the stored radio signals and portions thereof;

wherein the programmable selection scheme is further configured to allow a user to select content to have a copy saved, wherein the content is in progress.