Broadcast data radio system and receiver apparatus therefor

• US 6,163,683 A
• Filed: 02/24/1999
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith H., Willner, Barry E., Dunn, James M., Lee, Peter S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/256,569
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 455/132, 455/133, 455/142, 455/150.1, 455/151.1, 455/45, 455/88, 455/166.2, 455/179.1, 455/180.1, 455/184.1, 455/186.1
• US Class Current: 455/151.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/22 Arrangements for broadcast of identical information via plural broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers

Abstract

A presently disclosed radio broadcasting system for a virtual radio program broadcasting station uses a divided regional approach to broadcast digital and analog signals over a large geographic region divided into multiple overlapping but separate areas constituting small portions of the region. The small areas are served by separate transmission sources/towers supplied from a common source central to the station. The system supports reuse of allocated transmission parameters within non-neighboring small areas in the region. The station is "virtual" because its central source need not be in any of the small areas, and because it uses different transmission parameters in neighboring small areas in a manner that previously would be used by plural different stations. System transmissions include information signals sent in both analog and digital forms. The analog signals representing audibly reproducible programs, and the digital signals include instructions for controlling operations of receiver devices operating in the region. The digital signals also may include audibly reproducible program matter and instructions for controlling insertion of that matter into a program stream defined by analog transmissions. These transmissions are particularly useful for varying tuning parameters of mobile receiver devices disclosed herein to automatically and seamlessly maintain the devices tuned to the respective virtual station throughout the region, while the devices are transported across virtual boundaries between the small areas within the region. The system enables the virtual station to alternately present audible matter of general interest throughout the region and audible matter relevant exclusively to a small area within the region (e.g. advertisements specifying locations and services offered by commercial establishments within a respective area, and announcements specifying locations of public facilities such as libraries, hospitals, etc.). Transmitted digital information is retained in mass storage units associated with receiver devices and is used for adjusting tuning parameters as a device is transported across the small areas of the region, as well as for providing a portion of the program content that is played at the device during such movement.

Claims

1. Mobile data radio receiver apparatus for receiving concurrently broadcast transmissions of radio signals arranged in digital and analog forms, said signals sent by a single virtual radio station having plural antennas situated in plural separate areas within a larger geographic space, each of said antennas having sufficient signal strength to span a single respective area in said larger space;

said signals being carried as modulation on different frequency parameters in adjacent said areas;

said signals being used to present a single radio program across said larger space;

at least part of said single radio program having the same content in all of said areas;

said apparatus comprising;

digital and analog reception modules respectively adapted to separately receive and process said concurrently broadcast radio program signal transmissions in said digital and analog forms; and

circuits connecting said modules for varying program playing operations in said analog module in response to broadcast digital transmissions received in said digital module, said varied operations including operations serving to automatically maintain the respective receiver continuously tuned to said single virtual station as said receiver is transported across a virtual boundary between neighboring said areas spanned by different ones of said antennas.

2. Mobile receiver apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said virtual station deliberately introduces pauses in transmission of said analog signals at said antennas;

said apparatus including;

data storage apparatus coupled to said digital module for storing data contained in said broadcast transmissions received in said digital form;

said stored data including information subject to audible reproduction; and

wherein said circuits connecting said modules include;

a digital to analog converter for applying said digital section to apply stored information subject to audible reproduction to said analog section for intermittent playing in said analog section during said deliberately introduced pauses.

3. Mobile receiver apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said digital module in said receiver apparatus is effective in response to said transmissions in digital form to vary reception tuning in both said digital and analog modules, while said receiver apparatus is being transported across a virtual boundary between neighboring said local areas, for effectively keeping said apparatus continuously tuned to said single virtual station while and after said apparatus is transported across said virtual boundary.

4. Mobile data radio receiver apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

said broadcast transmissions include audibly reproducible signals containing the same information content in each said area and other audibly reproducible signals containing different information content in each said area.

5. Mobile data radio receiver apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said digital module is capable of operating to receive said signals broadcast in said digital form while said analog module is idle and wherein said storage apparatus is capable of storing said signals for use in controlling operations in said analog module when said analog module subsequently becomes active.

6. Data radio apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said reception modules and connecting circuits are housed in a moveable vehicle, said vehicle containing data storage apparatus for storing data received by said digital module;

said data storage apparatus being coupled to said reception modules and connecting circuits and being configured and sized to be able to store instructions for operating both said digital and analog modules as well as determining radio programs to be audibly played in said apparatus.

7. Data radio apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said data stored in said data storage apparatus includes audibly reproducible program material and instructions for having said audibly reproducible material reproduced and played in said apparatus during predetermined pauses in transmissions of other audibly reproducible program materials instantly being received in said reception modules.

8. Data radio apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said stored data is configured to have playing of said stored programs activated by interruption signals transmitted when said predetermined pauses are initiated.

9. Data radio apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said stored data is configured to have playing of said instantly broadcast programs resumed when said predetermined pauses are ended.

10. A data radio broadcasting system for a virtual radio program broadcast station spanning a plurality of discretely separate areas within a larger geographic space encompassing all of said areas;

said system using different signal carriers within adjacent said areas but providing common radio program content within all of said areas;

said system comprising;

plural sources of broadcast signal transmissions operating in respective ones of said plural areas and having respective transmission ranges spanning only respective ones of said areas;

said sources concurrently broadcasting signals in digital and analog forms in their respective areas;

said signals in analog form including signals representing audible programs to be played by receiver apparatus operating in respective said areas, and said signals in digital form including both signals for controlling operations of said receiver apparatus within respective said areas and signals representing audibly reproducible program matter;

said signals controlling said operations including signals for automatically keeping receiver apparatus continuously tuned to said virtual station as said receiver apparatus is transported across virtual boundaries between neighboring said areas.

11. A data radio program broadcasting system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said signals for controlling operations of said receiver apparatus include signals for keeping said receiver apparatus continuously tuned to said virtual broadcast station as said receiver apparatus is transported beyond the transmission range of one of said sources and into the transmission range of another one of said sources.