Patent Application
20070026841
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to radio receivers capable of decoding digitals signals and, for particularly, to setting of radio receiver characteristics in response to information in the broadcast signals.
2. Background of the Invention
The configuration of an automobile radio's performance characteristics (e.g., stereo separation versus radio frequency (RF) signal strength, audio bandwidth versus in-band noise level, etc) is typically set by the manufacturer based on an average buyer profile for a specific type of vehicle. For instance, the buyer of a Lincoln Continental is assumed to be more likely to listen to classical music than the buyer of Ford Mustang convertible, the latter being assumed to be more likely to listen to rock music. Consequently, the radio in the Lincoln Continental is configured by the manufacturer to sound better when playing classical music than a similar radio in a Ford Mustang convertible. Similarly, the radio in the Ford Mustang convertible is configured to sound better when playing rock music. Specifically, the radio in the Lincoln Continental may be configured to blend aggressively from stereo to mono under marginal signal conditions in order to minimize the amount of audio static (background noise) in the output signal applied to the speakers (i.e., less static is present in a mono signal than in a stereo signal). In the case of classical music, which characteristically has a large audio dynamic range, it is desirable not to have background static, especially with audio content at a low level. In the case of rock music, a relatively larger level of background static usually can not be heard over the program content. It is therefore preferable to maximize the stereo separation.
While the technique of setting the characteristics of the audio system to the average owner of the automobile provides reasonable compromise for audio performance, the solution is far less than ideal. The purchaser of an automobile may not fit the “general” profile for that particular automobile so that the purchaser may be disappointed with the resulting audio. Even those owners who fit the profile associated with their automobiles are typically not going to listen exclusively to one type of audio program. When the audio program is not audio program of the general profile, the user/owner can be dissatisfied.
A need has therefore been felt for apparatus and an associated method having the feature of providing more flexibility in selecting the parameters for an audio program. It would be yet another feature of the apparatus and associated method to provide customized parameters for the audio program. It would be a still further feature of the apparatus and associated method to provide customized parameters for each audio program played over the radio. It would be more particular feature of the apparatus and associated method to provide customized parameters for each audio program played by a radio receiver based on information included in the broadcast radio signal.
The foregoing and other features are accomplished, according the present invention, by using program identification information transmitted along with the broadcast program material to identify a group of parameters to be used in processing the program material. The receiver, in response to the identification of the parameter group, retrieves the parameters from storage and processes the program material with the retrieved parameters. In this manner, the processing of each audio program can be customized to the audio performance being transmitted.
Other features and advantages of present invention will be more clearly understood upon reading of the following description and the accompanying drawings and the claims.
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The information in the RDS channel is typically used to assist the user in selecting a channel by providing the user with content that summarizes the type of material broadcast by the station. The present invention uses this broadcast band information to select a set of parameters that enhances the performance of the program content provided by the station. The set of parameters is used to process the program material of the station providing the program content information. When a new station is accessed, the program content information in the broadcast band of the newly accessed station is used to access parameters related to the new content.
Some of the parameters that are important in the listening experience of a piece of audio program material can include, but are limited to, stereo separation thresholds, audio bandwidth shaping thresholds, soft mute thresholds and preselection filter thresholds (i.e., the adjustment of the bandwidth of the IF signal in the digital domain.)
In the foregoing discussion, the RDS signal includes an identification of the type of programming material transmitted by the station. In the present invention, use is made of information in the RDS channel that identifies the type of program material broadcast by station. However, as will be clear the RDS channel has the ability to specify the category of the current piece of program material. Thus, the parameters for each program piece can be specified providing a greater customization of the program performance. A still further improvement would be to have parameters transmitted along with each unit of program material. In this manner, the program performance can be further customized for individual performance materials.
While the invention has been described with respect to the embodiments set forth above, the invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. Accordingly, other embodiments, variations, and improvements not described herein are not necessarily excluded from the scope of the invention, the scope of the invention being defined by the following claims.
