EP0901246A2 - Method and receiver for the reception of digitally coded messages, such as traffic messages, using the Radio Data System - Google Patents

Abstract

The reception method, for digitally-coded messages provided by at least one transmitter, uses a local table stored in a memory (17) at the receiver for decoding the messages, with verification that the required part of the local table for decoding the message is present, to allow a request to be transmitted to the service provider for transmission of the required part of the local table, with updating of the table stored at the receiver.

Description

The invention relates to a method and a receiver for Reception of digitally coded messages by at least be broadcast on a transmitter and in a receiver be decoded using a location table.

To inform motorists have been around for a long time Spoken traffic announcements known. These are with various disadvantages, for example with Delays and inaccuracies caused by manual and thus also subjective acceptance and transmission of the Information is connected. For example, it happens before a driver gets stuck in a traffic jam who (still) was not announced, or that despite the traffic jam warning relevant road when it arrives at the designated Can drive relatively smoothly.

A more precise recording and faster transmission has become known with the help of the Systems for the transmission of digitally coded traffic reports become possible. The structure and coding of these Traffic announcements and the location list are in CEN pr ENV12313-1 and pr ENV / 278/7/3/0012 specified on the Standard proposal ALERT C, June 1996, published by RDS ATT ALERT Consortium. The essential elements of a Traffic reports are the location of the event and the event. This information is cataloged that means that every traffic-relevant place and everyone assigned a unique code to traffic-relevant events is. The chaining of the locations along the location table existing roads reflect the course. Except the usual facilities of a receiving device with a RDS decoders are used to use the traffic information channel TMC (Traffic Message Channel) Decoding devices for Storage, further processing and output of the Traffic announcements required.

Digitally coded traffic reports - also in the following Called TMC messages - can with the radio data system (RDS), which is an additional and inaudible Transmission of digital data in parallel with Broadcast programs in a data channel. Specifications of the radio data system for FM radio are among others in the publication Tech. 3244-E, March 1984 the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Radio receivers with suitable RDS decoders can transmitted data in addition to audio reception with the Record and decode the same receiver.

There is a in the receiver to decode the traffic reports Location table required, based on the one with the TMC message transmitted information, the affected place, the Extent or direction of an event in the receiver, can be decoded. These are for an area for which TMC messages should be decodable, for example a country the size of Germany, significant amounts of data required. Also step through Road network extensions or conversions or conversion of Traffic management changes. That's why they are Location tables with known recipients not in Read only memories (ROMs), but in exchangeable ones Storage, for example memory cards, chip cards, CD-ROMs, hard drives, hard drives. When decoding a single message is only a very small part of the Location table required. To reduce the The parts stored in the receiver could require memory a complete table of locations to be divided Example in different federal states. Longer trips would, however, have to be used when using such small memories Appropriate handling with the changeable memories to get prepared.

The object of the present invention is a method and propose a recipient who is less Storage capacity the decoding of digitally encoded Enable messages, but no special ones Operations by the user are required.

In the method according to the invention, this object solved by checking whether the decoding required part of the location table stored in the receiver is that the decoding is correct and that not applicable if requested by the recipient a telecommunications network from a service computer required part of the location table sent by the recipient received, stored and for decoding the message is used.

Checking whether the part required for decoding the location table is available, is done easily by trying decoding. Then they are missing information required for decoding, they will requested from the service computer.

The process according to the invention has the advantage that none complete storage of the respective location table in the Recipient is required. Thus, memories with smaller capacity, lower energy consumption and lower maintenance costs can be used. Besides, can in the service computer, every change and immediately Expansion of the road network should be considered so that always use the latest version of the for decoding in the receiver Location table is available. For digitally coded messages according to the standards mentioned at the beginning, the mission is one Identifier (number) provided with which of several Location tables the message is to be decoded. This will be at exploited the inventive method so that the Part of the location table is also requested when a corresponding part of the location table available in the receiver but this is a different identifier than the one received having. Because the identifier also the update status reproduces, thus outdated parts of the location table with overwritten new.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention The procedure is that when the Capacity limit one for the parts of the location table provided memory previously saved parts of the Location table overwritten according to specified criteria become. This ensures that the existing in the memory Parts of the location table largely to the expected TMC messages are adjusted. With this configuration it should be provided that the earliest saved Parts of the location table are overwritten or that a given criterion the geographic location of the overwriting parts of the place table. Besides, can this configuration should be further developed such that those parts of a location table are overwritten first that are not made by one in the recipient Area selection of the messages are recorded.

To save transmission time and costs, the The inventive method can be provided that several Requirements that concern undecodable messages be bundled to the service computer.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention The procedure is that one made in the recipient Area selection with the request to the service computer is transmitted. It is preferably provided that a request with an area selection of Service calculator in addition to that for each decoding message required parts of the parts Location table, which are covered by the area selection sends the recipient.

With this configuration are expected to be required parts of the location table already to the recipient transmitted before they are required for decoding. Then a message arrives, the locations within this Area, then they can be decoded very quickly as a further requirement is no longer required is.

This configuration can be further developed in that the service calculator on a request with one Area selection for messages that are located outside of the selected area, do not affect any part of the location table transmits to the recipient. This prevents parts of the Location table that is currently for the user of the recipient are uninteresting, are stored in memory and thus possibly more interesting parts for the user be overwritten.

Depending on the type of recipient, different ones are suitable Telecommunication networks for the method according to the invention. For mobile recipients, especially recipients in Motor vehicles, is the use of a cellular network advantageous. For stationary receivers, for example the ISDN or packet-switched services in question.

In a receiver according to the invention, the task solved in that a non-volatile rewritable Memory is provided which has a capacity which for storing at least some parts of the location table is sufficient that those parts of the memory Location table are writable to decode the each received message are required and that a Transceiver for a telecommunications network It is provided with what requests are sent and parts the location table can be received.

For mobile receivers, especially car radios preferably provided that the transceiver is a terminal of a cellular network.

In the case of known TMC receivers, the location table does not contain only the information required for decoding, but also those that are user-friendly Playback are required, such as the names of the Places. In an advantageous embodiment of the The receiver according to the invention provides that for a Output of the information required by the Location table are stored in a read-only memory. In order to needs the non-volatile rewritable memory not to be provided with a capacity which also for the unchangeable information, such as the place names, is sufficient.

The receiver according to the invention can without a location table in Memory to be shipped to the user. Through the Use of the receiver will be for the respective Parts of the location table required in the area of application Storage filed. If the reception behavior of the Receiver changes, for example because the RDS tuner regularly other stations are received (example: moving, selling the Vehicle, vacation trip), then "configures" itself Receiver automatically to the new conditions. The Selection, purchase and manual exchange of the Location table in the receiver is omitted.

Programs for establishing communication are included in the receiver the service computer of an information service provider contain. The used in request and response Data packets for data transmission via mobile radio can be embedded in the prENV / 278/4/3/0015 described "General Message" formats. Be in the receiver the data received is written into the memory and there stored non-volatile. A received message can thus be decoded.

Requirements can be designed so that not only necessary for decoding a single message Location codes, but compiled according to other criteria Location codes are provided in the response. For example can be all in one by a single requirement certain area, on a certain street or in current location of a TMC transmitter containing location codes be requested. Through requirements designed in this way the period of time until all messages from a transmitter are decoded can be shortened.

Fig. 1

ein Blockschaltbild eines erfindungsgemäßen Empfängers und

Fig. 2

ein Ablaufdiagramm zur Erläuterung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing using several figures and are explained in more detail in the following description. It shows:

Fig. 1

a block diagram of a receiver according to the invention and

Fig. 2

a flowchart to explain the inventive method.

The receiver shown in Fig. 1 has in itself known manner an antenna 1, a receiving part 2, a Stereo decoder 4, a NF amplifier 5 as well Power amplifiers 6, 7 and speakers 8, 9. That from the stereo multiplex signal delivered to the receiving part 2 in addition to the stereo decoder 4 fed to an RDS decoder 3, the output of which is connected to a microcomputer 13. Of the Microcomputer 13 serves to control the receiver for decoding, management, preparation for playback and selection of the TMC messages. To the microcomputer 13 a keyboard 14 and a display device (display) 15 connected. The output of the selected TMC messages can either be via the display 15 or as a voice output take place, for which purpose the microcomputer 13 via a Speech synthesizer 16 with an input 10 of the LF amplifier 5 is connected.

The microcomputer 13 is also non-volatile rewritable memory 17 connected to the Place table or parts of it. A also to the Microcomputer 13 connected terminal 18 one Mobile radio network with an antenna 19 is used for communication with a service computer, not shown. As a terminal 18 can be a conventional mobile phone, for example according to the GSM standard, the one used for data exchange has suitable interface with the microcomputer 13.

Fig. 2 shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the inventive method that as a program in Microcomputer 13 is implemented. It runs alongside one Set of other programs related to the Fig. 1 illustrated functions of the microcomputer. After a start at 21, a TMC message arrives at 22 and contains for example the location code (loc) 12273, the Extent (ext) 2 and the direction (dir) +. At 23 the TMC message to the decoder DEC (also in the form of a Programs contained in the microprocessor 13) passed. Thereon an attempt is made at 24 to decode the information the stored internal location table (LOCTAB) with the help the data loc: 12273, ext: 2, dir: + read out. At 25 the program branches depending on whether the Information was found. If applicable, at 26 the TMC message is decoded and output at 27. At 28 will the program ends. The program is on every reception a TMC message started. When using a corresponding program, the program can be quasi simultaneously, expire so that in the waiting time between 29 and 33 other messages can be decoded.

However, if it is found at 25 that for decoding required information not found in the location table a request (REQ) to the Service calculator created by a service provider. A An essential part of this requirement is that at 22 received TMC message, especially the location, the extent and the direction. As already mentioned, however, can also other information may be included in the request for example the currently selected area selection. At 30, the created request is over the cellular network transmitted as a short message (SMS = Short Message Service).

The requirement shown schematically at 31 becomes at 32 received, processed and answered by the service provider. The response is also transmitted to the requesting recipient as a short message. At 33 is the Content of the answer (ANS) is shown schematically. At a practically executed place table means xxx "Aalen / Westhausen", yyy "Heidenheim" and zzz "Ulm / Würzburg". This response is received at 34 by the recipient, after which he waited for the answer in program part 35.

At 36, the answer is an existing one Place table entered. This can be done by Additional storage is done if for those concerned Places no information in the saved place table are present or by replacing if a more recent one Received version of the relevant part of the location table becomes.

After updating or expanding the location table can decode the TMC message at 26 that is output at 27. With the above mentioned The text to be output then reads: "A7 from Ulm towards Würzburg between junction 116 Heidenheim and junction 114 Aalen / Westhausen ... ". It an event follows, for example "traffic jam", to its Decoding the location table is not needed.

Claims (14)

Process for receiving digitally coded messages, which are broadcast by at least one broadcaster and in decoded to a receiver using a location table , characterized in that it is checked whether the for the decoding required part of the location table in the The recipient is saved, if applicable the Decoding is done and that does not apply to Request of the recipient via a telecommunications network the required part of the location table from a service computer sent, received by the recipient, saved and sent to Decoding of the message is used. The method of claim 1, wherein with the message ID is received, with which location table the message is to be decoded, characterized in that the part of the Location table is also requested if a corresponding one Part of the location table exists in the receiver, this however, has a different identifier than the one received. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when the Capacity limit one for the parts of the location table provided memory previously saved parts of the Location table overwritten according to specified criteria become. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the earliest saved parts of the location table be overwritten. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that a given criterion the geographic location of the overwriting parts of the place table. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that those parts of a location table are overwritten first that are not made by one in the recipient Area selection of the messages are recorded. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that several requirements that are not concern decodable messages, bundled to Service computers are transferred. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a made in the receiver Area selection with the request to the service computer is transmitted. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that on request with an area selection of the Service calculator in addition to that for each decoding message required parts of the parts Location table, which are covered by the area selection sends the recipient. Method according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized characterized that the service computer on request with an area selection for reports that place outside of the selected area do not affect any part of the Transmits the location table to the recipient. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the telecommunications network Cellular network is. Receiver for receiving digitally coded Messages broadcast by at least one broadcaster and in the receiver using a location table be decoded, characterized in that a Non-volatile rewritable memory (17) is provided which has a capacity which for Storage of at least some parts of the location table is sufficient that those parts of the memory Location table are writable to decode the each received message are required and that a Transceiver (18, 19) for a Telecommunications network is provided with which Requests sent and parts of the location table received can be. Receiver according to claim 12, characterized in that the transmitting / receiving device (18, 19) a terminal one Cellular network is. Receiver according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized characterized that for an output of the messages required information of the location table in one Read-only memories are stored.

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