FR3071117A1 - METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION RELATING TO AN AUDIO PROGRAM DIFFUSED BY A RADIO STATION - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing information relating to stations broadcasting an audio program on a very high frequency band and at least a first and a second data field by means of an RDS digital data transmission service, said method comprising a step of: - Reception (200) and decoding of a signal, - Determining (201) a first part, said fixed part, corresponding to a name of a radio station being listened to and a second part, called dynamic part, in the first field, - Check (202) if the second field has data and if not: - Display (203) the first part determined in a portion of the display dedicated to the name of the station of radio being listened to, - Display (204) the second part determined in a portion of the dedicated display information a program being listened to.

Description

Method of providing information relating to an audio program broadcast by a radio station

The invention relates to sound reproduction devices, and more specifically the supply to such devices of information relating to stations broadcasting audio programs on a very high frequency band in frequency modulation (or FM ("Frequency Modulation >>"). )).

As those skilled in the art know, certain so-called FM stations broadcast radio programs in frequency modulation (or FM) in a very high frequency band (or VHF), generally between approximately 87 MHz and approximately 108 MHz, and frequently called "FM band".

Among these FM stations, some also broadcast information using a Radio Data System (or RDS) service. More specifically, the RDS service makes it possible to transmit by waves, for the station considered, in particular:

- A PI field (for Program Indentification) indicating a unique code assigned to each station, which allows the receivers to identify a station;

- A PS (for Program Service) field indicating the name of the station, consisting of eight alphanumeric characters and intended to be displayed on the receiver screen. Except in special cases, all stations offer this service. The RDS standard stipulates that the eight characters must be fixed, and represent the name of the station;

- RT (for Radio Text): for the broadcasting of texts via RDS, the texts in question can then be displayed on demand on the screen of the receivers for example to transmit the references of the musical pieces in progress diffusion.

Initially, the PS field was dedicated to the station name only, which allowed the display of the latter on a screen. But today this PS field almost always includes information that at least partially defines the program being broadcast, so it is this program information that is now displayed on the screen and no longer the name of the station. This field is therefore diverted to pass dynamic information there while, the RDS includes a service adapted to dynamic information, the radiotext.

A solution was proposed in the French patent application FR3034931 making it possible to determine a station name. Unfortunately, nothing is planned to provide additional information when the radiotext field is not completed.

The purpose of the invention is in particular to improve the situation by providing the user with information on the program, including if the radiotext field is not completed.

More specifically, it proposes for this purpose a method of providing information relating to stations each broadcasting an audio program on a very high frequency band and at least a first and a second data field by means of a transmission service. digital data called "Radio Data System", said method comprising a step of:

Reception and decoding of a signal, said method being characterized in that it further comprises steps consisting in:

Determine a first part, called the fixed part, corresponding to a name of the radio station being listened to and a second part, called the dynamic part, in the first field,

Check if the second field contains data and if not:

Display the first part determined in a portion of the display dedicated to the name of the radio station being listened to,

Display the second part determined in a portion of the dedicated display for information on a program currently being listened to.

The invention makes it possible to display information on the program currently being listened to when the radiotext field is not broadcast, by using information contained in the PS field. The PS field is filtered beforehand by separating the characters indicating the name of the station from those indicating other information (generally on the program currently being listened to).

The invention provides a complete and clear display when the data fields are not completely completed.

The invention also has the advantage of being also compatible with signals comprising fully and correctly filled fields.

Advantageously, said first field comprising a plurality of characters, the step consisting in determining a first part and a second part in the first field comprises:

Determine a first part of the plurality of characters, corresponding to a name of the radio station being listened to,

Determine a second part of the plurality of characters, corresponding to the characters of the first field not present in the first part.

Advantageously, the received signal comprising a field indicating a station identifier, the step consisting in determining a first part of the plurality of characters uses a correspondence table between a station name stored in correspondence with a received station identifier.

Advantageously, the method of providing information according to the invention further comprises a step of formatting the second determined part, prior to the step of displaying said second part.

Advantageously, the formatting step comprises a step of determining an artist name and / or a song name by correlating the characters of the second part with a database of artists and predetermined songs.

The invention also relates to a device for supplying information relating to stations each broadcasting an audio program on a very high frequency band and at least a first and a second data field by means of a digital data transmission service. says "

Radio Data System ", said device comprising a processing means configured to implement the method according to the invention.

The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a device according to the invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the attached drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 shows a vehicle equipped with an information supply device according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a flowchart illustrating an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention.

The accompanying drawings may not only serve to complete the invention, but also contribute to its definition, if necessary.

The object of the invention is in particular to propose a DF device intended to supply information relating to stations which broadcast audio programs on a very high frequency band (or VHF) and which have a Radio Data System (or RDS) service. ).

In what follows, it is considered, by way of nonlimiting example, that the device for providing information DF is part of a motor vehicle V, such as for example a car. But the invention is not limited to this application. It relates to any system, device or building that can use information relating to FM stations. Thus, the invention relates to any land, sea (or river) or air vehicle, sound reproduction devices (and in particular car stereos and tuners), installations (including those of an industrial type), and buildings (public or private).

There is schematically shown in the single figure a vehicle V equipped with a device for providing DF information according to the invention. As illustrated, a device (for providing information) DF, according to the invention, comprises storage means MS and processing means MT.

Note that in the example illustrated without limitation in the single figure, the device DF is part of a sound reproduction device AR. But it is not compulsory. It could in fact be part of other on-board electronic equipment, coupled to the AR sound reproduction device, or even constitute on-board electronic equipment. Consequently, the DF device can be produced in the form of software modules (or computer or "software"), or else of a combination of electronic circuits (or "hardware") and software modules.

Furthermore, in the example illustrated without limitation, the sound reproduction device AR is a car radio integrated in the central handset CC which includes a display screen EA and which is installed in a central part of the dashboard PB of the vehicle V. But this is not compulsory. It could indeed be independent of this central CC handset and possibly coupled to the latter (CC) via an on-board communication network, possibly of the multiplexed type and allowing on-board electronic equipment, which are connected to it, to exchange information and instructions.

In addition, it is considered in what follows, by way of nonlimiting example, that the textual information which relates to the operation of the sound reproduction apparatus AR or to the FM programs that it reproduces in vehicle V are displayed the display screen EA of the central handset CC. But it is not compulsory. They could indeed be displayed by a screen of the AR sound reproduction device, for example of the LCD type.

The sound reproduction device AR notably comprises a tuner T responsible for receiving (via an antenna not shown) at least the audio programs (FM) and associated RDS messages which are transmitted by means of waves at very high frequencies and in modulation frequency (FM) by stations sj (j = 1 to J, and J varying in time and space) when it is tuned (or tuned) to their transmission frequency.

The storage means MS of the device DF are arranged to store a correspondence table between station identifiers is 1 (called “Program Idendifiers” (or PI) in the terminology of the RDS standard) and station names nsi (called "Program Service names >> (or PSname) in the terminology of the RDS standard). These storage means MS can, for example, be in the form of a non-volatile memory, possibly of software type.

This correspondence table includes digital data which define station identifiers is 1 and station names nsi and which can be supplied by the sound reproduction apparatus AR. This digital data can be obtained from a dedicated service, for example periodically, via a wireless communication module of vehicle V, or else transmitted by waves to vehicle V by this dedicated service, for example periodically and possibly via a wireless communication network. Alternatively, they can be downloaded to mobile communication equipment (mobile phone or electronic tablet) using a dedicated application, then transferred to the AR sound reproduction device. In another variant, they can be stored on a removable memory element (such as for example a USB key or a memory card) which is temporarily coupled by the user to the device DF. Preferably, the sound reproduction apparatus AR is arranged to supply the device DF with each update of the correspondence table that it receives, so that its storage means MS update the correspondence table that they store for have up-to-date digital data (is 1, nsi).

The processing means MT of the device DF are arranged to determine in the correspondence table (stored in the storage means MS) either a station name nsj stored in correspondence with a station identifier isj received in order to supply this station name nsj determined, that is to say an isj station identifier stored in correspondence with a nsj station name received in order to supply this determined isj station identifier.

It will be understood that when the device DF is part of the sound reproduction apparatus AR, it provides at least one station name nsj or at least one station identifier isj to this sound reproduction apparatus AR, at the request of the latter AR comprising at least one corresponding isj station identifier or at least one corresponding nsj station name. It will be noted that this last request can itself result from a request or from a selection made by a user by means of a man / machine interface, here on board the vehicle V. It will also be noted that this man / machine interface here can be part of the sound reproduction device AR or of the central handset CC, and that it can be tactile (or digital) and / or (electro) mechanical or even vocal.

It will also be noted that the sound reproduction apparatus AR can be arranged to supply the human / machine interface means with digital data which define a station name nsj of a station sj whose program is being broadcast or whose frequency has been selected by a user, for display on the EA screen.

The processing means MT of the device DF are also arranged to implement the method of providing information relating to stations broadcasting an audio program on a very high frequency band. Referring to Figure 2, said method includes a step of receiving 200 and decoding radio data.

Said method further comprises a step consisting in determining 201 a first part, called the fixed part, corresponding to a name of the radio station being listened to and a second part, called the dynamic part, in the first field (PS ).

As explained above, according to a first embodiment, the method matches a station identifier received in a dedicated field, with a station name stored in a correspondence table. The station name thus identified makes it possible to determine which part of the first field corresponds to the name of the station and by deduction which part corresponds to the information on the listening in progress.

According to a second embodiment, the method implements a filtering based on display durations. The part of text being displayed longer being considered to be the fixed part, the other part, the part displayed the shortest time being the dynamic part.

The method also includes a verification step 202 to determine whether the second field RT includes data. The second is normally used to give textual information about the program being listened to. It is the preferred source of information to generate a display. But as explained above, this RT field is not always completed.

Also in the absence of information in this field, the process includes the following steps:

- Display 203 of the first part determined in a portion of the display dedicated to the name of the radio station being listened to,

- Display 204 of the second part determined in a portion of the display dedicated to information on a program being listened to.

Optionally, the method of providing information according to the invention further comprises a step of formatting the second determined part, prior to the step of displaying said second part.

This formatting step comprises for example a step of determining an artist name and / or a song name by correlating the characters of the second part with a database of predetermined artists and songs.

By determining an artist and / or a song, it is then possible to filter out any unnecessary characters (in other words not carrying useful information for a user) before they are displayed.

Claims (7)

1. Method for providing information relating to stations each broadcasting an audio program on a very high frequency band and at least a first and a second data field by means of a digital data transmission service called "Radio Data" System ”, said method comprising a step of: - Reception (200) and decoding of a signal, said method being characterized in that it further comprises steps consisting in: - Determine (201) a first part, called the fixed part, corresponding to a name of the radio station being listened to and a second part, called the dynamic part, in the first field, - Check (202) if the second field contains data and if not: - Display (203) the first part determined in a portion of the display dedicated to the name of the radio station being listened to, - Display (204) the second part determined in a portion of the display dedicated to information on a program currently being listened to. 2. Method of providing information according to claim 1, characterized in that, said first field comprising a plurality of characters, the step consisting in determining (201) a first part and a second part in the first field comprises: - Determine a first part of the plurality of characters, corresponding to a name of the radio station being listened to, - Determine a second part of the plurality of characters, corresponding to the characters of the first field not present in the first part. 3. Information supply method according to claim 2, characterized in that, the received signal comprising a field indicating a station identifier, the step consisting in determining a first part of the plurality of characters uses a correspondence table between a station name stored in correspondence with a received station identifier. 4. Method for providing information according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that it further comprises a step of formatting the second determined part, prior to the step of displaying said second part. 5. Method for providing information according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the formatting step comprises a step of determining an artist name and / or a song name by correlating the characters of the second part with a database of predetermined artists and songs. 6. Device for providing information relating to stations each broadcasting an audio program on a very high frequency band and at least a first and a second data field by means of a digital data transmission service called "Radio Data" System ”, said device comprising a processing means configured to implement the method according to one of the preceding claims. 7. Vehicle characterized in that it comprises a device according to the preceding claim.