GB2259204A

GB2259204A - Audio system with fm broadcasting receiver having means to indicate type of program received

Info

Publication number: GB2259204A
Application number: GB9214405A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Akira Nagashima
Original assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corp
Current assignee: Pioneer Corp
Priority date: 1991-07-11
Filing date: 1992-07-07
Publication date: 1993-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 2012-07-07
Also published as: DE4222777C2; JP3452368B2; GB9214405D0; GB2259204B; DE4222777A1; JPH0522182A

Description

1 AUDIO SYSTEM WITH FM BROADCASTING RECEIVER .,, n '.

2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an audio system provided with an FM broadcasting receiver. 2. Description of the Prior Art

Recent audio systems are frequently constructed such that various audio sources such as an FM tuner, an AM tuner. a CD (compact disk) player and a cassette tape player are systematically coupled in such a manner that they may be operated in a concentrated manner from an operation panel. This tendency is high particularly with audio systems of the vehicle- carried type which are installed in a limited installation spacing.

In conventional audio systems provided with an FM broadcasting receiver beginning with such vehiclecarried audio systems as described above, when contents of a broadcasting program have changed, when a received station has been changed, when the source has been changed from a source other than an FM broadcast to an FM broadcast or the like, in order to confirm contents of the broadcasting program (for example, classic music, light music. news, sports or the like). there is no means other than to listen to the program for more than a fixed period of time. Further. where the display area 3 is limited as with a car stereo, information other than a received frequency or station name is not displayed unless a user operates specifically. Consequently, much time is required for confirmation of contents of the program.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an audio system provided with an FM receiver which can notify, when contents of a broadcasting program have changed, when a received station has been changed, when the source has been changed from a source other than an FM broadcast to an FM broadcast, when any other source than the FM receiver is being reproduced or in a like case, contents of a broadcasting program of a received station or a receivable station then to a user rapidly and with certainty.

In order to attain the object. the present invention makes use of an FM multiple broadcasting wave. An exemplary one of such FM multiple broadcasting waves is the RDS (Radio Data System). The RDS is an FM character multiplexed broadcasting system developed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and involves, using a subcarrier of 57 KHz which corresponds to the 1 4 third harmonic wave of 19 KHz which is a principal carrier of an FM audio signal. carrier suppression amplitude modulation of the subcarrier by a bi-phase coded RDS data signal and frequency modulation of the amplitude modulated subcarrier so as to be carried by the principal carrier in order to transmit various RDS data.

A table of such RDS data is shown in FIG. 8, and a transmission format of RDS data is shown in FIG. 9. As apparently seen from FIG. 8. a PTY (broadcasting program contents identification) code indicative of contents of a broadcasting program is included in RDS data. The PTY code is used to inform which one of, for example, classic music. light music. news, sports and so forth the program is being broadcast at present.

Accordingly, when an FM multiple broadcasting wherein such program contents identification information as is represented by such RDS is superimposed on an FM audio signal is being broadcast, contents of a broadcasting program of an FM station being received at present can be known from the identification information included in the FM broadcasting wave. The present invention makes use of this fact.

Thus. according to the present invention. there t is provided an audio system which comprises an FM broadcasting receiver capable of receiving an FM multiple broadcasting wave, identification information demodulating means for extracting and demodulating broadcasting program contents identification information from within a detected signal of an FM multiple broadcasting wave received by the FM broadcasting receiver, program contents notifying means for notifying contents of a broadcasting program in accordance with the demodulated broadcasting program contents identification information from the identification information demodulating means, and controlling means for detecting satisfaction of a notification requirement to control the program contents notifying means to notify contents of a broadcasting program of a broadcasting station received by the FM broadcasting receiver. The program contents notifying means may notify contents of a broadcasting program acoustically or visually.

In the audio system, when an FM broadcasting being received at present is an FM multiple broadcasting in which program contents identification information is included, the identification information demodulating means extracts the program contents identification 6 information from within the FM multiple broadcasting wave and sends the program contents identification information of the broadcasting station being received then to the program contents notifying means.

Then, when satisfaction of the notification requirement is detected by the controlling means, the program contents notifying means notifies, in accordance with the program contents identification information received from the identification information demodulating means. contents of a broadcasting program of an FM broadcasting station received or receivable by the FM broadcasting receiver then to a user by suitable means such as speech or display of characters. Consequently, the user can know the contents of the program of the received or receivable FM broadcasting station then rapidly and with certainty. The notification requirement of the controlling means may be, for example, that the contents of the received broadcasting program has changed, that the received FM broadcasting station has been changed, that the operative source has been changed from a source other than the FM broadcasting receiver to the FM broadcasting receiver. or that any other source than the FM broadcasting receiver is being played.

r 7 - Thus, with the audio system, when contents of a broadcasting program being received have changed, when a received station has been changed, when the source has been changed over from any other source than the FM broadcasting receiver to the FM broadcasting receiver or while any other source than the FM broadcasting receiver is being played, contents of the broadcasting program of the received or receivable FM broadcasting station then can be notified rapidly and with certainty to the user. Accordingly, the operability of an audio system of the type is enhanced.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts or elements are denoted by like reference characters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an audio system showing an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a flow of operations of the audio system shown in FIG. 1; FIGS. 3 to 6 are flow charts illustrating 8 alternative flows of operations of the audio system shown in FIG. 1:

FIG. 7 is an illustration showing a display screen of a display of the audio system shown in FIG. 1 when it operates in accordance with the flow of operations shown in FIG. 6:

FIG. 8 is a table of RDS data; and FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a transmission format of RDS data.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown an audio system provided with an Fl broadcasting receiver to which the present invention is applied. The audio system makes use of the RDS described above as an FM multiple broadcasting wave and includes four audio sources including an FM tuner 1. an AM tuner 2, a CD player 3 and a cassette tape player 4.

A source selecting circuit 5 selects one of the four audio sources 1 to 4. The output of the source thus selected is transmitted by way of an attenuator 6 for adjustment of a volume of sound and a signal adding circuit or mixer 7 to an audio amplifier 8 and is sounded from a loudspeaker 9.

1 A 57 KHz band pass filter 10 extracts from an FM detected signal of the FM tuner 1 a subcarrier of 57 KHz on which RDS data are carried.

An RDS signal demodulating circuit 11 demodulates the subcarrier of 57 KHz transmitted thereto from the 57 KHz band pass filter 10 to decode it back into original RDS data. The thus decoded RDS data are transmitted to a controller 12.

The transmission format of the RDS data is shown in FIG. 9. Referring to FIG. 9, one group is formed from four blocks, each of which is formed from 26 bits and includes an information word of 16 bits and an offset word of 10 bits allotted to a check word. Thus, a start bit of each block and of what number the block is in the group are identified from the offset word of 10 bits, and detection of an error of the information ward of 10 bits of the block is performed in accordance with the check word.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the controller 12 may be constituted from a microcomputer and operates in accordance with a control program stored in a ROM 13. The controller 12 stores RDS data successively transmitted thereto in the unit of a group from the RDS signal demodulating circuit 11 once into a RAM 14 and - 10 further receives various operation instructions entered by way of an operation panel 15 to control operation of various circuits.

A speech synthesizing circuit 16 produces. by speech synthesis. a predetermined message in sound for notifying contents of a program of an FM station being received (such as, for example, "the program you are listening to is classic music"). The message signal produced by speech synthesis is transmitted to the audio amplifier 8 by way of the mixer 7 so that it is sounded from the loudspeaker 9.

A display unit 17 may be a display element such as an LCD and displays thereon ordinary operation information such as a name of a source being played, distinction of FM/AM and stereo/monaural, a receiving frequency. a name of a receiving station and so forth. Further, contents of a program of an FM station being received are visually indicated by means of characters or a picture either together with notification by a message in sound from the speech synthesizing circuit 16 or by the display unit itself. An FM antenna 18 is connected to the FM tuner 1, and an AM antenna 19 is connected to the AM tuner 2.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow of operations of the controller or microcomputer 12 as operation of the audio system shown in FIG. 1. The flow of operations of the controller 12 is generally constructed such that, when contents of a program of an FM station being received by the FM tuner 1 change while a user is listening to any other source than the FM tuner 1, the contents of the program after the change are automatically notified to the user. The processing operations illustrated in FIG. 2 are realized by the control program stored in the ROM 13.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is assumed now that the source selecting circuit 5 selects any other source than the FM tuner 1, for example, the CD player 3 and reproduced sound of a compact disk is being sounded from the loudspeaker 9 (step S1). In this instance, it is also assumed that the FM tuner 1 is performing its receiving operation while the output thereof is not selected by the source selecting circuit 5 and thus continues to receive an FM station, which has been received formerly.

The controller 12 checks an operation condition of a PTY monitor switch (not shown) of the operation panel 15 at step S2. When the PTY monitor switch is not operated. the processing advances to step S3, at which - 12 reproduction of a compact disk is performed in an ordinary play mode. On the other hand, in case the PTY monitor switch is operated, the processing advances to step S4, at which such monitoring processing of contents of a program of a received FM station as described below is started.

In particular, when a monitoring instruction is received, the controller 12 starts monitoring of RDS data (refer to FIG. 8) transmitted thereto from the RDS signal demodulating circuit 11 and detects, from a PTY code, contents of the broadcasting program then (such as. for example, classic music. light music, news, sports or the like) at step S4. Further. the controller 12 detects. from a PI code data. a name of the broadcasting station then.

The controller 12 having detected the name the received station and contents of the broadcast program then transmits an instruction to the speech synthesizing circuit 16 to produce a sound message. The speech synthesizing circuit 16 speech synthesizes, in accordance with the instruction from the control 12, a predetermined message representative of the name of the broadcast station and the contents of the program like, for example. "0 0 0 (name of the broadcasting station) if necessary, in the RDS 11 - 13 is playing classic music at present" and notifies this from the loudspeaker 9 by way of the mixer 7 and the audio amplifier 8 step S5.

It is to be noted that, upon such notification by sound, in order to make it easy to hear the contents of the notification, preferably the attenuator 6 is controlled so that, for a period of time until the notification by sound comes to an end, the reproduced sound of the compact disk may be reduced or muted.

Further, the controller 12 controls the display unit 17 to visually indicate, together with the notification by the message in sound, the name of the broadcasting station and the contents of the program by means of characters or a picture. Consequently, on the screen of the display unit 17. the name of the broadcasting station being received then and the contents of the program are displayed like, for example, "0 0 0 (broadcasting station name) classic music".

As a result, the user can know, even during reproduction of the compact disk, the name of the broadcasting station being received by the FM receiver at present and the contents of the program.

Subsequently. the controller 12 checks, at step S6, an operation condition of the PTY monitor switch and 14 judges whether or not the monitoring operation for a PTY code should be continued. When monitoring for a PTY code should not be continued, the processing advances to step S3 to return to ordinary reproduction of the compact disk. On the other hand, when monitoring for a PTY code should be continued. the processing advances to step S7 so as to continue monitoring of a change of a PTY code.

If the PTY code which has been received till then changes, then the controller 12 detects this step S7 and re-confirms at step S8 whether or not the change of the PTY code is correct. whereafter it causes the speech synthesizing circuit 16 to speech synthesize a message in accordance with contents of a broadcast. program (for example, news) after the change. Then, the contents of the program after the change is notified at step S9 from the loudspeaker 9 like "0 0 0 (broadcast station name) is broadcasting news at present". Further, this is displayed similarly also on the display unit 17.

The user will thus know from the message in sound or the display on the display unit 17 that the contents of the program of the FM broadcasting station have changed, and in case the user wants to listen to 1 - 15 the FM broadcasting of the thus changed contents of the program in place of the compact disk to which the user is listening at present, the user may depress an arbitrary one of keys not shown on the operation panel 15 within a predetermined fixed period of time (step S10).

When the controller 12 detects that one of the keys has been depressed, it controls, at step S11, the source selecting circuit 5 to change over the selected source from the CD player 3 to the FM tuner 1. Consequently, the broadcasting program of the FM station being received by the FM tuner 1 at present is sounded from the loudspeaker 9 in place of reproduced sound of the compact disk.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative flow of operations of the controller 12 shown in FIG. 1. The present flow of operations of the controller 12 is generally constructed such that automatic scanning of the FM tuner 1 is performed while the user is listening to any other source than the FM tuner 1 and, when a new FM station is selected by such automatic scanning, contents of a program of the newly selected FM station are automatically notified to the user. Also the processing operations illustrated in FIG. 3 are realized - 16 by the control program stored in the ROM 13.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, any other source than the FM tuner 1. for example, the CD player 3, is being reproduced (step S12), the controller 12 checks an operation condition of the PTY monitoring switch (not shown) at step S13. In case the PTY monitoring switch is not operated. the processing advances to step S14, at which reproduction of the compact disk is performed (continued) in an ordinary play mode. On the other hand, when the PTY monitoring switch is operated, the advances to step S4. at which such monitoring automatic processing processing for contents of a program upon scanning as described below is started.

In particular, if an automatic scanning button (not shown) of the operation panel 15 is depressed, automatic scanning of FM stations is started at step S15. The controller 12 thus searches for receivable FM stations while successively changing the tuning frequency of the FM tuner 1 at a predetermined frequency distance.

When the FM tuner 1 receives an FM station at a certain frequency, searching for FM stations is stopped at the position at step S16. Then. the controller 12 judges. at step S17. depending upon presence or absence of an RDS signal in the broadcasting radio wave of the received FM station, whether the FM station is an RDS station. In case the FM station is not an RDS station, the processing returns to step S15 to prepare for a next automatic scanning instruction.

Meanwhile, in case the FM station is an RDS station. the processing advances to step S18, at which a PTY code in the RDS data stored in the RAM 14 is read out and it is detected from the PTY code what contents of the program of the FM station at present are. Further, if necessary, a name of the broadcasting station then is detected from a PI code in the RDS data.

The controller 12 notifies, at step S19, similarly as in the case of the first flow of operations described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 2, the name of the FM broadcasting station selected in automatic scanning and contents of the program to the user by means of a sound message from the speech synthesizing circuit 16 or visual indication of characters by the display 17. Then, if the user depresses any one of the keys step S20, then the controller 12 changes over the reproduction source from the CD player 3 to the FM tuner 1 at step S21 so that broadcasting of the FM station thus received is sounded from the loudspeaker 9 in place 18 - of the compact disk.

FIG- 4 illustrates another alternative flow of operations of the controller 12 shown in FIG. 1. The present flow of operations of the controller 12 is generally constructed such that. when contents of a broadcasting program of an FM station while the user listening to the FM station by way of the FM tuner 1, contents of a new program are automatically notified the user. Also the processing operations illustrated FIG. 4 are realized by the control program stored in the ROM 13.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, while a desired FM station is being received by means of the FM tuner 1 and sounded from the loudspeaker 9 (step S31), if PTY monitoring is started at step S32, then the controller 12 recalls a PTY code in the RDS data of the received station from the RAM 14 and monitors a change of contents of the program at step S33.

In case the PTY code has changed, the controller 12 re-confirms at step S34 whether or not the change is correct, and then notifies, at step S35, contents of the program after the change of the received station to the user by means of a message in sound from the speech synthesizing circuit 16 or visual indication of 19 characters by the display 17.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further alternative flow of operations of the controller 12 shown in FIG. 1. The present flow of operations of the controller 12 is generally constructed such that preset scanning of the FM tuner 1 is executed while the user is listening to an FM station and, when a new preset station is selected, contents of a program of the new FM station are automatically notified to the user. Also the processing operations illustrated in FIG. 5 are realized by the control program stored in the ROM 13.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, preset scanning is started at step S41, and when a first preset station is received at step S42, the controller 12 cancels muting which has been applied after it was applied at the same time with starting of preset scanning in order to prevent noise, and then controls. at step S43, the attenuator 6 to attenuate the reproduced sound of the received preset station a little in order to make it easy for the user to hear a message in sound of a notice of a program which will be hereinafter described.

Subsequently, at step S44, the controller 12 recalls a PTY code in the RDS data of the received preset station stored in the RAM 14 and notifies, in a - 20 similar manner as described hereinabove, contents of the program of the received preset station to the user by means of a message in sound from the speech synthesizing circuit 16.

After such notification of the message in sound, the controller 12 cancels attenuation of the attenuator 6 at step S45 so that the FM broadcasting of the preset station is sounded from the loudspeaker 9. Then, in case preset scanning is cancelled at the point of time. the preset station being received continues to be received as it is (steps S46 and S47). On the other hand, in case the preset scanning button is depressed again within a fixed period of time so that preset scanning is resumed (steps S46 and S48), the processing returns to step S41 to repeat the preset scanning operation described above.

FIG. 6 illustrates a still further alternative flow of operations of the controller 12 shown in FIG- 1. The present flow of operations of the controller 12 is generally constructed such that, when the selected' source is changed over from any other source than the FM tuner 1 to the FM tuner 1. names of FM stations preset in preset channels in advance and contents of programs of the stations at present are automatically displayed 8 - 21 on the display unit 17 so that the contents of the programs of the preset stations at present may be notified to the user. Also the processing operations illustrated in FIG. 6 are realized by the control program stored in the ROM 13.

Now. it is assumed that the source selecting circuit 5 selects the CD player 3 and reproduced sound of a compact disk is being sounded from the loudspeaker 9. While the compact disk is being reproduced, the FM tuner 1 successively searches for preset stations set in advance in the tuner 1 and stores PTY codes of the preset stations into the RAM 14. The controller 12 executes its processing operation repetitively after lapse of each fixed period of time and rewrites the RAM 14 such that contents of programs of the individual preset stations stored in the RAM 14 may normally be contents of programs at present.

If. in such a playing condition as described above, an instruction to change over the source from the CD player 3 to the FM tuner 1 is entered by way of the operation panel 15, then the source selecting circuit 5 selects the output of the FM tuner 1 to change over the source from the CD player 3 to the FM tuner 1 at step S50.

Then at step S51. the controller 12 sets the FM tuner 1 such that it selects a station to which the user listened last upon preceding listening to an FM broadcasting (last stored station). reads out from the RAM 1 PTY codes which provide information of contents of programs of the preset stations at present, and displays them on the screen of the display unit 17 in such a manner as illustrated in FIG. 7 to notify them to the user.

Then, the controller 12 checks, while the receiving band to be accepted is changed over like FM1, FM2 and so forth. whether or not the user has depressed a preset button for a desired FM station (steps S52 and S53).

If the user depresses, looking at the display of the contents of the programs shown in FIG. 7, a preset button for an FM station to which the user wants to listen. the controller 12 detects this. sets the receiving frequency of the FM tuner 1 to a frequency of the designated preset station and starts reception of the desired preset station at step S54.

On the other hand. in case the user does not select any one of the preset stations, the controller 12 returns. at step S55, the display screen of the display 1 1; 23 17 from the condition shown in FIG. 7 to an ordinary screen indication and allows the user to continue to listen to the last stored station described above.

While the audio system in the embodiment described above includes, as sources thereof, four sources including an FM tuner, an AM tuner, a CD player and a cassette tape player, the number and the combination of such sources may be selected arbitrarily and are not limited to those of the embodiment described above. Further, the present invention can be applied to an audio system which includes at least an FM tuner. Accordingly, also an audio system which only includes an FM tuner as a source, that is, an FM broadcasting receiving apparatus itself, is included in the category of audio system in the present invention.

Further, while the RDS is described above as an example of FM multiple broadcasting wave, the present invention is not limited to the RDS and can be applied to an FM multiple broadcasting wave so far as information for identification of contents of a broadcasting program is carried thereon.

Having now fully described the invention, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto 24 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth herein.

11 t

Claims

Claims:

1. An audio - 25 system. comprising: an FM broadcasting receiver capable of receiving an FM multiple broadcasting wave; identification information demodulating means for extracting and demodulating broadcasting program contents identification information from within a detected signal of an FM multiple broadcasting wave received by said FM broadcasting receiver; program contents notifying means for notifying contents of a broadcasting program in accordance with the demodulated broadcasting program contents identification information from said identification information demodulating means: and controlling means for detecting satisfaction of a notification requirement to control said program contents notifying means to notify contents of a broadcasting program of a broadcasting station received by said FM broadcasting receiver.

2. An audio system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said program contents notifying means acoustically notifies contents of a broadcasting program.

3. An audio system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said program contents notifying means visually notifies - 26 contents of a broadcasting program.

4. An audio system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controlling means normally checks contents of a broadcasting program of an FM station being received by said FM broadcasting receiver and controls, when it detects a change of the contents of the broadcasting program, said program contents notifying means to notify the contents of the new broadcasting program of the FM broadcasting station.

5. An audio system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controlling means performs. while an FM station is received by said FM broadcasting receiver, preset scanning of FM broadcasting stations and controls, when another new preset FR broadcasting station is selected, said program contents notifying means to notify contents of a broadcasting program of the newly selected FM broadcasting station.

6. An audio system as claimed in claim L. further comprising a second source other than said FM broadcasting receiver, and source selecting means for selectively operating either said FM broadcasting receiver or said second source.

7. An audio system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said controlling means checks, while said second source is R, - 27 selected by said source selecting means, contents of a broadcasting program of an FM station being received by said FM broadcasting receiver and controls. when it detects a change of the contents of the program, said program contents notifying means to notify the contents of the broadcasting program after the change.

8. An audio system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said controlling means performs, while said second source is selected by said source selecting means, automatic scanning of FM broadcasting stations at said FM broadcasting receiver and controls, when a new FM station is selected as a result of the automatic scanning, said program contents notifying means to notify contents of the broadcasting program of the newly selected FM station.

9. An audio system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said controlling means checks said source selecting means and controls, when the source selected by said source selecting means is changed over from said second source to said FM broadcasting receiver, said program contents notifying means to visually notify names of FM broadcasting stations preset present in advance therein and contents of broadcasting programs of the FM broadcasting stations at present.