DE19502360C1 - Rapid access method for programme-specific data in broadcasting equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves providing access to data including type of programme, alternative frequencies, a programme identification code etc. The data from a received radio data system (RDS) signal is decoded and stored in a variable write/read memory (4) from which they can be retrieved with the aid of the code. When the programme-related data for a newly commissioned transmitter are not identified in this memory, they are taken from the read-only memory (3) searched by the controller (2), and presented in eye-readable form on a display (5).

Description

The present invention relates to a method for rapidly making available program-related data, which in addition to data such as program service name, Program type and alternative frequencies a program identification code (PI code) include when receiving an RDS signal from a radio station in a radio Radio data system (RDS) device, in which the received RDS signal of a transmitter, the program-related data is decrypted and changed in a Read / write memory (RAM) can be saved in which it is based on the PI code can be found again in order to receive an RD signal from a transmitter based on the PI codes decrypted the remaining program-related data of this transmitter from the Read / write memory and quickly available for further use to be able to provide, as well as a radio receiver according to the preamble of claim 5.

A device that has the prerequisites for this is in the Utility model DE 92 18 025 U1 shown.

Modern radio receivers offer through the data transmitted in the radio data system new functions that make the device easier to operate and the Comfort increase. For example, those transmitted in the RDS system allow Alternative frequency lists a switchover of the reception frequency when reception is disturbed of a transmitter on another, better received frequency of the same transmitter. Of the The received program service name enables the name of the received program to be displayed In plain text. In addition, the program service name can also be used for Improved ease of use when selecting stations can be used by For example, all receivable stations in alphabetical order or by quality Menus or lists are displayed.  

All of the above functions can only be carried out if the corresponding functions are System transmitted data were completely received. When switching on for the first time of the radio receiver and when switching to a new transmitter, one passes quite some time until all RDS data of the set station are completely received.

This time period results from the relatively slow data transfer rate of the RDS Data that is significantly extended or even completely impossible if reception is disturbed becomes. Longer alternative frequency lists or EON information in particular are then available not or very late.

In contrast, the probability that the PI code of a transmitter is also at poor reception quality is decodable, much higher since the PI code in each RDS data group and thus about 11 times per second, and only there the receipt of a single A block of an RDS data group is necessary to enable the PI To determine code. In contrast, for RDS information like Alternative frequency lists, program service names or EON much more complete RDS data groups are received.

Devices have therefore already been developed which program-related RDS Store data of several sufficiently long stations received in good quality can. If these devices are already in good reception conditions station tuned in again later, then the RDS Data can be retrieved from memory and reused as soon as the PI code of the set station was decoded and recognized, because all other RDS data of the the selected station are available in the memory and can be determined using the PI code can be properly assigned to the respective station.

However, these known radio receivers have the disadvantage that they are fast Making program-related data available by reading them out of the memory on the basis of the decoded and recognized PI code is only possible if the the station concerned has already been tuned in earlier times with good reception quality has been that all associated RDS data has been completely received and stored could become. The procedure works the first time a station is received that these known radio receivers do not work and after connecting of the receiver to a power source initially with no transmitter at all.

The invention is therefore based on the object of a method of the type mentioned Specify which does not have these disadvantages. In particular, the program-related data quickly even for stations tuned for the first time To be available.

In such a method, this object is achieved according to the invention in that if a received and decrypted PI code is not found in the write / Read memory (RAM) of the radio receiver the desired program-related Data are taken from a read-only memory (ROM), in which program-related data from radio stations already fixed by the manufacturer were saved.

The manufacturer's stored in the read-only memory of the radio receiver program-related data from radio stations represent the genetic makeup of the Radio receiver. All known program-related at the time of manufacture Data from radio stations can be entered in the read-only memory. In order to are available the first time you use the radio receiver and every time you use it station, all program-related data is immediately available if only the PI code of the set transmitter was received and decrypted. The rest Program-related data of the set station can be determined using the PI code in the Read-only memories are identified and read out and then stand for one Reuse available.

The method according to the invention therefore means that after setting a first received station all data necessary for the numerous RDS functions available much faster. This will result in a frequency change, for example and thus an improvement in the reception quality of a set station accelerated or even possible in the first place. Also selection menus or Alternative frequency lists are available after the radio receiver is started up for the first time or when driving out of tunnels or underground garages much faster Available.  

According to one embodiment of the invention, during the reception of a transmitter the data stored in the read-only memory with the data from the received RDS signal decrypted data and if there is a difference in the data the received and decrypted data stored in the read / write memory. These Design ensures that the current program-related data of a Transmitter are available, for example in the event that after the production of the Receiver frequencies are distributed differently, so that Change alternative frequency lists of the transmitters. Of course, the im Read / write memory stored data always with sufficient receipt of the of the respective broadcaster, if necessary.

According to one embodiment of the invention, an RDS signal is received first the PI code is decrypted and the read / write memory is searched for this code. If the PI code is found in the read / write memory, then the associated ones program-related data are read out from this and reused. Will the PI code on the other hand cannot be found in the read / write memory, then then the read-only memory is searched for this PI code and the associated ones Program-related data is read out of this as soon as the PI code searched there was found. This ensures that the program-related data of all existing channels are always available and that if necessary in writing / Read memory available updated data compared to the manufacturer in the Read-only memory stored data are preferred.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the current correctness of the data read from the read-only memory, in particular the program service name, verified by comparison with received fragments of this data. In this way the accuracy of the method according to the invention is increased. Right, for example a previously received fragment of a program service name with the stored program service names match, then there is a high Probability of matching the remaining fragments. Thereby is advantageously avoided that outdated names contained in the read-only memory of a received station can be displayed.  

The present invention also includes a radio receiver with a device to carry out the method according to the invention, namely a radio receiver with radio data system device for receiving program-related data with the Broadcast signal, which in addition to data such as program service name, program type and Alternative frequencies include a program identification code, with a changeable read / write memory (RAM), in which the received program-related data can be stored, and with means for storing received data in the read / write memory and with means for reading stored data from the read / write memory, a read-only memory (ROM) is available, in which program-related data from radio stations is provided by the manufacturer are permanently stored.

An embodiment of the radio receiver according to the invention is as follows explained in more detail with reference to the drawing.

The single figure shows the structure of a radio receiver according to the invention in schematic representation.

The receiver 1 is controlled by a controller 2 , which is connected on the one hand to a read-only memory (ROM) 3 and on the other hand to a variable read / write memory (RAM) 4 . In addition, the controller 2 controls a display device 5 .

If a radio program with an RDS data signal is received by the receiver 1 , the PI code is decrypted from the data stream. The controller 2 then first searches for this PI code in the variable read / write memory 4 and reads out the corresponding program-related data from this memory when it has found this PI code. If the PI code sought is not found, the controller then continues the search in the read-only memory 3 and reads out the associated program-related data from it when it has found the PI code. If the program-related data have been read from one or the other memory 3 , 4 , they are available for further use. For example, the program service name can be used to display the station name in plain text in the display device 5 .

If a transmitter is received for the first time, ie the PI code is not found in the variable memory 4 , as soon as the program-related data has been completely received, it is compared with the data stored in the read-only memory 3 and, if any deviations are found, also controlled by the controller 2 stored in the variable memory 4 . Likewise, program-related data, which are neither present in the variable memory 4 nor in the read-only memory 3 , are controlled by the controller 2 and stored in the variable memory 4 . Finally, it can also be provided that the data stored in the variable memory 4 is always updated when program-related data of a received transmitter has been completely received and deviations from the stored data have been found.

If the reliability of the method according to the invention is to be increased by verification, for example, of the program service name, then received fragments of the program service name are compared with the program service name stored in the memory 3 or 4 and found on the basis of the PI code, and a display in the display device 5 is only carried out if they match. Otherwise, it will not be displayed until the full program service name has been received.

Reference list

1. Receiver
2. Controller
3. Read-only memory (ROM)
4. variable read / write memory (RAM)
5. Display device

Claims (5)

1. A method for quickly making program-related data available, which, in addition to data such as program service name, program type and alternative frequencies, comprise a program identification code (PI code) when receiving an RDS signal from a radio transmitter in a radio with radio data system (RDS) device, from which the program-related data is decrypted from the received RDS signal and stored in a variable read / write memory (RAM) ( 4 ), in which they can be found again using the PI code, so that when an RDS signal is received again from a transmitter, read the other program-related data from the read / write memory ( 4 ) of the decrypted PI code and quickly make it available for further use, characterized in that if a received and decrypted PI code is not found in the read / write memory ( 4 ) the searched program-related data from a fixed value memory forth (ROM) ( 3 ), in which program-related data from radio stations has been permanently stored by the manufacturer. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that during the reception of an RDS signal from a transmitter, the data stored in the read-only memory ( 3 ) are compared with the completely received and completely decrypted data from the RDS signal, and that when a difference is found the data, the received and decrypted data are stored in the read / write memory ( 4 ). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that upon receipt of an RDS signal, the PI code is first decrypted and the read / write memory ( 4 ) is searched for this code, that if the PI code in the write / Read memory ( 4 ) is found, the associated program-related data are read from it, and that if the PI code sought was not found in the read / write memory ( 4 ), the read-only memory ( 3 ) then searches for this PI code and the associated program-related data will be read out from it if the PI code searched for was found there. 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the current correctness of the data read from the read-only memory ( 3 ) or the read / write memory ( 4 ), in particular the program service name, is verified by comparison with received fragments of this data. 5.Radio receiver with radio data system device for receiving program-related data with the radio signal, which in addition to data such as program service name, program type and alternative frequencies include a program identification code, with a variable read / write memory (RAM) ( 4 ) in which the received program-related data can be stored, and with means for storing received data in the read / write memory ( 4 ) and with means for reading out stored data from the read / write memory ( 4 ), characterized in that a read-only memory (ROM) ( 3 ) is present in the program-related Data from radio stations are permanently stored by the manufacturer.