DE19606009A1 - Method and receiver for receiving and reproducing digitally coded traffic reports - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for reproducing received digitally coded traffic reports with a Receiver responsible for receiving and outputting the digital coded traffic reports and traffic announcements in Form of audio signals is set up, and a Receiver.

To inform motorists about traffic jams and others for Motorists important incidents are broadcast on radio stations regularly broadcast traffic announcements. To at the Station selection Stations which bring traffic announcements from to be able to distinguish other stations in order to switch a sound of the receiver during the traffic announcements and by one Selection of traffic reports by geographic area To enable, became a well-known years ago Traffic radio system introduced, in which identification signals by Modulation of a 57 kHz carrier can be transmitted.  

The newer radio data system (RDS) enables an additional and inaudible transmission of digital data in parallel with radio programs in a data channel. Specifications of the radio data system for VHF radio can be found in Tech. 3244 - E, March 1984 of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Radio receivers with suitable RDS decoders can record and decode transmitted data in addition to radio reception with the same receiver. 32 groups of 104 bits each are provided for data transmission, with each of the transmitted groups being assigned a specific service. Group 8a is currently intended for the transmission of digitally coded traffic reports.

The structure and coding of these traffic reports are in CEN Draft pr. ENV / 278/4/1/0011 set on the Proposed norm ALERT C, November 1990, published by the RDS ATT ALERT Consortium. The essential elements A traffic announcement is the place of the event (Location) and the event (Event). These details are cataloged, that is, every traffic-relevant place and a unique code for every traffic-relevant event is assigned. The concatenation of the locations in the location table along existing roads shows 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.

The spread of these digitally encoded Traffic announcements compared to traffic announcements Various advantages, such as digital coded traffic reports in a processor of the Are processed digitally, especially in  different languages optically and / or acoustically output will. Even if forecasts show that in the long run that TMC system is replaced in the previous traffic radio is to expect a longer transition period. During this Transitional periods are both digitally encoded Traffic reports and traffic announcements transmitted.

The car radios intended for the transition period will be therefore be able to use both sources of information that is to receive, to decode as necessary and to spend. One such receiver is through the US patent 4,862,513. With simultaneous reception of spoken, i.e. transmitted as audio signals Traffic announcements, and a digitally coded Traffic announcement has the output of the traffic announcement Priority. The digitally coded traffic announcements are as long as cached and then output.

This method has the disadvantage that the driver must first listen to all traffic announcements, as one Selection - apart from the relatively large selection geographical areas - is not possible, and then then the digitally coded traffic reports must record. In unfavorable cases, time can change for traffic announcements and announcements, despite one possible selection of digitally coded traffic reports extremely extend. The advantage of the TMC system that To select traffic reports so that only those for the Driver interesting traffic reports are issued and thus the message flood is reduced, is lost.

Especially for radio receivers with several Receiving parts necessary for the reception of a radio program to a station other than to receive the Traffic announcements are adjustable, the Traffic announcements from the traffic reports regarding  Completeness, content, language and topicality of each other distinguish what unsettles the driver rather than him is useful.

The invention has for its object the advantages of TMC systems full despite the existing traffic radio system to be able to use.

This object is achieved in that Receiving an identification signal that a traffic announcement referred to, the reproduction of the respectively received Audio signals suppressed and at least one instead current saved traffic report is played.

The inventive method has the advantage that Motorists only get the information they need based on his driving route or a previously set one Selection required or would like to receive. A number of others Advantages result from the TMC system, for example the topicality and security mentioned at the beginning, one Output in the form of writing and / or language or a Output in a selectable language.

In the method according to the invention, it can be provided that that the identification signal by modulating the 57 kHz carrier with 125 kHz or in the radio data signal by setting the bits TA and TP is transferred to "1".

In the method according to the invention, it is as general known by traffic radio, possible, not just one Playback of the received audio signals, but also a Playback of stored audio signals (tape cassette, Compact disc). Any irritation by playing parts in quick succession a traffic announcement and a traffic announcement avoid is in a development of the invention  provided that the reproduction of each received Signals are suppressed until both the received Traffic announcement as well as the playback of the saved Traffic announcement are finished.

With the TMC system, the type of messages is limited so that Messages can exist that are not coded or in the Broadcast receivers cannot be decoded. To this Messages include travel calls such as "Mr. Mustermann, traveling in northern Germany, would like his Call Sister "or personal hazard warnings like "the driver of the car with the license plate YY-XX 00 wants go to a workshop immediately. . . ". Such messages are too different in content to match one Event list to be encoded. Also reports about places, which is not in a location database in the radio receiver can not be encoded or decoded. Such reports will continue to be spoken in the future must be broadcast on the radio.

It is also beneficial to send extremely urgent messages, for example about ghost drivers, despite transmission in TMC system to transmit as a spoken message, because the analog voice transmission in poor reception conditions less sensitive to interference than the digital channel of the Radio data system is.

The spoken announcements can, however, despite activated TMC system cannot be heard or overheard when the For example, users listen to music from a cassette or has turned the radio receiver down.

In order to not play such traffic announcements through the To prevent the inventive method is in a Further development of the method according to the invention is provided, that when receiving a predetermined signal in  Radio data signal in the form of a traffic announcement of audio signals, the receiver indicates playback this traffic announcement is set. Is on the sending side then the broadcast of the given signal in the Radio data signal required if such Traffic announcement is sent.

The disadvantages of the reproduction of Traffic announcements and traffic announcements also occurs Receivers that are not for conventional traffic are specially set up because the traffic announcements at according to loudly set receiver also without Announcement ID are audible. To avoid this Disadvantages are with a first receiver according to the invention for reception and playback of digitally coded Traffic announcements with a receiving part, an NF part, an RDS decoder, facilities for evaluation, storage and output of the digitally coded traffic reports and a switch that selectively turns on the input of the AF part the output of the receiving section or to the output of the Device for the output of traffic reports, provided that the switch from the device to Evaluation of the digitally coded traffic reports in this way is controllable that when receiving a characteristic signal, the one Traffic announcement refers to the playback of each received audio signals suppressed and instead one current saved traffic report is played.

In another receiver according to the invention with a Traffic radio decoder is provided that the switch from the traffic radio decoder can be controlled such that at Receiving an identification signal that a traffic announcement referred to, the reproduction of the respectively received Audio signals suppressed and instead a current one stored traffic announcement is played.  

The invention can be used in a particularly advantageous manner a receiver with two receiving parts can be used. In such a training, which is also two RDS decoder includes, it is provided that at the output of the second receiving part via the first RDS decoder Facilities for the evaluation, storage and output of the digitally coded traffic reports are connected that to the output of the first receiving part further the second RDS decoder is connected and that the switch from second RDS decoder can be controlled such that when received an identification signal that designates a traffic announcement, the reproduction of the audio signals received in each case suppressed and instead at least one current one stored traffic announcement is played.

Another receiver according to the invention is of this type trained that at the output of the second receiving part the evaluation facilities via the RDS decoder, Storage and output of the digitally coded Traffic announcements are connected to the exit of the first receiving part also the traffic radio decoder is connected and that the switch of the Traffic radio decoder can be controlled such that when received an identification signal that designates a traffic announcement, the reproduction of the audio signals received in each case suppressed and instead at least one current one stored traffic announcement is played.

Embodiments of the invention are in the drawing represented with several figures and in the following Description explained in more detail. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a first receiver according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a second receiver according to the invention,

Fig. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the method according to the invention,

FIGS. 4 and Fig. 5 are block diagrams of further inventive receiver.

Identical parts are given the same reference symbols in the figures Mistake.

In the receivers of FIGS. 1 and 2, an antenna 1 and a receiving section 2 is received (Tuner) of the respectively set transmitter means. The received and demodulated audio signal is fed to a loudspeaker 6 via a changeover switch 4 and an LF amplifier 5 . In the following, this signal is called the radio signal in order to distinguish it from the output signal of an output unit 7 , with the aid of which the traffic reports temporarily stored in a memory 8 are output.

An RDS decoder 9 is also connected to the receiving part 2 and decodes the radio data signals contained in the received and demodulated signal. The digitally coded traffic reports contained in the decoded radio data signals are evaluated in an evaluation unit 10 , the output of which is connected to an input of the memory 8 . In the evaluation unit, a selection of the traffic reports to be stored or output is also made, depending on the driver's input or the route provided. Since this selection and the evaluation and management of the traffic reports are not necessary in order to understand the invention, a further explanation of these functions will be dispensed with.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the changeover switch 4 is controlled by a traffic radio decoder 11 which is also connected to the output of the receiving part 2 . During normal radio reception, the switch 4 is in the upper position, so that the radio signal reaches the loudspeaker 6 via the LF amplifier 5 . If an announcement in the form of a modulation of the 57 kHz carrier at 125 Hz arrives at the traffic radio decoder 11 , the changeover switch 4 is brought into the lower position and the output unit 7 is prompted to output the latest traffic reports stored temporarily in the memory 8 .

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, the changeover switch 4 is controlled by the evaluation unit 10 as a function of the bits TP and TA of the radio data signal explained below.

In the RDS standard (DIN EN 50 067, February 1993, page 27) in the radio data signal a traffic information code TP and one Traffic announcement identifier TA provided, its meaning in the following table.

EON means Enhanced Other Network. Information about this is available in the so-called EON group of the radio data signal. The two bits TP and TA are evaluated in the evaluation unit 10 .

The flow diagram shown in FIG. 3 shows the essential parts of a program for controlling the changeover switch 4 with the aid of the evaluation unit 10 or the traffic radio decoder 11 . The program begins at 21 in a state in which the changeover switch 4 is in the upper position, that is to say switched to radio mode, and in which the TMC system is activated. The program then branches at 22 depending on whether the start of a traffic announcement D has been detected. If this is not the case, the program shown is ended at 23 , that is to say the microprocessor provided for this program fulfills other tasks until it returns to the program shown in FIG. 3 at 21 .

However, if the start of a traffic announcement D is detected at 22 , a branch is made at 24 depending on whether an end of the traffic announcement is detected. If this is not the case, the switch 4 ( FIGS. 1, 2) is brought into the lower position at 25 , whereupon the currently stored traffic reports are output at 26 .

If, however, an end of the traffic announcement D is detected at 24 , the started traffic report or the traffic reports selected for output are output until 27 at 27 and the switch is brought back to the upper position at 28 .

FIGS. 4 and 5 show receiver with two receiving parts 2, 2 '. The receiver according to FIG. 4 is otherwise constructed like the receiver according to FIG. 1. The audio signal of the receiving part 2 is fed to the LF amplifier 5 via the switch 4 as in the receiver according to FIG. 1. The traffic radio signal contained in the output signal of the receiving part 2 is fed to the traffic radio decoder 11 . However, the RDS signal is taken from the second receiving part 2 'and fed to the RDS decoder 9 . As a result, a reproduction of a traffic announcement received and stored with the second receiving part 2 'can be reproduced by an announcement identifier of another transmitter which is received with the first receiving part 2 .

In the receiver according to Fig. 5, a second RDS decoder 9 'is provided which receives the RDS signal of the first receiving part 2. The second RDS decoder 9 'controls depending on the bits TP and TA of the radio data signal received by the first receiving part 2 , the switch 4 and the reading of the stored traffic report from the memory 7th

Claims (9)

1. A method for reproducing received digitally coded traffic reports with a receiver, which is set up for receiving and outputting the digitally coded traffic reports and traffic announcements in the form of audio signals, characterized in that when receiving an identification signal which designates a traffic announcement, the Playback of the respectively received audio signals is suppressed and instead at least one current stored traffic report is played back. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the identification signal by modulating the 57 kHz carrier 125 kHz is transmitted. 3. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized characterized in that the identification signal in the radio data signal is transmitted by setting the bits TA and TP to "1". 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized characterized in that the reproduction of the respectively received Signals are suppressed until both the received Traffic announcement as well as the playback of the saved Traffic announcement are finished.   5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that upon receipt of a predetermined Signal in the radio data signal that is on a Traffic announcement in the form of audio signals Receiver on the playback of this traffic announcement is set. 6. Receiver for the reception and reproduction of digitally coded traffic reports with a receiving part, an NF part, an RDS decoder, devices for evaluating, storing and outputting the digitally coded traffic reports and a switch which optionally selects the input of the NF part puts the output of the receiving part or to the output of the device for outputting traffic reports, characterized in that the changeover switch ( 4 ) can be controlled by the device ( 10 ) for evaluating the digitally coded traffic reports in such a way that when a identification signal is received, a traffic announcement denotes, the reproduction of the respectively received audio signals is suppressed and instead at least one current stored traffic report is reproduced ( FIG. 2). 7. Receiver for the reception and playback of digitally coded traffic reports with a receiving part, an NF part, a traffic radio decoder, an RDS decoder, devices for evaluating, storing and outputting the digitally coded traffic reports and a switch that controls the input of the LF part either at the output of the receiving part or at the output of the device for outputting traffic reports, characterized in that the changeover switch ( 4 ) can be controlled by the traffic radio decoder ( 11 ) in such a way that when a identification signal is received, the one Traffic announcement denotes, the reproduction of the respectively received audio signals is suppressed and instead at least one current stored traffic report is reproduced ( FIG. 1). 8. Receiver for receiving and reproducing digitally coded traffic reports with a first and a second receiving part, an NF part, a first and a second RDS decoder, devices for evaluating, storing and outputting the digitally coded traffic reports and a switch which the input of the NF part either at the output of the first receiving part or at the output of the device for outputting traffic reports, characterized in that the devices at the output of the second receiving part ( 2 ') via the first RDS decoder ( 9 ) ( 10 , 8 , 7 ) for evaluation, storage and output of the digitally coded traffic reports that the second RDS decoder ( 9 ') is connected to the output of the first receiving part ( 2 ) and that the switch ( 4 ) from second RDS decoder ( 9 ') can be controlled in such a way that upon receipt of an identification signal which denotes a traffic announcement, the reproduction of the respective because received audio signals are suppressed and at least one current stored traffic report is reproduced instead ( FIG. 5). 9. Receiver for receiving and reproducing digitally coded traffic reports with a first and a second receiving part, an LF part, a traffic radio decoder, an RDS decoder, devices for evaluating, storing and outputting the digitally coded traffic reports and a switch, who places the input of the NF part either at the output of the first receiving part or at the output of the device for outputting traffic reports, characterized in that the devices at the output of the second receiving part ( 2 ') via the RDS decoder ( 9 ) ( 10 , 8 , 7 ) for evaluating, storing and outputting the digitally coded traffic reports, that the traffic radio decoder ( 11 ) is also connected to the output of the first receiving part ( 2 ) and that the changeover switch ( 4 ) is used by the traffic radio -Decoder ( 11 ) can be controlled in such a way that upon receipt of a characteristic signal, which denotes a traffic announcement, the reproduction of the respective The audio signals received are suppressed and at least one current stored traffic report is reproduced instead ( FIG. 4).