Telecommunications – Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter – Signal selection based on frequency
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-23
2001-09-04
Chang, Vivian (Department: 2682)
Telecommunications
Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter
Signal selection based on frequency
C455S185100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285862
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a radio receiver, including a control circuit for
delivering encoded messages, derived from a radio signal, to at least one storage device,
receiving control data, derived from the encoded messages, from at least one storage device, and
forming a speech text for an audio circuit and a display text for a display device from the control data.
A radio receiver of this kind is known from EP 0 756 261 A1. Audio signals derived from the radio signal received are processed in an audio circuit in this radio receiver. Furthermore, RDS and TMC data is derived from the radio signal. RDS stands for Radio Data System and TMC for Traffic Message Channel. TMC is a functional extension of RDS. RDS-TMC data is transmitted as digital encoded data with the radio signal. TMC enables the radio listener, for example to fetch traffic messages stored in the radio receiver as often as desired, before or after the start of driving, to listen to traffic messages selectively in conformity with the desired route, and to have traffic messages spoken in the listener's native language, regardless of the relevant national language. Hereinafter, the RDS-TMC data will also be referred to in general as encoded messages. It is also feasible to transmit not only encoded traffic messages but also weather reports and other messages by way of RDS-TMC data or similar encoded data. The encoded messages received are applied to a storage device which applies control data to a control circuit in response thereto. A storage device comprises a data file for forming traffic messages and may be, for example a semiconductor memory connected to the control circuit, a semiconductor memory on a chip card, a CD-ROM etc. From the cited document it is known that the control data constitutes designations in an orthographic notation of a language which are to be output as speech. Orthographic is to be understood to mean hereinafter the correct spelling of designations of a language. A message can be reproduced as a speech text by a reproduction device. In order o enable the designations to be output as speech, EP 0 756 261 A1 describes a speech synthesizing circuit which converts the control data into a speech text. Such a speech synthesizing circuit must be very complex so as to achieve an acceptable speech quality.
The TMC data can also be transmitted via the data channel of DAB, GSM or paging systems. These systems must then be interpreted as radio receivers receiving a radio signal with TMC data.
It is an object of the invention to provide a radio receiver which outputs messages in the form of speech and display text, without information restrictions.
This object is achieved by means of a radio receiver of the kind set forth in that
a speech segment memory for storing predetermined speech segments of at least one language is coupled to the control circuit,
that the control circuit is arranged to form a speech text with at least a part of the message for which speech segments are stored in a speech segment memory, and
that the control circuit is arranged to form a display text with at least all parts of the message which are not contained in the speech text and for which no speech segments are stored in the speech segment memory.
The radio receiver according to the invention receives control data from at least one storage device for an encoded message (for example, an encoded traffic message), a speech text for an audio circuit and a display text for a display device being formed from said control data. The control data contains, for example given designations in an orthographic notation (for example, the name of a town) which are stored under a code in a storage device. A speech text is formed from the control data by means of speech segments stored in a speech segment memory. Generally speaking, such a speech segment memory, for example, does not contain the names of all towns in a region. Therefore, a speech text usually cannot use all parts of a message. The parts of the message which are not contained in the speech text, however, are reproduced via the display text. For example, the message “A1, von Recklinghausen in Richtung Wuppertal, zwischen den Anschlu&bgr;stellen Bochum-Riemke und Autobahnkreuz Bochum: 2 km Stau” (“A1, from Recklinghausen towards Wuppertal, between the junctions Bochum-Riemke and motorway intersection Bochum: 2 km traffic back-up”) may appear in the form of a speech text as “A1, von Recklinghausen in Richtung Wuppertal: 2 km Stau” (“A1, from Recklinghausen towards Wuppertal: 2 km traffic back-up”) or “A1, von Recklinghausen in Richtung Wuppertal, zwischen den Anschlu&bgr;stellen 16 und 17: 2 km Stau” (A1, from Recklinghausen towards Wuppertal, between junctions 16 and 17: 2 km traffic back-up). In the first speech text the part of the message “zwischen den Anschlu&bgr;stellen Bochum-Riemke und Autobahnkreuz Bochum” has been omitted and must appear in the display text while conveying the general meaning. In the second speech text the names “Bochum-Riemke” and “Autobahnkreuz Bochum” have been replaced by a different text with numbers for the junctions “Bochum-Riemke” and “Autobahnkreuz Bochum”. The designation for the junctions 16 and 17 will appear in the display text. The formation of the speech text and the display text in this manner makes it possible to use a more economical speech segment memory with a limited number of speech segments.
The speech segment memory stores speech segments of all essential letters and numbers, keywords and geographic names which characterize motorway segments of a region. Junctions and, for example road names are inserted in a display text. It is thus achieved that the speech texts contain adequate information notably for long-distance traffic on the highways.
The above, exemplary speech text contains a substitute designation (for example, “16”) for a geographic name (for example, “Bochum-Riemke”). In the region “Deutschland” such a substitute designation for a geographic name corresponds to a junction for the name of a town. A driver receiving a spoken traffic message containing such a substitute designation can thus deal with the substitute designation also without knowledge of the town name. This formation of substitute designations by the control circuit is disclosed in claim
3
. Another type of announcement is claimed in claim
4
. Claim
5
discloses the control of the output of a display text.
A first storage device may form part of a chip card for introduction into a card reader, and a second storage device may be coupled directly to the control circuit. For the use of a radio receiver in different language zones, at least one storage device contains orthographic notations of a first language as control data, and control data and orthographic notations of at least one further language, in as far as they deviate from those of the first language, and the speech segment memory contains speech segments of a first and at least one further language.
The invention also relates to a module, including a control circuit, for the processing of encoded messages derived from a radio signal.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5603108 (1997-02-01), Thoone
patent: 5752177 (1998-05-01), Siegle et al.
patent: 5835854 (1998-11-01), Palisson et al.
patent: 5913157 (1999-06-01), Ruhl
patent: 5991610 (1999-11-01), Ruhl et al.
patent: 0756261A1 (1997-01-01), None
Geurts Joris H. J.
Moers Paulus L. G.
Ruhl Hans-Wilhelm
Chang Vivian
Ramos-Feliciano Eliseo
U.S. Philips Corporation
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