Blaupunkt-werke Gmbh

Norbert Eilers

Peter Bragas

Ansgar Graen

Albrecht Altmann

Device for automatically populating a top and a bottom side of

A combination of automobile radio and city call or paging receiver equipped with a display (4) has the additional feature of a vehicle speed sensor (24) which is used to block display of possibly distracting information whenever the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed limit set in a threshold switch (25). The display (4) is controlled by a microprocessor (7). A NAND gate (23), connected to the output of the speed threshold switch (25), is interposed between the city call data decoder (3) and the microprocessor (7). Another threshold stage (28) and NAND gate (27) can be interposed between the radio control panel (18) and the radio tuner (13) to keep the driver from making radio adjustments when he or she should be paying attention to the road instead.

Automotive accessory control center

FM transmission system in which, besides program content, an auxiliary carrier of, for example 57 kHz, is radiated, which auxiliary carrier is modulated by an announcement recognition (AR) signal and by a region or radio-station recognition (RR) signal, the AR and RR signals being low-frequency, AM modulations on the auxiliary carrier. To enhance recognition of an AR signal, e.g. between 142 and 170 Hz, is enhanced, in spite of reception difficulties, for example due to multi-path reception and the like, by decreasing the modulation of the 57 kHz subcarrier by the RR signal to 30% or less, while the AR signal is modulating the subcarrier, so that the AR modulation may extend to 60 and even 90% modulation. Multiple AR frequencies can be used, for example to characterize different announcements, e.g. in different languages, or of different characteristics, such as traffic, news, sports, or others, recognition of the AR signal in the receiver permitting switch-over from other reproduced programs, e.g. tape, to the demodulator from the receiver tuned to the station emitting the AR signal, to reproduce the announcement, or the like.

Communication system, and transmitter therefor, including special

To monitor the operability of a radio receiver which has special recognition circuitry to recognize warning or emergency announcements, a modulation detector (11) is provided, sensing the change in degree of modulation of a region recognition (RR) signal, which changes its degree of modulation when an announcement recognition (AR) signal is radiated, the degree-of-modulation signal being stored in a memory (flip-flop 12), the output of which controls a transfer switch (6). The transfer switch transfers output from a muting stage (5) in the receiver, which is disabled upon detection of the AR frequency to a tone generator, for application to the amplifier of a warning tone if no change in the degree of modulation of the RR signal has been detected within a predetermined time period, as determined by a timing stage (15). A suitable timing interval is, for example, 24 hours. If such timing signals are received, the tone generator is not enabled, however.

Radio receiver with reception-readiness monitoring feature and method

To improve reliability of recognition of an announcement recognition (AR) signal radiated by a transmitter upon broadcasting an announcement (e.g. traffic information, news, etc.) in the form of AM modulation of a 57 kHz auxiliary subcarrier, in which the subcarrier is essentially continuously modulated by region or radio-station recognition signals, the level of which changes when the announcement recognition signal is radiated, the subcarrier is filtered in the receiver, demodulated, and the degree of modulation by the frequency characteristics of the region or radio-station recognition frequency (RR) is sensed. If the modulation of the subcarrier at this frequency or frequency band (RR) drops from, for example, 60% modulation to 30% modulation, or less--a 50% level change--a switch (4) is activated which inhibits transmission of audio programs from an external source, such as a tape recorder (5), a tuner tuned to another station, or the like, and reproduces the program or announcement being broadcast by the station to which a region or radio-station recognition frequency is assigned. Termination of the AR signal (FIG. 3: t.sub.2), forming the AR modulation on the 57 kHz subcarrier, causes the switch (4) to revert for reproduction of previously controlled audio information upon increase in the level of the RR modulation on the subcarrier, which is sensed in a modulation sensing circuit or network (FIG. 2: 34-37).

FM Receiver for reception of special announcements and general programs

To improve reliability of recognition of an announcement recognition (AR) signal radiated by a transmitter upon broadcasting an announcement (e.g. traffic information, news, etc.), in the form of AM modulation of a 57 kHz auxiliary subcarrier, in which the subcarrier may also be modulated by other control signals, the subcarrier is filtered in the receiver, demodulated, and the degree of all modulations, regardless of frequency, on the subcarrier is sensed, and if the modulation changes significantly, for example rises from 60% modulation to 90% modulation (50% change), a switch (4) is activated which inhibits transmission of audio programs from an external source, such as a tape recorder (5), tuner tuned to another station, or the like, and reproduces the announcement being broadcast; termination of the AR signal, forming the AR modulation on the subcarrier, causes the switch to revert for reproduction of previously controlled audio information.

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Hildesheim, Germany

Norbert Eilers