Abstract:
A system is disclosed for providing supplemental information to a user receiving a broadcast of audio information. A radio system is used for wirelessly receiving broadcast content. The broadcast content may be provided with a signal component indicating that supplemental information is available for the broadcast content. A smartphone is in communication with the radio system. The radio system and the smartphone communicate to enable supplemental information from the smartphone to be presented to the user, upon a user selection, while the radio system buffers the broadcast content for playback after the supplemental information has concluded.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/731,817, filed on Nov. 30, 2012. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to radio systems, and more particularly to a system and method for use with a radio system that operates to buffer content being received by the radio system when the user selects additional information on a specific topic. The additional information may be supplied via visual prompts on a display of the radio system. When the additional information is finished being presented to the user the radio system may begin playing back the buffered content. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    Presently there is no easy and convenient way to provide specific information prompts to a user travelling in a motor vehicle, such as a car or truck, which alerts the user to the opportunity to obtain additional, detailed information on a specific topic being discussed in a received broadcast by the vehicle&#39;s radio system. For example, during a talk radio show on the economy, the “Gross Domestic Product” (“GDP”) of the United States may be mentioned during the broadcast. If the user is not familiar with what the term “GDP” means, this can detract from the user&#39;s overall understanding of the subject matter of the broadcast. But if the opportunity presented itself to the user where the user could immediately interrupt (i.e., effectively pause) the broadcast while she/he accessed another information source to obtain additional information on what “GDP” means, this would be a significant benefit to the user. The problem, however, is that with a broadcast being received from a radio station or other content source, such as for example an AM or FM broadcast, there has been no way for the user to “pause” the broadcast. Moreover, there is no way for the user to quickly and easily access a different information source, in this example a source that would provide a brief explanation of what “GDP” means. This is especially so when the user is travelling in a motor vehicle. And still further, even if the user was able to somehow “pause” the broadcast, when the user returns to listening to the broadcast, the user will have missed that portion of the broadcast that occurred while she/he was listening to the additional information. 
         [0005]    At present, if the user is listening to a broadcast while travelling in his/her vehicle, the user is likely limited to using a 3G or 4G cellular network along with her/his smartphone to perform a search for the additional desired information. Obviously, this will require the user to be accessing her/his smartphone and viewing additional content presented on the smartphone. This can be cumbersome, highly inconvenient and/or undesirable while the user is driving a motor vehicle. There is also a growing effort by cities to pass laws and ordinances prohibiting use of a smartphone while driving unless the smartphone is used in a “hands free” manner. Moreover, there still is no way for the user to effectively “pause” the broadcast being received by the vehicle radio while the user reads, or listens to, the additional content on her/his smartphone. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    In one aspect the present disclosure relates to a system for providing supplemental information to a user receiving a broadcast of audio information. The system may comprise a radio system for wirelessly receiving broadcast content, the broadcast content being provided with a signal component indicating that supplemental information is available for the broadcast content. A smartphone may also be provided which is in communication with the radio system. The radio system and the smartphone are in communication. The supplemental information may be provided from at least one of the smartphone or the radio system, upon a user selection, while the radio system buffers the broadcast content for playback after the supplemental information has concluded. 
         [0007]    In another aspect the present disclosure relates to a system for providing supplemental information to a user operating a motor vehicle and receiving a broadcast of audio information. The system may comprise a radio system disposed in the vehicle for wirelessly receiving broadcast content, the broadcast content being provided with a signal component indicating that supplemental information is available for the broadcast content. A smartphone may be included which is in communication with the radio system. The radio system may include a display for displaying an indication thereon, in real time while the broadcast content is being received and played back to the user by the radio system, that the supplemental information is available for use and pertains to the broadcast content. A processor may be included which is in communication with the display for detecting when the user has selected the supplemental information, and controlling buffering of the broadcast content. The smartphone may be used to provide the supplemental information to the radio system for use by the user while the broadcast content is being buffered. The radio system may be used to play back the buffered broadcast content after the supplemental information concludes. 
         [0008]    In still another aspect the present disclosure relates to a method for providing supplemental information to a user receiving broadcast content from a remote content source. The method may comprise wirelessly receiving the broadcast content from the broadcast source. The broadcast content may be provided with a signal component indicating that supplemental information is available for the broadcast content. The broadcast content may be played over a radio system. A smartphone may be used to communicate with the radio system. The smartphone may be used to provide supplemental information to the radio system, where the supplemental information is selectable by the user. Upon selection of the supplemental information by the user, the playback of the broadcast content may be interrupted and playback of the supplemental information may be commenced using the radio system while buffering the broadcast content. When the playback of the supplemental information has concluded, then playback of the buffered broadcast content from a point where the broadcast content was interrupted may be commenced. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. In the drawings: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a high level block diagram of a system in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure in which a broadcast being received from a broadcast source is able to be paused by the user while the user accesses a different information source, to obtain additional information on some specific topic what has been mentioned in the broadcast, without missing any of the broadcast; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of one example of operations that may be performed by the system of  FIG. 1  in providing a listener the opportunity to obtain additional information on a topic during a broadcast, without missing any of the broadcast. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1  there is shown a system  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The system  10  may include a vehicle  12  that includes a vehicle electronics subsystem  14 . A user may have her/his smartphone  16  present in the vehicle  12 . The vehicle electronics subsystem  14  may include a radio system  18  having a display  20 , which may be a touchscreen display or a conventional display. The radio system  18  may also include a processor  22  and a non-volatile memory  24  for buffering content received via a broadcast  26  from a broadcast source  27 . The broadcast source  27  may be an AM signal source, an FM signal source, an HD signal source, a DAB signal source, or virtually any other signal source able to broadcast a wireless signal for reception by a motor vehicle radio system. Advertising content may be stored at the broadcast source  27 . One or more speakers  25  may be used to provide audio to the user. 
         [0014]    Alternatively the content and/or advertisements may be obtained from a source located in the cloud  28 , as indicated by content source  30 , by the user&#39;s smartphone  16 , and then supplied by the smartphone to the radio system  18 . An intermediary content source  32  may also be based in the cloud  28  so as to be accessible by the user&#39;s smartphone  16  in real time. This feature will also be explained in greater detail in the following paragraphs. The smartphone  16  may be running an iOS® operating system available from Apple Computing, Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif. (“Apple”), or it may be running an ANDROID® operating system from Google, Inc., or it may have any other suitable operating system running thereon. The smartphone  16  may obtain advertising content from the content sources  30  and/or  32  if needed. 
         [0015]    The vehicle electronics subsystem  14  may also include a vehicle navigation subsystem  36  and a short range, wireless connectivity subsystem  38  for making a short range, wireless connection with the user&#39;s smartphone  16 . While not shown, it will be appreciated that the smartphone  16  will also include its own short range, wireless connectivity subsystem for wireless interfacing with the wireless connectivity subsystem  38 . The wireless connectivity subsystem  38  in one embodiment may be a Bluetooth® protocol wireless, connectivity subsystem, although any other suitable wireless connectivity subsystem may be employed. 
         [0016]    The AM/FM or HD content being received by the radio system  18  via broadcast  26  may include a data feed that is transmitted concurrently with the audio content. One example of the data feed may be an RDS information feed. However, any other type of data feed could also be used. For convenience, the following discussion will assume that an RDS feed is being supplied as part of broadcast  26 . 
         [0017]    In this example the RDS information may include files that are presented on the radio system display  20  as prompts indicating that additional information may be accessed by the user. So if the user is listening to a talk show in which the economy is being discussed, the broadcast  26  may include RDS information that provides files indicating to the user that additional information is available for specific topics being discussed. For example, RDS information may include files indicating that additional information may be obtained on what Gross Domestic Product (“GDP”) means or what the “ISM” (Institute for Supply Management) manufacturing index means. The specific files may cause an information prompt, such as prompt  40  indicated in  FIG. 1 , to be displayed on the display  20  of the radio system  18  as the user is listening to the broadcast  26  being received. The information prompt  40  may be a short textual notification, for example a textual notation that additional information is available for “GDP” or “ISM Manufacturing Index.” If the user selects the information prompt, then the broadcast  26  will be buffered in the non-volatile memory  24  while the processor  22  uses the file just received in the RDS feed, along with the user&#39;s smartphone  16 , to obtain real time additional information from the intermediary information source  32  in the cloud  28 . The additional information will then be sent back through the user&#39;s smartphone  16  to the radio system  18  and played back on the radio system. When the additional information is finished playing, the radio system  18  will begin playing the buffered content that has been stored in the non-volatile memory  24 . In this manner the user will not miss any of the broadcasted content from the broadcast source  27  while she/he is listening to the additional information. A significant advantage is that the additional information is supplied in essentially real time to the user while the broadcast  26  is effectively being “paused.” 
         [0018]    In another embodiment of the system  10  an application  42  may be running on the user&#39;s smartphone  16 , and the application  42  may be used to generate the prompt  40  via the short range, wireless communications link with the radio&#39;s wireless protocol subsystem  38 . For example, the application  42  running on the smartphone  16  may be a “touring” application that provides information on attractions or historical information in the local area that the user is travelling through. The user may be notified when information is available by the processor  22  generating the prompt  40  on the display  20  while she/he is listening to content being broadcast from the broadcast source  27  on the vehicle&#39;s radio system  18 . The user may then touch the prompt  40  on the display  20  (assuming display  20  is a touchscreen display) and the content being received and played on the radio system  18  will begin being buffered in the non-volatile memory  24  while the smartphone  16  supplies the additional information to the radio system  16  for playback. When the additional information is finished, the buffered content in the non-volatile memory  24  begins playing back on the radio system  18 . The additional information may be obtained by the smartphone  16  by having the smartphone contact the intermediary content source  32  in the cloud, or the additional content may be part of the application  42  stored on the smartphone  16 . In this manner as the user drives through an area, different textual information prompts may periodically be presented on the display  20  which the user may select to periodically obtain additional information on the area she/he is travelling through. 
         [0019]    As yet another example, the application  42  running on the smartphone could be a speed trap alerting application that alerts the user to different speed traps in the vicinity of his real time location. If the vehicle  12  comes within a predetermined proximity of a known speed trap, the application  42  may generate the textual information prompt  40  on the display  20  that notifies the user that she/he is relatively close to a known speed trap. The vehicle&#39;s real time location may be determined by information provided from the vehicle&#39;s navigation system  36  or possibly even a navigation subsystem of the smartphone  16 . If the user selects the prompt  40  on the display  20 , then a map may be presented on the display  20  showing exactly where the speed trap is. Alternatively, the broadcast  26  being received may be buffered in the non-volatile memory  24  and an audio message may be played to the user describing details of the known speed trap (e.g., “Police car with radar often parked on westbound side of ABC Avenue in parking lot of XYZ Municipal Building next to 16 th  Street). After the audio message is played, the buffered content stored in the non-volatile memory  24  may then continue playing back on the radio system  18 . 
         [0020]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that virtually any type of short message or item of information may be presented to the user using the prompt  40 . And while the prompt  40  has been described as a textual prompt, it will be appreciated that the prompt  40  could be provided as an audible prompt that only very briefly interrupts the playback of the broadcast the user is listening to, such as for example a short chime less than one second in duration. Still further, a physical prompt, such as a short vibration of a seat or steering wheel, could be implemented to alert the user that additional information is available while the broadcast  26  is being listened to. In the latter instance no interruption of the audio being listened to by the user would be required. However, it is anticipated that the user will in most instances appreciate the generation of a short textual message (i.e., prompt  40 ) on the display  20  that provides some quick insight into the topic/nature of the additional information that is available. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a flowchart  100  is shown for one example of various operations that may be carried out by the radio system  18  of  FIG. 1 . At operation  102  the radio system  18  plays the broadcasted content  26 , which represents a “live” feed, with a data feed, for example an RDS feed, transmitted along with the broadcasted content. At operation  104  the radio system  18  (e.g., the processor  22 ) monitors for a file in the RDS feed to determine if and when additional information is available for playback to the user. The presence of the file in the RDS feed indicates that a prompt  40  for additional information is to be generated for a specific item of information which is pertinent to the subject matter of the broadcast  26 . If no file is contained in the RDS feed, then operation  102  is repeated. If the check at operation  104  detects that the file has been received in the RDS feed, then the radio system  18  generates the prompt  40  on the display  20  of the radio system  18 , as indicated at operation  106 . It will be appreciated that the prompt  40  could by an audio prompt or possibly a visual prompt, such as indicating on the display  20  to press a specific button on the radio system  18 . 
         [0022]    At operation  108  a timer is then started (decremented or incremented), while the radio system  18  waits a predetermined time to see if the user selects the prompt  40  that has been generated on the display  20 . The user may select the prompt  40  by touching it, provided the display  20  is a touchscreen display, or the prompt  40  itself may indicate which button on the radio system  18  to press to make the selection. It will be assumed for discussion purposes that the radio display  20  in this instance is a touchscreen display, and the user merely has to touch the display  20  at the spot where the prompt  40  is being displayed. 
         [0023]    At operation  110  the radio system  18  checks for the selection of the prompt  40  by the user. If no selection is detected, then a check is made to see if the timer has timed out, as indicated at operation  112 . If the check at operation  112  produces a “No” answer, then the timer is either incremented or decremented, as indicated at operation  108 . If no selection is received within the predetermined time period (e.g., 10 seconds), then the timer may be reset, as indicated at operation  114 , and the radio system  18  may continue monitoring the RDS feed to detect when another file is received in the RDS feed, as indicated at operation  104 . 
         [0024]    If the check at operation  110  indicates the user has selected the prompt  40 , then at operation  116  the radio system  18  determines what additional content is to be obtained, per the data in the RDS feed, and then obtains the additional information, and then confirms that the additional information is ready and available for playback. In this regard the additional information in the RDS feed may include a web link which directs the user&#39;s smartphone where to go to obtain the additional information. The additional information may be obtained by using the user&#39;s smartphone  16  to access the remote intermediary information source  32  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . The remote information source  32  may be any one or more distinct sources of information, for example a source similar to Wikipedia.com, that provides information on a wide variety of topics and subjects, in other words essentially an on-line encyclopedia. 
         [0025]    At operation  118  the radio system  18  sets a timestamp equal to zero (Ts=0) that identifies exactly where (i.e., point in time) the buffered portion of the live feed broadcast  26  needs to be resumed once the additional information is done playing or has otherwise been concluded or interrupted. At operation  118  the processor  22  also begins buffering the live feed broadcast  26  in the non-volatile memory  24 , beginning at Ts=0. At operation  120  the radio system  18  begins the playback of the additional information over the speakers  25 . To the user this appears as a virtually seamless, substantially instantaneous transition from one content source to another content source. At operation  122  a check is made if the playback of the additional information has finished or has otherwise been interrupted, such as if the user has changed the channel on the radio system  18 . If the check at operation  122  produces a “No” answer then operation  120  is repeated. When the check at operation  122  detects that the playback has finished or that the playback has been interrupted, the radio system  18  accesses the non-volatile memory  24  and then begins playing back the buffered content that has been stored in the non-volatile memory  24 , as indicated at operation  124 . To detect when the playback has finished or has been interrupted, the Bluetooth protocol SPP (Serial Port Profile) may be used. It will be appreciated that when using SPP, when the device streaming the audio stops streaming audio for any reason, such as when the user pauses or stops the playing content, at the end of audio, etc., then the SPP channel is closed. The other device receiving the streamed audio then receives a notification that the SPP channel closed. This notification functionality is included in the Bluetooth protocol stack. 
         [0026]    At operation  126  a check is then made if the playback of the buffered content is complete and, if not, operations  124  and  126  are repeated until the check at operation  126  indicates that playback of the buffered content is complete. When playback of the buffered content is complete, the radio system  18  resumes playback of the broadcast  26  at operation  102 . 
         [0027]    In still another embodiment the system  10  may incorporate a lookup feature for looking up information on businesses or establishments in proximity to the user&#39;s real time location while the user is travelling in the vehicle  12 . As one example, consider that the user is travelling in the vehicle  12  and passes an interesting looking restaurant establishment entitled “Jack&#39;s Awesome Pub”. The user may obtain information on this establishment by making a selection from a suitable control on the radio system  18  that provides indications of all commercial establishments within a predetermined distance of the vehicle&#39;s  12  real time location, for example within one-half mile of the vehicle&#39;s real time location. The establishments may be provided in a list on the display of the radio system  18  or they may be provided in some other form, such as by icons with text callouts on a map of the vehicle&#39;s real time location being shown on the radio system&#39;s display  20 , where the text call outs give the names of all the establishments being shown on the map. In either instance, when the user selects the establishment named “Jack&#39;s Awesome Pub”, the radio system  18  may pause the current content being played and may look up information from a remote information source that provides details on “Jack&#39;s Awesome Pub”. The details may involve, for example, user reviews, menu items, current specials, hours of operation, etc. This information may then be played back to the user over the radio system  18  while the broadcast that the user was previously listening to is queued. Once the information on “Jack&#39;s Awesome Pub” has finished playing, the queued content starts playing (i.e., playing from the same spot that it left off from). 
         [0028]    The system  10  and methodology of the present disclosure thus provides an easy and convenient means for a user to obtain additional information while listening to a broadcast on a radio, and where the additional information can be seamlessly presented to the user without the user having to miss any portion of the broadcast. The system  10  and methodology of the present disclosure can thus add significantly to the user&#39;s enjoyment and understanding of various topics of information being listened to on the user&#39;s radio system. And while the present disclosure has been discussed in connection with a radio system  18  in a vehicle  12 , it will be appreciated that the system  10  may be employed in other environments, such as in connection with a radio system in the user&#39;s home, with little or no modification. The system  10  may also be used when the user is listening to streaming content from a remote content source over a wide area network (e.g., the Internet), rather than a traditional broadcast from an AM/FM or HD broadcast source. 
         [0029]    It will also be appreciated that while the system  10  has been described in connection with supplying additional information on a given subject or topic, it is just as possible that the additional information could be music from the artist that the user had just been listening to during the broadcast, assuming that it was music that the user was listening to. As such, the additional information may be verbal information or music that is played back on the radio system  10  while the broadcast is being buffered. 
         [0030]    While various embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize modifications or variations which might be made without departing from the present disclosure. The examples illustrate the various embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, the description and claims should be interpreted liberally with only such limitation as is necessary in view of the pertinent prior art.