Patent ID: 7987487

Claim:
A method of operating an audio/video media system in a vehicle, comprising the steps of: coupling an adapter apparatus to an audio/video head unit; providing said adapter apparatus with a digital input; using said digital input to receive digital audio/video content from a first external source; coupling a digital-to-analog converter to said digital input; using said digital-to-analog converter to convert the digital audio/video content into first analog audio/video content, the first analog audio/video content being substantially confined to a first frequency range; providing said adapter apparatus with an analog input; using said analog input to receive second analog audio/video content from a second external source, the second analog audio/video content being substantially confined to a second frequency range different from the first frequency range; coupling an output device to said digital-to-analog converter and to said analog input; receiving the first analog audio/video content and the second analog audio/video content substantially simultaneously at the output device, wherein the first and second analog audio/video content are received simultaneously at, and are combined within, an adder; separating the first analog audio/video content and the second analog audio/video content from each other based upon their different frequency ranges; and transmitting either of the separated first analog audio/video content and the separated second analog audio/video content from said output device to said audio/video head unit, the transmitting step including transmitting either of the separated first analog audio/video content and the separated second analog audio/video content from said output device to an audio bus of said audio/video head unit via a buffering/arbitration device, the content passing through the buffering/arbitration device substantially unaltered, the method comprising the further step of using the buffering/arbitration device to protect the adder from stray or transient voltages on the audio bus.