WO2017151132A1

WO2017151132A1 - Filtering of radio broadcast data

Info

Publication number: WO2017151132A1
Application number: PCT/US2016/020620
Authority: WO
Inventors: Oliver LEI
Original assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2016-03-03
Filing date: 2016-03-03
Publication date: 2017-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-03

Abstract

A vehicle infotainment system includes a first FM tuner and a controller. The controller may be configured to demodulate static and dynamic data from an offset frequency of an FM broadcast frequency received by the first FM tuner and, in response to a match between a value of a payload field of the dynamic data and a user selectable identification code associated with a local organization, output a signal indicative of the code.

Description

FILTERING OF RADIO BROADCAST DATA

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This application is generally related to vehicle systems configured to selectively receive and filter a dedicated message over broadcast radio.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Certain accessory devices, such as a mobile telematics unit, may capture tags for user desired media content items from a content broadcast, such as a digital radio broadcast or television broadcast. Each tag provides one or more parameters for identification of a song or other audio selection. These accessory devices may send each tag over a mobile communications network air interface with an identifier of an account of a mobile communications network subscriber. A server may receive such tag transmissions and compile a list of one or more tags directly from the accessory device, for the subscriber on the identified mobile service account. In some situations, the server may generate a playlist from the stored list of tags and communicate at least a portion of the playlist to a personal media device upon access by the personal media device to the subscriber's account.

SUMMARY

[0003] A vehicle infotainment system includes a first FM tuner and a controller. The controller may be configured to demodulate static and dynamic data from an offset frequency of an FM broadcast frequency received by the first FM tuner and, in response to a match between a value of a payload field of the dynamic data and a user selectable identification code associated with a local organization, output a signal indicative of the code.

[0004] A method of filtering data from a broadcast signal in a vehicle includes receiving a user selected local identification code associated with a local organization and receiving an FM broadcast signal at an FM broadcast frequency. The method further includes demodulating static and dynamic data from an offset frequency of the FM broadcast frequency and matching the local identification code with a value of a payload field of the dynamic data, and outputting a message associated with the value.

[0005] A vehicle audio system includes a first FM tuner and a controller. The controller may be configured to demodulate static and dynamic data from an offset frequency of an FM broadcast frequency received by the first FM tuner and, in response to a match between a value of a payload field of the dynamic data and a user selectable identification code associated with a local organization, output a signal indicative of the code.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figures 1 A and IB are a block topology of a vehicle infotainment system.

[0007] Figure 2 is an illustration of a vehicle communication system relaying information between vehicles and a vehicular infrastructure.

[0008] Figure 3 is an illustration of a notification alert based on a user selected identification code matched with a demodulated sideband signal received from a radio signal and displayed on a vehicle dashboard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.

[0010] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide for a plurality of circuits or other electrical devices. All references to the circuits and other electrical devices and the functionality provided by each, are not intended to be limited to encompassing only what is illustrated and described herein. While particular labels may be assigned to the various circuits or other electrical devices disclosed, such labels are not intended to limit the scope of operation for the circuits and the other electrical devices. Such circuits and other electrical devices may be combined with each other and/or separated in any manner based on the particular type of electrical implementation that is desired. It is recognized that any circuit or other electrical device disclosed herein may include any number of microprocessors, integrated circuits, memory devices (e.g., FLASH, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or other suitable variants thereof) and software which co-act with one another to perform operation(s) disclosed herein. In addition, any one or more of the electric devices may be configured to execute a computer-program that is embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that is programmed to perform any number of the functions as disclosed.

[0011] This disclosure, among other things, proposes communication systems and methods for a vehicle system to selectively filter data modulated onto a sideband frequency of a broadcast FM radio station. Currently many vehicles are equipped with frequency modulation (FM) radios that are configured to demodulate a frequency modulated signal broadcast about a station frequency. For example, in the US FM radio stations broadcast within 87.5MHz to 108MHz, and each station is typically allocated 200KHz (i.e., each channel is 200 kHz or 0.2 MHz wide). Due to the allocation or width of each FM station, each station is capable of passing both audio and data at the base frequency and subcarrier frequencies up to 100 kHz. One use of the subcarrier frequencies is called

Radio Data System (RDS). RDS data is transmitted around an offset of 57KHz from the base frequency. RDS data may include command and control data and payload data. The command and control data typically includes checksum and error checking data, while payload data usually the actual data or the body of data. Payload data is often referred to as the cargo of the data transmission.

The RDS data passed includes radio station data, traffic data and other information. The RDS data may include static data and dynamic data. The static data may include radio station data as the PS data (i.e., program service that includes station call letters, station identification, or a station name), RT data (i.e., radio text that includes a station slogan), or PTY (i.e., program type that includes a predefined coding of the genre of audio transmitted at the base frequency). The dynamic data may include weather, traffic, or other types of data such as TA (traffic announcements), TP (traffic program), or TMC (traffic message channel that includes digitally encoded traffic information). The RDS data is packetized into one of 32 group types in which each group consists of 4 blocks, and each block is 26 bits. The group types range from basic station and tuning information to a classification called "Open Data Applications (ODA)." An ODA group classification may support a range of content types. In the United States a version of RDS is officially named Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS)

[0012] The radio data system (RDS) and a RDS data structure used to transmit data is described by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), "Specification of the radio data system (RDS) for VHF/FM sound broadcasting in the frequency range from 87.5 MHz to 108.0 MHz," IEC 62106:2015, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Similarly, the radio broadcast data system (RBDS) and a RBDS data structure used to transmit data is described by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), " United States RBDS Standard Specification of the radio broadcast data system (RBDS)," National Radio Systems Committee, NRSC-4-B, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment, a controller compares a user selected code with a signal demodulated from a side band frequency of an audio radio transmission. If the user selected code matches the signal, the controller may outputs a match signal. For example, this may be used to notify a vehicle owner of a local school closing. To scan for a local school, a vehicle owner desiring closing information on a school (e.g., Edsel Ford High School) would configure a radio system or radio module, such as an in-vehicle infotainment system, to scan a demodulated side band signal for a specific string. The scan may include scanning a message within the signal or a field within the signal. For example, considering the RDS protocol, a packet of data or group contains 4 blocks in which each block contains 16 bits for data and 10 bits for a checkword. A block containing a 16 bit number may be used to represent 65,536 different entities, therefore a 16 bit number may be used to individually select and identify each school from a list of 65,536 schools. The schools in this example would be local schools; an example includes the New York City Department of Education which is the largest school district in the United States of America, serving 1.1 million students in over 1,800 schools. 1,800 schools would only use approximately 3% of the 65,536 total possible entries. However, with 4 blocks per group, if each school in NYC was assigned a unique 16-bit code and all 1,800 schools were closed, it would require 1,800 blocks of data to transmit all unique school ID codes. At a bit rate of 1,187.5 bits per second (bps), which is the current RDS/RBDS bit rate, the data associated with all 1,800 schools would require at least 40 seconds to transmit all school closing information. The controller in the vehicle may output a match signal based on a single match of the user input code with the demodulated signal (or field of the demodulated signal) or the controller may require a number of matches to reduce the possibility of a faulty message.

[0014] Further, the infotainment system of the vehicle may output a message such as an image or icon along with a text message stored in memory of the infotainment system. For example, an ID code 0x0007 may be associated with Edsel Ford High School, and the stored text message may be "Edsel Ford High School Closed". Upon a match of the ID code, the vehicle may connect to a remote server to download a message associated with the broadcasting of the ID code. For example, the downloaded message may include "Edsel Ford High School Closed due to weather", "Edsel Ford High School Closed due to Teacher In-Service day", "Edsel Ford High School Closed for Christmas Break", "Edsel Ford High School is on Lock-Down". Alternatively the message may include an image or an audio message. In another embodiment, the 16-bit ID code may be split into two parts, a first part such as an identifier and a second part as a predefined message. For example, the first 12 bits may be used as an entry identifier field (providing 4,096 possible entries), the remaining 4 bits may be used as predefined message field (providing 16 possible messages) such as "closed" - binary<0001>, "emergency"- binary <0000>, "teacher in service"- binary<0010>, "holiday break" - binary<0011>, etc. Therefore a "holiday break" at "Edsel Ford High School" may be encoded as binary<01110011> or 0x74. The predefined messages may be stored in system memory such as non-volatile memory. The use of the predefined message may allow the vehicle to display different preloaded messages without having to connect with a remote server.

[0015] The example uses a local school as the entity selected from a list of ID codes; however, the entity may include local businesses, colleges, universities, government entities, or emergency services. Further, based on the match, the infotainment system may be directed to a remote server or remote URL to obtain further information. For example, the infotainment system may receive a signal demodulated from a side band of a radio transmission. The infotainment system may compare the signal with an ID code previously input by the user. In response to a match of the ID code and the signal, the infotainment system may initiate a connection with a remote server and download a message from the remote server and output the message. In this example, the signal is demodulated from a frequency modulated radio broadcast, such as an FM radio station and the connection with remote server may be cellular data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other suitable bi-directional communication link.

[0016] Figures 1A and IB illustrate an example diagram of a system 100 that may be used to provide telematics services to a vehicle 102. The vehicle 102 may be one of various types of passenger vehicles, such as a crossover utility vehicle (CUV), a sport utility vehicle (SUV), a truck, a recreational vehicle (RV), a boat, a plane or other mobile machine for transporting people or goods. Telematics services may include, as some non-limiting possibilities, navigation, turn-by-turn directions, vehicle health reports, local business search, accident reporting, and hands-free calling. In an example, the system 100 may include the SYNC system manufactured by The Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, MI. It should be noted that the illustrated system 100 is merely an example, and more, fewer, and/or differently located elements may be used.

[0017] The computing platform 104 may include one or more processors 106 configured to perform instructions, commands and other routines in support of the processes described herein. For instance, the computing platform 104 may be configured to execute instructions of vehicle applications 110 to provide features such as navigation, accident reporting, satellite radio decoding, and hands-free calling. Such instructions and other data may be maintained in a non-volatile manner using a variety of types of computer-readable storage medium 112. The computer-readable medium

112 (also referred to as a processor-readable medium or storage) includes any non-transitory medium (e.g., a tangible medium) that participates in providing instructions or other data that may be read by the processor 106 of the computing platform 104. The processor 106 may also interface with system memory 108 such either volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) or non-volatile memory (e.g., read only memory (ROM)). The processor may also be multiple processors in multiple computing units which each perform a part of the overall driver alert. For example, one processor may perform audible alert functions, located in the audio module (122), while a different processor in the video controller (140) handles the visual alert, predicated from the same alert message. Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages and/or technologies, including, without limitation and either alone or in combination, Java, C, C++, C#, Objective C, Fortran, Pascal, Java Script, Python, Perl, and PL/SQL.

[0018] The computing platform 104 may be provided with various features allowing the vehicle occupants to interface with the computing platform 104. For example, the computing platform 104 may include an audio input 114 configured to receive spoken commands from vehicle occupants through a connected microphone 116, and auxiliary audio input 118 configured to receive audio signals from connected devices. The auxiliary audio input 118 may be a physical connection, such as an electrical wire or a fiber optic cable, or a wireless input, such as a BLUETOOTH audio connection. In some examples, the audio input 114 may be configured to provide audio processing capabilities, such as pre-amplification of low-level signals, and conversion of analog inputs into digital data for processing by the processor 106.

[0019] The computing platform 104 may also provide one or more audio outputs 120 to an input of an audio module 122 having audio playback functionality. In other examples, the computing platform 104 may provide the audio output to an occupant through use of one or more dedicated speakers (not illustrated). The audio module 122 may include an input selector 124 configured to provide audio content from a selected audio source 126 to an audio amplifier 128 for playback through vehicle speakers 130 or headphones (not illustrated). The audio sources 126 may include, as some examples, decoded amplitude modulated (AM) or frequency modulated (FM) radio signals, and audio signals from compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD) audio playback. The audio sources 126 may also include audio received from the computing platform 104, such as audio content generated by the computing platform 104, audio content decoded from flash memory drives connected to a universal serial bus (USB) subsystem 132 of the computing platform 104, and audio content passed through the computing platform 104 from the auxiliary audio input 118.

[0020] The computing platform 104 may utilize a voice interface 134 to provide a hands-free interface to the computing platform 104. The voice interface 134 may support speech recognition from audio received via the microphone 116 according to grammar associated with available commands, and voice prompt generation for output via the audio module 122. In some cases, the system may be configured to temporarily mute or otherwise override the audio source specified by the input selector 124 when an audio prompt is ready for presentation by the computing platform 104 and another audio source 126 is selected for playback.

[0021] The computing platform 104 may also receive input from human-machine interface

(HMI) controls 136 configured to provide for occupant interaction with the vehicle 102. For instance, the computing platform 104 may interface with one or more buttons or other HMI controls configured to invoke functions on the computing platform 104 (e.g., steering wheel audio buttons, a push-to-talk button, instrument panel controls, etc.). The computing platform 104 may also drive or otherwise communicate with one or more displays 138 configured to provide visual output to vehicle occupants by way of a video controller 140. In some cases, the display 138 may be a touch screen further configured to receive user touch input via the video controller 140, while in other cases the display 138 may be a display only, without touch input capabilities.

[0022] The computing platform 104 may be further configured to communicate with other components of the vehicle 102 via one or more in-vehicle networks 142. The in-vehicle networks 142 may include one or more of a vehicle controller area network (CAN), an Ethernet network, and a media oriented system transfer (MOST), as some examples. The in-vehicle networks 142 may allow the computing platform 104 to communicate with other vehicle 102 systems, such as a vehicle modem 144 (which may not be present in some configurations), a global positioning system (GPS) module 146 configured to provide current vehicle 102 location and heading information, and various vehicle ECUs 148 configured to cooperate with the computing platform 104. As some non-limiting possibilities, the vehicle ECUs 148 may include a powertrain control module configured to provide control of engine operating components (e.g., idle control components, fuel delivery components, emissions control components, etc.) and monitoring of engine operating components (e.g., status of engine diagnostic codes); a body control module configured to manage various power control functions such as exterior lighting, interior lighting, keyless entry, remote start, and point of access status verification (e.g., closure status of the hood, doors and/or trunk of the vehicle 102); a radio transceiver module configured to communicate with key fobs or other local vehicle 102 devices; and a climate control management module configured to provide control and monitoring of heating and cooling system components (e.g., compressor clutch and blower fan control, temperature sensor information, etc.).

[0023] As shown, the audio module 122 and the HMI controls 136 may communicate with the computing platform 104 over a first in-vehicle network 142A, and the vehicle modem 144, GPS module 146, and vehicle ECUs 148 may communicate with the computing platform 104 over a second in-vehicle network 142B. In other examples, the computing platform 104 may be connected to more or fewer in-vehicle networks 142. Additionally or alternately, one or more HMI controls 136 or other components may be connected to the computing platform 104 via different in-vehicle networks 142 than shown, or directly without connection to an in-vehicle network 142.

[0024] The computing platform 104 may also be configured to communicate with mobile devices 152 of the vehicle occupants. The mobile devices 152 may be any of various types of portable computing device, such as cellular phones, tablet computers, smart watches, laptop computers, portable music players, or other devices capable of communication with the computing platform 104. In many examples, the computing platform 104 may include a wireless transceiver 150 (e.g., a BLUETOOTH module, a ZIGBEE transceiver, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an IrDA transceiver, an RFID transceiver, etc.) configured to communicate with a compatible wireless transceiver 154 of the mobile device 152. The wireless modules may transmit data at a carrier frequency or a center frequency. The center frequency is an important aspect of a wireless system by impacting noise immunity and bandwidth. For example, typical remote keyless entry systems operate at 315MHz in the United States, and 433MHz in Europe, while WiFi and Bluetooth may operate at frequencies including frequencies over 2GHz such as 2.4GHz. Additionally or alternately, the computing platform 104 may communicate with the mobile device 152 over a wired connection, such as via a USB connection between the mobile device 152 and the USB subsystem 132.

[0025] The communications network 156 may provide communications services, such as packet-switched network services (e.g., Internet access, VoIP communication services), to devices connected to the communications network 156. An example of a communications network 156 may include a cellular telephone network. Mobile devices 152 may provide network connectivity to the communications network 156 via a device modem 158 of the mobile device 152. To facilitate the communications over the communications network 156, mobile devices 152 may be associated with unique device identifiers (e.g., mobile device numbers (MDNs), Internet protocol (IP) addresses, etc.) to identify the communications of the mobile devices 152 over the communications network 156. In some cases, occupants of the vehicle 102 or devices having permission to connect to the computing platform 104 may be identified by the computing platform 104 according to paired device data 160 maintained in the storage medium 112. The paired device data 160 may indicate, for example, the unique device identifiers of mobile devices 152 previously paired with the computing platform 104 of the vehicle 102, such that the computing platform 104 may automatically reconnect to the mobile devices 152 referenced in the paired device data 160 without user intervention.

[0026] When a mobile device 152 that supports network connectivity is paired with the computing platform 104, the mobile device 152 may allow the computing platform 104 to use the network connectivity of the device modem 158 to communicate over the communications network 156 with the remote telematics services 162. In one example, the computing platform 104 may utilize a data-over-voice plan or data plan of the mobile device 152 to communicate information between the computing platform 104 and the communications network 156. Additionally or alternately, the computing platform 104 may utilize the vehicle modem 144 to communicate information between the computing platform 104 and the communications network 156, without use of the communications facilities of the mobile device 152.

[0027] Similar to the computing platform 104, the mobile device 152 may include one or more processors 164 configured to execute instructions of mobile applications 170 loaded to a memory 166 of the mobile device 152 from storage medium 168 of the mobile device 152. In some examples, the mobile applications 170 may be configured to communicate with the computing platform 104 via the wireless transceiver 154 and with the remote telematics services 162 or other network services via the device modem 158. The computing platform 104 may also include a device link interface 172 to facilitate the integration of functionality of the mobile applications 170 into the grammar of commands available via the voice interface 134 as well as into display 138 of the computing platform 104. The device link interfaced 172 may also provide the mobile applications

170 with access to vehicle information available to the computing platform 104 via the in-vehicle networks 142. Some examples of device link interfaces 172 include the SYNC APPLINK component of the SYNC system provided by The Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, MI, the

CarPlay protocol provided by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California, or the Android Auto protocol provided by Google, Inc. of Mountain View, California. The vehicle component interface application 174 may be once such application installed to the mobile device 152.

[0028] The vehicle component interface application 174 of the mobile device 152 may be configured to facilitate access to one or more vehicle 102 features made available for device configuration by the vehicle 102. In some cases, the available vehicle 102 features may be accessible by a single vehicle component interface application 174, in which case the vehicle component interface application 174 may be configured to be customizable or to maintain configurations supportive of the specific vehicle 102 brand/model and option packages. In an example, the vehicle component interface application 174 may be configured to receive, from the vehicle 102, a definition of the features that are available to be controlled, display a user interface descriptive of the available features, and provide user input from the user interface to the vehicle 102 to allow the user to control the indicated features. As exampled in detail below, an appropriate mobile device 152 to display the vehicle component interface application 174 may be identified, and a definition of the user interface to display may be provided to the identified vehicle component interface application 174 for display to the user.

[0029] Figure 2 is an illustration of a communication system 200 broadcasting information from a vehicular infrastructure to vehicles 212, 214. The communication system 200 illustrates broadcaster 202 that modulates a data message onto a frequency modulated (FM) radio frequency

(RF). The data message may be modulated onto a sideband frequency offset from a base frequency,

For example, RDS/RBDS is data modulated on a sideband frequency offset 57KHz from a base frequency. Here, a radio receiver including one or more FM tuners may be used to decode the data on the sideband. For example, with a single FM tuner, the base frequency would need to be tuned to a local radio station that modulates the desired data onto a sideband of the base frequency. For example, FM 100.7 may broadcast a specific genre of music and on the sideband broadcast data.

Other local stations may broadcast other genres of music but may not broadcast the sideband data. In order to receive the sideband data on a single FM tuner radio, the vehicle occupants would have to have the radio tuned to FM 100.7. Also, the receiver such as an infotainment system would have to be configured to scan for a specific ID code. If the tuner base frequency was selected to 100.7 and an

ID code was entered, the receiver would scan the data broadcast on the selected offset sideband for a match of the sideband data with the ID code. If a match occurs, the receiver may output a message to a display in a vehicle dashboard, such as a display in an instrument cluster, a display in a driver information console, or a display of an infotainment system.

[0030] The use of a dual tuner allows audio signals from a first base frequency to be demodulated on a first tuner and output (played) simultaneously while data signals are demodulated by a second tuner from an offset of a second base frequency. In this illustration, the broadcaster 202 modulates a data message onto a sideband of a FM radio station. The broadcaster 202 transmits the FM radio broadcast via an antenna 204. The data modulated onto the sideband of the FM radio station may originate from an educational institute 206 such as a grade school, high school, university, college, or trade school, or may originate from a business 208 such as a government organization, public or private business. Further, the origination may also be associated with a local entertainment organization such as local sporting event, local sport center, local theatre company, stadium, or music venue. Currently RDS/RBDS supports broadcasting traffic information; however, the ability to selectively filter that information may be useful. For example, an emergency vehicle 210 may be dispatched to an accident involving two vehicles 212A and 212B along a roadway near a local educational, business, or entertainment organization. Although the RDS/RBDS provides information regarding the traffic, the use of the specific ID code, may allow the educational, business, or entertainment organization to broadcast a message to vehicles accepting messages and provide information such as alternative entrances, exits, parking, or delays. Here, the vehicles 214 that are on the road way may receive data specific to their ID code.

[0031] Figure 3 is an illustration of an in-vehicle notification system 300 based on a user selected identification code matched with a demodulated sideband signal received from a radio signal and displayed on a vehicle dashboard. The display may be integrated into an infotainment system 302 or an instrument cluster 304. The alert may include a visual message 306 such as an icon or text displayed on a screen of the infotainment system or a screen of the instrument cluster. Further, a visual message may be projected onto a windshield by a heads up display (HUD) to provide information to the driver. Also, the alert may be an audio message superimposed over an audio signal currently played by the infotainment system or the audio message may be muted such that only the audio alert message is played. [0032] The processes, methods, or algorithms disclosed herein may be deliverable to or implemented by a processing device, controller, or computer, which may include any existing programmable electronic control unit or dedicated electronic control unit. Similarly, the processes, methods, or algorithms may be stored as data and instructions executable by a controller or computer in many forms including, but not limited to, information permanently stored on non-writable storage media such as ROM devices and information alterably stored on writeable storage media such as floppy disks, magnetic tapes, CDs, RAM devices, and other magnetic and optical media. The processes, methods, or algorithms may also be implemented in a software executable object. Alternatively, the processes, methods, or algorithms may be embodied in whole or in part using suitable hardware components, such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), state machines, controllers or other hardware components or devices, or a combination of hardware, software and firmware components.

[0033] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A vehicle infotainment system comprising:

a first FM tuner; and

a controller configured to demodulate static and dynamic data from an offset frequency of an FM broadcast frequency received by the first FM tuner and, in response to a match between a value of a payload field of the dynamic data and a user selectable identification code associated with a local organization, output a signal indicative of the code.

2. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to connect to a remote server, transmit the user selectable identification code to the remote server, and receive from the remote server, the signal indicative of an alert message regarding the user selectable identification code.

3. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 1, wherein the payload field includes an entity identification field and a predefined message field.

4. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 3 further comprising a screen, and wherein the controller is further configured to display the predefined message field on the screen.

5. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 3 further comprising a vehicle instrument cluster having a screen, and wherein controller is further configured to display the predefined message field to the screen of the vehicle instrument cluster.

6. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 3 further comprising a heads up display (HUD), and wherein the controller is further configured to output the signal to the HUD.

7. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 1 further comprising a second FM tuner, wherein the second FM tuner is configured to demodulate an audio signal from an FM broadcast station, wherein the first FM tuner is limited to demodulation of static and dynamic data from the offset frequency of the FM broadcast frequency, and wherein the FM broadcast station is at a different frequency than the FM broadcast frequency.

8. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 1, wherein the offset frequency is greater than 50 kHz.

9. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 1, wherein the offset frequency is less than 100 kHz.

10. The vehicle infotainment system of claim 1, wherein the local organization is a specific school selected from a list of local schools and each school in the list of schools has a unique identification code.

11. A method of filtering data from a broadcast signal in a vehicle comprising: by a controller,

receiving a user selected local identification code associated with a local organization;

receiving an FM broadcast signal at an FM broadcast frequency;

demodulating static and dynamic data from an offset frequency of the FM broadcast frequency;

matching the local identification code with a value of a payload field of the dynamic data; and

outputting a message associated with the value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the local identification code is associated with a specific school selected from a list of local schools and the signal identifies a closed school from the list of local schools.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying the message on a screen of a vehicle instrument cluster.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising projecting the message from a heads up display (HUD).

15. A vehicle audio system comprising:

a first FM tuner; and

16. The vehicle audio system of claim 15 further comprising a vehicle instrument cluster having a screen, wherein the controller is further configured to display the signal to the screen of the vehicle instrument cluster.

17. The vehicle audio system of claim 15 further comprising a heads up display (HUD), wherein the controller is further configured to output the signal to the HUD.

18. The vehicle audio system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to connect to a remote server, transmit the user selectable identification code to the remote server, and receive from the remote server, the signal indicative of an alert message regarding the user selectable identification code.

19. The vehicle audio system of claim 15, wherein the payload field includes an entity identification field and a predefined message field.

20. The vehicle audio system of claim 19 further comprising a screen, wherein the controller is further configured to display the predefined message field on the screen.