Extended play radio vision cassette recorder system and method of operating same

Abstract

An extended play radio video cassette recorder (EPRVCR) capable of receiving and recording audio and video signals transmitted over a radio frequency channel is provided. The EPRVCR includes a videocassette recorder (VCR) and a tuner capable of receiving of radio frequency signals and television frequency signals electrically connected to the VCR. Method for broadcasting and receiving a composite video and audio signal over a radio frequency for subsequent recording by an extended play radio video cassette recorder is also provided. The method includes the steps of providing a VCR having a tuner capable of receiving radio frequency signals; broadcasting audio on a preselected baseband radio frequency; broadcasting a visual image on a subcarrier sideband of the preselected baseband frequency; and receiving the audio and visual image using the tuner of the VCR. The VCR is also capable of recording the audio and video image simultaneously onto a single video cassette. The EPRVCR is also capable of playing the audio and visual image through the VCR for display on a monitor. In an embodiment, the tuner is a direct digital frequency synthesis tuner.

1 . A method of recording a video image and a corresponding audio signal on a single recording media using a video cassette recorder (VCR) having a radio receiver, the method comprising the steps of: 
 tuning the radio receiver of the VCR to a selected radio frequency signal transmitted by a radio station transmitter;    converting the radio frequency signal received by the radio receiver of the VCR to an audio signal;    recording the audio signal onto an audio track of a video cassette inserted in the VCR;    detecting a video image associated with the radio frequency signal; and    recording a video image onto a video track of the video cassette.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1    further comprising the step of: 
 playing back the recorded audio signal and video image from the video cassette.  
 
     
     
         3 . A method of transmitting and receiving a radio frequency composite signal containing a video signal and a related audio signal, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a video cassette recorder having a radio tuner for receiving radio frequency audio signals and a television tuner for receiving video signals;    broadcasting a radio frequency audio signal on a preselected baseband radio frequency;    broadcasting a radio frequency video signal on a subcarrier sideband of the preselected baseband radio frequency;    receiving the radio frequency audio and video signal at the audio and video tuners of the video cassette recorder; and    converting the radio frequency audio and video signals to audio and video signals capable of being recorded on audio and video tracks of a recording media by the video cassette recorder.    
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 3   , further comprising the step of recording the audio and visual signals using the video cassette recorder.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 3   , further comprising the step of recording the audio and visual signals onto a single video cassette using the video cassette recorder.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 3   , further comprising the step of: 
 playing the audio and visual signals through the video cassette recorder for display on a monitor.    
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 3   , further comprising the steps of: 
 providing a video monitor and an audio speaker; and    playing the audio and visual signals on the video monitor via the video cassette recorder.    
     
     
         8 . An extended play radio video cassette recorder comprising: 
 a video cassette recorder (VCR); and    a tuner capable of receiving radio frequency signals and television frequency signals electrically connected to the VCR.    
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 8   , wherein the tuner is a direct digital frequency synthesis (DDFS) tuner.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 3   , further comprising an input selector means for selecting an input signal to be received by the tuner of the VCR.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 3   , wherein the input selector means selects an input from a group consisting of amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), short wave (SW), and subcarrier sideband (SSB).  
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 3   , wherein the step of broadcasting audio on a preselected baseband radio frequency and the step of broadcasting a visual image on a subcarrier sideband of the preselected baseband frequency are performed simultaneously.  
     
     
         13 . A method of broadcasting a radio frequency signal having an audio component and a visual component, the method comprising the steps of: 
 broadcasting an audio signal on a preselected radio frequency channel, the channel having a subcarrier sideband; and    broadcasting a visual signal on the subcarrier sideband of the preselected channel.    
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 13   , wherein the step of broadcasting a visual signal on the subcarrier sideband comprises transmitting text of a periodical, the text consisting of a plurality of sections.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 14    further comprising the step of: 
 incorporating an indexing code into the transmission of the visual signal such that the plurality of sections further comprise an index identifier.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 15    further comprising the step of: 
 providing a video cassette recorder having a radio receiver;  
 tuning the radio receiver of the video cassette recorder to receive the radio frequency visual signal on the subcarrier sideband of the preselected channel; and  
 recording the visual signal onto a video cassette inserted in the video cassette recorder.  
 
     
     
         17 . A method of    claim 16   , further comprising the step of accessing at least one of the plurality of sections of the periodical using the VCR to locate the index identifier for the particular section desired.