System And Method for Searching Stored Audio Data Based on a Search Pattern

Abstract

A system for searching stored audio data is described. The system includes a memory configured to store audio data received from a radio receiver and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive a search pattern, search the stored audio data for the search pattern, and provide audio data based on the search.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A radio for a vehicle including a system for storing and searching audio data received over the radio, the radio comprising:
 a radio receiver configured to receive audio data, comprising at least one frequency distribution, being broadcast over a wireless network;   a memory configured to store the received audio data;   an input device configured to receive a search pattern comprising at least one frequency distribution in aural content from a vehicle occupant; and   a processing circuit, in communication with the memory and the input device, configured to receive the search pattern, to search the stored audio data for the search pattern by comparing the at least one frequency distribution in the search pattern with the at least one frequency distribution of the stored audio data, and to provide, to an output circuit, audio data from the stored audio data that correlates to the search pattern.   
     
     
         2 . The radio of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless network uses a Bluetooth communication standard. 
     
     
         3 . The radio of  claim 1 , wherein the comparison comprises:
 a first correlation test in which a first function of the search pattern is compared to a first function of the stored audio data, and   a second correlation test in which a second function of the search pattern is compared to a second function of the stored audio data,   wherein the first function and the second function are different functions.   
     
     
         4 . The radio of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to search the stored audio data while the stored audio data is being stored in the memory. 
     
     
         5 . The radio of  claim 1 , wherein the search pattern is a spoken word. 
     
     
         6 . The radio of  claim 5 , wherein the search pattern further includes additional terms related to the spoken word. 
     
     
         7 . The radio of  claim 1 , further including a microphone configured to receive a custom search pattern. 
     
     
         8 . The radio of  claim 1 , wherein the received audio data includes both aural and non-aural content. 
     
     
         9 . The radio of  claim 8 , wherein the non-aural content includes RDS data. 
     
     
         10 . The radio of  claim 1 , further comprising a second radio receiver configured to receive audio data, comprising at least one frequency distribution, from a wireless radio frequency broadcast on one of a plurality of broadcast channels, wherein the audio data from the wireless radio frequency broadcast is stored in the memory. 
     
     
         11 . The radio of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to search the stored audio data for the search pattern by comparing the at least one frequency distribution of the search pattern with the at least one frequency distribution from a wireless radio frequency broadcast, and to provide, to an output circuit, audio data from the stored audio data that correlates to the search pattern. 
     
     
         12 . A method for storing and searching audio data received by a radio in a vehicle, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a radio receiver, audio data comprising at least one frequency distribution, wherein the audio data is broadcast wirelessly over a wireless network;   storing the audio data in memory coupled to the radio receiver;   receiving, at an input device coupled to the radio receiver and memory, a search pattern, the search pattern comprising at least one frequency distribution;   comparing, using a processor, the at least one frequency distribution of the audio data stored in memory with the at least one frequency distribution of the search pattern; and   providing to an output circuit audio data stored in memory that correlates to the search pattern.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 comparing a first function of the search patter with a first function of the stored audio data.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 comparing a second function of the search pattern to a second function of the stored audio data, wherein the first function and the second function are different functions.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to compare the stored audio data and the search pattern while the stored audio data is being stored in the memory. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the search pattern is a spoken word. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the search pattern further includes additional terms related to the spoken word. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the received audio data includes both aural and non-aural content. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the non-aural content includes RDS data. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 receiving audio data, comprising at least one frequency distribution, from a wireless radio frequency broadcast on one of a plurality of broadcast channels; 
 storing the audio data from the wireless radio frequency broadcast in memory; and 
 comparing, using the processor, the at least one frequency distribution of the audio data from the wireless radio frequency broadcast stored in memory with the at least one frequency distribution of the search pattern.