A method for processing audio signals in a radio transmitter, includes: receiving an analog audio sample stream and a digital audio sample stream; determining offsets in time between the analog audio stream and the digital audio stream using a normalized cross-correlation of audio envelopes of the analog audio sample stream and the digital audio sample stream; filtering the determined offsets in time to produce filtered offset values; determining an alignment slip adjustment value as a function of the filtered offset values; aligning the analog audio sample stream and the digital audio sample stream using the determined alignment slip adjustment value; and generating a hybrid radio signal for broadcast that includes time-aligned analog audio and digital audio.

Travel-related-information messages (TRIMS) are received from one or more information sources, and information included in the messages is placed into a first (e.g. TPEG) or second (e.g. TPEG+) group. A determination is made that a first TRIM reporting message including information from the first group will exceed a permissible size, so excess information is removed from the first group and added to the second group, thereby decreasing the size of the first TRIM reporting message to the permissible message size or less. Some or all of the excess information removed from the first group is added to the second group. First and second TRIM reporting messages are generated from information included in the first and second groups. The first and second TRIM reporting messages are transmitted to end-user devices using different service ports.

A system includes a processor configured to determine that transmission data indicates that first data was transmitted via a digital radio channel and that reception data indicates that second data was received via the digital radio channel. The first data is transmitted concurrently with transmission of an analog signal. The processor is configured to detect an error in transmission of the first data based on a comparison of adjacent portions of the first data to non-adjacent portions of the second data. The processor is configured to, in response to detecting the error, initiate display of a default image concurrently with output of an audio signal that is based on the analog signal and to initiate retransmission of the first data to cause second particular data to be output subsequent to the output of the default image. The second particular data corresponds to the retransmitted first data.

Tools and techniques are provided for identifying, collecting, and processing music-related content within a radio broadcast environment. In one embodiment, a method is provided for processing music-related broadcast radio data. The method includes receiving a plurality of broadcast radio station signals; identifying each radio station signal as an analog signal or a digitally broadcast signal in response to the identified radio station signals; obtaining a broadcast sample from at least one of the radio stations; identifying at least one music-related information element missing from the broadcast sample; obtaining missing music-related information elements; updating a computer server with the obtained music-related information elements; and generating and communicating a music guide including the updated information to various user devices.

A method for processing a digital signal includes: receiving a plurality of protocol data units, each having a header including a plurality of control word bits; and a plurality of audio frames, each including a cyclic redundancy check code; decoding the protocol data units using an iterative decoding technique, wherein the iterative decoding technique uses a soft output decoding algorithm for iterations after the first iteration; and using decoded cyclic redundancy check codes to flag the audio frames containing errors. A receiver that implements the method is also provided.

A method for processing a digital audio broadcast signal in a radio receiver, includes: receiving a hybrid broadcast signal; demodulating the hybrid broadcast signal to produce an analog audio stream and a digital audio stream; and using a normalized cross-correlation of envelopes of the analog audio stream and the digital audio stream to measure a time offset between the analog audio stream and the digital audio stream. The time offset can be used to align the analog audio stream and the digital audio stream for subsequent blending of an output of the radio receiver from the analog audio stream to the digital audio stream or from the digital audio stream to the analog audio stream.

A method includes determining, at a device, that transmission data indicates that first data was transmitted via a digital radio channel. The method also includes determining, at the device, that reception data indicates that second data was received via the digital radio channel. The first data has a first size that is less than a second size of the second data. The method also includes determining, at the device, whether an error occurred in transmission of the first data based on determining whether each of a plurality of portions of the first data is included at least once in the second data. Other aspects are also disclosed.

A broadcast receiving apparatus includes a reception unit, sound controlling unit, and determination unit. The reception unit receives a signal of an analog broadcast and a signal of a digital broadcast having the same broadcast content. The sound controlling unit performs, when an output of the broadcast receiving apparatus switched into the analog broadcast from the digital broadcast, a switching control of switching the output into the analog broadcast from the digital broadcast so that an acoustic characteristic of the output digital broadcast gradually approaches an acoustic characteristic of the analog broadcast based on a reception intensity of the signal of the analog broadcast. The determination unit determines, after the sound controlling unit starts the switching control, whether or not the switching control performed by the sound controlling unit is to be continued, based on reception state of the signal of the digital broadcast.

Travel-related-information messages (TRIMS) are received from one or more information sources, and information included in the messages is placed into a first (e.g. TPEG) or second (e.g. TPEG+) group. A determination is made that a first TRIM reporting message including information from the first group will exceed a permissible size, so excess information is removed from the first group and added to the second group, thereby decreasing the size of the first TRIM reporting message to the permissible message size or less. Some or all of the excess information removed from the first group is added to the second group. First and second TRIM reporting messages are generated from information included in the first and second groups. The first and second TRIM reporting messages are transmitted to end-user devices using different service ports.

If reception quality of a broadcast signal of a first frequency received by a tuner satisfies setting conditions, the frequency received by the tuner is changed from the first frequency to a second frequency. It is evaluated whether or not the amount of offset between a reference frequency and the frequency of the signal, which is generated by converting the broadcast signal of the second frequency received by the tuner into an intermediate frequency is within a predetermined range. If the offset between the reference frequency and the frequency of the intermediate frequency signal is within the predetermined range, the data included in the broadcast signal of the first frequency is acquired by a demodulating the broadcast signal of the first frequency. It is evaluated whether or not the broadcast signal of the first frequency is a broadcast signal of a broadcasting station based on the acquired data.