Method and apparatus for store and replay functions in a digital radio broadcasting receiver

1. A method for receiving and processing a digital radio broadcasting signal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a digital radio broadcasting signal including content;

storing encoded content;

using a processor to decode the stored encoded content to recover decoded content;

specifying a dropout tolerance parameter; and

stopping the storing step when the number of dropouts exceeds the dropout tolerance parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of storing encoded content stores user selected content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored encoded content comprises protocol data units or packets.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the packets are audio packets.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of decoding the stored encoded content to recover the decoded content processes the stored encoded content according to a logical protocol stack.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received content comprises multicast content representing one or more programs.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the multicast content represents a main program and one or more supplemental programs.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored encoded content comprises multicast content representing one or more programs.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the stored encoded content represents a main program and one or more supplemental programs.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein storing the encoded content stops when the quality of the digital radio broadcasting signal falls below a threshold quality criteria and resumes when the quality of the digital radio broadcasting signal exceeds the threshold quality criteria.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein upon resumption of storing the encoded content, the encoded content is stored in a new file.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

providing a visual indication of the quality of the received digital radio broadcasting signal.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

monitoring content in the digital radio broadcasting signal; and

prompting a user to store encoded content from the digital radio broadcasting signal when a preselected type of content in the digital radio broadcasting signal is detected.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

monitoring content in the digital radio broadcasting signal; and

automatically storing encoded content from the digital radio broadcasting signal when a preselected type of content in the digital radio broadcasting signal is detected.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

storing program service data and/or data tags related to the decoded content.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the data tags are ID3 tags.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second digital radio broadcasting signal including second content; and

storing second encoded content.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

automatically deleting previously stored encoded content from a memory when the memory is full.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the previously stored encoded content is selected for deletion based on a number of times that the previously stored encoded content was played back.

20. A method for receiving and processing a digital radio broadcasting signal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a digital radio broadcasting signal including content;

storing encoded content;

using a processor to decode the stored encoded content to recover decoded content; and

blending the decoded content to mute when the stored encoded content is defective due to the quality of the digital radio broadcasting signal falling below the threshold quality criteria.

21. A receiver for receiving and processing a digital radio broadcasting signal, the receiver comprising:

an input for receiving a digital radio broadcasting signal including content;

a memory for storing encoded content; and

a processor for decoding the stored encoded content to recover decoded content, wherein the prOcessor blends the decoded content to mute when the stored encoded content is defective due to the quality of the digital radio broadcasting signal falling below a threshold quality criteria.

22. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the stored encoded content comprises protocol data units or packets.

23. The receiver of claim 22 , wherein the packets are audio packets.

24. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the processor processes the stored encoded content according to a logical protocol stack.

25. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the received content comprises multicast content representing one or more programs.

26. The receiver of claim 25 , wherein the multicast content represents a main program and one or more supplemental programs.

27. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the stored encoded content comprises multicast content representing one or more programs.

28. The receiver of claim 27 , wherein the stored encoded content represents a main program and one or more supplemental programs.

29. The receiver of claim 21 , further comprising:

an indicator for indicating the quality of the received digital radio broadcasting signal.

30. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the processor monitors content in the digital radio broadcasting signal, and prompts a user to store encoded content from the digital radio broadcasting signal when a preselected type of content in the digital radio broadcasting signal is detected.

31. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the processor monitors content in the digital radio broadcasting signal, and automatically causes the memory to store encoded content from the digital radio broadcasting signal when a preselected type of content in the digital radio broadcasting signal is detected.

32. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the memory stores program service data and/or data tags related to the decoded content.

33. The receiver of claim 32 , wherein the data tags are ID3 tags.

34. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the input receives a second digital radio broadcasting signal including second content, and the memory stores second encoded content.

35. The receiver of claim 21 , further comprising:

a docking station for transferring the stored encoded content to a player.

36. A method comprising:

receiving an in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal including encoded content;

extracting a baseband signal from the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal;

using a processor to process the baseband signal according to a logical protocol stack to produce encoded encapsulated packets including encoded audio content and program specific data;

storing the encoded encapsulated packets;

separating the encoded audio content and the program specific data;

decoding the encoded audio content to recover decoded content; and

using the decoded content to produce an output.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the encoded content comprises multicast content representing one or more programs.

38. The method of claim 36 , wherein storing the encoded encapsulated packets content stops when the quality of the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal falls below a threshold quality criteria and resumes when the quality of the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal exceeds the threshold quality criteria.

39. The method of claim 38 , wherein upon resumption of storing the encoded encapsulated packets, the encoded encapsulated packets are stored in a new file.

40. The method of claim 36 , further comprising the step of:

blending the decoded content to mute when the stored encoded encapsulated packets are defective due to the quality of the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal falling below the threshold quality criteria.

41. The method of claim 36 , further comprising the steps of:

specifying a dropout tolerance parameter; and

stopping the storing step when the number of dropouts exceeds the dropout tolerance parameter.

42. The method of claim 36 , further comprising the step of:

providing a visual indication of the quality of the received in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal.

43. The method of claim 36 , further comprising the steps of:

monitoring the encoded content in the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal; and

prompting a user to store the encoded encapsulated packets when a preselected type of content in the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal is detected.

44. The method of claim 36 , further comprising the steps of:

monitoring the encoded content in the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal; and

automatically storing the encoded encapsulated packets when a preselected type of content in the digital radio broadcasting signal is detected.

45. The method of claim 36 , wherein the stored encoded encapsulated packets are selected for deletion based on a number of times that the stored encoded encapsulated packets were played back.

46. A receiver comprising:

an input for receiving an in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal including encoded content;

a circuit for extracting a baseband signal from the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal;

a processor for processing the baseband signal according to a logical protocol stack to produce encoded encapsulated packets including encoded audio content and program specific data;

a memory for storing the encoded encapsulated packets, wherein the processor retrieves the encoded encapsulated packets from the memory and separates the encoded audio content and the program specific data and decodes the encoded audio content to recover decoded content; and

an output circuit producing an output from the decoded content.

47. The receiver of claim 46 , wherein the received encoded content comprises multicast content representing one or more programs.

48. The receiver of claim 46 , wherein the processor blends the decoded content to mute when the stored encoded encapsulated packets are defective due to the quality of the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal falling below a threshold quality criteria.

49. The receiver of claim 46 , further comprising:

an indicator for indicating the quality of the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal.

50. The receiver of claim 46 , wherein the processor monitors the encoded content in the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal, and prompts a user to store the encoded encapsulated packets when a preselected type of content in the digital radio broadcasting signal is detected.

51. The receiver of claim 46 , wherein the processor monitors content in the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal, and automatically causes the memory to store the encoded encapsulated packets when a preselected type of content in the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal is detected.

52. A system comprising:

a receiver including an input for receiving an in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal including encoded content, a circuit for extracting a baseband signal from the in-band on-channel digital radio broadcasting signal, a processor for processing the baseband signal according to a logical protocol stack to produce encoded encapsulated packets including encoded audio content and program specific data, and a first memory for storing the encoded encapsulated packets; and

a player including a second memory for storing encoded encapsulated packets and a processor for decoding the stored encoded content to recover decoded content.

53. The system of claim 52 , further comprising:

a docking station for transferring the stored encoded encapsulated packets from the receiver to the player.