Abstract: A lawn refuse bag is provided that includes a tubular container having a first side surface, a second side surface, a third side surface, a fourth side surface, and a fifth side surface. The tubular container further includes an open end for receiving compressible contents therein. A plurality of perforations are selectively disposed on at least one side surface of the tubular container adapted to discharge air from the tubular container away from a user compressing the contents therein.

Abstract: A digital down converter (DDC) can be provided in a digital radio receiver front end to produce baseband I and Q signals using mixing, decimating and narrow and wide filtering dependent upon the nature of the signals. After receiving a single wide IF signal from the IF tuner, a single IF ADC converts the IF signal to digital form, and the DDC generates wide and narrow baseband I and Q signals for digital signal processing. The DDC passes wide baseband I and Q signals to a digital baseband processor, while narrow baseband I and Q signals are passed to the analog baseband processor. The system and method of the present invention permits more accurate filtering of the respective digital and analog signals, while reducing receiver complexity and cost. An analog filter in the digital radio tuner can have relaxed specifications permitted by the DDC according to the present invention.

Abstract: Program data is provided in association with a main audio program to a receiver of a duplicative radio broadcasting system wherein a duplicative broadcast (such as a hybrid IBOC broadcast) includes a primary channel and a backup channel in a predetermined frequency allocation. Both the primary channel and the backup channel transmit the main audio program, and the primary channel transmits program data not included in the backup channel. The receiver includes an audio output for reproducing the main audio program and a display for displaying the program data. The method includes recurrently compiling a program event list of the program data corresponding to a current program event and a plurality of upcoming program events. The program event list is recurrently transmitted within the primary channel. The receiver recurrently recovers the program event list and stores the program data in a memory. The program data of the current program event is displayed.

Abstract: A monolithic audio bus switch with simple logic control. The switch is a monolithic solution that may be controlled and operate from multiple common input voltage levels.

Abstract: A lawn refuse bag is provided that includes a tubular container having a first side surface, a second side surface, a third side surface, a fourth side surface, and a fifth side surface. The tubular container further includes an open end for receiving compressible contents therein. A plurality of perforations are selectively disposed on at least one side surface of the tubular container adapted to discharge air from the tubular container away from a user compressing the contents therein.

Abstract: A radio receiver performs a fast tune to a target frequency channel potentially containing a hybrid broadcast signal for determining whether analog signal contained in the hybrid broadcast signal contains an identifying data indicating the presence of a digital broadcast station before attempting to decode a digital signal contained in the hybrid broadcast signal.

Abstract: The continuing validity of a lookup table in a radio receiver for tuning to digital audio stations is monitored. The radio receiver is tuned to a first designated frequency. A determination is made whether a station identification code is identified in a digital broadcast signal at the first designated frequency matches the designated station identification code in the table entry. The radio receiver is tuned to a next designated frequency. A determination is made whether a next station identification code identified in a next digital broadcast signal at the next designated frequency matches the next designated identification code in a next table entry. A determination is made whether an invalid table condition occurs wherein the invalid table condition is a predetermined number of non-matches from the determining steps. A message is displayed that the lookup table is invalid when the invalid table condition occurs.

Abstract: A radio receiver performs a tune to a target frequency channel to recover a main audio program signal from a duplicative signal wherein the duplicative signal includes a primary signal and a backup signal both containing the main program audio signal. The backup signal is provided in a center portion of the target frequency channel and the primary signal is provided in an upper and lower sideband portion of the target frequency channel. The backup signal contains an identifying data which relates to the presence of the primary signal. The method includes tuning to the target frequency channel. The receiver filters the target frequency channel using a narrow bandwidth. A determination is made whether the identifying data is present. If the identifying data is present, then the main audio program is retrieved from the primary signal using a wide bandwidth, otherwise the narrow bandwidth is used to retrieve the main audio program from the backup signal.

Abstract: A digital down converter (DDC) can be provided in a digital radio receiver front end to separate quadrature signals with narrow and wide filtering dependent upon the nature of the signals. A wide band filter can be used to pass digital radio signals to a digital radio receiver, while a narrow band filter can be used to pass signals related to analog AM/FM radio reception. The front end separates the quadrature signals according to the two different radio receivers after receiving a single IF signal from a digital radio tuner. The system and method of the present invention permits more accurate filtering of the respective digital and analog signals, while reducing receiver complexity and cost. An analog filter in the digital radio tuner can be replaced with a digital filter due to the relaxed specifications permitted by the DDC according to the present invention.

Abstract: A method for determining the presence of multiple carrier frequency components in an electrical signal by calculating a value for at least one characteristic of the set of peaks in a defined portion of the frequency spectrum, such as the number of peaks within a defined portion of the frequency spectrum or the average spacing between pairs of peaks, and defining a range of values of the characteristic that would indicate the presence of multiple carrier components, and comparing this calculated characteristic value against the values in the defined range of values.

Abstract: A method for controlling the selectivity of a tuner of a variable bandwidth audio receiver system in which the selectivity of the tuner is set to the wide bandwidth position and the presence of any sub-carrier frequencies are detected through the use of a fast detection method.

Abstract: The continuing validity of a lookup table in a radio receiver for tuning to digital audio stations is monitored. The radio receiver is tuned to a first designated frequency. A determination is made whether a station identification code is identified in a digital broadcast signal at the first designated frequency matches the designated station identification code in the table entry. The radio receiver is tuned to a next designated frequency. A determination is made whether a next station identification code identified in a next digital broadcast signal at the next designated frequency matches the next designated identification code in a next table entry. A determination is made whether an invalid table condition occurs wherein the invalid table condition is a predetermined number of non-matches from the determining steps. A message is displayed that the lookup table is invalid when the invalid table condition occurs.

Abstract: Locking out of an audio broadcast station at a target channel frequency is provided by using a block-out table containing undesirable program content as determined by an authorized user, wherein the authorized user constructs the block-out table containing an identifying data of the audio broadcast station and a microcontroller compares the identifying data of the audio broadcast station with an identifying data of an audio signal to determine if the program content should be blocked out or reproduced for a listener.

Abstract: A radio receiver performs a fast tune to a target frequency channel potentially containing a hybrid broadcast signal for determining whether analog signal contained in the hybrid broadcast signal contains an identifying data indicating the presence of a digital broadcast station before attempting to decode a digital signal contained in the hybrid broadcast signal.

Abstract: A radio receiver performs a tune to a target frequency channel to recover a main audio program signal from a duplicative signal wherein the duplicative signal includes a primary signal and a backup signal both containing the main program audio signal. The backup signal is provided in a center portion of the target frequency channel and the primary signal is provided in an upper and lower sideband portion of the target frequency channel. The backup signal contains an identifying data which relates to the presence of the primary signal. The method includes tuning to the target frequency channel. The receiver filters the target frequency channel using a narrow bandwidth. A determination is made whether the identifying data is present. If the identifying data is present, then the main audio program is retrieved from the primary signal using a wide bandwidth, otherwise the narrow bandwidth is used to retrieve the main audio program from the backup signal.

Abstract: Program data is provided in association with a main audio program to a receiver of a duplicative radio broadcasting system wherein a duplicative broadcast (such as a hybrid IBOC broadcast) includes a primary channel and a backup channel in a predetermined frequency allocation. Both the primary channel and the backup channel transmit the main audio program, and the primary channel transmits program data not included in the backup channel. The receiver includes an audio output for reproducing the main audio program and a display for displaying the program data. The method includes recurrently compiling a program event list of the program data corresponding to a current program event and a plurality of upcoming program events. The program event list is recurrently transmitted within the primary channel. The receiver recurrently recovers the program event list and stores the program data in a memory. The program data of the current program event is displayed.