1. A method comprising:
receiving a digital signal at a digital input terminal of a device;
receiving an analog signal at an analog input terminal of the device, said analog signal is derived from said digital signal;
examining whether the digital signal is in an eligible format for the device;
selecting the digital signal by a selector if the digital signal is in the eligible format for a decoder to decode the digital signal,
otherwise selecting the analog signal, as an input for the device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signal and the analog signal are received simultaneously.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying one of the digital signal and the analog signal on a monitor.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one of the digital signal and the analog signal at a speaker.
5. A method comprising:
receiving a digital signal at a digital input terminal of a device;
receiving an analog signal at an analog input terminal of the device, said analog signal is derived from said digital signal;
determining whether the device is capable of decoding the digital signal;
selecting the digital signal by a selector if the device is capable of decoding the digital signal by a decoder, otherwise selecting the analog signal, as input for the device.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein
the digital signal and the analog signal are received simultaneously.
7. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying one of the digital signal and the analog signal on a monitor (126).
8. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving one of the digital signal and the analog signal at a speaker.
9. An apparatus comprising:
a first digital inputoutput terminal and a second digital inputoutput terminal;
an analog input terminal and a analog output terminal;
an interface coupled with the first digital inputoutput terminal;
a decoder coupled with the interface; and
a selector which selects the second digital input terminal if the decoder is capable of decoding a digital signal, otherwise selects the analog input terminal to receive an analog signal that is derived from the digital signal.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a monitor having a display and at least one speaker.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a memory.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory is configuration ROM.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory is one of a RAM and a ROM.
14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory stores a signal capability list.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the signal capability list is static.
16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein
the selector comprises
a controller having means for determining whether the decoder is capable of decoding the digital signal; and
a switch controlled by the controller so as to select the first digital inputoutput terminal if the decoder is capable of decoding the digital signal, otherwise to select the analog input terminal.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the switch switches between an output of the decoder and the analog input terminal as a source of an input signal.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the digital signal format is dynamic.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein an isochronous connection is established with a device transmitting a signal upon signal selection.
20. A system comprising:
a first digital inputoutput terminal,
an analog output terminal,
a receiver coupled between an antenna and the first digital inputoutput terminal, and
a decoder coupled between the analog output terminal and the receiver;
a second digital inputoutput terminal,
an analog input terminal,
an interface coupled with the second digital inputoutput terminal,
a decoder coupled with the interface, and
a selector which selects the second digital input terminal if the decoder is capable of decoding a digital signal, otherwise selects the analog input terminal to receive an analog signal that is derived from the digital signal.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the receiver is capable of receiving signals in DSS-SD format and DSS-HD format.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein the decoder is limited to decoding DSS-SD signals.
23. The system of claim 20, further including a memory.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the memory is configuration ROM.
25. The system of claim 23, wherein the memory is one of a RAM and a ROM.
26. The system of claim 23, wherein the memory stores a signal capability list.
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the signal capability list is static.
28. The system of claim 20, further comprising:
a monitor (126) having a display and at least one speaker.
29. The system of claim 28, further including a memory.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the memory is configuration ROM.
31. The system of claim 29, wherein the memory is one of a RAM and a ROM.
32. The system of claim 29, wherein the memory stores a signal capability list.
33. The system of claim 32, wherein the signal capability list is static.
34. The system of claim 20, wherein the selector further comprises
a controller having means for determining whether the decoder is capable of decoding the digital signal; and
a switch controlled by the controller so as to select the second digital inputoutput terminal if the decoder is capable of decoding the digital signal, otherwise to select the analog input terminal.
35. The system of claim 34, wherein the switch switches between an output of the decoder and the analog input terminal as a source of an input signal.
36. The system of claim 35, wherein the digital signal format is dynamic.
37. The system of claim 34, wherein an isochronous connection is established with a device transmitting a signal upon signal selection.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A carpet system for vehicles comprising:
a continuous carpet base molded to a shape of a vehicle floor in which the carpet system is to be installed, said carpet base including at least one layer of a molded noise-attenuating material and at least one molded recess being formed in said carpet base; and
at least one removable acoustic module which is adapted to be removably fitted into said at least one recess in said carpet base.
2. The carpet system according to claim 1 wherein said carpet base is formed from at least two layers having different material properties.
3. The carpet system according to claim 2 wherein said carpet base has at least one lower layer of noise-attenuating material, and an upper layer having an exposed upper surface.
4. The carpet system according to claim 3 wherein said noise-attenuating material from which said at least one lower layer is formed is selected from a group including a fibrous web, a Hi-Loft felt material and polyurethane foam.
5. The carpet system according to claim 3 wherein said upper layer is formed from a material selected from a group including a non-woven thermally bonded material, a non-woven mechanically bonded material, polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic olefin (TPO), a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a tufted polyamide and a tufted polypropylene.
6. The carpet system according to claim 3 wherein said carpet base has at least one intermediate acoustic layer between said upper and lower layers of said carpet base.
7. The carpet system according to claim 6 wherein said intermediate acoustic layer is formed from one of a fibrous web, a felt material, a heavy layer of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM).
8. The carpet system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one acoustic module is formed from an upper layer having an exposed upper surface and at least one lower acoustic layer having sound-absorbing or noise-attenuating properties.
9. The carpet system according to claim 8 wherein said at least one lower acoustic layer is formed from at least one material selected from a heavy layer of EVA or EPDM, a fibrous web or felt material, PVC, TPO, TPE, polyurethane foam, polyester foam, a non-woven thermally bonded material and a non-woven mechanically bonded material.
10. The carpet system according to claim 8 wherein said upper layer of said acoustic module is formed from at least one of a group of materials selected from a tufted polyamide, a tufted polypropylene, PVC, TPO, TPE, rubber, a non-woven thermally bonded material, a non-woven mechanically bonded material, a metal, timber and a cellulose material.
11. The carpet system according to claim 8 wherein said layers of said acoustic module are retained securely together by a retainer having an upper retaining member which engages an upper surface of said upper layer and a lower retaining member which engages with a lower surface of said at least one lower layer.
12. The carpet system according to claim 1 further including retaining means for retaining said at least one acoustic module securely in position in said at least one recess in said carpet base.
13. The carpet system according to claim 12 wherein said retaining means is formed by an undercut side wall of said at least one recess and a transverse dimension of said at least one acoustic module is slightly greater than a mouth of said at least one recess so that said at least one acoustic module is securely retained by said undercut side wall when inserted into said at least one recess.
14. The carpet system according to claim 12 wherein said retaining means comprises at least one retaining member which extends through apertures in said at least one acoustic module and said carpet base.
15. The carpet system according to claim 14 wherein said retaining member has an elongate shaft, a base plate at one end of said shaft engageable with a lower surface of said carpet base and an enlarged head at an opposite end of said shaft engageable with an upper surface of said at least one acoustic module.
16. The carpet system according to claim 12 wherein said retaining means comprises at least one tab extending from said at least one acoustic module and releasably engaging an associated slot formed in a side wall of said at least one recess of said carpet base.
17. A carpet system for vehicles comprising:
a continuous carpet base molded to a shape of a vehicle floor in which the carpet system is to be installed, said carpet base including at least one layer of a molded noise-attenuating material and at least one molded recess being formed in said carpet base in each of an area a front seat foot well and a rear seat foot well; and
at least one removable acoustic module which is adapted to be removably fitted into each of said recesses.