A radio receiving apparatus is used at a sporting event to provide a spectator
with additional information and contact with the participants in the event. In
an automobile racing event, each of the automobiles can be equipped with a two-way
radio for communication between the driver and the crew as well as with a telemetry
transmitter for sending data concerning the operation of the automobile. The telemetry
data is combined with other information relating to the car's involvement in the
race and this data is combined to produce parameter data. A hand-held receiver
receives both the audio conversation and the parameter data for one of the selected
cars and produces audible sounds and concurrently produces a display of a graphic
image on a screen with information derived from the parameter data. Thus, the user
of the receiving apparatus can both hear a selected driver and at the same time
see a display of performance information about the car and driver in the race.
The receiving apparatus can comprise either two radio receivers, one for the audio
signal and the other for the data signal, or a single receiver that receives a
combined audio and data signal that is separated within the receiver to produce
the separate audible and graphic displays. Before the sporting event commences,
an electronic file can be automatically loaded into the receiving apparatus to
preprogram the apparatus with all of the frequencies for the participants, thus
allowing the user to easily select and move between the participants to more fully
participate in the sporting event. The receiving apparatus can be a stand alone
unit or a module used with a portable electronic display such as a personal digital assistant.