This is patent non-sense, as it's one of those ideas that isn't actually so much an idea as it is the natural progression of things. However,  XM Satellite Radio has applied for a patent to incorporate HD radio transmitters into satellite radio recivers. Instead of the current FM modulators available in most radio models, XM seeks to add HD capability allowing a portable radio what is essentially a wireless digital input to a car audio system.

In the patent application, the company notes that its "high quality digital signal broadcast by XM Satellite Radio is ideally received by a digital satellite receiver for best audio reproduction, but in many instances an analog frequency modulation technique is utilized to reproduce the digital signal to take advantage of existing FM receiver car audio hardware.". As satellite radio owners know, "high quality digital signal" is a little bit of a misnomer, it's not exactly CD quality. An HD Radio modulator might help slightly, but you're still reproducing a compressed digital signal that is full of artifacts and noise.

Of course, you can patent just about anything these days. The entire patent application can be read here [FMQB.com] as a PDF.

[via FMQB]