Low power system and method for communicating audio information to patrons having portable radio receivers

A system for communicating audio information to a plurality of patrons of an establishment, each of the patrons having a portable radio receiver, said system comprising in combination:

• (a) means for producing a radio frequency carrier signal;
• (b) means for producing audio frequency electrical signals representative of information to be communicated to the patrons;
• (c) means for amplifying said audio frequency electrical signals;
• (d) means for modulating the amplitude of said carrier signal by said amplified audio frequency electrical signals to produce an output signal;
• (e) means for amplifying said output signal;
• (f) means for transmitting said amplified output signal to said radio receivers by applying said amplified output signal to an antenna located proximately to the portion of the establishment wherein the patrons and their radio receivers are located during communication of said audio information, wherein said antenna is a strip antenna including first and second closely spaced substantially parallel conductors disposed within the establishment a sufficient distance from any boundaries of the establishment to limit the extent of radiation from said strip antenna so that significant levels of radiation from said strip antenna are confined to the establishment, said system further including a termination capacitor connected to the extreme ends of said first and second conductors selected for increasing the amount of radiated energy from said strip antenna, said system further including transformer means for coupling said strip antenna to said output signal amplifying means, wherein the respective patrons are positioned substantially on either side of said first and second conductors of said strip antenna.