Rca Inc.

Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc.

Rca Licensing Corporation

Rca Thomson Licensing Corp.

Rca Lincensing Corporation

Billy W Beyers, Jr

David J Duffield

Harold Blatter

Kevin Elliott Bridgewater

Michael Scott Deiss

Juri Tults

James Edwin Hailey

Joel Walter Zdepski

Eric Douglas Romesburg

Jack S Fuhrer

John William Chaney

Kevin E Nortrup

Kenneth Wayne Maze

Wilson Kwok

Adam J Suchko

Robert A Pitsch

Larry G Moore

Babak Ayazifar

A color interpolation circuit allows information uniquely identifying one of six colors to be stored by using only two binary bits of memory storage, and allows information uniquely identifying one of 120 colors to be stored by using only four binary bits of memory storage. This is accomplished by storing only the foreground, edge, and background colors (i.e., herein referred to as 'independent' colors), and an 'interpolate operator' code, and by providing circuitry to properly interpret and process the interpolate operator code to generate 'intermediate colors'. This permits a 33% reduction of memory size and reduces the 'fetch speed' requirements of associated on-screen display (OSD) scan converter circuitry.

Color coding method for expanding palette by including colors derived by

A digital video signal processing system receives encoded packets of data representing video image information in compressed form. A video decoder and an associated video RAM are used to decode and decompress the video packets to form groups of video image representative digital words. The video decoder also includes an on-screen display (OSD) unit which converts a graphics bit map stored in a section of the video RAM to groups of graphic image representative digital words. The image representative digital words and the graphic representative digital words are multiplexed together under the control of the OSD display unit.

On screen display arrangement for digital video signal processing system

A compression/decompression system includes a source of non-interlaced scanned video signal. A preprocessor constructs interlaced scanned video signal from the non-interlaced scanned video signal by selection of alternate lines of successive non-interlaced image signals. The interlaced scanned video signal is compressed according to known methods to generate primary compressed video data. The primary data is decompressed by known processes, inverse to the compression processes, to regenerate the interlaced scanned frames. Interlaced scanned video signal, corresponding to the intervening lines of the non-interlaced scanned video signal, which were not included in the primary interlaced scanned video signal, is predicted from the decompressed frames of video signal. In addition the intervening lines of the original non-interlaced scanned video signal, which were not included in the primary interlaced scanned video signal, are formed into secondary interlaced scanned video signal. The secondary video signal is subtracted from the predicted video signal to generate secondary field residues. These residues are compressed by known methods to form compressed secondary video data. The primary and secondary compressed data are thereafter transmitted for reception by either interlaced scanned receivers or non-interlaced scanned receivers.

Method and apparatus for providing scaleable compressed video signal

A television receiver having a video memory receives a small number of lines of a second low motion content video program transmitted during the vertical blanking interval of a first normal video program, stores and accumulates the lines of the second video program in video memory, and displays the image of the second video program when it is fully assembled. Audio for the second video program is conveyed via a second audio program (SAP) channel. In this manner two video programs, each of which is encoded in a standard television format (i.e., NTSC, PAL, or SECAM) can be received by a single tuner tuned to a single channel. In an embodiment utilizing picture-in-picture processing circuitry, the second video program can be displayed in an inset area of the screen.

Second video program

The digitized video image data stored in a video RAM in a pix-in-pix television receiver is modified by the addition of digital data from an external computer via a computer interface circuit under control of the pix-in-pix controller. The computer interface circuit is coupled to the internal controller of the television receiver via an external input terminal. The additional digital data received from the external computer may be representative of either text or graphics to be merged into the stored video image.

Data transfer from an external computer to a television receiver having

The stored digitized video image data stored in a video RAM is transferred from the video RAM in a pix-in-pix television receiver to an external computer via a computer interface circuit under control of the pix-in-pix controller. The computer interface circuit is coupled to the internal controller of the television receiver via an external terminal. The external terminal receives digital control data from the external computer and conveys the stored digitized video image data signals from the video RAM to the external computer.

Data transfer from a television receiver having picture-in-picture

A tuning system is provided which allows a user to enter text labels associated with respective channels or television programs to be tuned so that, thereafter, a channel or program to be tuned may be selected by the user by entering its label. Scheduling of television programs by label is also provided by storing time-related data as well as channel-related data and associating these data for each television program with a user-entered label.

Tuner control apparatus having tune-by-label capability

Time-keeping apparatus includes a microcomputer having a normal, relatively high power consumption mode of operation and a standby relatively low power consumption mode of operation. The AC power supply includes energy storage providing standby power for operation during power interruption. A controllable delay arrangement causes the microcomputer to operate in a cyclical mode with a relatively long duration in the standby mode of operation and a relatively short duration in the normal mode of operation. The time period of the relatively long duration, having been previously stored in memory, is utilized for incrementing the time-keeping during the relatively short duration in the normal mode until the end of the power interruption ends the cylical mode of operation.

Time-keeping apparatus

A component audio/video system includes a system controller coupled to supply selection and control commands to a plurality of peripheral audio/video devices and to receive status messages therefrom. The devices may be selected to form a number of different recording configurations involving combinations of one or more recording signal sources and one or more devices for recording the signals. The system controller enters one of a number of different control modes for turning power off to the signal sources and recording devices depending on the status messages identifying recording configurations to enable continued recording by some devices when others run out of recording or playback media.

Component audio/video system with automatic turn-off of peripheral

In a programmed audio amplifier system, the volume setting when the system is turned on is conditionally related to the last volume setting, i.e., immediately before the amplifier was turned off. At turn-on the system remains at the last volume setting as long as it is less than a preset volume setting. However, at turn-on the system exhibits the preset volume setting if the last volume setting exceeds the preset volume setting.

Audio amplifier with programmed volume control

A television receiver includes apparatus for stabilizing an on-screen character display by which the deflection signal source is controlled for operating in a free-running mode, substantially unaffected by signal variations on the sync input line, rather than in a synchronized mode when sync is unreliable or otherwise undesirable. As another feature, the deflection signal source is caused to operate at substantially the same frequency in either mode.

Stabilizing arrangement for on-screen display

Programming apparatus for a scheduler of a television receiver or VCR for automatically tuning the system to channels corresponding to future programs requires, in its simplest form, only a single programming key for initiating the programming operation and digit keys for normally entering channel numbers. This is made possible by apparatus for displaying on the screen of the television receiver or, in the case of a VCR, an associated television receiver or monitor step-by-step instructions for entering the scheduling information. In response to pushing the programming key, a numbered list (or 'menu') of various possible programming modes, e.g., scheduling programs to be selected only once, scheduling programs to be selected on a daily basis or scheduling programs to be selected on a weekly basis, is displayed. Thereafter any of the programming modes can be initiated by pushing the appropriate digit key. Thereafter, the user is prompted to push appropriate digit keys to enter the starting and ending times and channel numbers of programs to be scheduled until blanks following descriptive titles of the data that is to be entered are filled in.

Television system scheduler with on-screen menu type programming

Apparatus for controlling various functions of a television receiver such as the picture and audio responses includes a keyboard with numbered keys which are normally used for selecting channels and a program key. When the program key is pressed, an on-screen character generator is caused to display a numbered list or menu of the various functions to be controlled. Thereafter, a particular function can be selected for control by pressing the correspondingly numbered key. This causes the numbered list or menu of the characteristics of the selected function, e.g., the brightness, contrast, sharpness, color level and color tint of the picture, to be displayed. Thereafter a particular characteristic can be selected for control by pressing the correspondingly numbered key.

Television system with menu like function control selection

An interconnection system for an audio and video component entertainment system includes a single conductor audio bus serially coupled between each of the video and audio components transfers audio signal in a 'daisy-chain' manner among the components. The video components are grouped together separately from the audio components along the audio bus and both types of components supply and/or receive audio signals from the bus. A first switch in series with the audio bus separates the audio bus into first and second sections so as to allow simultaneous and independent audio signal transfer among the video and audio components connected to the separated sections of the audio bus. A single conductor video bus serially coupled between each of the video components transfers video signal in a 'daisy-chain' manner among the video components. A second switch in series with the video bus separates the video bus into first and second sections so as to allow simultaneous and independent video signal transfer among video components connected to the separated sections of the video bus.

Distributed switched component audio/video system

A tuning control system includes a pulse converter for converting a digital word to a corresponding pulse signal having pulses the width or frequency of which represents the magnitude of a tuning voltage associated with a respective channel. The pulse signal is applied to a filter which produces the tuning voltage. An automatic fine tuning (AFT) voltage is generated by an AFT discriminator in an IF section and also applied to the filter to modify the magnitude of the tuning voltage to correct for any frequency deviation of the IF signal. To make the response of the tuner to changes of the AFT voltage more uniform for different channels, the AFT voltage is applied to the filter through a switch which is selectively closed in response to the pulses of the pulse signal so as to change the effective amplitude of the AFT voltage applied to the filter as a function of the channel selected.

Growing community of inventors

Greenfield, IN, United States of America

Billy W Beyers, Jr