General Instrument Corporation

Arris Enterprises LLC

Motorola Corporation

General Instrument Corportion

David E Zeidler

Robert M Simons

Steven Corso

Brian Carroll

Qiang Zhu

Joseph Petry

Wayne D Woodruff

Constance J Borges

Circuits and systems may be operable to provide improved wireless networking performance in the presence of a high speed wired interface. Filter circuits may be applied to wired interface leads to suppress frequency content that may interfere with wireless home networking. High speed digital wired interface systems on a chip may similarly be altered to suppress interfering frequency content before it leaves the chip. Systems with reduced radiated energy from wired interface circuits in frequencies of interest to wireless networking have improved wireless range and throughput characteristics.

Reducing wireless interference from a wired digital interface

A tuner is controlled to manage noise and distortion levels in a video signal. The tuner recovers an RF modulated video signal. A video demodulator provides a baseband video signal from the recovered RF modulated video signal. At least one of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and intermodulation distortion (IMD) is determined for the baseband video signal. An AGC attack point of the tuner is dynamically controlled in response to the SNR and/or IMD in order to improve the video quality.

Dynamically controlled tuner AGC attack point

The present invention provides an on-screen graphics (OSD) subsystem for overlaying OSD graphic images onto analog or digital video source signals. The OSD system has a video graphics bypass path and graphics bypass switch for directing an analog video channel around the OSD subsystem during time intervals when the OSD subsystem is not required to insert graphics into the source signal.

Graphics subsystem bypass method and apparatus

Advanced recording options are provided on a personal versatile recorder (PVR) or similar recording device. Television signals and associated electronic programming guide (EPG) data are received at a receiver (). Recorded program material is stored in a storage device (). A processor () provides for automatic suspending of recording, based on predetermined criteria, for at least a portion of time during which the one or more television programs would otherwise be recorded. Recording may be suspended when non-programming specific content (e.g., a commercial or emergency broadcast) is received at the PVR (). Non-program specific content can be identified through the use of EPG data or Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) triggers. End of program notifiers may be provided which enable the PVR () to record the entire program, regardless of whether the program runs beyond its scheduled time. Recording may be optionally suspended where the program is a rerun.

Methods and apparatus for advanced recording options on a personal versatile recorder

A method for estimating a level of a predetermined portion of a video signal comprising the steps of determining a location of the predetermined portion of the video signal, sampling the video signal during the predetermined portion and estimating the level as an average of the samples of the video signal during the predetermined portion.

Method and apparatus for determining a level of a video signal

A frequency range bounder for limiting the frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator uses a multiplexer that responds to comparator inputs indicating whether an input control signal will allow the oscillator frequency to go beyond a predetermined range. If the control signal keeps the frequency within the range, the control signal is sent directly to an oscillator driver. If the control signal is above or below the range, the multiplexer outputs an alternative value as the control signal. As a result, the oscillator frequency is prevented from extending beyond an allowable tolerance range.

Frequency bounded oscillator for video reconstruction

Methods and apparatus for reducing the artifacts associated with still frame display and video capture of interlaced video are provided. Tuner receives an interlaced video signal having an image frame with first and second fields. Motion detector detects whether motion is present between the first and second fields. Memory stores one or both of the fields for processing when motion is detected. Processor processes the stored field(s) to provide an image frame with reduced artifacts. Various processing techniques are provided to generate the image frame from the stored field(s), without duplicating the stored field for use as the other field. Memory stores the image frame. If motion is not detected, the first and second fields are both stored to provide the image frame. The stored image frame can then be continuously displayed to provide still frame display, or can be captured for subsequent use.

Methods and apparatus for providing video still frame and video capture features from interlaced video signals

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for measuring the quality of video (e.g., television) signals. In particular, the methods and apparatus of the present invention allow for the measurement of various quality parameters of analog or digital video signals at a set-top terminal or similar device, without the need for external test equipment. A video signal , which contains a test signal, is received at a decoder . The video signal is decoded and temporarily stored in memory . A processor associated with the decoder and the memory analyzes the test signal and calculates a quality parameter for the received video signal based on the test signal. The quality measurements can also be accessed remotely and downloaded, for example, by a cable television provider at a cable television headend. The video quality measurement may include various indicators of end-to-end system performance, including the performance of the set-top terminal or similar device.

Methods and apparatus for the measurement of video quality

A circuit for providing a sufficiently accurate clock signal for reconstruction of an image from a video signal can function with or without receiving an incoming video signal containing clock data. In this way, a clock signal for supporting an on-screen display can be created in the absence of an incoming video signal. Control data used to control a voltage controlled oscillator generating a clock signal is recorded when the control logic of the oscillator is locked to the timing data in an incoming video signal. In the absence of an incoming video signal, the recorded control data is retrieved and resubmitted to the control logic so that the oscillator can be made to output an appropriate clock signal even in the absence of an input video signal.

Method and apparatus for providing a timing signal with high frequency accuracy in video equipment for supporting an on-screen display in the absence of a video signal

A circuit connected between an audio signal receiver and an audio output unit can prevent an audio pop from being emitted by a speaker associated with the audio output unit. The circuit interrupts the output of the signal receiver when the DC voltage level of the system suddenly changes, e.g. when a different audio signal is selected or when the receiver is powered on or off. The output of the receiver is shunted through a resistor to ground until a blocking capacitor between the receiver and audio output unit can charge to the new DC voltage level.

Circuit and method of preventing audio pop in an electronic audio device

A system for overlaying digital character signals on an analog video source signal including a predetermined color subcarrier includes a digital character generating device, a digital video encoder, and a switching device. The digital character generating device detects horizontal and vertical timing of pixel information in the analog video source signal, and generates digital character signals that are to be overlaid in predetermined pixels of the analog video source signal. The digital video encoder is responsive to the color subcarrier signal for generating a separate color subcarrier which is locked to the predetermined color subcarrier of the analog video source signal. The digital video encoder also converts the digital character signals from the digital character generating device into an analog video output signal that includes the color subcarrier generated in the digital video encoder. The swithching device directs the analog video output signal from the digital video encoder or the analog video source signal to an output of the system during pixels times when a digital character is to be overlaid or not overlaid, respectively, on the analog video source signal.

Method and apparatus for overlaying digitally generated graphics over an

A system for overlaying digital character signals on an analog video source signal including a predetermined color subcarrier includes a subcarrier phase lock loop, a digital character generating device, a digital video encoder, and a switching device. The subcarrier phase lock loop separately generates a color subcarrier and a system clock signal which are locked to the color subcarrier of the analog video source signal. The digital character generating device detects horizontal and vertical timing of pixel information in the analog video source signal, and generates digital character signals that are to be overlaid in predetermined pixels of the analog video source signal. The digital video encoder is responsive to the color subcarrier and system clock signals for generating a separate color subcarrier which is locked to the color subcarrier of the analog video source signal. The digital video encoder also converts the digital character signals from the digital character generating means into an analog video output signal that includes the color subcarrier generated in the digital video encoder. The switching means directs the analog video output signal from the digital video encoder or the analog video source signal to an output of the system during pixels times when a digital character is to be overlaid or not overlaid, respectively, on the analog video source signal.

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Warrington, PA, United States of America

David E Zeidler