Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc.

Joseph W Forler

Kenneth Wayne Maze

Michael D Landis

Mark Francis Rumreich

Paul D Henry

John Frederick Teskey

Television apparatus includes first and second auxiliary data decoders for simultaneously extracting auxiliary data from respective first and second television signals to produce first and second auxiliary data. The data decoders can selectably extract data from one or more auxiliary data intervals, e.g., one or more line intervals during vertical blanking within a television signal. The first and second auxiliary data is coupled to a controller such as the main microprocessor of the television system. The second auxiliary data is coupled to the controller via an auxiliary data buffer and an I.sup.2 C serial data bus. The television signal from which the second auxiliary data is extracted can be provided by a second television signal source such as a second tuner or an external signal source (e.g., video cassette recorder, video disk player, and the like).

Television apparatus for simultaneous decoding of auxiliary data

A television receiver system having secondary picture display capability (such as PIP or POP) includes two tuners and signal processing arrangements, and circuitry for receiving a transmitted channel guide. In response to a 'BROWSE' command, the receiver maintains the currently-tuned first channel as the source for the main picture, displays text related to a television show on a second channel, activates the secondary picture display circuitry, and tunes the second tuner to the second channel. In this way, the viewer can simultaneously get the benefit of both a text description of the television show on the second channel and view a secondary image of the television show on the second channel, without tuning away from the first channel supplying the main picture.

Television receiver using received channel guide information and a

In a television system including closed caption circuitry for receiving and decoding closed caption data, a controller continually monitors the closed caption circuitry for an indication of the presence of any of a plurality of predetermined valid closed caption data codes. Every time any of the predetermined valid closed caption data codes is detected, a timer is reset to begin timing a predetermined time interval, and an on-screen display indicating that closed caption data are available is enabled. If a subsequent one of the predetermined valid closed caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of the time interval, then the on-screen display indicating that closed caption data are available is disabled. In another embodiment of the invention, a lamp is illuminated to indicate the availability of useful closed-caption data.

Enabling a display of closed captioning status upon detecting a code of

A system for processing audio and video components of a television signal provides for automatic control of closed caption signal display in response to the status of an audio muting feature. The system includes an operating mode in which enabling audio muting also enables the closed caption display and disabling muting disables generation of the closed caption display.

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Joseph W Forler