Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc.

Rca Inc.

Thomson Licensing

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Span, Inc.

Anacom Medtek

Kevin E Nortrup

Leroy S Wignot

Ronald E Fernsler

Aaron Hal Dinwiddie

Jack S Fuhrer

Paul D Henry

William Baker

Billy W Beyers, Jr

Kenneth J Helfrich

James C Stevens

William V Fitzgerald

Joachim Kuciera

Yefim Vayl

Kevin Paul Finnegan

Derek Liu

A control device signals user inputs to an audio-video display. The control device may be configured as a pillow speaker and include a speaker for reproducing audio from the audio-video display. The control device is coupled to the audio-video display by wiring. Shared signals in the wiring are used to provide power to operate the control device and are used to signal the user inputs to the audio-video display. A touch panel is used to sense user inputs. The touch panel may be transparent with an underlay containing indicia of user-selectable commands located below the touch panel. The arrangement and selection of commands available to the user may be modified by changing the underlay.

Control device for audio-visual display

A method for displaying data within a video display having on screen message display capability. The method comprises the steps of accessing digital data within the display, and displaying each bit of data as a character forming part of an on screen message display representation of the digital data.

On screen display as diagnostic aid

A method and apparatus for providing computer code updates through an integrated circuit card (smart card) interface. The smart card interface within a computer control device determines whether the card that is inserted into the smart card interface is either a memory card or a conventional smart card. Once the smart card interface has detected that the memory card has been inserted, the interface requests data from the card. The interface provides the computer code to the memory of the computer controlled device to update the computer code therein.

Method and apparatus for updating computer code using an integrated circuit interface

A television signal receiver, especially a satellite receiver, operable to receive and process incoming television signals, automatically determines which television signal standard to utilize for its output based on a parameter of the electrical power supply or supplied electricity. Frequency and voltage of the electrical power are measurable parameters that may be used to determine whether the NTSC or PAL (PAL-M or PAL-N) television signal standard is more probable as the local preference and automatically causes the television receiver to code received television signals in that format for output. The present invention utilizes the principle that the local television standard coincides in some manner with the local power line frequency and voltage.

Autodetermination of appropriate television signal standard in a television signal receiver

A method and apparatus for apportioning standby power implements a first transition mode between standby and run modes of operation in which a control circuit is energized by a standby power supply in a fully active state and generates an on/off command signal responsive to detection of an input signal and a second transition mode between the standby and run modes of operation in which the control circuit is energized by the standby power supply in a partially active state and generates the on/off command signal and a drive signal generator is fully energized by the standby supply. An intermediate transition mode may also be implemented between the first and second transition modes, in which the control circuit and the generator are both energized in a fully active state for a brief interval by the standby power supply and an auxiliary energy source.

Apportioning minimal standby power

In a system for communicating between multiple signal sources and at least one destination, communications occur via a communications, line shared by the signal sources. The multiple signal sources are coupled to the shared communications line via respective interface circuits. The interface circuits operate to determine which signal source will control the shared communications line. The operation of the interface circuits involves a switching or enabling function responsive to signal activity from one of the signal sources. The switching operation also involves assigning relative priorities to the signal sources. The priortizing feature results from an interaction between the relative impedances of the signal sources and the destination.

Self-enabling data-collision avoidance arrangement using a peak detector

A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.

Stereo FM radio in a television receiver

National weather radio reception by synthesizing only center frequency

Images of underwater features, animate and inanimate, are produced from substantial distances in any direction around a boat, using small and easily mountable sonar devices, including three sonar transducers, two being stationary and the third being directable, the transducers being operable at various ultrasonic frequencies. Under keyboard control and using completely integrated electronic circuitry, images and echo sounding reports are generated on a graphic video display. The images include a sector-shaped image from a sector scan which covers a selected range of azimuth angles at a selected down angle.

Scanning sonar system

An input signal for controlling a television power supply has 'power-on' and 'power-off' signal states. When the input signal is in the 'power-on' state, it couples a clock signal to a primary winding of a transformer causing an alternating current voltage that is conductively isolated from the input signal to be developed across a secondary winding of the transformer. When the input signal is in the 'power-off' state, it decouples the clock signal from the primary winding so that no alternating current voltage is developed across the secondary winding. The signal across the secondary winding is demodulated in a demodulator that produces a control signal that is conductively isolated from the input signal. The control signal is coupled to a regulator of the power supply. A power-on state of the control signal occurs when the alternating current voltage is developed at the secondary winding terminal. A power-off state of the control signal occurs when the alternating current voltage is absent.

Video apparatus for generating a conductively isolated control signal

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

This circuit provides a digital output indicating the presence or absence of the infrared (IR) carrier signal. The incoming IR signal is sampled by a clock at a frequency which is about 4 times the carrier frequency. The high and low samples are tabulated in two counters in a race. When 8 high or 16 low samples are counted, the envelope status flip flop is set or reset, respectively, and both counters are reset. The output of the envelope status flip flop represents the envelope of the IR carrier signal.

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Kevin E Nortrup