Thomson Licensing

Other

At&t Bell Laboratories

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Michael Joseph McLane

Harold Blatter

Michael Francis Kvintus, Jr

Darrel Wayne Randall

Bradley Alan Sparks

Karl Francis Horlander

Timothy Noonan Comerford

Daniel Richard Schneidewend

Megan Louise Brown

Mark Sheridan Westlake

John Joseph Nigborowicz

Chunzhi Wang

Mao Uong Neil

Darrell Wayne Randall

Maxine L Duckworth

Jan R Holliday

A method for assisting users with channel entry utilizes channel tuning history to simplify the channel entry process. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of storing a list of channel numbers previously tuned by the apparatus; receiving a first input selecting a most significant digit of a channel number; and enabling a display of channel numbers in response to the first input, wherein the displayed channel numbers comprise at least one channel number included in the stored list and having the most significant digit and at least one other channel number not included in the stored list and having the most significant digit.

Method and apparatus for assisting users with channel entry

The absence of MPEG processing in a consumer digital recorder player may preclude on screen message display of recorder status. Various methods are disclosed which facilitate the on screen display of recorder player status messages. A first embodiment returns a reproduced decoded, analog video signal to the digital recorder player for insertion of status messages. In a further embodiment recorder message data is coupled to the digital signal decoder for inclusion with the decoded analog video signal. In a another embodiment a recorder message command is coupled to the decoder to access recorder specific graphical messages. In yet a further embodiment, recorder message data is tagged and coupled to the decoder to select recorder specific graphical messages if available or to display recorder message data. In yet another embodiment, digital or analog operating mode determines recorder message display position and timing.

Upgradable on screen display system

A record and replay apparatus comprises a transducing unit for reproducing a digital signal from a medium. A control unit controls a reproduction mode of the apparatus. A decoding is coupled to the transducing unit for decoding the digital signal and deriving therefrom a signal indicative of a specific picture type. The reproduction mode has a first period of reproduction at a normal play speed and a second period of reproduction at a speed greater than the play speed. The first and second periods alternating with the first period initiated responsive to the signal indicative of a specific picture type. In a further arrangement a first transducing unit records an MPEG signal. A control unit generates a signal, indicating an intra coded frame occurrence in the MPEG bit stream, which is recorded by a second transducing unit together with a servo reference signal.

Digital recorder with trick play operation

A system and method for providing two modes of operation for a program guide and a video display depending on the position of a highlight or cursor. When the cursor or highlight is moved to a channel name/number grid, the video display will display program content of the program currently being received by the highlighted channel. On the other hand, when the cursor or highlight is moved to a program grid, the content of the video window does not change.

Program guide processing

A digital television receiver comprises a receiving means having selectable first and second inputs. The first input receives a broadcast digital television signal and the second input receives a digital television signal from a reproduction apparatus, and generates a video signal for display. A generating means is coupled to the receiving means for generating a display message responsive to display message data derived from the selected input and combining the display message with said video signal.

Upgradable on-screen display system

A system and method for generating a list of suggested scheduled television programs wherein television schedule guide data which comprises characteristics of scheduled programs and optionally relevancy of those characteristics is obtained from broadcast information. User profiles comprising characteristics of television programs previously viewed, the cumulative amount of time programs having those characteristics has been previously viewed, and optionally the relevancy of the previously viewed characteristics is stored. The user is allowed to manually adjust the weights assigned to characteristics so as to override the system assigned weight values. The system calculates the suggested program list from the schedules it receives from broadcast or other means, using the characteristic weights in the user profiles. The user interface displays percentage values currently assigned to characteristics in that user's profile, but smoothes the percentage values by calculating them based on a ratio of characteristic weights to the greater of a preset value such as 500 or the actual weight of the highest weighted characteristic in that user's profile.

Method and apparatus for generating a list of suggested scheduled television programs

The absence of MPEG processing in a consumer digital recorder player may preclude on-screen message display of recorder status. Various methods are disclosed which facilitate the on-screen display of recorder player status meassages. A first embodiment returns a reproduced decoded, analog video signal () to the digital recorder player () for insertion of status messages. In a further embodiment recorder message data () is coupled to the digital signal decoder () for inclusion with the decoded analog video signal (). In another embodiment a recorder message command (TAG/CMD) is coupled to the decoder () to access recorder specific graphical messages. In yet a further embodiment, recorder message data () is tagged and coupled to the decoder () to select recorder specific graphical messages if available or to display recorder () message data. In yet another embodiment, digital or analog operating mode determines recorder message display position and timing.

A digital apparatus for reproducing a digital video representative signal stored on a recorded medium is connected to a receiving device including a decoder. The apparatus comprises a processing means for the digital video representative signal stored on the recorded medium to produce an output compressed digital video signal bit stream for decoding by the decoder. A status message generator generates a message data signal indicative of an operating mode of the apparatus. A display message combiner has a first input coupled to the message data signal and a second input coupled to receive a decoded digital video signal from the decoder, for combining the message data signal with the decoded digital video signal for display on a video monitor.

On-screen display insertion

An apparatus and a method for processing programs indicated by the associated program description to be audio-only programs, including the following. A respective program description for programs is received. Upon user selection of a program, a determination is made as to whether the selected program is an audio-only program. If the selected program is an audio-only program, then preprogrammed on-screen display information is displayed while the selected audio-only program is played to provide additional visual entertainment for users.

System and method for processing audio-only programs in a television receiver

A traction device including, in combination, an elongated flat surface of a length and width to accommodate a human patient in a supine position, the surface defined by a foot-end and a head-end arranged in a spaced-apart relationship, device for elevating the foot-end above the head-end in a tilted fashion, and a foot retainer pivotally attached about the foot-end for retaining the patient's feet therein when the patient is in traction, wherein the elongated flat surface exhibits an extremely low coefficient of friction for allowing the patient's body to stretch and slide freely downward therealong under its own weight when pitched in a head-down position.

Traction device with a self clamping retainer

A multiplexed data channel telephone system comprising a master station (221) and one or more remote stations (222) is disclosed. Each station (221, 222) is bridged, in a parallel electrical connection, onto a wire-pair (201) that extends from the stations to a telephone switching system. Each station (221, 222) includes a voiceband line interface (110, 310) for connecting to the wire-pair (201) at voiceband frequencies, and a radio frequency line interface (700, 800) for connecting to the wire-pair (201) at radio frequencies. Each station further includes multiplexer and demultiplexer equipment (500, 600) for frequency shifting a data channel between baseband and rf. Amplitude modulation and half-duplex transmission are used in the data channel. Telephone status and control information, including ringing and answer control, are exchanged between controllers (160, 360) via the data channel. Remote stations (222) minimize the amount of equipment required by using the data channel to control common equipment at the master station (221) that interacts with incoming telephone lines (201, 202).

Growing community of inventors

Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Michael Joseph McLane