Spectrum Concepts, Inc.

Oci Communications, Inc.

Michael L Hightower

Michael L Tentler

Ralph P Harney

Anthony J Wechselberger

A microprocessor based decoder module for television video signals which have been encoded by suppressing sync pulses and/or inverting picture video. The decoder modules generates sync restoration gates and/or video inversion gates developed from timing signals present in the VBI of the encoded video signal. The VBI timing signals may be either sync pulses which are not suppressed during the VBI, or special timing signals inserted at the video encoder. The microprocessor, in the decoder module, may contain externally selectable program segments where each segment will allow decoding of a different variety of video encoding.

Universal decoder

A telephone device, typically a terminal, that receives a.c. communication signals and that sinks d.c. current to provide the off-hook signal is powered from (i) the telephone lines and, if line voltage is less than 7.4 v.d.c., from (ii) a 6 v.d.c. battery. Connection to telephone lines of voltage greater than 7.4 v.d.c. recharges the battery. The terminal further contains a CMOS microprocessor that may be declocked and placed in standby mode to conserve power. When so placed, the microprocessor maintains some of its signal lines at a logic High, 6 v.d.c., condition. In order to both unpower circuits such as a display, a memory, a DTMF dialer, and a modem to which the microprocessor signal lines connect, and to (ii) disrupt current leakage paths from the signal lines to ground through the unpowered circuits, the ground is removed from the circuits. This removal, controlled by a signal from the standby microprocessor, is performed by a transistor switch.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Michael L Hightower