Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing adaptive horizontal synchronization (sync) signal detection to identify whether a high quality television signal is being received by a television set. The method determines whether no signal is applied, whether a weak signal is applied or a strong signal is applied to the television set by sampling and processing the horizontal synchronization signal. The signals are classified by comparing the sample horizontal synchronization signals to a predefined threshold. The threshold is established based upon the type of source that produced the television signal.

Abstract: A method for initializing an equalizer in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (“OFDM”) receiver includes generating a desired equalizer tap setting based on an adaptive algorithm. An initial setting for the adaptive algorithm corresponds to an approximate inverse of a channel estimate, and the desired tap setting corresponds to an ideal inverse of the channel estimate. In an alternative embodiment, a method includes generating a channel estimate, generating an equalizer tap setting based on a complex conjugate of the estimate and a quantized magnitude squared of the estimate, and repeatedly generating subsequent tap settings until an error falls within limits.

Abstract: A method of cleaning the neck of a funnel of a CRT during the manufacture thereof. The method includes: inserting a drain tube within the neck, wherein a gap exists between the drain tube and the neck; directing a fluid through the gap; and draining the fluid that was directed through the gap through the drain tube, whereby the fluid removes material from the neck that was applied during a prior coating process and any dirt. The drain tube is part of a cleaning apparatus that further includes a housing and a labyrinth flow controller positioned within the housing adjacent to the drain tube forming a laminar flow section whereby fluid is directed through the housing and into the tube.

Abstract: A remodulator timing signal (35) is generated by a phase locked loop (33) which is coupled to a broadcast vestigial sideband signal (5). Within the signal (5) is highly accurate timing data which is coupled to a demodulator (31). Timing signals to the demodulator are provided by a variable frequency oscillator (32) which receives a correction signal from a phase locked loop (33) housed within the demodulator. The phase locked loop generates the correction signal by comparing the VFO output frequency (36) with the timing data embedded within the broadcast signal (5). A value register (203,303,403) maintains the recent average VFO frequency. A multiplexer (204,304,404) selects the value register data to control the VFO (32,220,320) in the absence of the broadcast timing data.

Abstract: There is provided a password manager for a hand-held device. The hand-held device is included in a system managed by an administrator and having a server and a network. The network is for synchronizing the hand-held device and the server. An input device receives a user input that indicates that a user of the hand-held device has forgotten an established password for the hand-held device. A notification module automatically transmits a notification of forgotten password to the administrator in response to the user input.

Abstract: Within a radio access network (111, 112) an access point (181, 182, 183 and 184) selects a channel by first randomly choosing a channel from those available for use. The Access Point then monitors the channel for a random interval to determine if the channel is presently carrying traffic. The Access Point will select the channel unless the channel is in use by another AP. If so, then the AP will select another channel and commence monitoring for a random interval in order to determine whether the channel is available. The AP will continue to choose channels until a suitable channel is found, or all available channels have been exhausted.

Abstract: A ring boost circuit has a first switching device coupled to a ring node. The first switching device is responsive to a ring operation. A charge pump is connected to the ring node, and the charge pump provides a voltage offset to enhance a differential voltage between the ring node and a tip node when the first switching device is activated during the ring operation.

Abstract: In a video tape recorder (VTR), the capstan draws the tape from which the video signal is reproduced in a forward direction. The following steps are used to control the capstan, applying a torque to the capstan in a backward direction for a first predetermined period of time. Applying a torque to the capstan in the forward direction for a second predetermined period of time and nullifying the motor current. This arrangement is particularly convenient for slow-motion and still-picture modes.

Abstract: An adjustable satellite antenna holder has a first base member, a first coarsely adjustable support member pivotable about a first axis with respect to the first base member and a first finely adjustable support member pivotable about an axis parallel to said first axis with respect to the first coarsely adjustable support member.

Abstract: The process utilizing the inter mode with motion estimation with respect to a reference image and the intra mode, wherein: an exclusion zone which includes the macroblocks which lie even partially in the location of the imagette is defined in the image, the motion estimation of the macroblocks of the image not belonging to the exclusion zone cannot take account of an image block belonging to the exclusion zone in the reference image. Applications relate to the coding of images which is compatible with the inserting of logos or other imagettes specific to the utilizer. They also relate to the real-time coding of images comprising insets.

Abstract: When the observation point on a PDP screen moves, artifacts will be introduced which are commonly described as “dynamic false contour”. A simple way to reduce this effect requires the use of more sub-fields at the expense of panel brightness. A first idea called Bit-Line-Repeat (BLR) makes it possible to exchange vertical resolution with addressing time in order to dispose of more sub-fields for the same brightness. Nevertheless, such a solution introduces some vertical artifacts mostly during movement. Therefore, before the step of sub-field encoding a vertically filtering of the picture divided into pixel blocks is performed, wherein each block includes at least one pixel in horizontal direction and a number of pixels corresponding to the number of common lines in vertical direction. The effect of the pre-filtering step is that the difference of brightness values within each pixel block is limited to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A color picture tube has a compliant tension mask frame assembly mounted within said tube. The tension mask frame assembly includes a peripheral frame including opposing side support frame members and a pair of parallel intermediate members. Each of the intermediate members is attached to the peripheral frame at a single location and the mask is attached to longitudinal edges of the intermediate members. Further included are clips that serve as guides for holding the intermediate members to the frame while permitting expansion of the frame relative to the intermediate members and permitting compliance.

Abstract: A monitoring apparatus and method for measuring light output gradient of a faceplate panel includes a top plate having a center detector and a plurality of corner detectors mounted along a major surface thereof. Lenses are optically coupled to a respective detector, and radiometers are electrically coupled to a respective detector. A bottom plate spaced apart from the top plate has a plurality of light outputs mounted along a major surface thereof and positioned to be opposite each detector. A light source is optically coupled to each light output through a splitter. A computer is electrically coupled to the light source for receiving feedback therefrom and for controlling the light source. The computer is also electrically coupled to each radiometer for recording data therefrom. During monitoring, a faceplate panel having a matrix applied thereto is accurately positioned between the top and bottom plates such that the center detector is located approximately above the center of the faceplate panel.

Abstract: An electronic alignment system for a television signal tuner utilizes first and second controllers for generating respective first and second control signals for respective first and second signal processing circuits of a signal processing arrangement, with the first and second signal processing circuits having respective first and second tunable elements responsive to the respective first and second control signals. A deviation range of the first control signal is higher than a deviation range of the second control signal.

Abstract: According to a first aspect the present invention is related to a head drum arrangement allowing a much easier mounting of the rotary transformer. The head drum arrangement comprises a non-rotating lower drum and a rotating upper drum, which are connected by a shaft fixed in the lower drum. The upper drum is mounted on the shaft by a bearing and preferably by two ball bearings. A rotary transformer is arranged between the lower drum and the upper drum having a fixed stator and a rotor rotating jointly with the upper drum. The rotor is non-positively held in its position by the magnetic force of a permanent magnet accommodated in the upper drum.

Abstract: First (3), second (5) and third (7) eccentric cams, positioned in substantially the same plane, mate with corresponding first (9), second (11) and third (13) slots in a bracket (1). Rotation of the first cam (3) has the ability to move the bracket (1) in an X direction. Rotation of the second cam (5) has the ability to move the bracket (1) in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction. Rotation of the third cam (7) has the ability to rotate the bracket (1) in a plane defined by said X and Y directions.

Abstract: A cabinet for a projection television system, the cabinet including a one-piece molded structure for mounting the components, and reference surfaces unitary with the structure, for mechanically aligning critical optical components of the television system with one another.

Abstract: A photoelement which is provided with a protective layer consisting of cured material and has a transparent element at a location intended for light to pass through. An object of the present invention is to propose an improved photoelement which can be produced at low cost. This is achieved according to the invention by the cured material being the transparent element.

Abstract: A decoder and decoding method are described, in which a syndrome is calculated from a codeword in a syndrome generator, an error polynomial is generated based upon the syndrome in an error polynomial generator, an error location is determined from the error polynomial in the error location generator, an error magnitude is calculated from the error polynomial in the error magnitude generator and the codeword is corrected by a error corrected codeword generator responsive to location and error magnitude. An intra-decoder block messaging scheme is described in which one or more components generate inactivity messages to signal an ability to process data corresponding to a next codeword. A dual Chien search block implementation is described in which Chien block is used to determine the number of errors corresponding to a specified codeword, separately from error location and magnitude calculations performed by the Chien/Forney block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a plurality of appliances in a home network, in which each appliance in the network has an associated descriptor comprising information for controlling the appliance. A control device for controlling the plurality of appliances includes a microprocessor for loading and processing descriptors associated with the appliances and a graphics generator for generating a display of markup language pages or page parts based on the descriptor information. The control device uses descriptors of a plurality of appliances to aggregate appliance control functions of the same type for a plurality of appliances in order to display aggregated functions on a single page.