Patents Examined by John K. Peng
  • Patent number: 6078360
    Abstract: A television signal includes a video signal having at least luminance information and a signalling bit stream for conveying static control information bits relating e.g. to at least an aspect ratio of the video signal, in which a plurality of bits of an additional data signal are distributed over at least one bit of the signalling bit stream per frame of the video signal, whereby the signalling bit stream contains at least one varying bit in addition to the static control information bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Laurens Doornhein, Marcellinus J. J. C. Annegarn
  • Patent number: 6078363
    Abstract: A projection-type image display apparatus, includes: an illumination unit; a polarization selecting and reflecting element which splits a light beam from the illumination unit into a first light beam and a second light beam having polarization states different from each other, reflects the first light beam to the illumination unit, and outputs the second light beam as linearly polarized light; a transmission-type liquid crystal display panel which controls a polarization state of the linearly polarized light and displays an image; a first polarization selecting element and a second polarization selecting element respectively provided on a light beam input side and a light beam output side of the transmission-type liquid crystal display panel; a projection element which projects the image displayed by the transmission-type liquid crystal display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Masuda, Takuji Yamatani
  • Patent number: 6075568
    Abstract: The network system has a configuration so that information supplier address data transmitted together with character broadcast data is extracted and stored in the Internet address memory. Furthermore, the Web site addresses once accessed by the user or selected on a character broadcast display can be registered in an address list as being stored in the address list area, and a desired Web site can be accessed by the Internet browser 9 according to an address selected from the address list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuura
  • Patent number: 6075969
    Abstract: A C-Band or Ku-Band satellite communication system uses a relatively small receiving antenna while operating within current FCC designated bandwidth and using existing satellite configurations. Aperture synthesis techniques create nulls in orbit locations from which potential interference is expected. Bandwidth inefficient modulation techniques reduce transmission power flux density. Video compression reduces the power necessary to transmit video information. These three features make possible a receiving antenna with a receiving area equivalent to that of a three foot diameter dish, at C-Band frequencies. Comparable reductions are possible for Ku-, Ka-, S- and L-Band systems. Compressing the data reduces the required transmitted power by a factor of ten. Spreading the bandwidth reduces the power density below the FCC limitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Terrastar, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce B. Lusignan
  • Patent number: 6075567
    Abstract: An image code transform system for arranging and composing a plurality of small screens of moving images to a large screen image, compressing and encoding the large screen image to generate a large screen compressed/coded data sequence, and extracting small screen compressed/coded data sequences of the plurality of small screens of moving images from the large screen compressed/coded data sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 6072533
    Abstract: A sync signal generator with a signal discriminator comprising an input terminal supplied with a fist signal or a second signal of a higher frequency; a clock signal generating circuit; a first counter reset by the first or second signal received from an input terminal, and caused to halt counting the clock signal when the count thereof has reached a predetermined value MC4; a first detector for outputting a detection signal relative to the first or second signal during the counting action of the first counter; a second counter reset when the count of the first counter has reached a predetermined value MC1, and caused to halt counting the clock signal when the count of the first counter has reached a predetermined value MC2 (MC2<MC4), and to output a detection signal (SMAX) when the count thereof has reached another predetermined value SC1 (SC1<MC2); a second detector for outputting a detection signal relative to the second signal in response to the detection signal (SMAX) from the second counter; and a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Takayuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 6072546
    Abstract: A correct estimation of a focussed condition of the cathode ray tube can be performed. A predetermined image (14) is displayed at a predetermined position on a screen of a cathode ray tube. A focussing voltage of the cathode ray tube is varied in a condition that a distance from a reference position to a predetermined position in the image is detected. When the changing state of the detected distance is displayed on a predetermined display means (11a), an optical low pass filter is arranged in the optical system such as the incident part of a sensor (15) or the like. From an output of the sensor (15), a condition is determined as the just-focussed condition, the under-focussed condition or the over-focussed condition and the beam spot diameter is calculated from the detected line width. On the basis of the decision of the under-focussed or the over-focussed condition and the calculated value of the beam spot diameter, a focus quantitative value is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyasu Nakayabu
  • Patent number: 6072547
    Abstract: A color display device having a color display tube with a display screen, comprising an electron gun for generating three co-planar electron beams, and a deflection system which, in operation, generates deflection fields for scanning the display screen, and an element influencing the landing angle of the outermost beams, for example an element generating, in operation, a 45.degree. magnetic 4-pole field, and comprising a correction device which supplies a signal to the element influencing the landing angle, which signal is derived from the video information (for example a signal which is proportional to the strength of the instantaneous beam current) in order to remedy landing errors caused by space-charge repellence between beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Albertus A. S. Sluyterman
  • Patent number: 6072535
    Abstract: A channel loop controller is disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention as including a processor operably associated with a television, an input device operably connected to the processor, a memory device operably connected to the processor, and an output device operably connected to the processor for displaying output data. The input device may be a keypad incorporated within the television, or it may be a remote control unit. If a remote control unit is used, a loop button and a save button may be included within the remote control unit. Executable code stored in memory and executable by the processor enables the apparatus to, in combination with user input, configure one or more channel lists having channels selected by the user. The save button may be used to save a channel to a channel list. The loop button may be used to increment or decrement to the next channel in a channel list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Inventor: Donovan E. Kearns
  • Patent number: 6069662
    Abstract: An apparatus for displaying a plurality of compressed images is disclosed, in which a high quality freeze display is made possible with a high vertical resolution and a multiplicity of compressed images can be displayed at the same time on the display screen without increasing the circuit scale extremely. Different video signals are processed for image compression in a plurality of processing circuits, and a synthesized image is supplied to a display unit for displaying four compressed images on the display screen at the same time. In the case of an image sequence display, the image size is compressed into one half in horizontal and vertical directions respectively by the processing circuits, and the odd and even fields are separately written in field memories. Also, in the case of freeze display, all the lines are written alternately in the field memories without compressing them vertically by a filter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadasu Horiuchi, Koichi Ono, Kazuya Yamashita
  • Patent number: 6069669
    Abstract: An improved video window control apparatus and a method thereof which are capable of generating a plurality of video windows on a television or a computer monitor, controlling the size and position thereof, and providing a video window overlap function and a picture-in-picture function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Korea Telecommunication Authority
    Inventors: Jong-Hoon Park, Jin-Sang Choi, Seon-Ja Kim, Kyeong-Yeol Yu, Dae-Hwan Hwang
  • Patent number: 6069660
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically stabilizing the black level of a displayed picture when (1) an automatic black level stabilizing function is OFF, (2) black level error occurs between at an ON state and at an OFF state and (3) black level variation and picture disturbance occurs during activation and deactivation of the automatic black level stabilizer. Black level variations when the automatic black level stabilizer are OFF is controlled by processing a cathode current in a negative feedback loop and controlling a CRT grid voltage, storing a divided grid voltage during a converging period and processing the grid voltage in another negative feedback loop in order to adjust the grid voltage to an ON state value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Sato
  • Patent number: 6069672
    Abstract: A cordless remote control for a receiver, more particularly for a television set, comprising a reader for a data medium, said data medium containing information for the activating the remote control and/or at least one program channel of said receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: C.I.S. Hotel Communications GmbH
    Inventor: Henning J. Claassen
  • Patent number: 6069667
    Abstract: In a Sync signal detection circuit for detecting a Sync signal included in a television signal transmitted in a digital mode, pattern check means 2 checks a pattern of a Sync signal which is super imposed on a series of input data with a reference pattern. Based on a check result, Sync detection determination means 5 outputs a Sync detected signal or a Sync non-detected signal. Sync detection initialization means is further provided to this detection circuit for outputting forcibly a Sync non-detected signal when a signal of a series of input data is switched over. As a result, a Sync signal can be detected within a shorter period than the conventional circuit structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Ueda, Takaaki Konishi
  • Patent number: 6067122
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for performing host-based anti-ghosting of teletext data in a television signal using non-oversampled data. Teletext data is first encoded within a television signal using multi-level error correction encoding, including the use of an inner correction code and an outer correction code. The television signal is then transmitted using multiple signal level modulation encoding, while adhering to the standard teletext timing. A remote computer system receives the television signal containing the encoded teletext data. A tuner/capture subsystem of the computer system oversamples the teletext data and uses the oversampled data to reconstruct the bit peaks of the teletext data. The teletext data are then provided to a main memory of the computer system via a host interface as non-oversampled data. The host processor performs anti-ghosting, data slicing, and multi-level decoding of the teletext data based on the non-oversampled data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Benjamin M. Cahill, III
  • Patent number: 6064439
    Abstract: An FM teletext broadcast receiver having a page memory function of holding designed specific page data upon completion of an FM teletext broadcast program includes a data storage section. The data storage section includes a data storage area for storing received data, a state bit table for indicating the use state of each block in the data storage area, an information table for managing program data stored in the data storage area, a page memory state bit table in which a bit data value indicating whether page data in each block in the data storage area is held upon completion of a program is set and held, and a page memory information table in which table data of predetermined management items for each block in which the page data is held/set is stored. The data storage area is shared between a program data storage area and a page memory storage area to attain flexible memory allocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kimura, Masahiko Nagata
  • Patent number: 6064444
    Abstract: A picture processing apparatus and method for enlarging and reducing a picture wherein when a picture is reduced, horizontally adjacent pixel data is supplied from a delaying device to a horizontally interpolating circuit. With the pixel data, a coefficient p and a 1's complement (1-p) thereof supplied from an interpolation coefficient circuit, an interpolating process in the horizontal direction is performed. In addition, a pixel at the position of p=1 is thinned out. Pixel data that has been interpolated in the horizontal and vertical directions and that has been thinned out is written to a memory. When a picture is enlarged, pixel data that is read from a memory is delayed by two line memories and two adjacent pixels are properly selected by a switch circuit. A vertically interpolating circuit performs an interpolating process in the vertical direction. When pixel data is read from the memory, particular pixel data is read twice depending on a magnification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichiro Miyazaki, Akira Shirahama, Takeshi Ono, Nobuo Ueki
  • Patent number: 6064440
    Abstract: An improved data inserter for inserting data into selected lines, including the vertical blanking interval, of a television or video signal. The data inserter includes a parallel interface for receiving data and a digital signal processor (DSP) for controlling the insertion of that data. A dual port memory structure is used to temporarily store data to be inserted. The dual port memory is associated with and connected to an autobuffer unit. Each video signal received by the inserter is provided to a switch which is also coupled to the autobuffer unit so that the switch may receive data stored in the dual port memory devices. When a selected line in a given video signal is detected by the DSP, it triggers the respective autobuffer unit which, in turn, transfers the data out of the dual port memory to the respective switch for insertion into the selected line of the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Navis Digital Media Systems
    Inventors: Gregory S. Born, Paul A. Cousineau, Kenneth R. Thompson
  • Patent number: 6061096
    Abstract: Radio receivers for receiving DTV signals, in accordance with the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) standard, or analog TV, in accordance with the National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) standard, each use a single first detector for both types of signal. This single is followed with an intermediate-frequency amplifier providing amplification both for digital television signal and for the amplitude-modulated NTSC video carrier of an analog television signal. Preferably, the shared intermediate-frequency amplifier is a high-band intermediate-frequency amplifier having fixed gain and having its bandwidth determined using a surface-acoustic-wave filter with flat-amplitude midband response, steep-slope skirts, and linear phase throughout its passband.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Allen LeRoy Limberg
  • Patent number: 6057876
    Abstract: An improved multiple conversion CATV settop terminal eliminates the adverse effects of oscillator difference beats by selectively controlling local oscillators and the use of a wideband bandpass filter. The wideband bandpass filter is coupled between the output of an up converter mixer and the input of a down converter mixer. Each mixer receives a second input from its corresponding local oscillator. A system microprocessor is programmed to control each local oscillator such that the oscillator difference beat frequencies are translated out of a following IF filter passband. Once translated, the oscillator difference beat frequencies no longer present a source of distortion to the received information signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew Waight