Abstract: The circuit arrangement comprises at least two movable elements (1 to 3) which are to be monitored and which are assigned a sensor (4 to 6) in each case. The output signals of the sensors (4 to 6) are fed to an evaluation circuit (7) via a common connection. The evaluation circuit (7) has only a single input for receiving the signals of the sensors (4 to 6). Each sensor (4 to 6) emits a pulse shape characterizing the connected element. The pulse shapes of the pulses generated by the sensors are configured in such a way that the evaluation circuit can uniquely identify the individual pulses, even in the case of superimposition.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for controlling the flow of information exchanged between at least one station for transmitting interactive programs and a plurality of interactive terminals. According to the invention, during each interactive program, each terminal is sent a group of data intended to set up a protocol for establishing interactive communications between said transmission station and said terminals.

Abstract: The method according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that a transmitter identifier (SK) is contained in the received channel (EK), the program locations (P) are assigned once to the received channels (EK), and in the event of a deviation from this assignment, the microprocessor (&mgr;P) controls a search (SL) in order that the desired received channel (EK) is assigned anew to the program location (P).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reformatting auxiliary information such as closed caption text that is extracted from a television signal. The apparatus reformats the text by removing redundant spaces, reorganizing the text to fit into an arbitrary sized closed caption window, converting any closed caption display mode (e.g., pop on, paint on or roll up) into a modified roll on display, and inserting speaker identifier prompts into the caption.

Abstract: The invention relates to a conditional access system making it possible for a service provider to supply his services solely to users having acquired entitlements to these services.The services supplied by a service provider consist of an item scrambled by control words. To keep these control words secret, they are supplied in messages (MEC) after having been encrypted with an encryption algorithm with key K.According to the invention, one and the same message (MEC) contains the same control word (Cwi) encrypted several times, each encryption (E(Cwi)Kj) of the control word depending on a different encryption key (Kj).The invention applies to any type of conditional access system, be this system either of "off-line" or "on-line" type.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating a signal representing a multi-image video display including a main image and an auxiliary image, e.g., a picture-in-picture (PIP) image, provides for positioning auxiliary information, such as closed caption text, proximate the auxiliary image. The auxiliary information is located within a border region for the auxiliary image and positioned for indicating to a user that the auxiliary information is associated with the auxiliary image. The region containing the auxiliary information moves in response to movement of the auxiliary image such that the auxiliary information remains proximate the auxiliary image.

Abstract: A current supply circuit for an electronic apparatus having standby, normal and economy modes of operation includes a remote control receiver which responds to a remote control signal from a remote control unit to select either mode of operation. A voltage source provides a main voltage which is detected to produce a switching voltage when the main voltage is present. The switching element of a voltage responsive switch is connected to a first input contact in the presence of the switching voltage and to a second input contact in the absence of the switching voltage. The output contact of the voltage responsive switch is connected to an input terminal of the remote control receiver and to a first input terminal of the filter.

Abstract: A data transmission bus system is disclosed which includes a plurality of nodes coupled together by a ring bus. The ring bus transmits data in successive bus cycles, each bus cycle containing a plurality of bus words. One of the bus words in the bus cycle is a bus cycle synchronization word and the remainder of which are data words. The plurality of data words are allocated to a plurality of data channels.

Abstract: Television apparatus includes first and second auxiliary data decoders for simultaneously extracting auxiliary data from respective first and second television signals to produce first and second auxiliary data. The data decoders can selectably extract data from one or more auxiliary data intervals, e.g., one or more line intervals during vertical blanking within a television signal. The first and second auxiliary data is coupled to a controller such as the main microprocessor of the television system. The second auxiliary data is coupled to the controller via an auxiliary data buffer and an I.sup.2 C serial data bus. The television signal from which the second auxiliary data is extracted can be provided by a second television signal source such as a second tuner or an external signal source (e.g., video cassette recorder, video disk player, and the like).

Abstract: A speech based man-machine communication system is given, comprising more than one controllable device provided with speech synthesis function. Each of the devices in question is provided with its own unique voice pattern. The devices are connected via a bus, so that a central authority handles all the requests from the user. Because the user uses his natural language, commands can be ambiguous. Therefore an algorithm for handling ambiguous situations is provided.

Abstract: A data transfer system is disclosed which includes a plurality of nodes coupled together by a ring bus transmitting at least a bit of a control channel in each of successive bus cycles. Nodes compete for access to the control channel according to the following method. First, an encoded preamble is generated, having a number of successive states, each state being one of a superior and an inferior state. Second, the control channel bit in a bus cycle is set to a superior state, representing a first state of the encoded preamble. Then, for each of succeeding bus cycles a control channel bit is received. If the preceding control channel bit was set to an inferior state, and the state of the received control channel bit is a superior state, then the node drops out of contention for the control channel and for the remainder of the arbitration cycle sets the control channel bit to the state of the received control channel bit.

Abstract: A system processes a video signal that includes a plurality of signal components representing respective ones of a plurality of video programs such as various pay-TV programs. Each of the signal components is processed, e.g., descrambling a pay-TV program, by one of a plurality of series connected high speed signal processing integrated circuit (IC) cards, or "smart" cards. An output signal from the last smart card in the series connection includes a plurality of processed signal components. The plurality of processed signal components are processed further to produce a signal suitable for producing a displayed image that includes multiple image portions, such as a picture-in-picture (PIP) or picture-outside-picture (POP) image in a television system. Each portion of the image is produced in response to one of the processed signal components.

Abstract: The conditional access system of the present invention allows a service provider to supply services, which may be scrambled by a control word, only to those users who have acquired entitlements to these services. The control word is supplied in Entitlement Control Messages (ECM) after having been encrypted using a key. The entitlements of each user are forwarded in Entitlement Management Messages which contain the key. The conditional access system verifies and validates the ECM and EMM prior to processing the control word.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for data certification as well as to the system implementing the certification process.The certification of the data is performed by scrambling.An authority independent of the entity which controls the data source and of the user(s) for which these data are intended, scrambles the data with the aid of control words and encrypts the control words with the aid of an encryption algorithm with key K.So that a user or the users can descramble the data scrambled by the independent authority, a certification verification device containing the encryption key K is supplied to the user or users under the control of the independent authority.The certification process and the system associated therewith apply more particularly to conditional-access systems.

Abstract: A data bus system is disclosed, including a plurality of nodes coupled together by a daisy chain bus. Each node includes a first and a second bus connection, each having a first and second bidirectional terminal. An arbitration logic is coupled between the first and second bus connection. The node operates in an arbitration mode, during an arbitration time interval, in which the first bidirectional terminal in the first bus connection, and the second bidirectional terminal in the second bus connection are configured to be input terminals, and the second bidirectional terminal in the first bus connection and the first bidirectional terminal in the second bus connection are configured to be output terminals. Then the node operates in a bus access mode in which the first and second bidirectional terminals in the respective first and second bus connections, are both configured to be one of input and output terminals.

Abstract: Video signal processing apparatus provides for blanking main and auxiliary images in a multi-image display, e.g., a PIP or POP display, independently. The blanking may be part of a V-chip feature in which blanking occurs in response to auxiliary information, such as XDS data, that is included in a video signal to indicate the content of television programming. Main image blanking occurs only during active video intervals to prevent corrupting sync information. In a system that produces the main image from various types of video signals, e.g., composite video and s-video, that require separate signal processing paths, main image blanking capability is provided in one signal path only, such as the composite video path. The blanking capability is activated and the associated signal path is selected to provide main picture blanking regardless of which type of signal is providing the main picture.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for displaying text information include a scrolling feature having a modulated scroll rate. Previously undisplayed text information stored in the buffer memory is accessed and scrolled into the display at a rate related to the amount of previously undisplayed text information stored in the buffer memory. Scrolling involves a pause in the movement of the displayed text after each complete row of text information is displayed. The pause duration is related to the amount of previously undisplayed text stored in the buffer memory. The text information may include closed caption information, teletext information, and text information associated with moving message displays.

Abstract: A television system utilizes a common signal processing unit (e.g., a common chrominance demodulator) for processing a combined video signal suitable for coupling to a display device for producing an image having a portion attributable to a main video signal and a portion attributable to an auxiliary video signal. If the common signal processing unit relies upon the color information (e.g., color burst) contained in the main video signal, and the main signal is either non-existent or lacking such color information, then a substitute color information signal will be generated so that the combined video signal may be processed to roduce a color auxiliary image, and a monochrome (or non-existent) main image.

Abstract: A smart card that includes a descrambler for descrambling entitlement information and data provides improved access control by controlling the manner in which the entitlement information portion of the data stream is passed through the smart card. Entitlement data that is descrambled and used in the smart card for functions such as key generation is reinserted in scrambled form in the high speed output data signal from the smart card. A variable delay device is included in the smart card for controlling when scrambled entitlement data is reinserted into the data stream. Varying the delay permits establishing a desired timing relationship between the reinserted data and other data in the data stream that is output from the smart card. For example, scrambled entitlement data in the output data stream can be made to exhibit substantially the same timing relationship to other data that exists in the input data stream.

Abstract: A multi-protocol serial data bus system includes two clock lines and a data line. A controller generates a first clock signal and a first data signal according to a first serial data bus protocol during a first mode of operation of the system, and generates a second clock signal and a second data signal according to a second serial data bus protocol during a second mode of operation. The first clock signal and the first data signal are provided on the first and third signal paths, respectively, during the first mode of operation. The second clock signal and the second data signal are provided on the second and third signal paths, respectively, during the second mode of operation.