Abstract: A system and method for providing an electronic program guide for broadcasted digital television wherein the electronic program guide displays only currently broadcasting minor channels, and timely event and contextual information. The system of the present invention includes program code in a memory for causing a tuner/de-multiplexor subsystem to tune to a preselected major channel broadcast frequency and to provide thereby at least one transport stream comprising a plurality of associated digital data elementary streams. The elementary streams include minor channel audio and video, as well as program and system information tables (PSIT), all of which are associated by packet identifiers to provide a table hierarchy. The system of the present invention compares presently broadcasting minor channel and PSIT information with corresponding information in memory.

Abstract: A disk cartridge engagement system having a carriage disposed within a sleeve for movement in the longitudinal direction, gripper arms pivotally mounted to the carriage for engaging a disk cartridge positioned distally of the sleeve, and a pair of biasing springs movable between first and second biasing conditions which correspond to gripping and releasing of the cartridge, respectively.

Abstract: A custom playlist to be played by a digital audio/visual actuator device may be easily created and modified through use of an effective human interface on an external device, such as a personal computer. Tracks, easily identifiable by their track index identifier and the TOC of the digital storage device on which they are stored, are selected by the user or by an automated method and added to a playlist file. Once the playlist is created, the playlist file is stored to non-volatile memory of the digital audio/visual actuator device. The playlist may then be easily modified if so desired by performing such functions as adding tracks, deleting tracks, and rearranging tracks of the playlist through the interface of the external device. The playlist may be played by the digital audio/visual actuator device at any time after it has been created and the digital audio/visual actuator device may be controlled by a remote control unit to actuate the playlist if so desired.

Abstract: Channel information is displayed for a user in improved fashion by adjusting the amount of information according to the rate with which the user previews channels. For example, at a first rate of preview, the channel number, channel logo, program name and video could be displayed for each previewed channel, while at a faster rate, the channel number and logo could be displayed, and at a still faster rate the channel number alone could be displayed for each previewed channel. The rate of preview can be dictated by remote control signals, such as those produced by a remote control jog dial. The user can rotate the jog dial to preview channels at various rates and receive corresponding amounts of information for each previewed channel dependent upon the rate that the channels are previewed.

Abstract: A method and system for the creation of a custom playlist of various audio/visual tracks that are to be automatically recorded to a storage medium is disclosed. The user communicates with personal computer (PC) software by means of a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI allows the user to create a custom playlist and to signal the intent that a recording of that custom playlist to a storage medium be made. Once the user has indicated the custom playlist is to be recorded, the software automatically records the custom playlist with no further user interaction required. In this manner, a minimum amount of user interaction is required.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a memory in a Compact Disc changer. Information identifying discs stored in a CD changer is stored in a memory. The memory is updated when a CD is loaded which does not have identifying features which are recognized by the CD changer. Updating is carried out via a modem connection to a remote database. The database can be stored locally in a local database residing in a personal computer where the database can be queried to locate desired tracks and can be used to facilitate control of the compact disc changer by providing a simplified interface for building a play list and the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a memory in a Compact Disc changer. Information identifying discs stored in a CD changer is stored in a memory. The memory is updated when a CD is loaded which does not have identifying features which are recognized by the CD changer. Updating is carried out via a modem connection to a remote database. The database can be stored locally in a local database residing in a personal computer where the database can be queried to locate desired tracks and can be used to facilitate control of the compact disc changer by providing a simplified interface for building a play list and the like.

Abstract: A method for receiving and processing an incoming message in a wireless messaging terminal is disclosed. In particular, the method includes providing a receiver which receives the message and a memory for storing the message. The method further includes matching the message with a pre-recorded voice prompt stored in the memory and retrieving the voice prompt from the memory. In addition, the method includes playing the voice prompt as an audible alert signal through an audio output device.

Abstract: The present invention provides fast block motion estimation. In one embodiment, a process for fast block motion estimation decimates search locations in a hierarchical manner to reduce the computational complexity of block motion estimation. Different search window sizes and decimation patterns are used at different stages of the search. The use of a large window size in the first stage and different decimation patterns in the following stages reduces the risk of being trapped in local minima. In one embodiment, the process for fast motion estimation uses fast stopping criteria for search locations near the center of the search window, which makes the process center-biased. The average number of search locations examined for each block motion estimation is computationally efficient, and the block motion estimation accuracy is of high quality.

Abstract: The apparatus for and method of estimating the illumination closely approximates an illumination of a corresponding image. This apparatus for and method of estimating the illumination utilizes appropriate linear models to represent the illumination spectral power distribution of the illumination and the spectral surface reflectance.

Abstract: A variable length code decoder includes modified VLC decode tables as compared to table b.14 and b.15 of Annex B of the ISO/IEC 31818-2 standard, and improved program code for inverse quantising block DCT coefficients. The modified VLC decoding tables include level values corresponding to VLC coded words that have been pre-multiplied by the value 2, or by 2 then plus 1. As a result, the modified tables of the present invention reduces the computational complexity of the inverse quantization calculation of the method of the present invention as compared to the algorithm provided in ISO/IEC 31818-2, section 7. Advantageously, the bandwidth requirement of the inverse quantiser processor is reduced as compared to the bandwidth requirement of an inverse processor executing the inverse quantization calculation as defined in the Standard. Conveniently, lower cost, and more widely available processors may be used in the decoder of the present invention.

Abstract: Information corresponding to previewed channels is displayed using a sequential arrangement having a main channel location and several remaining channel locations. A currently previewed channel resides in the main channel location. The channels move along the sequential arrangement and into the main channel location for previewing. An arc shaped arrangement having the main channel location at an intermediate point allows channels to progress from one side of the arc, then into the main channel location for previewing, then to the other side of the arc. A jog dial can be rotated to cause the previewed channels to rotate along the arc. Thus, the user can cycle through available channels or a subset of channels by merely holding the jog dial in a given position.

Abstract: A zooming engine for displaying zooming objects residing in a zooming space is disclosed. The zooming objects may be defined by a class in an object oriented architecture. The zooming objects are displayed on a display which provides a zooming view. A view manager manages the zooming objects that reside in the zooming view. Responsive to an event, such as the user's clicking on a viewed zooming object using mouse controls, a pick handler that is associated with the view manager determines which zooming objects in the view are targeted to process the event. The pick handler has a picking policy that is used to determine whether a zooming object is targeted to process an event.

Abstract: Flexible event responsive behavior in an object oriented computing environment is provided by associating a plurality of event handlers to objects. The event handlers can have various event responsive behavior, and can be sequentially invoked in order to provide various different types of behavior responsive to an event. Certain event handlers can consume an event, wherein the event is not processed by remaining event handlers. In certain embodiments, the event handlers can be associated with objects at various levels, such as class and super class levels. In that instance, the event handlers can be invoked starting with the class level, and proceeding to superior classes through the base class corresponding to the object. Alternatively, event handlers are associated with objects at an instance level, wherein the instance level event handlers are invoked prior to the class level ones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a memory in a Compact Disc changer. Information identifying discs stored in a CD changer is stored in a memory. The memory is updated when a CD is loaded which does not have identifying features which are recognized by the CD changer. Updating is carried out via a modem connection to a remote database. The database can be stored locally in a local database residing in a personal computer where the database can be queried to locate desired tracks and can be used to facilitate control of the compact disc changer by providing a simplified interface for building a play list and the like.

Abstract: A system and method of transmitting customized voice messages from a first voice messaging device to a second voice messaging device over a messaging network. A customized voice message is initially transmitted from a first voice messaging device to a second voice messaging device over the messaging network, including a first base station. The first base station assigns a unique code for that customized voice message, and then transmits that customized voice message and unique code over the messaging network to the second voice messaging device, the latter of which stores the customized voice message and the unique code associated with it. The first base station also stores the unique code in memory.

Abstract: An object oriented zooming engine for providing a zooming graphical user interface is disclosed. The zooming engine includes classes that define zooming objects, an event manager, and a view manager. Events are received by the event manager, and alternatively assigned to the view manager or zooming objects for processing. The view manager and zooming objects have associated event handlers for providing event responsive behavior. Among the event handlers associated with the view manager is a pick handler that determines whether zooming objects in a zooming view have been targeted by an event. Thus, an event can be initially assigned to the view, and then assigned to the zooming objects within the view that may have been targeted. This allows more efficient handling of events and updating of the display, and provides a flexible system, where various behaviors can be variously and individually modified.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a memory in a Compact Disc changer. Information identifying discs stored in a CD changer is stored in a memory. The memory is updated when a CD is loaded which does not have identifying features which are recognized by the CD changer. Updating is carried out via a modem connection to a remote database. The database can be stored locally in a local database residing in a personal computer where the database can be queried to locate desired tracks and can be used to facilitate control of the compact disc changer by providing a simplified interface for building a play list and the like.

Abstract: A message duration indicator apparatus and method for use with a portable voice messaging transceiver including a message recording memory, a microphone, a remaining message memory indicator and an indicator controller provide an indication to the user of the approaching end of the message period to stimulate the user to record a message in as short a time as possible.