Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm J. S. Tripoli
  • Patent number: 6252906
    Abstract: A video processor receives coded digital image data which is decoded into MPEG compatible pixel blocks. The pixel blocks are horizontally and vertically decimated to produce a reduced size image suitable for picture-in-picture, picture-on-picture, or picture-in-graphics display. Decoded input data to the decimation network is alias filtered and decimated at a factor of 8 to 3. Decimated output pixel data is derived solely from a respectively associated decoded input pixel block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing S.A.
    Inventor: Barth Alan Canfield
  • Patent number: 6240177
    Abstract: The subject of the invention is a communications device connected in parallel with at least one item of communications apparatus on a transmission line (L1, L2). The device and the apparatus conform to a given template in terms of DC components. The device in accordance with the invention is characterized in that it comprises means (18, R1, R2, R3, D5, DZ) setting the operating point (X) in terms of DC component of the said device alone outside regions of the said template where the DC component of the current may be zero, means (R2, D6, D7, R4, 19, 20) of determining the DC component of the current flowing in the said device, means (20) of detecting a variation in the said DC current component. The invention applies particularly in the field of communication via the switched telephone network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Thomson multimedia S.A.
    Inventors: Philippe Guntzburger, Jean-Yves Moraillon
  • Patent number: 6233164
    Abstract: The protection circuit comprises a storage capacitor which is coupled with a terminal of a secondary winding which charges said storage capacitor during the on-interval of the switching transistor. During the off-interval of the switching transistor the charge of the storage capacitor is fed to the driver stage or the control capacitor for closing or keeping closed the switching transistor when one of the secondary windings has a short circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Thomson Multimedia S.A.
    Inventors: Kum Yoong Zee, Kian Meng Koh, Seng Huat Ng
  • Patent number: 6233021
    Abstract: A method for replacing parts of a digitally coded picture (11) is proposed. The digitally coded picture (11) may correspond to a sub-picture which is displayed on the screen of a television set (10). In the method, each line of the picture (11) is run length-coded. The replaceable parts of a line of the picture are run length-coded separately. The part which replaces the replaceable, original part of a line of the picture (11) is run length-coded in such a way that it has the same number of data units (data bytes) as the original part of this line of the picture (11). The replacement of the data for the run length coding words is carried out in a memory device (51). The replacement is possible in a simple manner by virtue of the fact that the original part of a line of the picture and the new part of the line of the picture have the same number of data units. Moreover, a device for carrying out the method is also proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH
    Inventor: Marco Winter
  • Patent number: 6225579
    Abstract: A gimbal mounted multifunction button has a selector button that can selectively actuate one or more microswitches in response to a biasing force. The multifunction button has a selector button mounted to a gimbal contained in a plate. The selector button has a plurality of protruding actuators that pass through the plate and align with a plurality of microswitches mounted to a printed circuit board. The selector button may be biased to selectively cause one of the of actuators to actuate a corresponding switch, or alternately selectively cause an adjacent pair of actuators to actuate a corresponding pair of adjacent switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Thomson licensing S.A.
    Inventors: Darin Bradley Ritter, William Hofmann Bose
  • Patent number: 5629589
    Abstract: A diode-split high voltage transformer for a television receiver includes a coil form having a plurality of axially aligned cells. The cells are arranged in groups and are separated by fins. Partial windings are individually arranged in the cells. A plurality of diodes is arranged about the edge of each fin and and substantially normal to the of the form. The partial windings and the diodes are alternately connected in series. Each of the fins includs a ramp-shaped recess tangentially extending from the fin edge to the bottom of the cell adjacent to the fin to provide space allowing the winding wires to stay clear of the partial windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH
    Inventors: Walter Goseberg, Wolfgang Reichow, Hans-Werner Sander, Rolf Heidrich
  • Patent number: 5617146
    Abstract: A system for processing a television signal including a data component, such as extended data services data, includes a decoder for processing the data component to provide data representing time information. A control device responds to the data for modifying time information, e.g., time of day, that is maintained in the system. The time information decoded from the video signal is compared to the time information maintained in the system to determine a time difference. If the time difference is in a predetermined range, the time difference indicates that the time information from the television signal is invalid. The control device responds to the time difference being in the predetermined range by preventing modification of the time information maintained in the system. A user may provide an input via a device such as a remote control to control the manner in which the control device responds to the time difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Duffield, Michael D. Landis, Gabriel A. Edde
  • Patent number: 5523735
    Abstract: A high voltage transformer for a television receiver includes a coil former supporting a primary winding on a magnetic core. The primary winding has an axial length L. A compartmentalized coil former supports a high voltage coil radially surrounding the primary winding. The high voltage coil has a radial outer diameter D with the ratio of L/D being less than one. A plurality of diodes are supported by the compartmentalized coil former and connect the high voltage coils in series. The diodes are supported on the compartmentalized coil former at substantially the same axial position and are equally spaced about the periphery of the compartmentalized coil former.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson Brandt GmbH
    Inventors: Walter Goseberg, Hane-Werner Sander, Rolf Heidrich
  • Patent number: 5517252
    Abstract: An apparatus for recording/reproducing television signals transmitted in the letter-box format whereby 16:9 aspect ratio picture information is sandwiched between black areas corresponding to the top and bottom portions of the display, and wherein auxiliary items of information can be modulated onto the color sub-carrier of the television signal. The apparatus includes a luminance channel, an adaptive filter and a digital chrominance decoder for separating the television signal into a chrominance component and a luminance component. First apparatus digitally demodulates the auxiliary information from the color sub-carrier. Second apparatus applies the auxiliary signals to the luminance channel during the scanning of the black areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Plantholt
  • Patent number: 5517678
    Abstract: A satellite radio receiver obtains signals from a satellite receiving installation comprising one or more frequency converters which may, for example, undergo a frequency drift as a result of temperature variations which cannot be compensated for by an AFC circuit which is located in the satellite radio receiver and which controls a carrier oscillator for carrier regeneration in a demodulator circuit. A local oscillator for a mixer is designed as a PLL local oscillator (44) which can be tuned in large or small increments. The AFC circuit (1) and a synchronizing signal evaluation circuit (40) are coupled to a control circuit (34) so that the PLL local oscillator (44) is tuned: 1) outside the control range of the AFC circuit (1), with a large tuning increment in the case of undetected synchronizing signals, and 2) with a small tuning increment in the case of detected synchronizing signals, until the control range of the AFC circuit (1) is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH
    Inventors: Otto Klank, Klaus Eilts-Grimm, Jurgen Laabs
  • Patent number: 5502501
    Abstract: Jitter of an overlay display with respect to the primary display of a television receiver is avoided by assuring that the vertical and horizontal blanking signal components are sufficiently time spaced by preventing the number of clock pulses occurring between the horizontal and vertical components of the blanking signal from going below a selected number. The number of clock pulses between the negative going transition of the vertical blanking signal and the positive going transition of the first horizontal blanking signal is tracked and when the number of pulses fails to exceed a reference value the number of pulses is changed to effectively shift the transitions with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark F. Rumreich, Barth A. Canfield
  • Patent number: 5453921
    Abstract: A switched mode power supply includes a modulator s an input for receiving a sense signal and an output for developing a pulse modulated signal. An output switch is coupled to the modulator and is switched in accordance with the pulse modulated signal. A generator develops a supply voltage responsive to operation of the switch. A feedback circuit coupled between the modulator output and a modulator input limits the duty cycle of the pulse modulated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce W. Shutts
  • Patent number: 5438689
    Abstract: A radio receiver having switching-over to traffic announcement wherein the bass and treble frequency responses and the volume are changed to a value which is subjectively optimum for the respective actual driver and the announcement becomes more pleasant and easier to understand for him/her without the necessity for the driver to manually change the bass and treble controls. The switching-over of the bass and treble audio frequencies preferably occurs a short time before the switching-over of the announcement. Additionally, further switchings-over can be carried out which are advantageous for the attention of the driver. For example, switching off acoustically disturbing devices such as fans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson Brandt GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Jurgen Kluth
  • Patent number: 5421848
    Abstract: The invention presents a method for the fabrication or production of three-dimensional lenses with a variable refractive index by wrapping a material with a given refractive index. It is preferred, that this material has the shape of a thread, which might be cylindrical. The preferred shape of the lens to be produced is spherical or semi-spherical, which can be achieved by an appropiate wrapping process or by cutting the spherical shape. By the inventive method it is possible to produce the said lenses with a smooth varying of the refractive index. It is preferred to use the produced lenses as part of a microwave antenna system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 6, 1995
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, S.A.
    Inventors: Gerhard Maier, David Harrison, Masahiro Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 5319281
    Abstract: A circuit, having a split primary transformer, for controlling the warm-up, ignition and normal operating stages of a fluorescent tube initially applies in phase voltages to opposite sides of the split primary transformer during a warm-up stage; during an ignition stage and during the normal tube operation, out of phase voltage waveforms are applied to opposite sides of the split primary of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH
    Inventor: Harald Roth
  • Patent number: 5300849
    Abstract: A device for eliminating the radial and axial play of a shaft having a circular ferromagnetic plate mounted thereon and which passes through a ferromagnetic stationary fitting. The device also includes a permanent magnet for establishing attractive forces within the device. A ferromagnetic arcuate part has a radius of curvature slightly larger than the radius of curvature of the circular ferromagnetic plate. The arcuate part is arranged in the proximity of the edge of the circular ferromagnetic plate whereby a first magnetic force acts between the arcuate part and the edge of the plate to eliminate the radial play and a second magnetic force acts between the shaft and the plate to eliminate the axial play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1994
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH
    Inventor: Axel Elsasser
  • Patent number: 5298891
    Abstract: A data line defect avoidance structure for a display device having an array of display elements arranged in rows and columns includes a plurality of repair lines overlapping the ends of data lines which extend between the columns. Each repair line spans a set of data lines, and there is a sufficient number of repair lines to span all the data lines in the array. One end of each repair line can be welded to a data line during fabrication to decrease the number of steps required for avoiding an open in a data line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1994
    Assignee: Thomson, S.A.
    Inventors: Dora Plus, Peter M. Freitag
  • Patent number: 5296831
    Abstract: A coil arrangement for a control circuit which controls the motion of a housing includes coils arranged as a printed circuit on a flexible foil. The coils serve as the control elements for the control circuit. The foil is H-shaped and the coils are arranged on the verticals of H. The portions of the verticals in contact with the cross-bar of the H-shaped foil support connecting-conductors which connect the coils on the individual verticals. An aperture, soldering terminals and connecting conductors are arranged on the cross-bar of the H. The cross-bar is affixed to the top or bottom of a block-shaped housing and the verticals of the H are folded against the sides of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 22, 1994
    Assignee: Deutsch Thomson Brandt GmbH
    Inventor: Tsuneo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5291386
    Abstract: A television receiver has a switched mode power supply for regulating an output voltage, including a power transformer having a primary winding coupled to an unregulated voltage via a power transistor. The power transistor is controlled by pulses from the output of a controller. In order to sweep the base-emitter charge from the power transistor in order to end collector-emitter conduction, the base of the power transistor is coupled to the output of the pulse generating controller via a capacitor in parallel with at least one diode. During a pulse from the controller, the capacitor is charged to a voltage equal to the forward biased drop across the diode(s). At the end of a pulse at the output of the controller, the voltage across the capacitor provides a negative voltage at the base of the transistor, thus sweeping out the base-emitter charge and sharply turning the transistor off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1994
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, S.A.
    Inventor: Chun H. Wu
  • Patent number: D442940
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Thomson multimedia S.A.
    Inventor: Todd James Huthmaker