Abstract: The present invention relates to a multiband planar antenna consisting of at least one resonator formed of an element having a closed shape made on a substrate and dimensioned so as to operate in its fundamental mode at the resonant frequency of the lowest band. The resonator is fed by a feed line in such a way as to operate in all the higher modes. The resonator comprises means for modifying the resonant frequencies of the various modes in such a way as to cover the bands concerned.

Abstract: A video encoder and decoder are provided for encoding and decoding video signal data for an image block and a particular reference picture index to predict the image block, where the encoder includes a reference picture weighting factor selector having an output indicative of a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index, a multiplier in signal communication with the reference picture weighting factor selector for providing a weighted version of the reference picture, and a motion estimator in signal communication with the multiplier for providing motion vectors corresponding to the weighted version of the reference picture; and the corresponding decoder a reference picture weighting factor unit having an output for determining a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index.

Abstract: Panel comprising an array of barrier ribs each having a base resting on a plate and a top in contact with another plate that includes at least two arrays of coplanar electrodes each preferably having a constant width. According to the invention, these barrier ribs have, at their top, a low-permittivity region of thickness greater than 3 ?m and less than or equal to one fifth of their total height, which has a mean dielectric permittivity at least three times smaller than the dielectric permittivity of these barrier ribs measured at their base. Thanks to the invention, the confinement of the plasma discharges far from the barrier ribs is substantially improved.

Abstract: A dynamic focus amplifier for generating a dynamic focus voltage for a focus electrode for a cathode ray tube at a capacitive load includes a source of a periodic signal at a horizontal deflection frequency. A pull-down transistor is responsive to the periodic signal and coupled to the capacitive load for producing, in accordance with the periodic signal, a first portion of the dynamic focus voltage that decreases, during a first portion of a period of the periodic signal. A storage capacitor is coupled to the capacitive load for replenishing a charge stored in the storage capacitor from a charge stored in the capacitive load to develop a control voltage in the storage capacitor. A pull-up transistor is responsive to the control voltage and coupled to a source of a high voltage and to the capacitive load for producing from the high voltage a current that is coupled to the capacitive load.

Abstract: Impregnated cathode for a vacuum tube comprising an emissive part in the form of a porous pellet impregnated with a compound of alkaline earth metals; the pellet is placed in a dish made of a refractory material and covered with a porous metal foil forming the emissive surface of the cathode. Moreover, the pellet has a separation surface between a heavily impregnated zone and a zone which is not impregnated or weakly impregnated so that the said separation surface comprises at least a hollow part facing the emissive surface. By virtue of the shape of this separation surface, the lifetime of the cathode is improved.

Abstract: A method for processing auxiliary information, such as closed caption or teletext data, in a video system enables an increased number of characters to be displayed per line. According to an exemplary embodiment, a video system (100) includes a tuner (10) operative to receive a video signal including auxiliary information representative of a first number of characters to be displayed per line. A memory (13) is operative to store display list data representative of the received auxiliary information. A controller (11) is operative to retrieve the stored display list data in accordance with a format representative of a second number of characters per line, the second number being less than the first number.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for reading from and/or writing to optical recording media (1) having an optical scanner (2) for scanning the recording medium (1) by means of a light beam (3) and for generating scanning signals (HF) from the reflected beam (3), a data slicer (5) for converting a scanning signal (HF) output by the optical scanner (2) into a binary signal (HF?), an averaging unit (6) for forming an average value (M) from the scanning signal (HF, HF?) as input signal of the data slicer (5), and a control unit (14) for changing a parameter (T, OF) of the averaging unit (6). The object of the present invention is to propose a device of this type and also a suitable method therefor in which the average value (M) can be adapted to disturbances during the scanning of the recording medium.

Abstract: The invention relates to a recording and/or reproduction apparatus for optical recording media with means for parallel orientation of the scanning device with respect to the surface of the recording medium, the scanning device being arranged on a slide that is guided on a guide rod. A tensioning element is provided, by means of which the guide rod of the scanning device is fixed on a baseplate in order to avoid a force transmission leading to the bending of the guide rod, said force transmission disadvantageously issuing from fixing or adjusting means of the guide rod, in an adjustable manner in a plane corresponding to the cross section of the guide rod. The fixing and adjusting device formed by means of the tensioning element has a small number of individual parts, the guide rod can be mounted on a shaped portion of the baseplate with a low outlay and nevertheless avoids to the greatest possible extent a force transmission to the guide rod that disadvantageously issues from fixing or adjusting means.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a source-antenna for transmitting/receiving electromagnetic waves comprising an array of n radiating elements (113, 114) operating in a first frequency band, means (20) with longitudinal radiation operating in a second frequency band, the array and the means with longitudinal radiation having a substantially common phase centre, the n radiating elements being arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal-radiation means, and each element (113, 114) of the array consisting of a radiating element of the travelling wave type.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus using a system level clocking scheme to remove jitter from multi-media packets distributed over an asynchronous network. The present invention overcomes the problems associated with jitter introduced in an asynchronous network by using various time stamps to synchronize a client device clock to a headend clock and to control the data flow in the client device to match the rate that the data is received by a broadband receiver coupled to the headend. The present invention allows the client device to synchronize to a selected one of a plurality of headend clock by including a clock adjustment factor along with the time stamps. The time stamps are added at the physical layer so that the time stamps correspond to the time the data packets are placed onto and received from the asynchronous network.

Abstract: A loudspeaker mounting frame (1) for an electronic appliance has a central opening for receiving a loudspeaker membrane (24), and a plurality of through holes (11) surrounding said central opening for receiving fixing means (25). The through holes (11) are tapered so as to accommodate the fixing means (25) in varying orientations. Spherical bosses (6) surrounding said through holes (11) are formed at a rear side (5) of the mounting frame (1).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus using a system level clocking scheme to remove jitter from multi-media packets distributed over an asynchronous network, in particular an Ethernet network. The present invention overcomes the problems associated with jitter introduced in an Ethernet network by using various time stamps to synchronize a client device clock to a headend clock and to control the data flow in the client device to match the rate that the data is received by a broadband receiver coupled to the headend. A first time stamp is prepended to the transport packets when the packets are received from the headend. A second time stamp is placed in the data frame when the data frame is placed on the network. A third time stamp is placed in the data frame when the data frame is received from the network. The second and third time stamps are used for clock synchronization and the first time stamp is used for data flow control.

Abstract: A system for receiving a composite signal including a main component and a multipath component includes a demodulator chain having adaptive circuitry controllable in response to a control signal to compensate for the multipath component. In this system, a control signal generator includes a phase error estimator, which generates a signal representing an estimate of the phase error between the received main component and the received multipath component. A controller generates the control signal in responsive to the phase error signal.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a disc media photo album having a physical data structure including a video title set, a video object set for title containing at least one video object and a plurality of cells is provided in which the disc media is backward compatible. The physical data structure can include at least one picture unit for each cell. Each picture unit can have at least one video object unit containing a photo album picture to be displayed. Moreover, each picture unit can include additional multimedia data such as audio, video or subpicture information to be displayed with the photo album picture. In addition, a plurality of menus can be embedded within the data structure to permit direct user access to individual photo album pictures through the menus.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for utilizing a single video input for receiving multiple video format signals in an electronic video receiver. The single video input includes a set of inputs to accommodate a component video signal from any one of a multitude of video components that output video signals in component video format. An input video signal in one of several component video formats provided to the single video input is selected and processed according to its video format. Once processed, the selected input video signal is output as an output video signal of a particular video format. The particular video format is compatible with a video format utilized by an external component.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for processing an audio signal. According to an exemplary method, an audio signal such as a digital voice signal is received and divided into one or more individual unit cycles. An audio speed conversion operation is enabled by repeating or removing one or more of the individual unit cycles. In particular, repeating one or more of the individual unit cycles decreases audio speed, and removing one or more of the individual unit cycles increases audio speed.

Abstract: Interoperability for exchanging on-screen display menus and associated control between common consumer electronic (CE) devices is provided. This interoperability is based on the IEEE 1394 serial bus for the physical and link layers and makes use of AV/C or CAL as the control language. This invention provides for transferring a bit-mapped on-screen display menu constructed by a target device (e.g., digital VCR) to display device (e.g., digital TV).

Abstract: The invention relates to a light valve system that enhances the contrast ratio for light and dark video images and reduces contouring artifacts. The light valve system comprises a color selection device configured to temporally attenuate component color bands of light to correspond with a video input signal. A first polarizing beam splitter configured to polarize the component color bands into oppositely polarized components, and a microdisplay configured to receive at least one of the oppositely polarized components for forming a projected light matrix.

Abstract: An asynchronous transfer mode digital document delivery system is provided. A customer premise unit is configured to permit a customer to order and receive a data stream. A buffer is coupled to the customer premise unit to store the data stream before transmitting the data stream to a customer. A server includes digital documents stored thereon for delivery to customers through a switched ATM network. A control mechanism is employed to control a data rate of the data stream between the server and the buffer to ensure maintenance of a steady data stream from the customer premise unit to a customer during a loss of a physical layer between the server and the customer premise unit.

Abstract: A method for automatic detection of data types for data type dependent processing has two orthogonal classification systems defined, and determines for incoming data items a data type according to the first classification system and another data type according to the second classification system. The first classification system comprises the data types Essence, Metadata and Container. The second classification system comprises the data types Physical Data and Abstract Data. A default data type may be defined for data items not being uniquely classifiable. Advantageously, the inventive method can be used when different classes of data items require different methods for processing, e.g. content searching.