Abstract: The invention relates to a system for obtaining assistance in operating an apparatus. A television receiver is provided with a microphone and a dedicated operator call button and connected to a communication network. When a user presses the button, a connection is established to a help desk operator, enabling the user and the operator to speak to each other. The operator can make the television receiver show a picture of the control panel of the apparatus for which assistance is requested, and generate control signals for visualizing operations on the control panel. An animated image of the operator is shown on the television receiver, controlled by the sound level of the operator's voice, in order to elucidate the source of the voice speaking to the user.

Abstract: A television receiver with an electronic program guide (EPG) is disclosed, which allows a user to navigate through an overview of scheduled television programs each belonging to one of a plurality of program categories. Upon highlighting a program item in the guide, or upon highlighting a pictogram representing an available program category, the receiver produces (14) an auditive signal (AUD) which is characteristic of the relevant program category. This provides an additional feedback to the user which eases the process of navigating through on-screen EPG menus. In embodiments of the receiver, the respective auditive signal is also produced as an alert signal (reminder) that a desired program is about to start. A sequence of such reminders may be given at different instants of time before the program starts. By manipulating (15) a parameter, which is characteristic of a perceived distance from user to receiver (e.g.

Abstract: Multiword information is encoded as based on multibit symbols in relative contiguity with respect to a medium, whilst providing wordwise interleaving and wordwise error protection code facilities. This may provide error locative clues across words of multiword groups, that originate in high protectivity clue words and point to low protectivity target words. The clue words may have a first uniform size and be interspersed in a first uniform manner. The target words may have a second uniform size and be interspersed in a second uniform manner. The organization may be applied for use with optical storage. Sectors may get provisional protectivity as a low-latency error correction mechanism.

Abstract: An interactive television system for selectively retrieving video images or teletext pages from a remote transmitter (1). User requests are communicated to the transmitter through the telephone network (5). The selected images (e.g., teletext pages) are provided with an image address (a personal teletext page number) and transmitted through a broadcast medium (4). A broadcast receiver (6) captures, stores and displays images having a particular address in a further autonomous manner. In order to prevent co-viewers from tracing the image address and thus watching personal information intended for an individual user on their broadcast receivers (3), the image address is modified whenever a new image is transmitted. Prior to transmitting the image, the address is communicated to the individual user through the telephone network and applied (84,61) to the broadcast receiver.

Abstract: For a possible flexible adaptation to changing ambient conditions, a circuit arrangement comprising an integrated circuit in which a microprocessor is provided which controls an index generator provided in the integrated circuit for teletext and/or on-screen display functions and which performs control functions of a television apparatus by means of a control interface provided in the integrated circuit is characterized in that a storage interface for a read-only memory outside the integrated circuit is provided in the integrated circuit, and in that the read-only memory comprises at least a part of the program code for the microprocessor and at least a font for the teletext function and possible further index functions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for measuring and filtering noise signals in an active video signal to create an enhanced video signal that produces a video image that is subjectively perceived to be superior to prior art video images. The apparatus of the invention comprises (1) a filter for filtering frequency components of a video signal, and (2) an absolute value unit for calculating the absolute value of pixels in the filtered video signal, and (3) a clipping unit for clipping the absolute values of the pixels to a threshold value related to subjective human perception abilities, and (4) a summer circuit for summing the values of the clipped signals for pixels that are located within a sliding window, where the sliding window is sequentially located in different areas of a frame of the video image, and (5) a detector for detecting at least one minimum sum of the clipped absolute values of the pixels that is indicative of the noise in the video signal of the video image.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for simultaneously displaying a graphic image (23) (e.g., a control menu of a television receiver or video recorder) and a video image (22). In order to achieve optimal legibility of the menu without fully obscuring the underlying video signal, the graphic image is accommodated within a window (21) and the window is given an adequate color (24) which is additively mixed with the video signal. The mixing factor is preferably controlled in response to the amount of spatial and/or temporal activity of the video signal within the window.

Abstract: An optical record carrier (10) comprises a recording layer for recording information in a pattern of optically detectable marks in substantially parallel tracks (11-15). Neighboring tracks are separated by edges (16-20). Control information is encoded in a modulation of the transverse position of the even-numbered edges (16, 18, 20). The modulation of neighboring even-numbered edges have a mutual fixed phase shift. The modulation of the odd-numbered edges (17, 19) is such as to enhance the amplitude of a push-pull signal when scanning the tracks (11, 12) neighboring such an odd-numbered edge (17).

Abstract: An apparatus in accordance with the invention for reading and/or writing information from/onto an optical data carrier (1) has a transducer (5) for generating a detection signal (S0) in response to a signal (x) recorded on the data carrier. The apparatus has correction unit (16, 17, 18) for reducing errors in the detection signal (S0) as a result of radial tilt. The apparatus further has error signal generating unit (20) for generating an error signal (Se) for the correction unit (16, 17, 18). The error signal generating unit (20) calculate the error signal (Se) from correlations between a first auxiliary signal (S1) and a second auxiliary signal (S2) and from correlations between the first auxiliary signal (S1) and a third auxiliary signal (S3), which auxiliary signals are derived from the detection signal (S0). The second (S2) and the third auxiliary signal (S3) are estimates of the recorded signal (x).

Abstract: A data processing arrangement comprises various data processors (P) and a memory arrangement (MA) for supplying input data (Di) to the data processors (P) and for storing output data (Do) from the data processors (P). The following steps are alternately carried out: a configuring step (CS) and a processing step (PS). In a configuration step (CS), the data processing arrangement is configured such that each data processor (P) will process a block (B) of data contained in the memory arrangement (MA) and then stop processing data. In a processing step (PS), the blocks (B) of data are processed in the respective data processors (P). A subsequent configuring step (CS) is carried out only when each data processor (P) has processed its block (B) of data (∀P: B=PROC>CS). Such a data processing arrangement allows great versatility because different data processing chains can be realized without this requiring relatively complicated software.

Abstract: The invention relates to a receiving apparatus comprising a receiver for receiving signals, e.g. radio or television signals, which comprises means for collecting particular information incorporated in at least a part of the signals, e.g. in order to build a compound electronic program guide. The apparatus according to the invention is adapted to perform the scanning when the receiver is not in use, e.g. during stand-by mode, or when the apparatus is performing a function which does not involve the receiver.

Abstract: A low frequency to high frequency power converter having a power feedback network from a high frequency voltage source to the low frequency input to a DC supply circuit for the high frequency voltage source. The network forms part of a feedback path which has an inductive impedance at one or more frequencies within the operational range of the high frequency source. In a fluorescent lamp ballast embodiment, feedback is from a load connection point through a path having at least an inductor and a capacitor in series. A low pass filter input to the DC supply circuit may have a shunt capacitor across the rectifier input. The feedback network may include a capacitor in series with the parallel combination of an inductor and a capacitor. In another embodiment the feedback inductor is a tapped inductor connected to the rectifier input, its two inductor portions having mutually exclusive periods of zero current flow.

Abstract: In a digital-to-analog (DAC) driver circuit for a color electro-optic display device employing a global ramp generator, color artifacts caused by the residual state of the electro-optic material of the pixels from previously addressed data signals are substantially reduced or eliminated by providing a resetting pulse from the ramp generator to selected pixels prior to addressing with the next set of data signals.

Abstract: A device for automatically providing program information to a television display upon detection of an event in the program. The event being a user definable event. The device also provides automatic PIP display of the program having the event and a delay of the event so that it is not missed by the viewer.

Abstract: The invention relates, in encoding/decoding systems, to an improved method of switching from a first coded video sequence to a second one. In order to avoid underflow or overflow of the decoder buffer, a transcoding of the input streams IS1 and IS2 is used to shift the temporal position of the switching point and to obtain at the output of the provided transcoders (11, 12) streams TS1 and TS2 containing an identical entry point and the same decoder buffer characteristics.

Abstract: A method is described of encoding pixel color values for a digital video image frame in which each different color within the image is assigned a color value. A predominant color is identified for the image frame and, in a first embodiment (FIG. 5), each pixel having a color other than the predominant color is separately coded as its respective color value (0010 to 1111), with runs of three or more successive pixels of the predominant color being run-length encoded. A further code (0000 0011 cccc), similar in arrangement to that indicating a run, is provided to allow a change in the specified predominant color during the course of a frame. In a further embodiment, runs of all colors are run-length encoded but with a shorter coding scheme for runs of the predominant color or, in a still further embodiment, a small range of predominant colors. A principle use for these coding schemes is to improve efficiency of coding for certain classes of image material.

Abstract: A method and device for reducing moiré by preventing the production of the second harmonic of the video signal Nyquist frequency. A nonlinear function is applied to one of a) a digital video signal having a nonlinearity between an electrical video signal and luminance, and b) an analog video signal to create an output signal having a linearity between the electrical signal and luminance. The output signal is displayed on a display having a linearity between the electrical signal and luminance.

Abstract: A thin film shielded magnetic read head device comprises an end face extending in a first direction, in which a magnetic information carrier is movable with respect to the magnetic head device, and in a second direction, perpendicular to said first direction. The magnetic head device further comprises shield forming flux guiding elements for magnetic cooperation with the information carrier, which elements extend in the second direction and in a third direction, perpendicular to the first and the second direction. A number of magnetoresistive elements each having a spin tunnel junction structure is provided, which number of magnetoresistive elements corresponds to with the number of magnetic channels of the magnetic head device. One of said shields forms a common contact lead for the current through said magnetoresistive elements. Thin film magnetic read head device is applied in a system for reading information from a magnetic information carrier.

Abstract: A signal processing device which selects a signal, using for example, a channel selector in a television receiver or a source selection circuit in an amplifier, and compensates automatically for differences in signal parameters, such as volume of sound or picture brightness, between the signal sources. Corrections which are applied to the relevant parameter within a given time interval after source selection are divided within the time interval between a global value and a local value (for example an offset) for the relevant signal source.

Abstract: A controller for controlling the operation of a variable length decoder, which includes a coding protocol determination circuit for determining a coding protocol used in coding a digital data stream currently being decoded by the variable length decoder, and a configuration control circuit for automatically reconfiguring the variable length decoder into a selected one of a plurality of different possible decoding configurations, depending upon the determined coding protocol. Also disclosed is a controller for controlling the operation of a variable length decoder, which includes a code type determination circuit which determines a code type of a current code word currently being decoded by the variable length decoder, and a mode switching circuit which switches a mode of operation of the controller between a parallel decoding mode of operation and a tree-searching mode of operation, depending upon the determined code type of the current code word.