Abstract: A receiver arranged to receive and store broadcast data transported by elementary stream of a multiplexed and modulated digital television signal in a rewritable memory during a low power consumption mode for later recall by a user of the receiver. For recall, the receiver is fully energized, and the receiver is further arranged to transfer the broadcast data stored in the rewritable memory to a receiver storage device for further processing of the data under control of the user.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for automatically generating a set partition adjustment renormalization rate (SPARR) threshold used to determine correct or incorrect set partition synchronization in a trellis decoder as a function of a renormalization rate are described. The invention makes use of the inventor's observation that when the system is properly synchronized, the rate of growth of cumulative error sums closely corresponds to an accumulation of minimum set partition errors. In accordance with the present invention a dummy accumulator is set up to accumulate the minimum set partition error for each symbol. If decoder set partition selection is correct the renormalization rate for the dummy accumulator will be approximately the same as an accumulator set up for the normal operation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing a reduced cost HDTV/SDTV video decoder are disclosed. The described joint video decoder is capable of decoding HDTV pictures at approximately the resolution of standard definition television pictures and can be used to decode HDTV and/or SDTV pictures. The described video decoder may be used as part of a picture-in-picture decoder circuit for providing picture-in-picture capability without providing multiple full resolution video decoders. The reduction in decoder circuit complexity is achieved through the use of a plurality of data reduction techniques including the use of a preparser, downsampling, and truncating pixel values.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing the total amount of memory required to implement a video decoder and to perform a scan conversion operation on decoded video are described. In accordance with the present invention this is accomplished by having an interlaced to progressive (I-P) conversion circuit utilize the same frame memory used to decode the images upon which a conversion operation is performed. In this manner, the images, e.g., frames, which are buffered in the decoder are utilized by both the decoder and I-P conversion circuit thereby eliminating the need for the I-P conversion circuit to be supported with an independent frame memory. Data included in a decoder's frame memories is used to detect moving image areas for purposes of the I-P conversion process. In a specific exemplary embodiment, one of three frames, which is nearest to a present frame, is referred for calculating frame difference signals. Both subsequent and preceding frames are used to detect motion for I-P conversion purposes.

Abstract: A sample stream having a fixed sampling rate, representing a filtered version of an input symbol stream is produced by a pulse shaping and resampling device of the present invention. The pulse shaping/resampling device can be used as part of a digital modulator. In order to accommodate a wide range of (“variable”) input baud rates, as part of the pulse shaping/resampling device, a filter having an integral upsampling ratio is used, followed by a resampler circuit having a finely adjustable resampling ratio. The resampler provides an average output rate equal to the desired fixed sampling rate. In various embodiments it is followed by a buffer, which smoothes the output to provide a uniform output rate equal to the desired fixed sampling rate. The pulse shaping/resampling circuit of the present invention may be used in place of a known pulse shaping circuit in a modulator to produce a modulator capable of supporting a wide range of input signal rates.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for increasing the utility and interoperability of peripheral devices such as, voice mail devices and voice dialing platforms, used in communications systems are described. Methods of efficiently providing speech recognition functionality to multiple subscribes through the use of centralized speech recognition circuits are also described. One feature of the invention is directed to dynamically enabling/disabling an automatic connection feature whereby a central office switch connects a subscriber to an intelligent peripheral device in response to an off-hook condition. In one embodiment the C.O. switch's automatic peripheral device connection feature is only enabled when a voice mail IP has a waiting message thereby reducing or eliminating unnecessary connections to the voice mail IP. In order to support automatic connection to multiple IPs in response to an off-hook condition, in one embodiment a caller is connected to a control IP in response to an off-hook condition.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing speech recognition capability to callers in a cost efficient manner as part of one or more telephone services are described. Multiple speech recognition units with differing capabilities and therefore implementation costs are provided. Calls are assigned to speech recognition circuits throughout a call based on a signal such as a service type identifier indicating the type of service to be provided to the caller. During different phases of a call different speech recognition units may be used. In addition, different amounts of speech recognition processing capability may be allocated to service a call at different points during a call. In this manner efficient use of available speech recognition resources can be achieved.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing data representing multiple image sequences, e.g., TV programs, and displaying multiple images from different video sequences in different windows of a single display screen are disclosed. The amount of system resources required to process and display the image data are a function of the size of the windows in which the images are displayed. In accordance with the present invention demand for system resources is assessed and compared to the amount of available system resources. If the demand for system resources will exceed the available system resources, the size of one or more of the windows used to display secondary images, e.g., the small PIP windows, is reduced to reduce the burden, e.g., processing or bus bandwidth burden, on one or more system resources. In one embodiment, the system suggests a set of window sizes to the user which will allow for the decoding and display of programs without exceeding the available system resources.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for efficiently implementing weighted median filters are described. In a first hardware embodiment, the median filter is implemented using a number of storage locations which is equal to or greater than the sum of the weight values used to implement the filtering operation. In other embodiments, the number of storage locations required to store data values is reduced to equal or approximately equal the number of data values, used in the filtering operation. In such embodiments, the data values are sorted according to size and a filter weight is associated with each data value, e.g., as part of a data record created for each one of the data values. The data value to output, as the result of the filtering operation, is determined from the stored weight values.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing a telephone communication system incorporating pager features are described. In accordance with the present invention, when a call to a system subscriber is received, the subscriber is contacted by the telephone switch which receives the call via the use of a pager message, e.g., using a conventional pager system. If the subscriber has a pager module of the present invention, which receives the pager message directed to the subscriber inserted into an enhanced telephone of the present invention, the pager module will automatically initiate a call to the switch where the waiting call is being held or “parked”. The automatically placed call will result in a connection between the switch and called party being established over conventional telephone lines. The connection with the switch is thus established automatically in a manner that is transparent to the subscriber.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for implementing single instruction multiple data (SIMD) signal processing operations are described. The apparatus of the present invention include new registers and register arrays which allow data to be accessed at a word as well as sub-word or sub-register level. The registers and register arrays of the present invention may be used when implementing a system based on a SIMD architecture. Registers implemented in accordance with the present invention include a plurality of pass gates that allow an entire n-bit word stored in the register to be accessed and output as a single word or for a sub-word portion of a stored word to be accessed and output. During standard operation the registers are accessed on a word basis. However, during column access operations, e.g., when performing a transpose operation, access is performed on a sub-word basis.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for converting digital signals having a variable data rate to fixed data rate signals suitable for recording on a tape by a digital video tape recorder are disclosed. The methods include buffering of the received variable rate data, measuring the data rate of the received data for a fixed period of time and processing the buffered data to converted it into a fixed rate data stream. This processes is repeated for each of the fixed periods of time. Methods for increasing the recording time of a digital video tape recorder ("VTR") and for supporting multiple normal play modes of digital VTR operation, e.g., recording modes for recording SDTV and HDTV are also disclosed. To generate fixed data rate signals from variable data rate signals one or more of data padding and/or data reduction techniques are used.

Abstract: Improved automated synthesis of human audible speech from text is disclosed. Performance enhancement of the underlying text comprehensibility is obtained through prosodic treatment of the synthesized material, improved speaking rate treatment, and improved methods of spelling words or terms for the sysstem user. Prosodic shaping of text sequences appropriate for the discourse in large groupings of text segments, with prosodic boundaries developed to indicate conceptual units within the text groupings, is implemented in a preferred embodiment.

Abstract: A digital video tape recorder ("VTR") that selects data useful for generating images during trick playback operation and records the data in trick play tape segments arranged on a tape to form fast scan tracks and multi-speed playback tracks. Each fast scan track comprises trick play tape segments located on a diagonal, relative to the length of the tape, of the same angle as the angle at which the heads of a VTR are expected to pass over the tape during trick play operation at a specific speed and direction of operation. Each multi-speed playback track comprises a plurality of trick play tape segments arranged parallel to the length of the tape. Data which is used for at least one mode of trick play operation is recorded in each trick play tape segment. Each fast scan track and multi-speed track crosses multiple normal play tracks.

Abstract: Methods of operating a digital video recording and playback device, such as a video tape recorder, to arrange trick play data into one or more groups, to generate error correction bits for each group of trick play data, e.g., a group of trick play data blocks, and to correct the data after being read back using the error correction bits is disclosed. The trick play data blocks are made to be smaller than normal play data blocks with multiple trick play data blocks being equal in size to a single normal play data block. By making a group of trick play data blocks equal in size to a single normal play data block, the group of trick play data blocks may be processed as a unit by the same error correction circuitry and in the same manner used to process individual normal play data blocks. In accordance with one embodiment, the error correction bits for a group of trick play data blocks are calculated treating the data in the group of trick play data blocks as a single unit.