Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for illumination of a screen, notably a liquid-crystal screen. It includes a light integrator that receives a light beam from a source and outputs an illuminating beam for the screen. The light integrator makes use of lenses, but has no lenses in the parts of the beam where the energy flux is weak, which enables more uniform illumination of the screen. To improve the contrast of the illumination of the liquid-crystal screen, the whole illuminating beam is directed onto the screen at an angle to the optical axis of the system. The invention is applicable to liquid-crystal screens.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reformatting auxiliary information such as closed caption text that is extracted from a television signal. The apparatus reformats the text by removing redundant spaces, reorganizing the text to fit into an arbitrary sized closed caption window, converting any closed caption display mode (e.g., pop on, paint on or roll up) into a modified roll on display, and inserting speaker identifier prompts into the caption.

Abstract: The invention relates to a conditional access system making it possible for a service provider to supply his services solely to users having acquired entitlements to these services.The services supplied by a service provider consist of an item scrambled by control words. To keep these control words secret, they are supplied in messages (MEC) after having been encrypted with an encryption algorithm with key K.According to the invention, one and the same message (MEC) contains the same control word (Cwi) encrypted several times, each encryption (E(Cwi)Kj) of the control word depending on a different encryption key (Kj).The invention applies to any type of conditional access system, be this system either of "off-line" or "on-line" type.

Abstract: A current supply circuit for an electronic apparatus having standby, normal and economy modes of operation includes a remote control receiver which responds to a remote control signal from a remote control unit to select either mode of operation. A voltage source provides a main voltage which is detected to produce a switching voltage when the main voltage is present. The switching element of a voltage responsive switch is connected to a first input contact in the presence of the switching voltage and to a second input contact in the absence of the switching voltage. The output contact of the voltage responsive switch is connected to an input terminal of the remote control receiver and to a first input terminal of the filter.

Abstract: Tracking error signal in an optical read/write device, such as a CD ROM, are fine tuned for deviations in the positions of the lens structure normal to the recorded medium to provide more precise tracking control. Track error signal is developed by means of DPD-TE circuitry, using for example, signals from a four quadrant photodetector. Selected pairs of the signals from the photodetector are summed and the sums are differenced to develop an intermediate signal. The intermediate signal is amplified with a gain proportional the reciprocal of the intensity of light received by the photodetector, and thereafter combined with the track error signal to provide a corrected track error signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and concomitant method for constructing a valid OSD message bitstream from a plurality of stored character bitstreams. Each character of the OSD font set is initially scaled into a fixed block size, e.g., a block size of 16.times.16 pixels. Each character is then encoded into a "character bitstream" using the intra macroblock coding syntax. The character bitstream is stored within a storage medium. When a frame of OSD messages needs to be encoded, the character bitstreams are read from the storage medium and cascaded to form a valid OSD message bitstream which represents the frame of OSD messages.

Abstract: The coding or decoding of video data with the associated audio and/or other data can be performed, for example, on the basis of the standards ISO/IEC 11172 (MPEG1) or ISO/IEC 13818 (MPEG2). Such coding and decoding can include the conversion of a primary bit stream coded on the basis of such standards into a secondary bit stream with a different data rate. Since the information content of the motion vectors from the primary bit stream retain their validity in the secondary bit stream, it is not necessary to recalculate motion vectors for transcoding. Instead, encoding of the secondary bit stream is performed with the aid of the motion vectors from the primary bit stream which are reused. In such a case, the encoding of the secondary bit stream is carried out in a restricted prediction mode, i.e. only those prediction modes which are described by respective block type or the motion information of the primary bit stream are allowed in the secondary bit stream.

Abstract: A data transmission bus system is disclosed which includes a plurality of nodes coupled together by a ring bus. The ring bus transmits data in successive bus cycles, each bus cycle containing a plurality of bus words. One of the bus words in the bus cycle is a bus cycle synchronization word and the remainder of which are data words. The plurality of data words are allocated to a plurality of data channels.

Abstract: A modem is included in a television receiver for transferring data, such as "pay per view" billing information, to a modem in a billing station during periodic callback operations. The television receiver modem monitors the telephone line for predetermined conditions, such as the presence of high frequency energy or a drop in the telephone line loop current, indicative of telephone use. The television receiver modem will ordinarily inhibit or terminate a callback in order to avoid interfering with normal telephone calls when the predetermined conditions are detected. However, the detection of the predetermined conditions may be caused by telephone network problems and not by normal telephone usage. Accordingly, the modem is controlled to ignore the detection of the conditions after a predetermined number of unsuccessful callbacks due to the detection of the conditions until a successful callback is achieved.

Abstract: A method for digitally transmitting/recording component-coded color television signals includes the step of, upon transition from a first picture aspect ratio to a second picture aspect ratio obtaining at least part of an additionally required transmitting/recording capacity for coding an additionally formed area of pictures with the second picture aspect ratio by vertical sub scanning of one or more chrominance components.

Abstract: A broadband antenna of small size employs closely spaced elongated conductive elements forming a loop, the conductive loop having a pair of feeding points located on the mid point of the loop in length, and the conductive loop forming a bow-tie structure for providing reception over the entire VHF and UHF bands of frequencies. The loop is formed out of part of a conductive material of a dish-shaped microwave reflector.

Abstract: Television apparatus includes first and second auxiliary data decoders for simultaneously extracting auxiliary data from respective first and second television signals to produce first and second auxiliary data. The data decoders can selectably extract data from one or more auxiliary data intervals, e.g., one or more line intervals during vertical blanking within a television signal. The first and second auxiliary data is coupled to a controller such as the main microprocessor of the television system. The second auxiliary data is coupled to the controller via an auxiliary data buffer and an I.sup.2 C serial data bus. The television signal from which the second auxiliary data is extracted can be provided by a second television signal source such as a second tuner or an external signal source (e.g., video cassette recorder, video disk player, and the like).

Abstract: A speech based man-machine communication system is given, comprising more than one controllable device provided with speech synthesis function. Each of the devices in question is provided with its own unique voice pattern. The devices are connected via a bus, so that a central authority handles all the requests from the user. Because the user uses his natural language, commands can be ambiguous. Therefore an algorithm for handling ambiguous situations is provided.

Abstract: A VCR includes apparatus for controlling a cable converter unit. In a preferred embodiment, infrared (IR) transmission of commands from the VCR to the cable converter unit is employed. An LED assembly holds the LEDs in a predetermined orientation and provides first and second IR ports through which different amounts of IR signals are transmitted.

Abstract: Apparatus for combining an auxiliary image and a main image includes a source of a main image signal and a source of samples representing an auxiliary image signal. A subsampler selectively subsamples the auxiliary image samples in either a quincunx subsampling pattern or a rectangular subsampling pattern. A signal combiner combines the main image signal and a signal representing the subsampled auxiliary image samples to generate a combined image signal. A control circuit generates a freeze control signal for the subsampler which conditions it to take samples in the rectangular subsampling pattern during a freeze frame operation, and in the quincunx sampling pattern otherwise.

Abstract: Recording or playback devices for optical recording carriers have a servo control circuit which controls the tracking and the focus of an optical scanning unit 1 with reference to an error signal. According to the invention, the error signal is non-linearly amplified upstream of the servo controller, in order to process strong external mechanical effects, normally referred to as shocks, in such a way that the tracking and the focus are retained or adjusted. If there is a defect, such as a scratch on the disc etc., a defect detector and a linear amplifier connected in parallel with the non-linear amplifier are additionally used, the linearly amplified or non-linearly amplified error signal being fed to the servo controller as a function of the output signal of the defect detector. The sign of the error signal, which includes direction information, is retained in the case of the non-linearly amplified error signal.

Abstract: A data transfer system is disclosed which includes a plurality of nodes coupled together by a ring bus transmitting at least a bit of a control channel in each of successive bus cycles. Nodes compete for access to the control channel according to the following method. First, an encoded preamble is generated, having a number of successive states, each state being one of a superior and an inferior state. Second, the control channel bit in a bus cycle is set to a superior state, representing a first state of the encoded preamble. Then, for each of succeeding bus cycles a control channel bit is received. If the preceding control channel bit was set to an inferior state, and the state of the received control channel bit is a superior state, then the node drops out of contention for the control channel and for the remainder of the arbitration cycle sets the control channel bit to the state of the received control channel bit.

Abstract: In a television receiver, a higher beam current is enabled and a brighter image is provided, without adversely effecting the life of the cathode ray tube or endangering the high-tension transformer. The high-tension transformer includes a temperature sensor which acts with a control circuit for reducing the beam current when the temperature of the transformer rises above a specific temperature.

Abstract: A telecommunications device having a remote controller, which device contains a circuit arrangement for automatic identification of additional information in a program channel by means of which circuit arrangement a transmission of the program channel is classified into a first type for a desired transmission and into a second type for additional information. An additional button on the remote controller gives a user of the remote controller the capability to correct an incorrect classification of the transmission by means of the circuit arrangement. The circuit arrangement can be equipped with automatic-learning logic which, when a button is operated, revises previous decisions relating to the classification and redefines its criteria for the correct changeover time.