Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automate cassette changing device adapted to be used in combination with a recording and reproducing apparatus, which comprises a main body having a rectangular-shaped open space suitable for receiving one or more stacked cassettes, a cassette entering inlet provided at a rear wall of the body for supplying the cassette to the apparatus therethrough, and a cassette discharging outlet formed at a side wall of the body for discharging cassettes ejected from the apparatus, projecting pieces provided at a front wall of the body for supporting the stacked cassettes, a pair of cassette feeding mechanisms mounted on the side walls of the body in an opposite relationship with each other for dropping the cassettes in sequence on the bottom surface of the body, and a cassette pusher associated with one of the cassette feeding mechanisms for pushing the lowermost one of the stacked cassettes and separating it from the stacked cassettes.

Abstract: There is provided an improved apparatus and method which include precisely adjustable digital circuitries employing psychoacoustic modeling so that the results obtained have a best consistency with actual human auditory perception. The apparatus comprises a first estimator for estimating a power density spectrum of an input digital audio signal to the audio system; a detector for determining a masking threshold depending on the power density spectrum of the input digital audio signal as an audible limit reflecting human auditory faculty; a second estimator for estimating a power density spectrum of an error signal representative of the difference between the input digital audio signal and its output digital audio signal from the audio system; and a third estimator for estimating the power density spectrum of the error signal which exceed the masking threshold and for calculating a perceptual spectrum distance(PSD) representative of the audio distortion.

Abstract: A supply reel brake mechanism for a VCR which carries out the supply reel braking operation through the use of a groove formed in a loading cam and a tension spring. In accordance with the invention, there is provided the brake mechanism wherein the movement of a brake is hindered by the recovering force of the spring and a second guide pin and a hinge having a spaced relationship with each other during a loading or unloading mode of the VCR, and the brake is operated by a position of a leg of the brake depending upon the rotation of the loading cam and the recovering force of the spring during the operating modes of the VCR.

Abstract: A variable length code (VLC) decoding apparatus disclosed herein has an interface circuit 10 wherein an input bit stream is fed. The interface circuit 10 includes a plurality of window registers for directly extracting the decoding objective bit stream from the input bit stream. Each of the window registers has 2.sup.n -bit storage locations for storing an bit stream shifted by 1 bit from that of its adjacent window registers. Therefore, the VLC decoding apparatus advantageously achieves a high speed for decoding operation through the use of a plurality of window registers for directly extracting a next undecoded sequence of an input bit stream.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a turntable brake for a disc player capable of preventing a turntable from rotating when a disc is improperly loaded on the turntable. In accordance with the invention, the turntable brake which employs first and second magnets is provided. When the disc is correctly loaded on the turntable, two magnets are directly contacted with each other, thereby permitting the rotation of the turntable. When the disc is improperly loaded on the turntable, two magnets are separated from each other, thereby preventing the turntable from rotating.

Abstract: The bass and the treble bands of audio signals are controlled by the respective bass and treble control voltages which have appropriate DC voltage levels. A plurality of voltage compensators is used to preprocess the bass and treble control voltages to be applied to a tone controller wherein the respective bass and treble bands of a given audio signal are adjusted in proportion to the bass and treble control voltages. Each of the voltage compensators selectively increases or decreases the bass and/or treble control voltages to enhance or attenuate the bass and/or treble band of the given audio signal when activated by a switching controller.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method and system for providing high definition television receivers with a picture-in-picture (PIP) feature through the use of a reduced number of transform coefficients. The system comprises first decoding unit for decoding a main picture signal, second decoding unit for decoding a picture-in-picture signal by using a reduced number of transform coefficients including a d.c. coefficient, and position control means for providing a composite image composed of the main picture and the picture-in-picture on the screen. Interpolation of pixel data is performed by applying appropriate weight factors on neighboring pixel data based on the spatial relationship between the pixels and the heads generated by reduced motion vectors.

Abstract: A data converter for converting interlaced image data into a non-interlaced format is disclosed. The converter comprises a buffer memory capable of storing upto N such scan lines of the interlaced image data for performing, per input pixel clock pulse, a read and then a write operation, wherein the N represents the number of scan lines per field; a horizontal address generator for, upon receiving each of input pixel clock pulses, generating a horizontal address by sequentially counting the number of pixel clock pulses received after each of input H/SYNC pulses received; and a vertical address generator for generating, upon receiving each of the input H/SYNC pulses, generating one of a series of vertical addresses for outputting the interlaced image data in the non-interlaced format.

Abstract: A known photoelectric sensor is utilized for optically detecting the presence of a tape cassette in a loading commencement position to produce an electrical driving signal. Responsive to the driving signal, an electric loading motor is activated to cause a loading arm to swing from one angular position to another angular position. Rotary movement of the loading motor is translated into a pivotal swinging movement of the loading arm by a unitary linkage lever. The linkage lever carries a light beam interrupter piece which may cut off the light beam projected by the photoelectric sensor to enable the latter to generate the electrical driving signal. The linkage lever also carries an arm locking finger adapted to lock the loading arm in a loading completion position. A reversible speed reduction gadget is employed in operatively coupling the linkage lever to the loading motor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a novel method and system for providing digitized television receivers with a multipicture display capability by zero masking high frequency transform coefficients. The system comprises means for decoding a signal for each of equal-sized subpictures by setting at zero those transform coefficients which lie outside a subblock of transform coefficients including a d.c. transform coefficient formed from a block of transform coefficients. Interpolation of pixel data is performed by applying appropriate weight factors on neighboring pixels based on the spatial relationship between a head of a reduced motion vector and its neighboring pixels.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus which has the capability of cleaning a waste or used filter assembly with a broad spectrum of chemical agents in an automated fashion. The cleaning apparatus comprises a cleaner vessel for accommodating the filter assembly to carry out triethylene glycol cleaning, sodium hydroxide cleaning, nitric acid cleaning and water washing in a predetermined cleaning sequence. First to fourth reservoirs communicate with the cleaner vessel through their corresponding pipelines to feed such chemical detergent liquids as triethylene glycol solution, sodium hydroxide solution, nitric acid solution and pure water into the vessel. The detergent liquids will circulate within the cleaning vessel by means of a stream generator, whereby the filter assembly can be cleaned to a higher degree of detergency.

Abstract: An adaptive echo cancellation apparatus disclosed herein has three channels and a channel selection circuit. The first channel serves to block an outgoing digital signal from flowing to a transceiver. The second channel is used to directly couple the outgoing digital signal to the transceiver. The third channel serves to subtract a predicted echo signal, estimated by using the incoming digital signal, from the outgoing digital signal and to couple an error signal, representative of the difference therebetween, to the transceiver. The adaptive channel selection circuit is used to select one of the channels depending on the presence of the valid outgoing and incoming digital signals in order to effectively reduce the estimation operation. Further, the third channel is provided with a filter wherein the filter coefficients are adaptively updated by using the signs of a predetermined number of samples, thereby achieving a considerable reduction in the computational complexity.

Abstract: A braking device for use in a video cassette recorder capable of braking quickly the reels therein comprises: a pair of brake levers disposed adjacent to the reels, a slide plate for actuating the brake levers, a swing lever hinged at a side of the slide plate for moving the slide plate in the lateral direction, a cam gear for rotating the swing lever clockwise and counterclockwise and having a camming groove engaged with a cam follower pin of the swing lever and defining a series of various mode positions, a driving mechanism for driving the cam gear in the various mode positions, a lock arm disposed between the swing lever and the cam gear for locking the swing lever, and a releasing member coupled to the driving mechanism for unlocking the swing lever.

Abstract: This invention relates to a combined rotary engine with an eccentric rotor and a single vane. The engine comprises at least a set consisting of a compressing portion and a working portion with similar structure combined side by side, and sharing a common output shaft. The gas is sucked into the compressing portion to be compressed, and is then translated to the adjacent working portion to ignite for working. The features of the engine are that power is translated out by the output shaft driven by the vane directly, wear is low, the adjacent compressing portion and working portion may have optimum volume ratio, the utilization of energy is high and oiling and cooling are executed easily.

Abstract: A photoelectric sensor is utilized for optically detecting the presence of a tape cassette in a loading commencement position to produce an electrical driving signal. Responsive to the driving signal, an electric loading motor is activated to cause a loading arm to swing from one angular position to another angular position. Rotary movement of the loading motor is translated into a pivotal swinging movement of the loading arm by a segmented linkage lever. The linkage lever carries a light beam interrupter piece which may cut off the light beam projected by the photoelectric sensor to enable the latter to generate the electrical driving signal. The linkage lever also carries an arm locking finger adapted to lock the loading arm in a loading completion position.

Abstract: Motion vectors are obtained, using a known block matching technique which is based on a block-by-block processing between a current and a preceding frames. Whenever an equivalent value to the minimum absolute value of difference which has the earliest priority is found during the block matching, the closer of the two vectors derived therefrom to a predetermined motion vector is chosen. The closest vector which has survived the process of matching the search block from the current frame against its corresponding search region in the preceding frame is assigned as the motion vector of the given block and stored in a vector memory as a predetermined motion vector to repeat the search process for a subsequent block in the current frame.

Abstract: A method for the continuous recording of irregularly supplied video signals on a selected video tape in a double deck video cassette recorder comprises the steps of: (a) setting a period of time allowing the video cassette recorder to operate in a recording mode during the period of time; (b) selecting any operable one of the two decks to drive a tape loaded therein in response to a trigger signal initiating the recording operation of the selected deck; (c) registering a reference signal to indicate that the selected deck is operable in the recording mode; (d) holding the selected deck in a stand-by state until another trigger signal is generated after the completion of the recording operation during the period of time; (e) referencing the reference signal in order to determine whether the selected deck remains operable to continuously drive the tape loaded therein when said another trigger signal is generated; (f) selecting the remaining operable deck so as to have the recording operation transferred thereto

Abstract: The present invention relates to a view finder for a video camera; and, more particularly, to a detachable view finder usable as a separate and independent unit from the main body of the video camera. The detachable view finder comprises means for detachably fixing the view finder to the main body, means for supporting the detached view finder in front of a user's eyes, and a cable for transmitting a video signal from the main body to the view finder, thereby allowing the operating of a stable posture regardless of a location of an object of shooting.

Abstract: A novel multi-way valve is provided comprising an upper casing and a lower casing combined with the upper casing to form a fluid chamber therebetween, the lower casing having at least three outlet ports arranged in a predetermined angular spacing. A lower valve body is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the lower casing. The lower valve body has at least three passage holes coinciding with the corresponding outlet ports of the lower casing. An upper valve body comes into a fluid-tight, frictional contact with the lower valve body for rotational movement with respect thereto, the upper valve body having an arcuate slot which is selectively aligned with one or more of the passage holes of the lower valve body.