Abstract: A method and apparatus for adapting and enhancing the behavior of an MPEG-like encoder to the presence and/or absence of 3:2 pull-down processed video information within a video information stream to be encoded. Specifically, a rate controller within an MPEG-like encoder, in response to a detection of 3:2 pull-down processing of material to be encoded, such as mixed mode video material, dynamically allocates a group of pictures (GOP) bit budget.

Abstract: A media access control protocol methodology suitable for facilitating client-server interaction in an asymmetric information distribution system, especially an asymmetric information distribution system offering multiple information services.

Abstract: Large value embedded inductors are made by screen printing an inductor coil onto one or more ferrite tapes, and covering the ferrite tapes with one or more ferrite tape layer or layers. Low firing temperature green tapes surround the ferrite layer or layers. These green tapes can be expansion matched to gallium arsenide.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method is disclosed for encoding wavelet trees in a wavelet-based coding technique, which addresses both balanced and unbalanced wavelet trees and increases the overall coding efficiency.

Abstract: An automatic gain control (AGC) system that monitors the distortion of the outer constellation points of a complex modulation format such as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and adjusts both the RF and IF AGC gain to minimize such distortion. In particular, the receiver contains at least two stages of AGC gain. Typically, the RF AGC amplifier is contained in the tuner that is followed by an IF AGC amplifier. The IF amplifier is coupled to a mixer and an associated low pass filter which, in combination and when driven by a particular frequency, produces a baseband (or near baseband) signal, The baseband signal is digitized and processed by a gain control circuit. The gain control circuit produces IF and RF AGC signals that control the gain of the respective AGC stages.

Abstract: A print array that incorporates reservoir(s), microchannels and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumps for selectively dispensing fluid (ink) from the reservoir(s) onto the surface of a receptor.

Abstract: An array antenna includes a first ceramic layer and a second ceramic layer. A metal layer is disposed between the first and second ceramic layers. A plurality of radiating elements are mounted on the first ceramic layer, and a plurality of control circuits are mounted on the second ceramic layer. The control circuits are coupled to the radiating elements through a plurality of conductive vias which feed through the metal layer. The array antenna may also include a switch having a plurality of poles formed in the second ceramic layer and coupled to one of the radiating elements through one or more conductive vias. A plurality of phase delay elements may be coupled at a first end to a signal source and coupled at a second end to the respective plurality of poles of the switch to provide phase-delayed signals. A waveguide may also be formed within the ceramic layers. Conductive vias or coaxial transmission lines may be used to connect elements within the array antenna.

Abstract: Digital signal processing circuitry implemented in ASICs or FPGAs is built by combining multi-component constructs (e.g. macrocells). These circuits may be modified to include a timing channel by augmenting selected ones of the constructs to include a path which propagates a timing signal with a delay that compensates for the signal processing delay through the construct. The selected constructs are those that are used in a critical processing path in the digital signal processing circuitry. A timing compensation circuit may also be defined as a construct. This block receives two digital data signals having accompanying timing signals and delays the first signal that provides valid data until the second signal also provides valid data, as determined by their timing signals. A configurable arithmetic and logic unit (ALU) made using these techniques includes a timing compensation circuit, a look-up table and an accumulator.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method for encoding image sequences and, more particularly, to a method for reducing the computational complexity in determining motion vectors for block-based motion estimation and for enhancing the accuracy of motion estimates through the use of non-linear pyramids.

Abstract: An apparatus and method that applies an affine transformation to achieve steroscopic coding of video.

Abstract: A plasma display having a transparent front panel spaced from a back panel which is a metal core having layers of a dielectric material extending over and bonded to the core. Conductive electrodes are on the surface of or imbedded in the dielectric layer of the back panel. The materials of which the back panel is made are chosen to form a back panel having a thermal coefficient of expansion compatible with that of the front panel. The dielectric material is made from a green ceramic tape which is bonded to the core and cofired with the core to form the back panel. Barrier ribs are formed on the back panel by embossing or scribing the green tape before cofiring the bonded assembly. Slight differences in the TCEs of the front and back panels may be compensated for by heating the panel having the lower TCE to a temperature hotter than the panel having the lower TCE during the frit seal process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing an image by adding a border to the image, where said border has a width that is proportional to the extent of a filter used during image processing. Specifically, the processing reduces an image to produce an image pyramid and expands an image pyramid to produce an image. At each pass through the reduction or expansion process, the border is added to the image being processed, where the border has a width that is at least as large as an extent of a filter used in the reduction or expansion process.

Abstract: A plasma display device having a composite back panel including a metal substrate having a predetermined thermal coefficient of expansion (TCE) and a ceramic barrier rib structure which are co-fired at a pre-determined temperature, the ceramic barrier rib structure is composed from a first glass material having a TCE which is less than the TCE of the metal substrate, the first glass formulated to flow-back at the co-firing temperature; and a second glass material having a TCE which is greater than the TCE of the metal substrate, wherein the first and the second glass materials are mixed in a proportion to produce a composite ceramic material having a TCE which is substantially equal to the TCE of the metal substrate. The plasma display device having the ceramic barrier rib structure composed of the first and second glasses provides control of the TCE to minimize stresses in the final produce and assure panel flatness.

Abstract: The algorithm assumes a constant bit rate over a timing window of specified duration (e.g., a specified number of consecutive frames), where the current frame to be encoded lies in the interior of the timing window. A target bit rate for the current frame is initially selected by calculating the number of bits already used to encode other frames within the window and then assuming that the remaining available bits allocated to the timing window will be evenly distributed to the remaining unencoded frames in the timing window. The target bit rate may then be optionally adjusted based on scene content, encoder state, and buffer considerations. Through a combination of target bit allocation and frame skipping, spatial and temporal resolutions are maintained within acceptable ranges while meeting buffer delay constraints. The algorithm has also been extended to include PB frames in addition to P-only coders.

Abstract: A method and concomitant apparatus for incorporating one or more relatively low bitrate information streams (e.g., MPEG) into a relatively high bitrate information stream (e.g., SDTI) in a manner aligning low bitrate sub-stream splice entrance points and splice exit points within the frame boundaries of the high bitrate information stream. In this manner the splicing of the relatively high bitrate information stream at appropriate In Frames and Out Frames will provide relatively seamless splicing of information sub-streams.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for forming an infrared imager suitable for night vision surveillance systems. The infrared imager includes an array of field emissive devices formed within a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer. The field emissive devices each include silicon emitters formed within the silicon substrate and a micro-cantilever including a conductive gate plate suspended above the emitters. The micro-cantilever is formed of a bi-material and bends in response to absorbed infrared radiation, locally changing an electric field applied to the structure, and therefore, the emission current of the emitters. Electrons emitted from the emitters form a visible image on a phosphor plate.

Abstract: After performing integer-pel motion estimation to select the best integer-pel location, half-pel (or other fractional-pel) motion estimation is performed by estimating the distortion values for all of the surrounding half-pel locations by linearly interpolating using the distortion value for the best integer-pel location and the distortion values available from the integer-pel motion estimation analysis corresponding to the surrounding integer-pel locations. A subset of those half-pel locations is then selected as candidate half-pel locations (e.g., based on lowest estimated distortion values) and true distortion values are then generated for those candidate locations. The best half-pel location is then selected based on the distortion values for the candidate half-pel locations and the best integer-pel location. This best half-pel location may then be used to perform the motion-compensated inter-frame differencing step of a video coding scheme.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for splicing a first compressed digital information stream into a second compressed digital information stream. The first information stream includes at least one entrance indicium identifying an appropriate stream entrance point, the second information stream includes at least one exit indicium identifying an appropriate stream exit point. A controller monitors the two streams until the appropriate points are found and, in response to a control signal, splices the first stream into the second stream.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for concealing errors in a hierarchical subband coding/decoding system. Specifically, error concealment of a corrupted or missing coefficient is achieved by using uncorrupted coefficient(s) or a window of coefficients corresponding to the same spatial location from other subbands.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating a plurality of encoded bitstreams that represent selected waveforms in different ways such that when an audio decoder decodes the bitstream, an audible tone or lack thereof, will signify the failure of the audio decoder. The method employs a waveform having a set of baseline parameters but encodes the waveform in different ways by varying the parameter under test. The method monitors the audio decoder's ability to properly decode these alternating waveforms, by listening for an audible tone change or lack thereof. Since the behavior of the selected waveform is predictable, the method provides a set of simple and effective tests for evaluating black box audio decoders which may have no accessible internal nodes.