Abstract: The null transitions of an audio frequency signal are converted by Schmitt trigger circuits, one of which has a small hysteresis range centered on the null value and the other of which has a much larger hysteresis range likewise centered on the null value, into two binary pulse sequences of variable pulse lengths. The Schmitt trigger circuits are so constituted that a positive pulse length is produced by a negative null transition of the audio signal and vice versa and, moreover, the Schmitt trigger circuits return to their quiescent state 2 milliseconds after a positive null transition of the signal, also producing a positive pulse length, in this case beginning the indication of the pause.

Abstract: Speech versus music is decided by comparing the presence of pauses greater than 32, 60 and 500 ms in the lower input spectrum, and 4 ms in the higher input spectrum.

Abstract: To monitor the operability of a radio receiver which has special recognition circuitry to recognize warning or emergency announcements, a modulation detector (11) is provided, sensing the change in degree of modulation of a region recognition (RR) signal, which changes its degree of modulation when an announcement recognition (AR) signal is radiated, the degree-of-modulation signal being stored in a memory (flip-flop 12), the output of which controls a transfer switch (6). The transfer switch transfers output from a muting stage (5) in the receiver, which is disabled upon detection of the AR frequency to a tone generator, for application to the amplifier of a warning tone if no change in the degree of modulation of the RR signal has been detected within a predetermined time period, as determined by a timing stage (15). A suitable timing interval is, for example, 24 hours. If such timing signals are received, the tone generator is not enabled, however.

Abstract: A mini cassette apparatus operates with an interchangeable cassette magazine on which a number of interchangeable minicassettes or microcassettes can be installed, similarly arranged on the intermittently rotatable plate with respect to the center of rotation. As the disk plate is intermittently rotated from the exterior from one position to another, the successive cassettes are moved into operating position with respect to the tape drive of the apparatus.

Abstract: To permit mass-production of coders selectively usable in various types of transmitter installations, and regardless of whether designed for stereophonic or monophonic transmission, in which a subcarrier of non-audible frequency (57 kHz) is radiated, amplitude modulated by separate recognition signals characterizing intelligence information (AR, or announcement recognition) and a specific transmitter (region or radio station recognition, RR), a memory element (36) such as a PROM is provided, connected to a selector switch, the memory element having stored therein data representative of(1) frequency of amplitude modulation of the subcarrier of the announcement recognition (AR) signal;(2) frequency of amplitude modulation of the radio station recognition (RR) signal;(3) degree of modulation by the (AR) signal;(4) degree of modulation by the (RR) signal, and,preferably, data to provide a visual indication of a respective frequency channel and modulation degree, the memory element (36) being programmed for select

Abstract: To prevent loss of information during an announcement in a traffic or announcement recognition system in which, during radiation of an announcement, a subcarrier is modulated to a lesser degree by a radio station or region recognition frequency (RR) but to a higher degree by an announcement recognition (AR frequency) during an announcement only, and a logic circuit is included in the announcement decoder which recognizes(1) presence of an RR signal to tune the receiver to the station radiated, and(2) presence of an AR signal, the presence of the AR signal being sensed and utilized to inhibit re-tuning of the receiver even though the previously detected RR signal may no longer be detected by the receiver.

Abstract: To permit simultaneous transmission of command codes, in binary command words, with traffic or other announcements, being broadcast over an FM transmitter which has a 57 kHz subcarrier AM modulated by an announcement recognition (AR) signal, for example 125 Hz, use is made of the long response time of AR switching elements to provide, before the AR switching element (13) can respond, decoding of a command word at a clock rate which is fast with respect to the response time of the long switching time constant switching element (13).

Abstract: The location coordinates, as well as the transmitting station frequencies, of stations that broadcast the same programs by network arrangements or otherwise, are stored so that when a particular program (network) is selected, all these stations broadcasting the same program as a station being listened to which are not more than a prescribed maximum distance from the station being listened to, may be listed in a table in a working store. While a particular station is being listened to, therefore, continuous checking of the station being listened to with other stations broadcasting the same program for relative reception quality can be carried out automatically while a station is being listened to in a moving vehicle, without taking into account the signals broadcast by stations that are too far away.

Abstract: In order to provide a 4-cassette magazine that does not require removal from the recorder-player in order to replace one or more cassettes, the magazine is composed of a turnstile rack providing compartments fitting the cassettes and open to the periphery, seated in a shallow pan having a rim that closes off the periphery of the turnstile except for one gate opening through which a cassette may be ejected or inserted when a compartment containing it is in registry with the gate opening. The stationary pan is part of a deck on which is mounted a rim drive for the turnstile which is combined with an indexing device and arranged to controllably propel a cassette into or out of a compartment when the turnstile is stopped. The pan has an aperture for a cassette lowering and raising device onto which a cassette is slid by the turnstile to bring it into operating position. Another aperture serves to assist cassette insertion or ejection.

Abstract: To improve reliability of recognition of an announcement recognition (AR) signal radiated by a transmitter upon broadcasting an announcement (e.g. traffic information, news, etc.) in the form of AM modulation of a 57 kHz auxiliary subcarrier, in which the subcarrier is essentially continuously modulated by region or radio-station recognition signals, the level of which changes when the announcement recognition signal is radiated, the subcarrier is filtered in the receiver, demodulated, and the degree of modulation by the frequency characteristics of the region or radio-station recognition frequency (RR) is sensed.

Abstract: To increase the packing density of elements inserted into a printed circuit (PC) board 2, by placing such elements (3; 12, 13) close together without regard to the size or width of an insertion gripper (16) holding the element (3) to be inserted, a vertically reciprocable carrier (6) has tubes (8) secured thereto which are moved upwardly through insertion holes (4, 5) in the PC board (2), extending above the PC board, for insertion of the connecting leads or wires (7) of the element (3) into the tubes which, then, are withdrawn through the holes to permit the element (3) to follow the withdrawing tubes and seat the connecting wires in the holes, for subsequent attachment, for example by soldering. To facilitate insertion, a pair of horizontally movable semicircular alignment dies (10, 11) are moved towards the upper ends of the tubes (8) to facilitate insertion of the wires (7), for example by presenting flared or funnel-like openings (14, 15) leading towards the tubes (8).

Abstract: To improve reliability of recognition of an announcement recognition (AR) signal radiated by a transmitter upon broadcasting an announcement (e.g. traffic information, news, etc.), in the form of AM modulation of a 57 kHz auxiliary subcarrier, in which the subcarrier may also be modulated by other control signals, the subcarrier is filtered in the receiver, demodulated, and the degree of all modulations, regardless of frequency, on the subcarrier is sensed, and if the modulation changes significantly, for example rises from 60% modulation to 90% modulation (50% change), a switch (4) is activated which inhibits transmission of audio programs from an external source, such as a tape recorder (5), tuner tuned to another station, or the like, and reproduces the announcement being broadcast; termination of the AR signal, forming the AR modulation on the subcarrier, causes the switch to revert for reproduction of previously controlled audio information.

Abstract: Automobile radio - cassette combination which includes a special announcement decoder, for example to decode traffic announcements and the like. To shield passengers in an automotive vehicle from additionally listening to announcements, while permitting passengers to continue to listen to recorded programs on a tape, for example, while permitting the operator to listen to traffic announcements, the switching network of the radio with the announcement feature is expanded, and coupled with a selector switch permitting, selectively, operation of:(a) earphone reproducing cassette; loudspeaker muted, automatic announcement reproduction maintained;(b) earphones reproduce radio program, loudspeaker muted, automatic announcement reproduction via loudspeaker maintained;(c) earphone reproduces cassette, loudspeaker reproduces radio program, including announcements;(d) loudspeaker reproduces cassette program, radio muted.

Abstract: In a UHF receiver in which volume control is carried out as a function of received field strength, distortion due to multipath reception is prevented by use of a band-pass filter connected to the output terminal of the IF section which furnishes a signal indicative of received field strength. The low frequency noise signals appearing at this terminal in the presence of multipath reception are passed by the band-pass filter and subsequently rectified to create a DC control signal which closes a switch. This in turn increases the time constant of the connecting circuit between the field strength output terminal and the control input of the volume control circuit. The increase in time constant suppresses the above-mentioned low frequency oscillations which occur only during multipath reception, so that the output of the volume control circuit is not affected by such multipath reception.

Abstract: To provide ample space for display of output of electrical signals, typically frequency and operating conditions of a radio receiver, tape recorder, and other electronic components, a display panel (16) with liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode (LED) display elements (18) is integrated with the cover plate (14) behind which a cassette of a cassette recorder can be inserted, so that the space taken up by the panel for the cassette recorder is utilized as an indicator. Additional indicating functions, such as in an automobile, outputs of trip computers, digital clock indications, and the like, can be provided on a display panel.

Abstract: A vertical frequency deflection signal generator includes a comparator whose output is coupled to a capacitor the voltage across which constitutes the vertical deflection voltage. The capacitor is charged from a voltage source in the vertical trace interval and discharged when the comparator output switches to ground potential, i.e. when the voltage at the inverting input of the comparator is greater than the voltage at the direct input. To synchronize such a vertical deflection signal generator to vertical synchronization pulses derived from an incoming television signal, the vertical synchronization signals are applied to the base of a transistor whose emitter-collector circuit is connected to the comparator output through a resistor. Each received vertical synchronization signal therefore causes a slight decrease in the output voltage of the comparator and, because of a feedback resistor, a corresponding decrease at the direct input of the comparator.

Abstract: To simulate presence of a traffic information signal in a traffic information receiver which is muted upon reproduction of tape cassette programs or operated at a predetermined level, a momentary-operating control button is connected to a timing circuit to establish a timing interval which, when exceeded, provides a signal to a traffic information transfer switch to transfer the signals received from the receiver through the traffic information channel to permit setting of the volume level under traffic information conditions as desired and to demonstrate the operability under such conditions; upon release of the button, the system reverts to reproduction of tape or traffic information signals received by the receiver. Traffic information can thus be simulated even though no traffic information is being radiated by the transmitter to which the receiver is tuned.

Abstract: Tape segment identifying signals in a frequency range below the lower threshold of sound signals that can be recorded or played back from the tape are recorded on the sound track of a video tape, a characteristic such as the frequency, pulse length, or phase of the identifying signals being changed stepwise as successive tape segments corresponding to successive scenes or successive periods of playing time are recorded.

Abstract: The output electrode of a field effect transistor of a high-frequency input stage is connected to a capacitively coupled input (gate) electrode of the field effect transistor of a mixer stage through one of a pair of bifilarly wound coils provided on a ferrite core, while the second of these coils connects the same input of the mixer stage to the output of a local oscillator in such a way that two signal paths leading towards the mixer stage, respectively for the high-frequency signal and the oscillator signal, go through coupled coils in opposite winding directions. The result is that the path for signals in either direction between the local oscillator and the input stage are of much higher impedance than the paths for signals proceeding to the mixer stage respectively from the input stage and from the local oscillator.

Abstract: An NTSC color television signal picked up from a disc recording is mixed in such a way as to provide one sideband having the chrominance carrier at the PAL standard frequency and another sideband at a higher frequency which can be stepped down in a second mixer to the PAL color-carrier frequency to provide a side band shifted 180.degree. in phase with respect to the color signal provided by the lower sideband of the first mixer. The mixing frequencies are kept in step by utilizing a standard frequency generator at the PAL color-carrier frequency which controls the phase of a VCO supplying a first mixing frequency in a third mixer from the output of which the second harmonic of the difference frequency is selected as the mixing frequency for the second mixer. From the standard frequency output there are also derived the phase-shifted color burst pulses for identifying the two chrominance signals produced as they are alternately utilized for the output PAL signal.