Abstract: An electronically programmable remote control for an vehicle security system. The system remote control comprises one or more hand-held remote transmitters and a receiver unit located in the vehicle. The receiver is operable in conjunction with a control unit which contains a microprocessor capable of performing control functions and encoding functions. The remote control enables the user to electronically program into or delete from the receiver a digital code from any of a plurality of transmitters. It is not necessary for the user or anyone else to know the specific encoded signal which is transmitted from any of the transmitters to the receiver. The receiver is operable with a plurality of transmitters, all of which operate on the same frequency.

Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.

Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.

Abstract: A solder button may be attached to an elongated conductor by substantially surrounding a portion of the conductor with a mass of solder. The mass of solder may be crimped or heat welded into fixed position onto the elongated conductor, which is typically in ribbon form, with the solder being cut from a strip of solder by cutting and crimping means, the strip of solder being in transverse relation to the conductor at the crimping means. The elongated conductor, with attached solder buttons, may be attached by automated means in a single step to a plane of glass or the like.

Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein a self-oscillating mixer circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The second IF frequency is the television intercarrier sound IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.

Abstract: Apparatus for quantizing compressed viedo data arranged in macroblocks calculates a quantizing parameter independently for each macroblock. The apparatus determines the relative coding complexity of respective macroblocks, and then determines which of the more complex macroblocks can withstand relatively severe quantization without significantly affecting image quality. This determination is made on the basis of the relative amount of codewords in blocks associated with respective macroblocks. In general, the data required to encode each one of the associated blocks is compared to find the block with the minimum data associated with each macroblock. A scale factor is then generated which is a function of the amount of data in the minimum block associated with a macroblock and the average of the data for all the minimum blocks in an image frame. The scale factor is utilized to scale a global quantization value applied to at least a portion of a frame of compressed video data.

Abstract: A receiver comprises a tuner circuit for detecting a selected input signal and an audio circuit for reproducing the audio content in the detected signal. The tuner circuit includes a local oscillator, a prescaler, a phase detector and an integrator, and has a tendency to uncontrollably detune during AC power interruption responsive to a spurious tuning control signal generated in the tuner circuit and generate audible noise during the detuning. The audible noise is introduced into the audio content of the detected signal. An AC power interruption detector monitors a run power supply and generates a power loss control signal when the run supply falls below a predetermined threshold. A control circuit responsive to the power loss control signal, absent a user command, first disables normal operation of the tuner circuit and then disables the audio circuit, thereby reducing the audible noise.

Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.

Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number. Circuitry is provided for interrupting the path of signals from the tuner to the IF amplifier stage of the television receiver when the receiver is in FM radio signal reception mode, to prevent the FM radio signals from adversely affecting the television synchronizing signals during the display of the FM channel number.

Abstract: A horizontal oscillator, responsive to an on/off control signal, generates an output signal that is coupled via a driver stage to a control terminal of a horizontal deflection output transistor. During a transition interval that follows a standby mode of operation, the duty cycle of the oscillator output signal is reduced relative to when a run mode of operation occurs to provide soft-start operation.

Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.

Abstract: A television receiver includes a single tuner for tuning both television channels and broadcast FM stations. The tuner is operated at a fixed gain setting in FM reception mode. The tuner serves as the first conversion stage of a double conversion FM receiver, wherein the mixer of an FM radio integrated circuit serves as the second conversion stage. The arrangement operates at a specific and non-arbitrary first IF frequency. The FM receiver is also capable of automatically receiving National Weather Service broadcasts on that one of NWS's seven allocated frequencies which is operating in a listener's area. The receiver provides an on-screen display of the currently tuned FM channel number.

Abstract: A cartridge loading device for a disk player which can supply, when a disk tray on which a disk is placed is accommodated in position into a device body of the disk player, the disk readily to a disk driving unit located laterally of an area of advancing and retracting movement of the disk tray.

Abstract: The portable computer has a computer casing provided with a rectangular receiving space accessible from one side thereof, and a socket connector projecting inwardly into the receiving space from an innermost end of the receiving space and being electrically connected to the internal circuitry confined by the computer casing. A detachable cartridge type interface device has a rectangular casing detachably provided in the receiving space of the computer casing, and an interface card confined inside the rectangular casing. The rectangular casing has a rear end provided with a rectangular opening to access one end of the interface card. The socket connector extends into the rectangular opening to engage the interface card so as to electrically connect the same to the internal circuitry. The front end of the rectangular casing is provided with a socket to permit electrical connection of the portable compute with an external device.

Abstract: A hobby-style metal detector includes a two-piece stem interconnected by a hand grip and provided with an arm rest. A search coil is positioned at the lower end of the first section of the stem and an electronic housing is mounted on the first stem section near the hand grip. A metal detector circuit, a display and operator controls are provided with the electronic housing. A second housing is detachably connected to the second section of the stem in conjunction with the arm rest. The second housing contains batteries and can be detached and clipped to the operator's belt to reduce the weight carried by the operator's arm. A speaker can further be included within the second housing thereby removing additional weight from the arm carried unit. A cable is provided to extend from the second housing to the electronic package for providing the battery power to the metal detector circuit. When a speaker is provided in the second housing, a further line is provided in the cable for the detection signal.

Abstract: A winding of a transformer is wound around a core bead that surrounds a wire conducting a horizontal deflection current. Close to a time when zero crossing occurs in the horizontal deflection current, at the center of horizontal trace, the core of the transformer changes from being saturated to being nonsaturated and a pulse is produced in the transformer. The pulse triggers a one-shot multivibrator arrangement that produces a reset pulse. A horizontal rate parabolic voltage generator is responsive to the reset pulse for generating a horizontal rate parabolic voltage that is coupled to an auxiliary coil mounted on a cathode ray tube to produce, for example, a vertical convergence error correction current.

Abstract: A television apparatus comprises a video display having a wide format display ratio, for example approximately 16:9. A deflection circuit generates first and second selectable rasters having a common horizontal scan width corresponding to the display but having first and second vertical heights respectively, for example nominal and overscanned vertical heights. A control circuit selects one of the first and second rasters for displaying pictures from wide format display ratio video sources and conventional format display ratio video sources respectively, for example 16:9 and 4:3. A picture from the wide format display ratio video source is substantially uncropped and a picture from the conventional format display ratio video source is expanded and cropped. One of the vertical formats provides substantially no image aspect ratio distortion of the pictures as displayed. The other one of the vertical formats provides substantially no cropping of the pictures as displayed.

Abstract: In a video signal coder blocks of pixels are generated, scanned in a pseudo-random order and transformed blocks of coefficients which are stored in a buffer. The resulting blocks of coefficients are quantized individually by the use of a quantization level and the coefficients of each block are individually quantized by the use of a quantization matrix. The quantization level is determined by the fullness of the buffer.

Abstract: A brightness limiter is responsive to a beam current control signal in a predetermined range of beam current operating values with an extended operating threshold for reducing brightness and reducing beam current. Operation of the brightness limiter responsive to certain noise in the beam current control signal during retrace is inhibited, the brightness limiter being otherwise responsive to the beam current control signal at operating values below the threshold. Operation of the brightness limiter may be inhibited by passing the beam current control signal through an AC filter. Alternatively, operation of the brightness limiter may be inhibited during retrace by interrupting propagation of the beam current control signal, or by preventing operation of the brightness limiter, for example, responsive to flyback pulses or pulses in timed relationship to flyback pulses.

Abstract: Apparatus for defeating a noise inverter disposed within the IC includes circuitry for changing the amplitude of the AGC signal applied to an AGC amplifier prior to the noise inverter so as to lower the level of the signal fed to the noise inverter. As a result, the signal fed to the noise inverter is less than the threshold signal level necessary for operation of the noise inverter. This enables use of an EIA multiport standard decoder with a standard television signal processing IC wherein the noise inverter is not directly accessible for defeating it.