Abstract: Extended horizontal definition is provided in a television system in which the wideband and narrowband chrominance components of a video signal are modulated for transmission by a subcarrier. The modulated wideband I chrominance component is filtered over a bandwidth that is antisymmetrical about the subcarrier frequency with an extended upper sideband to thereby entend the bandwidth that is available for transmission of the I chrominance component. The modulated I chrominance component is antisymmetrically filtered to enhance the relative amplitude in the extended portion of the upper sideband for transmission, and in a television receiver the modulated I chrominance component of a received video signal is filtered to have a relatively flat-response over the antisymmetrical bandwidth about the subcarrier frequency.

Abstract: A receiver interface system for enabling an operator to access different types of services in a like manner, wherein the services contain different combinations of service components received by a receiver in different portions of one or more different frequency channels, such as television channels. The system includes a plurality of separate interface channels for carrying different types of services containing different combinations of the service components; switching means for selecting a said service, wherein the switching means is coupled to the interface channels for accessing the respective interface channels in a like manner; and a decoder coupled to the receiver and the interface channels for accessing the components of said selected service received by the receiver in different portions of one or more different frequency channels to provide said selected service on the interface channel carrying the selected service.

Abstract: A decoding system capable of outputting Viterbi-decoding-algorithm-decoded data at a predetermined rate that is greater than a given rate at which coded data is processed in accordance with said algorithm to produce the decoded data. The system includes a data input bus; a data output bus; a ring of decoders, with each decoder being coupled to the input bus for receiving coded data from the input bus and coupled to the output bus for providing decoded data onto the output bus. Each of the decoders in the ring includes an input buffer, timing controller, decoding processor and output buffer. The input buffer responds to a start-input signal from a preceding decoder in the ring by buffering a block of the received coded data. The timing contoller provides a start-input signal to a succeeding decoder in the ring at such time as to cause the succeeding decoder to receive a block of coded data from the input bus that overlaps the block of coded data received from the input bus by the instant said decoder.

Abstract: A system for companding digital audio signal samples processes the digital audio signal samples to correct errors induced by the compression and expansion processes. These errors are calculated prior to compressing the samples. Such errors are calculated in accordance with a predetermined compression process and a predetermined expansion process; and the digital audio signal samples are corrected in accordance with such calculations prior to compression. The compression process includes providing a 3-bit gain word for a block of 70 samples. The gain word is computed in accordance with the position of the most significant "1" bit in the sample(s) having the peak magnitude. Each individual sample is processed in accordance with the block gain word to compress the sample by reducing the number of magnitude bits.

Abstract: A system in a subscriber television network for enabling descrambling of a received scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and/or an impulse-purchase basis. A received mask signal uniquely related to the scrambled signal is compared with a received authorization signal indicating whether the subscriber is authorized to receive the scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and a prepaid signal for enabling descrambling is provided when the compared signals match. A not-prepaid signal is provided when they do not match. A received cost signal indicating the charge for descrambling the scrambled signal and a received credit signal indicating the subscriber's endlessly accumulated credit are processed with reference to a stored record of the subscriber's prior accumulated charges to determine whether the subscriber has sufficient available credit to pay for descrambling of the scrambled signal.

Abstract: An automated system for reconditioning electrical terminals of an electrical work piece, such as a leadless chip carrier. The system includes a carrousel which stops upon rotating each 360/n degrees (wherein "n" is an integer greater than three), dwells, and then resumes rotation. "n" work piece holding assemblies are respectively uniformly disposed on the carrousel and include vacuum tips extending over the periphery of the carrousel for holding work pieces over work stations positioned adjacent and around the periphery of the carrousel beneath the positions occupied by the vacuum tips when the carrousel stops and dwells. A first work piece feed mechanism is located at a sequentially first work station for feeding a work piece to the vacuum tip positioned over the first work station when the carrousel is dwelling. A flux bath is located at a sequentially second work station for bathing a work piece held by the vacuum tip positioned over the second work station when the carrousel is dwelling.

Abstract: In a system for scrambling an audio signal for transmission with a video signal having non-video information intervals, an analog audio signal is converted into a scrambled compressed digital audio signal; individual bits from the scrambled compressed digital audio signal are combined to provide 2-bit digital words; each digital word is converted into an 8-bit digital PAM data signal having a binary value bearing a predetermined relationship to the binary value of the converted 2-bit digital word; the 8-bit digital PAM data signal is converted into a 4-level PAM analog signal; and the PAM analog signals are inserted into the non-video information intervals of the video signal for transmission. A descrambling system descrambles the 4-level PAM analog signals by a complementary scheme.

Abstract: A system for scrambling a video signal having a plurality of horizontal lines, each of which includes a video information portion and a non-video information portion. The scrambling system includes a memory; means for storing the video information portion of each video signal line in the memory; and means for forming scrambled horizontal lines by retrieving each of a plurality of said stored video information lines in a plurality of segments preceded by a non-video segment and separated by non-video segment(s). The retrieval means include means for varying the respective durations of the retrieved video information segments in individual scrambled horizontal lines in accordance with an encryption keystream; and means for varying the total duration of the non-video segments for individual scrambled horizontal lines in accordance with a predetermined timing pattern. A complementary descrambling system also is disclosed.

Abstract: A system for regenerating a standard-length color burst signal from a less-than-standard-length color burst information signal of a given frequency and phase. The system includes a phase-locked loop for generating a system clock signal from the color burst information signal, with the clock signal having a clock frequency related to and at least twice the given frequency of the color burst information signal. The phase information from the color burst information signa is sampled and stored in a RAM. The sampling is clocked by the system clock signal. A standard-length color burst signal is regenerated at the given frequency and in phase with the color burst information signal by retrieving the stored phase information and extrapolating the standard-length signal in accordance with the retrieved phase information. Such retrieval is clocked by the system signal.

Abstract: A system in a subscriber television network for enabling descrambling of a received scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and/or an impulse-purchase basis. A received mask signal uniquely related to the scrambled signal is compared with a received authorization signal indicating whether the subscriber is authorized to receive the scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and a prepaid signal for enabling descrambling is provided when the compared signals match. A not-prepaid signal is provided when they do not match. A received cost signal indicating the charge for descrambling the scrambled signal and a received credit signal indicating only the subscriber's accumulated credit are processed with reference to a stored record of the subscriber's prior accumulated charges to determine whether the subscriber has sufficient available credit to pay for descrambling of the scrambled signal.

Abstract: A linear predictive echo canceller is integrated with a RELP vocoder in a two-way communications network, in which a received digitized speech signal synthesized by the RELP vocoder from a residual signal received with linear prediction coefficients is echoed onto a transmit channel and combined with a transmitted digitized speech input signal that is to be analyzed by a RELP vocoder for transmission. The echo canceller cancels the echoed signal from the transmit channel by generating a foreground transmit signal by subtracting a foreground estimate of the echoed signal from the combined signal; and providing the foreground transmit signal on the transmit channel for ananlysis by the RELP vocoder.

Abstract: A system for reproducing in a descrambler of a subscriber communication network a subscriber key signal that is unique to the descrambler and was used in encrypting a key signal that must be decrypted for use in descrambling a signal received by the descrambler. The scrambled signal is received by the descrambler together with the encrypted key signal and a key generation number containing an address for accessing a predetermined area in a memory contained in the descrambler.