Abstract: Many devices (in particular white goods or brown goods) in a household may contain a clock. Some systems allow connection of such devices and their related clocks to a common bus or network. The commands for controlling the clocks are in general limited to reading or writing a given time or to broadcasting the time of a given clock to one dedicated device or to the entire system or to a part of the system. In such known systems it is not specified in which manner a clock should react if it receives the time broadcast by another clock. It is possible to initialize all clocks to a given time, but due to tolerances in the different clocks, so achieved synchronization will not be maintained. Regular broadcasting by a special device master clock has the disadvantage of introducing one device with different capabilities. In case there are several master clocks, conflicts may occur and the advantages of a high precision clock will fade away if a lower precision master clock overrides it.

Abstract: A lens having a variable index of refraction and a point of symmetry is fabricated from a plurality of substantially identically shaped parts. Each of the parts is pyramidal in configuration and has a base and a plurality of sides extending from the base to an apex. Each of the parts has a coefficient of refraction which varies from the base to the apex.

Abstract: Motion vectors resulting from block matching are corrected for periodic structures by taking a more reliable vector from an edge of a moving object containing the periodic structure. This is done by calculating and comparing different error combinations to identify periodic structures and replacing a current motion vector with one of an adjacent pixel block either from the block to the left or from the block above, which ever yields the smaller error in the current block, or by taking a combination (e.g., mean) of both vectors. Advantageously, artifacts such as phase reversal of information in interpolated fields due to the presence of an erroneous vector in a periodic structure are reduced and very little additional processing is required after the block matching itself.

Abstract: In an array of a liquid crystal display device having data lines and row select lines, a pair of conductors are provided in a direction transverse to that of the row select lines at opposite sides of the display device. The conductors are capacitively coupled to the row select lines. An amplifier is responsive to a signal generated in one of the conductors from capacitively coupled disturbance signals developed in the row select lines. The amplifier develops an output signal at the other conductor that is also capacitively coupled to the row select lines in a manner that tends to reduce the disturbance signals.

Abstract: A video display driver applies a video signal to column electrodes of a liquid crystal display. The display driver includes a reference ramp generator and column data line drivers. A reference ramp signal is combined with the video signal and applied to an input of a comparator. The comparator controls a first transistor that couples a data ramp signal to a given column of pixels. The first transistor at least partially initializes a voltage developed in the given column of pixels prior to an instant when the data ramp signal begins upramping. A second transistor that is coupled in parallel with the first transistor insures that the column voltage is fully initialized.

Abstract: A video display driver applies a video signal to pixels arranged in columns and rows of a liquid crystal display. A given column or data line driver includes a field effect transistor that operates as a comparator. The comparator is responsive to the video signal and to a reference ramp signal. A triggering voltage of the comparator is automatically and periodically adjusted. A drain voltage of the transistor that is equal to a threshold voltage of the transistor is developed in a stray capacitance, during the automatic adjustment period. A pulse signal, is coupled via the capacitance to increase the drain voltage. The drain voltage is applied to a gate electrode of a second field effect transistor that applies a data ramp voltage to the pixels. The pulse signal provides a small amount of drive in the second transistor.

Abstract: A video display driver applies a video signal to column electrodes of a liquid crystal display. The display driver includes a reference ramp generator and column data line drivers. Each data line driver includes a switching arrangement coupled to a first capacitance for storing a portion of the video signal in the first capacitance. A first terminal of the first capacitance is coupled to the reference ramp generator for combining a reference ramp signal with the stored video signal and for applying the combined signal to an input of a comparator. The comparator controls a transistor that couples a data ramp signal to a given column of the pixels. The reference ramp generator is coupled to the input of the comparator in a non-switched manner such that no switching transistor is interposed in a signal path between the reference ramp generator and the input of the comparator.

Abstract: Program related data contained in the broadcast signal of an advertisement for a future television show are evaluated and compared with the current TV set tuning when a LEARN button on a remote control is pressed. A VCR tunes to the present TV channel and stores the program related data for the future television show. The apparatus also ensures that a program to be recorded will start and end at the right time and that broadcast advertisements will be skipped during recording, are disclosed.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes first and second transparent substrates spaced from one another and having facing surfaces with a liquid crystal material between the facing surfaces. A transparent electrode overlays the facing surface of one substrate. The facing surface of the other substrate supports: (a) a matrix of pixel electrodes (b) a plurality of data lines extending in a first direction, (c) a plurality of select lines extending in a second direction and crossing the data lines at crossover points, (d) a plurality of solid state switching devices for electrically connecting the data lines to the pixel electrodes. The pixel electrodes lay in a first plane while the data lines and the select lines lay in at least one other plane spaced from the first plane. A conductive transparent shield extends between the first plane and the other plane.

Abstract: An appearance of a double image around moving objects may be reduced or removed by generating motion compensated 100 Hz fields with the objects in correct positions. When, however, the results of this technique are applied to motion compensated upconversion, objects or parts of the picture which fall outside the range of measurable velocities appear on the upconverted display with a very strong double image, resulting from the display of information in the wrong temporal position generated by uncompensated or `fallback processing`. The subjective strength of the double image may be reduced by low pass filtering in a horizontal direction the components in the new fields of the upconverted signal which cause this double image.

Abstract: An antenna system for receiving radiowaves includes a Lundeburg-type lens which reflects radiowaves to a focal point of the lens. A helical primary feed is located in the proximity of the focal point. Electronic circuitry for processing the radiowaves in a desired manner and the primary feed are supported in a hollow support structure in the proximity of the focal point.

Abstract: In a switch mode power supply of a video apparatus, a capacitor develops a supply voltage that is coupled to a main current conducting electrode of a driver transistor. The driver transistor drives a switching power transistor. An arrangement charges the charging capacitor when the video apparatus operates in standby mode. A delay circuit introduces a delay time between a time when the capacitor begins to be charged and the time when a switching control signal is applied to the driver transistor for operation in a run mode. Consequently, the capacitor develops sufficient voltage that insures sufficient base current to turn on the power transistor in to saturation prior to the time the switching control signal is applied to the driver transistor. Thus, a possible damage to the power transistor is prevented.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes pixels that are arranged in columns and rows. Data line drivers responsive to a video signal develop output signals in data lines that correspond with the columns, respectively. An adjustment data line driver is provided. The adjustment data line driver is responsive to a reference DC constant signal at a mid-range of the video signal. An output signal of the adjustment data line driver is coupled to the other data line drivers in a negative feedback manner to compensate for output signal variations in the other data line drivers.

Abstract: An auxiliary video data slicer for extracting auxiliary video information from a video signal includes a peak detector. The peak detector determines a peak amplitude of horizontal sync pulses that are included in the video signal and a peak amplitude of a run-in-clock (RIC) waveform that is included in an auxiliary information component of the video signal. A variable threshold level for the peak detector is varied in a first range to detect the peak amplitude of the sync pulses. A threshold voltage for detecting the leading edge of sync pulses is derived from the peak amplitude of the sync pulses. The location of the RIC waveform within a video line interval is determined in response to detection of a sync pulse edge. The variable threshold level of the peak detector is varied in a second range to detect the peak amplitude of the RIC signal. A data slicing threshold level for extracting auxiliary video information is derived from the peak value of the RIC signal.

Abstract: A shift register for scanning a liquid crystal display includes cascaded stages. A given stage is formed with an input transistor switch that is responsive to an output pulse of a stage upstream in the chain of the cascaded stages. An output pulse of the given stage is produced in a pull-up transistor of a push-pull amplifier. A third transistor responsive to an output signal of a stage downstream of the given stage applies a control signal to a gate electrode of the pull-down transistor to render the pull-down transistor conductive.

Abstract: A level translator includes a latch, a pair of transistors responsive to a switching input voltage and operating in a complementary manner and a pair of zener diodes operating as level shifters. The Zener diodes are coupled between the pair of transistors and the latch. An output transistor is coupled to the latch and produces an output voltage that is level translated with respect to the input voltage. A second embodiment of the invention includes a level translator that produces a first voltage at selectively one of first and second levels and a second voltage at selectively one of third and fourth levels. The first, second, third and fourth levels are different from each other such that in total four different levels are produced. The first and second voltages are coupled to control gates of a pair of transistors operating as a transmission gate.

Abstract: A television receiver has a switched mode power supply controller, which may be deflection synchronized, which produces pulses in a power transformer. To power the controller during startup, before the internal power supply has started, a storage capacitor on the power supply input of the controller is coupled through a current limiting resistance to a rectified voltage from the AC mains so as to charge the storage capacitor during first polarity phases of the AC mains. The current limiting resistance includes a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) element which increases its impedance as it heats, to reduce power dissipation after initial connection of the television receiver to AC mains. In addition, a diode is coupled in a current path to the storage capacitor to charge the capacitor to the same polarity as during opposite polarity phases of the AC mains.

Abstract: For improving motion portrayal and reducing undesirable artifacts, e.g., double images and "mouse teeth" structure, each pixel of intermediate fields in a field rate up-conversion system is determined from nearby pixels in the existing fields using an adaptive linear filtering method (or apparatus) which provides: calculation of sums of differences (one or more for each pixel involved in the adaptive filter); calculation of basic coefficients (one for each pixel involved in the adaptive filter); one-dimensional median filtering of the coefficients; two-dimensional linear filtering of coefficients; normalization of coefficients; calculation of main interpolated pixel values; and correction of interpolation in the case of fast motion.

Abstract: In a television receiver, a microprocessor controls a horizontal deflection circuit which is coupled to run mode power supply to define a standby operating mode and a run operating mode. The microprocessor has a power-up reset input terminal which initializes operation upon application of AC mains power. The run mode power supply is coupled to at least one load which is subject to overcurrent or overvoltage faults. A fault detection circuit detects fault conditions in the run mode power supply loads such as overvoltage or overcurrent and anomalous vertical deflection current. Upon fault detection the fault detection circuit triggers a power up reset circuit which applies a momentary reset pulse to the power-up reset input of the microprocessor. Upon receipt of the reset pulse, the microprocessor controls the horizontal deflection circuit to place the run mode power supply in the standby operating mode.

Abstract: A noisy input signal x is filtered with a restoration filter of median type to generate a filtered input signal y. The sum of the absolute differences between filtered and unfiltered signal is calculated for each position of a sliding window within the input signal representing a local estimate of the noise, and is combined with a global measure of the input signal noise to compute two coefficients a and b which are respectively applied to the unfiltered and filtered signal to generate the output signal z=a*x+b*y which is both globally and locally adapted to the structure of displayed images. Advantageously different kinds of filters operate in parallel, whereby the kind of filter elected is locally adapted to the picture activity.