Patents Assigned to Thomson Consumer Electronics
  • Interactive television system and method for displaying web-like stills with hyperlinks
    Patent number: 5903816
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying still video images related to video content in an interactive broadcast television system. The system and method of the present invention may also be used for simulating an Internet home page on an interactive television system. The present invention thus supports hyperlinked web-like navigational capabilities in an interactive television system. According to the method of the present invention, the video delivery system provides or broadcasts one or more audio/video channels each comprising video content and also provides or broadcasts at least one still image channel comprising a plurality of still video images, preferably MPEG-2 compressed still images. The user or viewer can select options displayed on the television screen to view desired information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignees: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc., Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Elliott Broadwin, Jon C Haass
  • HD to SD guide converter for electronic television schedule system
    Patent number: 5900915
    Abstract: An Electronic Program Guide (EPG) system is disclosed which accommodates a mix of high definition television (HDTV) and standard definition television (SDTV) EPG display formats. Viewers can toggle from cell to cell of an EPG display using a navigation system such as a remote control highlighting programs of interest. Channels which show a mix of HDTV and SDTV programming have the cells of the grid remain separate for the time period of SDTV programming but join those cells into a single cell when an HDTV program is to be aired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Hugh Boyd Morrison
  • System providing standby operation of an auxiliary data decoder in a television receiver
    Patent number: 5900913
    Abstract: A decoder for decoding data from a data signal component of a television signal, such as closed caption data, decodes the data signal in response to a deflection signal during a normal mode of operation of a television receiver and in response to separated sync signal during a standby mode of operation of the television receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Juri Tults
  • Saw filter for a tuner of a digital satellite receiver
    Patent number: 5898900
    Abstract: A tuner of for a digital satellite television receiver comprises a single conversion stage which produces an IF signal at a low enough frequency to permit a SAW filter to be used to perform symbol shaping as well as the normal IF filtering function. The local oscillator is controlled by a phase locked loop tuning control IC normally used to control the local oscillator of a tuner of a conventional broadcast or cable television receiver. In an exemplary embodiment for tuning RF signals provided by a block converter in the 950 to 1450 mHz frequency range, the IF has a center frequency of 140 mHz. A lithium tantalate SAW filter is used in order to minimize shift of the IF center frequency with temperature and to provide the required relative IF bandwidth (i.e., the width of the IF passband divided by the IF center frequency).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Joseph Richter, Michael Anthoney Pugel, John Sidney Stewart
  • Video display system with AKB responsive screen grid supply
    Patent number: 5894327
    Abstract: Video signals to be displayed are applied via a video driver amplifier to the cathode electrode of a kinescope. A beam current sensor, also coupled to the cathode electrode, provides a beam current indicating signal. An AKB regulator, responsive to the beam current indicating signal, supplies a black level correction signal to the driver amplifier for regulating the black level of images displayed by the kinescope. A screen grid supply system is provided for controlling the G-2 (screen grid) voltage of the kinescope as a predetermined function of the black level correction signal thereby forming with the AKB regulator a dual feedback loop for providing black level regulation by both the driver amplifier and the screen grid thereby maximizing or extending the overall black level control range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Dal Frank Griepentrog
  • Elastomer lined CRT-to-lens coupler
    Patent number: 5892627
    Abstract: A coupler for coupling a CRT faceplate of a CRT to a lens. The coupler comprises a rigid portion having a CRT faceplate surface for coupling to the CRT faceplate and a lens surface for coupling to the lens. The coupler further comprises an elastomeric layer disposed on at least the CRT faceplate surface and lens surface of the rigid portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Joseph Duggan
  • Receiver/recorder of television transmissions
    Patent number: 5889920
    Abstract: A receiver/recorder for television transmissions whereby continuous recording of television transmission occurs from at least one channel onto a random-access rewritable recording medium. At each of a plurality of predetermined locations a binary code is periodically written to represent a filling of predetermined portions corresponding respectively to the predetermined locations. An indexing device responds to the binary code in order to automatically distinguish between a first in time recorded transmission on the medium from a second in time recorded transmission on the medium at a particular one of the predetermined locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventors: Philippe Compoint, Paul-Louis Meunier, Alain Staron, Dietmar Uhde
  • Method and apparatus for successive refinement of broadcasted video frames
    Patent number: 5886733
    Abstract: An apparatus for successive refinement of video frames, and methods of operating the same result in reduced latency for downloading the video frames. The apparatus for transmitting video frames comprises a plurality of video frames encoded to provide a plurality of program modules. A first program module provides a first video frame. A second program module provides an enhancement to the first video frame. A cataloging resource which provides scheduling requests for transmission of the plurality of program modules requests the first program module and the second program module for transmission. An output driver which transmits program modules receives the scheduling requests from the cataloging resource for the first program module and the second program module and selects the first program module and the second program module for transmission to produce a higher quality first video frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignees: Sun Microsystems, Inc., Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Joel Walter Zdepski, Alain Michel Delpuch
  • Pincushion control circuit
    Patent number: 5883477
    Abstract: A circuit for providing an output voltage to a pincushion modulator circuit. The circuit includes an amplifier having an input for receiving an input signal. The amplifier amplifies the input signal to produce the output voltage at an output of the amplifier which is coupled to an input of the pincushion modulator circuit. A compensation path eliminates instability at frequencies above a first frequency caused by interaction between the amplifier and the pincushion modulator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: James Albert Wilber
  • Method and system for the magnetic recording of information elements and information medium by providing current correction for cross-talk magnetic flux
    Patent number: 5883750
    Abstract: A method and system of magnetic recording of information elements on several parallel tracks whereby the recording of information elements on a track is accomplished by inducing a magnetic field having a predetermined direction in a zone on the track and, during this recording, inducing a magnetic field with a reverse direction in zones of the neighboring tracks. A winding (L0, L1, L2) of each head is coupled to at least two winding of neighboring heads. A control current transmitted to the head provides at least one current diverted towards the neighboring heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignees: Thomson-CSF, Thomson Consumer Electronics
    Inventors: Fran.cedilla.ois Maurice, Michel Sonrier, Fran.cedilla.ois-Xavier Pirot
  • Digital variable symbol timing recovery system for QAM
    Patent number: 5878088
    Abstract: A receiver is arranged for receiving a transmitted quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signal representing successive symbols, and including an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature (Q) component. In such a receiver, a timing recovery system includes a source of samples representing the QAM signal produced at a fixed frequency. A first chain of processing circuitry for the I component includes a first demodulator, coupled to the sample source, for demodulating the I component of the QAM signal to baseband; and a first interpolator, coupled to the first demodulator and responsive to a control signal, for producing I component samples taken at times synchronized to the transmitted symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Gothard Knutson, Kumar Ramaswamy, David Lowell McNeely
  • Asynchronous control signal generating apparatus
    Patent number: 5877814
    Abstract: Apparatus for asynchronously generating control signals (CONTROL) is disclosed including a plurality of sources (5) of asynchronous data signals and a plurality of data processing channels (10, 14), each processing one of the data signals in response to a control signal (CONTROL). Each of a plurality of parameter determining circuits (10, 16) produces a signal (COMPLEXITY) representing a parameter of one of the data signals. A data sampler (30) samples the signals (COMPLEXITY) from all of parameter determining circuits (10, 16) substantially simultaneously at predetermined sampling time intervals. A control signal generator (30) generates control signals (CONTROL) for the data processing channels (10, 14) having values based on the sampled parameter representative signals (COMPLEXITY) and the preceding sampling time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Jorge Reininger, Kuriacose Joseph, Mehmet Kemal Ozkan
  • Power converter
    Patent number: D407066
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Renk
  • Network computer device
    Patent number: D407076
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Renk
  • Keyboard
    Patent number: D407081
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Renk
  • Television internet interface
    Patent number: D407085
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald L. Lytel
  • DVD player
    Patent number: D407087
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Renk
  • Computer
    Patent number: D408022
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Renk
  • Storage drive component
    Patent number: D408800
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Renk
  • Keyboard
    Patent number: D409175
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Edward Renk