Abstract: A method of selecting motion vectors in a motion estimation system involves calculating values of an evaluation function. Each evaluation function value corresponds to a block of pixels of a reference window with respect to a current block of pixels and the relative position of the blocks is described by a motion vector. The method also involves determining the smallest value of the evaluation function and comparing the norms of the vectors associated with the smallest value. The vector having the smallest norm is selected from the associated motion vectors.

Abstract: Due to low output voltage during flyback mode of start phase the secondary current cannot be fully discharged in time. The current buildup will eventually damage the output transistor if the current is not limited.In order to prevent the current build up during start phase, the storage time of the output transistor of the SMPS has to be reduced.During the startup phase a negative bias capacitor is not fully charged. Thereby the base of an output transistor is not biased sufficiently when the transistor is switched off. So the transistor could not operate safely if the collector voltage is higher than Vceo.It is the object to keep charges, which are stored on the capacitor during startup phase and to reduce discharging of the capacitor.According to this invention means are provided between the base and the emitter of the output transistor. It is preferred that said means are realised by a resistor and a diode, connected in series.

Abstract: The disclosure is an analog-to-digital converter of half-flash type providing for the multiplexing of two analog input signals and therefore requiring only one converter module. It includes a coarse comparator block used to determine the most significant bits of the converted signals and also determining the voltage range for two fine comparator blocks that determine the least significant bits of the converted signals, wherein each of the input signals is connected to a fine comparator block and said coarse comparator block compares alternatively the first and second input signals with a reference voltage. The analog-to-digital converter can be advantageously used for processing television signals.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a so-called "auto-zeroing" comparator of two analog input voltages to be compared, and an analog-to-digital converter using a set of auto-zeroing comparators enabling the number of comparators required for an analog-to-digital conversion to be reduced. The main originality of the invention is that this comparator includes a second stage constituted by an inverter function provided in such a way that only a first transistor is controlled on its gate by the previous stage, a second transistor having its gate and drain short-circuited by a switch during the auto-zeroing phase, and a third transistor used as a capacitor and connected to the gate of said second transistor and also to the supply voltage. The present invention is applicable in particular to all types of CMOS multi-comparison ADCs using at least one "auto-zeroing" comparator.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an improvement to the "jog and shuttle" knobs used on electronic or electrical devices, notably video devices such as video recorders. The control according to the invention includes a knob mounted inside a cavity in the face-plate of the control panel such that the external face of the knob is aligned with said face-plate, and a finger fixed to a ring mounted coaxially with the knob, the finger being mounted such that it moves around the arc of a circle in the cavity.

Abstract: In a vertical sawtooth generator of a vertical deflection circuit, a first comparator generates an output signal when a retrace portion of a sawtooth signal is at a first magnitude to initiate a vertical trace portion of the sawtooth signal. An amplifier responsive to the sawtooth signal generates a feedback current at a time that occurs between the center of vertical trace and the end of trace and away from each of the center and end of trace. The feedback current is coupled to a first capacitor to develop a control voltage. The control voltage is applied via a voltage-to-current converter to an integrating capacitor to develop in the integrating capacitor the trace portion of the sawtooth signal. The control voltage is initialized during a power start-up interval.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of enhancing the noise Immunity of a phase-locked loop. The phase-locked loop includes a comparator and apparatus for inhibiting the action of the comparator on the phase-locked loop. According to the method, the inhibition is lifted during a main time window resulting from the intersection of a first time window derived from the input signal of the phase-locked loop, and of a second time window derived from the loop-return signal.

Abstract: A color cathode-ray tube 10 has an evacuated envelope 11 with an electron gun 26 therein for generating at least one electron beam 28. The envelope further includes a faceplate panel 12 having a luminescent screen 22 with phosphor lines on an interior surface thereof. A uniaxial tension focus mask 25, having a plurality of spaced-apart first metal strands 40, is located adjacent to an effective picture area of the screen 22. The spacing between the first metal strands 40 defines a plurality of slots 42 substantially parallel to the phosphor lines of the screen. A plurality of second metal strands 60 are oriented substantially perpendicular to the first metal strands 40 and are insulated therefrom across the effective picture area by insulators 62. The second metal strands 60 are attached by a glass conductor layer 68 to respective right and left first metal end strands 140 outside the effective picture area to form busbars.

Abstract: An interactive television system where interactive information is inserted in the vertical blanking interval of a standard television signal or some other appropriate medium. The signal is received and decoded by a settop device which sends the decoder signal, via an infrared signal, to a handheld device. The system includes an interactive program authoring system, and programmer tables in the memory of the handheld device which store data for the various interactive events. This system allows a viewer to enter and exit events at any time without having to wait for information to be downloaded and without losing scores. Furthermore, this system allows many interactive programs to run concurrently over extended periods of time while maintaining cumulative scores in the handheld for each interactive program or series of programs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming an insulator 62 on one major surface of a uniaxial tension focus mask 25 includes the steps of: positioning a mask sheet 27, having a multiplicity of openings 42 that extend from a first major surface of the mask sheet through a main body portion thereof to an oppositely disposed second major surface, at a distance from a charging gun 72, 172 having a source 74, 174 of a dry-powdered insulative material; charging and directing the dry-powdered insulative material toward the first major surface of the mask to provide a coating of the charged, dry-powdered insulative material thereon, and providing means 70, 272 for preventing the charged, dry-powdered insulative material from extending into the openings 42 and being deposited onto the main body portion of the mask surrounding the openings and the second major surface.

Abstract: A transport stream encoder is disclosed which comprises a plurality of FIFO buffers coupled to sources of component signals. Each of the FIFO buffers has a data output terminal for producing component signal data. A packetizer has a data input terminal for receiving component signal data, and produces a packet stream. A data bus is coupled in common to the data output terminals of the FIFO buffers and the data input terminal of the packetizer.

Abstract: A video decompression system includes block error concealment means for generating substitute data for lost blocks of pixel data. An interpolator generates both spatially and temporally interpolated or predicted blocks of data for concealing a lost block. Pixel data in the respective blocks of spatially and interpolated data are transformed to coefficients representing frequency spectra. A substitute block of coefficients is assembled from coefficients from both the transformed blocks, according to a predetermined criteria. The substitute block is transformed back to the spatial domain for substitution of lost pixel values.

Abstract: An adaptive scan format converter (14 FIG. 1; FIG. 2) at a transmitter/encoder of a video signal processing system such as a high definition television (HDTV) system, as a function of what format is desired for coding and transmission via an output channel. Similarly, at a receiver, a received scan format is automatically converted (36, FIG. 1; FIG. 2) to a desired format for display as needed. For example, a received interlaced signal (I) will be automatically converted to progressive (P) format to be compatible with a progressive scan display device (39). A received progressive signal will be passed to the display device without format conversion. Automatic scan conversion is performed seamlessly so that, for example, the conversion between progressive main television program material and interlaced commercial material is produced without artifacts and is essentially invisible to a viewer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for operating a transport stream encoder to produce a stream of packets carrying data representing a plurality of component signals which comprises the following steps. The packet stream is partitioned into successive groups, each group containing a predetermined number of packet slots. A plurality of priority lists is maintained, one for each of the packet slots in the group. Each priority list contains a plurality of entries, and each entry identifies one of the component signals. When a packet slot is to be produced, the entries in the priority list corresponding to that packet slot are traversed, one at a time. For each of those entries it is determined whether the component signal identified by that entry can produce a packet. If it can, a packet containing data representing that component signal is produced. Only if none of the component signals identified by the entries in the priority list can produce a packet is a null packet produced.

Abstract: An adaptive scan format converter (14, FIG. 1; FIG. 2) at a transmitter/encoder of a video signal processing system such as a high definition television (HDTV) system, as a function of what format is desired for coding and transmission via an output channel. Similarly, at a receiver, a received scan format is automatically converted (36, FIG. 1; FIG. 2) to a desired format for display as needed. For example, a received interlaced signal (I) will be automatically converted to progressive (P) format to be compatible with a progressive scan display device (39). A received progressive signal will be passed to the display device without format conversion. Automatic scan conversion is performed seamlessly so that, for example, the conversion between progressive main television program material and interlaced commercial material is produced without artifacts and is essentially invisible to a viewer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus 50 for pre-stressing a material of a CRT tension mask 24 to induce creep. The apparatus 50 includes a support frame 52 having a first major surface 54 and an oppositely disposed second major surface 56. A boss 58 is provided on the first major surface 54. A primary clamp 60 having a first jaw 62 is spaced from the boss 58 and attached to the first major surface 54. The primary clamp 60 further includes an adjustable second jaw 64 communicating with the first jaw 62 to clamp the material of the mask 24 therebetween. A movable secondary clamp 70 is located in proximity to the boss 58. The secondary clamp 70 has a third jaw 72 attached to an axle 74 that is disposed within an elongated aperture 82 formed in a support post 84 attached to the support frame 52. An adjustable fourth jaw 86 communicates with the third jaw 72 to clamp the mask material therebetween. A cam 78 having a boss engaging surface 90 is secured to the axle 74.