Abstract: Resonator comprising first and second balanced integrators (I1, I2) each composed with a balanced amplifier and having a non-inverting (in+) and an inverting (in−) input terminal, as well as a non-inverting (out+) and an inverting (out−) output terminal. First and second coupling circuits (Y1, Y2) are interconnected between the non-inverting output terminal (out+) of the first integrator (I1) and the non-inverting input terminal (in+) of the second integrator (I2) and between the inverting output terminal (out−) of the first integrator (I1) and the inverting input terminal (in-) of the second integrator (I2) respectively.

Abstract: A description is given of a secondary lithium metal battery in which the formation of lithium dendrites is inhibited. The battery (1) comprises negative electrode material (3) on a current collector (5) and positive electrode material (7) on a current collector (9) separated by a separator (11), which may be a polymer gel electrolyte optionally combined with a separator. According to the invention, the negative electrode (anode) has a high specific surface area, so that lithium dendrites are prevented during charging of the negative electrode. Examples of electrode materials of high surface area are particles of graphite, metals such as nickel, or metal foams, e.g. of nickel. Lithium intercalation does not occur in metals, whereas the intercalating capacity for lithium in graphite is at most 25 percent of the capacity of the positive electrode.

Abstract: A video recording and logging device includes apparatus to detect scene changes (as distinct from shot cuts or edit points) in audio/video signals. The apparatus includes a filtering arrangement which receives and filters the audio soundtrack accompanying the video signal to periodically determine a background audio signal level. A scene change is indicated when the current background audio level differs from a previous background level by more than a predetermined amount. A short cut or edit point presented near the indicated scene change is identified as the scene change. Preferably changes in background noise distant from shot cuts and edit points are ignored. A table of scene change locations may then be built up and stored with the video and audio data. An editing facility presents scene changes as the first picture in the scene and allows scene change identifications to be added, deleted or labeled by a human editor.

Abstract: An analog to digital converter has a differential input arrangement with a static reference ladder and comparators for comparing the differential input signal with respective reference voltages from the ladder. For sensing the positive and the negative values of the input signal the same taps of the reference ladder are used.

Abstract: In transconductance amplifier arrangements used in CATV systems, it is often desirable to set the value of the output impedance to a value equal to the system impedance that is often 75&OHgr;. prior art transconductance amplifiers often comprise an amplifier (6) with a current output using a feedback network (8) to set the gain value. An input of the feedback network (8) is coupled to the current output of the amplifier (6) and an output of the feedback network (8) is coupled to the input of the amplifier (6). In these prior art transconductance amplifier arrangements the output impedance decreases with increasing gain of the amplifier (6) used in the amplifier arrangement. This output impedance is normally very low (a few &OHgr; or lower). By adding a further output current (i/N) to the output of the feedback network, it is obtained that the current through the feedback network (8) becomes dependent on the output current (i) of the amplifier. This dependence results in an increased output impedance.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing timestamps in a network (e.g., a wireless ATM network) that includes a control node and a plurality of other nodes that communicate with one another over a common channel mediated by a medium-access control subsystem (e.g., one that uses a reservation-based TDMA protocol). The method includes the steps of sending a first command from the control node, at a first time, then storing a starting timestamp value in a register within the control node and each of the other nodes, in response to the first command, and then sending a second command from the control node, at a second time later than the first time. Each of the other nodes computes the difference between the starting timestamp value and a current timestamp value, and then adds the computed difference to the current timestamp value.

Abstract: Plasma display panel in which the fluorescent layer comprises non-saturating green phosphor(s). This improves the efficacy of UV-light generation and allows the use of higher sustain voltages, leading to further improvement of the efficacy and luminance.

Abstract: Encoding device for encoding a program and recording device. When a program of a certain duration is converted into compressed data (encoded), it is desirable for the total number of data to fit in an available data space, for example, when recorded on an information carrier. More particularly in variable bit rate compression such as a video signal via MPEG-2, this is hard to forecast. For this purpose, a recording device according to the invention comprises a compression unit (22) whose bit rate is influenced by a system controller (45) via a control input (26) during the encoding process in dependence on the remaining part of the vacant data space on the information carrier (1) and the remaining duration of the program. When parameters influencing the bit rate are set in the compression unit (22), the system controller will take the complexity of the program derived during a previously encoded part of the program into account.

Abstract: An encoding circuit transforms a picture signal into blocks of, for example, 8*8 coefficients, in which each block of coefficients is read motion- adaptively. In the case of motion within a sub-picture, the block of coefficients is read in such an order that the obtained series of coefficients includes, as it were, two interleaved sub-series. The first series starts with a dc component. In a first embodiment, the second series starts with the most relevant motion coefficient. In a second embodiment, two interlaced sub-fields are separately transformed and the second series also starts with a dc coefficient. As a result, the coefficients are transmitted as much as possible in their order of significance. This particularly produces the largest possible clusters of zero value coefficients. Such clusters are transmitted as one compact run-length code so that an effective bit rate reduction is achieved, also for moving pictures.

Abstract: A balanced oscillator comprises a frequency selective circuit and a balanced active circuit coupled with the frequency selective circuit. The frequency selective circuit includes a short circuited quarter-wave paired line. A cost effective short circuited quarter-wave paired line can be U-shaped to take up only a small space and can be integrated easily on a dielectric, especially glass. The balanced active circuit comprises a cross coupled differential pair of transistors. The balanced oscillator can be tuned in a number of different ways.

Abstract: In a module tape (1) comprising modules (2) and comprising a carrier layer (19) to which a plurality of contact-bound-mode module contact zones (9, 10, 11) are attached at the location of a first layer side (20) and to which a plurality of contactless-mode module contact zones (14, 15) are attached at the location of a second layer side (22), the contactless-mode module contact zones (14, 15) are formed by conductor zones deposited on the carrier layer (19) by means of a printing method.

Abstract: In a networked communications apparatus comprising at least one server (10) and a plurality of user stations, wherein the user stations comprise terminals (12) arranged to receive information from the at least one server (10) by means of a connection (14) via a first network, the user station further comprises a portable communications device (18) coupled with said terminal (12) and connectable to said at least one server (10) via a second network (22, 24,26). The user terminal (12) is configured to perform the automatic acquisition of data for the profile database, said data being transferred to said server (10) via said portable communications device (18) following establishment of a connection via said second network (22,24,26).

Abstract: A display device (506) is driven in a number of sub-fields. Each of the sub-fields is for outputting a respective illumination level by the display device. In each sub-field, a pixel of the displayed image may emit an amount of light corresponding to the particular sub-field, depending on whether it is switched on or not. A required intensity level of the pixel is realized by selecting an appropriate combination of sub-fields in which the pixel is switched on. According to the invention, a selection is made from the possible intensity levels that can be generated by all possible combinations of sub-fields. The selected intensity levels are uniformly spaced on a perceptual scale, allowing a relatively small number of intensity levels for displaying an image with a relatively high perceived quality. The image display unit (300) has a means (306) that is arranged to store the combinations of sub-fields for the respective selected intensity levels.

Abstract: Normally, in an MPEG recorder, during recording, a time stamp counter is locked to the program clock reference of the incoming stream by pulling the clock frequency of a controllable oscillator. During playback, the oscillator is left free running. Playback and recording situation lead to conflicting requirements. A solution is presented that does not have these conflicting requirements, namely by using an adder that adds an increment value to a count value in order to obtain the next count value. The time stamp values are derived from the count values. During recording, the value of the increment value is controllable, and during playback, the value of the increment value is fixed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an assembly (100) of conductors (1), wherein a void (11) is provided in an electroconductive plate (10), within which void an island (12) is formed which serves as a carrier for a semiconductor element (13) and which is connected to the assembly (100) by a part (14) of the plate (10). Within the void (11), a number of strip-shaped conductors (1) are formed which surround the island (12), and the void (11) is formed so that one (1n) of the strip-shaped conductors (1) is connected to the island (12) by means of a further part (15) of the plate (10). Such a method has the drawback that it is not capable of providing an assembly (100) which can suitably be used for any semiconductor element (13). In particular, said method is expensive for ICs (13) which must demonstrate an electrical connection to the island (12) and which must be supplied in relatively small numbers.

Abstract: A method and device for keyframe-based video displaying using a video cursor frame in a multikeyframe screen. Keyframe-based displaying of a video presentation enables a user to select among keyframes, and based on the selecting displays a substantially continuous video stream relating to the presentation. In particular, various keyframes are displayed in parallel in a reduced and static video format, and the displaying is controlled as starting from a particular active key frame which subsequently acts as a dynamic cursor frame within the video format. The cursor may be dynamic video plus dynamic audio, dynamic video alone, or static video per interval plus dynamic audio.

Abstract: A sliding electrical switch (10) for use in a garment (32) has two spaced elongate flexible surfaces (16, 18), at least one electrical contact on each surface (22a, b, c, d, e, f), and a slider (20) slidable along the surfaces to cause electrical connection between the contacts. There may be a number of spaced contacts (22a, b, c, d, e, f), the slider (20) acting as a selector switch; or there may be two continuous spaced contacts (96, 98), movement of the slider (90) providing a variation in resistance. The slider can be a bead (20) running on cords (16, 18) attached to the edges of spaced pieces of fabric (14, 18); or a buckle (42) sliding on a strip (50); or a zip fastener traveller (66), adjacent teeth (64) of the zip being electrically connected (68); or a bead (90) running on lengths (82, 84) of flexible tubing with internally conductive strips (96, 98).

Abstract: An editing device (2) for editing video and/or audio data stored in a data storage device (1), in which at least the video data are marked by means of assigned timecode data, and in which the editing device (2) creates an editing list (3) during editing is characterized in that, during the creation of a new editing list (3), the editing device (2) marks the data provided for an editing section alternatively in conformity with the timecode data assigned to these data in the data storage device (1), or with reference to at least a part of at least one, already existing editing list (5) in which the same data have already been marked, while one of the modes of creation is selectable for the respective editing section within an editing list (3) to be created, but both modes of creation are usable in a mixed form within the editing list (3).

Abstract: A method of garbage collection and data processing apparatus embodying the same. Within a heap memory, data objects are accessed via respective pointers carried by memory stacks; the memory is periodically swept to mark, for each object, a count of the number of extant pointers thereto from any source and, on detection that an object's count has reached zero, deleting that object. To permit concurrency of mark and sweep operations, a pair of reference count fields are maintained for each object: one holds an ongoing pointer count for the present mark operation and the other holds the value for the preceding one. At the conclusion of each mark operation, the mapping of counts into fields is reversed. An objects count is taken as zero, and the object deleted, when both counts are zero.