Patents Examined by Jeffrey S. Murrell
  • Apparatus for removing waveform distortion from a video signal
    Patent number: 5237416
    Abstract: A waveform distortion removing apparatus includes a digital filter having taps and being controlled in response to tap coefficients. An error signal sequence is generated from a video signal. The error signal sequence contains a waveform distortion. A quadrature signal is generated which has a quadrature relation with the error signal sequence. An absolute value of the quadrature signal is derived. The absolute value of the error signal sequence and the absolute value of the quadrature signal are compared with each other. A greater of the absolute values is selected. The tap coefficients are set in dependence upon the selected greater of the absolute values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Ito, Tatsushi Koguchi, Yuji Nishi, Kazuyuki Ebihara
  • Television signal repeater with improved aural separation
    Patent number: 5237419
    Abstract: An RF repeater for receiving and retransmitting video composite signals, especially wherein the signals of different channels are spectrally adjacent includes discrete aural and visual stages for separating the composite video signal into its components. The aural stage includes a phased locked loop filter while the visual stage may use a SAW filter. After separation and amplification, the two signals are up-converted and combined for retransmission. The visual stage also includes a phase locked loop for synthesizing a local oscillatoar signal and for phase lock detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Electronic Missiles & Communications, Inc. (EMCEE)
    Inventor: James M. Jarick
  • Electronic apparatus having broadcasting system identifier displaying capability
    Patent number: 5237420
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus, such as a television receiver, having broadcasting system identifier displaying capability is capable of receiving both signals of a broadcasting system in which the transmitter scrambles original signals and transmits unintelligible scrambled signals and the receiver unscrambles the scrambled signals to reproduce the intelligible original signals, and signals of a broadcasting system in which the transmitter transmits original signals without scrambling the same and the receiver reproduces the original signal. The electronic apparatus comprises broadcasting system selecting means for selecting a desired broadcasting system, and broadcasting system identifier displaying means capable of displaying universal character representations representing broadcasting system in different colors assigned respectively to the broadcasting systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Toshihide Hayashi
  • Ghost canceler with adaptive transversal filter
    Patent number: 5237415
    Abstract: A transversal filter filters an input video signal with a variable filtering characteristic. A waveform of a ghost cancel reference signal is periodically extracted from the input signal. An average of the successively-extracted waveforms is calculated. The filtering characteristic is determined on the basis of the calculated average of the extracted waveforms. An extracted waveform which is contaminated by an error or a jitter is rejected and is prevented from being used in the calculation of the average of the extracted waveforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1993
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsushi Koguchi, Shigehiro Ito, Kazuyuki Ebihara, Yuji Nishi
  • Adaptive AFT system with variable step resolution
    Patent number: 5233425
    Abstract: A frequency synthesis tuner for a television receiver includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) responsive to a phase locked loop (PLL) for generating a local oscillator signal which is used to convert a received RF television signal to an intermediate frequency signal. An automatic fine tuning (AFT) detector develops an AFT error signal representing the frequency deviation of the converted signal from 45.75 MHz. Fine tuning is effected by controlling the reference and channel index dividers of the PLL in a coordinated manner in response to the AFT error signal for initially rapidly adjusting the frequency of the local oscillator signal to minimize the deviation of the converted signal from 45.75 MHz and then subsequently by further adjusting the frequency of the local oscillator signal in successive steps of adaptively increasing resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: Zenith Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Khosro M. Rabii
  • Embedded commericals within a television receiver using an integrated electronic billboard
    Patent number: 5233423
    Abstract: A television receiver is equipped with a graphics generator which is capable of generating a single or multiple graphic images from data representing commercial advertisements stored in a memory device. The elements of this arrangement include a micro-controller, a memory device, a graphics and memory controller, a pallet controller and a video switch. The images corresponding to the commercial advertisements are displayed to the consumer when a control function of the television receiver is activated. Alternatively, the images may be displayed in response to an internal clock. The images presented may be static or animated and may occupy a small portion of the screen or the full screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1993
    Assignee: North American Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Forest E. Jernigan, Joseph P. Bingham
  • Adaptive control signal generator for an adaptive luminance/chrominance separator
    Patent number: 5231478
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing improved adaptive control signals for a luminance and chrominance separation circuit employing adaptive filtering of a chrominance signal includes a vertical difference detector, a horizontal difference detector, and a combiner. The vertical difference detector contains upper difference detector and lower difference detector, each of which receives a horizontally filtered next line signal (L.sub.N), a horizontally filtered present line signal (L.sub.P), and a horizontally filtered last line signal (L.sub.L), and which produce, respectively, an upper difference signal and a lower difference signal. In a preferred embodiment, the lower and upper difference detectors implement, respectively, the expressions .vertline.2L.sub.L +L.sub.P -L.sub.N .vertline. and .vertline.2L.sub.N +L.sub.P -L.sub.L .vertline..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: The Grass Valley Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon A. Fairhurst
  • Electronic adjustment of video system parameters
    Patent number: 5227881
    Abstract: An electronic adjustment system is disclosed that includes an operator interface for entering selected digital parameter values into a non-volatile memory. A processing unit provides the digital parameter values stored in the non-volatile memory to a video circuit. The digital parameter values control certain operational parameters of the video circuit and can be easily changed by the operator to adjust the operational parameters of the video circuit without the need for adjustment switches or potentiometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Raymond E. Wess, John R. Fredlund
  • Apparatus for line-alternating interpolation of chroma signals
    Patent number: 5227867
    Abstract: An apparatus for line-alternating interpolation of chroma signals in a MUSE decoder for a high definition (HD) television can simultaneously transmit color difference signals such that a color difference signal of an untransmitted scanning line is restored using the color difference signal of a neighboring scanning line of a currently transmitting scanning line. In the apparatus, the color difference signals alternately inputting every scanning line through an input terminal, are delayed for periods of one horizontal line, so that the two signals which are most similar to the presently transmitting color difference signal among the delayed color difference signals are added together, and the two signals which are most dissimilar to the original signal are also added together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang-jun Lee
  • Picture display and video signal processing circuit
    Patent number: 5223936
    Abstract: Picture display device for displaying pictures having a first aspect ratio and pictures having a second aspect ratio on a display screen having the first aspect ratio, comprising a circuit for applying a signal to pixels which are not associated with the second aspect ratio picture when a second aspect ratio picture is being displayed. The picture display device further comprises an adjustable cover for covering not associated pixels when the picture having the second aspect ratio is being displayed and for uncovering these pixels when a picture having the first aspect ratio is being displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Victor H. J. Van Der Voort, Frederick M. Boekhorst
  • Device for a compatible luminance/chrominance separation between different standard video signals
    Patent number: 5220413
    Abstract: A preprocessing device of a system that can record and reproduce the luminance and chrominance signal separated from a composite digital VTR signal is disclosed.The luminance/chrominance signal preprocessing device includes an analog/digital converter which samples a NTSC signal inputted as a composite video signal at a certain frequency, and converts the signal sample to a digital signal, a horizontal synchronizing separator that separates the horizontal synchronizing signal from the above NTSC signal, a PLL division that sends a clock signal fixed to the horizontal synchronizing signal outputted from the above horizontal synchronizing separator to the above analog/digital converter, and a luminance and chrominance signal outgoing from the above analog/digital converter is then separated into a luminance signal and a chrominance signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae-yun Jeong
  • Real time scanning device signal processing circuit including color signal and blanking signal generating circuits
    Patent number: 5218433
    Abstract: A real-time signal processing circuit includes circuitry for receiving input signals generated by a scanning device, and circuitry for obtaining a synchronizing signal and a first blanking signal from the receiving circuitry. The signal-processing circuit has an input stage and a processing stage which selectively generates color output signals from the input signals, each color output signal being derived from one or a combination of the input signals. The circuit also has an output stage for including a blanking output signal in the color output signals in response to the first blanking signal and outputting the color signals and the synchronizing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: John V. Ward, Robert C. McNamee
  • Processing circuit for a plurality of different TV signals
    Patent number: 5218436
    Abstract: A television for receiving two or more types of television signals capable of displaying an image irrespective of the types of a received television signal and a display for displaying an image, by controlling, in accordance with the receiving television signal and the display, a processor and aspect ratio converter for demodulating the received television signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Sugiyama, Shigeru Hirahata, Tohru Suzaki, Isao Nakagawa, Kenji Katsumata
  • Waveform distortion removing apparatus
    Patent number: 5216507
    Abstract: A waveform distortion removing apparatus includes a digital filter having taps and being controlled in response to tap coefficients. An error signal sequence is generated from a video signal. The error signal sequence contains a waveform distortion. A quadrature signal is generated which has a quadrature relation with the error signal sequence. An absolute value of the quadrature signal is derived. The absolute value of the error signal sequence and the absolute value of the quadrature signal are compared with each other. A greater of the absolute values is selected. The tap coefficients are set in dependence upon the selected greater of the absolute values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Ito, Tatsushi Koguchi, Yuji Nishi, Kazuyuki Ebihara
  • Device for separating luminance and color based on line correlation
    Patent number: 5216494
    Abstract: In a Y/C separator, a computed signal is obtained through computation on from a signal of a color carrier signal band in a Y/C composite video signal and a delayed signal obtained by delaying the signal of the color carrier signal band by a 1 H period. The computation includes one for producing an absolute value, one for producing a smaller one of a plurality of signals, and subtraction and addition. Under control of the computed signal and a reference signal, a color carrier signal is produced in accordance with the signal of the color carrier signal band and a signal obtained by comb filtering the signal of the color carrier signal band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Matsui, Masanori Kojima
  • Color encoder measurement system with adjustment of amplitude ratio of R, G and B component signals
    Patent number: 5214500
    Abstract: Characteristics of a color encoder can be measured under the same condition as a practical operation without modifying the color encoder as a device under test. A test signal generator generates R, G and B component signals as test signals and they are applied simultaneously to the color encoder. The output amplitudes and/or output phases of the component signals from the test signal generator are adjusted such that the color encoder produces at least one of a luminance signal, an I-axis signal and a Q-axis signal in accordance with a measurement item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Nippon Television Network Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Takayama, Joji Urano, Kazuhiro Tsuboi, Katsuhiko Watanabe
  • Television receiver with partially by-passed non-linear luminance signal processor
    Patent number: 5202763
    Abstract: A composite video input signal is separated into luminance and chrominance components by a signal separation filter and the components are applied to a display processor having a video display device coupled thereto for providing displayed images. For enhancement of detail in dark and light areas of the displayed images, the luminance signal is coupled to the display processor via a non-linear luminance signal processor which provides additional amplification in the dark and light areas but tends also to degrade the signal to noise ratio in those areas. To avoid a loss of signal to noise ratio in the enhanced areas the receiver includes a by-pass circuit for by-passing high frequency components of the luminance signal around the non-linear luminance signal processor and a filter in the non-linear luminance signal processor for attenuating the high frequency components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gene K. Sendelweck, Roger L. Lineberry
  • Sound channel circuit for digital television receivers
    Patent number: 5202766
    Abstract: A circuit capable of handling all television sound transmission standards, including the "NICAM" standard. The circuit contains an analog antialiasing low-pass filter which is fed by the analog sound and video signal and followed by an analog-to-digital converter. The output of the latter is freed from the video signal by a filter circuit. The digital sound signal is applied to a phase splitter having a 0.degree. output and a 90.degree. output which are connected to a phase discriminator. An absolute-value output of the phase discriminator provides the amplitude-demodulated sound signal, while a phase-angle output feeds the DQPSK portion of a "NICAM" decoder and a differentiating stage, which delivers the frequency-modulated sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH
    Inventors: Sonke Mehrgardt, Heinrich Pfeifer, Thomas Hilpert
  • Television receiver with picture in picture and non-linear processing
    Patent number: 5202765
    Abstract: A video switch combines a first video signal with a compressed second video signal for application to a display unit to provide "picture-in-picture" images in which the first video is displayed in a main picture area of the display and the compressed second video signal is displayed as an inset picture within the main picture area. A non-linear processor, connected between an output of the video switch and an input of the display unit, enhances selected features of the combined video signal displayed by the display unit. Circuit means are provided for controlling the non-linear processor so that non-linear processing is applied to displayed images only in the main picture area and not in the inset picture area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger L. Lineberry
  • Demodulator for FM modulated video signals with pre-demodulation sideband suppression and post-demodulation sideband restoration
    Patent number: 5200835
    Abstract: An FM demodulating apparatus suitable for use in a VTR or the like has a suppressing circuit for suppressing the upper and lower sideband components of an FM modulated video signal, an FM demodulation circuit for demodulating the output from the suppressing circuit and a recovering circuit connected to the output of the FM demodulation circuit for recovering the sideband components suppressed by the suppressing circuit, to thereby provide a favorable demodulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1993
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Etsurou Sakamoto