Abstract: An image motion-dependent mechanism selectively inserts an image modification operator, such as a median filter, into the image signal path of a video display unit, so that loss of definition and introduction of flicker resulting from the use of a median filter in the course Of the display of a still or stationary image on an IDTV are effectively eliminated. The selectively inserted image modification operator, which responds to an index code or bit value representative of whether or not the image frame is repeated, may also serve to prevent the generation of cross-luminance and cross-color decoding artifacts, as well as reducing the amount of random noise in the image.

Abstract: An apparatus for remotely controlling audio/video devices from different manufacturers. First code signals are directly input to the remote controller apparatus when it is in a learning mode by way of a cable or an infrared light-emitting unit from a peripheral audio/video device. The first code signals are stored in specified locations of a conversion table in the lookup table memory. Second code signals are input to the remote controller apparatus when it is in a conversion mode from another audio/video apparatus by way of a cable or an infrared light-emitting unit. The second code signals represent command control functions. The conversion of the second code signals to third control signals is accomplished by a microprocessor using the conversion table containing the first code signals. The third code signals are output from the remote controller apparatus to control a peripheral audio/video device. Also, there is disclosed an audio/video combination system using the remote controller apparatus.

Abstract: A wide aspect television receive corrects variations in the luminance between the center and peripheral portion of the screen that occur due to changing vertical deflection widths by suppressing a video signal amplitude at the top and/or bottom of the screen to be smaller than that at the center of the screen. The wide aspect deflection may also correct over-correction of the lateral pincushion distortion.

Abstract: A video photometric color sensing system is provided for characterizing the color of a homogeneous substance on a real time basis. The sensing system includes a sample port for holding a homogeneous substance and a camera quantifies a color video image of the homogeneous substance and provides as outputs analog voltage signals representative of the amount of red, green and blue in the color video image. A peak detector circuit receives the analog voltage signals representative of the amount of red, green and blue in the color video image and generates peak red, green and blue analog voltage signals and uses these individual voltage values of each component to derive the luminance value from software generated nonadditive matrix.

Abstract: An image sensing device is provided with an expanded dynamic range when it photographs a moving object. A first gray value D1 of first picture taken with first exposure time is read in the first time interval and a second gray value D2 of second picture taken with second exposure time is read in the second time interval. Two function values f(D2) and g(D2) are calculated with respect to the second gray value D2. Then, a weight coefficient with respect to the function f(D2) is multiplied by the first gray value D1 and a weight coefficient with respect to the function g(D2) is multiplied by the second gray value D2. Those multiplied gray values are summed up. Such calculation of multiplying and summing up is carried out in each picture element of the first picture and the second picture, respectively.

Abstract: There is provided a system and a method thereof for producing enhanced signals from an irreversible compression first processor in which there were performed irreversible compression encoding of signals and subsequently a compression decoding thereof. The method includes defining at least two sets of signals, wherein each set contains signals having a selected property of a signal, feeding the decoded signals of the first processor to a second processor, and processing the decoded signals by the method of projection onto convex sets, thereby imposing conformity to the sets of signals.

Abstract: A 3D nonlinear postprocessing system and method are utilized to reduce coding artifacts produced by block-based motion-compensated transform coding. In the system and method, a separable 3D filtering structure is used: space-variant FIR-Median Hybrid filtering is used in spatial domain, followed by a motion-compensated nonlinear filtering in the temporal domain. By using this structure and method, the coding artifacts in a reconstructed image sequence can be effectively reduced without blurring edges or moving objects in the image sequence. Significant improvement in the picture quality of low bit-rate coded video sequences is thereby achieved.

Abstract: A television system which selectively receives additional information multiplexed in a video-signal source different from and other than a video-signal source currently being watched. A video signal V7 supplied to a CCD/EDS data extractor 7 is selected independently of a video signal V5 for a main screen of a CRT 10 or a video signal V6 for an auxiliary screen of the CRT 10 displayed by a PinP (PoutP) function. Accordingly, captions to be displayed are not limited to additional information multiplexed in the video signal V5 for the main screen displayed on the CRT 10. As a result, additional information multiplexed in a video signal for the auxiliary screen other than that for the main screen or multiplexed in an external video signal V2 can also be displayed as well.

Abstract: An ATV receiver having a decoder which is designed to process a subset limited trellis pre-coded television signal. The decoder processes co-channel interference so as to produce at the filter output of a rejection filter, a residual interference spectrum which is as flat as possible. The filter exploits the fact that only the picture and the sound carriers need to be sufficiently attenuated and cancels NTSC co-channel interference with only a small degradation in performance when AWGN is also present.

Abstract: A parallel decoder for an MPEG-2 encoded video signal includes a deformatter which separates the input bit stream into multiple portions, each representing a respectively different section of the HDTV image. The separate portions are processed in parallel by respective decoders. In order to perform motion compensated processing, each of the four decoders includes a memory that holds data representing the entire image. Each decoder provides its decoded output data to all of the decoders to maintain the data in the respective memories.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tuned channel detector which includes a cable path between a radio frequency source and a receiver such as a TV, wherein the radio frequency source passes first through an attenuator and second through a signal selection module comprising two opposing directional couplers and a single-pole/double-throw switch. The channel to which the TV is tuned is determined by measuring the TV's local oscillator signal from the cable which feeds the radio frequency signal to the TV and, additionally or alternatively, by comparing the signal strength of the input and reflected TV carrier signals at and around the channels under test. Signal detection is further enhanced by modulating the signal mixed with the local oscillator with a tone and/or testing only during certain intervals such as the vertical synchronization interval or the power line cycle. A tone detector having a synchronous rectifier is used to detect low level local oscillator signals.

Abstract: A device for adjusting a video signal so that its black level is in coincidence with a predetermined reference level includes a capacitor having a first terminal that receives the video signal and a second terminal that provides the adjusted video signal, and means for discharging the capacitor at a constant current when the adjusted video signal exceeds the reference level, and for charging the capacitor at a constant current when the adjusted video signal is below the reference level, the ratio between the charging and discharging currents ranging from 4.3 to 12.6. The device further includes means for significantly reducing the current ratio at least during a portion of a frame synchronization pulse train.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provides sweep control signals for an expanded display of a selected portion of a television signal. A first counter is preloaded with a number related to the position of the left hand edge of the selected portion of the waveform being monitored and a second counter is preloaded with a number related to the position of the right hand edge of the selected portion of the waveform. Clock pulses are counted by the first counter until the number preloaded therein is reached and then the second counter counts the clock pulses until the number preloaded therein is reached. Control signals are developed when each of the counters has counted the number preloaded therein.

Abstract: A full function remote control pillow speaker arrangement is coupled by three wires to a television receiver. The arrangement includes a standard IR control signal encoder, the output of which is filtered to remove the 40 kilohertz ultrasonic frequency, thus yielding an envelope corresponding to the data pulses. Operating power is supplied to the encoder from a DATA line and a common (COM) line with a shunt regulator being interposed to protect the encoder from over voltage conditions during standby operations. A speaker is supplied audio signals from the COM line and an AUDIO line. The receiver is capable of functioning with other types of pillow speaker control units, i.e. those having a single key closure for channel and on/off control and those with extra key closures for channel directional control.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a decoder for a video signal encoded according to the standard proposed by the Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) of the International Standards Organization (ISO). This decoder employs four sets of processors, each set containing three processors that operate concurrently to decode the MPEG-2 video signal. A variable length decoder processes the input stream to decode the variable length encoded data. The operations performed by this decoding processor change depending on the type of data being decoded. These changes are implemented using a master Digital Signal Processor (DSP) which is programmed according to the MPEG-2 syntax. The data decoded by the VLD processor is either video data or control data. The control data is divided into two types, control data needed to reproduce the image and control data that describes the bit-stream.

Abstract: A camera in which the compressibility of digital image data is controlled by a focus signal. The camera includes an imaging device and a photographic optical system which forms a subject image on the imaging device, the imaging device converting the subject image into electrical signals. A focus detection device is coupled to the photographic optical system and focuses the photographic optical system. The focus detection device also provides a corresponding focus output signal. An analog-to-digital conversion unit receives the electric signals from the imaging device and converts the electric signals into digital signals. A compression unit receives the digital signals from the analog-to-digital conversion unit and the focus output signal from the focus detection device and compresses the digital signals at a compressibility corresponding to the focus output signal.

Abstract: A novel channel buffer management scheme for a video decoder minimizes the amount of memory allocated to buffer a video bitstream received from a transmission channel. A channel buffer accumulates picture data encoded in a video bitstream received from a fixed rate channel. Picture data is read out of the channel buffer by a video decoder immediately after a predetermined or expected amount of bitstream data is received by the channel buffer. Picture decoding, reconstructing, and displaying operations are synchronized to permit the transfer of picture data from the channel buffer to the decoder whenever all of the data bits comprising a picture are received in the channel buffer. A microcontroller monitors and regulates the operation of the novel channel buffer management scheme to avoid overflow or underflow of bitstream data in the channel buffer.

Abstract: An improved television signal equalization apparatus includes a first coefficient update module for receiving the equalized television signal and for generating a first updated equalizer coefficients including first coarsely updated coefficients and finely updated coefficients; and a second coefficient update module, at a channel change operation, for generating second updated coefficients having a coarsely updated coefficients corresponding to a changed channel.

Abstract: An improved equalization apparatus includes a coefficient update module for receiving a filtered signal from the equalizer filter circuit and for generating a set of filter coefficients including a set of coarsely updated coefficients or a set of finely updated coefficients for equalizer filter. The coefficient updating module includes a first memory means for storing a set of coarse error values, and for generating, in response to a filtered data sample, a first error signal representative of the corresponding coarse error value; and a second memory for storing a set of fine error values, and for generating, in response to a filtered data sample and a control signal, a second error signal representative of the corresponding fine error value.

Abstract: A digital Wiener filtering method is proposed which applies motion compensation by successive approximations of increasing resolution to determine displacement vectors for two successive image frames, a vectors defining a real displacement only being applied to a block of one of the frames when the mean absolute error associated with that vector is not greater than a given fraction of the mean absolute error between that block and the corresponding block of the other frame. The current frame is then filtered block-by-block, with the blocks overlapping. In this filtering, each block is a 3D volume of pixels from the current frame and blocks selected from the preceding and succeeding frames so as to correspond according to the displacement vectors. In one embodiment, the filtering comprises applying a 3D FFT to convert to a power spectrum in the frequency domain, followed by attenuation according to a Wiener filter and conversion from the frequency domain by the inverse FFT.