Patents Examined by Reinhard J. Eisenzopf
  • Patent number: 6317168
    Abstract: Disclosed is a digital TV receiver performing a channel selection using stored channel information and a method for selecting a channel. With respect to a broadcasting signal which is not being currently viewed, the receiver activated at a predetermined period of time to receive that broadcasting signal. The receiver receives and stores channel information for that signal. A channel selection is performed by displaying the stored channel information or an effective channel according to the stored channel information, at the time of switching of a reception mode. Since the channel selection is performed using the stored channel information, the invention can save a time for selecting a channel and provide convenience of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-Joo Seo
  • Patent number: 6317171
    Abstract: A television receiver (10) that has a spatial light modulator (15) and a projection lens (17a) and that projects images to a screen (18). If the aspect ratio of the image to be displayed does not match that of the spatial light modulator (15), an anamorphic lens (17b) is positioned in the optical path of the image, between the projection lens (17b) and the screen (18). In this case and in typical applications, the spatial light modulator (15) generates an image that is anamorphically squeezed in the horizontal dimension, and the anamorphic lens (17b) widens the image so that the viewer perceives a normal wide-screen image on the screen (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Duane S. Dewald
  • Patent number: 6317161
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop is provided which is operable to lock the sampling clock (pixel clock) to the incoming horizontal sync pulse contained within composite video information. Two modes of operation, coarse lock mode and fine lock mode, are used in controlling the phase-locked loop. In the coarse lock mode, coarse corrections are made to a horizontal discrete time oscillator so that a fast lock may be achieve using the fine lock mode. Coarse corrections are based on a normalized sum of weighted pixels collected within a narrow gate window. Lock is achieved when the falling edge is centered within the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Karl Renner, Weider P. Chang
  • Patent number: 6317159
    Abstract: A scanning line number converting apparatus using a linear array type multi-parallel processor constructed by an input image data storing unit, a plurality of element processors which has a data memory section and an ALU array section and are provided in parallel and operate in accordance with the same command for a plurality of data, and an output image data storing unit, wherein one of the element processors is used as an FIFO and image data is transferred to the other element processors, and an interpolation arithmetic operation for a scanning line number conversion is executed by the element processor on the transfer destination side, so that the scanning line number conversion can be performed without using any image memory and memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Aoyama
  • Patent number: 6317157
    Abstract: The present invention introduces an image conversion apparatus capable of coinciding the luminance variation ratio in the display unit of the television receiver with a variation ratio according to the linear operation though the linear operation is applied to the video signal outputted from the computer. The first &ggr; correction circuit receives the video signal outputted from the computer. This video signal intends to be inputted to a CRT display unit, therefore, the video signal is provided with an inverse &ggr; property corresponding to the luminance property of the CRT display unit. The first &ggr; correction circuit 100 applies the &ggr; correction operation to the video signal so as to remove the inverse &ggr; property in the video signal. The linear arithmetic circuit applies the linear operation to the output from the first &ggr; correction circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Akinoli Takayama
  • Patent number: 6317169
    Abstract: A projection display system may be mechanically perturbed to remove or reduce speckle. In addition, pixellation effects may also be removed or reduced. By mechanically disturbing a portion of the system, for example using a wobble perturbation, the speckle effects may be temporally smeared so that they become invisible to the user. In one embodiment of the present invention, a folding mirror may be mechanically perturbed, using a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, at frequencies in the ultrasonic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald D. Smith
  • Patent number: 6313878
    Abstract: A hardware-implemented screen-saver prevents burn-in of an image displayed on a screen of a display product by automatically reducing the video gain, and therefore the contrast, of the image when the portion of the image within a two-dimensional detection window has changed by less than a predetermined amount for a predetermined period of time. A lack of change of the incoming video signal of the image is detected and used to invoke a reduction in contrast of the image displayed on the display product. This allows the image to remain visible, yet reduces the possibility of burn-in of the image in the screen of the display product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Joseph Jankowiak
  • Patent number: 6313885
    Abstract: During the reception of VSB DTV signal, the channel equalizer for a QAM/VSB DTV signal receiver the equalizer is operated to equalize only the real sample stream of VSB symbol code, rather than being operated as a complex equalizer. During the reception of QAM DTV signal, the real sample stream of QAM symbol code and the imaginary sample stream of QAM symbol code are time-division-multiplexed together on an alternate sample basis to generate input signal for the channel equalizer, which is operated as a dual-phase filter. After equalization, the time-division-multiplexed real and imaginary samples of QAM symbol code are de-multiplexed to recover parallel real and imaginary sample streams of QAM symbol code that are independent of each other, but have been subjected to similar equalization. Supposing that the QAM DTV symbol code rate is half the VSB DTV symbol code rate, the minimum sampling rate for operation of the channel equalizer is the same for both types of symbol code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chandrakant B. Patel, Allen LeRoy Limberg
  • Patent number: 6314307
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic apparatus whose power is supplied by a battery (11) having a memory (32) which contains electrically erasable data (32a) and a supply voltage detection device (37) for detecting a variation of the supply voltage (Vbat). The invention notably has for its object to provide a detection device (37) which is capable of instantaneously detecting various voltage levels to cut off the power supply (Vbat) without the contents of the memory (32) being changed and capable of indicating the charging level of a battery (11) or an overload. The invention may be used in portable telephones and other electronic equipment whose power is supplied by a power supply battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Didier Charron
  • Patent number: 6313874
    Abstract: A receiver circuit, which may be used in a leakage detector, includes an RF input, a narrow band filter, and a direct demodulator. The leakage detector in which the receiver circuit may be used is operable to measure leakage in a communication system, the communication system operable to transmit broadband communication signals comprising one or more radio frequency carrier signals modulated by one or more baseband communication signals, wherein each radio frequency carrier signal has a channel frequency. Essentially, the exemplary receiver circuit according to the present invention is operable to generate a baseband leakage signal. To this end, the RF input is coupled to a source of broadband communication signals and receives a broadband communication signal therefrom, the broadband comnunication signal including a first signal associated with a first channel frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Wavetek Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew E. Bowyer, Daniel K. Chappell
  • Patent number: 6313863
    Abstract: A combined image is made up of a static image and a motion image. An area of the static image is replaced by the motion image to form the combined image. The combined image is then coded and transmitted from one communication partner to another communication partner by way of a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Chida
  • Patent number: 6313881
    Abstract: A signal processing method for an analogue picture signal is proposed. In this case, the analogue picture signal originates from a computing unit (10) in which the signal was generated digitally in accordance with a graphics standard such as, for example, EGA or VGA and was subsequently converted into analogue form. The method consists in subjecting the analogue picture signal to analogue/digital conversion at a first chosen sampling frequency, after which the sampled picture is then investigated for picture disturbances, in order to determine a corrected sampling frequency. Further measures relate to the determination of the optimum sampling phase and the determination of the exact position of the active picture relative to the horizontal and/or vertical synchronization pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Reinhart, Carlos Correa, Dimitri Croise, Rainer Zwing
  • Patent number: 6313884
    Abstract: A gamma correction circuit includes an amplifier (A) coupled to receive an input signal (Vi), and a non-linear impedance (Rg) coupled to the amplifier (A) for determining a gain of the gamma correction circuit in such a manner that the gain increases when the input signal (Vi) increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Tony P. Van Endert
  • Patent number: 6310658
    Abstract: A video signal mixing apparatus and a method thereof, which is capable of minimizing timing jitter caused when onsynchronized video signals are digitally mixed. A signal subtractor subtracts a second video signal synchronized with a clock signal from a first video signal which is not synchronized with the clock signal, and a weighted value extractor divides one period of the clock signal into N intervals, detects the interval where a digital selection signal is generated, among the N divided intervals, and outputs a predetermined value (where 0≦predetermined value≦1) allocated to the detected interval as a weighted value. A multiplier multiplies the weighted value with the output of the signal subtractor and outputs the multiplication result, and a signal mixer mixes the multiplication result with the second video signal and outputs the mixed result as a mixed video signal. Therefore, error causing timing jitter is reduced to 1/N, thereby minimizing dot crawling of the mixed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mal-Seob Kwak, Bong-soon Kang
  • Patent number: 6310646
    Abstract: Disclosed are method and apparatus which measure signal level of an RF signal. The measured RF signal includes a baseband signal modulated onto a first carrier signal having a first frequency and the baseband signal includes program information and control information. The method and apparatus digitize the RF signal which includes the baseband control information and determine a signal level measurement from the baseband control information in the digitized RF signal. Furthermore, method and apparatus are disclosed which determine from the digitized RF signal whether a tagging signal is present in the RF signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Wavetek Corporation
    Inventors: Pingnan Shi, Andrew E. Bowyer, Qin Zhang
  • Patent number: 6310661
    Abstract: A method of broadcasting controlling data streams and remote receiving apparatus for using the same are disclosed. A viewer-channel-to-broadcast channel (VCBC) map is employed to map one or more controlling data streams to one or more channels. The VCBC map is stored in memory. When a user tunes to a channel, the VCBC map is checked to determine if a controlling data stream is associated with the tuned channel. The VCBC map is periodically updated and broadcasted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Robert G. Arsenault
  • Patent number: 6307599
    Abstract: Described herein is an analog-digital broadcast shared receiving tuner for receiving therein a low-level broadcast signal of a digital broadcast assigned to a vacant channel of an analog broadcast and having first and second frequency conversion stages each comprised of a frequency mixer and a local oscillator. A variable attenuator capable of performing switching between predetermined attenuation and zero attenuation is electrically connected between an intermediate frequency amplifier for amplifying a first intermediate frequency signal outputted from the first frequency conversion stage and the frequency mixer of the second frequency conversion stage, which follows the intermediate frequency amplifier, so that the attenuation of the variable attenuator reaches zero attenuation upon reception of an analog broadcast and the attenuation thereof reaches predetermined attenuation upon reception of a digital broadcast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michihiro Komatsu
  • Patent number: 6307600
    Abstract: A tuner, for example, for a television receiver, includes a UHF and a VHF section and a mixer oscillator stage. It is known that the VHF frequency band has to be split in at least two parts to handle the VHF signals. To that end, the mixer oscillator stage uses two separate VHF oscillators and a detector to switch tuned parts of the VHF section. In this way, the performance of the tuner is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Meye Wink
  • Patent number: 6307593
    Abstract: A method of transmitting a leakage tagging signal includes inserting a tagging signal into a CATV television signal only during portions of the television signal in which control information is present. A method according to the present invention is a method of transmitting a tagging signal in a communication system, the communication system transmitting television signals comprising control information and program information. One step of the method includes generating a tagging signal that is detectable by corresponding leakage detecting equipment. The method also includes the step of identifying a portion of a television signal in which control information is present. Finally, the method of the present invention encompasses inserting the tagging signal into the television signal only during the portion of the television signal in which control information is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Wavetek Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew E. Bowyer, Pingnan Shi
  • Patent number: 6307598
    Abstract: Plural-conversion radio receivers for receiving DTV signals, in accordance with the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standard, or analog TV, in accordance with the National Television Sub-Committee (NTSC) standard, utilize a first intermediate-frequency band spanning 917-923 MHz and a second intermediate-frequency band spanning 35.5-41.5 MHz. A local oscillator generates local oscillations at 958.5 MHz for mixing with signal in the first intermediate-frequency band to generate signal in the second intermediate-frequency band. These local oscillations do not interfere with the aeronautical navigation band or with channel 81 television broadcasting. The second harmonic of sound carrier in the second intermediate-frequency band falls below the 88-108 MHz FM broadcast band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Allen LeRoy Limberg