Abstract: Method and apparatus for use with televisions having an internal Java engine are included among the embodiments. In exemplary systems, a PCMCIA port allows the Java engine to load and execute Java applets selected by the viewer. Provision is made for system-aware applets to run concurrently with platform-independent applets on different Java display planes that are merged for display. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The current invention describes a remote display technology which, responsive to button activations from a wireless remote control to a television display device, routes signals to a host computer to activate the application button responsive to the specific remote control button pressed with the application appearing on the television display.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for use with televisions having an internal Java engine are included among the embodiments. In exemplary systems, a PCMCIA port allows the Java engine to load and execute Java applets selected by the viewer. Provision is made for system-aware applets to run concurrently with platform-independent applets on different Java display planes that are merged for display. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved television remote control system and method with alphanumeric keyboard input. The alphanumeric keyboard input might be used in interactive televisions to control applications and functions. The remote control includes alphanumeric and controls keyboards, an encoder to encode the alphanumeric and control keyboards with alphanumeric and control codes, respectively, and a transmitter to transmit the alphanumeric and control codes to the television.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for synchronizing multiple media streams to conveniently produce multimedia presentations using a television system. Some embodiments of the invention may provide a slideshow application, a karaoke application, or a storybook application.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved interactive television having an alert manager. The alert manager alerts a viewer of events. For example, the alert manager alerts the viewer that email has arrived in his inbox or that a text message has been sent to his computer. The alert manager manages event alerts in an easy and non-intrusive manner to enhance the viewer's experience.

Abstract: Java Applets are packaged in a JAR file, including accompanying classes and resources as well as one addition file—a descriptor file. This last file can be read from the JAR file, and scanned to extract an icon to represent the applet on a menu, the applet's name in market applicable languages, applet size and position, and the applets main class name. No further processing need be done to present this applet to the user for selection. The entire applet need not be loaded into memory until the user requests it by using a remote control to select one of the applets represented on the display by a labeled icon. Once the user has selected the application, the applet can be sized and launched without further scanning.

Abstract: A method for displaying messages on a television screen comprising the steps of (a) displaying a video signal on the screen; (b) receiving at the screen an incoming notification message including a dialog and an icon associated therewith; (c) displaying the icon on the video screen in combination with the video signal, and (d) only displaying the dialog responsive to a user-initiated action.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention include a television system having an internal microphone for implementing a voice-messaging system. Using the microphone, the television system detects a message spoken by a user of the television system, and records the message to a memory. Some embodiments of the invention may also record metadata about the message. Embodiments of the invention alert an intended recipient of the message using the audio output or video output of the television system, and subsequently reproduce the message using the audio output of the television system. Other embodiments of the invention are described in the specification and the claims.

Abstract: The selection of informational material.

Abstract: A method and system for communicating state information for a target consumer electronic device in a home network to multiple controller devices, where the controller devices are each implementing a controller software element that conforms to a different protocol than the other. The target consumer electronic device is represented within the home network by a target software element. A first controller software element conforming to a data driven interaction (DDI) protocol accesses the target software element. A second controller software element conforming to a protocol different from the DDI protocol concurrently accesses the target software element. The first controller software element and the second controller software element cause a change in state of the consumer electronic device. The target software element notifies the first controller software element and the second controller software element of the state information for the target consumer electronic device.

Abstract: An interpolating digital signal clipping circuit provides pre-clipping of the luminance component of a video signal. A difference circuit adjusts each sample so that a single bit indicates whether the sample value is closer to a positive or negative clipping limit. Interpolated samples are produced by phase shifting FIR filters and are applied, along with the actual current sample, to a minimum or maximum selecting circuit that selects the minimum or maximum sample depending on the state of the indicating bit. The selected sample is compared with the clipping limits to produce an excess signal that indicates how much the selected sample exceeds the relevant clipping limit. A gain control signal is generated to be a "1" when no clipping is required and less than one when clipping is required. A digital video signal clipping circuit receives this pre-clipped luminance signal and adjusts each sample as above.

Abstract: In a new television signal decoder architecture, a mixer switches between two inputs, A and B, using an envelope function C, according to the relationship: Ouput=A*C+B(1-C), where A is either the composite television signal input in normal operation or a first test signal memory in test signal generation operation, and B is either a fixed blanking level in normal operation or a second test signal memory in test signal generation operation. A test signal generator and blanking sequencer provides the test signals to the two test signal memories and an envelope control signal to the envelope generator telling it when and in which direction to supply the transition envelope to the mixer. A variable electrical length front end is created by a microprocessor that recalls from its memory the timing associated with a particular composite video source and directs a timing circuit to wait an appropriate amount of time before releasing a frame of video stored in a FIFO buffer memory to the rest of the decoder.

Abstract: A television signal encoder/decoder control provides for quick and easy modification of circuit parameters for a television encoder/decoder. A microprocessor interfaces with both local and remote interfaces for obtaining parameter data, sets up the encoder/decoder according to the parameter data, and then stores the resulting setup parameters as a preset. The preset may then be instantaneously recalled and the encoder/decoder set up in the stored configuration in the space of a video signal vertical interval.

Abstract: A digital decoder for an encoded video signal has three stages. The first stage applies a multi-dimensional digital chrominance bandpass filter to the digitized encoded video signal to produce a chrominance signal, subtracting the chrominance signal from the digitized encoded video signal to produce a luminance signal. The second stage detects edges and peaks in the chrominance signal, and corrects the luminance signal where such edges and peaks are detected to produce a chrominance corrected luminance signal without dot crawl errors. An intermediate corrected chrominance signal may also be derived from the second stage. The third stage filters the chrominance signal, or intermediate corrected chrominance signal, to reduce peaks in the chrominance signal as well as to enhance edges to produce a corrected chrominance signal with minimized cross color errors.