Patents by Inventor Joseph W. Forler

Joseph W. Forler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5557338
    Abstract: A television receiver system having secondary picture display capability (such as PIP or POP) includes two tuners and signal processing arrangements, and circuitry for receiving a transmitted channel guide. In response to a "BROWSE" command, the receiver maintains the currently-tuned first channel as the source for the main picture, displays text related to a television show on a second channel, activates the secondary picture display circuitry, and tunes the second tuner to the second channel. In this way, the viewer can simultaneously get the benefit of both a text description of the television show on the second channel and view a secondary image of the television show on the second channel, without tuning away from the first channel supplying the main picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Maze, Joseph W. Forler
  • Patent number: 5428400
    Abstract: In a television system including closed caption circuitry for receiving and decoding closed caption data, a controller continually monitors the closed caption circuitry for an indication of the presence of any of a plurality of predetermined valid closed caption data codes. Every time any of the predetermined valid closed caption data codes is detected, a timer is reset to begin timing a predetermined time interval, and an on-screen display indicating that closed caption data are available is enabled. If a subsequent one of the predetermined valid closed caption data codes is not detected before the expiration of the time interval, then the on-screen display indicating that closed caption data are available is disabled. In another embodiment of the invention, a lamp is illuminated to indicate the availability of useful closed-caption data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Landis, Joseph W. Forler, Paul D. Henry
  • Patent number: 5327176
    Abstract: A system for processing audio and video components of a television signal provides for automatic control of closed caption signal display in response to the status of an audio muting feature. The system includes an operating mode in which enabling audio muting also enables the closed caption display and disabling muting disables generation of the closed caption display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Forler, John F. Teskey, Michael D. Landis