Abstract: In general, various methods, apparatuses, and systems are described for communicating a loss of an AC power source. In at least certain embodiments, a broadband communication gateway receives a direct current (DC) output signal from an alternating current (AC) to DC converter that detects a loss of an AC input signal. The apparatus further includes a processing unit that generates a communication message in response to receiving an interrupt signal based on the detection of the loss of the AC input signal. The processing unit controls an analog front end that sends the communication message to a device external to the broadband communication gateway in response to the interrupt signal prior to a voltage of the DC output signal decreasing below a threshold voltage needed for operation of the broadband communication gateway.

Abstract: In general, various methods, apparatuses, and systems are described for communicating a loss of an AC power source. In at least certain embodiments, a broadband communication gateway receives a direct current (DC) output signal from an alternating current (AC) to DC converter that detects a loss of an AC input signal. The apparatus further includes a processing unit that generates a communication message in response to receiving an interrupt signal based on the detection of the loss of the AC input signal. The processing unit controls an analog front end that sends the communication message to a device external to the broadband communication gateway in response to the interrupt signal prior to a voltage of the DC output signal decreasing below a threshold voltage needed for operation of the broadband communication gateway.

Abstract: A method of concealing temporal shifts when a digital video effects system is used with a video switcher adds a mixer to the digital video effects system to mix the input to and output from the digital video effects system if the image to be transformed is on-screen at the beginning of the effect. An input video signal from a keyer in the video switcher is switched by an effects send/return matrix to the inputs of the digital video effects system and the mixer, and the output from the mixer is returned to the effects send/return matrix for input to the mix/effects stage of the video switcher. When the digital video effects system is bypassed, a delay circuit is used in the bypass path of the effects send/return matrix, the delay time equaling the processing time of the mixer.

Abstract: A graphic display for chroma keyer controls presents background hue as a radial spoke of an outer chroma vector circle, with selectivity being displayed as a wedge about the radial spoke. Foreground suppression may be added to the graphic display by providing a concentric inner chroma vector circle with the foreground suppression hue being a radial spoke of the inner circle and foreground selectivity being a wedge within the inner circle about such radial spoke. That portion of the outer circle that is overlapped by the inner circle is suppressed, or rendered invisible, so that the background chroma information appears as a torus about the inner chroma vector circle.

Abstract: A method for accumulating component video signals non-additively adds the luminance components to produce an accumulated luminance component, and additively adds the chrominance components to produce an accumulated chrominance component. The accumulated chrominance component may be clipped to limit chrominance values in an overlap area to legal color values. The intentional overlap of the component video signals produces an accumulation special effect in the overlap area.

Abstract: An apparatus for smoothing an abrupt change in signal level generates a control signal having a curvilinear ramp shape. An amplifier has a step input signal applied to a non-inverting input, a delayed slope control signal applied to a bias terminal, and the output of the amplifier fed back to an inverting input. An RC series circuit is connected between the output of the amplifier and a reference potential, with the control signal taken from the node between the resistor and capacitor. The amplifier is saturated by the step input signal, and is subsequently turned on by the delayed slope control signal so that the amplifier acts initially as a current source for the RC circuit until the slope control signal reaches its full value. Then the RC circuit charges linearly until the intercept voltage of the step input is approached, at which point the amplifier comes out of saturation and acts as a voltage source to exponentially charge the capacitor to the intercept voltage.

Abstract: A system for aligning data with corresponding sector marks in an optical disk storage system. In an optical disk storage system, data is written into a number of concentric bands, each of which contains a servo track and a number of data tracks. Each band is divided circumferentially into a series of sectors which are defined by marks in the servo track. The beginning of a sector is detected by identifying one of the marks in the servo track, and the beginning of a data record must coincide with the beginning of a sector. Recorded during the manufacture of the storage disk of the present invention, are pairs of special tracks wherein the first sector mark on a track is identified by an index mark, and the adjacent data track has a beginning of data mark recorded at a fixed location relative to the index mark. The disk read/write head is moved over one of these pairs and the difference in time between the occurrence of the index and occurrence of the beginning of data mark is measured.

Abstract: A device for providing a visual indication of the value of a variable of an electrical signal has a plurality, n, of driver circuits each having an input terminal for receiving the electrical signal and a plurality, m, of output terminals. Each driver circuit is operable in a mode in which it provides an output signal at its ith output terminal when the value of the variable lies in a range corresponding to the ith increment on a scale of m increments. The position of the scale of m increments associated with each circuit is adjustable so that the scale of m increment associated with the jth driver circuit overlaps by ((m-1)+(n-1)/n) increments the scale of m increments associated with at least one of the (j-1)th circuit and the (j+1)th circuit. Light emitting elements, arranged in an interdigitated grand linear array, are coupled to respective output terminals of the driver circuits.

Abstract: Disclosed is a radiant energy optoelectronic position monitor system which detects the angular position of a "galvonometer mirror" (beam scanner) used in an optical disk memory arrangement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a radiant energy optoelectronic position monitor system which detects the angular position of a "galvanometer mirror" (beam scanner) used in an optical disk memory arrangement. Using a single infra-red monitor beam, angular motion is converted to linear displacement of an image on a detector cell so as to produce a corresponding electrical signal. This signal is presented to a processing circuit with an analog divider to normalize output scale factor. The result is a high gain electrical circuit for recovering output signals in an environment with strong magnetic interference.