Patents by Inventor Rolf Nothlings

Rolf Nothlings 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).

  • Publication number: 20110242269
    Abstract: A television system, comprising: a television set including a display and an input adapted to receive a television signal and a video conferencing signal, wherein the display is configured to display a television picture corresponding to the television signal and further configured to display a video conferencing picture of a video conference, the television set further including a first speaker adapted to output a audio signal of the video conference and a television sound signal included in said television signal, the television set further including a first microphone adapted to be used for said video conference; a remote control adapted to control the television set and including a second speaker and a second microphone; wherein the first speaker is adapted to output said audio signal and/or said television sound signal depending on a video conferencing mode; and wherein the second speaker is adapted to be switched on or off depending on said video conferencing mode; and wherein the first and second micro
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Rolf Nöthlings, Carsten Merkle
  • Patent number: 7433476
    Abstract: In an automatic gain control unit, the gain of a voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) (25) is regulated with a closed-loop control circuit. The time constant of the control circuit is varied dependent on the magnitude (31) of the VCA output signal. As long as the magnitude (31) of the VCA output signal is small, the gain is slowly adjusted. In case the magnitude (31) of the VCA becomes so large that saturation of the analog-digital converter (28) might occur, the time constant of the control circuit is decreased, in order to allow for a quick adjustment of the amplifier's gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Wildhagen, Carsten Merkle, Dietmar Schill, Rolf Nöthlings, Taiwa Okanobu
  • Patent number: 7280463
    Abstract: The bandwidth of a first variable IF filter (5) for a neighbour channel suppression of a currently received channel, which first variable IF filter (5) is arranged in a first reception path of a broadcast receiver additionally comprising at least one second reception path is controlled by obtaining at least one first quality signal corresponding to a received broadcast signal on basis of a first filtering of the received and eventually pre-processed broadcast signal with said first variable IF filter (5) set to a predetermined bandwidth, obtaining at least one second quality signal corresponding to said received broadcast signal on basis of at least one second filtering of the received and eventually pre-processed broadcast signal with a second variable IF filter (13) arranged in said at least one second reception path with a bandwidth different to the first variable IF filter (5) bandwidth and/or with a different filter characteristic, and controlling the bandwidth of the first variable IF filter (5) on basi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Wildnagen, Rolf Nöthlings
  • Patent number: 7225214
    Abstract: A digital filter realization is proposed that consists of only one multiplier, i. e. which operates with a higher clock rate and changes coefficient at the multiplier each clock cycle, but in which the clock rate of the multiplier is reduced in comparison to prior art filters by considering equal filter coefficients, e. g. based on the symmetry of FIR filter coefficients. According to the present invention preferably the samples belonging to equal filter coefficients are added in advance in order to reduce the number of multiplications, which concludes in a reduced clock rate for the filter, a reduced needed calculation power, and therefore a reduced power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf Nöthlings, Jens Wildhagen
  • Publication number: 20030103444
    Abstract: The bandwidth of a first variable IF filter (5) for a neighbour channel suppression of a currently received channel, which first variable IF filter (5) is arranged in a first reception path of a broadcast receiver additionally comprising at least one second reception path is controlled by obtaining at least one first quality signal corresponding to a received broadcast signal on basis of a first filtering of the received and eventually pre-processed broadcast signal with said first variable IF filter (5) set to a predetermined bandwidth, obtaining at least one second quality signal corresponding to said received broadcast signal on basis of at least one second filtering of the received and eventually pre-processed broadcast signal with a second variable IF filter (13) arranged in said at least one second reception path with a bandwidth different to the first variable IF filter (5) bandwidth and/or with a different filter characteristic, and controlling the bandwidth of the first variable IF filter (5) on basi
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventors: Jens Wildhagen, Rolf Nothlings
  • Publication number: 20030065693
    Abstract: A digital filter realization is proposed that consists of only one multiplier, i. e. which operates with a higher clock rate and changes coefficient at the multiplier each clock cycle, but in which the clock rate of the multiplier is reduced in comparison to prior art filters by considering equal filter coefficients, e. g. based on the symmetry of FIR filter coefficients. According to the present invention preferably the samples belonging to equal filter coefficients are added in advance in order to reduce the number of multiplications, which concludes in a reduced clock rate for the filter, a reduced needed calculation power, and therefore a reduced power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Rolf Nothlings, Jens Wildhagen
  • Publication number: 20030059065
    Abstract: In an automatic gain control unit, the gain of a voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) (25) is regulated with a closed-loop control circuit. The time constant of the control circuit is varied dependent on the magnitude (31) of the VCA output signal. As long as the magnitude (31) of the VCA output signal is small, the gain is slowly adjusted. In case the magnitude (31) of the VCA becomes so large that saturation of the analog-digital converter (28) might occur, the time constant of the control circuit is decreased, in order to allow for a quick adjustment of the amplifier's gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Jens Wildhagen, Carsten Merkle, Dietmar Schill, Rolf Nothlings, Taiwa Okanobu