Abstract: A stored program interpreter or virtual machine with a reduced or simple instruction set that implements a Sequencer which allows the programming of time-dependent behavior of controlled loads or circuits such as Electronic Circuit Breaker Units (ECBUs). Programs can be dynamically loaded or modified at run-time, allowing ensemble behavior of controlled loads, such as wig-wag or de-ice heat cycling, to be implemented without a change to the embedded firmware application code.

Abstract: Counting circuitry in the vertical synchronizing circuit of a video receiver is prevented from generating vertical control signals at a fixed, standard periodicity when the video signal transmitted to that receiver exhibits a changing field interval which varies above and below that standard period. At least one of the vertical pulses in the vertical period of each field interval as well as plural equalizing pulses in the post equalizing period in that field interval are deleted from the video signal. To minimize perturbations in the video picture displayed from that video signal, the time of occurrence of the first vertical pulse in selected field intervals is shifted.

Abstract: A composite television signal is modified to inhibit the reproduction of an unauthorized recording thereof by conventional video recorders but enable the display of a video picture therefrom on a television receiver. The length of a frame (more particularly, the length of each field in a frame) is increased or decreased from standard length, either by changing the time duration of the respective horizontal line intervals included in each frame while keeping a constant, standard (e.g. 525) number of lines per frame, or by changing the number of horizontal line intervals which constitute a frame while maintaining the standard duration of each line interval (e.g. 63.5 microseconds). A profile pattern representing the variation of the video frame duration, or vertical period, (whether by changing the horizontal line durations or the number of lines in a frame) with respect to time is adjustable to correspondingly control the rate at which the vertical period (i.e.