Robert M Simons

6791622, Sep 14, 2004

Aug 31, 2001

09/944879

David E. Zeidler - Warrington PA
Robert M. Simons - Lansdale PA
Constance J. Borges - Churchville PA

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

H04N 544

348559, 348407, 348415, 348431

Methods and apparatus for reducing the artifacts associated with still frame display and video capture of interlaced video are provided. Tuner receives an interlaced video signal having an image frame with first and second fields. Motion detector detects whether motion is present between the first and second fields. Memory stores one or both of the fields for processing when motion is detected. Processor processes the stored field(s) to provide an image frame with reduced artifacts. Various processing techniques are provided to generate the image frame from the stored field(s), without duplicating the stored field for use as the other field. Memory stores the image frame. If motion is not detected, the first and second fields are both stored to provide the image frame. The stored image frame can then be continuously displayed to provide still frame display, or can be captured for subsequent use.

6901603, May 31, 2005

Jul 10, 2001

09/902327

David E. Zeidler - Warrington PA, US
Wayne D. Woodruff - Chalfont PA, US
Robert M. Simons - Lansdale PA, US

General Instrument Corportion - Horsham PA

H04N005/445

725 39, 725 58, 725141, 386 83

Advanced recording options are provided on a personal versatile recorder (PVR) or similar recording device. Television signals and associated electronic programming guide (EPG) data are received at a receiver (). Recorded program material is stored in a storage device (). A processor () provides for automatic suspending of recording, based on predetermined criteria, for at least a portion of time during which the one or more television programs would otherwise be recorded. Recording may be suspended when non-programming specific content (e. g. , a commercial or emergency broadcast) is received at the PVR (). Non-program specific content can be identified through the use of EPG data or Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) triggers. End of program notifiers may be provided which enable the PVR () to record the entire program, regardless of whether the program runs beyond its scheduled time. Recording may be optionally suspended where the program is a rerun.

7116377, Oct 3, 2006

Mar 26, 2002

10/107346

David E. Zeidler - Warrington PA, US
Robert M. Simons - Lansdale PA, US
Joseph A. Petry - Philadelphia PA, US

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

H04N 11/20

348569, 348458

The present invention provides an on-screen graphics (OSD) subsystem for overlaying OSD graphic images onto analog or digital video source signals. The OSD system has a video graphics bypass path and graphics bypass switch for directing an analog video channel around the OSD subsystem during time intervals when the OSD subsystem is not required to insert graphics into the source signal.

20030041336, Feb 27, 2003

Jul 10, 2001

09/901820

Chris Del Sordo - Souderton PA, US
Jack Birnbaum - Southampton PA, US
Robert Simons - Lansdale PA, US

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

H04N007/16

725/140000

Methods and apparatus are provided for distributing software code to particular end user terminals in a broadband network. Code images are provided to the broadband terminals via a collection of objects structure. In an illustrated embodiment a network system controller, such as a CATV headend, transmits an image that includes a Code Section Lookup Table followed by a common code section. The common code section is followed by specific code sections for the broadband terminals coupled to the network. For example, specific code sections can be provided for (i) different hardware configurations in the broadband terminal operator's population, (ii) different device driver code necessary to support primary and second-sourced broadband terminals, (iii) a plurality of different broadband terminal models coupled to the network; (iv) different software features available to the broadband terminals, and/or (v) different protocols supported in the field.

20040090556, May 13, 2004

Nov 12, 2002

10/292306

John Kamieniecki - Lafayette Hill PA, US
Joseph Halgas - Huntingdon Valley PA, US
Robert Simons - Lansdale PA, US
Jack Birnbaum - Southampton PA, US
David Zeidler - Warrington PA, US
Matthew Piacentino - Harleysville PA, US

H04N005/46

348/558000, 348/556000

A technique is used for determining a video format for a video output signal generated by a television receiver. The technique includes acquiring a preferred output format that is one of a plurality of video formats and determining an aspect ratio of a selected television signal having one of a plurality of television signal formats. The video output signal is generated using one of the plurality of video formats having a 4:3 aspect ratio when the selected television signal has a television signal format having a 4:3 aspect ratio and the preferred output format is other than one that has only a 4:3 aspect ratio. A related technique additionally acquires an optional override output format for television signals having an aspect ratio of 4:3 that is used to determine when to use the stated the stated video format to generate the video output signal.

20050289617, Dec 29, 2005

Aug 29, 2005

11/215677

Reem Safadi - Horsham PA, US
Douglas Makofka - Willow Grove PA, US
Robert Simons - Lansdale PA, US
Jack Birnbaum - Southampton PA, US
David Zeidler - Warrington PA, US
Mark DePietro - Harleysville PA, US
Lawrence Vince - Lansdale PA, US
Thomas Du Breuil - Ivyland PA, US
Salvatore Macera - Maple Glen PA, US
Carl McGrath - Chalfont PA, US
Raymond Bontempi - Jamison PA, US
Donald Merino - Jenkintown PA, US

H04N007/173
H04N007/16

725089000, 725134000, 725142000

A personal versatile recorder can be connected to, or integrated in, a cable television set-top terminal. The personal versatile recorder includes a central processing unit and a hard drive for mass data storage. Preferably, the personal versatile recorder has a tuner or tuners for receiving one or more transport streams from the cable system as well as analog or digital audiovisual programming. The data transport stream may encompass internet multimedia web content and associated applications to he utilized by the personal versatile recorder, Under instructions of the viewer or the agent application the central processing unit controls and facilitates various functions such as encoding, transcoding, decoding, caching, storing, playback and retrieval of any type of data or data file on the hard drive including compressed audiovisual programming content, streamed multimedia cached content, picture files, video files, audio files, HTML files, etc. for a variety of applications as described.

47122390, Dec 8, 1987

Jun 16, 1986

6/874845

William Frezza - Warminster PA
Robert Simons - Lansdale PA
Richard Westerfer - Norristown PA

General Instrument Corporation - New York NY

H04N 7167
H04L 900

380 20

A method and apparatus prevent unauthorized programming viewing via a downloadable cable television converter. A booter checksum is computed from data contained in a downloaded booter image. A valid checksum is extracted from tag data associated with a scrambled program signal transmitted on the cable system. The booter checksum is compared to the extracted valid checksum. If the booter checksum and valid checksums match, a descrambler is enabled to descramble the scrambled program signal. If the checksums do not match, the descrambler is not enabled. In this manner, a pirate is prevented from downloading a false booter image to defeat the integrity of the converter.

58017895, Sep 1, 1998

Mar 22, 1996

8/620924

David E. Zeidler - Warrington PA
Robert M. Simons - Lansdale PA
Qiang Zhu - Columbus NJ

General Instrument Corporation - Horsham PA

H04N 5262

348589

A system for overlaying digital character signals on an analog video source signal including a predetermined color subcarrier includes a digital character generating device, a digital video encoder, and a switching device. The digital character generating device detects horizontal and vertical timing of pixel information in the analog video source signal, and generates digital character signals that are to be overlaid in predetermined pixels of the analog video source signal. The digital video encoder is responsive to the color subcarrier signal for generating a separate color subcarrier which is locked to the predetermined color subcarrier of the analog video source signal. The digital video encoder also converts the digital character signals from the digital character generating device into an analog video output signal that includes the color subcarrier generated in the digital video encoder. The swithching device directs the analog video output signal from the digital video encoder or the analog video source signal to an output of the system during pixels times when a digital character is to be overlaid or not overlaid, respectively, on the analog video source signal.