Patent · US Expired

Signal processing apparatus and methods

US4704725A · kind A · utility

585Cited by
6References
5Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 14, 1986
Grant dateNov 3, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 14, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/8355
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for automatically controlling programing transmissions and presentations on television and radio equipment and monitoring the programing transmitted and presented. ("Programing" here means everything transmitted over television or radio intended for communication of entertainment or to instruct or inform.) The apparatus can handle programing transmitted either over-the-air (hereinafter, "broadcast") or over hard-wire (hereinafter, "cablecast"). The apparatus receive transmissions from as many as one hundred or more channels that are sequentially scanned by one or more scanners/switches that transfer the transmissions to one or more receiver/decoders that identify signals in the programing and separate the signals from the programing transmissions. The signals may then be transferred through one or more decrypters. The separated and possibly wholly or partially decrypted signals are then transferred through one or more processors and buffers to external equipment and/or data recorders. The data recorders are adapted to output data to remote sites on predetermined instructions. In all these functions, the apparatus are governed by one or more controllers. The me…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.