On-screen channel display

Claim 3

A display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said decoding means comprises a seven segment decoder.

Claim 4

A display system in accordance with claim 2 wherein a line counter is provided to count horizontal scans of the cathode ray beam and wherein the output of said counter is coupled to said multiplexer to control the same.

Claim 5

A display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said decoder is a seven segment decoder and wherein means are provided to gate the data output of said decoder which represent the vertical segments of the character to be displayed during given horizontal scans of the beam of the cathode ray tube.

Claim 6

A system ,in accordance with claim 1 including timing circuit means, means for multiplexing coded data representing each of said characters in accordance with timing signals from said timing circuit means, a seven segment decoder for decoding said multiplexed data, and means for using said decoded data to apply a video signal to the cathode ray tube of the television receiver.

Claim 7

A display system in accordance with claim 5 wherein there is provided an oscillator, means for keying the operation of the oscillator to the horizontal sync of the television receiver, and a counter for counting an output of said oscillator and for producing said timing signals.

Claim 8

A channel number display system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said data multiplexer has units digits gates and tens digits gates, said timing signal multiplexing data between said units and tens digits gates into at least four output lines, and means for coupling said multiplexed data to inputs of said seven segment decoder.

Claim 9

A channel number display system in accordance with claim 7 wherein means are provided to blank the display system output for a time interval between the switching of said data multiplexer from the units digits gates to the tens digits gates to provide spacing between the units and tens characters on the raster of the cathode ray tube.

Claim 10

A channel number display system in accordance with claim 8 wherein select means are provided to select one of a greater number of variable character displays, said means including a BCD signal responsive select circuit.

Claim 11

A channel number display system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said select means includes a four-six character select circuit for selecting either four or six character display.

Claim 14

A display system in accordance with claim 11 wherein there is provided an oscillator, means for keying the oscillator to the horizontal scan of the cathode ray beam, said oscillator having a frequency substantially higher than the horizontal line frequency of the cathode ray tube, means for coupling the output of the oscillator to the timing counter to control the same.

Claim 15

A display system in accordance with claim 12 wherein means are provided to use the horizontal sync signal of the television receiver to enable said timing counter.

Claim 16

Apparatus for use with a television receiver, said receiver comprising a horizontal scanning circuit, a vertical scanning circuit, a video signal circuit, and a display device coupled to said scanning and video signal circuits, and creating a character on said display device in the form of line segments oriented in generally horizontal and vertical directions and superimposed over other information displayed thereon and comprising: data means for developing coded data indicative of the character to be displayed; decoding means having a plurality of outputs and producing at each of said outputs a signal representative of the presence of a corresponding line segment in the character to be displayed; an oscillator coupled to said horizontal scanning circuit and synchronized to the operation of said horizontal scanning circuit and producing a signal at a frequency greater than the horizontal scanning frequency; counting means coupled to the output of said oscillator and developing signals representative of the position of the horizontal scan; gating means coupled to said decoding means and said counting means and gating said signals representative of the presence of a corresponding generally vertical line segment in response to the position of the horizontal scan; matrix means for matrixing said gated signals representative of the presence of corresponding generally vertical line segments and said signals representative of corresponding generally horizontal line segments to form a plurality of line signals each representative of the video signal required to generate said character on said display device during a horizontal scan; signal selection means for selecting one of said line signals in accord with the position of the vertical scan; and combining means coupled to said video signal circuit for combining said selected line signal with a signal representative of said other information displayed on said display device.

Claim 17

Apparatus for use with a television receiver, said receiver comprising a horizontal scanning circuit, a vertical scanning circuit, a video signal circuit, and a display device coupled to said scanning and video signal circuits, and creating a character on said display device in the form of line segments oriented in generally horizontal and vertical directions and superimposed over other information displayed thereon and comprising: data means for developing coded data indicative of the character to be displayed; decoding means having a plurality of outputs and producing at each of said outputs a signal representative of the presence of a corresponding line segment in the character to be displayed; an oscillator coupled to said horizontal scanning circuit and synchronized to the operation of said horizontal scanning circuit and producing a signal at a frequency greater than the horizontal scanning frequency; counting means coupled to the output of said oscillator and developing signals representative of the position of the horizontal scan; gating means coupled to said decoding means and said counting means and gating said signals representative of the presence of a corresponding generally vertical line segment in response to the position of the horizontal scan; matrix means for matrixing said gated signals representative of the presence of corresponding generally vertical line segments and said signals representative of corresponding generally horizontal line segments to form a plurality of line signals each representative of the video signal required to generate said character on said display device during a horizontal scan; signal selection means for selecting one of said line signals in accord with the position of the vertical scan; and combining means coupled to said video signal circuit for combining said selected line signal with a signal representative of said other information displayed on said display device.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said character is displayed in the form of the presence or absence of seven line segments and said decoding means comprises a seven segment decoder having seven outputs and producing at each of said outputs a signal representative of the presence of a corresponding one of said seven line segments in the character to be displayed.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 14 creating at least two characters on said display device wherein said data means develops coded data indicative of the characters to be displayed and said apparatus further comprises multiplex means coupled to said data means, said decoding means and said counting circuitry for applying to said decoding means coded data indicative of different characters to be displayed in response to the position of the horizontal scan.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for preventing the display of said characters for a time interval including the switching of said multiplex means to provide spacing between said characters.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a time delay circuit coupled between said oscillator and said horizontal scanning circuit and preventing the operation of said oscillator until a predetermined time period has elapsed following the commencement of a horizontal scan.

Claim 22

Apparatus for use with a television receiver, said receiver comprising a first scanning circuit for scanning in a first direction, a second scanning circuit for scanning in a second direction generally perpendicular to said first direction, a video signal circuit, and a display device coupled to said scanning and video signal circuits, and creating a character on said display device in the form of line segments oriented in generally said first and second directions and superimposed over other information displayed thereon and comprising: data means for developing coded data indicative of the character to be displayed; decoding means having a plurality of outputs and producing at each of said outputs a signal representative of the presence of a corresponding line segment in the character to be displayed; timing and gating means coupled to said decoding means and said first scanning circuit and gating said signals representative of the presence of a corresponding line segment in said second direction in response to the position of the scan in said first direction; matrix means for matrixing said gated signals representative of the presence of corresponding line segments in said second direction and signals representative of corresponding line segments in said first direction to form a plurality of line signals each representative of the video signal required to generate said character on said display device during a scan in said first direction; signal selection means for selecting one of said line signals in accord with the position of the scan in said second direction; and combining means coupled to said video signal circuit for combining said selected line signal with a signal representative of said other information displayed on said display device.

Claim 23

Apparatus for use with a television receiver, said receiver comprising a first scanning circuit for scanning in a first direction, a second scanning circuit for scanning in a second direction generally perpendicular to said first direction, a video signal circuit, and a display device coupled to said scanning and video signal circuits, and creating a character on said display device in the form of line segments oriented in generally said first and second directions and superimposed over other information displayed thereon and comprising: data means for developing coded data indicative of the character to be displayed; decoding means having a plurality of outputs and producing at each of said outputs a signal representative of the presence of a corresponding line segment in the character to be displayed; timing and gating means coupled to said decoding means and said first scanning circuit and gating said signals representative of the presence of a corresponding line segment in said second direction in response to the position of the scan in said first direction; matrix means for matrixing said gated signals representative of the presence of corresponding line segments in said second direction and signals representative of corresponding line segments in said first direction to form a plurality of line signals each representative of the video signal required to generate said character on said display device during a scan in said first direction; signal selection means for selecting one of said line signals in accord with the position of the scan in said second direction; and combining means coupled to said video signal circuit for combining said selected line signal with a signal representative of said other information displayed on said display device.

Claim 26

A channel number display system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said data developing and multiplexing means has units digits gates and tens digits gates, said timing signal multiplexing data between said units and tens digits gates into at least four output lines, and means for coupling said multiplexing data to inputs of said seven segment decoder.

Claim 27

A channel number display system in accordance with claim 21 wherein means are provided to blank the display system output for a time interval between the switching of said data developing and multiplexing means from the units digits gates to the tens digits gates to provide spacing between the units and tens characters on the raster of the cathode ray tube.

Claim 28

A channel number display system in accordance with claim 22 wherein select means are provided to select one of a greater number of variable character displays, said means including a BCD signal responsive select circuit.

Claim 29

A channel number display system in accordance with claim 23 wherein said select means includes a four-six character select circuit for selecting either four or six character display.

Claim 32

A display system in accordance with claim 25 wherein said circuit means further comprises counting means coupled to the output of said oscillator and developing signals indicative of the horizontal position of the beam of the cathode ray tube of said broadcast television receiver.

Claim 33

A display system in accordance with claim 26 further comprising means coupled to the horizontal scan circuitry of said broadcast television receiver and said counting means for resetting said counting means.

Claim 36

A display system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said decoding means comprises a seven segment decoder.

Claim 37

A display system in accordance with claim 28 wherein a line counter is provided to count horizontal scans of the cathode ray beam and wherein the output of said counter is coupled to said multiplexing means to control the same.

Claim 38

A display system in accordance with claim 30 further comprising means coupled to the horizontal scan circuitry of said broadcast television receiver and said counting means for resetting said counting means.