Video system including apparatus for deactivating an automatic control arrangement

Claim 2

Apparatus comprising: a channel for processing an information bearing signal including means for continuously controlling a characteristic of said information bearing signal in response to a control signal; means subject to a user's manual adjustment and responsive to said information bearing signal for generating a combined control signal representing both a manual control level and an automatic control level in combined form; said means for coupling said combined control signal to said controlling means; and means subject to the user's manual adjustment for generating an auxiliary control signal representative of said manual control level independent of said automatic control level; wherein: said means for generating said combined control signal includes means for generating a pulse signal encoded to represent said manual control level; means for generating an automatic control signal in response to said information bearing signal; and a common filter element for filtering both of said pulse signal and said automatic control signal to produce said combined control signal; and said auxiliary control signal generating means includes another filter element for filtering said pulse signal to produce said auxiliary control signal.

Claim 3

The apparatus recited in claim 1, further including: means responsive to said auxiliary control signal for modifying the operation of said means for generating said automatic control signal when said manual control level reaches a predetermined threshold.

Claim 4

Apparatus, comprising: a channel for processing an information bearing signal including means for controlling a characteristic of said information bearing signal in response to a control signal; means responsive to a user's manual adjustment for generating a manual control signal; means for comparing said manual control signal to a reference level corresponding to a particular manual adjustment level and for generating a switching control signal when said manual control signal exhibits a predetermined relationship to said reference level; means responsive to said information bearing signal for generating an automatic control signal in a first mode of operation; means responsive to said switching control signal for switching said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode of operation to a second mode of operation; means for coupling said manual control signal independent of said comparing means to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said characteristic of said information bearing signal in response to said manual control signal; and means for coupling said automatic control signal to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said characteristic of said information bearing signal in response to said automatic control signal.

Claim 5

Apparatus, comprising: a channel for processing an information bearing signal including means for controlling a characteristic of said information bearing signal in response to a control signal; means responsive to a user's manual adjustment for generating a manual control signal; means for comparing said manual control signal to a reference level corresponding to a particular manual adjustment level and for generating a switching control signal when said manual control signal exhibits a predetermined relationship to said reference level; means responsive to said information bearing signal for generating an automatic control signal in a first mode of operation; means responsive to said switching control signal for switching said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode of operation to a second mode of operation; means for coupling said manual control signal independent of said comparing means to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said characteristic of said information bearing signal in response to said manual control signal; and means for coupling said automatic control signal to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said characteristic of said information bearing signal in response to said automatic control signal.

Claim 6

The apparatus recited in claim 3, wherein: said automatic control signal generating means is disabled from generating said automatic control signal in said second mode of operation.

Claim 7

The apparatus recited in claim 4, wherein: said means for coupling said manual control signal couples said manual control signal to said controlling means so that said controlling means continues to be responsive to said manual control signal when said means for generating said automatic control signal is in said second mode of operation.

Claim 8

The apparatus recited in claim 3, wherein: said processing channel is included in a television system, said information bearing signal is a video signal, and said controlling means controls an amplitude characteristic of said video signal.

Claim 9

The apparatus recited in claim 6, wherein: said controlling means controls the peak amplitude of said video signal in order to control a contrast characteristic of an image reproduced in response to said video signal; and said means for generating said automatic control signal is responsive to the peak amplitude of said video signal; and said means for generating said manual control signal comprises a manual contrast control arrangement.

Claim 10

The apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein: said reference level corresponds to a particular contrast control level.

Claim 11

In a television system, apparatus comprising: a video channel for processing a video signal including means for controlling an amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to a control signal; a display arrangement including at least one picture tube for reproducing an image in response to said video processed by said video channel, said display arrangement drawing a beam current in response to said video signal; means responsive to a user's manual adjustment for generating a manual control signal; means for comparing said manual control signal to a reference level corresponding to a particular manual adjustment level and for generating a switching control signal when said manual control signal exhibits a predetermined relationship to said reference level; means responsive to said video signal for generating an automatic control signal, in a first mode of operation, for limiting said beam current drawn by said display arrangement; means responsive to said switching control signal for switching said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode of operation to a second mode of operation; means for coupling said manual control signal independent of said comparing means to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to said manual control signal; and means for coupling said automatic control signal to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to said automatic control signal.

Claim 12

In a television system, apparatus comprising: a video channel for processing a video signal including means for controlling an amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to a control signal; a display arrangement including at least one picture tube for reproducing an image in response to said video processed by said video channel, said display arrangement drawing a beam current in response to said video signal; means responsive to a user's manual adjustment for generating a manual control signal; means for comparing said manual control signal to a reference level corresponding to a particular manual adjustment level and for generating a switching control signal when said manual control signal exhibits a predetermined relationship to said reference level; means responsive to said video signal for generating an automatic control signal, in a first mode of operation, for limiting said beam current drawn by said display arrangement; means responsive to said switching control signal for switching said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode of operation to a second mode of operation; means for coupling said manual control signal independent of said comparing means to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to said manual control signal; and means for coupling said automatic control signal to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to said automatic control signal.

Claim 13

The apparatus recited in claim 9, wherein: said means for coupling said manual control signal couples said manual control signal to said controlling means so that said controlling means continues to be responsive to said manual control signal when said automatic control signal generating means is in said second mode of operation.

Claim 14

The television system recited in claim 10, wherein: said beam current limiting means includes means responsive to the average value of said beam current; and means responsive to the peak value of said video signal.

Claim 15

The television system recited in claim 11, wherein: said means for switching switches said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode to said second mode disabling the operation of said means responsive to said peak value of said video signal when said manual control signal and said reference level exhibit said predetermined relationship.

Claim 16

The television system recited in claim 11, wherein: said means for switching switches said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode to said second mode disabling said means responsive to said peak value of said video signal but does not disable said means responsive to said average beam current when said manual control signal and said reference level exhibit said predetermined relationship.

Claim 17

The television system recited in claim 13, wherein: said controlling means controls the peak amplitude of said video signal in order to control a contrast characteristic of said image reproduced in response to said video signal; and said means for generating said manual control signal comprises a manual contrast control arrangement.

Claim 18

The television system recited in claim 14, wherein: said reference level corresponds to the particular contrast control level.

Claim 19

The television system recited in claim 15, wherein: said display arrangement comprises a projection system including three picture tubes.

Claim 20

In a television system, apparatus comprising: a video channel for processing a video signal including means for controlling a peak amplitude of said video signal in response to a control signal; a display arrangement including at least one picture tube for reproducing an image in response to said video signal processed by said video channel, said display arrangement drawing a beam current in response to said video signal; means responsive to a user's manual adjustment for generating a manual control signal representative of a desired level of image contrast; means for comparing said manual control signal to a reference level corresponding to a particular image contrast level and for generating a second control signal when said manual control signal exhibits a predetermined relationship to said reference level; means responsive to said video signal for generating an automatic control signal, in a first mode of operation, for limiting said beam current drawn by said display arrangement; means responsive to said second control signal for switching said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode of operation to a second mode of operation; means for coupling said manual control signal independent of said comparing means to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said peak amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to said manual control signal; and means for coupling said automatic control signal to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said peak amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to said automatic control signal.

Claim 21

In a television system, apparatus comprising: a video channel for processing a video signal including means for controlling a peak amplitude of said video signal in response to a control signal; a display arrangement including at least one picture tube for reproducing an image in response to said video signal processed by said video channel, said display arrangement drawing a beam current in response to said video signal; means responsive to a user's manual adjustment for generating a manual control signal representative of a desired level of image contrast; means for comparing said manual control signal to a reference level corresponding to a particular image contrast level and for generating a second control signal when said manual control signal exhibits a predetermined relationship to said reference level; means responsive to said video signal for generating an automatic control signal, in a first mode of operation, for limiting said beam current drawn by said display arrangement; means responsive to said second control signal for switching said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode of operation to a second mode of operation; means for coupling said manual control signal independent of said comparing means to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said peak amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to said manual control signal; and means for coupling said automatic control signal to said controlling means so that said controlling means controls said peak amplitude characteristic of said video signal in response to said automatic control signal.

Claim 22

The television system recited in claim 17, wherein: said automatic control signal generating means includes means responsive to the average value of said beam current; and means responsive to said peak value of said video signal; and said means for switching switches said automatic control signal generating means from said first mode to said second mode disabling the operation of said means responsive to said peak amplitude of said video signal when said manual control signal corresponds to said particular image contrast level.

Claim 23

The television system recited in claim 18, wherein: said display arrangement comprises a projection system including three picture tubes.