A programming-on-demand cable system is provided which allows any one of a plurality of individual users to request anyone of a plurality of video programs they wish to view from a library of programs, and permits the requested program to be available for viewing on a conventional television set at the user's location following a request initiated by the user. Each program is preprogrammed in a memory device selectable by a host computer at a central data station in response to an address signal transmitted from the user. The host computer in conjunction with other electronics transmits the video program at a high non-real-time rate over a fiber optic line network to a data receiving station at the user's location. The data receiving station then converts the received optical data back to electrical data and stores it for subsequent real-time transmission to the user's television set. The system permits the user to view any one of a number of programs transmitted on a non-real-time basis, and also allows the user to store the transmitted program at his data receiving station for an indefinite period of time for viewing at a later date. A method is also provided for transmitting the programs on a non-real-time basis.

Programming-on-demand cable system and method

A display interface connected between a computer and a CRT device processes predetermined blocks of display data from predetermined locations in a memory of the computer to form pixels having predetermined characteristics in the display fields of the CRT device. A CRT display format of parameters such as color, pixel shape and size, and field shape and size, is controlled by input FORMAT DATA. The display resolution can be varied to accommodate the amount of data to be displayed within the desired field dimensions. The display data is retrieved from memory in data blocks, each of which is identified by a BLOCK ADDRESS. A single data block may occupy the entire display field; or may be displayed in a subfield simultaneously with other data blocks, or portions of data blocks, in the remaining subfields. The FORMAT DATA determines the subfield number and arrangement.

Interface device for encoding a digital image for a CRT display

A video generator is disclosed for use in a digital television display system, for converting randomly occurring data signals representing graphical patterns into a time-sequential video signal for use with a sequentially line scanned display device. The circuit is comprised of a threaded buffer connected to receive the data signals and adapted to sort the data signals into groups ordered by extremal scan line positions for the pattern represented. An intermediate buffer has a first input connected to the output of the threaded refresh buffer for storing the ordered data signals once during each display field before the display of the pattern represented and outputting the ordered data signals in synchronism with the line scans of the display. A graphical pattern generator is connected to the output of the intermediate buffer for decoding the ordered data signals outputted therefrom and generating on a first output line components of the pattern represented which lie along the display line to be scanned. A partial raster assembly storage is connected to the first output line from the graphical pattern generator, to store the components of the pattern represented which lie along the display line to be scanned. The graphical pattern generator modifies the decoded ordered data signals to identify the horizontal coordinate for the intersection of the pattern represented with the next display line to be scanned, and outputs the modified data signal over a second output line to a second input line for storage in the intermediate buffer. The graphical pattern generator omits the output of a modified data signal on the second output line when no components of the pattern will intersect succeeding display lines to be scanned in the field.

Video generator circuit for a dynamic digital television display

A load management terminal for an electric utility automated distribution system includes a receiver for receiving central commands sent from an electric utility central station by power line carrier signals. A control unit is connected to the receiver for executing the commands such as load shedding and remote metering. The terminal includes means for generating data at the remote site representative of the results of the executed commands and for storing the status data in a memory device. A video signal generator converts the status data into a composite video signal which is supplied to a modulator to produce a standard RF television signal. The terminal is selectively connected to the television receiver of an electric utility customer, whereby the metering and load shed status data is displayed on the customer television receiver.

Electric utility automated distribution apparatus with improved data display

A cathode ray display system in which characters are generated by a monoscope and in which the character address information for the entire raster of a cathode ray tube display is stored in a dynamic memory which is continuously read and regenerated by character entry and read-out logic which controls the monoscope scanning to supply the proper characters to the cathode ray tube as it scans in a raster.

Visual display system

An arrangement is provided for presentation of data received from a computer on a plurality of television screens. The arrangement includes a memory mans for storing in a delay line the coupled data which is circulated for representation on all of said television screens; and a number of row memories, one for each of the television screens, is coupled to the memory means and has a shift register in which the row data contents are circulated in an individual closed data loop a given number of times depending on the row resolution factor of the television image for line representation on a corresponding television screen. Another shift register is controlled from a central control unit and coupled to the row memories to extract each individual data row from the memory means, and each individual data row in a row memory is circulated synchronously with the repetition frequency of the line sweep of the television screen. The output generating means which is coupled to the screens presents each row of data in a consecutive sequence with a predetermined amount of presentation overlapping.

Lennart Wangberg

Papers

Conversion device for data presentation on television screens

Anordnung zur Darstellung von Daten auf Fernseh-Bildschirmen