VCR having capability of displaying time signal received from broadcasting stations

• US 5,500,741 A
• Filed: 10/05/1993
• Issued: 03/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Goldstar Jewellery LLC
• Original Assignee: Goldstar Jewellery LLC
• Inventors: Hur, Jung H., Shim, Dae S., Baik, Bok H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/132,181
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/310, 358/342, 358/341, 358/343, 360/33.1, 360/19.1, 360/39, 360/59, 360/69, 360/75, 360/29, 348/460, 348/461, 348/465, 348/467, 348/468, 348/473, 348/474
• US Class Current: 386/269
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 15/006 for operating at a number of different times cigar or cigarette receptacles or boxes with means for limiting the frequency of smoking A24F15/005
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/16 Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/18 Decoding time data; Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3045 superimposed on the recorded main signal, e.g. burn-in-time code
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/10 Indicating arrangements; Warning arrangements G11B15/04, G11B19/04, G11B27/34, G11B27/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9206 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A method of displaying time of a VCR including steps for checking whether current time data is received, determining states of the received current time data corresponding to a duty cycle at times when the current time data is received and converting the determined logic states of the current time data to current time. The current time is then displayed, The current time is superimposed on a video signal and a resultant superimposed signal is displayed. The resultant superimposed signal is recorded when the user requires recording of the current time together with the video signal.

Claims

1. A VCR comprising:

receiving means for receiving a current time signal of radio wave from a broadcasting station and for demodulating the received current time signal;

wave-shaping means for converting the demodulated current time signal from said receiving means to a digital signal and for outputting a resultant current time data;

tuning means for receiving audio and video signals of radio wave from the broadcasting station and for tuning the received audio and video signals to a reference frequency;

means for recording and playing back the audio and video signals and the current time signal from the broadcasting station;

control means for controlling the operation of the VCR, for determining logic states of the digital signal from said wave-shaping means in accordance with a duty cycle of the digital signal and for converting the current time data to the current time in accordance with the determined logic states;

on-screen display means for superimposing the current time on the video signal from said tuning means under control by said control means and for outputting a resultant signal to one of said recording and playing back means and an external display means;

character display means for displaying the current time from said control means; and

key matrix means for applying function signals to said control means according to a user'"'"'s selection.

2. A VCR according to claim 1, further comprising:

light emitting indicating means for indicating summer time when the current time from said control means is the summer time.

3. A VCR according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for generating a time siren when a time siren function is selected using said key matrix means.

4. A VCR according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means includes:

a first receiving antenna for receiving the current time signal of radio wave from the broadcasting station;

a first amplifier for amplifying the received current time signal;

a filter for filtering an output signal from said first amplifier;

a second amplifier for amplifying an output signal from said filter;

a demodulator for demodulating an output signal from said second amplifier; and

an automatic gain controller for automatically controlling gains of said first and second amplifiers.

5. A VCR according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means includes:

a reception sensitivity selecting circuit for receiving the current time signal of radio wave from the broadcasting station in different receiving directions and for selecting the current time signal of a better reception sensitivity;

a frequency selecting circuit for selecting a frequency convenient for reception when the VCR is placed at a center position between two broadcasting station regions of different transmitting frequencies for the current time signal;

an amplifier for amplifying an output signal from said frequency selecting circuit;

a demodulator for demodulating an output signal from said amplifier; and

an automatic gain controller for automatically controlling a gain of said amplifier.

6. A VCR according to claim 5, wherein said reception sensitivity selecting circuit includes:

a second amplifier for receiving the current time signal of radio wave from the broadcasting station through a receiving antenna and for amplifying the received current time signal;

a third amplifier for receiving the current time signal of radio wave from the broadcasting station through another receiving antenna from a receiving direction different from that of said second amplifier and for amplifying the received current time signal;

a switch for selecting one of output signals from said first and second amplifiers; and

a comparator for comparing the output signals from said first and second amplifiers to select the one having a better reception sensitivity and controlling said switch in accordance with the comparison.

7. A VCR according to claim 5, wherein said frequency selecting circuit includes:

a first filter for performing a filtering operation at a transmitting frequency of one of the broadcasting station regions;

a second filter for performing a filtering operation at a transmitting frequency of the other of the broadcasting station regions; and

a switch for selecting one of the first and second filters.