Apparatus for automatically adapting the mean sound level of a television receiver

• US 5,631,714 A
• Filed: 11/22/1995
• Issued: 05/20/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Control Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Serge Saadoun
• Inventors: Saadoun, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Application Number:
  US08/561,737
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 455/200.1, 455/233.1, 455/267, 381/101-104, 348/736, 348/738
• US Class Current: 348/738
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3015 using diodes or transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals

Abstract

A system for automatically adapting the mean sound level of a television receiver. The system for automatically adapting the mean sound level of a television receiver comprises an adapting module comprising both a video adapting circuit comprising at least one additional input highpass filter and a fixed-gain video amplifier connected in series and interposed in the video image processing circuits at circuity for providing video image signals, and secondly an audio adapting circuit interposed in the sound path at circuity for taking audio signals to detect the input mean level of sound, to compare said mean level of sound with a pre-established reference mean level, and automatically to adapt the mean level of output sound to maintain it at the pro-established reference mean level.

Claims

1. A system for automatically adapting the mean sound level of a television receiver fitted both with means for delivering audio signals detected within at least one sound path of a composite video signal and means for delivering video image signals detected from said composite video signal,

comprising an adapting module comprising both a video adapting circuit comprising at least one additional input highpass filter and fixed-gain video amplifier connected in series and interposed in the video image processing circuits at said means for providing video image signals, and secondly an audio adapting circuit interposed in said sound path at said means for providing audio signals, to detect the mean sound input level, to compare said mean sound level with a pre-established reference mean level, and automatically to adapt the output mean sound level to maintain it at said pre-established reference mean level.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the circuit for automatically adapting the mean sound level comprises an input highpass filter followed by an input lowpass filter then by a comparator-amplifier circuit and an output lowpass filter, the comparator-amplifier circuit being associated with a limiter circuit and a feedback loop acting at the output of said input lowpass filter.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the limiter circuit comprises a first transistor and the feedback loop comprises a second transistor.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said means for providing audio signals and video image signals comprise a first standardized connector and a second standardized connector having said adapting module connected thereto.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein each of the standardized first and second connectors has a slow switching terminal, wherein the slow switching terminal of the first standardized connector is connected to a DC power supply defining a high level, wherein the slow switching terminal of the second standardized connector is connected to a circuit for controlling a relay for switching at least a first contact between an input of the adapting circuit and one or other of the input and output terminals of an audio path of the second standardized connector and at least one second contact between a video input terminal of the standardized first connector and one or other of terminals internal to the adapting module and connected via said video adapting circuit respectively to a video input terminal of the second standardized connector and to a video output terminal of the first standardized connector.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said video adapting circuit comprises a first input highpass filter and a first fixed-gain video amplifier connected between the video output terminal of the first standardized connector and one of said internal terminals, a second input highpass filter and a second fixed-gain video amplifier connected between the video input terminal of the second standardized connector and the other of said internal terminals, and a third video amplifier connected between the point common to the first highpass filter and the first video amplifier and a video output terminal of the second standardized connector.

7. A system according to claim 4, comprising a closed box containing said adapting module, with said first and second standardized connectors being mounted on two opposite faces of said box, thereby enabling modular connection to a television receiver set or to auxiliary apparatus for processing composite video signals.

8. A System according to claim 5, comprising means for operating whenever an auxiliary apparatus is connected to said second standardized connector, to selectively connect the slow switching terminal of the second standardized connector to a DC power supply defining a high level.

9. A system according to claim 1, incorporated on an electronic circuit card inside a television receiver.

10. A system according to claim 1, comprising two audio adapting circuits allocated to the right and left paths of a stereophonic type television receiver.

11. A system according to claim 1, comprising means for selectively putting the adapting module into operation by means of a manual switch or a remote control.

12. A syetem according to claim 1, wherein the circuit for automatically adapting the mean sound level comprises at least one adjustable resistor for adjusting said pre-established reference mean level to which the mean level of sound output from the system in automatically maintained.

13. A system for automatically adapting the mean sound level of a television receiver fitted both with means for delivering audio signals detected within at least one sound path of a composite video signal and means for delivering video image signals detected from said composite video signal, comprising an adapting module comprising both a video adapting circuit comprising at least one additional input highpass filter and fixed-gain video amplifier connected in series and interposed in the video image processing circuits at said means for providing video image signals, and secondly, an audio adapting circuit interposed in said sound path at said means for providing audio signals, to detect the mean sound input level, to compare said mean sound level with a pre-established reference mean level, and automatically to adapt the output mean sound level to maintain it at said pre-established reference mean level,

wherein the circuit for automatically adapting the mean sound level comprises an input highpass filter followed by an input lowpass filter then by a comparator-amplifier circuit and an output lowpass filter, the comparator-amplifier circuit being associated with a limiter circuit and a feedback loop acting at the output of said input lowpass filter.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the limiter circuit comprises a first transistor and the feedback loop comprises a second transistor.

15. A system for automatically adapting the mean sound level of a television receiver fitted both with means for delivering audio signals detected within at least one sound path of a composite video signal and means for delivering video image signals detected from said composite video signal, comprising an adapting module comprising both a video adapting circuit comprising at least one additional input highpass filter and fixed-gain video amplifier connected in series and interposed in the video image processing circuits at said means for providing video image signals, and secondly, an audio adapting circuit interposed in said sound path at said means for providing audio signals, to detect the mean sound input level, to detect the mean sound input level, to compare said mean sound level with a pre-established reference mean level, and automatically to adapt the output mean sound level to maintain it at said pre-established reference mean level,

wherein said means for providing audio signals and video image signals comprise a first standardized connector and a second standardized connector having said adapting module connected thereto, and

wherein each of the standardized first and second connectors has a slow switching terminal, wherein the slow switching terminal of the first standardized connector is connected to a DC power supply defining a high level, wherein the slow switching terminal of the second standardized connector is connected to a circuit for controlling a relay for switching at least a first contact between an input of the adapting circuit and one or other of the input and output terminals of an audio path of the second standardized connector and at least one second contact between a video input terminal of the standardized first connector and one or other of terminals internal to the adapting circuit respectively to a video input terminal of the second standardized connector and to a video output terminal of the first standardized connector.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said video adapting circuit comprises a first input highpass filter and a first fixed-gain video amplifier connected between the video output terminal of the first standardized connector and one of said internal terminals, a second input highpass filter and a second fixed-gain video amplifier connected between the video input terminal of the second standardized connector and the other of said internal terminals, and a third video amplifier connected between the point common to the first highpass filter and the first video amplifier and a video output terminal of the second standardized connector.

17. A system according to claim 15, comprising means for operating whenever an auxiliary apparatus is connected to said second standardized connector, to selectively connect the slow switching terminal of the second standardized connector to a DC power supply defining a high level.