Abstract: In high definition or ordinary television transmission/reception systems, and picture recording systems, for example those utilizing a laser readable disk, and in general in digital picture processing systems a picture is divided into several parts and each picture part is examined for determining thereof--in the presence of a series of pictures (20, 21, 22) succeeding each other in time--a movement vector (V). If it is desired to create intermediate pictures (23, 24) should be created between the pictures initially available, it is possible that several different vectors exist, which all yield equivalent results for certain picture parts.

Abstract: Arrangement for variable-length encoding of digital signals, divided into N parallel paths, comprising a routing circuit which, after classification of the encoded signals in accordance with their lengths and classification of the buffer memories in accordance with their filling states, apply those signals to the buffer memories which are less filled as said signals are longer, said routing circuit being arranged between a variable-length encoding circuit and rate control circuit. The corresponding decoding arrangement, which receives said encoded signals in regrouped data blocks accompanied by a respective path indicator for said blocks, comprises, at the output of an inverse quantization circuit, a circuit for routing said blocks as a function of the associated path indicator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding a television source signal having a first bandwidth, into a frequency multiplexed signal having a narrower bandwidth and comprising a plurality of subcarriers modulated with digital information. Each of said subcarriers has an amplitude, bandwidth and coding characteristic which reflects the relative importance of the digital information provided thereby. The frequency multiplexed signal is suitable for use in a broadcasting environment wherein a conventional television signal is also used and wherein said subcarriers are disposed in frequency, in positions which are least likely to result in interference to or from said conventional signal. The invention also includes a receiver for decoding the frequency multiplexed signal and for providing a high definition display.

Abstract: A method structure for the compression of data utilizes an encoder which effects a transform with the aid of a coding neural network, and a decoder which includes a matched decoding neural network with effects almost the inverse transform of the encoder. The method puts in competition M coding neural networks (30.sub.1 to 30.sub.M) wherein M>1 positioned at the transmission end which effects a same type of transform and the encoded data of one of which are transmitted, after selection (32, 33) at a given instant, towards a matched decoding neural network which forms part of a set of several matched neural networks (60.sub.1 to 60.sub.Q) provided at the receiver end. Learning is effected on the basis of predetermined samples. The encoder may comprise, in addition to the coding neural network (30.sub.1 to 30.sub.M), a matched decoding neural network (35.sub.1 to 35.sub.M) so as to effect the selection (32, 33) of the best coding neural network in accordance with an error criterion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for digital encoding are described for compressing the augmentation channel signals (chrominance and luminance signals for panel information and high frequency luminance and line difference signal) so that this information can be transmitted in a 3 MHz wide RF channel using a digital transmission scheme such as QPSK. Analog signal components are sampled and converted to digital signals. Each of the signals is fed into a separate coder which reduces the number of bits/pixel required to reconstruct the original signal. Compression is achieved by quantization and removal of redundancy. The compression scheme is based on the use of DCT together with VLC. Each augmentation signal has its own coder, which is adapted to the unique statistics of this signal.

Abstract: Each line of a wide aspect ratio television signal is divided into a main panel component and two augmentation panel components for transmission or storage. The two augmentation panels are transmitted in a multiplex analog format on the same channel. They are transmitted adjacent to one another so that additional signals such as audio signals will occupy the same time slots regardless of the respective widths of the panels. (The sum of the panel widths remains constant even in pan and scan operations). Weighted transition augmentation samples effect a transition from the last redundant pixel of one augmentation panel component to the first redundant pixel of the second augmentation panel component.

Abstract: Each line of a wide aspect ratio television signal is divided into a main panel component and an autmentation panel component joined to the main panel component at a stitch point for transmission or storage. At the transmitter, a first signal is extracted from the horizontal line signal, the first signal including the main panel component, a plurality of main panel redundant pixels extending from the main panel into the augmentation panel component, and a multiplicity of weighted main panel transition samples extending further into said augmentation panel component from the redundant samples. Similiarly, a second signal includes the augmentation panel component, a plurality of augmentation panel redundant samples extending into the main panel and a plurality of transition augmentation samples extending from the redundant augmentation samples further into the main panel and weighted to create a predetermined transition curve.

Abstract: A coding arrangement which includes a coder for variable-length encoding provided with a quality control to determine the different coding characteristics, a buffer store for receiving the coded information originating from the said coder and for recovering them at an output terminal with a fixed rate thanks to the presence of a regulating circuit. The regulating circuit uses the average quality of packets of information blocks to control a filler circuit which supplies a fill quantity of the coded information. A correction circuit supplies a corrected quality value by correcting the average quality as a function of the fill quantity.

Abstract: A system for improved echo cancellation for use in particular in television receivers. The system features a superior ghost cancellation reference signal which exhibits improved performance in noisy environments and which exhibits the flat and wide bandwidth necessary for effective channel characterization while exhibiting a higher and more evenly distributed amplitude versus time characteristic than that provided by known, non-cyclic ghost cancellation signals.

Abstract: A high definition television signal with a sequential scan with the standard number of lines per frame and double the frame frequency is processed to generate a single MAC line having a duration substantially equal to that of four sequential lines of standard duration. Each MAC line has two luminance components having different compression ratios. For the remaining two lines, compressed line difference signals are transmitted, thereby allowing reconstruction of all luminance lines at the receiver. Each MAC line further has a U chrominance component and a V chrominance component, alternatively compressed 1:4 and 1:2. The remaining parts of each MAC line are taken up by data signals and audio as well as the necessary clamping. The luminance and chrominance signals are prefiltered to prevent artifacts. The filtering is geared to the visual characteristics of the human visual system, i.e.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improved ghost cancellation for use in particular in television receivers. The sequence of coefficients derived from a received GCR (Ghost Cancellation Reference) signal, is further processed to effect a transfer of energy from minor echo coefficients to major echo coefficients thereby improving the overall performance of the ghost cancellation device.

Abstract: In a television transmission system a digital luminance signal Dy and two digital color difference signals DCHR(1) and DCHR(2) are applied to a distribution circuit 3 at the transmitter end, which digital color difference signals are applied thereto possibly after having been subjected to a vertical decimation operation with a decimation factor R. The distribution circuit 3 partitions all these signals into groups of Q sample per group. After receiving an even number of luminance groups and an even number of chrominance groups, a first half of this number of luminance groups and a first half of this number of chrominance groups is applied to a first auxiliary picture signal output 3(4) of the distribution circuit 3, while simultaneously the other half of the number of luminance groups and the other half of the number of chrominance groups is applied to a second auxiliary picture signal output (3(5) of the distribution circuit.

Abstract: The circuit has an input terminal (1) for supplying a picture signal (CS) formed line and field-sequentially with line and field or frame periods (TV) and an output terminal (2) for supplying a processed picture signal (CS') to be applied to a picture display device (5) comprising a picture display tube operating by way of electron beam scanning (e) of a display screen (8). In the circuit the input terminal (1) is coupled to a filter circuit (10) which has a first output (11) and a second output (12) for supplying a low-frequency (CS.sub.L) or high-frequency (CS.sub.H) picture signal component, respectively. The first output (11) is coupled via an amplifier circuit (16) to a first input (21) of a time-division multiplex circuit (20) having a second input (22) to which the first output (11) and the second output (12) of the filter circuit (10) are coupled each via an amplifier circuit (17, 18) and an adder circuit (19).

Abstract: The invention describes a processor system suitable for processing video signal samples on a real-time basis. Signals are derived from the samples for driving an imaging unit. For this purpose, one or more processor modules are provided with processor elements, operating in parallel in time, which are connected to a crossbar switch. A module contains at least one arithmetic/logic processor element and at least one memory processor element. Moreover, there is a clock device, the frequency of which bears a fixed relationship to the frequency with which the video signal samples are obtained.

Abstract: In order to reduce the digital data throughput, the transmission system comprises means for determining, for each image, in the set of speed vectors, a subset containing the vectors which are encountered most frequently in this image, and means for digitally transmitting, once per image, the characteristics of all the vectors of this subset, and if the speed vector of an image part to be transmitted is an element of the subset, it is defined by reference to the subset, while, if it is not an element of the subset, another transmission mode is used for the current image part, being a mode in which the speed vector is not used, but in which the analog video data are transmitted with a lower spatial definition but with a higher frame rate.

Abstract: A high definition television system to provide an efficient use of bandwidths, derives from a high definition television source signal, composite main signals and composite line differential signals. These signals are divided into main center components and main panel components and line differential center components and line differential panel components. The line differential center components and main center components are then quadrature modulated and transmitted as a vestigial sideband signal over a first transmission path. The main panel components and the line differential panel components are quadrature modulated and formed into a vestigial sideband signal which is then time multiplexed with the high frequency luminance signal forming a time multiplexed signal. The time multiplexed signal is then frequency multiplexed with a digital sound and synchronization signal in order to form an augmentation signal which is transmitted over a portion of a second transmission path.

Abstract: An arrangement for encoding a television signal including a video signal, comprising a circuit for producing an encoded television signal in accordance with a number of possible processing operations on the video signal, each processing operation providing a different distribution of spatial and/or temporal resolution, a circuit for obtaining a provisional selection for one processing operation on the video signal from the number of possible processing operations and for controlling a spatial and/or temporal consistency of said provisional selection for a processing operation on a portion of a picture of the video signal compared with selections for processing operations on spatially and/or temporally adjacent portions, to obtain a consistent selection, said consistency control comprising a spatial/temporal consistency control and a spatial consistency control, to obtain a television signal encoding with an improved consistency control, and a circuit for selecting one processing operation on the video signal

Abstract: A high definition television signal from a source such as a television camera (1) is applied to three parallel processing branches the operation of each branch being determined by a range of motion. An 80 ms branch (3, 4, 5) and a 20 ms branch (6, 7, 8) each respectively have a two dimensional low pass filter, a sub-sampler and a line shuffler. A 40 ms branch (9,10) only has a two dimensional filter and a sub-sampler. A motion estimator (14) determines the degree of movement of picture blocks and a decision unit (13) decides on the appropriate branch, the motion vectors for the 20 ms and 40 ms branch and the blocks to which these are applied. This information is applied to a DATV formatting device (15) which produces a menu of motion vectors and codewords for each block. A switch (11) selects the appropriate branch for each block.

Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit intended to supply a reference voltage comprising a voltage generator (REF) provided with a supply terminal and an output for supplying a voltage having a given nominal value (V.sub.R) and comprising a differential amplifier (A), fed by a first supply voltage, whose non-inverting input is connected to the output of the voltage generator (REF). An output of the differential amplifier (A) is connected to an input of a follower stage (T) through a controlled switching device (1), the follower stage (T) having its input connected to the first supply voltage through a first resistor (R.sub.1) and having its output, which supplies the said reference voltage (V.sub.D), connected on the one hand to the inverting input of the differential amplifier (A) through a divider bridge and on the other hand to the supply termianl of the voltage generator (REF).

Abstract: In a method of estimating motion per picture portion in an image of a picture signal, wherein, starting from a first (x0=x1, y0=y2) and a second (x0=x3, y0=y4) starting vector a motion vector is determined, a first and a second candidate motion vector, respectively, are determined on the basis of the first and second starting vector in accordance with a predetermined criterion, a motion vector is selected from both candidate motion vectors, and as components of the starting vectors, respective corresponding components of candidate motion vectors (x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x3, y3) and (x4, y4) already previously determined are taken, which candidate motion vectors correspond respectively to the starting vectors.