Abstract: In an arrangement wherein vertical contour enhancement is performed by subtracting a video signal between horizontal scanning lines and applying a white- or black-level signal before or after the contour (edge portion) of an image based on the result of the subtraction operation, the application of the black-level signal is selectively suppressed to diminish unattractive black borders. In another embodiment, application of the black-level signal to portions having a strong red-signal component is selectively suppressed, thereby diminishing unattractive black borders which appear at red portions of a display image. In still another embodiment, application of the black-level signal to portions where the level of an R-Y signal is high is selectively suppressed, thereby diminishing unattractive black borders which appear at red portions of a display image.

Abstract: A VCR schedule controller receives broadcast data over antenna (1) or cable (2) by a programmable tuner (3), which is connected to a teletext receiver (4). The teletext receiver (4) is connected to a microprocessor (5). Microprocessor output (11) is connected to a video display generator (10), used to create text for television receiver (60) to display a message from the microprocessor (5). After processing embedded data in a broadcast, the microprocessor (5) generates a cue for display on TV receiver (60). Remote control receiver (20) receives a command from a remote controller (22) from a viewer input in response to the cue. Remote control receiver (20) supplies a control signal to cause the microprocessor to store the embedded data in memory (9). The microprocessor then issues a message to the display generator (10) as an acknowledgement of the viewer input. The microprocessor (5) monitors the system clock (6) and compares it with stored schedules from the embedded supplemental data.

Abstract: A video broadcasting method and apparatus. The broadcasting method generally includes the steps of selecting one or more channels from a plurality of available channels, and scanning the selected channels for generating signals identifying these selected channels. The channel identifying signals are then fed back to a transmitter unit over a first carrier frequency. The feedback signals are used to selectively identify the channels to be transmitted. The signals from the selected channels are compressed, multiplexed and transmitted over a second carrier frequency to a reception unit, where the signals are demultiplexed and separated into separate channels, and stored for a predetermined period of time. The separated signals are then decompressed, reconstructed and displayed on a real-time basis.

Abstract: A NTSC/PAL subcarrier based H-lock with color framing method is disclosed which makes possible color frame detection and a digital lock to horizontal sync on a NTSC or PAL video signal, using timing from a sync separator and an oscillator which is phase locked to the color burst of the input.

Abstract: A video special effects mixer including an improved recirculating frame store is disclosed. The mixer receives several inputs one of which is from the recirculating frame store and provides several outputs one of which goes to the recirculating frame store. The recirculating frame store includes two field recirculation loops and an interpolator. The real field is mixed with the previous interpolated recirculated field and the interpolated field is mixed with the previous real recirculated field. The output alternates between the two mixed fields. The recirculating frame store receives a key signal indicating relative gain, and has a key processor that reduces the gain of the recirculating key such that the combined gain is no more than unity.

Abstract: In a device for processing a video signal including line sequential signals which have DC offset during a specific portion of every horizontal scanning period, the line sequential signal is rearranged into line concurrent signals on the basis of a level difference between the line sequential signals obtained during the specific portion of adjacent horizontal scanning periods.

Abstract: An apparatus for color signal processing wherein plurality kinds of color component signals are input. Sample-and-holding and analog-to-digital conversion indicating signals are generated asynchronously. The color component signals are sampled and held in response to the sample-and-holding indicating signal. The analog output is then converted to digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter in response to the analog-to-digital conversion indicating signal.

Abstract: A luminance signal and a color signal are separated from a color picture signal output from an imaging device with a plurality of color filters mounted thereon. The color filters are saturated at different intensity levels. This luminance signal is delayed to generate two delayed signals that respectively cover the front and rear edges of the color signal and a delayed signal that covers the interval between these edges. The color signal is suppressed by these delayed signals when the incident light has a high intensity, thereby preventing false color from occurring due to the incident light having a high intensity.

Abstract: A clock pulse generating circuit is provided which is capable of generating a stabilized clock pulse without being effected by disturbance due to the vertical equalizer pulse. The clock pulse generating circuit includes a PLL circuit for generating a clock pulse which is phase-synchronized with an input signal. The circuit further includes a synchronizing circuit for generating a window pulse synchronized with the horizontal synchronizing signal by being operated with a clock pulse generated by the PLL circuit as a reference. The synchronization condition is judged with respect to the composite synchronizing signal and a gate circuit which permits passage of the composite synchronizing signal only during the period of existence of the window signal. Accordingly, the signal is constructed so as to select the composite synchronizing signal before passage through the gate in an asynchronous condition of the synchronizing circuit.

Abstract: A high definition television signal having 525 lines per frame, a sequential scan, and 59.94 frames per second is encoded into a time multiplex signal for transmission. The encoder drops alternate lines, but creates line difference signals which allow reconstruction of the dropped lines at the receiver. The line difference signals are time compressed, while the luminance signals of the alternate, transmitted lines are time expanded. The encoder can accept programs from any one of a plurality of program originators, as long as the frame and line rates are multiples of one another. The time multiplex signal carries luminance and chrominance components in each line, but updates signals such as high frequency luminance, high frequency chrominance and the line difference signals in a predetermined pattern in sequential frames.

Abstract: In a video signal processor incorporating a reference clock pulse generator of highly precise frequency, two pulse generators, one preceding the drop-out corrector circuit which includes a picture memory and another following the drop-out corrector, are controlled in phase and frequency periodically in response to a horizontal synchronizing pulse. An addition circuit (101) the output of which is intermediately stored in a 20 place register (105) has a data input (104) to which bits of higher binary significance, for phase control, are supplied in response to the synchronizing pulse and thereafter bits of lower binary digit significance are supplied by a velocity error detection circuit for frequency control during the remainder of a television line interval. The output of the 20 place register is fed back to another input of the addition circuit, to produce a sawtooth wave resulting from the overflow of the addition circuit, which is a submultiple of the reference clock pulse generator frequency.

Abstract: Various filter circuits for processing digitized color television signals are disclosed. Particularly, there are disclosed several embodiments of a luminance/chrominance signal separating filter with which separated, digitized luminance and chrominance are derived with a minimum amount of interference therebetween by determining the direction from a given point in which there is a minimum amount of change in the digitized image signal. Also, there is disclosed a subnyquist sampling filter which operates upon this same principle.

Abstract: In an encoding device including a frame memory for memorizing an input moving picture signal as a memorized moving picture signal frame by frame and an encoding unit for encoding the memorized moving picture signal by using an encoding parameter, a control unit controls the parameter in compliance with a ratio which a moving picture area has relative to a frame picture represented by each frame of the input moving picture signal. The parameter should be fine and coarse when the ratio is small and great, respectively. As usual, a buffer memory of the encoding unit produces an amount signal indicative of an extent to which the buffer memory is full. Preferably, the control unit suspends encoding operation during a succeeding one of two successive frames when the amount signal indicates that the buffer memory became full in a preceding one of the two successive frames. The control unit makes the frame memory keep a frame of the memorized moving picture signal while suspending the encoding operation.

Abstract: The gain of an input video signal of different possible gains relative to a selected reference gain is adjusted according to an associated key signal indicative of gain change previously undergone by the input video signal and an independent key signal indicative of the desired change in gain to produce an output video signal having a selected gain determined by the values of the associated and independent key signals. The output video signal is combined with other video signals, whose gain may or may not have been adjusted relative to the reference gain.

Abstract: Data is embedded in a video signal by adding a low level wavefrom to the video signal, the low level wave form having a level below the noise level of the video signal and corresponding to the data. To detect the data embedded in the video signal the video signal is correlated with the low level waveform corresponding to the data to produce a correlation coefficient. A high correlation coefficient indicates the presence of a low level waveform which is converted into the data. The low level waveform extends over many video lines such that it does not occur at or near the same location within a video frame for many video frames to avoid fixed-pattern noise anomalies that may be detected by a viewer of the television picture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for verifying the proper airing of television program having a digital identification code recorded on a preselected scan line which is not normally visible to the television viewer. A plurality of television channels are automatically simultaneously monitored by a primary monitoring system at a site 30 within the reception area and broadcast encoded programs are identified and timed and appraised as to their audio and video signal quality. The information generated is stored locally for later comparision with centrally stored 62 information specifying the program that should have been aired. Each of the channels is sequentially monitored for a preselected fixed time interval, which depends on the number of channels being monitored, under the control of a programmable sequential controller 54. A secondary monitoring system is provided for use as a backup or for monitoring cable channels.

Abstract: An NTSC compatible widescreen EDTV system encodes a television signal via a process including intraframe averaging of mutually exclusive successive paired groups of image pixels above a given frequency. At a decoder, intraframe averaged luminance image information is interpolated on a line-by-line basis to help reduce unwanted jagged diagonal image artifacts. Vertical peaking is associated with intraframe averaging at the encoder.

Abstract: A method for increasing the definition of an NTSC video signal using an augmentation channel involves the generation of both a line summation signal as well as a line difference signal. From the line summation signal, a horizontal detail signal may be derived which may be diagonally filtered and added to a diagonally filtered vertical detail signal and transmitted in a bandwidth of approximately 2.5 mega-hertz. Furthermore, the line summation signal may be applied for the derivation of a standard NTSC video signal which is transmitted separately from the augmentation channel. Decoder apparatus comprises a single digital diagonal filter having complimentary output functions resulting in both improved horizontal and vertical resolution at low cost.

Abstract: A video signal from an input unit is supplied to first and second low-pass filters. A selector picks up a video signal which has passed through the first low-pass filter if a single frame image is to be printed, and picks up a video signal which has passed through the second low-pass filter if a multifreeze image is to be printed. The picked-up video signal is sampled and quantized by an A/D converter and stored in a first memory. The video signal in the first memory is read out to print a signal frame image. To print a multifreeze image, the video signal stored in the first memory is thinned to reduce the size of an image and thereafter is stored in a second memory having a larger capacity than that of the first memory. A plurality of frames are inlaid within one frame at the second memory. Thereafter, the video signal in the second memory is read out to print a multifreeze image.

Abstract: For the purpose of automated evaluation of white uniformity, the apparatus comprises a color television camera for picking up an image of white color displayed on the color cathode-ray tube, a circuit for separating color signals from the output signal of the color television camera, A/D converters for converting the analog color signals into digital color signals, memories for storing the digital color signals, and a computer for analyzing the contents of the memories. A nonuniform color portion is extracted from the color distribution of the display on the cathode-ray tube, and quantities of various features of the nonuniform color portion, for example, the hue, saturation and area of the nonuniform color portion and the degree of change in the saturation at the marginal edge contour of the nonuniform color portion are calculated by the computer to provide parameters used for evaluation of the white uniformity.