Abstract: A signal processing apparatus of this invention is an apparatus arranged to amplify a predetermined frequency component of an input signal on the basis of a predetermined amplification characteristic and then to output an amplified signal. This apparatus is arranged to separate a predetermined frequency component signal from an input signal; form a plurality of kinds of compressed signals by compressing the thus-separated signal on the basis of a plurality of kinds of compression characteristics which differ from one another; form a plurality of kinds of multiplied signals from the plurality of kinds of compressed signals; form an amplified signal, on the basis of the predetermined amplification characteristic, from the aforesaid input signal and the plurality of kinds of multiplied signals; and output the amplified signal.

Abstract: Apparatus for reducing interference in a first signal caused by a second signal. Before the signals are transmitted, the first signal is tested to determine how much interference can be tolerated. During portions of the first signal which can tolerate a large amount of interference, the amplitude of the second signal is increased. During portions of the first signal that can only tolerate a small amount of interference, the amplitude of the second signal is decreased. The average amplitude of the second signal is large enough to provide an acceptable bit error rate or signal to noise ratio, yet small enough not to substantially corrupt the first signal. In one embodiment, the technique is employed to allow transmission of additional data on a television channel.

Abstract: A processor includes an input for receiving video color component signals, and a circuit for deriving a luminance signal and a color magnitude signal from the video color component signals. A further circuit is provided for modifying at least one of the luminance and color magnitude signals whenever a composite video signal derived from the luminance signal in the color magnitude signal has a magnitude which exceeds a predetermined value. An output is provided for producing color component signals derived from the luminance and color magnitude signals from the modifying circuit.

Abstract: A gamma correction device comprises a classifying circuit which divides an input video signal into a plurality of level ranges according to a plurality of signal levels; a computing circuit which computes the region of the video signal within each of the level ranges obtained by the classifying circuit; and a gamma correction control circuit which is arranged to have the gamma correction characteristic thereof controlled according to each region computed by the computing circuit, to gamma-correct the input video signal and to output the gamma-corrected video signal.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for processing the chroma and luminance signals reproduced from a magnetic recording medium. The chroma signal in passing through a separate path from the luminance signal may suffer a phase displacement relative to the phase of the reference luminance signal. Means are provided for connection between the chroma channel and the luminance channel to generate an error signal representing the phase displacement of the chroma signal relative to the reference luminance signal. Additional means are provided to use this phase error signal to restore the phase of the chroma signal to its original phase relative to the reference luminance signal, whereby to insure the accuracy with which the signals modulating the chroma carrier can be demodulated.

Abstract: An image inputting device for an endoscope is provided in which image obtained by the endoscope and decomposed into a plurality of color signals is converted into electrical signals. A gray scale correcting section having an adjustable correcting value is provided for each of the plurality of color signals. In consequence, the gray scales of the plurality of color signals can be separately and adjustably corrected, and a resolution which corresponds to the luminance level of each color can be set so as to enable effective information to be easily obtained from all wavelength regions.

Abstract: A chroma modulation method for extending the bandwidth of baseband plural chroma components of an NTSC format quadrature modulated chroma subcarrier color television signal, such as I and Q components, with reduced susceptibility to ringing and with compatibility with existing NTSC color television receivers comprises the steps of: separating the baseband I and Q components into narrow bandwidth segments and extended bandwidth portions not including the narrow bandwidth segments; q u a d r a t u r e modulating the narrow bandwidth segments into a narrow band double sideband quadrature modulation envelope about the subcarrier frequency; alternately selecting and putting out the extended bandwidth portions of the I and Q components on a basis related to a predetermined scanning period of the television signal, such as the field period; modulating the alternately selected extended bandwidth portions at the subcarrier frequency to produce a lower single sideband; and, combining in corrected time relationship the

Abstract: A so-called "one-chip" television IC includes a dual purpose input terminal for receiving a control signal representing an image property, such as a contrast, and also a signal having an amplitude within a predetermined range for enabling a test mode of operation. The control signal is generated by at least first and second control circuits. The first control circuit provides a first control signal set by a user. The second control circuit provides a second control signal in response to the image content of an image-representative signal produced by the integrated circuit, and may comprise a beam current limiter responsive to the beam current drawn by an image reproducing device or a circuit responsive directly to the image-representative signal. The first and second control signals are combined to produce a combined control signal which is applied to the dual purpose input terminal.

Abstract: A video identification system for producing photo print identification cards having subject portrait, subject signature and subject related data in respective areas of the card as well as a data record including individual-specific data, an image of the subject, and an image of the signature of the subject. A personal computer controls the system to produce the identification card and the data record. The system includes a frame grabber which grabs a frame by only storing the 768 active video samples of each line of an NTSC signal for two consecutive fields. System operation may not be initiated without first having a supervisor unlock the personal computer and input a particular password. Further, each additional system operator must input their particular identification number into the personal computer whereby system security is maintained.

Abstract: A television system includes a one-chip television signal processing IC including luminance and chrominance signal processing sections and character signal input terminals intended to receive character signals corresponding to the colored characters to be displayed by an associated display device and a character brightness control terminal intended to receive an adjustable DC control signal for setting the brightness of the colored characters. A blanking signal for blanking the video image is coupled to one of the character signal input terminals instead of a character signal, and an IC supply voltage corresponding to a black image level is coupled to the character brightness control terminal instead of an adjustable DC brightness control signal. The blanking signal is used for blanking the video image behind a displayed character body and also for emphasizing displayed characters, e.g., by "edging" the character bodies.

Abstract: A method and system for multiplexing additional audio information in the form of pulse code modulation (PCM) audio signals onto a television signal. The PCM audio signal is time multiplexed into scanning retrace intervals of the video signal. At a receiver, the bit error rate of the decoded PCM audio signal is compared with a threshold so as to switch the audio output from the PCM audio signal to a conventional FM demodulated audio signal when the bit error rate exceeds the predetermined threshold. In this way, the benefits of both PCM audio and FM audio can be obtained by utilizing the higher immunity of FM signals in low signal-to-noise ratio environments, while the high fidelity PCM audio signal is utilized when the signal-to-noise ratio environment is relatively high.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a MUSE system television signal to obtain a converted NTSC system signal which can be displayed by a conventional NTSC receiver, enabling selection of a first mode of operation in which the MUSE signal picture is displayed with right and left side portions removed, to conform to the NTSC aspect ratio, and a second mode in which the entire MUSE signal picture is displayed between upper and lower masking regions.

Abstract: A contour compensator according to the present invention contour-enhances first and second demodulated signals, which are obtained by temporarily demodulating a carrier chrominance signal by first and second demodulators, instead of directly contour-enhancing the carrier chrominance signal itself since contour enhancement of the carrier chrominance signal itself is difficult. The first and second demodulated signals are low-frequency components and have only amplitude information, and hence contour enhancement thereof is relatively easy.Thereafter the contour-enhanced first and second demodulated signals are modulated by first and second modulators under the same condition as that in demodulation and composed by an adder, thereby to generate a contour-enhanced carrier chrominance signal. Thus, the newly generated carrier chrominance signal is reliably contour-enhanced, with no hue change or saturation change.

Abstract: An image quality correction circuit for use with an imaging apparatus which converts a luminance signal so that an intermediate portion of the signal between preset minimum and maximum values is extended. The invention also relates to a device where color difference signals are corrected in accordance with the same nonlinear characteristic utilized in the correction of the luminance signal.

Abstract: A wide-aspect-ratio television signal is encoded for transmission within a standard-television-signal-compatible format is encoded by dividing the television signal into center-panel segments from which the horizontally central portion of a television picture produced from said wide-aspect-ratio television signal is displayed in accordance with a standard-television-signal aspect ratio, and side panel segments from which the left and right side portions of the television picture produced from said wide-aspect-ratio television signal are displayed in accordance with the wide aspect ratio; arranging the center panel segments for transmission in the standard-television-signal-compatible format; reducing the spatial frequency extent of at least a portion of said side-panel segments by vertically expanding said portion; and inserting said vertically expanded portion of the side-panel segments for transmission during transmission of said center-panel segments in a manner that enables said inserted portion of the si

Abstract: In a digital composite video processing system where the video signal has a color subcarrier F.sub.sc, horizontal and vertical sync signals and produces multiple color fields, and where the system has system clock of frequency nF.sub.sc for digitizing and a horizontal counter counting to L incremented by the system clock, a method and apparatus is disclosed for synchronizing the system clock to color burst and synchronizing the horizontal counter to horizontal sync, whereby a window of width W clock counts wide is selected such that HSYNC is desired to occur at clock pulse P+W/2 when P is an integer; a determination is made whether HSYNC occurs before, within or after the window, the system counter is reset at counts L-(n/2), L, or L=(n/2) determined by where HSYNC appeared in relation to the window, and color reference signal is sampled to determine which of the four color fields is being processed, all in order to properly process the color video signals.

Abstract: A video-rate coordinate remapper includes a memory for storing a plurality of transformations on look-up tables for remapping input images from one coordinate system to another. Such transformations are operator selectable. The remapper includes a collective processor by which certain input pixels of an input image are transformed to a portion of the output image in a many-to-one relationship. The remapper includes an interpolative processor by which the remaining input pixels of the input image are transformed to another portion of the output image in a one-to-many relationship. The invention includes certain specific transforms for creating output images useful for certain defects of visually impaired people. The invention also includes circuitry for shifting input pixels and circuitry for scrolling the output matrix.

Abstract: An improved color subcarrier and amplitude reference signal and means for its utilization are provided for color television systems, particularly high definition, wide aspect ratio television systems wherein the high definition signal is decomposed into two signals for transmission via two separate channels and recombined at the receiver to reproduce the original high definition image.

Abstract: Deterioration of the image as a result of failure of individual memory cells is avoided by storing, together with the data relating to each line of the image field, a code value computed as a function of the value of each data bit in the line and the position of each bit in the line. A picture signal stored in this way may be reproduced by transmitting each line signal to a function generator (15), adder (16) and accumulator (17) to re-compute a code value by the same function utilized during the storage of the signal, and applying the stored code value to a latch (21). The outputs of the accumulator (17) and latch (21) are applied to a subtracting circuit (25), and when the latter produces any output signal other than zero, the value of such signal will indicate both the position of any single faulty bit and the direction in which the stored value is in error.

Abstract: There is provided a color video signal processing device in which pixels are thinned out for a whole picture plane with respect to each of two kinds of digital color difference signals in accordance with a predetermined role. The encoding is executed on a unit basis of a block consisting of (n.times.m) samples where (n and m are integers no less than 2) which are formed with respect to each of the two kinds of color difference signals whose pixels have been thinned out or a block consisting of (n.times.m) samples formed so as to include both of the two kinds of color difference signals whose pixels had been thinned out. The data compression is executed on a block unit basis.