Abstract: A peripheral device that can be configured, for example, in a personal computer (PC) system, between the PC processor and the PC monitor. The peripheral device receives video signals from the PC processor for display on the PC monitor. In addition, the peripheral device receives television (TV) signals from a TV source, for example, via a standard TV connection. The peripheral device combines the video content of the TV signals with the video signals received from the PC processor to generate a combined video signal for display on the PC monitor. The peripheral device supports web-based applications where the web-page layout is received by the PC system via a conventional Internet connection, where the peripheral device overlays the video content of the TV signals over appropriate corresponding windows in the web-page layout. In this way, bandwidth in the PC's Internet connection does not have to be used for streaming media delivery of TV video content.

Abstract: A media content capture and distribution system includes at least one capture system which provides clips of media content satisfying a set of at least one trigger defined for the capture system. The clips are transmitted to a distribution system. A channel creator in the distribution system combines a plurality of the clips that satisfy at least a portion of the criteria defining the content requirements of a microchannel into a microchannel stream. The microchannel stream is transmitted to a client through a computer network.

Abstract: A method and concomitant apparatus that adaptively utilizes at least chrominance information to control bit allocation in an MPEG-like compression encoder. The invention controls bit allocation of a video signal by examining at least color difference (U, V) components within the video signal, identifying, illustratively, flesh-tone indicative portions of the color difference signals, and preferentially encoding those identified portions of the video signal by allocating additional bits to, e.g., macroblocks associated with the flesh-tone indicative portions of the signal.

Abstract: A multiple format video signal processing system operating in conjunction with a display device timing system to produce synchronized video and timing signals suitable for use by a fixed horizontal scanning frequency display device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coding motion video (images) that produces very low bit rate video representation and minimizes the amount of data needed to be transferred to the decoder. The apparatus comprises a 2-pass segmentation section, a 2-stage motion estimation/compensation section that optionally employs Affine Motion Compensation (AMC), a wavelet transform section, a Zero-Tree Wavelet Quantization (ZTQ) section, a code book, a comparator, a reconstruction section, a coder, a frame memory and an entropy coder.

Abstract: A video processing system that automatically adjusts video processor parameters depending upon the format of a received video signal in, e.g., a television receiver capable of receiving a multiplicity of video formats.

Abstract: An adaptive scan format converter (14, FIG. 1; FIG. 2) at a transmitter/encoder of a video signal processing system such as a high definition television (HDTV) system, as a function of what format is desired for coding and transmission via an output channel. Similarly, at a receiver, a received scan format is automatically converted (36, FIG. 1; FIG. 2) to a desired format for display as needed. For example, a received interlaced signal (I) will be automatically converted to progressive (P) format to be compatible with a progressive scan display device (39). A received progressive signal will be passed to the display device without format conversion. Automatic scan conversion is performed seamlessly so that, for example, the conversion between progressive main television program material and interlaced commercial material is produced without artifacts and is essentially invisible to a viewer.

Abstract: A preprocessor for conditioning interlace-scan video signals for frame based compression, includes apparatus to accept fields of interlace-scanned video and provide fields of interlace-scanned luminance and chrominance component signals. The fields of interlace-scanned luminance component are combined into respective frames of luminance signal and applied to compressor apparatus for further processing. The fields of interlace scanned chrominance components are independently processed at the field level to generate lines of chrominance values which are interstitial to the lines of the original chrominance values and at a lesser pixel and line density. The independently processed fields of interlace-scanned chrominance signals are combined into respective frames of chrominance component signals and applied to compressor circuitry for further processing. Performing the chrominance signal interpolation and subsampling at the field level tends to eliminate a majority of color distortions around moving images.

Abstract: Apparatus for encoding/decoding a HDTV signal for e.g., terrestrial transmission includes a compression circuit responsive to high definition video source signals for providing ierarchically layered codewords CW representing compressed video data and associated codewords T, defining the types of data represented by the codewords CW. A priority selection circuit, responsive to the codewords CW and T, parses the codewords CW into high and low priority codeword sequences wherein the high and low priority codeword sequences correspond to compressed video data of relatively greater and lesser importance to image reproduction respectively. A transport processor, responsive to the high and low priority codeword sequences, forms high and low priority transport blocks of high and low priority codewords respectively. Each transport block includes a header, codewords CW and error detection check bits. The respective transport blocks are applied to an forward error check circuit for applying additional error check data.

Abstract: A hierarchy of video standards is provided in a recording format for video record and replay systems to achieve performance flexibility, such as in regard to television studio and portable recording equipment. This recording format divides the tape into a plurality of longitudinal segments with each segment being assigned to tracks in which full raster information is recorded at a fractional resolution equal to the quotient of one divided by the number of the plurality of longitudinal tape segments.

Abstract: A transmitter unit of a remote control system includes a key function display unit for identifying the function of key elements of the transmitter unit at various steps of a control sequence for one or more controlled devices. The memory for storing character-representative information for identifying the functions of the key elements of the transmitter and corresponding function control instructions is contained in the controlled devices rather than in the transmitter unit. This allows for the addition of new controlled device without modification of the transmitter units.

Abstract: A progressively scanned video signal is encoded into temporal sum and difference components for transmission. The sum signal is temporally filtered, decimated and time expended to be compatible with interlaced receivers. The difference signal, also temporally filtered, decimated and time expanded, is conveyed via single or separate channels with the sum signal to a progressive scan receiver for reconstitution of the original progressive scan signal. Modified quadrature amplitude modulation is used to convey the sum and difference signals in a common channel.

Abstract: A television system for generating a composite video signal for an image having extended aspect ratio such as 5:3, and for displaying such composite video signal in a television image area having the same extended aspect ratio. The horizontal blanking interval of an NTSC composite video signal is utilized for the transmission of video information characterizing either the right or the left edge of a display line of the picture; whereas, the remaining portion of the NTSC signal is utilized for the transmission of video information characterizing the inner portion of the display line between the edges. The video information for the missing edge in each display line is derived in the receiver from video edge information of adjacent display lines.

Abstract: An adaptive system for separating chrominance and luminance components from composite video includes a delay element having a central output tap and pairs of further output taps symmetrically disposed about said further tap. Samples from each pair of taps are subtractively combined, filtered and scaled. These samples are then applied to a decoder which determines the pair of taps providing the smallest filtered and scaled difference. Samples from the pair of taps generating the smallest difference and samples from the central output tap are then combined to produce either comb filtered chrominance/luminance or bandpass/lowpass filtered chrominance/liminance.

Abstract: In a television receiver, a demultiplexer for a high definition multiplexed analog component television signal provides samples of each component signal. A group of samples for each component signal is selected according to the aspect ratio of the television receiver display, and according to the aspect ratio of the picture contained in the high definition multiplexed analog signal so that the selected group is the one that provides picture information which fits the aspect ratio of the display. The selected samples for one scan line are first stored during the active scan line time and then read out sequentially during the subsequent scan line time. The stored samples of each component signal are read out sequentially during substantially the same time period to provide the required Y, U, V signals. A similarly designed demultiplexer may be used to process an extended aspect ratio frequency multiplexed signal such as a high definition NTSC-formatted signal.

Abstract: High horizontal spatial frequency information may be transmitted through a limited bandwidth channel by means of spatial-temporal frequency interleaving techniques. To transmit both frequency interleaved high horizontal spatial frequency information and diagonal spatial frequency information in one video signal, the corresponding spectra containing these two types of information are time-multiplexed prior to transmission. At the receiver, the interleaved high horizontal frequency information is extracted, relocated to its original horizontal position, and recombined with the diagonal frequency information to generate a baseband video signal.

Abstract: The image represented by a video signal contains an associated image spectrum defined within a spatial-temporal frequency volume. From this video signal, a second video signal is produced that represents spatial-temporal carrier modulation of a spectral section of the image spectrum into an interleaved location adjacent the image spectrum. To reduce the visibility of aliasing artifacts, the interleaved spectral section is made to be of reduced amplitude relative to its original amplitude in the image spectrum. To reconstruct the spatial-temporal frequency spectrum of the image at the television receiver, the video signal containing the frequency interleaved spectrum is processed in a complementary manner that represents spatial-temporal carrier modulation of the interleaved section to restore that section to its original position in the image spectrum. At the same time, the amplitude of the restored section is increased.

Abstract: A digital TV system reduces the data rate by transmitting or recording only bytes representing half of the sampled pixels. Steering bits are also transmitted that tell which of the transmitted bytes are the closest match to the untransmitted bytes so the pixels represented by the later can be reconstructed. The steering or control bits are repeated for subsequent omitted bytes unless it no longer indicates a match within a selected tolerance or threshold.

Abstract: A frame comb filter system includes circuitry for reducing motion induced artifacts in reproduced images. Frame comb filtered chrominance signal is line comb filtered to extract motion induced luminance cross components therein. The luminance cross components are added to frame comb filtered luminance signal to reduce motion induced luminance signal errors. The corrected luminance signal is then subtracted from composite video signal to produce the chrominance component of composite video.

Abstract: A synchronization system for serial digital television signals compares successive sync signals to form an error signal and also delays the digital signals. The information signal delay is changed during loss of signal by an amount in accordance with the error signal to resync the signal. Thus valid information occuring before loss of synchronization is utilized. The delay means can comprise a pair of RAMs.