Abstract: A video signal compression system includes motion compensated predictive compression apparatus for compressing respective frames of video signal according to either intraframe processing or interframe processing on a block by block basis to generate blocks of compressed data and associated motion vectors. A compressed signal formatter arranges the blocks of compressed data and the associated motion vectors according to a desired signal protocol wherein motion vectors of interframe processed frames are associated with corresponding blocks of compressed data and motion vectors of intraframe processed frames are associated with blocks substantially adjacent to corresponding blocks of compressed data. The motion vectors are included with intraframe compressed data to facilitate error concealment at respective receiver apparatus.

Abstract: A compression/decompression system includes a source of (1:1 60 Hz) non-interlaced scanned video signal. A preprocessor constructs (2:1 60 Hz) interlaced scanned video signal from the non-interlaced scanned video signal by selection of alternate lines of successive non-interlaced image signals. The interlaced scanned video signal is compressed according to an MPEG protocol of I, P and B frame compression algorithms. I, P and B frame compression is performed such that there are an odd number, greater than one, of B-frames between successive I/P frames (for example the sequence of compressed frames may conform to I, B1, B2, B3, P, B1, B2, B3, P, B1, B2, B3, I, B1, . . . etc). The I compressed frames, the P compressed frames and alternate B compressed frames (the frames B2 in the exemplary sequence) selectively form a primary compressed (2:1 30 Hz) interlaced video signal for reproduction by interlaced scanned receivers. The intervening B-frames selectively form a secondary compressed video.

Abstract: A compression/decompression system includes a source of (1:1 60 Hz) non-interlaced scanned video signal. A preprocessor constructs (2:1 60 Hz) interlaced scanned video signal from the non-interlaced scanned video signal by selection of alternate lines of successive non-interlaced image signals. The interlaced scanned video signal is compressed according to an MPEG protocol of I, P and B frame compression algorithms. I, P and B frame compression is performed such that there are an odd number, greater than one, of B-frames between successive I/P frames (for example the sequence of compressed frames may conform to I, B1, B2, B3, P, B1, B2, B3, P, B1, B2, B3, I, B1, . . . etc). The I compressed frames, the P compressed frames and alternate B compressed frames (the frames B2 in the exemplary sequence) selectively form a primary compressed (2:1 30 Hz) interlaced video signal for reproduction by interlaced scanned receivers. The intervening B-frames selectively form a secondary compressed video.

Abstract: In a digital TV broadcast system, an embedded multiresolution scheme implementing joint source/channel coding is employed to offer at least relatively fine and relatively coarse resolution services. The relatively fine resolution service is intended for receivers within a first radius of a TV signal transmitter and the relatively coarse resolution service is intended for receivers between the first radius and a second, longer radius thereof. Video signals broadcast from the transmitter represent individual signal points which are selected from a signal constellation. The latter comprises signal-point groups each including a multiplicity of the signal points. The selected signal points represent video images in the relatively fine resolution, while the signal-point groups from which the selected signal points originate represent the relatively coarse version of the images.

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.