Rca Inc.

General Electric Company

Roeder, Barbara J.

Isnardi, Michael A.

Fuhrer, Jack S.

Smith, Terrence R.

Barbara J Roeder

Leopold A Harwood

Hermann J Weckenbrock

Michael Anthony Isnardi

Terrence R Smith

Christopher H Strolle

Jack S Fuhrer

Werner F Wedam

Robert F Casey

A system for transmitting and receiving signals representing a high-definition television (HDTV) image is disclosed. The signals are sent over two conventional 6 MHz NTSC channels. A first signal, the main signal, is developed by encoding circuitry from HDTV source signals to be compatible with existing NTSC receivers in that it produces a display on those receivers which is not significantly distorted. The main signal includes psychophysically hidden video information which may be used by an extended definition receiver to produce a widescreen image having a higher level of detail than a conventional video image. A second signal, the auxiliary signal, is developed at the transmitter by decoding the main signal and subtracting the decoded main signal from the original HDTV source signals. The auxiliary signal, which includes frequency components from 0 Hz to 20 MHz is split into three bands, A (0 Hz-6MHz), B (6 MHz-12 MHz) and C (12 MHz-18 MHz). Bands B and C are frequency converted to occupy the 0 Hz-6 MHz band and are time division multiplexed on a line by line basis. The combined B and C bands are then time division multiplexed with the A band on a frame by frame basis for still images. For moving images, only the A band is sent. The receiver decodes the main signal, and, using a motion signal sent with the main signal, decodes the auxiliary signal. The decoded main and auxiliary signals are combined to reproduce the HDTV image.

Extended definition widescreen television system using plural signal

A widescreen television signal having left side, right side and center panel information is converted into a signal compatible with a standard television system, such as NTSC. In the compatible signal, center panel information is expanded to occupy the standard display region seen by a viewer, side panel low frequency information is compressed into the horizontal overscan region, and side panel high frequency information modulates an alternative subcarrier other than the chrominance subcarrier.

Compatible widescreen television system

Apparatus for estimating noise in an electrical signal having substantially redundant recurring intervals includes circuitry for producing difference samples corresponding to signal differences between the recurring redundant intervals. A number of difference samples are averaged, and ones of the difference samples contributing to each average are subtracted from the averages. Magnitude values are extracted from the differences between the averages and the difference samples. A predetermined number of the magnitude values are averaged to produce a noise estimate signal.

Signal background noise detector

A motion detector for determining image motion in a video signal develops an array of signals representing the difference between pixels from adjacent frames. The array of signals are grouped into subarrays, each of which include the signal corresponding to the pixel under examination for motion. Each of the subarrays are independently examined to determine if the magnitude of all of the pixel differences represented in a particular subarray exceed a predetermined threshold and/or the pixel differences have like polarity. If these conditions are met in any one of the subarrays, a motion signal is produced.

Interfield image motion detector for video signals

A motion detector for detecting interimage motion represented by composite video signals analyzes both the chrominance and luminance components for image motion. Interimage motion represented by the luminance component is determined from interimage signal differences. The interimage signal differences are separated into high and low frequency spectra corresponding to fine and coarse luminance image detail. Selected signal differences from the low frequency spectrum are summed and threshold detected to determine motion in the coarse image detail. The high frequency spectrum of the sample differences are applied to parallel summing circuits which sum different combinations of sample differences in order to discriminate motion signals from non-moving chrominance transitions. The detection signals from the high and low frequency motion detectors are combined to produce a luminance motion signal. Interimage motion represented by the chrominance component is detected by combining selected ones of interimage signal sums. The interimage signal sums are high pass filtered and applied to parallel combining elements which discriminate chrominance motion from vertical luminance transitions.

Video signal motion detecting apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Pt. Pleasant, PA, United States of America

Barbara J Roeder