U.S. Philips Corporation

Franciscus W Vreeswijk

Sing L Tan

Jan Van Der Meer

Leendert J Van De Polder

Timothy I Trew

Theodora L Hamann

Adrianus C Van De Waterlaat

Christopher M Carey Smith

Gerard De Haan

Johannes Yzebrand Tichelaar

Terence Doyle

Henk W Begas

Wilhelmus A Van De Goor

Kiran Varshneya-Rohra

Leendert T Rosendaal

Teunis Poot

In a method of transmitting an extended television signal comprising a wide aspect ratio picture between two horizontal bars so as to form a standard aspect ratio picture, in which vertical resolution enhancement signals are transmitted to improve the vertical resolution upon display on an enhanced television receiver, this method comprises the steps of separating the vertical resolution enhancement signals into a low-frequency part (DC-1.5 MHz) and a high-frequency part (1.2-2.9 MHz); transmitting the high-frequency part during the horizontal bars, which high-frequency part is not modulated onto a subcarrier; and transmitting the low-frequency part during the horizontal bars after modulation onto a subcarrier (4.43 MHz).

Letterbox television system

In a receiver for extended television signals in which a wide aspect ratio picture and at least one horizontal bar are jointly coded so as to form a standard aspect ratio picture, the at least one horizontal bar conveys vertical resolution enhancement information, and the extended television signal receiver includes an arrangement (107,111) for modifying the vertical resolution enhancement information to reduce an amount of distortions comprised therein, and an arrangement for combining the wide aspect ratio picture and the modified vertical resolution enhancement information to provide an enhanced wide aspect ratio picture.

Extended television signal receiver

A transmitting section of the system according to the invention has transmitting section signal paths for at least three classes of motion, each with a preprocessing circuit (143, 145 and 147) which are provided with means for individually sampling. These sampling means sample in accordance with separate sampling patterns so that each preprocessing circuit (143, 145 or 147) supplies a video signal which is suitable for a display with an optimum distribution of temporal and/or spatial resolution for the associated class of motion. Dependent on the class of motion determined, one of the preprocessing circuits (143, 145 or 147) is coupled to a channel (170). The video signal to be supplied to the channel (170) is therefore a video signal suitable for a display with an optimum distribution of temporal and/or spatial resolution for the given class of motion (FIG. 1A). A high-definition receiving section of the system according to the invention also has at least three receiving section signal paths comprising a postprocessing circuit (43, 45 and 47) which decodes a received video signl in accordance with a method associated with the relevant postprocessing circuit (43, 45 or 47). The correct postprocessing circuit (43, 45 or 47) is selected in accordance with the class of motion, so that in the receiving section of the system according to the invention a display with an increasing spatial resolution can be achieved in the case of a decreasing motion (FIG. 1B).

Method and apparatus for temporally and spatially processing a video

Use is made of a digitally assisted DATV to effect a bandwidth reduction encoding and bandwidth reduction decoding, in addition to MAC-coding and MAC-decoding, of at least three picture signal channels (PC) each having a different picture signal refresh period equal to, for example, 80, 40 and 20 ms which are coupled via a time-division multiplex circuit (MUX). For with the diversity of picture signal sources, it was found that distinguishing during the picture signal processing between a film mode (SW1, T40) and a non-film mode (SW1, T20) results in a significantly improved high-definition picture resolution. This distinction is expressed at the DATV by one information bit (FM'). During the non-film mode (SW1, T20) three Y-liminance channels (PC11, PC13 and PC12) of 80, 40 and 20 ms and two U and V-chrominance channels (PC21 and PC22) of 80 and 20 ms are operative. During the film mode (SW11, T40) the Y-channels (PC11 and PC13) and the U and V-channels (PC21 and PC23) of 80 and 40 ms are only operative.

High-definition television systems

A television picture memory (MEM) containing digital picture signal values associated with picture elements (PIX) is coupled via a picture signal value comparison circuit (COM1) and an absolute value circuit (ABS1) to an adaptive threshold circuit (THR) for the picture signal differences. In order to obtain a motion detection with a directional sensitivity in the horizontal and vertical direction, the threshold circuit (THR) has an adaptive horizontal and vertical threshold value - adapting circuit (ADA) which produces the adaptive threshold values (HI and VI) via maximum value passing circuits (H MAX and V MAX) which are coupled to the memory (MEM) via an absolute value circuit (ABS2), a picture signal comparison circuit (COM2) and a signal combining circuit (AVE2), and by-passing it. The comparison circuit (COM2) is operative for the horizontal threshold value (HI) with picture elements in the line direction which are more or less adjacent to an instantaneous picture element and picture element values which are derived via the signal combining circuit (AVE2) from the picture elements of one of the more or less adjacent, superjacent or underlying lines belonging to the instantaneous, preceding or subsequent field period. The comparison circuit (COM2) is operative for the vertical threshold value (VI) with picture elements in the field direction that are more or less adjacent to the instantaneous picture element and picture element values which are derived via the combining circuit (AVE2) from the picture elements of one of the more of less adjacent, superjacent or underlying lines belonging to the instantaneous, preceding or subsequent field period.

Television motion detection arrangement

A receiver for a high definition television signal in which the signal prior to transmission is sub-sampled on a block-by-block basis according to the movement has an input (39) which receives the sub-sampled signal which is applied to a shuffler (40) which shuffles the pixels of blocks in a manner which is the inverse to that performed prior to transmission. The correctly positioned pixels are applied to means (43,44,45) for adaptive switched interpolation filtering capable of providing spatial frequency filter responses which approximate those at the transmitter, for sub-sampling blocks of the interpolated picture are sub-sampled but where pixels adjacent but outside a block are sub-sampled with the same structure as that of the block and for non-adaptive switched interpolation filtering for providing spatial frequency filter responses which substantially correspond to those at the transmitter. An output (46) provides the reproduced high definition television signal. A digitally assisted television signal at a further input 41 is used to control the inverse shuffling and the selection of filter responses.

Method and apparatus for processing signals conveyed in sub-sampled form

Motion detection is based on picture signal value comparisons between picture elements (P) in consecutive, interlaced television pictures (n-2, n-1), (n, n+1), (n+2, N+3), motion or no motion, respectively, being determined in dependence on the fact whether comparison results exceed or do not exceed a threshold value. Changes in picture information between movie pictures (MP1, MP2, MP3) can negatively influence the telecine television motion detection if they make use of a preceding and a subsequent television picture. To prevent this, an instantaneous picture element (P1) in a first field (n) of a television picture (n, n+1) is compared with a number (P4, P5, P6, P7) of surrounding picture elements in a second field (n+1) and an instantaneous picture element (P11) in the second field N+1) is compared with a number (P14, P15, P16, P17) of surrounding picture elements in the first field (n).

Method of and arrangement for motion detection in an interlaced

A motion estimation for a picture element (pixel) (P1) of a television picture (TP) is performed at pixel level by comparison of the picture signal value of the present pixel (P1) with that of a corresponding pixel (P1) in a previous and/or subsequent television picture and with that of a plurality of surrounding pixels (P2', P3', P4', P5') in the present picture. Dependent on whether a threshold value is exceeded, it is decided whether there is no motion or whether there is motion. In the comparison with the surrounding pixels, an OR function is present for the detection 'no motion'. It is assumed that a first and a second comparison result 'no motion' associated with the pixel-pixel comparison and with the pixel-group comparison are stored for pixels (P) of the television picture (TP). Subsequently, the first and second comparison results in a sub-region (MA1) associated with the present pixel (P1) with a matrix of pixels (P1 . . . P64) are processed in accordance with a relation in which the quotient of the number of pixels (P) in the subregion (MA1) signifying 'no motion' and the total number of pixels (P1 . . . P64) in the sub-region (MA1) is larger than an associated first and second threshold number, respectively, which is a part of the total number. At this sub-region level a decision is made about the extent of motion at the present pixel (P1), dependent on the combinations of the first and second threshold numbers being exceeded or not exceeded.

Method of and device for estimating the extent of motion in a picture

In a system for transmitting and receiving a television signal via a transmission channel having at least a transmitting section and a receiving section, the transmitting section including a sampling circuit for sampling each field of the television signal in accordance with a sampling pattern which is shifted field-sequentially at least in the horizontal direction, the transmitting section further includes a field interleaving circuit for generating a field to be transmitted by interleaving between sampling values of a sampled field of the television signal sampling values of at least one further sampled field of the television signal having mutually different shifted sampling patterns, so that a higher temporal resolution is possible on display of the television signal.

Field interleaving compatible high definition television transmission

Television transmission or data storage system with time-division multiplex encoding. At least two signal sources are coupled via an encoding circuit for time-division multiplex encoding to a transmission or storage channel to which a data receiver including a decoding circuit can be connected. The signal supplied comprises two or more sub-picture signals during the line periods and the signal-compression or expansion time ratios for the different sub-picture signals are different. The decoding circuit is suitable for consecutively supplying signals during a line period of the data receiver, which signals largely correspond to the different sub-picture signals.

Television system and data generator and receiver suitable therefor

In a television transmission system, an encoding circuit in a data generator transmits (or stores) identification information relating to variable numbers of television lines or variable portions of television lines in which luminance and chrominance information occur, compressed where appropriate. The data receiver includes a simple, properly adaptable decoding circuit which comprises presettable counters for counting portions of television lines and for counting television lines, outputs of these counters being coupled to address inputs of a programmable memory which is coupled to a multiplexer which is switchable by the identification information and is followed by a logic circuit for generating control signals for a chrominance memory having the same write and read rates and for luminance and chrominance memories having said write rates and several read rates, under the control of a clock pulse source which is switchable via the logic circuit and the identification information. In the data generator the encoding circuit may be of a similar construction combined with luminance and chrominance memories having different write rates and the read rate mentioned in the foregoing.

Color television transmission or data storage system with time division

A picture flicker correction is desired with video disc players involving display of a stop-motion or still television picture and with television displays using field and line frequency doubling, in accordance with the so-called ABAB method. With a movement detector (51) movement or the absence of movement is detected. Two adding circuits (19, 22) are connected in parallel to delay devices (9, 9+12) having time delays substantially equal to a field period. By means of two switch-over devices (32, 37) switched by the movement detector (51), the delay devices (9, 9+12) or the adding circuits (19, 22) can be coupled with a switch-over device (45) which is switched once per field period. A further delay device (42) having a time delay substantially equal to a field period provides for information transfer during second field periods of frame periods comprising two field periods. In the absence of movement detection, the original information is transferred, and in the event of movement detection, the combined information is transferred.

Television circuit for picture flicker correction

By providing, in a field-frequency doubling circuit comprising a converter circuit (3) of an A, A, B, B, type, an interpolation circuit (31) which combines, in an appropriate manner, the information of two subjacent lines of a first field of a picture of the television signal to be converted and a second field of a picture of the television signal to be converted, line flicker can be prevented from occurring without it being necessary to provide a movement detector and a change-over switch for an A, B, A, B-type conversion.

Growing community of inventors

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Franciscus W Vreeswijk