Rca Inc.

Hitachi America, Ltd.

General Electric Company

Hitachi, Ltd.

Other

Roeder, Barbara J.

Isnardi, Michael A.

Fuhrer, Jack S.

Smith, Terrence R.

Jack S Fuhrer

John G Henderson

Jill MacDonald Boyce

Frank Anton Lane

Michael Allen Plotnick

Larry Alan Pearlstein

Hiroo Okamoto

Takaharu Noguchi

Michael Anthony Isnardi

Masuo Oku

Masafumi Nakamura

Katsuo Mohri

Terrence R Smith

Joseph Ellis Augenbraun

Eugene O Keizer

Donald Henry Willis

William A Lagoni

Leonard N Schiff

Billy W Beyers, Jr

Robert N Hurst, Jr

Michael D Ross

Kevin E Nortrup

Jon K Clemens

James J Gibson

Barbara J Roeder

Methods and apparatus for improving the quality of images generated by reduced resolution video decoders and new and improved video decoders which produce reduced resolution images are described. Methods and apparatus for identifying conditions within an image which may significantly degrade image quality if particular portions of the image are used by a reduced resolution decoder as reference data are described. One specific embodiment is directed to a new video decoder which decodes portions of a single image, e.g., frame, at different resolutions. Areas of the image along high contrast vertical or horizontal edges are decoded at full resolution while other portions of the same image are decoded at reduced resolution. By decoding and storing portions of reduced resolution images at full resolution for reference purposes, the risk of prediction errors resulting from the use of downsampling on reference frames is reduced.

Methods and apparatus for representing different portions of an image at different resolutions

Methods and apparatus for improving the quality of images generated by reduced resolution video decoders and new and improved video decoders which produce reduced resolution images are described. Methods and apparatus for identifying conditions within an image which may significantly degrade image quality if particular portions of the image are used by a reduced resolution decoder as reference data are described. In particular, techniques for identifying blocks of pixels, referred to as constant block regions, having approximately the same intensity in terms of luminance values, are discussed. High contrast vertical and/or horizontal edges will cause significant prediction errors in images generated by reduced resolution decoders under certain conditions. Methods for assessing when such conditions exist and a significant prediction error is likely to occur are described. In addition methods and apparatus for minimizing the effect of such prediction errors in downsampling decoders are also described. One specific embodiment is directed to a new video decoder which decodes portions of a single image, e.g., frame, at different resolutions. Areas of the image along high contrast vertical or horizontal edges are decoded at full resolution while other portions of the same image are decoded at reduced resolution.

Methods and apparatus for decoding different portions of a video image at different resolutions

Methods and apparatus for improving the quality of images generated by reduced resolution video decoders and new and improved video decoders which produce reduced resolution images are described. Methods and apparatus for identifying conditions within an image which may significantly degrade image quality if particular portions of the image are used by a reduced resolution decoder as reference data are described. In particular, techniques for identifying blocks of pixels, referred to as constant block regions, having approximately the same intensity in terms of luminance values, are discussed. High contrast vertical and/or horizontal edges will cause significant prediction errors in images generated by reduced resolution decoders under certain conditions. Methods for assessing when such conditions exist and a significant prediction error is likely to occur are described. In addition methods and apparatus for minimizing the effect of such prediction errors in downsampling decoders are also described. One specific embodiment is directed to a new video decoder which decodes portions of a single image, e.g., frame, at different resolutions. Areas of the image along high contrast vertical or horizontal edges are decoded at full resolution while other portions of the same image are decoded at reduced resolution. Identified constant block areas found in multiple frames are decoded at even lower resolution than other image areas. By decoding and storing portions of reduced resolution images at full resolution for reference purposes, the risk of prediction errors resulting from the use of downsampling on reference frames is reduced.

Methods and apparatus for improving picture quality in reduced

Techniques for identifying blocks of pixels, referred to as constant block regions, having approximately the same intensity in terms of luminance values, are discussed. High contrast vertical and/or horizontal edges will cause significant prediction errors in images generated by reduced resolution decoders under certain conditions. Methods for assessing when such conditions exist and a significant prediction error is likely to occur are described. In addition methods and apparatus for minimizing the effect of such prediction errors in downsampling decoders are also described. One specific embodiment is directed to a new video decoder which decodes portions of a single image, e.g., frame, at different resolutions. Areas of the image along high contrast vertical or horizontal edges are decoded at full resolution while other portions of the same image are decoded at reduced resolution. By decoding and storing portions of reduced resolution images at full resolution for reference purposes, the risk of prediction errors resulting from the use of downsampling on reference frames is reduced.

Methods and apparatus for detecting scene conditions likely to cause

A device for transmitting digital packetized video and audio data is disclosed. The transmitter includes a video encoder, a prioritizer, and a packetizer. The video encoder receives video signals and encodes the video signals into a digital video data stream including codewords. The video encoder also generates motion vectors and fully intra-coded video frames for use by a video tape recorder during trick play operation. The prioritizer is coupled to the video encoder. The prioritizer receives the digital video data stream and prioritizes the video data according to a preselected prioritization scheme optimized for identifying data useful to video tape recorder trick play operation. The preselected prioritization scheme assigns the video codewords in the video data stream to a priority level according to the utility of each video codeword for video tape recorder recording and playback operation and outputs both the video codewords and a priority level signal. The video codewords and the priority level signal are supplied to a transport packetizer which packetizes the video codewords and associates a header with each packet. The headers contain information identifying the assigned priority level of the codewords in each packet. This makes it possible for a video tape recorder receiving the video packets to determine the utility of the codewords in a given packet from the priority level information in the packet headers.

Video recording device compatible transmitter

Methods of operating a digital video recording and playback device to identify trick play data, e.g., data that is intended for use during trick play modes of video playback device operation such as fast forward and reverse, by recording headers containing specific trick play information along with the trick play data are described. In one embodiment, the recording of headers which identify data as data intended for use during trick play as opposed to normal play operation is described. In addition to identifying data recorded data as normal play or trick play data headers associated with recorded data may identify the speed and direction of video tape recorder operation during which the specific data associated with the header is intended to be displayed at. When a data block includes data packets, a header may be used to identify various ones of the data packets as being for use during one mode of trick play operation, e.g., a first fast forward speed of operation, and other packets in the same data block as being for use during a second mode of trick play operation.

Trick play data indentification methods and apparatus for use with

A digital video tape recorder ('VTR') that selects data useful for generating images during trick playback operation and records the data in trick play tape segments arranged on a tape to form fast scan tracks and multi-speed playback tracks. Each fast scan track comprises trick play tape segments located on a diagonal, relative to the length of the tape, of the same angle as the angle at which the heads of a VTR are expected to pass over the tape during trick play operation at a specific speed and direction of operation. Each multi-speed playback track comprises a plurality of trick play tape segments arranged parallel to the length of the tape. Data which is used for at least one mode of trick play operation is recorded in each trick play tape segment. Each fast scan track and multi-speed track crosses multiple normal play tracks. During playback at a wide variety of speeds and directions, the heads pass over enough trick play segments of the multi-speed playback track to generate recognizable images during trick play operation. Data is recorded in each trick play segment in a manner that optimizes the amount of data that can be routinely recovered during trick playback operation despite tracking errors.

Digital video recording device with trick play capability

Methods of operating a digital video recording and playback device, such as a video tape recorder, to arrange trick play data into one or more groups, to generate error correction bits for each group of trick play data, e.g., a group of trick play data blocks, and to correct the data after being read back using the error correction bits is disclosed. The trick play data blocks are made to be smaller than normal play data blocks with multiple trick play data blocks being equal in size to a single normal play data block. By making a group of trick play data blocks equal in size to a single normal play data block, the group of trick play data blocks may be processed as a unit by the same error correction circuitry and in the same manner used to process individual normal play data blocks. In accordance with one embodiment, the error correction bits for a group of trick play data blocks are calculated treating the data in the group of trick play data blocks as a single unit. The error correction bits are appended to the last data block in the group of trick play data blocks. During trick play operation the trick play data blocks are read back and combined according to trick play data groups. Each group of trick play blocks is then processed using the same error correction circuitry used to process a normal play data block.

Digital recording and playback device error correction methods and

Digital video tape recorder apparatus that generates commands to instruct a television receiver to perform special processing, e.g., processing designed to enhance image quality, on video data received from the digital video tape recorder during trick play operation is disclosed. The commands from the video tape recorder inform the television receiver that the video tape recorder is operating in trick play mode and that video processing not performed on normal play video data output by the video tape recorder during normal play operation should be performed on the trick play video data which is output during trick play operation. The video data output during trick play operation is a subset of the normal play video data. The video processing commands output during trick play operation instruct a receiver to perform video processing intended to compensate for normal play data intentionally omitted by the video tape recorder from the trick play video data because of, e.g., data limitations resulting from the limited amount of data that can be accurately read from a tape during trick play operation. Method of generating the video processing commands which are output to a receiver during trick play video tape recorder operation are also disclosed.

Method and apparatus directed to processing trick play video data to

A video recorder compatible receiver for receiving video data from a video recorder such as a video tape recorder ('VTR'). The receiver includes an error concealment circuit, a digital VTR port adapted for coupling to a VTR and/or a tuner module. The receiver receives digital video data from the VTR by either the digital VTR port or the tuner module. VTR commands may also be received from a VTR. Upon receiving a VTR command indicating that the VTR is operating in trick play mode or upon detecting video data that is indicative of VTR trick play operation, the error concealment circuit of the receiver disables normal play error concealment and enables trick play error concealment. The error concealment circuit may perform temporal and spatial filtering on the video data received from the VTR when trick play error concealment is enabled.

Digital video recorder compatible receiver with trick play image

In a television signal processing system of the type which encodes an auxiliary carrier modulated with auxiliary image information in line format, which carrier is placed within the spectral band of standard television signal components, and wherein the modulated auxiliary carrier tends to interfere with the standard television signal, the interference is minimized by spatially variably attenuating the auxiliary image information. The attenuation function is selected to apply greater attenuation to the auxiliary image information at the extremities of the lines than toward the center of the lines.

Side panel signal processor for a widescreen television system

Apparatus is disclosed for reducing unwanted jagged diagonal artifacts in a video signal. At an encoder, moving image information is intraframe averaged over a given frequency range, e.g., above 1.5 MHz, while still image information is subjected to a field repeat process over a given frequency range. At a decoder, still image information is subjected to a frame repeat process over the given field repeat frequency range, while moving image information is left unchanged.

Television signal processing system for reducing diagonal image artifacts

In a widescreen signal encoding system for a television-type signal, side panel chrominance information is conveyed in double sideband form on an auxiliary subcarrier having a field inverting phase relative to the phase of a standard chrominance subcarrier. Side panel high frequency luminance information exclusive of low frequency information also is conveyed on the auxiliary subcarrier, but in single sideband form. Illustratively the auxiliary subcarrier is at the 3.58 MHz frequency of the standard chrominance subcarrier.

Compatible widescreen television system

A television system for generating video signals for reception by a receiver having adaptive processing circuitry susceptible of errors includes circuitry for emulating portions of the receiver and detecting the occurrences of such errors. A signal representing the occurrences of the errors is generated and combined with the transmitted video signal. At the receiver the error signal is separated from the video signal and utilized by the adaptive processing circuitry to ameliorate the effects of such errors.

Enhanced TV system using transmitted error signals

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.

Growing community of inventors

Princeton Junction, NJ, United States of America

Jack S Fuhrer