Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Sarnoff Corporation

David Sarnoff Research Center, Inc.

Tianmin Liu

Steven T Jaffe

Christopher H Strolle

Allen LeRoy Limberg

Chandrakant Bhailalbhai Patel

Jian Yang

Yong-kyu Kim

Bruce James Anderson

Thomas John Meyer

In a information distribution system, a control channel modem that provides independent communications channels for bi-directional message traffic between a service provider and a set-top terminal located within a subscriber's home. The modem transmits messages, control information and status information between the service provider and the subscriber's set-top terminal using an independent channel (downstream path) that is different from the channel (upstream path) used for sending requested information such as movies from the service provider to the subscriber's home.

Method and apparatus for providing control channel communications for an

A QAM/VSB digital receiver is disclosed which includes a source of a QAM/VSB signal. An analog-to-digital converter is coupled to the QAM/VSB signal source, and is further responsive to a sample clock signal. A filter/complement is coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and has a first output terminal which produces a low-pass filtered QAM/VSB signal, and a second output terminal which produces a high-pass filtered QAM/VSB signal complementary to the low-pass filtered QAM/VSB signal. A sample clock generating circuit is coupled to the second output terminal of the filter/complement and produces the sample clock signal in response to the high-pass filtered QAM/VSB signal.

Apparatus for generating timing signals for a digital television signal

A data detector is disclosed which includes a source of a data signal representing a sequence of symbols. A maximum likelihood sequence detector, is coupled to the data signal source, and produces a most likely survivor sequence, which includes a plurality of symbols. A decision feedback equalizer and a phase detector, controlling the timing of the sampling of the data signal, are made responsive to the most likely survivor sequence.

Data detection for partial response channels

In response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, a digital radio receiver recovers in digital form a modulating signal that is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion. This recovered modulating signal is applied as respective input signals to first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted. The first FIR filter responds to the modulating signal to supply an output signal in which multipath distortion is suppressed. The second FIR filter responds to the modulating signal to generate corrections for the tap weights of the first FIR filter, which corrections are generated more rapidly than can be done with a microprocessor of the type commonly known as a 'digital signal processor' or 'DSP'. A digital comparator compares samples of the first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate updated tap weights for the second FIR filter.

Rapid-update adaptive channel-equalization filtering for digital radio

A video tape includes a plurality of parallel slant tracks formed therein. Each track includes a plurality of successively recorded sync blocks. In each sync block, a respective portion of a first digital signal recorded therein represents a predetermined portion of an input image with relatively low resolution, and a respective portion of a second digital signal recorded therein represents substantially the same predetermined portion of the input image with relatively high resolution. Successive sync blocks include consecutive portions of the first digital signal, which portions correspond to spatially adjacent portions of the input image. Preferably, each sync block includes a fixed number of bits of the first digital signal, which is decodable without reference to any image coded signal from other sync blocks. The first digital signal codes the input images as raster scanned in reduced-resolution form for reproduction during a trickplay mode and the second digital signal comprises variable-bit-length codes permitting reproduction of the input images in full-resolution form during a normal-play mode. The second digital signal is not decodable unless there is reference to the portion of the first digital signal recorded in the same sync block, or portions of the second digital signal in other ones of the sync blocks, or to the portion of the first digital signal recorded in the same sync block and portions of the second digital signal in other ones of the sync blocks.

Data placement on tape for a digital video tape recorder suitable for

Television images to be digitally recorded are divided into blocks and the discrete cosine transform DCT of each block is taken. The DC coefficient of each DCT block is scalar-quantized, and its AC coefficients are classified-vector-quantized (CVQ). The square of the value that part or all the AC coefficients among horizontal AC coefficients including a first AC coefficient and vertical AC coefficients including a second AC coefficient, according to the zigzag scanning sequence of DCT block, are subtracted from a representative value of a preset reference class. Using a multilevel compression method, lowest level codes are vector-partitioned by P-units at equal intervals with respect to each classified DCT block, and code books of representative vectors corresponding to the partitioned vectors are provided. Indices of corresponding representative vectors in respective code books and the classified codes are taken as encoding data corresponding to AC coefficients to keep a constant number of bits in the lowest level codes. Then, errors created in a preceding level are corrected. Code books of S-units of representative vectors corresponding to the errors are provided again, and corresponding indices and parity data in the respective code books are provided. Here, codes are output in which an image is more compactly compressed in lower levels, and higher levels have more elaborate picture quality. During tape recording, the codes descriptive of the scalar quantized DC term, the classification of the AC terms and the lowest-level vector-quantization index for each successive DCT block are grouped together for recording in a respective one of regularly spaced equal-length segments of the recording tracks. Decoding is performed in the reverse sequence of encoding. During a high speed search, only lowest level codes having a constant number of bits are decoded regardless of the complexity of the picture, so that picture quality is good enough to discern the nature of the images.

Image compression encoding and decoding method and apparatus therefor

A method and apparatus for compression encoding successive input images into a plurality of sync blocks which are sequentially recorded on a record carrier, comprises digitally processing each of the input images in accordance with a first image compression encoding technique so as to provide a first digital signal representative of a low resolution version of each of the input images. The input images are also digitally processed in accordance with a second image compression encoding technique which is different from the first image compression encoding technique so as to provide a second digital signal representative of a higher resolution version of each of the input images. Consecutive portions of both of the first and second digital signals are combined into sequential sync blocks which are then sequentially recorded on a record carrier.

Data coding for a digital video tape recorder suitable for high speed

A relatively low power phase-shift-keyed (PSK) subcarrier encoding digital information is admixed with composite video signal. The PSK subcarrier is at an odd multiple of half the scan line frequency of the composite video signal, and the symbol rate is at a multiple of the scan line frequency. The PSK subcarrier modulates the amplitude of a suppressed carrier which is the same frequency as the video carrier for the composite video signal and preferably is in quadrature phasing therewith. To reduce evidence of the PSK subcarrier in television picture generated from that composite video signal, the PSK subcarrier is interrupted after each of periods of one frame duration and repeated in anti-phase during the next period of one frame duration. This also provides a basis for separating the PSK subcarrier from static luminance signal components by bandpass frame-comb filtering. Preferably, in the scan lines of consecutive pairs of scan lines, the PSK subcarrier is repeated with phase reversal of the subcarrier between scan lines, and the chroma subcarrier is repeated. This provides a basis for separating PSK subcarrier from chroma subcarrier by lowpass line-comb filtering.

Apparatus for processing modified NTSC television signals, with digital

An image carrier for storing video information including a plurality of slant tracks recorded thereon, wherein each of the tracks is characterized as including a predetermined number of sync blocks defining a predetermined track length, wherein each of the sync blocks is divided into first and second portions storing respective first and second digital signals coded therein. The first digital signal permits reconstruction of an input image during a trickplay mode of operation while the second digital signal permits reconstruction of an input image with a comparable resolution during a normal play mode of operation. On the average, the first digital signal of each sync block represents a complete scan line of the input image.

Growing community of inventors

Lawrenceville, NJ, United States of America

Tianmin Liu