Pioneer Electronic Corporation

Toshio Tabata

Kenji Yashiro

Hiroki Uemura

Akihiro Ono

When a composite color TV signal of standard NTSC system with a 4-to-3 aspect ratio and 525 scanning lines is received by a TV receiver with a large aspect ratio of 16 to 9, the NTSC signal is separated into a color video signal for picture and a character data signal. The color video signal for picture is written into a first buffer at a timing of a first clock whose frequency is four times that of an input color subcarrier. The character data signal is written into a second buffer at a timing of a second block with a frequency 16/5 times that of the color subcarrier. The picture video signal and the character data signal are alternately picked up by a selector that swiches between the two buffers at a specified horizontal position on the screen at a timing of a third clock whose frequency is 4/3 times that of the first clock. The output of the selector is fed to the TV receiver to produce a picture on one side of the screen and character data on the other side, utilizing the whole area of the screen. This prevents uneven degradation of the CRT, as would be caused by a partial use of the screen.

Image display system for displaying picture with smaller aspect ratio on

A video-signal-distortion reducing apparatus comprising a filter circuit for selectively passing a broadcast television signal (BC signal) and a laser disc video signal (LD signal). The broadcast television signal has a GCR signal in 18H and 281H of its scanning lines while the laser disc signal has commmand signals for other purposes in 18H and 28H of its scanning lines. A GCR signal is assigned to other scanning lines than 18H and 281H of the laser disc signal. A GCR waveform memory selectively stores the GCR signal superimposed on BC signal in response to a BC signal selecting commmand produced by a timing generator and the GCR signal superimposed on the LD signal in response to an LD signal selecting command. An arithmetic operational circuit detects a delay time and an amplitude difference of the GCR signal stored in the GCR waveform memory relative to a reference GCR signal and controls the filter characteristic such that the delay time and the amplitude difference are minimized.

Selective deghosting of plural GCR-containing video signals

A picture display system in which a picture in the high definition television system is converted into a picture in the conventional television system is provided. The picture display system samples a desired part of picture in the high definition television system, converting a high definition video signal which forms the sampled desired part of the picture into a conventional video signal in the conventional television system, and displays the conventional video signal. The picture in the high definition television system may be divided into a plurality of desired parts, each of which is converted into a conventional television signal. Each of the plurality of desired parts is subsequently displayed on conventional televisions which are arranged to form a single large picture as a whole.

Picture display system

A scanning line converting system comprises down-converters arranged in parallel for converting an input high definition television signal to a current television signal, and double-frequency converting sections for respectively doubling the frequency of the down-converted current television signals, for synthesizing them, and for delivering the synthesized signal as a non-interlaced video signal. The non-interlaced video signal can be obtained by properly controlling a vertical filter which is a part of the down-converter with no additional interlace/non-interlace converting unit.

Scanning line converting system for displaying a high definition

An improved clock circuit in which a counter can begin its counting operation following the release of the reset signal always within one-half of the period of the input clock signal. The input clock signal is applied through a D-type flip-flop to one input of an exclusive-OR gate, and to the other input of the exclusive-OR gate directly. The output of the exclusive-OR gate drives the clock input to the counter. The clock input to the D-type flip-flop is supplied by the reset signal.

Counter circuit having improved output response

A remote line monitoring device and method for a CATV system in which a center facility is connected to plural terminal units through cables of the system to transmit television signals to subscribers' homes. A plurality of monitoring terminal units are provided along various points of the interconnecting cables. Each of the monitoring terminal units is identified by an unique address. To determine conditions throughout the system, a central monitoring system transmits polling signals on the cables. If an address contained within the polling signals matches with a prestored identifying address, a monitoring terminal unit responds by transmitting data produced by monitoring converter units back to the center facility. The center facility can then display the data or produce indications identifying problems along the cables.

Remote line monitoring method and device for CATV system

A line monitoring device for use in a two-way data communication system such as a CATV system in which up-signals are transmitted by terminal units in response to retrieving signals applied thereto from a central facility to monitor the levels produced by the various terminal units. An address detection signal compares the address number included in a polling down-signal from the central facility with an address prestored in the monitoring device. A response signal detection section detects the up-signals from the terminal units. A display section operates in response to the address detection section to display the level of an up-signal from a terminal unit as produced on the output of the response signal detection section when the address received from the central facility coincides with the pre-stored address.

Line monitoring device in two-way data communication system

In a CATV system, channel identifying data is incorporated in each transmitted channel, and subscriber terminals return such data to the CATV center to indicate the channel actually being received. Further, the channel identifying data is compared to the channel selected, and when a proper comparison exists a sweep voltage is held at a predetermined level for the particular channel, to control frequency conversion at the terminal.

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Tokyo, Japan

Toshio Tabata