The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 07, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 28, 1995
Robert A Dougherty, Ozona, FL (US);
David A Kiewit, Palm Harbor, FL (US);
Daozheng Lu, Dunedin, FL (US);
Henry B Wheeler, St. Petersburg, FL (US);
Nielsen Media Research, Inc., New York, NY (US);
Abstract
In the present invention, an ancillary code is added to a composite video signal in its active video portion. The ancillary code may be spread over several frequencies and summed at the output of a decoder to enhance the legibility of the ancillary code at the output of the decoder. Frequency-stepping may be used to add the ancillary code at ones of a plurality of selected frequencies within the bandwidth of the composite video signal. The ancillary code may be hierarchically apportioned between respective uniquely specified sequential segments corresponding to many distribution points of the composite television signal. This hierarchical ancillary code may be frequency-interleaved between harmonics of the horizontal sync frequency of the composite video signal. The ancillary code may be redundantly added above and below the roll-off frequency of a VCR.