DIGITAL TELEVISION DATA COMPRESSION SYSTEM

• US 3,435,134 A
• Filed: 03/21/1966
• Issued: 03/25/1969
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1966
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richards, Gerald P.
• Original Assignee: Richards, Gerald P.
• Inventors: Richards, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US04/535,770
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• US Class Current: 348/390.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence

Claims

1. IN A TELEVISION SYSTEM FOR SUBJECT REPRESENTATIVE DIGITAL SIGNALS IN WHICH THE BRIGHTNESS VALUES OF THE ELEMENTAL SUBJECT AREAS ARE REPRESENTED RESPECTIVELY BY A CODE OF N DIGITS OF WHICH THE FIRST N/2 DIGITS CONSTITUTE A COARSE WORD SIGNIFYING ONE OF K COARSE BRIGHTNESS VALUSES OF SAID SUBJECT AND THE LAST N/2 DIGITS CONSTITUTE A FINE WORD SIGNIFYING ONE K FINE BRIGHTNESS VALUES OF SAID SUBJECT WITHIN ANY ONE OF SAID COARSE BRIGHTNESS VALUES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING:

MEANS FOR SEQUENTIALLY TRANSMITTING A FIRST PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF SAID COARSE WORDS REPRESENTING A FIRST COARSE BRIGHTNESS VALUE OF SAID SUBJECT;

MEANS FOR DISCONTINUING SAID COARSE WORD TRANSMISSION IN RESPONSE TO A DETERMINATION THAT SAID FIRST COARSE PICTURE BRIGHTNESS VALUE IS REPRESENTED BY AT LEAST A SECOND PREDETERMINED NUMBER GREATER THAN SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF SAID COARSE WORDS;

MEANS FOLLOWING SAID COARSE WORD TRANSMISSION DISCONTINUATION FOR SEQUENTIALLY TRANSMITTING ONE OR MORE OF SAID FINE WORDS REPRESENTING FINE BRIGHTNESS VALUES OF SAID SUBJECT WITHIN SAID FIRST COARSE BRIGHTNESS VALUE;

MEANS RESPONSIVE TO A DETERMINATION THAT AT LEAST ONE OTHER COARSE WORD IS PRODUCED REPRESENTING A SECOND COARSE BRIGHTNESS VALUE OF SAID SUBJECT FOR DISCONTINUING SAID FINE WORD TRANSMISSION AND REVERTING TO SAID COARSE WORD TRANSMISSION;

MEANS FOR SEQUENTIALLY RECEIVING BOTH OF SAID COARSE AND FINE WORDS;

AND MEANS HAVING COARSE AND FINE WORD OPERATING MODES RESPECTIVELY, FOR PROCESSING SAID SEQUENTIALLY RECEIVED COARSE AND FINE WORDS OF N/2 DIGITS SO AS PRODUCE SIGNALS HAVING N DIGITS AND COMPRISING COMBINATIONS OF SAID COARSE AND FINE WORDS OF N/2 DIGITS.