MULTI-PICTURE TV SYSTEM WITH AUDIO AND DODING CHANNELS

• US 3,849,594 A
• Filed: 05/25/1973
• Issued: 11/19/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James W.H. Justice
• Original Assignee: James W.H. Justice
• Inventors: Justice, James W. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Godfrey, R. John
• Application Number:
  US05/364,166
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 178/5.6,DIG.23,5.2R,5.8A,5.8R,6.8,7.7 179/15BM
• US Class Current: 348/386.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/00 Colour television systems details H04N9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/002 Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0806 the signals being two or more video signals H04N7/0803, H04N7/081 take precedence

Abstract

A TV broadcast system features the transmission of a plurality of separate pictures and a plurality of audio signals on a single television carrier signal such that two different pictures may be selectively displayed in at least two of four quadrants defined on the screen of a television receiving tube. In a first embodiment, eight TV cameras have their video output signals connected to separate quadrant blankers from where the signals are summed to form two composite video signals each providing a picture for the four quadrants of the TV picture tube. The composite signals are then connected to the Y and I inputs of an encoder. The Q input of the encoder receives a composite signal in the form of eight audio signals and two coding signals. In a second embodiment two color cameras and four monochrome cameras each has their video output signals connected to separate blankers from where the signals are delivered to summation circuits to provide three composite video signals. The color cameras are associated with one summation circuit and pairs of the monochrome cameras are associated with each of two other summation circuits. The color composite signal after matrixing is added to one of the monochrome composite signals and then connected to the Y, I and Q inputs to an encoder. The Q channel, used only for the transmission of color programming, is timeshared during the remaining portion of the time for the transmission of a plurality of audio signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting a plurality of separate pictures or scenes and a plurality of audio signals using modulated subcarriers on a single TV carrier signal such that at least two scenes are transmitted for display in certain of four quadrants of a television receiving tube, the combination comprising:

means for producing a plurality of video signals corresponding to said separate scenes, blanker means for limiting the scenes represented by said video signals for display in a predetermined quadrant of a television receiving tube, means for producing at least two video summation signals, each comprising at least two of said blanked video signals, means for sampling a plurality of audio signals to provide a plurality of audio signal bursts, means for producing an audio summation signal from said audio signal bursts; and

encoder means receiving said two video summation signals and said audio summation signal for modulating one of said video summation signals and said audio summation signal onto separate phase displaced subcarriers for transmission with the other of said video summation signals on a single television carrier signal.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for sampling a plurality of audio signals includes gate means for sampling each of said plurality of audio signals, and a sample pulse generator for rendering conductive each of said gate means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising means for producing sync pulse to control said blanker means and control said sample pulse generator.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for producing sync pulse provides sync control for said means for producing said plurality of video signals.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said plurality of video signals comprise eight monochrome video signals, and said two video summation signals each comprise four blanked video signals that are arranged for display in the respective four quadrants of a receiving tube.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said means for sampling a plurality of audio signals includes eight gate means for providing sampled audio signals and a sample pulse generator for rendering conductive each of said gate means during each horizontal scan line of a video picture.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a plurality of gate means for providing a plurality of sampled coding signals, said sample pulse generator rendering conductive said plurality of gate means for coding signals during each horizontal scan line of a video picture and said audio summation signal comprising a summation signal made up of the sampled audio signals from said eight gate means and the sampled coding signals of said plurality of gate means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of video signals comprise color video signals for two scenes and monochrome video signals for at least two scenes, whereby said video summation signals comprise a summation video signal of said color video signals from said blanker means and a summation video signal of said monochrome video signals from said blanker means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said plurality of video signals further comprise monochrome video signals of four scenes whereby said video susmmation signals include two summation video signals of said monochrome signals from said blanker means.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said means for sampling a plurality of audio signals comprise six gate means for providing sampled audio signals and a sample pulse generator for rendering conductive each of said gate means during each horizontal scan line when providing blanked monochrome video signals.

11. An apparatus for transmitting a plurality of separate pictures or scenes and a plurality of audio signals as modulated subcarriers on a single TV radio frequency carrier signal to provide two scenes for display in each of four quadrants of a television receiving tube, the combination comprising:

means fOr producing eight video signals corresponding to a different scene;

blanker means for each of said eight video signals to limit the scene for display in one of said quadrants;

adding means receiving the blanked video signals forming a YS and IS summation video signal corresponding to two scenes for display in each of four quadrants;

gate means for sampling each of a plurality of audio signals, sample pulse generator means for rendering conductive said gate means during each horizontal video scan line, adding means forming a QS summation audio signal from the sampled plurality of audio signals; and

encoder means for modulating said IS summation video signal and said QS summation audio signal onto a subcarrier in a quadrature phase relation for transmission of said IS and QS signals with said YS signal on a single RF carrier signal.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said encoder means includes a 2.0 megahertz filter means in the signal path of said YS summation video signal.

13. An apparatus for transmitting a plurality of separate pictures or scenes and a plurality of audio signals as modulated subcarriers on a single TV radio frequency carrier signal to provide a display in the four quadrants of the receiving tube consisting of color scenes in two of the four quadrants and four monochrome scenes for selective display in the remaining two of the four quadrants, said apparatus comprising:

means for producing video signals corresponding to six different scenes of which two of the scenes are represented by color video signals;

blanker means for said video signals to limit the scene represented thereby for display in selected ones of said quadrants;

first adding means receiving the blanked color video signals for producing Red, Green and Blue combined video signals;

matrixing means for producing Y, I and Q video signals from said combined video signals;

second adding means for producing a YS composite video signal from two of the said monochrome video signals;

third adding means for producing an IS composite video signal from the remaining two of the said monochrome video signals;

gate means for sampling each of a plurality of audio signals, sample pulse generator means for rendering conductive said gate means during each horizontal video scan line when said YS and IS composite video signals are formed;

fourth adding means for producing a composite audio signal from the sampled audio signals; and

encoder means for modulating said I and IS signals and said Q and QS signals onto a subcarrier in a quadrature phase relation for transmission with said Y and YS signals on a single radio frequency carrier signal.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising:

means for summing said I and IS signals for delivery to said encoder means, means for summing said Q and QS signals for delivery to said encoder means, and means for summing said Y and YS signals for delivery to said encoder means.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising a 2.0 megahertz filter means in the signal path of said YS video signal preceding said means for summing said Y and YS signals.