Telecommunication system for transmitting full motion video

• US 5,283,637 A
• Filed: 08/20/1990
• Issued: 02/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prime Image Delaware, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Christine Holland Trustee/Goolcharan Trust
• Inventors: Goolcharan, Boysie M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Stella L.
• Application Number:
  US07/570,297
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 379/53, 379/96, 379/54, 379/90, 358/85
• US Class Current: 348/14.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/068 using time division multiplex techniques; integrated services digital networks H04Q11/0428
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/102 Circuits therefor, e.g. noise reducers, equalisers, amplifiers H04N7/108 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

An improved telecommunication system is provided which allows the transmission of full motion color video, voice and data over a communications link formed of a twisted pair of wires of the type currently utilized only for voice and data communications. The signal is transmitted over the twisted pair link as a broadband signal up to a distance of six thousand feet. The twisted pair link exhibits a known impedance to the signal, depending upon the lengths of the twisted pairs of wires in the link. As the signal is received from the twisted pair link it is amplified and an impedance proportional to the impedance of the twisted pair link and vectorially opposite thereto is impressed thereon. A unity gain is achieved whereby the signal degrading effects of the impedance of the twisted pair link are reversed. This results in the accurate reproduction of a video signal over a link including significant lengths of conventional twisted pairs of telephone wires. Moreover, because the compensation for telephone line twisted pair impedance allows the accurate reproduction of a broadband signal, a plurality of different video, telephone and data signals can be multiplexed together and transmitted simultaneously over the same twisted pair link.

Claims

1. A telecommunication circuit for transmitting video signals comprising:

video signal initiation means for providing a broadband video signal of at least 4.5 megahertz band width, line driver means coupled to said video signal initiation means to amplify said broadband video signal and transmit it intact, a link formed of a twisted pair of unloaded telephone wires having opposite ends one of which is coupled to receive said amplified broadband video signal, symmetrical video transformer means coupled to the other of said ends of said twisted pair link to receive and amplify said broadband video signal, correcting amplifier means coupled to receive said broadband video signal from said symmetrical video transformer and to impress thereon an impedance proportional to the impedance in said twisted pair link and in vector opposition thereto to thereby correct said broadband video signal for impedance degradation in said twisted pair link and a video receiver coupled to said correcting amplifier means for receiving said corrected broadband video signal.

2. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 1 wherein said broadband video signal as provided by said video signal initiation means has a band width of at least 6.0 megahertz.

3. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 1 wherein said twisted pair link is no greater than six thousand feet in length.

4. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 1 wherein said correcting amplifier means is comprised of a receive signal emitter follower amplification circuit and resistor-capacitor combinations which are selectively and alternatively strapped into said receive signal emitter-follower amplification circuit as determined by the length of said twisted pair link.

5. A telecommunication system according to claim 4 wherein said line driver means is comprised of a gain selection means including a transmit signal emitter follower amplification circuit and resistor-capacitor combinations which are selectively and alternatively strapped into said transmit signal emitter follower amplification circuit as determined by the length of said twisted pair link.

6. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 1 wherein said correcting amplifier means is comprised of phase adjustment means for applying a phase adjustment to said video signal.

7. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 6 wherein said phase adjustment means is comprised of a phase adjustment amplifier circuit and resistor-capacitor-inductor combinations which are selectively and alternatively strapped into said phase adjustment amplifier circuit as determined by the length of said twisted pair link.

8. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 1 further comprising at least one voice band signal initiation means for providing a voice band signal of about 4 kilohertz band width and multiplexing means coupled to receive said broadband video signal from said video signal initiation means and said voice band signal from said voice band signal initiation means and to transmit said broadband video signal and said voice band signal simultaneously to said line driver means over said twisted pair link, and a voice band receiver coupled to said correcting amplifier means for receiving said voice band signal.

9. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 8 comprising a plurality of voice band signal initiation means as aforesaid including at least one telephone signal initiation means and at least one data signal initiation means and a plurality of voice band receivers as aforesaid dedicated to receive each of said voice band signals.

10. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 8 wherein said multiplexing means is comprised of frequency division modulating means coupled between said signal initiation means and said line driver means and frequency division demodulating means coupled between said correcting amplifier means and said receivers.

11. A telecommunication system comprising:

(a) a video signal source providing a broadband video signal having a frequency band width of at least 4.5 megahertz,

(b) line driver means coupled to said video signal source to produce an amplified broadband video signal;

(c) a link comprised of an unloaded twisted pair of telephone wires having a known impedance and coupled to receive said amplified broadband video signal intact from said line driver means,

(d) a symmetrical video transformer coupled to said twisted pair of telephone wires to receive and amplify said broadband video signal therefrom,

(e) correcting amplifier means coupled to said symmetrical video transformer to impress thereon an offsetting impedance to said broadband video signal emanating from said twisted pair link which is proportional and in opposition to said known impedance of said twisted pair link to thereby negate the effects of said known impedance on said broadband video signal from said video source, and

(f) a video receiver coupled to receive said broadband video signal from said correcting amplifier means to extract a video image therefrom.

12. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 11 wherein said correcting amplifier means is comprised of an emitter follower amplifier circuit and a plurality of combinations of resistors, capacitors and inductors, and at least one of said combinations is selectively coupled in said emitter follower circuit and other of said combinations are selectively isolated therefrom in accordance with the impedance of said twisted pair link.

13. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 11 wherein said symmetrical video transformer and said correcting amplifier means serve as a unity gain amplifier for signals passing over said twisted pair link.

14. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 11 further comprising at least one additional signal source for providing at least one additional communication signal, and frequency modulating means coupled to receive said signals from said signal sources and to modulate said signals, and said line driver means is coupled to said frequency modulating means to receive said modulated frequencies therefrom and further comprising demodulating means coupled to said correcting amplifier means to receive modulated signals therefrom, and to demodulate said modulated signals to separately reproduce said broadband video signal and each additional communication signal, and separate communication receivers for each additional communication signal.

15. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 14 further comprising a plurality of additional signal sources as aforesaid including at least one additional telephone signal and at least one additional data signal.

16. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 14 further characterized in that said additional communication signal is about 4 kilohertz in bandwidth.

17. A telecommunication circuit according to claim 11 further characterized in that said twisted pair link is no greater than six thousand feet in length.

18. In a telecommunication circuit including a twisted pair link comprised of an unloaded twisted pair of wires of a known length and having first and second ends, the improvement comprising:

video signal provision means for providing a broadband video signal having a band width of at least 4.5 megahertz, line driver means interposed between said video signal provision means and said first end of said twisted pair link to amplify said broadband video signal intact and to impress a known impedance thereon, whereby said twisted pair link exhibits said known impedance, unity gain amplification means coupled to said second end of said twisted pair link to reproduce said broadband video signal intact with a compensating impedance proportional and opposite to said known impedance impressed thereon, and a video receiver coupled to receive said broadband video signal with said compensating impedance impressed thereon.

19. An improved telecommunication circuit according to claim 18 wherein said unity gain amplification means is comprised of a symmetrical video transformer at said second end of said twisted pair link to amplify said broadband video signal, and correcting amplifier means for impressing said compensating impedance on said broadband video signal once it emanates from said symmetrical video transformer.