Apparatus for processing modified NTSC television signals, with digital signals buried therewithin

• US 5,461,426 A
• Filed: 08/20/1993
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Liu, Tianmin, Limberg, Allen L., Patel, Chandrakant B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/108,311
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 348/473, 348/475, 348/724, 348/426, 348/423, 348/474, 348/432
• US Class Current: 348/475
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 11/30 with transmission of the extra information by means of quadrature modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/211 Ghost signal cancellation H04N23/81 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/04 Systems for the transmission of one television signal, i.e. both picture and sound, by a single carrier H04N7/084, H04N7/087 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/081 the additional information signals being transmitted by means of a subcarrier

Abstract

A relatively low power phase-shift-keyed (PSK) subcarrier encoding digital information is admixed with composite video signal. The PSK subcarrier is at an odd multiple of half the scan line frequency of the composite video signal, and the symbol rate is at a multiple of the scan line frequency. The PSK subcarrier modulates the amplitude of a suppressed carrier which is the same frequency as the video carrier for the composite video signal and preferably is in quadrature phasing therewith. To reduce evidence of the PSK subcarrier in television picture generated from that composite video signal, the PSK subcarrier is interrupted after each of periods of one frame duration and repeated in anti-phase during the next period of one frame duration. This also provides a basis for separating the PSK subcarrier from static luminance signal components by bandpass frame-comb filtering. Preferably, in the scan lines of consecutive pairs of scan lines, the PSK subcarrier is repeated with phase reversal of the subcarrier between scan lines, and the chroma subcarrier is repeated. This provides a basis for separating PSK subcarrier from chroma subcarrier by lowpass line-comb filtering.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a composite video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components, said system for transmitting being improved to further comprise:

a PSK generator generating a PSK subcarrier by phase shift keying a subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital information, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier and being in quadrature phasing with said video carrier; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting said PSK subcarrier together with said video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with said composite video signal.

2. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a composite video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components, said system for transmitting being improved to further comprise:

a PSK generator generating a PSK subcarrier by phase shift keying a subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital information, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier, said PSK generator in each of consecutive pairs of said frames of said composite video signal repeating in anti-phase during a final frame of that consecutive pair of said frames said PSK subcarrier in an initial frame of that consecutive pair of said frames; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting said PSK subcarrier together with said video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with said composite video signal.

3. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a composite video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components, said system for transmitting being improved to further comprise:

a PSK generator generating a PSK subcarrier by phase shift keying a subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital information, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier, said PSK subcarrier having a frequency that is an odd multiple of half said prescribed scan line frequency, said PSK subcarrier having its phase reversed between each said scan line and the next one of said scan lines, said PSK subcarrier having its phase further reversed at corresponding points in each successive one of said frames; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting said PSK subcarrier together with said video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with said composite video signal.

4. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 3 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is binary phase-shift keying.

5. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 4 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is single-sideband binary phase-shift keying.

6. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 4, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

7. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 4, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies above and below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

8. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 3 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is done at a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line frequency.

9. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 8 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is binary phase-shift keying.

10. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 9 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is single-sideband binary phase-shift keying.

11. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 9, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

12. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 9, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies above and below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

13. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 3, wherein said PSK subcarrier is repeated within each of consecutive in time pairs of scan lines within each frame.

14. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 13 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is binary phase-shift keying.

15. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 14 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is single-sideband binary phase-shift keying.

16. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 14, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

17. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 14, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies above and below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

18. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 3 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is done at a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line frequency.

19. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 18 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is binary phase-shift keying.

20. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 19 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is single-sideband binary phase-shift keying.

21. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 20, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

22. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 20, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies above and below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

23. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 13, wherein said color difference signal components modulating said color subcarrier are repeated within each of consecutive in time pairs of scan lines within each frame.

24. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 23 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is binary phase-shift keying.

25. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 24 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is single-sideband binary phase-shift keying.

26. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 24, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

27. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 24, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies above and below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

28. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 23 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is done at a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line frequency.

29. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 28 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is binary phase-shift keying.

30. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 29 wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is single-sideband binary phase-shift keying.

31. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 29, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

32. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 29, wherein the phase-shift keying of said PSK subcarrier is upper single-sideband binary phase-shift keying, and wherein the upper single-sideband binary phase-shift-keyed subcarrier from time to time has spectral components at frequencies above and below a frequency range occupied by spectral components of said color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

33. A system for transmitting as set forth in any one of claims 2-32, including

means for generating said suppressed carrier in quadrature phasing with said video carrier.

34. A system for transmitting as set forth in any one of claim 3-32, wherein said corresponding points in each successive one of said frames at which the phase of said PSK subcarrier is further reversed are between the fields of each of said frames.

35. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 34, including

means for generating said suppressed carrier in quadrature phasing with said video carrier.

36. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a composite video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components, said system for transmitting being improved to further comprise:

means for transmitting, together with said video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with said composite video signal, digital information encoded in phase-shift keying of a PSK subcarrier of a suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier,

wherein said means for transmitting digital information encoded in phase-shift keying of a PSK subcarrier of a suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier comprises;

means for supplying said digital information as a succession of samples of a modulating signal, each having a respective value that is of a prescribed level respective to a zero level and that has a respective polarity;

means for supplying respective carrier waves of first and second frequencies, the difference between which is an odd multiple of half said prescribed scan line frequency;

a balanced modulator for modulating the amplitude of said carrier wave of said first frequency in accordance with the successive samples of said modulating signal, thereby generating a double-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier wave of said first frequency;

a sideband selection filter connected for receiving said double-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier wave of said first frequency, the output signal of said sideband selection filter responding to only a single sideband of said double-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier wave of said first frequency;

a mixer for supplying a mixer output signal, said mixer output signal including a low-frequency band component containing frequencies that correspond to differences between the frequencies of said sideband selection filter output signal and said carrier wave of said second frequency received by said mixer as respective mixer input signals, and said mixer output signal further including a high-frequency band component containing frequencies that correspond to sums of the frequencies of said sideband selection filter output signal and said carrier wave of said second frequency received by said mixer as respective mixer input signal;

a lowpass filter connected for receiving said mixer output signal and supplying response to said low-frequency band component thereof as said subcarrier; and

means for modulating the amplitude of said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier, in accordance with the response of said lowpass filter to said low-frequency band component of said mixer output signal.

37. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 36 further comprising:

means for predicting errors in the reception of said digital information that are generated by components of said composite video signal; and

means for modifying said modulating signal for said balanced modulator in accordance with said errors.

39. A system for transmitting as set forth in claim 36 or 38 wherein said means for supplying said digital information as a succession of samples of a modulating signal, each having a respective value that is of a prescribed level respective to a zero level and that has a respective polarity, comprises:

a digital-to-analog converter for supplying said succession of samples of a modulating signal, each having a respective value that is of a prescribed level respective to a zero level and that has a respective polarity, responsive to a stream of digital ZEROs and ONEs supplied thereto;

means for supplying said digital information in serial-bit form;

a framestore memory, arranged for reading a respective line of stored serial-bit data twice during each consecutive pair of scan lines of said composite video signal within an initial field or within a final field of each frame of said composite video signal, and arranged for writing over stored serial-bit data after a fourth reading thereof;

a rate buffer for receiving said digital information in serial-bit form from said means for supplying same and for supplying serial-bit data for writing over serial-bit data stored in said frame store after a fourth reading thereof;

means for supplying the serial-bit data read from said framestore memory in a first logic sense to said analog-to-digital converter during the first and second readings of that data from said framestore memory; and

means for supplying the serial-bit data read from said framestore memory in a second logic sense to said analog-to-digital converter during the third and fourth readings of that data from said framestore memory, said first and second senses of logic being inverse to each other, so the third and fourth readings of the same data from said framestore memory are supplied to said digital-to-analog converter in bit-complementary form to that form in which the first and second readings of that same data from said framestore memory are supplied to said digital-to-analog converter.

38. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a composite video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components, said system for transmitting being improved to further comprise:

means for transmitting, together with said video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with said composite video signal, digital information encoded in phase-shift keying of a PSK subcarrier of a suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier,

wherein said means for transmitting digital information encoded in phase-shift keying of a PSK subcarrier of a suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier comprises;

means for supplying said digital information as a succession of samples of a modulating signal, each having a respective value that is of a prescribed level respective to a zero level and that has a respective polarity;

means for generating the Hilbert transform of said digital information;

means for supplying respective carrier waves of first and second frequencies, the difference between which is an odd multiple of half said prescribed scan line frequency, including;

means for supplying said first carrier wave of said first frequency in first and second phases that are in quadrature with each other;

a first balanced modulator for modulating the amplitude of said carrier wave of said first frequency and said first phase, in accordance with the successive samples of said modulating signal, thereby generating a first double-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier wave of said first frequency;

a second balanced modulator for modulating the amplitude of said carrier wave of said first frequency and said second phase, in accordance with said Hilbert transform of said digital information, thereby generating a second double-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier wave of said first frequency;

means for combining said first and second double-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier waves of said first frequency, thereby to obtain a single-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier wave of said first frequency;

a mixer for supplying a mixer output signal, said mixer output signal including a low-frequency band component containing frequencies that correspond to differences between the frequencies of said single-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier wave of said first frequency and said carrier wave of said second frequency received by said mixer as respective mixer input signals, and said mixer output signal further including a high-frequency band component containing frequencies that correspond to sums of the frequencies of said single-sideband phase-shift-keyed carrier wave of said first frequency and said carrier wave of said second frequency received by said mixer as respective mixer input signal;

a lowpass filter connected for receiving said mixer output signal and supplying response to said low-frequency band component thereof as said subcarrier; and

means for modulating the amplitude of said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier, in accordance with the response of said lowpass filter to said low-frequency band component of said mixer output signal.

40. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency and being repeated from time to time in a known pattern of repetition, said composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components, said system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal comprising:

means for detecting portions of said composite video signal in which said PSK subcarrier is buried, thereby to generate a first detected signal;

a comb filter, responding to said first detected signal during a first set of time intervals in its response for enhancing said PSK subcarrier vis-a-vis remnant portions of said composite video signal in which said PSK subcarrier is buried, and responding to said first detected signal during a second set of time intervals in its response with extraneous comb filter response arising because of said repetition of the PSK carrier in accordance with said known pattern;

rate buffering circuitry for converting response from said comb filter during said first set of time intervals to a continuous flow of rate-buffered PSK subcarrier, without said repetition in accordance with said known pattern; and

means for synchronously detecting at symbol rate the phase-shift keying of said flow of rate-buffered PSK subcarrier, thereby generating a synchronous detection output signal.

41. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal, as set forth in claim 40, wherein said comb filter comprises:

means for delaying said first detected signal by the interval of one frame scan; and

means for differentially combining said first detected signal and said first detected signal as delayed by the interval of one frame scan, thereby to generate a bandpass frame-comb filter response.

42. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal, as set forth in claim 41, wherein said comb filter further comprises:

line delay means for delaying said bandpass frame-comb filter response by the interval of one line scan for each scan line except those shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal;

half-line delay means for delaying said bandpass frame-comb filter response by the interval of one-half line scan for each scan line shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal;

means for differentially combining the latter half of each scan line of said bandpass frame-comb filter response shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal with the earlier half of the same scan line of said bandpass frame-comb filter response, as supplied from said half-line delay means, thereby to generate a portion of the response of said comb filter occurring during latter halves of those scan lines shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal; and

means for differentially combining each scan line of said bandpass frame-comb filter response with bandpass frame-comb filter response to the previous scan line, as supplied from said line delay means, thereby to generate the rest of the response of said comb filter, occurring at times other than during latter halves of those scan lines shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal.

43. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal, as set forth in claim 40, wherein said comb filter comprises:

a selective inverter for generating an output signal that is of an amplitude in constant proportion to the amplitude of said first detected signal, that is the same in polarity as said first detected signal during a first set of intervals each of one frame duration, and that is opposite in polarity from said first detected signal during a second set of intervals each of one frame duration, said first and second sets of intervals being interleaved in time with each other, with transitions between successive intervals one in the first set and the other in the second set taking place in the middle of scan lines having an earlier half in the initial field of a frame of composite video signal and having a latter half in the final field of the frame of composite video signal;

line delay means for delaying the output signal of said selective inverter by the interval of one line scan for each scan line except those shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal;

half-line delay means for delaying the output signal of said selective inverter by the interval of one-half line scan for each scan line shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal;

means for differentially combining the latter half of each scan line of the output signal of said selective inverter shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal with the earlier half of the same scan line of the output signal of said selective inverter, as supplied from said half-line delay means, thereby to generate a portion of a lowpass line-comb filter response occurring during latter halves of those scan lines shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal;

means for differentially combining each scan line of the output signal of said selective inverter with the output signal of said selective inverter from the previous scan line, as supplied from said line delay means, thereby to generate the rest of said lowpass line-comb filter response occurring at times other than during latter halves of those scan lines shared by initial and final fields of respective ones of said frames of composite video signal.

means for delaying said lowpass line-comb filter response by the interval of one frame scan; and

means for additively combining said lowpass line-comb filter response and said lowpass line-comb filter response as delayed by the interval of one frame scan, thereby to generate the response of said comb filter.

44. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal, as set forth in claim 40, wherein said comb filter comprises:

means for delaying said first detected signal by the interval of one line scan; and

means for differentially combining said first detected signal and said first detected signal as delayed by the interval of one line scan, thereby to generate a lowpass line-comb filter response.

45. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal as set forth in any one of claims 40-44, wherein said means for detecting portions of said composite video signal in which said PSK subcarrier is buried comprises:

a quadrature-phase synchronous video detector for detecting amplitude-modulation sidebands of a suppressed carrier thereby to generate said first detected signal, said suppressed carrier being of the same frequency as the video carrier the amplitude-modulation sidebands of which describe the composite video signal and being in quadrature phasing with said video carrier.

46. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal as set forth in any one of claims 40-44, wherein said means for synchronously detecting at symbol rate the phase-shift keying of said flow of rate-buffered PSK subcarrier comprises:

means for generating first and second frequency-translation carrier waves differing in frequency by the frequency of the rate-buffered PSK subcarrier;

a first mixer mixing said first frequency-translation carrier wave with said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier for generating a frequency translation of a sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier to higher frequency and for generating an image of the frequency-translated sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier;

a single-sideband selection filter for selecting said frequency-translated sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier as the response thereof and for rejecting said image of the frequency-translated sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier;

means for downconverting said the frequency-translated sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier to baseband, thereby to generate a downconverter output signal, said means for downconverting including;

a second mixer mixing said second frequency-translation carrier wave with the response of said single-sideband selection filter;

a symbol detector of a type for synchronously detecting said downconverter output signal at said symbol rate to generate a symbol detector output signal; and

symbol decision circuitry for deciding the values of successive symbols from said symbol detector output signal.

47. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal as set forth in claim 46, wherein said means for detecting portions of said composite video signal in which said PSK subcarrier is buried comprises:

a quadrature-phase synchronous video detector for detecting amplitude-modulation sidebands of a suppressed carrier thereby to generate said first detected signal, said suppressed carrier being of the same frequency as the video carrier the amplitude-modulation sidebands of which describe the composite video signal and being in quadrature phasing with said video carrier.

48. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal as set forth in any one of claims 40-44, wherein said means for synchronously detecting at symbol rate the phase-shift keying of said flow of rate-buffered PSK subcarrier comprises:

means for generating first and second frequency-translation carrier waves differing in frequency by the frequency of the rate-buffered PSK subcarrier, the frequency of said second frequency-translation carrier wave being of half the symbol rate of the PSK subcarrier;

a first mixer mixing said first frequency-translation carrier wave with said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier for generating a frequency translation of a sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier to higher frequency and for generating an image of the frequency-translated sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier;

a single-sideband selection filter for selecting said frequency-translated sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier as the response thereof and for rejecting said image of the frequency-translated sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier;

means for downconverting said the frequency-translated sideband of said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier to baseband, thereby to provide synchronous detection of symbols successively encoded in said rate-buffered PSK subcarrier and to generate a symbol detector output signal, said means for downconverting including;

a second mixer mixing said second frequency-translation carrier wave in suitable phasing with the response of said single-sideband selection filter; and

symbol decision circuitry for deciding the values of successive symbols from said symbol detector output signal.

49. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal as set forth in claim 48, wherein said means for detecting portions of said composite video signal in which said PSK subcarrier is buried comprises:

a quadrature-phase synchronous video detector for detecting amplitude-modulation sidebands of a suppressed carrier thereby to generate said first detected signal, said suppressed carrier being of the same frequency as the video carrier the amplitude-modulation sidebands of which describe the composite video signal and being in quadrature phasing with said video carrier.

50. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal as set forth in claim 40, further comprising:

means for detecting portions of said composite video signal including horizontal synchronizing pulses and vertical synchronizing pulses;

a horizontal sync separator for separating horizontal synchronizing pulses from the detected portions of said composite video signal including horizontal synchronizing pulses and vertical synchronizing pulses;

a vertical sync separator for separating vertical synchronizing pulses from the detected portions of said composite video signal including horizontal synchronizing pulses and vertical synchronizing pulses;

a line-locked oscillator, the frequency of oscillations from which oscillator is controlled responsive to the separated horizontal synchronizing pulses;

a half-symbol counter for counting the oscillations from said line-locked oscillator to generate a count of half symbols of said digital information occurring during each successive scan line of said composite video signal;

means for generating respective trigger pulses whenever the separated vertical synchronizing pulses occur during one of a group of intermediate counts of said first counter;

a data frame counter for counting said trigger pulses to generate a modulo-2 count of data frames;

a data line counter for counting said separated horizontal synchronizing pulses, thereby to generate a data line count, said data line counter being reset to predetermined initial count by each of said trigger pulses;

means for complementing the most significant bit of said count of half-symbols, responsive to said data line counter being at its said predetermined initial count, thereby to generate a modified half-symbol count;

a first framestore memory included in said comb filter addressed by at least a portion of said data line count and by at least a portion of said modified half-symbol count; and

at least a second framestore memory included in said rate buffering circuitry addressed by at least a portion of said data line count and by at least a portion of said modified half-symbol count.

51. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal, as set forth in claim 50, wherein said comb filter comprises a bandpass frame-comb filter that includes, in addition to said first framestore memory for delaying said first detected signal as written thereinto for a frame time,

a subtractor, for differentially combining said first detected signal as written into said first framestore memory and as read therefrom a frame time later to generate a bandpass frame-comb filter response.

52. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal, as set forth in claim 50, further comprising:

a first linestore memory included in said comb filter and addressed by at least a portion of said modified half-symbol count; and

at least a second linestore memory included in said rate buffering circuitry addressed by at least a portion of said modified half-symbol count.

53. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal, as set forth in claim 52, wherein said comb filter comprises a bandpass frame-comb filter, including said first framestore memory, and a lowpass line-comb filter, including said first linestore memory and following said bandpass frame-comb filter in a cascade connection therewith;

wherein said bandpass frame-comb filter includes, in addition to said first framestore memory for delaying said first detected signal as written thereinto for a frame time,

a subtractor for differentially combining said first detected signal as written into said first framestore memory and as read therefrom a frame time later to generate the response of said bandpass frame-comb filter;

wherein said first linestore memory is arranged for delaying said bandpass frame-comb filter response as written thereinto by a line scan interval in every scan line, except those scan lines in which the earlier and latter halves of the scan line are respectively in the initial and final fields of a respective frame of said composite video signal, in which exceptional scan lines said first linestore memory is arranged for delaying said bandpass frame-comb filter response as written thereinto by half a line scan interval; and

wherein said lowpass line-comb filter includes, in addition to said first linestore memory,

an adder for additively combining said bandpass frame-comb filter response as written into said first linestore memory and as read therefrom a scan line interval later, said adder thereby generating said comb filter response.

54. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal, as set forth in claim 52;

wherein there is at the input of said comb filter

a selective inverter for generating an output signal therefrom that is of an amplitude in constant proportion to the amplitude of said first detected signal, that is the same in polarity as said first detected signal when and only when said modulo-2 count of data frames has a prescribed value, and that is otherwise opposite in polarity from said first detected signal;

wherein said comb filter comprises a lowpass line-comb filter, including said first linestore memory, and a lowpass frame-comb filter, including said first framestore memory and following said lowpass line-comb filter in a cascade connection therewith;

wherein said first linestore memory is arranged for delaying said selective inverter output signal as written thereinto by a line scan interval in every scan line, except those in which the earlier and latter halves of the scan line are respectively in the initial and final fields of a respective frame of said composite video signal, in which exceptional scan lines said first linestore memory is arranged for delaying said selective inverter output signal as written thereinto by half a line scan interval; and

wherein said lowpass line-comb filter includes, in addition to said first linestore memory,

a first adder for additively combining said selective inverter output signal filter response as written into said first linestore memory and as read therefrom a scan line interval later, said first adder thereby generating a first adder output sum signal; and

wherein said lowpass frame-comb filter includes, in addition to said first framestore memory for delaying for a frame time said first adder output sum signal as written thereinto,

a second adder for additively combining said first adder output sum signal as written into said first framestore memory and as read therefrom a frame time later to generate the response of said comb filter.

55. A system for detecting symbols encoded in a PSK subcarrier buried in a composite video signal as set forth in any one of claims 50-54, wherein said means for detecting portions of said composite video signal including horizontal synchronizing pulses and vertical synchronizing pulses comprises:

an in-phase synchronous video detector for detecting amplitude-modulation sidebands of a video carrier, which amplitude-modulation sidebands describe the composite video signal; and

wherein said means for detecting portions of said composite video signal in which said PSK subcarrier is buried comprises;

a quadrature-phase synchronous video detector for detecting amplitude-modulation sidebands of a suppressed carrier thereby to generate said first detected signal, said suppressed carrier being of the same frequency as said video carrier and being in quadrature phasing with said video carrier.

56. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line rate, said system being improved to further comprise:

a digital subcarrier generator generating a digital subcarrier by modulating a subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital data, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier and being in quadrature phasing with said video carrier; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting, over a shared transmission channel, said digital subcarrier together with said video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with said video signal.

57. A system as set forth in claim 56, wherein said digital data have a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line rate.

58. A system as set forth in claim 57, wherein said digital data are arranged in consecutive data frames each of a time duration equal to the time duration of each said image frame, wherein the data in each alternate one of said consecutive data frames repeat in opposite sense the data in the previous data frame.

59. A system as set forth in claim 56, wherein said digital data are arranged in consecutive data frames each of a time duration equal to the time duration of each said image frame, wherein symbols descriptive of data in each alternate one of said consecutive data frames repeat in opposite sense symbols descriptive of data in the previous data frame.

62. A system as set forth in claim 56, 60 or 61, wherein said video signal is a composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

63. A system as set forth in claim 56, 60 or 61 wherein said subcarrier is digitally modulated in accordance with a "constant power" modulation scheme.

60. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said system being improved to further comprise:

a digital subcarrier generator generating a digital subcarrier by digitally modulating a subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital information, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier, said digital subcarrier generator arranging data in consecutive data frames each of a time duration equal to the time duration of as a respective portion of said video signal descriptive of a respective one of said image frames, wherein the data in each alternate one of said consecutive data frames repeat in opposite sense the data in the previous data frame; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting, over a shared transmission channel, said digital subcarrier together with said video carrier, the amplitude of which said video carrier is modulated in accordance with said video signal.

61. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said system being improved to further comprise:

a digital subcarrier generator generating a digital subcarrier by digitally modulating a subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital information, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier, said digital subcarrier having a frequency that is an odd multiple of half said prescribed scan line frequency, said digital subcarrier having its phase reversed between each said scan line and the next one of said scan lines, said digital subcarrier having its phase further reversed at corresponding points in each successive one of said frames; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting, over a shared transmission channel, said digital subcarrier together with said video carrier the amplitude of which said video carrier is modulated in accordance with said video signal.

64. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said system for transmitting being improved to further comprise:

a PSK generator for generating a BPSK subcarrier by binary phase shift keying a digital subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital data, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting said BPSK subcarrier together with said video carrier, the amplitude of which said video carrier is modulated in accordance with said video signal.

65. A system as set forth in claim 64, wherein said video signal is a composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

66. A system as set forth in claim 65, wherein the frequency spectrum of said BPSK subcarrier overlaps most of the frequency spectrum of said baseband luminance signal.

67. A system as set forth in claim 65, wherein said digital data have a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line rate.

68. A system as set forth in claim 64, 66 or 67, wherein said digital subcarrier has a frequency that is an odd multiple of half said prescribed scan line frequency, said digital subcarrier has its phase reversed between each said scan line and the next one of said scan lines, and said digital subcarrier has its phase further reversed at corresponding points in each successive one of said frames.

69. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line frequency, said system for transmitting being improved to further comprise:

a PSK generator for generating a single-sideband BPSK subcarrier by binary phase shift keying a digital subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital information and suppressing one of the sidebands resulting from the binary phase shift keying, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting said single-sideband BPSK subcarrier together with said video carrier, the amplitude of which said video carrier is modulated in accordance with said video signal.

70. A system as set forth in claim 69, wherein said video signal is a composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

71. A system for transmitting a video carrier as set forth in claim 69, wherein the lower-in-frequency one of the BPSK sidebands resulting from the binary phase shift keying is suppressed for generating said single-sideband BPSK subcarrier.

72. A system for transmitting a video carrier as set forth in claim 71, wherein the subcarrier frequency of said digital subcarrier is low enough that the lower-in-frequency one of the BPSK sidebands resulting from the binary phase shift keying would, were that said lower-in-frequency BPSK sideband not suppressed, include within its frequency range the frequency of said video carrier.

73. A system for transmitting a video carrier as set forth in claim 71, wherein the frequency spectrum of said single-sideband BPSK subcarrier overlaps most of the frequency spectrum of said baseband luminance signal.

74. A system as set forth in claim 69, wherein said digital data have a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line rate.

75. A system for transmitting a video carrier as set forth in claim 71 or in any one of claims 71-74, wherein said digital subcarrier has a frequency that is an odd multiple of half said prescribed scan line frequency, said digital subcarrier has its phase reversed between each said scan line and the next one of said scan lines, and said digital subcarrier has its phase further reversed at corresponding points in each successive one of said frames.

76. A system for transmitting a video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with a video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line rate, said system for transmitting being improved to further comprise:

a digital subcarrier generator generating a digital subcarrier by modulating a subcarrier of a suppressed carrier in response to digital data, said suppressed carrier having the same frequency as said video carrier, and said data having a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line rate; and

transmitter apparatus for transmitting, over a shared transmission channel, said digital subcarrier together with said video carrier the amplitude of which is modulated in accordance with said video signal.

77. A system as set forth in claim 76, wherein said video signal is a composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

78. A system as set forth in claim 76, wherein said digital data are arranged in consecutive data frames each of a time duration equal to the time duration of each said image frame, wherein symbols descriptive of data in each alternate one of said consecutive data frames repeat in opposite sense symbols descriptive of data in the previous data frame.

79. A system for detecting symbols descriptive of digital data encoded in a digital subcarrier of a video carrier, the amplitude of said video carrier being modulated in accordance with a video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line rate, said digital data being encoded with a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line rate and occurring in consecutive data frames each of a time duration equal to the time duration of each said image frame, the symbols descriptive of data in each alternate one of said consecutive data frames repeating in opposite sense the symbols in the previous data frame, said system for detecting symbols comprising:

a detector generating a first detected signal by detecting an amplitude of portions of a frequency spectrum containing both said video signal and said digital data encoded in said digital subcarrier of said video carrier; and

a frame-comb filter for differentially combining during said alternate data frames said first detected signal and that signal as delayed by the duration of one frame, for recovering said symbols descriptive of data with reduction of accompanying video signal.

80. A system as set forth in claim 79, further comprising:

rate buffering circuitry for converting to a continuous flow of symbols a selected response from said frame-comb filter occurring only during said alternate data frames; and

a decoder for decoding said continuous flow of symbols for regenerating the digital data which the symbols describe.

81. A system as set forth in claim 79 or 80, wherein said video signal is a composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components.

82. A system as set forth in claim 81 wherein the frequency spectrum of said symbols descriptive of digital data encoded in said digital subcarrier overlaps most of the frequency spectrum of said baseband luminance signal.

83. A system for detecting symbols descriptive of digital data encoded in a digital subcarrier of a video carrier, the amplitude of said video carrier being modulated in accordance with a composite video signal descriptive of image frames scanned with successive scan lines occurring at a prescribed scan line rate, said composite video signal comprising a baseband luminance signal and a color subcarrier modulated by color difference signal components, said digital data being encoded with a symbol rate that is a multiple of said prescribed scan line rate and occurring in consecutive data lines occurring at said prescribed scan line rate, the symbols descriptive of data in each alternate one of said consecutive data lines repeating in opposite sense the symbols in the previous data line, said system for detecting symbols comprising:

a detector generating a first detected signal by detecting an amplitude of portions of a frequency spectrum containing at least a portion of said composite video signal including said color subcarrier as modulated by said color difference signal components, which said frequency spectrum further contains said digital data encoded in said digital subcarrier of said video carrier; and

a line-comb filter for differentially combining during said alternate data lines said first detected signal and that signal as delayed by the duration of one scan line, for recovering said symbols descriptive of data with reduction of accompanying said color subcarrier as modulated by said color difference signal components.

84. A system as set forth in claim 83, further comprising:

rate buffering circuitry for converting to a continuous flow of symbols a selected response from said line-comb filter occurring only during said alternate data lines; and

a decoder for decoding said continuous flow of symbols for regenerating the digital data which the symbols describe.