Hybrid analog/digital television transmission system
First Claim
1. An encoding/transmission system for providing a video signal to occupy a delay time defined from when a user selects a new channel to when a digital video signal is decoded, acquired and displayed comprising:
- means for receiving a signal representative of a video signal and for Converting said signal representative of a video signal into a digital video signal occupying a first predetermined band of frequencies;
means for receiving the signal representative of the video signal and for providing an analog video signal therefrom, said analog video signal occupying a second predetermined band of frequencies exclusive of the first band of frequencies; and
means for combining the analog video signal with the digital video signal, wherein the analog and digital video are spectrally separate, to produce a hybrid video signal suitable for transmission within a conventional single channel frequency spectrum allocation.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing a video signal during the delay time between when a new channel is selected and when the digital picture is acquired and displayed is disclosed. In particular, the system provides an NTSC-like analog video signal along with a conventional digital television signal such that when a user initially makes a new channel selection, the analog video signal, which can be quickly and easily decoded, is presented for display until the digital television signal is completely decoded and acquired. As soon as the digital television signal is ready for display, the displayed signal switches from the analog video signal to the digital television signal. For purposes of conserving frequency spectrum, the analog video signal is a simple NTSC-like monochrome (i.e., black and white) signal and limited to a 1 MHz band of the available 6 MHz spectrum allocated for each channel.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An encoding/transmission system for providing a video signal to occupy a delay time defined from when a user selects a new channel to when a digital video signal is decoded, acquired and displayed comprising:
-
means for receiving a signal representative of a video signal and for Converting said signal representative of a video signal into a digital video signal occupying a first predetermined band of frequencies; means for receiving the signal representative of the video signal and for providing an analog video signal therefrom, said analog video signal occupying a second predetermined band of frequencies exclusive of the first band of frequencies; and means for combining the analog video signal with the digital video signal, wherein the analog and digital video are spectrally separate, to produce a hybrid video signal suitable for transmission within a conventional single channel frequency spectrum allocation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. An encoding/transmission method for providing a video signal to occupy a delay time defined from when a user selects a new channel to when a digital video signal is decoded, acquired and displayed comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a signal representative of a video signal and converting said signal representative of a video signal into a digital video signal occupying a first predetermined band of frequencies; receiving the signal representative of the video signal and providing an analog video signal therefrom, said analog video signal occupying a second predetermined band of frequencies spectrally separate from the first predetermined band; and combining the analog video signal to the digital video signal to produce a hybrid video signal suitable for transmission within a conventional single channel frequency spectrum allocation. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
-
-
7. A receiving/decoding system for providing a video signal to occupy a delay time defined from when a user selects a new channel to when a digital video signal is decoded, acquired and displayed comprising:
-
means for receiving and decoding the digital video signal transmitted in a first predetermined band of frequencies; means for receiving and decoding an analog video signal transmitted in a second predetermined band of frequencies; means for detecting a new channel selection and, depending on a decoding status of the digital video signal for the newly selected channel, producing a control signal; and means, responsive to the control signal, for selecting either the analog video signal or the digital video signal to be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A receiving/decoding method for providing a video signal to occupy a delay time defined from when a user selects a new channel to when a digital video signal is decoded, acquired and displayed comprising the steps of:
-
providing the digital video signal and a analog signal together in a conventional single channel frequency spectrum allocation; receiving and decoding the digital video signal transmitted in a first predetermined band of frequencies within the single channel allocation; receiving and decoding the analog video signal transmitted in a second predetermined band of frequencies within the single channel allocation; detecting a newly selected channel and, depending on a decoding status of the digital video signal for the newly selected channel, producing a control signal; and selecting, in response to the control channel, either the analog video signal or the digital video signal to be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. A system for providing a video signal to occupy a delay time defined from when a user selects a new channel to when a digital video signal is decoded, acquired and displayed comprising:
-
an encoding/transmission means including; means for providing the digital video signal in a first predetermined band of frequencies; means for providing an analog video signal in a second predetermined band of frequencies exclusive of the first predetermined band; and means for combining the analog video signal to the digital television signal to produce a hybrid video signal suitable for transmission within a conventional single channel frequency spectrum allocation; a receiving/decoding means including; means for receiving and decoding the digital video signal; means for receiving and decoding the analog video signal; means for detecting a newly selected channel and, depending on a decoding status of the digital video signal for the newly selected channel, producing a control signal; and means, responsive to the control signal, for selecting either the analog video signal or the digital video signal to be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification