Television system for displaying main and auxiliary images with color error correction provisions

• US 5,907,369 A
• Filed: 09/10/1996
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Rumreich, Mark Francis, Keen, Ronald Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/712,056
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 348/563, 348/564, 348/565, 348/566, 348/584, 348/588, 348/587, 348/592, 348/599, 348/505, 348/506
• US Class Current: 348/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence

Abstract

A television system utilizes a common signal processing unit (e.g., a common chrominance demodulator) for processing a combined video signal suitable for coupling to a display device for producing an image having a portion attributable to a main video signal and a portion attributable to an auxiliary video signal. If the common signal processing unit relies upon the color information (e.g., color burst) contained in the main video signal, and the main signal is either non-existent or lacking such color information, then a substitute color information signal will be generated so that the combined video signal may be processed to roduce a color auxiliary image, and a monochrome (or non-existent) main image.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

means for combining a first video signal and a second video signal to provide an output video signal suitable for coupling to a display device for producing an image comprising a first portion representative of said first video signal and a second portion representative of said second video signal;

a detector for detecting when said first video signal includes less than a predetermined level of chrominance information;

means for generating a substitute chroma signal; and

means coupled to said detector for including said substitute chroma signal in said first video signal in response to said first video signal including less than said predetermined level of chrominance information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said detector further comprises:

means for determining a phase and magnitude (R) of a subcarrier reference component of said first video signal; and

means coupled to said determining means for comparing said magnitude of said subcarrier reference component to a predetermined threshold level and producing a signal indicative of said comparison.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for producing a first clock signal substantially locked to a subcarrier reference component of said first video signal, and for producing a second clock signal having a frequency substantially equal to a multiple of the frequency of said first clock signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said detector further comprises:

means coupled to said determining means for producing a first clock signal substantially locked to said subcarrier reference component of said first video signal, and for producing a second clock signal having a frequency substantially equal to a multiple of the frequency of said first clock signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said substitute chroma signal comprises a subcarrier reference component and a viewable component, said viewable component comprising a substantially zero amplitude level.

6. In a television system, apparatus to provide an output video signal suitable for coupling to a display device for producing an image comprising a main portion representative of a main video signal and an auxiliary portion representative of an auxiliary video signal, apparatus comprising:

means for processing said main an auxiliary video signals to produce respective main and auxiliary video images, said processing means including means susceptible to disabling a color image component from said auxiliary video signal when said main video signal does not have a color image component;

means for generating a replacement color image component for said main video signal;

means for including said replacement color image component within said main video signal when said main video signal does not have said color image component.

7. The television system of claim 6, wherein said means for including said replacement color image component within said main video signal comprises:

means for determining if said main video signal is a color video signal, said determining means producing a control signal indicative of the presence of color information in said main video signal.

8. The television system of claim 6, wherein said replacement color image component comprises a subcarrier reference component and a viewable component, said viewable component comprising a substantially zero amplitude level.

9. In a television system capable of displaying a main video image responsive to a main video signal and an auxiliary video image responsive to an auxiliary video signal, apparatus comprising:

means for processing said video signals to produce said main and auxiliary video images, said processing means susceptible to disabling said color image component from said auxiliary video signal when said main video signal does not have a color image component;

means for generating a replacement color image component for said main video signal;

means for including said replacement color image component within said main video signal when said main video signal does not have a color image component.

10. Apparatus comprising:

means for processing a first video signal and a second video signal for producing an output video information signal, said first video signal having at least a luminance component, said second video signal having a luminance component and a chrominance component;

said processing means including means for combining said first and second video signals such that said output video signal, when displayed on a video image display device, produces a main image comprising information from said first video signal and a secondary image comprising information from said second video signal;

said processing means further comprising;

means responsive to said chrominance component of said first video signal for determining whether said first video signal exhibits less than a predetermined level of chroma information;

means coupled to said determining means for generating a replacement chrominance component for said first video signal and including said replacement chrominance component within said first video signal when said first video signal exhibits less than said predetermined level of chroma information.

11. Apparatus comprising:

means for processing a plurality of input video signals having information components to produce an output video signal, said processing means being responsive to a timing signal for combining the information components of one or more of said input video signals;

means for determining if a first of said plurality of input video signals exhibits less than a predetermined level of chroma information;

means for generating a chroma signal with burst; and

means responsive to said determining means for coupling said chroma signal with burst to said processing means when said first of said plurality of input video signals exhibits less than said predetermined level of chroma information.