Enhanced scrambling of slowly changing video signals

• US 6,198,822 B1
• Filed: 03/04/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ICTV, Inc.
• Inventors: Hartson, Ted, Askenas, Mitchell, Doyle, John F., Snell, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T.
• Application Number:
  US09/034,960
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 380/200, 380/207, 380/210, 380/212, 380/213, 380/216, 380/218
• US Class Current: 380/210
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1713 by modifying synchronisation signals

Abstract

An enhanced scrambled video signal, method for making an enhanced scrambled video signal and apparatus for enhanced scrambling of a video signal are all characterized by a pattern added to a video signal. The pattern is formed from a pair of segments, including a black segment and a white segment which forms a high contrast transition therebetween. The transitions vary in horizontal location from one horizontal line to the next. The pattern causes an unauthorized television receiver to mistakenly lock onto the transitions in the pattern, as if the transitions represented horizontal sync signals, thus scrambling the video display. The apparatus for inserting the pattern may be formed by a sync detector, a video amplifier, a multiplexor and a control logic device. The video amplifier sets the video signal to a DC reference level. The sync detector detects the horizontal sync of the video signal which is sent from the video amplifier. The sync location is passed from the sync stripper to the control logic device which sends control pattern insertion signals to the multiplexor. The multiplexor combines the video signal with the black, white, and gray reference signals based on the control information to add the pattern to the video signal.

Claims

1. A scrambled video signal having a series of suppressed horizontal sync signals defining therebetween horizontal lines for television display upon restoring a horizontal sync signal to each horizontal line, said scrambled video signal transmitted on a carrier wave, said scrambled video signal comprising:

a pair of segments, to promote enhanced scrambling, on each horizontal line that has video image information to be scrambled, each pair of segments including a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent to each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location from one horizontal line to the next.

2. The video signal of claim 1 wherein, upon restoration of the horizontal sync signal to each horizontal line, the pairs of segments form a pattern in a vertical arrangement extending along the vertical length of the television display.

3. The video signal of claim 1 further comprising a gray segment following each pair of black and white segments.

4. The video signal of claim 3 wherein each gray segment extends to an active end of its horizontal line.

5. The video signal of claim 1 wherein the pairs of black and white segments are arranged so that, upon restoration of the horizontal sync signal to each horizontal line, the high contrast transitions form a vertically extending zig-zag on the television display.

6. The video signal of claim 1 wherein the pairs of black and white segments vary in time duration from the suppressed horizontal sync signal on each horizontal line from one line to the next by less than the duration of the black segment.

7. The video signal of claim 6 wherein, upon restoration of the horizontal sync signal to each horizontal line, the pairs of black and white segments include some black segments that are horizontally separated on the television display from other of said black segments without any horizontal overlap.

8. The video signal of claim 1 wherein the pairs of black and white segments vary in time duration from the suppressed horizontal sync signal on each horizontal line from one line to the next by less than one-third the duration of the black segment.

9. The video signal of claim 1 wherein, upon restoration of the horizontal sync signal to each horizontal line, the pairs of segments form a pattern in a vertical column along a right edge of the television display.

10. A video signal for display of a video image, said video signal representing a series of horizontal lines each with a horizontal sync signal, said scrambled video signal transmitted on a carrier wave, said video signal comprising:

a pair of segments on each horizontal line that has video image information to be scrambled, each pair of segments including a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location upon display from one horizontal line to the next.

11. The video signal of claim 10 wherein upon television display the pairs of segments appear on each line of the video image in a vertical arrangement extending along the vertical length of the video image.

12. The video signal of claim 10 further comprising a gray segment following each pair of black and white segments.

13. The video signal of claim 12 wherein each gray segment extends to an active end of its horizontal line.

14. The video signal of claim 10 wherein upon television display the pairs of black and white segments are arranged so that the high contrast transitions form a vertically extending zig-zag.

15. The video signal of claim 10 wherein the high contrast transitions vary in time delay from the horizontal sync signal from one line to the next by less than the duration of the black segment.

16. The video signal of claim 15 wherein the pairs of black and white segments includes some black segments that upon television display are horizontally separated from other of said black segments without any horizontal overlap.

17. The video signal of claim 10 wherein the high contrast transitions vary in time delay from the horizontal sync signal from one line to the next by less than one-third the duration of the black segment.

18. The video signal of claim 10 wherein upon television display the black and white segments are formed in a vertical column along the right edge of the video image.

19. A method for enhanced scrambling of a video signal comprising the steps of:

providing an image;

transforming the image into a video signal having a series of horizontal lines each with a horizontal sync signal, wherein the video signal is characterized by being representative of a display including the image and an added pattern, the pattern being arranged such that each horizontal line, that has video image information to be scrambled, includes a pair of segments including a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent to each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location from one horizontal line to the next; and

suppressing the horizontal sync signals in the video signal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of transforming comprises adding the pattern to a computerized version of the image to produce a modified image and converting the modified image to a video signal.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of transforming comprises forming the image into a video signal with horizontal sync signals and inserting black and white segments into the video signal.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the pattern appears on each line of the video signal as a vertical arrangement extending along the vertical length of the display of the video signal.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the pattern further includes a gray segment following each pair of black and white segments.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein each gray segment appears to extend to a right edge of the display of the video signal.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the pairs of black and white segments are arranged so that the high contrast transitions form a vertically extending zig-zag on the display of the video signal.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein the pairs of black and white segments vary in horizontal location from one line to the next by less than the length of the black segment.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the pairs of black and white segments includes some black segments that are horizontally separated from other of said black segments without any horizontal overlap of the black segments.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein the pairs of black and white segments vary in horizontal location from one line to the next by less than one-third the length of the black segment.

29. The method of claim 19 wherein the pattern is formed in a vertical column along the right edge of the display of the video signal.

30. The method of claim 19 further comprising dimming chrominance levels of the video signal outside of the pattern.

31. An enhanced scrambling pattern inserter comprising:

a sync detector connected to said video amplifier for detecting sync signals and a reference point on a video signal;

a video amplifier for receiving the video signal and setting the reference point on the video signal to a reference level;

a multiplexer coupled to said video amplifier, a white DC level and a black DC level; and

control logic device responsive to sync signals detected by said sync detector for controlling said multiplexer so as to generate an enhanced video signal characterized by being representative of a display including an added pattern, the pattern being arranged such that each horizontal line in the pattern includes a pair of segments including a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent to each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location from one horizontal line to the next.

32. An enhanced scrambling pattern inserter for inserting a pattern signal into a video signal containing at least one sync signal, the enhanced scrambling pattern inserter comprises:

a video signal amplifier for receiving the video signal and setting a reference point on the video signal to a reference level;

a sync stripper for indicating the sync signal, the sync stripper coupled to the video signal amplifier;

a multiplexor having inputs from the video signal amplifier and at least one pattern signal input; and

a control logic device coupled to the sync stripper, which responds to the sync signal and controls the multiplexor to selectively substitute a signal from the pattern signal for the video signal so as to insert an enhanced scrambling pattern into the video signal to create a combined signal, the enhanced scrambling pattern being arranged such that each horizontal line in the pattern includes a pair of segments including a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location from one horizontal line to the next.

33. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 32 further comprising:

a low-pass filter coupled to the multiplexor output for removing noise in the combined video signal and pattern signal.

34. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 32 wherein the multiplexor contains multiple inputs for connecting other signals to perform portions of the scrambling operation.

35. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 32 wherein the control logic device is formed by a programmable logic array.

36. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 32 wherein the control logic device is formed by a programmed microprocessor.

37. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 32 further comprising

a clock, which works in conjunction with the control logic device for counting time periods to be used by the control logic device to determine when to issue a control signal to the multiplexor.

38. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 32 further comprising

a voltage signal generator for producing a black reference level, a white reference level, and a gray reference level, the reference level being connected to the at least one pattern signal inputs of the multiplexor.

39. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 32 further comprising

a sync signal remover, which removes the sync signal from the video signal, the sync signal remover is coupled to the sync stripper and to the control logic device.

40. An enhanced pattern inserter for inserting a pattern signal into a video signal, the video signal having a series of horizontal sync signals defining therebetween horizontal lines for television display, the enhanced pattern inserter comprises:

a video signal amplifier for receiving the video signal and setting a reference point on the video signal to a reference level;

a sync stripper for indicating the horizontal sync signal within the video signal, the sync stripper coupled to the video signal amplifier;

a white reference level signal generator;

a black reference level signal generator;

a gray reference level signal generator;

a multiplexor having inputs from the video signal amplifier and from the black reference level signal generator, the white reference level signal generator, and the gray reference level signal generator, the multiplexor outputs a scrambled video signal; and

a control logic device coupled to the sync stripper, which responds to the sync signal and controls the multiplexor

41. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 40 wherein the scrambled video signal contains a pair of segments, to promote enhanced scrambling, on each horizontal line that has video image information to be scrambled, each pair of segments includes a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent to each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location from one horizontal line to the next.

42. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 41 further comprising a gray segment following each pair of black and white segments.

43. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 40 wherein the control logic device is formed by a programmable logic array.

44. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 40 wherein the control logic device is formed by a programmed microprocessor.

45. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 40 further comprising

a clock, which works in conjunction with the control logic device for counting time periods to be used by the control logic device to determine when to issue a control signal to the multiplexor.

46. An enhanced pattern inserter for inserting a pattern signal into a video signal, the video signal representing a series of horizontal lines each with a horizontal sync signal, the enhanced pattern inserter comprising:

a video signal amplifier for receiving the video signal and setting a reference point on the video signal to a reference level;

a sync stripper for indicating the horizontal sync signal within the video signal, the sync stripper coupled to the video signal amplifier;

a white reference level signal generator;

a black reference level signal generator;

a gray reference level signal generator;

a multiplexor having inputs from the video signal amplifier and the black reference level signal generator, the white reference level signal generator, and the gray reference level signal generator, the multiplexor outputs a scrambled video signal;

a control logic device coupled to the sync stripper, which responds to the sync signal and controls the multiplexor; and

a sync signal remover, which removes the horizontal sync signal from the video signal, the sync signal remover is coupled to the sync stripper and to the control logic device.

47. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 46 wherein the video signal comprises a pair of segments on each horizontal line that has video image information to be scrambled, each pair of segments including a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent to each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location upon display from one horizontal line to the next.

48. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 47 wherein the video signal further comprises a gray segment following each pair of black and white segments.

49. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 47 wherein, upon television display, the pairs of black and white segments are arranged so that the high contrast transitions form a vertically extending zig-zag.

50. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 46 further comprising:

a low-pass filter coupled to the multiplexor output for removing noise in the combined video signal and pattern signal.

51. The enhanced pattern inserter of claim 46 further comprising:

a clock, which works in conjunction with the control logic device for counting time periods to determine when to issue a control signal to the multiplexor.

52. A scrambled video signal having a series of suppressed horizontal sync signals defining therebetween horizontal lines for television display upon restoring a horizontal sync signal to each horizontal line, said scrambled video signal transmitted on a video transmission signal, said scrambled video signal comprising:

a pair of segments on a number of horizontal lines that have still image video information to be scrambled so that the still image video information is illegible when viewed on a television, each pair of segments including a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent to each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location from one occurrence to the next.

53. A method for enhanced scrambling of a video signal comprising the steps of:

providing a still video image;

transforming the still video image into a video signal having a series of horizontal lines each with a horizontal sync signal, wherein the video signal includes the still video image and an added pattern, the pattern being arranged such that a number of horizontal lines that have still video image information to be scrambled contain the pattern so that the still video image is illegible when viewed on a television, the pattern includes a pair of segments including a black segment capable of being interpreted by a television receiver as the horizontal sync signal and a white segment adjacent to each black segment to form a high contrast transition therebetween, the pairs of black and white segments being arranged so that the high contrast transitions vary in horizontal location from one occurrence to the next; and

suppressing the horizontal sync signals in the video signal.