Expanded information capacity for existing communication transmission systems

• US 6,433,835 B1
• Filed: 04/17/1998
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: EnCamera Sciences Corporation
• Inventors: Ciciora, Walter S., Hartson, Ted E., Dickinson, Robert V. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/062,225
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 348/608, 348/723, 348/473, 348/429.1, 348/432.1, 348/470
• US Class Current: 348/608
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0803 using frequency interleaving, e.g. with precision offset

Abstract

A system for transmitting digital programming includes a program source providing digital information, circuitry for modulating the digital information onto a visual carrier modulated with analog television programming, and a visual transmitter coupled to the modulating circuitry. Using a phase modulation method, the system phase modulates the digital information onto a visual carrier, reduces the baseband frequencies of the phase modulated visual carrier, and amplitude modulates the phase-modulated video carrier onto a video signal. The amplified and encoded video signal are combined with an amplified sound signal and transmitted. Using an additive method, the system modulates the sidebands of the video carrier with the digital information and amplitude modulates the video signal onto the video carrier. The data-modulated sidebands are phase-shifted such that they will be in quadrature with the amplitude-modulated video signal. The system combines the amplitude-modulated video carrier and the data-modulated quadrature sidebands. With a blended multiplicative/additive method, the system provides phase modulation and quadrature sideband addition to provide an optimized result. Process, systems, circuits and devices for abating or otherwise correcting effects of the information on the analog television signal are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for providing information to be combined with an analog television signal, wherein the analog television signal is a signal relating to a visual signal and a visual carrier, the system comprising:

compensation circuitry that compensates for the Nyquist filter effects that occur in an analog television receiver;

a modulator for modulating the information onto a carrier, wherein a signal containing the information is in quadrature to the carrier at a point at which the information-containing signal is combined with the analog television signal and at which the information-containing signal has already been compensated by the compensation circuitry;

circuitry for creating a corrective signal for counter acting at least partially for effects of the information on the analog television signal; and

circuitry for combining the corrective signal with the analog television signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the compensation circuitry includes a Nyquist filter.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the carrier onto which the information is modulated is related to the visual carrier.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the carrier onto which the information is modulated is the visual carrier.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry for creating a corrective signal further comprises:

a plurality of waveform shaping circuits;

a level control circuit coupled to the plurality of waveform shaping circuits;

at least one delay circuit to accommodate inherent circuit delays; and

a combiner coupled to the delay circuit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry for creating a corrective signal further comprises:

a plurality of waveform shaping circuits;

a level control circuit coupled to the plurality of waveform shaping circuits;

a first delay circuit coupled to the level control circuit;

a second delay circuit coupled to the circuitry for creating a visual carrier; and

a combiner coupled to the second delay circuit.

7. A system for providing information to be combined with an analog television signal, wherein the analog television signal is a signal relating to a visual signal and a visual carrier, the system comprising:

compensation circuitry that compensates for the Nyquist filter effects that occur in an analog television receiver;

a modulator for modulating the information onto a carrier to create an information-containing signal;

circuitry for creating a corrective signal for counter acting at least partially for effects of the information on the analog television signal;

circuitry for combining the corrective signal with the analog television signal; and

wherein the information-containing signal is combined with the analog television signal after being compensated by the compensation circuitry.

8. The system of claim 7 in which the modulator for modulating the information onto the carrier comprises circuitry adapted to modulate said information onto the carrier wherein the information-containing signal is in quadrature to the carrier at a point at which the information-containing signal is combined with the analog television signal.

9. The system of claim 7 in which the modulator comprises a phase modulator for phase modulating the information onto the carrier, the phase modulator adapted to create a plurality of sidebands about the phase modulated carrier.

10. The system of claim 7 in which the corrective signal is an abatement signal.

11. A process for providing information to be combined with an analog television signal, wherein the analog television signal is a signal relating to a visual signal and a visual carrier, the process comprising:

modulating the information onto a carrier, wherein a signal containing the information is in quadrature to the carrier at a point at which the information-containing signal is combined with the analog television signal;

creating a corrective signal for counter acting at least partially for effects of the information on the analog television signal;

combining the corrective signal with the analog television signal; and

combining the information with the analog television signal after compensation for the Nyquist filter in an analog television receiver.

12. A process for providing information to be combined with an analog television signal, wherein the analog television signal is a signal relating to a visual signal and a visual carrier, the process comprising:

modulating the information onto a carrier;

creating a corrective signal for counter acting at least partially for effects of the information on the analog television signal;

combining the corrective signal with the analog television signal; and

combining the information with the analog television signal after compensating for the Nyquist filter in an analog television receiver.

13. The process of claim 12 in which modulating the information onto the carrier comprises modulating the information onto the carrier wherein a signal containing the information is in quadrature to the carrier at a point at which the information-containing signal is added to the analog television signal.

14. The process of claim 13 in which modulating comprises phase modulating the information onto the carrier, the phase modulation creating a plurality of sidebands about the phase modulated carrier.

15. A system for communicating information combined with an analog television signal, wherein the analog television signal is a signal relating to a visual signal and a visual carrier, the system comprising:

compensation circuitry that compensates for the Nyquist filter effects that occur in an analog television receiver

a modulator for modulating the information onto a carrier to create an information-containing signal;

circuitry for creating a corrective signal for counter acting at least partially for effects of the information on the analog television signal;

circuitry for combining the corrective signal with the analog television signal; and

wherein the information-containing signal is combined with the analog television signal after being compensated by the compensation circuitry;

a visual transmitter;

a receiver adapted to receive signals from said visual transmitter;

a first data demodulator coupled to the receiver.

16. The system of claim 15 in which the modulator for modulating the information onto the carrier comprises circuitry adapted to modulate said information onto the carrier wherein the information-containing signal is in quadrature to the carrier at a point where the information-containing signal is combined with the analog television signal.

17. The system of claim 15 in which the modulator comprises a phase modulator for phase modulating the information onto the carrier, the phase modulator adapted to create a plurality of sidebands about the phase modulated carrier.

18. A process for communicating information combined with an analog television signal, wherein the analog television signal is a signal relating to a visual signal and a visual carrier, the process comprising:

modulating the information onto a carrier;

creating a corrective signal for counter acting at least partially for effects of the information on the analog television signal;

combining the corrective signal with the analog television signal; and

combining the information with the analog television signal after compensating for the Nyquist filter in an analog television receiver;

transmitting the analog television signal;

receiving, in a receiver, said analog television signal;

demodulating, in a demodulator, output from the receiver; and

extracting said information from output of the demodulator.

19. The process of claim 18 in which modulating the information onto the carrier comprises modulating the information onto the carrier wherein a signal containing the information is in quadrature to the carrier at a point at which the information-containing signal is added to the analog television signal.

20. The process of claim 18 in which modulating comprises phase modulating the information onto the carrier, the phase modulation creating a plurality of sidebands about the phase modulated carrier.