Jamming signal scrambling and descrambling systems for CATV
First Claim
1. A system for processing television signals in the form of one sideband and the vestigial sideband of a picture carrier modulated by video and synchronization signals, including horizontal sync signals, in order to provide for the intelligible reception thereof by the TV receivers of certain subscribers, said system comprising means for combining said television signals with jamming signal energy the frequency of which is substantially at the frequency of one of the nulls in the spectrum of the modulation of said picture carrier by said horizontal sync signals means for transmitting said combined jamming and television signals to receiver locations, and means at said locations disposed ahead of said TV receivers defining a passband for the transmitted signals without substantial attenuation except at a notch essentially in the frequency region containing said jamming signal energy.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Scrambling and descrambling systems utilizing jamming signals provide improved pictures with minimal distortion due to ghosts and artifacts. The television signal is combined with a jamming signal or signals located preferably in the vestigial sideband (VSB) of the modulated picture carrier and at about a null in the spectrum of the modulation of the picture carrier by the horizontal sync. The jamming signal or signals also preferably are placed between the harmonic components of the horizontal sync which define the horizontal sync spectrum and at frequencies which comply with governmental regulations respecting frequency locations of strong signals of CATV purposes. The jamming signals are generated by phase locking to the horizontal sync signals of the television signals or to a submultiple of the horizontal sync frequency. Artifacts are further reduced by preemphasis of the transmitted television signal in the sideband opposite to that in which the jamming signal or signals are located and spaced by an equal frequency increment from the location of the jamming signal energy. In order to extract the jamming signal, so as to descramble the television signal for reproduction in the subscriber'"'"'s television receiver, a network including at least one surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator device is embedded in an all-pass network which allows essentially lossless transmission of the television signal spectrum, except for the jamming signal energy and enables that energy to be located close to (e.g., approximately 228 KHz) from the picture carrier in the VSB for enhanced security.
48 Citations
65 Claims
- 1. A system for processing television signals in the form of one sideband and the vestigial sideband of a picture carrier modulated by video and synchronization signals, including horizontal sync signals, in order to provide for the intelligible reception thereof by the TV receivers of certain subscribers, said system comprising means for combining said television signals with jamming signal energy the frequency of which is substantially at the frequency of one of the nulls in the spectrum of the modulation of said picture carrier by said horizontal sync signals means for transmitting said combined jamming and television signals to receiver locations, and means at said locations disposed ahead of said TV receivers defining a passband for the transmitted signals without substantial attenuation except at a notch essentially in the frequency region containing said jamming signal energy.
- 31. A system for processing television signals in order to provide for the intelligible reception thereof by the TV receivers of certain subscribers, in the form of one full sideband and the vestigial sideband of a picture carrier modulated by video and synchronization signals, including horizontal sync pulses, which also imposes a spectrum centered about the frequency of said picture carrier, said spectrum consisting of components at harmonics of the frequency of said horizontal sync pulses having nulls at the frequencies which are equal to the reciprocal of the duration of said horizontal sync pulses, said system comprising means for combining said television signals with jamming signal energy the frequency of which is offset from said picture carrier and is within one of said nulls within the range where the amplitude of said spectrum is within about 1% of the level of said picture carrier, means for transmitting said combined television and jamming signals to TV receiver locations, and means at said locations disposed ahead of said receivers defining a passband for the transmitter signals without substantial attenuation except at a notch at the frequency of said jamming signal energy.
- 55. A network for removing a jamming signal combined with a television signal, said jamming signal being located in the vestigial sideband of said television signal or in the full sideband within a frequency range from the picture carrier including the spectrum of the modulation of said picture carrier by the horizontal sync signals of said television signal of amplitude of significant relationship to the amplitude of said picture carrier, said network comprising means defining a passband for said combined television and jamming signal without substantial attentuation except at a notch containing the frequency of said jamming signal, and where said last named means includes means defining an all-pass network between an input for said combined television and jamming signals and an output for said television signals and in addition to said all-pass network at least one surface acoustic wave (SAW) device resonant at the frequency of said notch between said input and said output.
Specification