Pulse detector for ascertaining the processing delay of a signal

• US 6,330,033 B1
• Filed: 03/21/1996
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cascades AV LLC (Cascades Ventures, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: James Carl Cooper
• Inventors: Cooper, James Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/620,126
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.9475, 348/512, 348/513, 348/514, 348/515, 348/516, 348/517, 348/518, 348/519, 348/169, 348/180, 348/181, 348/182, 348/183, 348/189, 348/192, 348/193, 324/621, 324/617
• US Class Current: 348/512
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/073 for mutually locking plural sources of synchronising signals, e.g. studios or relay stations

Abstract

A delay tracker for a signal processing system, which delay tracker utilizes a special code or pulse on the active portion of the tracked signal with the system including a pulse detector later in the system subsequently recognizing the special code or pulse in order to identify such signal and ascertain any delays associated with the signal for use by the system including possible resynchronization of the tracked signal with another signal associated therewith.

Claims

1. In a signal processing system having a signal passing through a delay, the delay signal having an active portion with substantive information thereon,

the improvement of a delay tracker, said delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal in a manner such that said tracker pulse passes through the delay,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said tracker pulse,

and said means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal has a means to do so in the active portion.

2. The signal processing system of claim 1 characterized in that the signal path through the signal processing system can change from time to time.

3. The signal processing system of claim 2 characterized in that the signal has substantive signal information thereon in addition to said tracker pulse.

4. The signal processing system of claim 1 characterized in that the delay through the signal processing system may change from time to time.

5. The signal processing system of claim 1 characterized in that the signal has substantive desired signal information including said tracker pulse.

6. The signal processing system of claim 1 characterized in that the tracker pulse path to said pulse detector means can be only through the signal processing system.

7. In a signal processing system having a signal passing through a delay, the processing system having a maximum delay for the signal,

the improvement of a delay tracker, said delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said tracker pulse,

and said means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal places multiple individually recognizable tracker pulses at an effective rate faster than the maximum delay.

8. In a signal processing system having a signal passing through a delay, there are multiple signals on the processing system,

the improvement of a delay tracker, said delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said tracker pulse,

and means for said delay tracker to utilize multiple tracker pulses for the multiple signals.

9. In a signal processing system having a signal passing through a delay, another signal,

the improvement of a delay tracker, said delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said tracker pulse,

and means for said pulse detector means utilizing said tracker pulse to ascertain the relative timing between the signal and said another signal.

11. The delay tracker of claim 9 characterized by the addition of means to convey said another signal by a differing processing system than the signal.

12. The delay tracker of claim 9 characterized by means to ascertain the relative timing relationship between signal and said another signal at one time.

13. The delay tracker of claim 12 characterized in that said means to ascertain the relative timing uses said known relative timing relationship between the signal and said another signal to ascertain a measure of differentiation of the actual timing from said known relative timing relationship.

14. The delay tracker of claim 12 characterized in that said means to ascertain said relative timing relationship operates at the signal and said another signal respective entry into the signal processing system.

15. The delay tracker of claim 12 characterized in that said means to ascertain said relative timing relationship operates at one point while the signal is in the signal processing system.

18. The delay tracker of claim 12 wherein there are at least two signals including the signal passing through a delay and characterized in that said means to associate said at least two recognizable tracker pulses provides an associated recognizable tracker pulse for at least the two signals.

19. The delay tracker of claim 18 characterized by the addition of means to individually recognize said associated recognizable tracker pulses.

10. The delay tracker of 9 characterized by the addition of a use means to act on the signal and/or said another signal based on said relative timing.

16. In a signal processing system having a signal passing through a delay,

the improvement of a delay tracker, said delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said tracker pulse,

and said means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal uses at least two recognizable tracker pulses for the signal.

17. The delay tracker of claim 16 characterized in that there is a time between at least two said recognizable tracker pulses and said means to associate said at least two recognizable with the signal uses a time less than the delay of the signal of the processing means between said at least two recognizable tracker pulses.

20. In a signal processing system having a signal passing through a delay,

the improvement of a delay tracker, said delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said tracker pulse,

and means to associate at least two unique tracker pulses for association with the signal one of which is said tracker pulse.

21. The delay tracker of claim 20 characterized in that said at least two unique tracker pulses are varying counts.

22. The delay tracker of claim 20 characterized in that said at least two unique tracker pulses are timing codes.

23. The delay tracker of claim 22 characterized by the addition of means for said pulse detector means to utilize a known clocking circuit.

24. The delay tracker of claim 23 characterized in that said known clocking circuit is a specialized system wide source.

25. In a signal processing system having a signal passing through a delay, the signal having artifacts,

the improvement of a delay tracker, said delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal before the signal passes through the delay,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said tracker pulse,

and means to utilize the artifacts of the signal as said recognizable tracker pulse.

26. The signal processing system of claim 25 characterized in that the signal path through the signal processing system can change from time to time.

27. The signal processing system of claim 25 characterized in that the delay through the signal processing system may change from time to time.

28. The signal processing system of claim 25 characterized in that the signal has substantive desired signal information thereon in addition to said tracker pulse.

29. The signal processing system of claim 25 characterized in that the tracker pulse path to said pulse detector means can be only through the signal processing system.

30. In a signal processing system having a signal, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal before the signal enters the signal processing system,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said recognizable tracker pulse is substantially unique for each association.

31. The signal processing system of claim 30 characterized in that the signal path through the signal processing system can change from time to time.

32. The signal processing system of claim 30 characterized in that the signal through the signal processing system has a delay that may change from time to time.

33. The signal processing system of claim 30 characterized in that the signal has substantive desired signal information thereon in addition to said tracker pulse.

34. The signal processing system of claim 30 characterized in that the tracker pulse path to said pulse detector means can be only through the signal processing system.

35. In a signal processing system having a signal, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

means to associate at least two recognizable tracker pulses on at least two signals, one of which is said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said pulse detector means recognizing each of said recognizable tracker pulses to track said at least two signals.

36. In a signal processing system having a signal, the signal having an active portion with substantive signal information thereon, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal before the signal enters the signal processing system,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal does so in the active portion.

37. The signal processing system of claim 36 characterized in that the signal path through the signal processing system can change from time to time.

38. The signal processing system of claim 36 characterized in that the signal through the signal processing system has a delay that may change from time to time.

39. The signal processing system of claim 36 characterized in that the signal has substantive desired signal information including said tracker pulse.

40. The signal processing system of claim 36 characterized in that the tracker pulse path to said pulse detector means can be only through the signal processing system.

41. In a signal processing system having a signal, the signal having an active portion, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system and said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse, said means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal does so in the active portion,

and means to restrict said active portion association to overscan of a video signal.

42. In a signal processing system having a signal, the processing system having a delays, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal does so at a rate slower than the delay.

43. In a signal processing system having a signal, the processing system having a maximum delay for the signal, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal places multiple individually recognizable tracker pulses at an effective rate faster than the maximum delay.

44. In a signal processing system having a signal, there are multiple signals on the processing system, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said delay tracker utilizes multiple recognizable tracker pulses for the multiple signals.

45. In a signal processing system having a signal, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and the addition of another signal and said pulse detector means utilizing said recognizable tracker pulse to ascertain the relative timing between the signal and said another signal.

46. The delay tracker of claim 45 characterized by the addition of a use means to act on the signal and/or said another signal based on said relative timing.

47. The delay tracker of claim 45 characterized by means to convey said another signal by a differing processing system than the signal.

48. The delay tracker of claim 45 characterized by means to ascertain the relative timing relationship between the signal and said another signal at one time.

49. The delay tracker of claim 48 characterized by the addition of a use means and said use means using said relative timing relationship between the signal and said another signal to ascertain a measure of differentiation of the actual timing from said known relative timing relationship at one time.

50. The delay tracker of claim 48 characterized in that said relative timing relationship is known at the signal and said another signal respective entry into the signal processing system.

51. The delay tracker of claim 48 characterized in that said known relative timing relationship is known at one point while the signal is in the signal processing system.

52. In a signal processing system having a signal, a delay tracker comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system and said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal uses a plurality of recognizable tracker pulses for the signal.

53. The delay tracker of claim 52 characterized in that there is a time between at least two said recognizable tracker pulses and said time is less than the delay of the signal of the processing means.

54. The delay tracker of claim 52 wherein there are more than one signal and characterized in that at least two signals have associated recognizable tracker pulses.

55. The delay tracker of claim 52 characterized by the addition of means to individually recognize said associated tracker pulses.

56. In a signal processing system having a signal, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal before the signal enters the signal processing system, said recognizable tracker pulse being unique for the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and means to utilize the unique recognizable tracker pulse to track the signal in the signal processing system.

57. The signal processing system of claim 56 characterized in that the signal path through the signal processing system can change from time to time.

58. The signal processing system of claim 56 characterized in that the signal through the signal processing system has a delay that may change from time to time.

59. The signal processing system of claim 56 characterized in that the signal has substantive desired signal information thereon in addition to said tracker pulse.

60. The signal processing system of claim 56 characterized in that the tracker pulse path to said pulse detector means can be only through the signal processing system.

61. In a signal processing system having a signal, a delay tracker comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said recognizable tracker pulse is a varying count.

62. The delay tracker of claim 61 wherein the signal is a video signal having a horizontal sync rate and characterized by means to count said horizontal sync to produce a varied count.

63. In a signal processing system having a signal, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and said recognizable tracker pulse is a timing code.

64. The delay tracker of claim 63 characterized by the addition of means for said pulse detector means to utilize a known clocking circuit.

65. The delay tracker of claim 64 characterized in that said known clocking circuit is a specialized system wide source.

66. In a signal processing system having a signal, the signal having artifacts, comprising a recognizable tracker pulse, means to associate said recognizable tracker pulse with the signal before the signal enters the signal processing system,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said recognizable tracker pulse,

and means to utilize the artifacts of the signal as said recognizable tracker pulse.

67. The signal processing system of claim 66 characterized in that the signal path through the signal processing system can chance from time to time.

68. The signal Processing system of claim 66 characterized in that the signal through the signal processing system has a delay that may change from time to time.

69. The signal processing system of claim 66 characterized in that the signal has substantive desired signal information thereon in addition to said tracker pulse.

70. The signal Processing system of claim 66 characterized in that the tracker pulse path to said pulse detector means can be only through the signal processing system.

71. In a signal processing system having a signal passing through a delay,

the improvement of a delay tracker, said delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, means to associate said tracker pulse with the signal,

a pulse detector means, means to associate said pulse detector means with the processing system, said pulse detector means recognizing said tracker pulse,

and said tracker pulse is associated with the signal at a rate slower than the delay.

72. In a signal processing system having an incoming signal passing through a processing means having a delay that may change for the signal,

the improvement of a delay tracker comprising a tracker pulse, a combiner means to associate said tracker pulse with the incoming signal prior to the incoming signal passing through the processing means,

a tracker pulse detector means to recognize said tracker pulse on the signal coming from the processing means, use means responsive to said tracker pulse detector means,

and said use means includes a delay determination means determining the delay caused by the processing means.

73. The signal processing system of claim 72 characterized in that the signal path through the signal processing system can chance from time to time.

74. The signal processing system of claim 72 characterized in that the signal through the signal processing system has a delay that may change from time to time.

75. The signal processing system of claim 72 characterized in that the signal has substantive desired signal information thereon in addition to said tracker pulse.

76. The signal processing system of claim 72 characterized in that the tracker pulse path to said pulse detector means can be only through the signal processing system.

77. A method for determining a delay in a signal processing system having a signal passing through the delay, the delay signal having an active portion with substantive information thereon,

the method comprising associating a tracker pulse with the active portion of the signal in a manner such that said tracker pulse passes through the delay,

and inspecting the signal to recognize said tracker pulse passing through the delay.

78. A method of determining a delay in a signal processing system having a signal passing through the delay, the signal having artifacts,

the method comprising associating a tracker pulse with the signal before the signal passes through the delay utilizing the artifacts of the signal as a recognizable tracker pulse,

and inspecting the signal to recognize said tracker pulse passing through the delay to determine the delay thereof.

79. A method for tracking a signal in a signal processing system, the method comprising associating a recognizable tracker pulse substantially unique for each association with the signal before the signal enters the signal processing system,

and inspecting the signal to recognize said unique recognizable tracker pulse to track the signal.

80. A method for tracking a signal in a signal processing system, the signal having an active portion with substantive signal information thereon,

the method comprising associating a recognizable tracker pulse with the signal in the active portion thereof before the signal enters the signal processing system,

and inspecting the signal to recognize said recognizable tracker pulse.

81. A method for determining a signal in a signal processing system, the method comprising associating a recognizable tracker pulse with the signal before the signal enters the signal processing system, said recognizable tracker pulse being unique for the signal,

and inspecting the signal to recognize said unique recognizable tracker pulse to track the signal in the signal processing system.

82. A method for tracking a signal in a signal processing system, the signal having artifacts, the method comprising associating a recognizable tracker pulse with the signal before the signal enters the signal processing system utilizing the artifacts of the signal as said recognizable tracker pulse,

and inspecting the signal to recognize said recognizable tracker pulse to track the signal.

83. A method for determining the delay of an incoming signal passing through a processing means having a delay that may change for the signal,

the method comprising associating a tracker pulse with the incoming signal prior to the incoming signal passing through the processing means,

inspecting the signal to recognize said tracker pulse on the signal coming from the processing means,

and determining the delay caused by the processing means.