A technique for the time frequency multiplexing of three television signals

Claim 3

Method according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT in (a) the one of said television signals is a field signal and in steps (b) and (c), each of said first and second differential signals are separate field differential signals.

Claim 4

Method according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT in (a) the one of said television signals is a field signal and in (b) and (c), said first and second differential signals are a frame differential and a field differential signal, respectively.

Claim 5

A television signal transmitter, CHARACTERIZED BY means (26-28, 34-35, FIGs. 3, 9; 162-163, FIG. 12) for concurrently making available three successive television signals from at least one television source, means (36-38, FIG. 3; 36-37, 140, FIG. 9 and 164,166,167,FIG. 12) capable of concurrently generating from said three successive television signals, from each television source, a first output signal comprising one of said television signals as is in the baseband of a standard television system signal, a second output signal which comprises a first differential signal between said one and a second of said television signals which second output signal is quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) onto a subcarrier frequency above said baseband, and a third output signal which comprises a second differential signal between said one and a third of said television signals which third output signal is QAM onto said subcarrier frequency above said baseband with a different quadrature component than said first differential signal; and means (FIG. 5) capable of modulating the first, second and third output signals from the generating means into a transmitter output signal for transmission to a remote receiver.

Claim 6

A television signal transmitter, CHARACTERIZED BY means (26-28, 34-35, FIGs. 3, 9; 162-163, FIG. 12) for concurrently making available three successive television signals from at least one television source, means (36-38, FIG. 3; 36-37, 140, FIG. 9 and 164,166,167,FIG. 12) capable of concurrently generating from said three successive television signals, from each television source, a first output signal comprising one of said television signals as is in the baseband of a standard television system signal, a second output signal which comprises a first differential signal between said one and a second of said television signals which second output signal is quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) onto a subcarrier frequency above said baseband, and a third output signal which comprises a second differential signal between said one and a third of said television signals which third output signal is QAM onto said subcarrier frequency above said baseband with a different quadrature component than said first differential signal; and means (FIG. 5) capable of modulating the first, second and third output signals from the generating means into a transmitter output signal for transmission to a remote receiver.

Claim 7

Transmitter according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the means for concurrently making available three successive television signals comprises, switching means (FIG. 3, 26-28) capable of routing the first, second and third successive television signals over a first, second and third path, respectively; and first delay means (34) disposed in the first path capable of providing a delay approximately equal to the time period for two of said television signals; and second delay means (35) disposed in the second path capable of providing a delay approximately equal to the time period for one of said television signals.

Claim 8

Transmitter according to claim 5, wherein the television signals are field signals, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the generating means comprises, means(FIG. 3,36) responsive to a field signal propagating in the first path for generating a first prediction of a predetermined pel of the field signal in the first path based on an average of a first group of nearby pels, and a second prediction of a predetermined pel of the field signal in the first path based on an average of a second group of nearby pels, first means capable of subtracting said first prediction from the field signal propagating in the second path for generating a field differential signal, and second means capable of subtracting said second prediction from the field signal propagating in the third path for generating a frame differential signal.

Claim 9

Television signal receiver responsive to an input signal produced according to the method of claim 1, CHARACTERIZED BY means (FIG. 6, 100-109) capable of demodulating and separating the first, second and third signals of the input signal into first, second and third paths, respectively, mean (120-122,124,125,127-129 FIG. 7; 120,121,142,124,125,127-129 FIG. 11; 170-173,175,176,178, FIG. 13) responsive to the first, second and third signals from the demodulating and separating means for generating therefrom the first, second and third television picture signals associated with a television picture source for sequential transmission to a predetermined end user.

Claim 10

Receiver according to claim 9, wherein the picture signals are three field signals, said second television signal is received as is in the second signal, said first field differential signal is received as a differential between the first and second field signals in the first signal, and said second field differential signal is received as a differential between the third and second field signals in the third signal, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the generating means comprises, means (120, FIG. 7; 170, FIG. 13) responsive to the second television picture signal propagating in the second path for generating therefrom a first prediction of a predetermined pel of said second television picture signal based on an average of a first group of nearby pels, and a second prediction of a predetermined pel of said second television picture signal based on an average of a second group of nearby pels, first means (121 FIG. 7: 172, FIG. 13) capable of subtracting said first prediction from the first differential signal propagating in the first path for generating the first television picture signal, and second means (122, FIG. 7; 175, FIG. 13) capable of subtracting said second prediction from the second differential signal propagating in the third path for generating the third television picture signal.

Claim 11

Receiver according to claim 9 wherein the first and second signals are frame and field differential signals, respectively, said third television picture signal is received as is in the third signal, said frame differential signal is received as a differential between the first and third television picture field signals in the first signal, and the field differential signal is received as a differential between the second and third television picture field signals in the second signal, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the generating means comprises, means (120, FIG. 11) responsive to the third television picture signal propagating in the third path for generating therefrom a first prediction of a predetermined pel of said third television picture signal based on an average of a first group of nearby pels, and a second prediction of a predetermined pel of said third television picture signal based on an average of a second group of nearby pels, first means (121, FIG.11) capable of subtracting said first prediction from the received frame differential signal propagating in the first path for generating the first television signal; and second means (142, FIG. 11) capable of subtracting said second prediction from the received field differential signal propagating in the second path for generating the second television signal.

Claim 12

Receiver according to claim 9 wherein the first and second signals are frame and field differential signals, respectively, said first television picture signal is received as is in the first signal, said field differential signal is received as a differential between the first and second television picture signals in the second signal, and the frame differential signal is received as a differential between the first and third television picture signals in the third signal, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the generating means comprises, means responsive to the first television picture signal propagating in the first path for generating therefrom a first prediction of a predetermined pel of said first television picture signal based on an average of a rediction of a predetermined pel of said first television picture signal based on an average of a second group of nearby pels, first means capable of subtracting said first prediction from the received field differential signal propagating in the second path for generating the second television picture signal, and second means capable of subtracting said second prediction from the received frame differential signal propagating in the third path for generating the third television picture signal.

Claim 13

Receiver according to claim 9-12, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the generating means further comprises first delay means (124, FIG. 7; 178, FIG. 13) capable of providing a delay to the second television signal approximately equal to the time period for one of said television picture field signals, second delay means (125, FIG. 7; 176,178, FIG. 13) capable of providing a delay to the third television signal approximately equal to the time period of two of said television picture field signals, and switching means (127-129, FIG. 7; 171,173, FIG. 13) capable of sequentially routing the first, second and third television picture signals to the associated end user.