Method and apparatus for transmitting or recording and reproducing line-sequential color television signals

Claim 1

In a line-sequential color television system comprising means for transmitting a first signal comprising a luminance signal component and a second signal comprising a line-sequential chrominance signal component including two chrominance signal components through not more than two channels, said first and second signals representing complete color information and further comprising means for processing said first and second signals to reproduce a luminance signal component and a linesequential chrominance signal component including two chrominance signal components, said two chrominance signal components carrying the simultaneous chrominance information in respective line pairs, the improvement comprising in combination: means for separating a horizontal synchronizing pulse signal from said first signal; means for producing at least two gate drive pulse train signals in synchronism with said horizontal synchronizing signal; gate means for gating said two chrominance signal components in response to said gate drive pulse signals to produce a first sequence of alternating lines of said first chrominance component and of voids and a second sequence of alternating lines of said second chrominance component and of voids, said first and second sequences of lines being deviated from each other by a time period equal to one horizontal scanning line in respect of the void line so as not to simultaneously include their color information; means for mixing said gated first and second chrominance signal components to produce a complete line-sequential chrominance signal; means for generating a second pulse signal in synchronism with and time-delayed with respect to one of the leading and trailing edges of said gate drive pulse signals, said time delay being not greater than the pulse width of said horizontal synchronizing pulse signal; and means for superposing said second pulse signal on said horizontal synchronizing pulse of said first signal whereby said second pulse signal serves as an index signal representative of that one of said two chrominance signal components which is being included in a given horizontal scanning line.