US3619495A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Television picture montage circuit
Assignee: NEC Corp
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Filing: 1969-08-21
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Granted: 1971-11-09
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Expires: 1989-08-21
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus are described for the preparation of a common television program signal from different line scan signals. Line scan signals are generated such as of the conventional video type employed in the transmission of television programs. Each line scan signal has a like period and is applied along different channels for combination after passing through variable gain channel amplifiers. Control voltages are generated for the gain control of the channel amplifiers. The control voltages are produced from a keying signal and a composite keying signal which pass through variable gain circuits to produce directly related and complementary related outputs. Correspondingly related outputs are added with the added signals applied through a switching network for varying the gain of the channel amplifiers. By selectively controlling the keying signal particular time portions of each line scan may be controlled in the common television program signal for the superimposing of several programs. Gradual control may be obtained by varying the gain of the variable gain circuits with faders.
Inventors
- 👤 Yutaka Ito
- 👤 Jun Hirate
- 👤 Takeshi Saito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 06:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/222; H04N5/262; H04N5/265
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A television picture montage circuit comprising variable-gain video amplifiers for amplifying video signals in different video channels, the gain of each video amplifier being adjustable between a cutoff gain and a predetermined finite value by a control voltage supplied thereto, a video-signal mixing circuit for adding the outputs of said video amplifiers, video clamping circuits for clamping the pedestal level of video signals to be supplied said gain-controlled video amplifiers, and means for selectively supplying said video amplifiers with a first control voltage for varying the respective gains thereof for whole picture area control, and means for selectively supplying said video amplifiers with a second control voltage to vary the respective gains thereof for selected portion control of the picture area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
121 words
A television picture montage circuit comprising variable-gain video amplifiers for amplifying video signals in different video channels, the gain of each video amplifier being adjustable between a cutoff gain and a predetermined finite value by a control voltage supplied thereto, a video-signal mixing circuit for adding the outputs of said video amplifiers, video clamping circuits for clamping the pedestal level of video signals to be supplied said gain-controlled video amplifiers, and means for selectively supplying said video amplifiers with a first control voltage for varying the respective gains thereof for whole picture area control, and means for selectively supplying said video amplifiers with a second control voltage to vary the respective gains thereof for selected portion control of the picture area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
149 words
A television picture montage circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second control-voltage-supplying means further comprises a keying signal gain adjusting circuit supplied with a keying signal to produce, under the control of a direct-current control voltage, a pair of complementary gain-adjusted keying signals, a composite keying signal gain adjusting circuit supplied with a composite keying signal produced by superimposing of a blanking signal on a phase-inverted keying signal to produce, under the control of another direct-current control voltage, a pair of complementary gain-adjusted composite keying signals, a first channel keying signal mixing current supplied with one of said gain-adjusted keying signals and a corresponding one of said gain-adjusted composite keying signals, and a second channel keying signal mixing circuit supplied with the other of said gain-adjusted keying and composite keying signals, said keying signal mixing circuits producing the second control signals for said respective gain-controlled video amplifiers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
211 words
A television picture montage circuit comprising video signal clamping circuits for clamping pedestal levels of video line scan signals in different channels, gain-controlled video amplifiers for amplifying respective outputs of said video signal clamping circuits, the gain of said video amplifiers being adjustable between a cutoff gain and a predetermined finite value by control voltages supplied thereto, and a video-signal mixing circuit for adding the outputs of said video amplifiers, a keying signal gain-adjusting circuit supplied with a keying signal to produce, under the control of a first direct-current control voltage, a pair of complementary related gain-adjusted keying signals, a composite keying signal gain-adjusting circuit supplied with a composite keying signal produced by superimposing a blanking signal employed with line scan signals on a phase-inverted keying signal, said composite keying signal gain-adjusting circuit producing, under the control of a second direct-current control voltage, a pair of complementary related gain-adjusted composite keying signals, a first channel keying signal mixing circuit supplied with one of said gain-adjusted keying signals and a corresponding one of said gain-adjusted composite keying signals, and a second channel keying signal mixing circuit supplied with the others of said gaIn-adjusted keying and composite keying signals, said keying signal mixing circuits producing the control signals for said gain-controlled video amplifiers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
211 words
A television picture montage circuit comprising video signal clamping circuits for clamping pedestal levels of video line scan signals in different channels, gain-controlled video amplifiers for amplifying respective outputs of said video signal clamping circuits, the gain of said video amplifiers being adjustable between a cutoff gain and a predetermined finite value by control voltages supplied thereto, and a video-signal mixing circuit for adding the outputs of said video amplifiers, a keying signal gain-adjusting circuit supplied with a keying signal to produce, under the control of a first direct-current control voltage, a pair of complementary related gain-adjusted keying signals, a composite keying signal gain-adjusting circuit supplied with a composite keying signal produced by superimposing a blanking signal employed with line scan signals on a phase-inverted keying signal, said composite keying signal gain-adjusting circuit producing, under the control of a second direct-current control voltage, a pair of complementary related gain-adjusted composite keying signals, a first channel keying signal mixing circuit supplied with one of said gain-adjusted keying signals and a corresponding one of said gain-adjusted composite keying signals, and a second channel keying signal mixing circuit supplied with the others of said gaIn-adjusted keying and composite keying signals, said keying signal mixing circuits producing the control signals for said gain-controlled video amplifiers.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
295 words
A device for combining different television program signals applied from different channels wherein each channel includes a periodic video line scan signals comprising video channel amplifiers respectively coupled to the video line scan signals and having variable gain inputs, a video line scan signal-combining circuit for combining outputs from said video channel amplifiers, first means including a first keying amplifier supplying a first video channel amplifier variable gain input with a first control voltage to selectively vary the gain thereof during a first portion of each period of a line scan, and second means including a second keying amplifier supplying a second video channel amplifier variable gain input with a second control voltage to selectively vary the gain thereof during the remaining portion of said line scan period, wherein said first means includes a keying amplifier having a variable gain input coupled to a first gain adjusting voltage and being driven by a keying signal in synchronization with the line scan video signals, said keying amplifier providing first complementary output signals representative of a desired gain of said video channel amplifiers, and wherein said second means includes a composite keying signal amplifier having a variable gain input coupled to a second gain adjusting voltage and being driven by a composite keying signal in synchronization with the line scan video signals, said composite amplifier providing second complementary output signals representative of a desired gain of said video channel amplifiers and wherein said first and second means further include mixing circuit means having inputs thereto connected to said keying amplifiers for adding corresponding signals from said keying and composite keying signal amplifiers to provide first and second video channel amplifier gain control voltages coupled to said first and second variable gain inputs on the video channel amplifier.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
295 words
A device for combining different television program signals applied from different channels wherein each channel includes a periodic video line scan signals comprising video channel amplifiers respectively coupled to the video line scan signals and having variable gain inputs, a video line scan signal-combining circuit for combining outputs from said video channel amplifiers, first means including a first keying amplifier supplying a first video channel amplifier variable gain input with a first control voltage to selectively vary the gain thereof during a first portion of each period of a line scan, and second means including a second keying amplifier supplying a second video channel amplifier variable gain input with a second control voltage to selectively vary the gain thereof during the remaining portion of said line scan period, wherein said first means includes a keying amplifier having a variable gain input coupled to a first gain adjusting voltage and being driven by a keying signal in synchronization with the line scan video signals, said keying amplifier providing first complementary output signals representative of a desired gain of said video channel amplifiers, and wherein said second means includes a composite keying signal amplifier having a variable gain input coupled to a second gain adjusting voltage and being driven by a composite keying signal in synchronization with the line scan video signals, said composite amplifier providing second complementary output signals representative of a desired gain of said video channel amplifiers and wherein said first and second means further include mixing circuit means having inputs thereto connected to said keying amplifiers for adding corresponding signals from said keying and composite keying signal amplifiers to provide first and second video channel amplifier gain control voltages coupled to said first and second variable gain inputs on the video channel amplifier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device as recited in claim 4 wherein said mixing circuit adding means includes means for clamping the level of a blanking signal included in said composite keying signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
The device as recited in claim 5 and further including means for generating DC control voltages, said DC control voltages varying the gain of said video channel amplifiers for entire line scan periods, and switching means for selectively coupling the outputs of said adding means and said DC control voltages to said video amplifier variable gain inputs.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of combining different television program signals present in different channels wherein each channel includes periodic video line scan signals comprising the steps of providing a keying signal synchronized with the video line scan signals, providing a composite keying signal synchronized with the video line can signals, separately amplifying the keying and composite keying signals to provide directly dependent and complementary dependent amplified outputs of each signal, combining said directly dependent amplified keying and composite keying signals, combining said complementary dependent amplified keying and composite keying signals, respectively controlling the gain of channel amplifiers with respective combined keying and composite keying signals wherein the channel amplifiers are used to amplify line scan signals of different channels, and combining the outputs of the channel amplifiers to form a common television program signal.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
132 words
A method of combining different television program signals present in different channels wherein each channel includes periodic video line scan signals comprising the steps of providing a keying signal synchronized with the video line scan signals, providing a composite keying signal synchronized with the video line can signals, separately amplifying the keying and composite keying signals to provide directly dependent and complementary dependent amplified outputs of each signal, combining said directly dependent amplified keying and composite keying signals, combining said complementary dependent amplified keying and composite keying signals, respectively controlling the gain of channel amplifiers with respective combined keying and composite keying signals wherein the channel amplifiers are used to amplify line scan signals of different channels, and combining the outputs of the channel amplifiers to form a common television program signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as recited in claim 7 and further including the step of providing one of the television program video line scan signals as the keying signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the amplifying step is accompanied with the step of selectively varying the magnitude of the amplification employed with the keying and composite keying signals in accordance with the channel desired in the common television program signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the keying signal includes a portion selectively placed within each line scan period to be selectively employed in the line scan of the common television program signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2969428A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-11-08 | 1975-05-10 | 1975-11-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-11-08 | 1979-05-10 | 1979-11-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-11-08 | 1983-05-10 | 1983-11-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |