Video pointer

Claim 2

Apparatus for superimposing a line, rectangle, or diamond shape on a video picture including a composite signal having horizontal sync pulses and a frame which includes a vertical blanking interval comprising: a. means for generating line start pulses for each line of said frame, said means being responsive to said horizontal sync pulses; b. means for generating a frame start pulse, said frame start pulse generating means being responsive to the vertical blanking interval of the composite signal; c. means responsive to said frame start pulse for selecting a predetermined one of said line start pulses generated after the first line start pulse; d. means responsive to said selected line start pulse for providing a predetermined number of intensifying pulses each of whose time of occurence after each line start pulse may be different; e. means for controlling said time of occurence of said intensifying pulses by delaying each of said predetermined number of intensifying pulses for a controlled time after a line start pulse in response to a manually controlled change in a component of said control meanS; f. meanS for determining the length of each of the intensifying pulses in response to a manually controlled change in a component of said length determining means, g. means responsive to said intensifying pulses for providing output pulses having a controlled rate of change on the trailing edge of each of said predetermined number of intensifying pulses; and h. means for providing said predetermined number of said output pulses to said composite video picture signal to form a slanted line, rectangle or diamond shape on said video picture, i. and means responsive to the vertical blanking interval of the composite signal for generating an end-of-frame signal provided to said means for providing a predetermined number of intensifying pulses in order to terminate the number of said predetermined number of intensifying pulses generated after said selected line start pulse to prevent said intensifying pulses from occurring during the vertical blanking interval of said frame.

Claim 3

Apparatus for superimposing a line, rectangle, or diamond shape on a video picture including a composite signal having horizontal sync pulses and a frame which includes a vertical blanking interval comprising: a. means for generating line start pulses for each line of said frame, said means being responsive to said horizontal sync pulses; b. means for generating a frame start pulse said frame start pulse generating means being responsive to the vertical blanking interval of the composite signal; c. means responsive to said start pulse for selecting a predetermined one of said line start pulses generated after the first line start pulse; d. means responsive to said selected line start pulse for providing a predetermined number of intensifying pulses each of whose time of occurrence after each line start pulse may be different; e. means for controlling said time of occurrence of said intensifying pulses by delaying each of said predetermined number of intensifying pulses for a controlled time after a line start pulse in response to a manually controlled change in a component of said control means; f. means for determining the length of each of the intensifying pulses in response to a manually controlled change in a component of said length determininG means, g. means responsive to said intensifying pulses for providing output pulses having a controlled rate of change on the trailing edge of each of said predetermined number of intensifying pulses; and h. means for providing said predetermined number of said output pulses to said composite video picture sigNal to form a slanted line, rectangle or diamond shape on said video picture, i. and wherein said means for selecting any one of said line start pulses generated after the first line pulse comprises; j. a first monostable circuit connected to said means for generating said frame start pulse; said first monostable circuit being responsive to said frame start pulse to trigger said first monostable circuit to a known state; k. means for determining the time said first monostable circuit is held in said known state by a manually adjustable control; l. means for reverting said first monostable circuit from said known state to its initial state, said reverting means providing a positive-going charging transient, said transient being coincident with the first line start pulse occurring after said first monostable circuit reverts to its initial state and wherein said means for gating a predetermined number of pulses generated after said selected line start pulse comprises: m. oscillating means locked to the frequency of said line start pulses; n. a second monostable circuit connected to said first monostable circuit, said second monostable circuit being res-ponsive to said selected line start pulse to trigger said second monostable circuit to a known state; o. means for establishing the initial state of said second monostable circuit; p. means for selecting a predetermined time said second monostable curcuit is held in said known state, said predetermined time period being within the time to traverse said frame; q. means for unlocking said oscillating means from the line start pulse frequency thereby allowing said oscillating means to be free-running; r. means for amplifying said unlocked oscillating means; s. means for gating said amplified unlocked oscillating means during said predetermined time period said second mono-stable circuit is held in said known state; and t. means for reverting said second monostable circuit from said known state to said initial state thereby terminating said means for gating said amplified unlocked oscillating means.

Claim 4

Apparatus for superimposing a line, rectangle, or diamond shape on a video picture including a composite signal having horizontal sync pulses and a frame which includes a vertical blanking interval comprising: a. means for generating line start pulses for each line of said frame, said means being responsive to said horizontal sync pulses; b. means for generating a frame start pulse said frame start pulse generating means being responsive to the vertical blanking interval of the composite signal; c. means responsive to said start pulse for selecting a predetermined one of said line start pulses generated after the first line start pulse; d. means responsive to said selected line start pulse for providing a predetermined number of intensifying pulses each of whose time of occurrence after each line start pulse may be different; e. means for controlling said time of occurrence of said intensifying pulses by delaying each of said predetermined number of intensifying pulses for a controlled time after a line start pulse in response to a manually controlled change in a component of said control means; f. means for determining the length of each of the intensifying pulses in response to a manually controlled change in a component of said length determininG means, g. means responsive to said intensifying pulses for providing output pulses having a controlled rate of change on the trailing edge of each of said predetermined number of intensifying pulses; and h. means for providing said predetermined number of said output pulses to said composite video picture sigNal to form a slanted line, rectangle or diamond shape on said video picture, i. and wherein said means for selecting any one of said line start pulses generated after the first line pulse comprises; j. a first monostable circuit connected to said means for generating said frame start pulse; said first monostable circuit being responsive to said frame start pulse to trigger said first monostable circuit to a known state; k. means for determining the time said first monostable circuit is held in said known state by a manually adjustable control; l. means for reverting said first monostable circuit from said known state to its initial state, said reverting means providing a positive-going charging transient, said transient being coincident with the first line start pulse occurring after said first monostable circuit reverts to its initial state and wherein said means for gating a predetermined number of pulses generated after said selected line start pulse comprises: m. oscillating means locked to the frequency of said line start pulses; n. a second monostable circuit connected to said first monostable circuit, said second monostable circuit being res-ponsive to said selected line start pulse to trigger said second monostable circuit to a known state; o. means for establishing the initial state of said second monostable circuit; p. means for selecting a predetermined time said second monostable curcuit is held in said known state, said predetermined time period being within the time to traverse said frame; q. means for unlocking said oscillating means from the line start pulse frequency thereby allowing said oscillating means to be free-running; r. means for amplifying said unlocked oscillating means; s. means for gating said amplified unlocked oscillating means during said predetermined time period said second mono-stable circuit is held in said known state; and t. means for reverting said second monostable circuit from said known state to said initial state thereby terminating said means for gating said amplified unlocked oscillating means.

Claim 5

Apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the means for delaying said predetermined number of pulses for a variable period of time within the time to traverse said line comprises: a. a third monostable circuit connected to said means for gating said amplified unlocked oscillating means, said third monostable circuit being responsive to said predetermined number of pulses, said third monostable circuit being triggered to a known state by each of said predetermined pulses; b. means for establishing the initial state of said third monostable circuit; c. means for selecting a predetermined time period said third monostable circuit is held in said known state, said predetermined time period being within the time to traverse said line; and d. means for reverting said third monostable circuit from said known state to said initial state, said reverting means providing a positive-going charging transient, said transient being coincident with the end of said predetermined time period of said third monostable circuit. 4 Apparatus, as recited in claim 3, wherein the means for terminating said predetermined number of pulses after a variable period of time corresponding to a segment of a line comprises: a. a fourth monostable circuit including a switch, connected to said third monostable circuit, said fourth monostable circuit being responsive to said predetermined number of pulses to trigger said fourth monostable circuit to a known state; b. said switch establishing the initial state of said fourth monostable circuit; c. means for selecting a predetermined time period said fourth monostable circuit is held in said known state, said predetermined time period corresponding to a segment of said line; and d. means for reverting said fourth monostable circuit from said known state to said initial state, thereby terminating said predetermined nUmber of pulses. 5 Apparatus, as recited in claim 4, wherein said means for developing a ramp having a controlled rate on the trailing edge of said predetermined number of pulses comprises: a. means for amplifying said predetermined number of pulses, and b. a resistor capacitor network in the base of said means for amplifying said predetermined number of pulses, said network controlling the voltage output of said predetermined number of pulses, said voltage output having a controlled exponential rise.

Claim 6

Apparatus, as recited in claim 5, wherein said means for feeding back said predetermined number of pulses having said ramp to said video picture to form a line, rectangle, or diamond shape thereon comprises: a. means for retaining the shape of said predetermined number of pulses having said ramp, the output of said retaining means being connected to the input of said means for generating line start pulses for each line of a frame; and b. means for controlling the voltage level of said pre-determined number of pulses. 7 Apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for generating an end-of-frame signal to terminate said pre-determined number of pulses generated after said selected line start pulse thereby preventing interference with said vertical blanking interval of said frame comprises: a. integrating means responsive to a change in said line start pulses within a time period corresponding to approximately one-third the time to traverse said line; and b. means responsive to the negative transition of said integrating means, said negative transition being coincident with the start of said blanking interval to signal the end of the frame.

Claim 7

Apparatus, as recited in claim 7, wherein said means for generating a frame start pulse comprises integrating means responsive to the blanking interval of the video signal to produce a positive transition signal from said video signal and means responsive to the positive transition to produce said frame start pulse, said frame start pulse being coincident with the end of said blanking interval to signal the start of the frame.