Color signal recording and decoding apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for decoding recorded color picture information including two level recordings representative of two independent functions of hue and saturation, said apparatus comprising: a. transducer means for scanning the two level recordings and providing a series of electrical pulses varying in width and in frequency in accordance with the two indePendent functions of hue and saturation; b. means coupled to said transducer means and responsive to the variations in pulse width for providing a first electrical signal varying in amplitude in accordance with one of said two independent functions of hue and saturation; and c. means coupled to said transducer means and responsive to the variations in pulse frequency for providing a second signal varying in amplitude in accordance with the other of said two independent functions of hue and saturation.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including in addition oscillator means providing a carrier signal and means connected to said oscillator means and further connected to receive the first and second signals for providing carrier signals modulated by said first and second signals.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 having in addition differentiating means coupled between the transducer means, the means responsive to the variations in pulse width and the means responsive to the variations in pulse frequency, said differentiating means providing a series of positive and negative spikes in response to square pulses applied thereto with one of said negative and positive spikes varying in relative position in accordance with variations in pulse width and the other of said negative and positive spikes varying in relative position in accordance with variations in pulse frequency.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the means responsive to variations in pulse width include sawtooth generating means providing sawtooth signals having a substantially constant slope, gate means connected to receive said sawtooth signals and responsive to the one of said negative and positive spikes varying in relative position in accordance with variations in pulse width, and integrating means connected to receive output signals from said gate means and providing a signal varying in amplitude in accordance with one of the two independent functions of hue and saturation.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the means responsive to variations in pulse frequency include locked oscillator means responsive to the other of said negative and positive spikes varying in relative position in accordance with variations in pulse frequency, phase shifting means connected to an output of said oscillator means, and providing a signal shifted in phase an amount dependent upon the frequency of the signal from said oscillator means, gate means connected to receive the signal provided by said phase shifting means and responsive to the output of said oscillator means, and integrating means connected to receive output signals from said gate means and providing a signal varying in amplitude in accordance with one of the two independent functions of hue and saturation.

Claim 7

Encoding apparatus for recording color picture information comprising: a. first and second means each adapted to receive an electrical signal representative of a separate independent function of hue and saturation and each providing a signal varying in amplitude in accordance with the respective independent function applied thereto; b. first trigger means connected to receive the signal from the first means and providing trigger pulses varying in repetition in accordance with the amplitude of the signal applied thereto; c. second trigger means connected to receive the signal from the second means and providing trigger pulses varying in frequency in accordance with the amplitude of the signal applied thereto; and d. bistable means coupled to said first and second trigger means and providing a train of output pulses varying in width in accordance with one of the independent functions of hue and saturation and varying in frequency in accordance with the other of the independent functions in hue and saturation.

Claim 8

Encoding apparatus for recording color picture information comprising: a. first and second means each adapted to receive an electrical signal representative of a separate independent function of hue and saturation and each providing a signal varying in amplitude in accordance with the respective independent function applied thereto; b. first trigger means connected to receive the signal from the first means and providing trigger pulses varying in repetition in accordance with the amplitude of the signal applied thereto; c. second trigger means connected to receive the signal from the second means and providing trigger pulses varying in frequency in accordance with the amplitude of the signal applied thereto; and d. bistable means coupled to said first and second trigger means and providing a train of output pulses varying in width in accordance with one of the independent functions of hue and saturation and varying in frequency in accordance with the other of the independent functions in hue and saturation.

Claim 9

Encoding apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the first and second means include integrating circuits.

Claim 10

Encoding apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the first trigGer means includes a differential amplifier connected to receive the signal from the first means and responsive to a constant slope ramp from a ramp generating means, said ramp generating means being connected to receive signals from the bistable means and produce ramps in response to the signals therefrom.

Claim 11

Encoding apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein the second trigger means includes frequency modulating circuitry connected to receive an output signal from an oscillating means and responsive to the signal from the second means to provide a signal varying in frequency in accordance with the other of the independent functions of hue and saturation, means for producing a substantially square wave connected to receive the signal from the frequency modulating circuitry, and differentiating means connected to receive the square wave and provide trigger pulses varying in frequency in accordance with the other of the independent functions.

Claim 12

Apparatus for decoding color picture information including pulses varying in width and frequency in accordance with two independent functions of hue and saturation, said apparatus comprising: a. transition detecting means adapted to receive the pulses and provide signals corresponding with transitions of the pulses between levels; b. first means coupled to said transition detecting means and responsive to the signals therefrom for providing a first electrical signal varying in amplitude in accordance with one of the two independent functions of hue and saturation; and c. second means coupled to said transition detecting means and responsive to the signals therefrom for providing a second electrical signal varying in amplitude in accordance with the other of the two independent functions of hue and saturation.

Claim 13

Apparatus for decoding color picture information including pulses varying in width and frequency in accordance with two independent functions of hue and saturation, said apparatus comprising: a. transition detecting means adapted to receive the pulses and provide signals corresponding with transitions of the pulses between levels; b. first means coupled to said transition detecting means and responsive to the signals therefrom for providing a first electrical signal varying in amplitude in accordance with one of the two independent functions of hue and saturation; and c. second means coupled to said transition detecting means and responsive to the signals therefrom for providing a second electrical signal varying in amplitude in accordance with the other of the two independent functions of hue and saturation.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein the transition detecting means includes differentiating means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein the first means are responsive to a portion of the signals from the transition detecting means representative of pulse width information and the second means are responsive to a portion of the signals from the transition detecting means representative of pulse frequency information.