Sound information reproducing apparatus for use in a still picture broadcasting system

Claim 2

A sound information reproducing apparatus for use in a still picture broadcasting system which repeatedly broadcasts video information signals for n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals respectively relating to and providing a description of the still pictures wherein the time base of the sound information is compressed, and in which a frame of still picture information is composed of l fields, each field composed of a predetermined number of lines and the sound information related to each such picture frame is composed of m sections, each said sound information section being of a duration substantially equal to an integer multiple of the period of one line of a picture field, the integer being greater than one, and wherein l, m and n are integers, said reproducing apparatus comprising: gate means for selecting a desired frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information out of the said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information broadcasted, main memory means for Receiving and storing the frame of still picture information and the related sound information selected by said gate means in respectively associated, separate storing locations, first auxiliary memory means for receiving and storing one section of the related sound information for a selected frame of still picture information, second auxiliary memory means for receiving and storing a successive section of the said related sound information for the same said selected frame of still picture information, means for scanning said main memory for repeatedly reading out in each of successive, predetermined scanning periods, the video information of the selected frame and the related m sections of sound information for the selected frame as stored in said main memory, means for controlling the first and second auxiliary memory means in each of successive timed periods, each timed period being a fraction 1/m of the predetermined scanning period of said main memory, alternately to store in one thereof, at a first rate and during a given one of said successive timed periods, a section of sound information as read out from the main memory, and to read out from the other thereof, at a second, slower rate and during the said predetermined scanning period of said main memory, the section of sound information stored therein in the preceding timed period, thereby to expand the time base of the sound information, as broadcasted and stored in the main memory, for reproduction of the original sound information.

Claim 3

A sound information reproducing apparatus for use in a still picture broadcasting system which repeatedly broadcasts video information signals for n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals respectively relating to and providing a description of the still pictures wherein the time base of the sound information is compressed, and in which a frame of still picture information is composed of l fields, each field composed of a predetermined number of lines and the sound information related to each such picture frame is composed of m sections, each said sound information section being of a duration substantially equal to an integer multiple of the period of one line of a picture field, the integer being greater than one, wherein l, m and n are integers, said reproducing apparatus comprising: gate means for selecting a desired frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information out of the said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information broadcasted, main memory means for receiving and storing the frame of still picture information and the related sound information selected by said gate means in respectively associated, separate storing locations, means for scanning said main memory for repeatedly reading out in each of successive, predetermined scanning periods, the video information of the selected frame and the related m sections of sound information for the selected frame as stored, auxiliary memory means for receiving and storing one section of the selected sound information as read out from the main memory, at a first rate and during the time period in which said section of the sound information is scanned in the main memory means, said auxiliary memory means receiving and storing each of the successive sections of sound information in the corresponding time periods of respective, successive ones of said predetermined scanning periods of said main memory, and means for reading out the section of sound information stored in the auxiliary memory means at a second, slower rate and during that portion of the predetermined scanning period of the main memory in which the remaining sections of the sound information stored in the main memory are scanned, for each such stored section of sound information in succession, thereby expanding the time base of the sound information for reproduction of the original sound information.

Claim 4

A sound information reproducing apparatus for use in a still picture broadcasting system which repeatedly broadcasts video information signals for n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals respectively relating to and providing a description of the still pictures wherein the time base of the sound information is compressed, and in which a frame of still picture information is composed of l fields, each field composed of a predetermined number of lines and the sound information related to each such picture frame is composed of m sections, each said sound information section being of a duration substantially equal to an integer multiple of the period of one line of a picture field, the integer being greater than one, wherein l, m and n are integers, said reproducing apparatus comprising: gate means for selecting a desired frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information out of the said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information broadcasted, main memory means for receiving and storing the frame of still picture information and the related sound information selected by said gate means in respectively associated, separate storing locations, means for scanning said main memory for repeatedly reading out in each of successive, predetermined scanning periods, the video information of the selected frame and the related m sections of sound information for the selected frame as stored, auxiliary memory means for receiving and storing one section of the selected sound information as read out from the main memory, at a first rate and during the time period in which said section of the sound information is scanned in the main memory means, said auxiliary memory means receiving and storing each of the successive sections of sound information in the corresponding time periods of respective, successive ones of said predetermined scanning periods of said main memory, and means for reading out the section of sound information stored in the auxiliary memory means at a second, slower rate and during that portion of the predetermined scanning period of the main memory in which the remaining sections of the sound information stored in the main memory are scanned, for each such stored section of sound information in succession, thereby expanding the time base of the sound information for reproduction of the original sound information.

Claim 5

A sound inforMation reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said main memory means comprises a rotatable recording surface having a period of roation corresponding to said predetermined scanning period of said scanning means, and first and second recording heads respectively operable to record a selected frame of still picture information and the corresponding m sections of sound information in respectively corresponding recording paths of said rotatable recording surface, said scanning means comprises first and second scanning heads for reading out the respectively associated still picture information and sound information from the corresponding recording paths, and said controlling means comprises means responsive to each rotation of said rotatable recording surface for accumulating a count corresponding to the number of rotations thereof, means responsive to the scanning by said reading head of said recorded sound information of m sections to identify and accumulate a count corresponding to the scanning of successive ones of said m sections, and gating means responsive to each successive rotation of said recording surface to effect the alternate storage in, and read out from, said first and second auxiliary memory means of each said successive section of sound information read out from said main memory.

Claim 6

A sound information reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein the sound information is recorded in digital form and wherein each said auxiliary memory comprises a digital memory, said controlling means further comprises write-in and read-out pulse generators for timing the storing and reading out operations of said first and second auxiliary memory means, said write-in pulse generator produces write-in pulses of a rate corresponding to the rate of the digital sound information signals read out by said read-out means from said rotatable memory, said gating means alternately supplying said write-in pulses to said first and second auxiliary memory means in successive time periods thereby to store the successive sections of sound information read out from said main memory alternately in said first and second auxiliary memory means, and said read-out pulse generator produces a train of read-out pulses of a rate sufficient to effect read-out of the digital sound signals stored in each said auxiliary memory means within the predetermined scanning period, and said gating means supplies said train of read-out pulses to one of the auxiliary memory means for the predetermined scanning period during which information from the main memory is being stored in the other of said first and second auxiliary memory means.

Claim 7

A sound information reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which each of said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals is identified by a corresponding address signal and wherein said apparatus further comprises: an input selection means for identifying the address of a video frame and corresponding sound information selected to be reproduced, and comparison and gating means for identifying the addresses of the received video information signals and corresponding sound information signals for comparison with the address of the selected frame as identified by the input selection means thereby to gate from the received signals of n frames of still picture information and corresponding sound information signals, the selected frame of picture information to be displayed and the respectively corresponding sound information signals for supply to said main memory.

Claim 8

A sound information reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said main memory means comprises a rotatable recording surface having a period of rotation corresponding to said predetermined scanning period of said scanning means, and first and second recording heads respectively operable to record a selected frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information of m sections, in corresponding recOrding paths of said rotatable recording surface, said scanning means comprises first and second scanning heads for reading out the respectively associated still picture information and sound information from the corresponding recording paths, and said controlling means comprises means responsive to each rotation of said rotatable recording surface for accumulating a count corresponding to the number of rotations thereof, means responsive to the scanning by said reading head of said recorded sound information of m sections to identify and accumulate a count corresponding to the scanning of successive ones of said m sections, and gating means responsive to each successive rotation of said rotatable recording surface to enable said auxiliary memory to store one section of the digital sound information signals read from said main memory during the time interval of read-out of that section and to enable read-out of the section of digital sound information signals previously stored in said auxiliary memory for the remaining portion of the predetermined scanning period of said main memory.

Claim 9

A sound information reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein the sound information is recorded in digital form and wherein said auxiliary memory comprises a digital memory, said controlling means further comprises write-in and read-out pulse generators for timing the storing and reading out operations of said auxiliary digital memory means, said write-in pulse generator produces write-in pulses of a rate corresponding to the rate of the digital sound information signals read out by said read-out means from said rotatable memory, said read-out pulse generator produces a train of read-out pulses of a rate sufficient to effect read-out of the digital sound signals stored in said auxiliary memory means within the predetermined scanning period, and said gating means supplies said write-in pulses from said write-in pulse generator to said auxiliary memory means during the time interval of reading the section of the sound information from said main memory for recording in said auxiliary memory, and supplies said read-out pulses to said auxiliary memory means for the remaining portion of the predetermined scanning period.

Claim 10

A sound information reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 3 in which each of said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals is identified by a corresponding address signal and wherein said apparatus further comprises: an input selection means for identifying the address of a video frame and corresponding sound information selected to be reproduced, and comparison and gating means for identifying the addresses of the received video information signals and corresponding sound information signals for comparison with the address of the selected frame as identified by the input selection means thereby to gate from the received signals of n frames of still picture information and corresponding sound information signals, the selected frame of picture information to be displayed and the respectively corresponding sound information signals for supply to said main memory.

Claim 11

A sound information reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein l has an integer value of 1.

Claim 12

A sound information reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein l has an integer value of 2.

Claim 13

Sound information transmitting and reproducing apparatus of a still picture broadcasting system which repeatedly broadcasts video information signals for n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals providing a description of the respective still pictures wherein the time base of the sound information is compressed and in which a frame of still picture information is composed of l fields and the sound information related to each such picture frame is composed of m sections wherein l, m and n are integers, said broadcasted sound information comprising frequency modulated digital values corresponding to digital sample values of the sound information, said apparatus comprising: gate means for selecting a desired frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information out of the said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information broadcasted, main memory means comprising a rotatable recording surface having a period of rotation synchronized with the time duration of transmission of a frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information, and first and second recording heads respectively operable to record in respectively associated, separate recording tracks of said recording surface, the video information signals for a given frame of a still picture and the corresponding m sections of sound information for that picture frame, respectively, scanning means comprising first and second scanning heads for reading out the still picture information and the sound information recorded in the respectively associated recording tracks of said rotatable recording surface, said gate means supplying the selected video information and corresponding sound information for a given still picture frame to the corresponding said recording heads and said first and second scanning heads reading out the thus recorded still picture information and sound information from the corresponding recording tracks, means for demodulating the sound information digital values from the broadcasted and selected sound information. first auxiliary memory means for receiving at a first rate and storing one section of the related sound information digital values for a selected frame of still picture information, second auxiliary memory means for receiving at the same first rate and storing the sound information digital values of a successive section of the sound information for the same said selected frame of still picture information, and controlling means responsive to each rotation of said rotatable recording surface for accumulating a count corresponding to the number of rotations thereof and responsive to the scanning by said reading head for the recorded sound information of m sections, to identify and accumulate a count corresponding to the scanning of successive ones of said m sections, said controlling means being responsive to each successive rotation of said recording surface to effect alternately the storage in and readout from said first and second auxiliary memory means of the sound information, thereby alternately to store in one of said auxiliary memory means the digital values of a section of sound information as read out from the main memory, at said first rate and during the time duration of readout of that said section from the main memory, and to read out from the other of said auxiliary memory means, at a second, slower rate and during the period of rotation of said rotatable recording surface, the section of sound information previously stored in that other auxiliary memory means, thereby to expand the time base of the sound information as broadcasted and as stored in the main memory, and a digital to analog converter for receiving the expanded time base digital values of the sound information as read alternately from said first and second auxiliary means for conversion to an analog signal and reproduction of the original sound information.

Claim 14

Sound information transmitting and reproducing apparatus of a still picture broadcasting system which repeatedly broadcasts video information signals for n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals providing a description of the respective still pictures wherein the time base of the sound information is compressed and in which a frame of still picture information is composed of l fields and the sound information related to each such picture frame is composed of m sections wherein l, m and n are integers, said broadcasted sound information comprising frequency modulated digital values corresponding to digital sample values of the sound information, said apparatus comprising: gate means for selecting a desired frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information out of the said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information broadcasted, main memory means comprising a rotatable recording surface having a period of rotation synchronized with the time duration of transmission of a frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information, and first and second recording heads respectively operable to record in respectively associated, separate recording tracks of said recording surface, the video information signals for a given frame of a still picture and the corresponding m sections of sound information for that picture frame, respectively, scanning means comprising first and second scanning heads for reading out the still picture information and the sound information recorded in the respectively associated recording tracks of said rotatable recording surface, said gate means supplying the selected video information and corresponding sound information for a given still picture frame to the corresponding said recording heads and said first and second scanning heads reading out the thus recorded still picture information and sound information from the corresponding recording tracks, means for demodulating the sound information digital values from the broadcasted and selected sound information. first auxiliary memory means for receiving at a first rate and storing one section of the related sound information digital values for a selected frame of still picture information, second auxiliary memory means for receiving at the same first rate and storing the sound information digital values of a successive section of the sound information for the same said selected frame of still picture information, and controlling means responsive to each rotation of said rotatable recording surface for accumulating a count corresponding to the number of rotations thereof and responsive to the scanning by said reading head for the recorded sound information of m sections, to identify and accumulate a count corresponding to the scanning of successive ones of said m sections, said controlling means being responsive to each successive rotation of said recording surface to effect alternately the storage in and readout from said first and second auxiliary memory means of the sound information, thereby alternately to store in one of said auxiliary memory means the digital values of a section of sound information as read out from the main memory, at said first rate and during the time duration of readout of that said section from the main memory, and to read out from the other of said auxiliary memory means, at a second, slower rate and during the period of rotation of said rotatable recording surface, the section of sound information previously stored in that other auxiliary memory means, thereby to expand the time base of the sound information as broadcasted and as stored in the main memory, and a digital to analog converter for receiving the expanded time base digital values of the sound information as read alternately from said first and second auxiliary means for conversion to an analog signal and reproduction of the original sound information.

Claim 15

A sound information transmitting and reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said demodulating means provides sound information digital signals as outputs and there is further provided first and second distributing gates responsive to said controlling means for supplying alternately said successive sections of sound information digital signals to said first and second auxiliary memory means, respectively.

Claim 16

A sound information transmitting and reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said transmitting apparatus comprises: a source of said video informatIon signals and corresponding sound information signals, source gate means, transmitter main memory means comprising a rotatable recording surface having a period of rotation synchronized with the duration of a frame of video still picture information signals and having first and second recording heads, respectively, operable to record in respectively associated, separate recording tracks of said recording surface, the video information signals for a given frame of a still picture and the corresponding m sections of sound information, respectively, and scanning means comprising first and second scanning heads for reading out the still picture information and the sound information recorded in the respectively associated recording tracks, means for selecting sound information signals for a given frame of still pictures and converting said sound information signals to digital values, a transmitter auxiliary memory, said converter means including sampling means operable at a rate of approximately twice the highest video frequency of the sound information signals to provide converted digital values to said transmitter auxiliary memory for storage therein, means for reading out the digital values stored in said transmitter auxiliary memory at a rate substantially greater than the sampling rate of storage therein, and FM modulator means for receiving the digital sound values read out from said memory for supply of FM modulated digital sample values to said corresponding recording head for recording on said transmitter main memory means.

Claim 17

A sound information reproducing apparatus for use in a still picture broadcasting system which repeatedly broadcasts video information signals for n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals providing a description of the respective still pictures, wherein the time base of the sound information is compressed, and in which a frame of still picture information is composed of l fields each field composed of a predetermined number of lines, and the sound information related to each such picture frame is composed of m sections, each said sound information section being of a duration substantially equal to an integer multiple of the period of one line of a picture field, the integer being greater than 1, and said broadcasted sound information comprising frequency modulated digital values corresponding to digital sample values of the sound information, said reproducing apparatus comprising: gate means for selecting a desired frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information out of the said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information broadcasted, main memory means comprising a rotatable recording surface having a period of rotation corresponding to a frame of still picture information and including first and second recording heads respectively operable to record a selected frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information of m sections in corresponding recording paths of said rotatable recording surface, means for scanning said main memory including first and second scanning heads for reading out the respectively associated still picture information and sound information from corresponding recording paths, respectively, during each of repeated rotations of the said rotatable recording surface, auxiliary memory means for receiving at a first rate and storing the digital values of one section of the selected sound information as read out from the main memory by said scanning means during that time portion of one period of rotation of said main memory in which said one section of the sound information is scanned, for each sound section in succession during corresponding, successive rotations of said main memory recording surface, and means for reading out the digital values of a section of sound information stored in the auxiliary memory means at a second, slower rate and during the remaining time portion of one period of rotation of the rotatable recording surface of said main memory subsequent to the said time portion in which the said section of sound information was recorded in the said auxiliary memory means, for each said sound section, in succession, thereby expanding the time base of the sound information, and digital to analog converter means for converting the digital values of each section read out from said main memory during each rotation of the rotatable recording surface thereof for conversion of the digital values to an analog signal and reproduction of the original sound information.

Claim 18

A sound information reproducing apparatus for use in a still picture broadcasting system which repeatedly broadcasts video information signals for n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information signals providing a description of the respective still pictures, wherein the time base of the sound information is compressed, and in which a frame of still picture information is composed of l fields each field composed of a predetermined number of lines, and the sound information related to each such picture frame is composed of m sections, each said sound information section being of a duration substantially equal to an integer multiple of the period of one line of a picture field, the integer being greater than 1, and said broadcasted sound information comprising frequency modulated digital values corresponding to digital sample values of the sound information, said reproducing apparatus comprising: gate means for selecting a desired frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information out of the said n frames of still pictures and corresponding sound information broadcasted, main memory means comprising a rotatable recording surface having a period of rotation corresponding to a frame of still picture information and including first and second recording heads respectively operable to record a selected frame of still picture information and the corresponding sound information of m sections in corresponding recording paths of said rotatable recording surface, means for scanning said main memory including first and second scanning heads for reading out the respectively associated still picture information and sound information from corresponding recording paths, respectively, during each of repeated rotations of the said rotatable recording surface, auxiliary memory means for receiving at a first rate and storing the digital values of one section of the selected sound information as read out from the main memory by said scanning means during that time portion of one period of rotation of said main memory in which said one section of the sound information is scanned, for each sound section in succession during corresponding, successive rotations of said main memory recording surface, and means for reading out the digital values of a section of sound information stored in the auxiliary memory means at a second, slower rate and during the remaining time portion of one period of rotation of the rotatable recording surface of said main memory subsequent to the said time portion in which the said section of sound information was recorded in the said auxiliary memory means, for each said sound section, in succession, thereby expanding the time base of the sound information, and digital to analog converter means for converting the digital values of each section read out from said main memory during each rotation of the rotatable recording surface thereof for conversion of the digital values to an analog signal and reproduction of the original sound information.

Claim 19

A sound information transmitting and reproducing apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said transmitting apparatus comprises: a source of said video information signals and corresponding sound information signals, source gate means, transmitter main memory means comprising a rotatable recording surface having a period of rotation synchronized with the duration of a frame of video still picture information signals and having first and second recording heads respectively operable to record in respectively associated, separate recording tracks of said recording surface, the video information signals for a given frame of a still picture and the corresponding m sections of sound information, respectively, and scanning means comprising first and second scanning heads for reading out the still picture information and the sound information recorded in the respectively associated recording tracks, means for selecting sound information signals for a given frame of still pictures and converting said sound information signals to digital values, a transmitter auxiliary memory, said converter means including sampling means operable at a rate of approximately twice the highest video frequency of the sound information signals to provide converted digital values to said transmitter auxiliary memory for storage therein, means for reading out the digital values stored in said transmitter auxiliary memory at a rate substantially greater than the sampling rate of storage therein, and FM modulator means for receiving the digital sound values read out from said memory for supply of FM modulated digital sample values to said corresponding recording head for recording on said transmitter main memory means.