Digital video analyzer

Claim 3

The waveform analyzing and display apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the level analyzer means comprise a plurality of voltage comparators for comparing the waveform against the signal reference magnitudes, each comparator comparing a different signal reference magnitude, each comparator supplying an output magnitude for each waveform subinterval which indicates the presence or absence of the particular reference magnitude; and means for simultaneously converting the comparator output into a serial data stream to form the corresponding binary word.

Claim 4

The waveform analyzing and display apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the frame memory means comprise a plurality of random access memories for simultaneous reception of the binary word and output of the horizontal data word, wherein over the waveform interval, a first random access memory receives the binary word from the level analyzer means and a second random access memory supplies the horizontal data word to the raster-scanning display, and over the next waveform interval the second random access memory receives the binary word and the first random access memory supplies the horizontal data word.

Claim 5

The waveform analyzing and display apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the input waveform is a video signal and further wherein the video signal is analyzed over the interval which includes at least one full field.

Claim 6

The waveform analyzing and display apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the signal reference magnitudes further include a dithering signal having a period substantially smaller than the period of the waveform being analyzed and having an amplitude which is approximately equal to the difference in magnitudes between consecutive reference levels.

Claim 7

The waveform analyzing and display apparatus, as recited in claim 1, wherein the timing means shifts the binary word into the frame memory means at a first high clock rate and shifts the horizontal data out of the frame memory means at a second clock rate substantially slower than the first clock rate.

Claim 8

The waveform analyzing and display apparatus, as recited in claim 2, wherein the level analyzer means indicates the presence of a signal reference magnitude in the waveform during each subinterval when the particular magnitude is present for a predetermined minimum time interval.

Claim 14

An apparatus for analyzing and visually displaying information contained within the interval of a waveform, as recited in claim 9, wherein the input signal is a color video signal and further wherein the processing means comprise a quadrature detector for extracting chrominance signals from the video signal; and differential amplitude and phase detectors for detecting amplitude and phase changes in the video signal over the analyzed interval.

Claim 15

An apparatus for analyzing and visually displaying information contained within an interval of a waveform, as recited in claim 11, in which the chrominance signals are derived from the video signal in the processing means, the chrominance difference signals being converted into a sequence of binary words, the binary words being stored in the line memory means, the stored binary words then being read out at a rate equal to the line rate of the raster-scanning display and converted from binary form into an equivalent analog level, the apparatus further including vector processing means for converting the equivalent analog levels of the chrominance difference signals into a polar format suitable for display on the raster-scanning display.

Claim 16

An apparatus for analyzing and visually displaying information contained within an interval of a waveform, as recited in claim 9, wherein the scanning means further include a dithering signal for varying the selected reference signal over a predetermined magnitude so that converted analog signals between the reference signal magnitudes are detected.

Claim 17

An apparatus for analyzing and visually displaying information contained within an interval of a waveform, as recited in claim 9, wherein the conditioned input signal and the demodulated information from the input signal are simultaneously displayable on the raster-scanning type display.

Claim 18

An apparatus for analyzing and visually displaying information, as recited in claim 14, wherein the conditioned input signal is displayed in a color different from the color in which the demodulated information is displayed.

Claim 19

The apparatus for analyzing and visually displaying information contained within an interval of a waveform, as recited in claim 12, wherein the chrominance difference signals include a (B-Y) signal and a (R-Y) signal, the vector processing means comprising level detection means for detecting the presence of a plurality of reference levels in the signals (B-Y) and (R-Y) difference signals and, the reference levels being incremented by an interactive count, for generating an output pulse whenever any of the reference levels is detected in one of the difference signals; means responsive to the level detector output pulse for sampling the other difference signal and for converting the sampled level into a binary word; vector memory means for storing data at an address specified by the iterative count and the binary word; and switching means for supplying the iterative count as the column address and the binary word of the (R-Y) difference signal as the row address when a reference level is detected in the (B-Y) difference signal and for supplying the iterative count as the row address and the binary word of the (B-Y) difference signal as the column address when the reference level is detected in the (R-Y) difference signal.

Claim 20

A composite video-signal analyzing apparatus, of the type which accept composite video signals, for providing visual display of the video signal and analyzed characteristics of the video signal, the visual display being of the raster-scanning display type, the analyzing apparatus comprising composite video display means including sampling means for periodically sampling the composite video signal over a specified time interval; analog to digital conversion means for converting each sample into a binary word; line memory means for storing the binary words and for supplying all of the data words corresponding to the sampled time interval within a time period corresponding to the line rate of the raster-scanning display; and scanning means for converting the data words into a horizontal display format suitable for display on the raster-scanning display; differential gain and phase display means wherein a chrominance signal is derived from the composite video signal, the differential display means comprising differential detector means for determining the change in gain and phase of the chrominance signal over the specified time interval; analog to digital conversion means for converting a plurality of subintervals of the detected differential gain and differential phase into corresponding differential phase/gain binary words; phase/gain memory means for storing the differential phase/gain binary words, and for sequentially outputting each differential phase/gain binary word within a time interval corresponding to the line rate of the raster-scanning display; and conversion means for converting the differential phase/gain binary words into a horizontal display format suitable for display on the raster-scanning display; chrominance analyzing means for deriving a polar display of the chrominance signal, the analyzing means comprising quadrature detector means for deriving color difference signals from the chrominance signal; analog to digital conversion means for converting a plurality of subintervals of the color difference signals into binary words; chrominance memory means for storing the color difference binary words, and for sequentially outputting each color difference binary word within a time interval corresponding to the line rate of the raster-scanning display; and vector processing means for converting the color difference binary words into a polar display format for display on the raster-scanning display; and frame analyzer means for generating a visual display of significant signal levels within the composite video signal interval, the frame analyzer comprising level detecting means for simultaneously detecting the presence of a plurality of predetermined signal reference magnitudes within a subinterval of the composite video signal interval and for generating a binary word for each subinterval which is indicative of the reference magnitudes detected; and frame memory means for storing the binary words and for outputting a plurality of horizontal data words, each horizontal data word corresponding to a selected signal reference level and indicating for each sampled subinterval whether the reference level was present.

Claim 21

A composite video-signal analyzing apparatus, of the type which accept composite video signals, for providing visual display of the video signal and analyzed characteristics of the video signal, the visual display being of the raster-scanning display type, the analyzing apparatus comprising composite video display means including sampling means for periodically sampling the composite video signal over a specified time interval; analog to digital conversion means for converting each sample into a binary word; line memory means for storing the binary words and for supplying all of the data words corresponding to the sampled time interval within a time period corresponding to the line rate of the raster-scanning display; and scanning means for converting the data words into a horizontal display format suitable for display on the raster-scanning display; differential gain and phase display means wherein a chrominance signal is derived from the composite video signal, the differential display means comprising differential detector means for determining the change in gain and phase of the chrominance signal over the specified time interval; analog to digital conversion means for converting a plurality of subintervals of the detected differential gain and differential phase into corresponding differential phase/gain binary words; phase/gain memory means for storing the differential phase/gain binary words, and for sequentially outputting each differential phase/gain binary word within a time interval corresponding to the line rate of the raster-scanning display; and conversion means for converting the differential phase/gain binary words into a horizontal display format suitable for display on the raster-scanning display; chrominance analyzing means for deriving a polar display of the chrominance signal, the analyzing means comprising quadrature detector means for deriving color difference signals from the chrominance signal; analog to digital conversion means for converting a plurality of subintervals of the color difference signals into binary words; chrominance memory means for storing the color difference binary words, and for sequentially outputting each color difference binary word within a time interval corresponding to the line rate of the raster-scanning display; and vector processing means for converting the color difference binary words into a polar display format for display on the raster-scanning display; and frame analyzer means for generating a visual display of significant signal levels within the composite video signal interval, the frame analyzer comprising level detecting means for simultaneously detecting the presence of a plurality of predetermined signal reference magnitudes within a subinterval of the composite video signal interval and for generating a binary word for each subinterval which is indicative of the reference magnitudes detected; and frame memory means for storing the binary words and for outputting a plurality of horizontal data words, each horizontal data word corresponding to a selected signal reference level and indicating for each sampled subinterval whether the reference level was present.

Claim 22

The composite-viedo-signal analyzing apparatus, as recited in claim 17, further including means for selectively combining the frame analyzer means horizontal data word with the composite video horizontal data word and the differential gain and phase horizontal data word for simultaneous display of each.

Claim 23

The composite-video-signal analyzing apparatus, as recited in claim 17, further including a graticule generator for generating a graticule which is superimposed upon the analyzed signal being displayed.

Claim 24

The composite-video-signal analyzing apparatus, as recited in claim 18, wherein the graticule generator generates a graticule proportional to the gain of the signal being displayed.