Widescreen television signal processing system with center and side panel image resolution uniformity

Claim 2

In a system for processing a television-type signal representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an image aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image, apparatus comprising: means responsive to said representative signal for developing a first component containing side portion image information time compressed into an overscan region of said first component, and containing dominant nonside portion image information; and first means for intraframe processing said dominant nonside portion image information exclusive of said time compressed information.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, wherein: said first means intraframe averages said dominant image information exclusive of said time compressed information.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 1 wherein: said first means produces processed intraframe information containing mutually exclusive pairs of substantially identical intraframe image element information.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1, and further comprising: means responsive to said representative signal for developing a second component containing auxiliary image information; second means for intraframe processing said second component; and means for combining said processed first and second components in a complementary manner to produce a combined signal.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 4, wherein: said first means includes intraframe averaging means and produces processed intraframe information containing mutually exclusive pairs of substantially identical intraframe image element information; and said second means includes intraframe averaging means and produces processed intraframe information containing mutually exclusive pairs of substantially identical intraframe image element information.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 4, and further comprising: means responsive to said representative signal for developing a third component containing auxiliary image information; third means for intraframe processing said third component; means for modulating a phase controlled alternate subcarrier other than a chrominance subcarrier with said intraframe processed second and third components; and wherein said combining means combines said first component and said modulated subcarrier in a complementary manner to produce a combined signal.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 6, wherein: said second and third components contain nonstandard television information.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 6, wherein: said third component contains high frequency luminance detail information exclusive of low frequency luminance information.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 6, wherein: said alternate subcarrier exhibits a phase which reverses from one image field to the next.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 6, wherein: said first, second and third components and said alternate subcarrier are baseband signals.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 6, wherein: said combined signal modulates an RF carrier.

Claim 13

A television receiver for the combined signal of claim 6, comprising: means responsive to said combined signal for separating said first component and said modulated alternate subcarrier; means for demodulating said separated alternate subcarrier to provide said second and third components; and video signal processing means responsive to said first, second and third components.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 1, wherein: said time-compressed image information comprises low frequency information exclusive of high frequency information.

Claim 15

A television receiver for the combined signal of claim 4, comprising: means responsive to said combined signal for separating said first and second components; and video signal processing means responsive to said separated first and second components.

Claim 16

In a system for processing a color television signal of the type having an image frame containing two interlaced image fields of scanning lines with each line containing a plurality of image picture elements (pixels) and including a color subcarrier whose phase reverses from one line to the next, said color television signal being representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image; apparatus comprising means responsive to said television signal for developing a main signal containing side portion image information time compressed into an overscan region of said main signal, and containing dominant nonside portion image information; means responsive to said main signal for averaging visually correlated pixels of two image fields separated by an even multiple of a line scanning period of said main signal, exclusive of pixels associated with said time compressed information, so that said color subcarrier phase at averaged pixel locations is the same; means for substituting averaged main signal pixel information for original main signal pixel information from which said averaged pixel information was obtained; means providing an auxiliary information signal; means providing a carrier signal whose phase reverses from one field to the next; means for modulating said carrier signal with said auxiliary information signal; and means for combining said modulated carrier signal with said main signal averaged pixel information to produce a combined signal.

Claim 17

In a system for processing a color television signal of the type having an image frame containing two interlaced image fields of scanning lines with each line containing a plurality of image picture elements (pixels) and including a color subcarrier whose phase reverses from one line to the next, said color television signal being representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image; apparatus comprising means responsive to said television signal for developing a main signal containing side portion image information time compressed into an overscan region of said main signal, and containing dominant nonside portion image information; means responsive to said main signal for averaging visually correlated pixels of two image fields separated by an even multiple of a line scanning period of said main signal, exclusive of pixels associated with said time compressed information, so that said color subcarrier phase at averaged pixel locations is the same; means for substituting averaged main signal pixel information for original main signal pixel information from which said averaged pixel information was obtained; means providing an auxiliary information signal; means providing a carrier signal whose phase reverses from one field to the next; means for modulating said carrier signal with said auxiliary information signal; and means for combining said modulated carrier signal with said main signal averaged pixel information to produce a combined signal.

Claim 18

A television receiver for the combined signal of claim 15, comprising: means for separating said main signal averaged pixel information and said modulated carrier signal; means for demodulating said modulated carrier signal to recover said auxiliary modulating information; and video signal processing means responsive to said separated main signal and to said recovered auxiliary information.

Claim 19

In a system for processing a television signal of the type having an image frame containing two interlaced image fields of scanning lines with each line defining a plurality of image picture elements (pixels) and including a color subcarrier whose phase reverses from one line to the next, said television signal being representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image; apparatus comprising means responsive to said television signal for developing a main signal containing side portion image information time compressed into an overscan region of said main signal, and containing dominant nonside portion image information; means responsive to said main signal for averaging pixels of visually correlated image information separated by an even multiple of a line scanning period of said main signal, exclusive of pixels associated with said time compressed information, so that said color subcarrier phase at averaged pixel locations is the same; and means for substituting averaged main signal pixel information for original main signal pixel information.

Claim 20

In a system for processing a television signal of the type having an image frame containing two interlaced image fields of scanning lines with each line defining a plurality of image picture elements (pixels) and including a color subcarrier whose phase reverses from one line to the next, said television signal being representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image; apparatus comprising means responsive to said television signal for developing a main signal containing side portion image information time compressed into an overscan region of said main signal, and containing dominant nonside portion image information; means responsive to said main signal for averaging pixels of visually correlated image information separated by an even multiple of a line scanning period of said main signal, exclusive of pixels associated with said time compressed information, so that said color subcarrier phase at averaged pixel locations is the same; and means for substituting averaged main signal pixel information for original main signal pixel information.

Claim 21

The system of claim 17, wherein: said multiple is 262.

Claim 22

In a system for receiving a television-type signal representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an image aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image, said representative signal containing a first component containing side portion image information time compressed into an overscan region of said first component, and containing dominant nonside portion image information intraframe processed exclusive of said time compressed information, apparatus comprising: means for separating said time compressed side portion image information and said dominant nonside portion image information; first signal processing means for producing a first output signal in response to said separated side portion image information; second signal processing means for producing a second output signal in response to said separated nonside portion information; and means for combining said first and second output signals to produce an image representative signal.

Claim 23

In a system for receiving a television-type signal representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an image aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image, said representative signal containing a first component containing side portion image information time compressed into an overscan region of said first component, and containing dominant nonside portion image information intraframe processed exclusive of said time compressed information, apparatus comprising: means for separating said time compressed side portion image information and said dominant nonside portion image information; first signal processing means for producing a first output signal in response to said separated side portion image information; second signal processing means for producing a second output signal in response to said separated nonside portion information; and means for combining said first and second output signals to produce an image representative signal.

Claim 24

In a system for receiving a television-type signal representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an image aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image, said representative signal containing (a) a first component having side portion image information time compressed into an over-scan region of said first component, and having dominant nonside portion image information intraframe processed exclusive of said time compressed information, and (b) an intraframe processed second component containing auxiliary image information, said second component modulating an auxiliary subcarrier other than a chrominance subcarrier; apparatus comprising: means responsive to said television-type signal for separating said first component and said modulated auxiliary subcarrier; means for demodulating said separated auxiliary subcarrier to provide said second component; and video signal processing means responsive to said first and second components to produce an image representative signal.

Claim 25

In a system for receiving a television-type signal representative of a widescreen image having side portion image information and dominant nonside portion image information, and an image aspect ratio greater than that of a standard television image, said representative signal containing (a) a first component having side portion image information time compressed into an over-scan region of said first component, and having dominant nonside portion image information intraframe processed exclusive of said time compressed information, and (b) an intraframe processed second component containing auxiliary image information, said second component modulating an auxiliary subcarrier other than a chrominance subcarrier; apparatus comprising: means responsive to said television-type signal for separating said first component and said modulated auxiliary subcarrier; means for demodulating said separated auxiliary subcarrier to provide said second component; and video signal processing means responsive to said first and second components to produce an image representative signal.