Method and apparatus for the transmission and reception of a multicarrier high definition television signal

Claim 3

The method described in claim 1 wherein said frequency multiplexed television signal comprises a plurality of odd lines and even lines, and wherein said signal components comprise a plurality of luminance signals and a plurality of chrominance signals and wherein said method further comprises the steps of: (a) dividing a first luminance component into first and second luminance subcomponents; (b) dividing a second luminance component into third and fourth luminance subcomponents; (c) deriving from said first and second luminance subcomponents a fifth luminance subcomponent; (d) quadrature modulating said third and fifth luminance subcomponents on a first subcarrier having a frequency which places it within a frequency range which will be subject to substantial filtering by a receiver designed to receive said conventional television signal; and (e) quadrature modulating said chrominance signals on a second subcarrier.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein said second subcarrier has a frequency which places it outside of the frequency bandwidth of the video portion of said conventional television signal.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of: (a) deriving a sixth luminance subcomponent from said second luminance subcomponent; (b) deriving a seventh luminance subcomponent from said fourth luminance subcomponent; (c) combining said sixth luminance subcomponent with a third subcarrier and (d) combining said seventh luminance subcomponent with a fourth subcarrier.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of: (a) deriving from said television source signal, a plurality of line difference components; and (b) quadrature modulating said line difference components on a fifth subcarrier.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 wherein a first group of said subcarriers are frequency multiplexed on said odd lines and a second group of said subcarriers are frequency multiplexed on said even lines.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of frequency multiplexing a digital audio signal as part of said frequency multiplexed television signal

Claim 11

The apparatus described in claim 8 wherein said frequency multiplexed television signal comprises a plurality of odd lines and even lines, and wherein said signal components comprise a plurality of luminance signals and a plurality of chrominance signals, said apparatus further comprising: (a) first dividing means for dividing a first luminance component into first and second luminance subcomponents; (b) second dividing means coupled to said first dividing means, for dividing a second luminance component into third and fourth luminance subcomponents; (c) first deriving means coupled to said first dividing means, for deriving from said first and second luminance subcomponents a fifth luminance subcomponent; (d) first modulating means coupled to said first deriving means, for quadrature modulating said third and fifth luminance subcomponents on a first subcarrier having a frequency which places it within a frequency range which will be subject to substantial filtering by a receiver designed to receive said conventional television signal; and (e) second modulating means coupled to said first modulating means, for quadrature modulating said chrominance signals on a second subcarrier.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said second subcarrier has a frequency which places it outside of the frequency bandwidth of the video portion of said conventional television signal.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising: (a) second deriving means coupled to said first dividing means, for deriving a sixth luminance subcomponent from said second luminance subcomponent; (b) third deriving means coupled to said second dividing means, for deriving a seventh luminance subcomponent from said fourth luminance subcomponent; (c) first combining means coupled to said second deriving means, for combining said sixth luminance subcomponent with a third subcarrier and (d) second combining means coupled to said second dividing means, for combining said seventh luminance subcomponent with a fourth subcarrier.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: (a) fourth deriving means, for deriving from said television source signal, a plurality of line difference components; and (b) third modulating means coupled to said fourth deriving means, for quadrature modulating said line difference components on a fifth subcarrier.

Claim 15

An apparatus for providing a television display from the frequency multiplexed signal of claim 8, said apparatus comprising: (a) means for deriving from said frequency multiplexed signal, said signal components; and (b) means for combining said signal components to form said television display.

Claim 16

An apparatus for providing a television display from the frequency multiplexed television signal of claim 9 comprising: (a) first deriving means, for deriving from said frequency multiplexed signal, said first and second subcarriers; (b) second deriving means coupled to said first deriving means, for deriving from said first and second subcarriers said plurality of luminance components and said plurality of chrominance components; and (c) means coupled to said first and second deriving means, for combining said luminance and chrominance components to form said television display.

Claim 17

An apparatus for providing a television display from the frequency multiplexed television signal of claim 10 comprising: (a) first deriving means, for deriving from said frequency multiplexed signal, said first and second subcarriers; (b) second deriving means coupled to said first deriving means, for deriving from said first and second subcarriers said plurality of luminance components and said plurality of chrominance components; and (c) means coupled to said first and second deriving means, for combining said luminance and chrominance components to form said television display.

Claim 18

An apparatus for providing a television display from the frequency multiplexed television signal of claim 11 comprising: (a) first deriving means, for deriving from said frequency multiplexed signal, said first, second, third and fourth subcarriers; (b) second deriving means coupled to said first deriving means, for deriving from said first, second, third and fourth subcarriers said plurality of luminance components and said plurality of chrominance components; and (c) means coupled to said first and second deriving means, for combining said luminance and chrominance components to form said television display.

Claim 19

An apparatus for providing a television display from the frequency multiplexed television signal of claim 12 comprising: (a) first deriving means, for deriving from said frequency multiplexed signal, said first, second, third, fourth and fifth subcarriers; (b) second deriving means coupled to said first deriving means, for deriving from said first, second, third and fourth subcarriers said plurality of luminance components and said plurality of chrominance components; (c) third deriving means coupled to said first deriving means, for deriving from said fifth subcarrier, said plurality of line difference signals; and (d) means coupled to said first, second and third deriving means, for combining said luminance and chrominance components and said line difference signals to form said television display.