Frequency folding information inserting circuit

Abstract: In a video recording apparatus, a frequency folding information inserting circuit comprises an E/O field detector 30 for detecting whether the present video signal is of an even number or odd number field, a frequency folding information generator 40 for generating frequency folding information DF representing the state of frequency folding according to the detected result of the E/O field detector 30, an adder 60 for adding a folded video signal FL to the frequency folding information DF, and a position setter 50 connected between the adder 60 and the frequency folding information generator 40 for supplying the generated frequency folding information to the adder 60 at any arbitrary time. In a video reproducing apparatus, a frequency folding information separating circuit comprises a position detector 120 for detecting the position where frequency folding information is inserted in the reproduced video signal, and a frequency folding information separator 130 for separating the frequency folding information included in the reproduced video signal according to the detected result of the position detector 120.

Description: This invention relates to the inserting and separating of frequency folding information in and from a video signal. Generally, a video recording/reproducing apparatus records or reproduces video signals on or from a recording medium. However, the video signal recorded or reproduced on or from a video recording/reproducing apparatus has a bandwidth limited according to the quality of the recording medium. A video recording/reproducing apparatus should bring about inclusion of a large amount of information in a limited bandwidth in order to improve horizontal resolution. A technique for improving horizontal resolution by including a large amount of information in a limited bandwidth is described in our co-pending European Patent Application EP 91 307 342.5 (EP-A-0 471 517) filed 09 August 1991, and claiming priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 07/569,029 (US 5,113,262) on the invention titled "Video Signal Recording System" and filed on August 17, 1990. According to the above European Patent Application EP 91 307 342.5, after video signal components distributed in the frequency band higher than the frequency band limited by the recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a base band) in video signals are detected and attenuated, the attenuated high frequency video signal component is mixed with a folding carrier wave for placement in the base band, and the above mixed high frequency video signal component is mixed for inclusion in the video signal component within the base band. Here, the frequency of the folding carrier wave is chosen so as to maximize the distances between the luminance signal in the base band and the folding carrier wave in the time, vertical and horizontal directions. The folding carrier wave thus selected is suitably placed at half the maximum vertical frequency, half the maximum time frequency (i.e. Fukinuki hole) in the time and vertical dimensions, and at approximately 5 MHz in the horizontal direction. As a result, the frequency of the folding carrier wave is established differently by a specific amount between fields. Therefore, information on the frequency of the folding carrier wave according to separate fields must be recorded with the video signals so that, during reproduction, the high frequency video signal component folded into the low frequency video signal component in the base band can be unfolded and reproduced into the original frequency band. United States Patent No. 4,745,460 discloses a television signal transmission system comprising a frequency folding information inserting circuit in a video recording apparatus for folding a high frequency video signal into a low frequency video signal and recording the folded video signal having a full bandwidth on a recording medium have a limited bandwidth, said video recording apparatus comprising a frequency folder which folds said high frequency video signal into said low frequency video signals, and said circuit comprising an adder. This prior art also comprises frequency folding information separating circuit in a video reproducing apparatus including a luminance reproducer for reproducing a folded luminance signal from a video signal recorded by folding a high frequency video signal into a low frequency video signal so as to record the folded video signal of a full bandwidth on a recording medium of a limited bandwidth, and a frequency unfolder for generating a luminance signal of a full bandwidth by unfolding the folded high frequency luminance signal into the original frequency band. An object of the present invention is to provide a frequency folding information inserting circuit in a video recording apparatus for folding a high frequency video signal into a low frequency video signal for improving horizontal resolution. Another object of the present invention is to provide a frequency folding information separating circuit in a video producing apparatus able to separate information on the folding frequency. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frequency folding information generating method which generates frequency folding information to represent a frequency folding state of a folded video signal in a video recording apparatus. The present invention provides a frequency folding information inserting circuit as defined in claim 1, a frequency folding information separating circuit as defined in claim 5, and a frequency folding information generating method as defined in claim 6. For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of one example of an embodiment of a frequency folding information inserting circuit according to the invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram of one example of an embodiment of a frequency folding information separating circuit according to the invention; Figure 3 illustrates video signal waveforms including frequency folding information; Figure 4 is a block diagram of an example of a video recording system to which a frequency folding information inserting circuit embodying the invention is applied; and Figure 5 is a block diagram of an example of a video reproducing system to which a frequency folding information separating circuit embodying the invention is applied. In the circuit for inserting frequency folding information, as shown in Figure 1, input terminal 5 is connected to a frequency folder (not shown) to receive folded luminance signals including synchronous signals. Also, input terminal 5 is connected to a first input terminal of an adder 60 and an input terminal of a synchronous signal separator 10. An output terminal of a standard clock generator 20 is connected to a third input terminal of an even/odd number field detector 30 (hereinafter, referred to as E/O field detector) and a third input terminal of a position setter 50. First and second output terminals of the synchronous signal separator 10 are connected to first and second input terminals of the E/O field detector 30 and first and second input terminals of the position setter 50. An output terminal of the E/O field detector 30 is connected to an input terminal of a frequency folding information generator 40. An output terminal of the frequency folding information generator 40 is connected to a fourth input terminal of the position setter 50. An output terminal of the position setter 50 is connected to a second input terminal of the adder 60. An output terminal of the adder 60 is connected to an input terminal of a luminance recorder 70. An output terminal of the luminance recorder 70 is connected to a magnetic recording head 80. In operation of the circuit, the synchronous signal separator 10 separates the horizontal and vertical synchronous signals HS and VS from the folded luminance signal FL including the synchronous signals and supplies the separated synchronous signals to the E/O field detector 30 and the position setter 50. The standard clock generator 20 generates a standard clock pulse train RC with a frequency much higher than that of the horizontal synchronous signals HS. For example, the frequency of the standard clock pulse train takes a value of 320fH or 640fH. Here, fH is the frequency of the horizontal synchronous signal. E/O field detector 30 performs a count up of the scanning period of the horizontal synchronous signals HS by the standard clock pulse train RS, and when the blanking period of the vertical synchronous signal VS starts during the count, detects whether the counted value is larger than the value corresponding to the half-period of the horizontal synchronous signal HS. The E/O field detector 30 generates an E/O field detector signal FCS of a predetermined logic state, representing that the folded luminance signal input to the input terminal 5 is an even number field if the counted value is greater than the half-period value of the horizontal synchronous signal HS, and conversely, generates an E/O field detector signal FCS of a logic state opposite to that in the case of an even number field, representing that the folded luminance signal input to the input terminal 5 is an odd number field if the counted value is less than the half-period value of the horizontal synchronous signal HS. The frequency folding information generator 40 generates frequency folding information DF increasing by one for every inversion of the logic state of the E/O field detector signal FCS. The above frequency folding information takes a value of "0" after reaching a specified value (actually "3"). That is, the frequency folding information generator 40 applied to the frequency folding information inserting circuit of the illustrated embodiment of the invention generates frequency folding information DF increasing by one for every field of the video signals as described above. Accordingly, frequency folding information DF which are repeated by a period of four fields may be inserted into predetermined scanning lines of the video signals. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the frequency folding information generator 40 may be constructed to generate the frequency folding information DF only for any one field among the four fields of the video signals. On the other hand, in a still further embodiment, the frequency folding information generator 40 may be constructed to generate the frequency folding information DF only for any two fields or three fields among the four fields of the video signals. The position setter 50 counts the number of horizontal synchronous signals HS to select the position of the scanning line for inserting the frequency folding information from the vertical synchronous signal VS, and upon reaching the desired scanning line, counts the standard clock pulse train to set the position for inserting frequency folding information. The frequency folding information is inserted between one vertical synchronous signal and the next subsequent vertical synchronous signal, as shown in 201 through 204 of Figure 3, and more desirably is inserted between any one horizontal synchronous signal and the next subsequent horizontal synchronous signal in an interval between one vertical synchronous signal and the next vertical synchronous signal. Whenever a position is set, the position setter 50 supplies frequency folding information DF generated from the frequency folding information generator 40 to the second input terminal of the adder 60. Here, the frequency folding information DF supplied to the second input terminal of the adder 60 may be, as shown in 201 through 204 of Figure 3, a pulse in which the inserting position of the pulse may be slightly altered for each field. Here, the pulse may be any pulse having a form such as an impulse or a rectangular wave pulse. Otherwise, the frequency folding information DF may be a code word with the inserting position fixed. The adder 60 adds the frequency folding information DF input from the above position setter 50 to the folded luminance signal FL input from the input terminal 5 and supplies the result to the luminance recorder 70. The luminance recorder 70 modulates the frequency of the folded luminance signal including frequency folding information and supplies the result to the magnetic recording head 80. The magnetic head 80 records the output of the luminance recorder 70 on magnetic tape. In the circuit for separating frequency folding information, as shown in Figure 2, a magnetic reproducing head 100 is connected to an input terminal of a luminance reproducer 110. An output terminal of the luminance reproducer 110 is connected to a first output terminal 105, an input terminal of a position detector 120, and a first input terminal of a frequency folding information separator 130. An output terminal of the position detector 120 is connected to a second input terminal of the frequency folding information separator 130. An output terminal of the frequency folding information separator 130 is connected to a second output terminal 115. The second output terminal 115 is connected to a control terminal of a frequency unfolding circuit (not shown). The first output terminal 105 is connected to an input terminal of an A-D converter (not shown). In operation of the circuit of Figure 2, the magnetic head 100 reads out the information recorded on magnetic tape and supplies the result to the luminance reproducer 110. The luminance reproducer 110 carries out frequency demodulation of the information read out by the magnetic head 100 and generates a luminance signal. Here, the demodulated luminance signal is a signal in which high frequency luminance signal components are folded into low frequency luminance signal components, and also includes frequency folding information. The position detector 120 separates vertical and horizontal synchronous signals from the luminance signals FL + DF reproduced from the luminance reproducer 110, detects the number of the above separated horizontal synchronous signals during the scanning of the above separated vertical synchronous signal, and generates a position detection signal of a pulse form with a specific logic state for a predetermined time to reach the horizontal scanning line in which the frequency information is inserted. The frequency folding information separator 130 samples the frequency folding information DF included in the luminance signal FL+DF according to the position detection signal of a pulse with a specific logic state, and after decoding, supplies the result to the output terminal 115. In the video recording system of Figure 4, an embodiment of a frequency folding information inserting circuit according to this invention is applied. Referring to Figure 4, the frequency folding information inserting circuit 340 is connected between a D-A converter 311 and a luminance signal recorder 350. However, the frequency folding information inserting circuit 340 may alternatively be installed between a frequency folder 330 and the D-A converter 311, without changing the effect of the circuit 340. An example of the operation of the video recording system shown in Figure 4 is described as follows. A-D converter 310 samples a composite video signal according to a sampling clock of about 10MHz and encodes the sampled signal to generate a digital composite video signal. A motion signal separator 322 separates the motion signal representing the amount of movement of pixels on the screen from the digital composite video signal. A luminance signal separator 320 separates the spatially derived luminance signal and the temporally derived luminance signal from the digital composite video signal, suitably mixes the two separated luminance signals stated above according to the motion signal, and then supplies the mixed luminance signal to the frequency folder 330. A chrominance signal separator 321 separates the chrominance signal from the digital composite video signal. The frequency folder 330 attenuates high frequency components of luminance signals (luminance signals above 2.5 MHz) input from the luminance signal separator 320, and performs sub-Nyquist sampling of the attenuated high frequency components by means of the folding carrier wave. The frequency folder 330 also mixes the sampled high frequency luminance signals with low frequency luminance signals, generates a folded luminance signal, performs a low pass filtering of the folded luminance signal so as to provide a high frequency cut-off characteristic of 2.5 MHz thereto, and thus generates a desired folded luminance signal. The D-A converter 311 converts the digital folded luminance signal input from the frequency folder 330 into an analog form. The frequency folding information inserting circuit 340 inserts frequency folding information according to fields during the nth horizontal scanning period of the analog folded luminance signal input from the D-A converter 311. A luminance signal recorder 350 frequency-modulates the analog folded luminance signal input from the frequency folding information inserting circuit 340 to enable recording on a recording medium. A chrominance/motion signal mixer 360 mixes the motion signal and the chrominance signal and supplies the result to a D-A converter 312. The D-A converter 312 converts the chrominance signal mixed with the motion signal in digital form input from the chrominance/motion signal mixer 360 into analog form. A chrominance signal recorder 370 amplitude-modulates the chrominance signal input from the D-A converter 312 according to a carrier wave of approximate 629 MHz. A chrominance/luminance signal mixer 380 mixes the frequency-modulated luminance signal and the amplitude-modulated chrominance signal and supplies the result to the magnetic recording head 390. The magnetic recording head 390 records the output of the chrominance/luminance signal mixer 380 on a magnetic tape. In the video reproducing system of Figure 5, an embodiment of a frequency folding information separating circuit 490 is connected between an output terminal of a luminance signal reproducer 420 and a control terminal of a frequency unfolder 450. However, the frequency folding information separating circuit 490 may alternatively be installed between an A-D converter 430 and a low pass filter 440, without changing the effect of the circuit 490. An example of the operation of the video reproducing system shown in Figure 5 is described as follows. The magnetic reproducing head 400 reads out the information recorded on a video tape and supplies the result to a chrominance/luminance signal separator 410. The chrominance/luminance signal separator 410 separates the frequency-modulated luminance signal and the amplitude-modulated chrominance signal from the information supplied from the magnetic reproducing head 400. The luminance signal reproducer 420 frequency-demodulates the frequency-modulated luminance signal separated from the chrominance/luminance signal separator 410 and generates a luminance signal. A-D converter 430 converts the demodulated luminance signal into a multiple-bit digital video signal. The low pass filter 440 filters the digital luminance signal and detects luminance signals distributed within the limited bandwidth (within 2.5 MHz). The frequency folding information separating circuit 490 separates frequency folding information from the luminance signal input from the luminance signal reproducer 420 and supplies the result to the frequency unfolder 450. The frequency unfolder 450 unfolds the high frequency luminance component folded in the filtered luminance signal having a limited bandwidth supplied from the low pass filter 440 into the original frequency band according to the frequency folding information supplied from the above frequency folding information separating circuit 490, suitably mixes the low frequency luminance signal and the high frequency luminance signal according to the magnitude of the motion signal applied from a chrominance/motion signal separator 411, and generates a luminance signal having a full bandwidth. A D-A converter 460 converts the unfolded digital luminance signal supplied from the frequency unfolder 450 into an analog form. The chrominance signal reproducer 470 amplitude-demodulates the amplitude-modulated chrominance signal and generates a chrominance signal. The chrominance signal includes motion signals when reproducing a video tape on which video signals are recorded by a video cassette recorder to which the circuits embodying this invention are applied. A-D converter 431 converts the demodulated chrominance signal into a digital chrominance signal. The chrominance/motion signal separator 411 separates the digital chrominance signal into the motion signal and the chrominance signal, and supplies the motion signal to frequency unfolder 450, and supplies the chrominance signal to D-A converter 461. D-A converter 461 converts the digital chrominance signal input from the chrominance/motion signal separator 411 into an analog form. A composite video signal generator 480 mixes the luminance signal output from the D-A converter 460 and the chrominance signal output from the other D-A converter 461 to form a standard composite video signal. The composite video signal generator 480 supplies the standard composite video signal to display apparatus. The above-described embodiments of the invention enable recording of information on the frequency of the folding carrier wave which changes according to fields by inserting the information in the luminance signal, separating of frequency folding information inserted in the luminance signal, and accurately unfolding the high frequency luminance signal components included in low frequency luminance signal components into the original band during reproduction by recording frequency folding information with the luminance signal.

Claims: A frequency folding information inserting circuit (340) in a video recording apparatus for folding a high frequency video signal into a low frequency video signal, said circuit comprising: a frequency folder (330) which mixes said high frequency video signal with a folding carrier wave and thus folds said high frequency video signal into said low frequency video signal, the frequency of said folding carrier wave being established differently by a specific amount between fields, an even/odd number field detector (30) for detecting whether a folded video signal (FL) is of an even number field or an odd number field, and generating an even/odd number field detector signal (FCS) of different logic states according to the detected result, a frequency folding information generator (40) comprising means for responding to said even/odd number field detector signal (FCS) to generate frequency folding information (DF) representing the frequency folding state of said folded video signal (FL) differentiating between fields of said folded video signal, an adder (60) adding said frequency folding information (DF) to the folded video signal (FL), and a position setter (50) connected between said frequency folding information generator (40) and said adder (60), for supplying said frequency folding information (DF) to said adder (60) when reaching a position where the frequency folding information (DF) is to be inserted into the folded video signal (FL), wherein said inserting position is slightly altered from one field to another. A frequency folding information inserting circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said position of inserting said frequency folding information (DF) is set between one vertical synchronous signal (VS) and the next subsequent vertical synchronous signal (VS). A frequency folding information inserting circuit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said position of inserting said frequency folding information (DF) is set between an arbitrary horizontal synchronous signal (HS) and the next subsequent horizontal synchronous signal (HS) in an interval between one vertical synchronous signal (VS) and the next subsequent vertical synchronous signal (VS). A frequency folding information inserting circuit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said frequency folding information (DF) is positioned during an arbitrary horizontal scanning period (HS). A frequency folding information separating circuit (490) in a video reproducing apparatus comprising: a luminance reproducer (420) for reproducing a folded luminance signal from a video signal produced by mixing a high frequency video signal with a folding carrier wave and thus folding the high frequency video signal into a low frequency video signal, the frequency of said folding carrier wave being established differently by a specific amount between fields, a frequency unfolder (450) for generating a luminance signal of a full bandwidth by unfolding the folded high frequency luminance signal into the original frequency band, said folded video signal additionally comprising frequency folding information (DF) representing the frequency folding state of the folded video signal differentiating between fields of said folded video signal, said frequency folding information being inserted at a position slightly altered from one field to another, a position detector (120) for detecting an insertion position of said frequency folding information from synchronous signals included in said reproduced luminance signal at said slightly altered insertion position for each field, said position detector (120) comprising a synchronous signal separator for detecting and separating the synchronous signals from the reproduced luminance signal, and a frequency folding information separator (130) for separating said frequency folding information inserted in said reproduced folded luminance signal by responding to the detected result of said position detector (120) and supplying the separated frequency folding information to said frequency unfolder (450) which uses the frequency folding information in its unfolding of said luminance signal. A frequency folding information generating method for generating frequency folding information representing a frequency folding state of a folded video signal, said method mixing a high frequency video signal with a folding carrier wave for folding said high frequency video signal into a low frequency video signal wherein the frequency of the folding carrier wave being established differently by a specific amount between fields and said frequency folding information being inserted in said folded video signal at an inserting position slightly altered from one field to another, said method comprising the steps of: separating a horizontal synchronous signal and a vertical synchronous signal from the folded video signal including synchronous signals, generating a standard clock pulse train having a frequency which is a predetermined number of times higher than that of the horizontal synchronous signal, counting up a scanning period between synchronous signals according to said standard clock pulse train, comparing the counted value with a count value which corresponds to half a period between horizontal synchronous signals when a blanking period of the vertical synchronous signal starts during said counting-up step, generating an even/odd number field detection signal of a predetermined logic state according to the compared result at said comparing step, generating frequency folding information according to the logic state of said generated even/odd number field detection signal, and selecting a position of a scanning line according to a number of horizontal synchronous signals (HS) for inserting the frequency folding information between one vertical synchronous signal and another vertical synchronous signal. A frequency folding information method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a value of said frequency folding information is represented by a numerical value and is increased by one for every inversion of the logic state of the even/odd number field detection signal generating step of said frequency folding information. A frequency folding information generating method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said frequency folding information takes the value of "0" after reaching a specified value in said generating step of said frequency folding information. A frequency folding information generating method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said frequency folding information takes of "0" after reaching a value of "3." A frequency folding information generating method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said frequency folding information is an impulse. A frequency folding information generating method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said frequency folding information is generated to be inserted in only any one field of four fields of the video signal in said generating step of the frequency folding information. A frequency folding information generating method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said frequency folding information is generated to be inserted in only any two fields of four fields of the video signal. A frequency folding information generating method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said frequency folding information is generated to be inserted in only any three fields of four fields of the video signal.

Inventors: KIM YONG-JE, KIM, YONG-JE
Applicants: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO. LTD.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: H04N9
IPC codes: H04N9