Patent GB-1114321-A (GB)
Title: Angle-modulation information-transfer system having improved time stabilization means
IPC: H04N9/89
Filed: 1966-02-07
Abstract: 1,114,321. Colour television; automatic frequency control systems; variable delay system. COMPAGNIE FRANCAISE THOM. SON HOUSTON HOTCHKISS BRANDT. 7 Feb., 1966 [10 Feb., 1965], No. 5347/66. Headings H3A, H4F and H4R. The invention relates to reducing colour distortion in an NTSC type colour television system where the video signal is transferred from a transmitter to a receiver by way of a radio link, or recorded e.g. on a magnetic tape, and subsequently played back, due to the fact that in known systems the phase reference used for demodulating the chrominance signal is derived from the burst signal at the start of each line and thus any fluctuations in propagation conditions or tape speed, which intervene in the chrominance signal at any point of each line scan subsequent to the burst, result in phase deviations. In a recording operation, Fig. 1, the colour television signal is applied on input line 1 to a frequency modulating and amplifying circuit 2 and to a first control signal generating circuit 6 which forms from the burst signal a continuous wavetrain at the burst frequency and in phase with the burst, the wavetrain being initiated simultaneously with the burst and persisting throughout the subsequent video signal interval of the line scan and terminating at the start of the line synchronizing pulse of the next line scan, Fig. 13d (not shown). This control signal frequency modulates an auxiliary carrier f 2 , is amplified 16 and mixed in adder 19 with the signal from modulator 2, and the composite signal is recorded on tape 4. In playback, Fig. 2, the composite signal is separated in filter 24 into its two components at frequencies f 1  and f 2  and the f 1  frequency component which constitutes the colour television signal is applied via variable delay circuit 29 to demodulator 31 and the f 2  frequency component is fed to demodulator 27. The output signal on line 32 which contains all the original colour information is tapped by branch line 47 and applied to a second control signal generating circuit 36 which generates a second control signal in the form of a continuous waveform similar to the first control signal as recorded on the tape. This second control signal and the first control signal on line 28 are fed to phase discriminator or comparator 44, Fig. 5 (not shown), and although they are essentially similar they differ inasmuch as the first control signal is derived from the burst prior to recording and thus is effected by the same phase distortions throughout each line scan which effect the colour television signal, whereas the second control signal is derived from the burst after read-out and retains a constant phase relation with respect to the burst throughout the line scanning interval. The error signal produced by comparator 44 represents a measure of the phase distortions sustained by the colour television signal and is applied, after amplification 45 if necessary to variable delay device 29 so that the phase or timing of the television signal passed to demodulator 31 is subjected throughout the line scan interval under consideration to a continuous variation in phase such as to compensate for the erratic phase variations caused by transfer disturbances. Gate 200 may be interposed in the error signal path and arranged to be opened, by means of pulses from generating circuit 36 via monostable circuit 202, only during the actual line scan intervals. The first and second control signal generating circuits may include a gate circuit for gating out the burst signals and a quenchable ringing oscillator which is set out into oscillation at the frequency of the burst signal by the gated burst signal, Figs. 11 and 12 (not shown). Instead of a feedback control system as described above a " forward-feed " control system, Fig. 7 (not shown), may be employed, the difference being that the input for the second control signal generator 36 is derived from line 25 ahead of the variable delay device 29, the signal being demodulated before being applied to the generator 36. In a further modification, Fig. 8 (not shown), the television signal from filter 24 is passed through demodulator 31 ahead of variable delay circuit 29 and the output of demodulator 31 is tapped and applied to generator circuit 36. Modulator 14, Fig. 1, may be replaced by a frequency multiplier or divider, demodulator 27, Fig. 2, being replaced by a frequency divider or multiplier respectively. In the variable delay circuit, Fig. 3, the error signal from phase comparator 44 is applied on line 46 and the television signal is applied on line 25, the delayed output being on line 30. The error signal is applied to the base of transistor 54 via an adjustable potentiometer 51. The emitter of transistor 54 is connected to the emitter of transistor 55 the base of which is connected to an adjustable potentiometer 57. The collector voltages from the transistors are such that they vary reversely with respect to each other on variation of the error signal applied to input 46 and are applied on leads 68 and 69 to variable gain tubes 60 and 61. A third variable-gain tube 62 has its control grid connected to a voltage source through potentiometer 67 so as to provide an adjustable fixed gain through said tube. The circuit includes a two-output delay line 63 which receives at its input the television signal and delivers a first delayed output signal at its first output 65 and a second delayed output signal at its second output 64, the delay at output 64 being twice that at output 65. In operation the three variable-gain tubes 60, 61 and 62 constitute a vector adding network and the output signal appearing at junction 66 is the vector sum of the three signals passed thereby, the outputs from tubes 60 and 61 varying in dependence on the error signal, Fig. 4 (not shown). To increase the time delay two or more networks of the kind shown in Fig. 3 may be connected in series. The invention may be embodied in a transmission-reception system, Figs. 9 and 10 (not shown), rather than in a recording-reading system.