Television system for transmitting auxiliary information during the vertical blanking interval

Claim 2

The combination comprising: first means for generating a composite television signal waveform including field scanning rate and line scanning rate pulses within the vertical blanking interval thereof, and also including auxiliary signals positioned within predetermined portions of said blankIng interval; second means coupled to said first means and responsive to said field and line scanning rate pulses for separating from said interval those auxiliary signals whose position within said composite signal waveform it is desired to rearrange; third means also coupled to said first means and responsive to said field and line scanning rate pulses for deleting any signals included in said television signal waveform in positions where said separated signals are to be relocated; and fourth means coupled to said second and third means for reinserting said separated signals in those positions in said television signal waveform previously occupied by said deleted signals.

Claim 3

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said separated auxiliary signals are reinserted within said television signal waveform at a later time than the positions said separated signals previously occupied within said waveform.

Claim 4

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the auxiliary signals generated by said first means within said vertical blanking interval, the position of which it is desired to rearrange, comprise line scan video signals representative of auxiliary television message information.

Claim 5

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes gate generator means for providing first control pulses timed to substantially coincide with those positions within said vertical blanking interval which include the auxiliary signals to be separated from said television signal waveform, and wherein said second means additionally includes message line selector means coupled to receive said composite signal waveform and enabled by said first control pulses for selecting, and thereby separating, those auxiliary signals desired for rearrangement within said blanking interval.

Claim 6

The combination as defined in claim 4 wherein said third means includes gate generator means for providing second control pulses timed to substantially coincide with those positions within said vertical blanking interval in which said separated auxiliary signals are to be reinserted, and wherein said third means additionally includes message line delete means coupled to receive said composite television signal waveform and enabled by said second control pulses for deleting from those positions within said blanking interval those auxiliary signals previously occupying such positions and for further providing the remainder of said television signal waveform as an output therefrom.

Claim 7

The combination as defined in claim 5 wherein said fourth means includes delay means coupled to said message line selector means for delaying said selected auxiliary signals for rearrangement for a time period substantially corresponding to that between their separated and relocated positions within said vertical blanking interval, and wherein said fourth means additionally includes adder means coupled to said message line delete means and to said delay means for adding said delayed auxiliary signals to the remainder of said television signal waveform developed as an output by said delete means.

Claim 8

The combination as defined in claim 6 wherein said vertical blanking interval includes first and second equalizing pulse periods separated by a synchronizing pulse period of comparable duration, and wherein auxiliary signals initially positioned within said blanking interval in proximate relationship to the end of the one of said first and second equalizing pulse periods furthest from the beginning of said interval are deleted by said third means in response to signals from said gate generator in said second means.

Claim 9

The combination as defined in claim 7 wherein said deleted auxiliary signals are reinserted at a later position than previously occupied during said blanking interval by said fourth means.

Claim 10

In a television distribution system wherein auxiliary information is multiplexed into the vertical blanking interval of the television broadcast signal and wherein it is desired to relocAte auxiliary information from one horizontal line interval in said vertical blanking interval to a different horizontal line interval, circuit means comprising: a source of composite television signals, synchronizing separator means coupled to said source for separating horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from said composite television signal, pulse generating means responsive to horizontal and vertical sync pulses from said synchronizing separator means and preselected to produce a first pulse in time coincidence with the horizontal line interval in which said auxiliary information to be deleted is present, and a second pulse in time coincidence with the horizontal line interval in which said auxiliary information is to be relocated, line delete means coupled to said source of composite signals and to said pulse generator means and responsive to said first and second pulses to remove information in those horizontal line intervals in time coincidence with said first and second pulses, line delayer means having input and output terminals and preselected to delay a signal at its input terminal an integral number of horizontal lines and which couples the delayed signal to its output terminal, line selector means coupled to said pulse generating means, to said source of composite television signals, and to said line delayer means and responsive to said first pulse to apply information only in the horizontal line interval in time coincidence with said first pulse to said line delayer means, and signal adding means coupled to said line delete means and to said line delayer means for adding said delayed signal to the remaining composite television signal.

Claim 11

In a television distribution system wherein auxiliary information is multiplexed into the vertical blanking interval of the television broadcast signal and wherein it is desired to relocAte auxiliary information from one horizontal line interval in said vertical blanking interval to a different horizontal line interval, circuit means comprising: a source of composite television signals, synchronizing separator means coupled to said source for separating horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from said composite television signal, pulse generating means responsive to horizontal and vertical sync pulses from said synchronizing separator means and preselected to produce a first pulse in time coincidence with the horizontal line interval in which said auxiliary information to be deleted is present, and a second pulse in time coincidence with the horizontal line interval in which said auxiliary information is to be relocated, line delete means coupled to said source of composite signals and to said pulse generator means and responsive to said first and second pulses to remove information in those horizontal line intervals in time coincidence with said first and second pulses, line delayer means having input and output terminals and preselected to delay a signal at its input terminal an integral number of horizontal lines and which couples the delayed signal to its output terminal, line selector means coupled to said pulse generating means, to said source of composite television signals, and to said line delayer means and responsive to said first pulse to apply information only in the horizontal line interval in time coincidence with said first pulse to said line delayer means, and signal adding means coupled to said line delete means and to said line delayer means for adding said delayed signal to the remaining composite television signal.