Processing high definition video signals

Processing of High Resolution Television Signals This invention relates to the processing of high resolution signals containing copy prevention information.

There are video tape recorders in development which use an ID signal (commonly called VBI signal) inserted in a vertical blanking interval of a video signal to record or re-record the current video signal to prevent. A VBI signal indicating whether the video signal is either copy-protected or not copy-protected is in the 20th line (ie, in the horizontal interval or in the horizontal interval). the horizontal gap or line gap) of the vertical blanking interval in the first partial image (the term "partial image" here and in the following generally includes: partial image or field or field etc.) of an image (the term "image" here and in the following generally includes: image frame, frame, etc.) and also inserted into the 283rd line of the vertical blanking interval in the second field of the picture.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, a VBI signal is shown as following a horizontal synchronizing signal and a color burst signal of a horizontal interval of a video signal. The VBI signal has a 2-bit reference signal followed by 20 bits (bits 1, ..., bit 20) of "digital" information. The reference signal has a value of 70 IRE units (on a voltage scale, an IRE unit is equal to 1% of the range of white level for blanking), and the values ​​of bits 1 through 20 are either 0 IRE or 70 IRE units. The 20-bit digital information is encoded as an ID signal by setting a clock signal FC of both the reference signal and the digital signal to FC = FSC + 9 = 447 kHz, where FSC is the color subcarrier frequency.

Video transmission systems are currently being developed which transmit video signals having a VBI signal containing copy prevention information (or copy restriction information). Fig. 2A illustrates the data structure of the 20 bits of digital information in the ID signal included in the transmitted video signal. The ID signal (or VBI signal, also known as VBI-A signal) has 14-bit information data and 6-bit correction code (CCRC) used for detecting errors in the information data. The word 0 (bit 1 and bit 2) of the information data identifies the transmission format of the video signal, and the word 1 (bit 3 to bit 6) is a "header" word containing the type of information contained in the word 2 designated. For example, the value 0000 of the word 1 indicates that copy 2 constraint information is included in the word 2. The word 2 consists of bits 7 to 14 and its bits 7 and 8 represent copy generation management system information (CGMS information) indicating whether the video signal is either full copy protected, partially copy protected (ie, only one copy can be made ) or not copy protected. The Fig. Fig. 2B is a table identifying the values ​​of bits 7 and 8 for the various copy protection types.

Video signal transmission systems that carry CGMS information in a VBI signal of the video signal as described above transmit standard NTSC video signals (525 lines) or PAL standard video signals (625 lines). However, such transmission systems can generally no high-resolution video signals (HD video signals, HD stands for high resolution or High resolution) which contain copy protection information and which are easily recorded and / or reproduced by digital video tape recorders.

European Patent Document EP-A-0 581 227 discloses a recording and / or reproducing apparatus. In a recording mode, a control signal generator operates to add copy information to a reproduced analog video signal in the picture blanking period of the video signal. In a recording mode, a detector circuit detects copy information from an input analog video signal output to a record control circuit. The recording control circuit decides on a copy permission and copy prevention of the video signal according to the presence or absence of the detected copy information, and if copying is allowed, the necessary copy information is generated and added to the recorded video signal.

Various respective aspects of the invention are set forth in the respective independent claims.

According to an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus and a method for receiving a high-resolution video signal having copy inhibit information, extracting the copy inhibit information from the high-resolution video signal, extracting a copy inhibit signal from the extracted copy inhibition information, comprising a data format of a copy blocking signal superimposed on a standard definition video signal, and the copy blocking signal is added to the high-resolution video signal (for example, in a vertical blanking interval of that signal).

According to an embodiment of the invention, the high resolution video signal is a digital signal, when an analog copy inhibit signal is generated from the extracted copy inhibit information, the digital signal is converted to a high resolution analog video signal, and the analog copy inhibit signal becomes the analog video signal high resolution superimposed.

According to another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus and method operate by extracting from a high definition video signal a copy blocking signal having the same data format as a copy blocking signal superimposed on a standard definition video signal, the high resolution video signal is supplied when the high resolution video signal is not copy protected, from the extracted copy-block signal, copy-prevention data having a data format different from the data format of the copy-block signal is generated, and the copy-inhibition data and the supplied high-resolution video signal are combined into an output signal.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the high resolution video signal is an analog signal, digital copy prevention data is generated from the extracted copy blocking signal, and the supplied high resolution video signal is converted to a digital signal and combined with the digital copy prevention data.

According to another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus and method operate such that high resolution digital video signals are reproduced from a recording medium from which digital copy prevention data are extracted, from which extracted digital copy inhibit data an analog copy block signal is generated, which is the same Data format such as a copy blocking signal superimposed on a standard definition video signal, the reproduced digital video signal of high resolution is converted into an analog signal, and the analog copy prevention signal is superimposed on the analog signal.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus and method operate such that a high resolution analog video signal superimposed on a copy blocking signal having the same data format as a copy blocking signal superimposed on a standard definition video signal, the copy Blocking signal is extracted from the received high-resolution analog video signal, when the received high-resolution analog video signal is not copy-protected, the supplied high-resolution video signal is converted into a digital signal from which the extracted copy-blocking signal digital copy prevention data is generated, the digital copy prevention data is supplied to the received high-resolution analog video signal be added to the digital signal, and the digital signal with the added digital copy prevention data is recorded on a recording medium.

Preferred embodiments of the invention described below provide:

An apparatus and method for processing high resolution video signals, the apparatus and method eliminating or at least reducing the above-described disadvantages of the above described apparatus,

an apparatus and method for processing high resolution video signals containing copy prevention information, and

an apparatus and method for recording and reproducing high resolution video signals containing copy prevention data.

The invention will now be further described, by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like elements and parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a waveform diagram of a horizontal line interval in which a VBI signal is inserted;

Figs. 2A and 2B illustrate the data structure of a VBI signal;

Figures 3A and 3B are exemplary waveform diagrams of analog HD signals that may be processed by embodiments of the invention;

Figure 4 illustrates the data structure of a VAUX data pack (The term "pack" herein and in the following: pack or data pack, etc., identifies the copy protection type of a video signal;

Fig. 5 illustrates the data structure of an AAUX data pack identifying the copy protection type of an audio signal;

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of an apparatus embodying the invention for recording and / or reproducing a high resolution video signal;

Fig. 7 is a detailed block diagram of an apparatus for reproducing a high-resolution video signal embodying the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a detailed block diagram of an apparatus for recording a high-resolution video signal embodying the present invention;

9A and 9B are block diagrams of a video signal recording apparatus embodying the present invention and receiving a broadcast program;

Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a digital video disk player embodying the present invention;

Fig. 11 is a block diagram of a MUSE converter embodying the present invention, and

Fig. 12 is a block diagram of a converter embodying the present invention for converting a standard definition video signal into a high resolution video signal.

Referring now to Figures 3A and 3B of the drawings, there are shown VBI signals inserted into high resolution analog (analog HD) signals of two different formats. FIG. 3A illustrates a VBI signal which is inserted into an HD signal having a 1250 lines / 50 field format in which the 44th horizontal area (44th line) of the first field of an image and also in the 669th Horizontal area of ​​the second field of the image is inserted. For the 1250 lines / 50 field HD format, 144 samples (ie bits) with a sampling frequency of 4.5 MHz (13.5 MHz + 3 = 4.5 MHz ÷ 3 = 4.5 MHz) are used, and therefore point the sampling frequency of the VBI signal and the sampling rate of 40.5 MHz of the HD signal have an integer ratio (ie, 4.5 × 9 = 40,, 5).

As shown in Fig. 3A, a horizontal line of the HD signal has a horizontal sync signal (horizontal sync signal) followed by a 16-bit blanking area, a 2-bit reference signal, 20-bit CGMS data, a 4 Bit blanking area and a 90-bit "word" area (to be described). The CGMS data has the same data format as that used in a standard video signal or standard definition video signal, for example, in FIG. 2 shown previously described VBI signal. However, the CGMS data in an HD signal is an NRZ signal in which the data "0" and "1" correspond to the levels "low" and "high", respectively, and the bit transmission rate of the CGMS data in an HD Signal is 2.25 MHz (4.5 MHz ÷ 2 = 2.25 MHz). Bits 7 and 8 of word 2 of the CGMS data identify the copy protection type of the HD signal. The CRC code (CRCC) of the CGMS data is obtained by using the polynomial G (x) = x & sup6; + x + 1 generated.

The 90-bit "word" area consists of eight 8-bit data words W0 through W7, followed by an 8-bit CRC (CRCC word), which is used to detect and correct errors in the data words , A 2-bit synchronous bit pattern ("01", for example) precedes the CRC codeword and each data word W0 through W7. The CRC codeword is obtained by using the polynomial G (x) = x & sup8; + 1 generated.

The 90-bit word portion of the VBI signal is generally provided for storing identification data that includes the date and time of generation and / or recording of video images in the HD signal, temperature data, position information that identifies the width and length of captured photographs. The 90-bit word area may also include data associated with the title of a broadcast program, the data on which a program was recorded, the broadcast channel from which the program was recorded, and so forth. Although a specific embodiment is described herein, the VBI signal may be inserted into other horizontal lines of the HD signal and words W0 through W7 may be inserted into other portions of the vertical blanking interval of the HD signal.

Fig. 3B illustrates a VBI signal inserted into a HD signal having a format of 1125 lines / 60 fields. The VBI signal shown in FIG. 3B has the same data structure as that inserted into an HD signal having a format of 1250 lines / 50 fields, except that the VBI signal has a data length of 133, 3 bits in the format with 1125 lines / 60 fields.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the CGMS data described above is stored in a digital HD signal as auxiliary data (AUX data). A digital HD signal consists of video data, audio data and subcode data. The video data generally includes picture information and video auxiliary data (VAUX data), the audio data generally includes audio information (for example, audio information) and audio auxiliary data (AAUX data), and the subcode data includes system information. The CGMS data is stored in the HD digital signal to be written in VAUX and / or AAUX data packs.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the data structure of VAUX and AAUX data packs, respectively, which contain CGMS data. Referring first to Fig. 4, there is shown the data structure of a VAUX data pack in which the first byte called "header" is "01100001" or 61 hours ("h" represents the "0") Hexadecimal notation). A VAUX data pack (and for the purposes given here all packs) consists of 5 bytes of data PC0 to PC4, where the byte PC0 is the header or The header of the pack and the bytes PC1 to PC4 contain the data of the pack. CGMS data is stored as bits 0 and 1 of byte PC1 and defined as follows:

00: valid copy operation (not copy protected)

01: Not used,

10: valid for only one copy operation (partially copy-protected),

11: Invalid copy operation (completely copy-protected).

It will be appreciated that the above definition of the CGMS data stored in the VAUX data pack is the same as the definition of CGMS data contained in a VBI analog HD signal signal shown in FIG. 2B, described earlier.

The byte PC1 of the VAUX data pack also contains copy source information (bits 2 and 3) defined as follows:

00: copying operation by analog input signal,

01: copying operation by digital input signal,

10: Reserved,

11: No information,

Byte PC1 contains copy generation data (bits 4 and 5) defined as follows:

00: First generation

01: Second generation

10: Third generation

11: Fourth generation.

Fig. 5 illustrates the data structure of an AAUX data pack containing copy protection information for the audio signal contained in the digital HD signal. The pack header (ie, the first byte) of the AAUX data pack is equal to "01010001" or 51H, and the bytes PC1 to PC4 of the AAUX data pack have the same data structure as the bytes PC1 to PC4 of the one shown in FIG shown and discussed above VAUX data packs on.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of two digital video tape recorders 1 and 2 embodying the present invention. The video tape recorder (VTR) 1 operates to reproduce a digitally recorded HD video signal from a magnetic tape, and the VTR 2 operates to input a digital video tape recorder HD video signal recorded on a magnetic tape.

The VTR 1 has a head mechanism 3 (in which a magnetic tape is contained), a mixer circuit 4, an auxiliary data processing circuit 5, and a VBI signal encoder 6. The head mechanism 3 reproduces a high-resolution digital video signal from a magnetic tape, converts the reproduced HD digital signal into an analog HD signal, and supplies the analog HD signal to the mixer circuit 4. The head mechanism 3 also supplies the reproduced digital HD signal (in digital format) to the auxiliary data processing circuit 5, which extracts therefrom the video auxiliary data (VAUX data) and the audio auxiliary data (AAUX data), which extracts the CGMS data from both the VAUX and VAUX data. and AAUX data, and which feeds the extracted CGMS data to the VBI encoder 6. The VBI encoder 6 generates from the CGMS data an analog VBI signal in which, as shown in FIG. 1 which includes CGMS data, and supplies the VBI signal to the mixer circuit 4 which combines the VBI signal with the HD signal supplied from the head mechanism 3. The VTR 1 feeds the resulting analog HD signal to the VTR 2.

The VTR 2 has a head mechanism 13, an auxiliary data processing circuit 15, a VBI signal decoder 16, and a recording signal processing circuit (not shown in Fig. 6). The analog HD signal is supplied to the head mechanism 13 via the recording signal processing circuit and also to the VBI decoder 16. The VBI decoder 16 extracts the VBI signal from the analog HD signal, extracts therefrom the CGMS information, and supplies the CGMS information to the auxiliary data processing circuit 15. The auxiliary data processing circuit 15, if necessary (to be described), modifies the CGMS information, generates data packs corresponding to those shown in Figs. 4 5 and 5, and feeds the generated data packs to the recording signal processing circuit which processes the analog HD signal and controls whether the analog HD signal combined with the data packs is recorded on a magnetic tape by the head mechanism 13, which will be described later ,

The auxiliary data processing circuit 15 modifies the CGMS data, if these data extracted from the VDI signal indicate that the analog HD signal can be copied once (ie, is partially copy protected). When the CGMS data has the bit value "10" (see Fig. 2), the data processing circuit 15 changes the CGMS data to the value "11" indicating that the HD signal to be recorded on the magnetic tape is copy-protected is. On the other hand, if the CGMS data indicates that the HD signal is either completely copy protected (ie 11) or not copy protected (ie 00), the CGMS data remains unchanged. The auxiliary data processing circuit 15 supplies an indication to the recording signal processing circuit as to whether the HD signal can be recorded (ie, the original CGMS data is either 00 or 10) or whether the HD signal may not be recorded (ie the original CGMS data is 11). When the originally input HD signal is not completely copy protected, the analog HD signal is converted to a digital HD signal, combined with the data packs supplied from the auxiliary data processing circuit 15, and recorded on a magnetic tape by the head mechanism 13.

Figs. 7 and 8 are detailed block diagrams of a video tape recorder 1 and 2, respectively. Referring first to Fig. 7, the head mechanism 3 reproduces a digital HD signal from a magnetic tape on which an image of the recorded digital HD Signal is stored in 20 tracks in the format of 1125 lines / 60 fields and stored in 24 tracks in the format of 1250 lines / 50 fields. Each track recorded on the magnetic tape includes a video area, an audio area, and a subcode area in which video data, audio data, and subcode data, respectively, are recorded, the video area and audio area containing VAUX data and AAUX data, respectively. As described earlier, the VAUX, AAUX and subcode data are stored in data packs having a common packing structure.

The reproduced digital HD signal is supplied to a reproduction signal processing circuit 21 in which a reproduction amplifier, a demodulator circuit and a data separation circuit which separates the video data, audio data and subcode data are included. The reproduction signal processing circuit 21 supplies the reproduced digital HD signal to a digital interface (I / F) 22, which converts the digital HD signal into a bit sequence or converts a bit stream and outputs the bit stream at the output terminal t1. The reproduction signal processing circuit 15 supplies the audio data, video data and system data including the VAUX data, AAUX data and subcode data to the processing circuits 23, 24 and 25, respectively. In an alternative embodiment, the reproduction signal processing circuit 21 supplies all the reproduced HD signal to the audio signal processing circuit 23, video signal processing circuit 24, and system data processing circuit 25 which extracts the audio data, video data, and system data, respectively, from the reproduced HD signal.

The audio signal processing circuit 23 corrects errors in the audio data and rebars or rearranges the audio data in a manner well known in the art, and supplies the resultant audio data to a digital-to-analog (D / A) converter 26. The D / A converter 26 converts the digital audio data into an analog audio signal and supplies the analog audio signal to a terminal t2 for output.

The playback signal processing circuit 24 corrects errors in the digital video signal and re-shuffles or re-routes the signal in a manner well known in the art, and supplies the resulting video data to a D / A converter 27. The D / A converter 27 converts the digital video data into an analog HD video signal, and supplies the analog HD video signal to a mixer circuit 28 which combines the analog video signal with a sync signal and a VBI signal, which is to be described The resulting HD analog video signal is supplied to a terminal t3 for output.

The system processing circuit 25 generates from the VAUX data, AAUX data and subcode data a control signal (not shown) which controls the reproduction of the HD signal from the magnetic tape. The system data processing circuit 25 (shown as AUX data processing circuit 5 in Fig. 6) extracts the CGMS data from the AAUX and VAUX data packs and supplies the extracted CGMS data to a VBI encoder 30. The VBI encoder 30 (shown in FIG. 6 shown as VBI encoder 6) converts the CGMS digital data into an analog VBI signal having the data format shown in Figs. 3A and 3B. The analog VBI signal is supplied to the mixer circuit 28, which superimposes the VBI signal on the analog HD video signal in the manner described earlier. A sync signal generator 29 generates sync signals and supplies them to the mixer circuit 28, which inserts these sync signals into the analog HD video signal.

Referring now to Fig. 8, there is shown a digital video tape recorder 2 operable to record either an HD digital video signal or an HD analog signal as a HD digital signal on a magnetic tape. A digital data stream representing an HD digital signal, for example the signal output from the terminal t1 of the VTR 1, is applied to an output terminal t11 and a digital interface (I / F) 41 which performs an error detection / correction on the digital bitstream or the digital bit stream and converts the digital bit stream into a digital signal having a data structure suitable for recording on a magnetic tape. The digital I / F 41 supplies the digital signal to a controller 42 which controls the switching of a switch SW, and the digital I / F 41 also supplies the digital signal to the switch SW, which receives the digital signal from either a delay circuit 44 or a delay circuit 44 System data processing circuit 43 supplies. The controller 42 controls the operation of the switch SW so that video data and audio data are supplied to the delay circuit 44 through an output terminal a of the switch SW, and controls the switch SW so that VAUX-AAUX and subcode data are supplied through an output terminal b of the switch SW System data processing circuit 43 are supplied. The system data processing circuit 43 extracts the CGMS data from the VAUX and AAUX data packs and carries a gate or Gate 46 to a control signal indicating whether the HD signal can be recorded on the magnetic tape or on the magnetic tape may not be recorded. The control signal indicates that the HD signal can be recorded when the CGMS data indicates that the HD signal is either partially copy-protected or not copy-protected, and indicates that the HD signal may not be recorded when the HD signal CGMS data indicates that the HD signal is completely copy protected.

The system data processing circuit 43 modifies the CGMS data to indicate that the HD signal is fully protected (ie, has value 11) when the CGMS data extracted from the input HD signal identifies the signal as a partially copy-protected signal. The system data (ie the VAUX, AAUX and subcode data) containing the CGMS data are supplied to a mixer circuit 45 which combines the video and audio data (delayed by the delay circuit 44) and the system data and supplies the combined digital data to the pre-circuit 46.

The gate circuit 46 supplies the resultant digital signal to a recording processing circuit 47 when the control signal supplied from the system data processing circuit 43 indicates that the HD signal can be recorded. On the other hand, if the control signal indicates that the HD signal can not be recorded, the pre-circuit 46 is prevented from supplying the HD digital signal.

In an alternative embodiment, the system data processing circuit 43 supplies the pre-circuit 46 with separate video and audio signals that identify whether the video signal or Audio signal can be recorded or not recorded on the magnetic tape, and the gate circuit 46 operates so that they depending on the video control signal and audio control signal supplied here, both the video and the audio data, either the video data or the audio data, or neither the video data the audio data feeds or gives.

The signal processing circuit 47 digitally modulates the HD signal supplied from the pre-circuit 46 and supplies the modulated digital signal to the head mechanism 13 which records the HD digital signal on the magnetic tape.

The digital video tape recorder 2 is also operable to receive an analog HD audio signal at a terminal t12 and to receive at a terminal t13 an analog HD video signal supplied from, for example, the terminals t2 and t3 of the digital video tape recorder 1 described earlier. The analog audio HD signal is a gate or Gate 48 supplied to the analog HD audio signal in response to a control signal from a VBI decoder 51 to an A / D converter 52 which converts the analog HD audio signal into a digital HD audio signal.

The analog HD video signal is supplied to a gain adjustment circuit (AGC) 49 which amplifies the analog HD video signal and supplies the gain adjusted signal to a gate 50. The HD analog video signal is also supplied to the VBI decoder 51, which generates the control signal and supplies the control signal to the two gate circuits 48 and 50. Similar to the gate circuit 48, the gate circuit 50 supplies the HD video signal in response to the control signal to an A / D converter 54 which converts the analog HD video signal to an HD digital video signal. The audio signal processing circuit 53 and the video signal processing circuit 55 perform various processes on the respective digital audio data and video data, for example, processes that include an arrangement or Mixing and error detection / correction included. The processed audio data and video data are supplied from the circuits 53, 55 to a mixer circuit 56 which combines the data supplied thereto.

The VBI decoder 51 (shown as VBI decoder 16 in Fig. 6) extracts the VBI signal from the analog HD video signal, extracts the CGMS information from the extracted VBI signal, and generates the control signal from the CGMS information. which is supplied to the gate circuits 48, 50. When the CGMS information indicates that the HD signal is completely copy-protected, the VBI decoder 51 controls the gating circuits 48 and 50 so that the audio signal and video signal are not supplied to the A / D converters 52 and 54, respectively. On the other hand, if the extracted CGMS information indicates that the HD signal is partially copy-protected or not copy-protected, the VBI decoder 51 controls the circuits 48, 50 so that the audio signal and video signal are fed to the A / D converter 52, respectively. A / D converter are supplied. In other words, the analog A / D signal (video and audio) can be recorded on a magnetic tape when the VBI signal inserted therein indicates that the HD signal is not completely copy-protected.

The VBI decoder 51 also supplies both the extracted CGMS information and the data words W0 to W7 to the system data processing circuit 43, which generates therefrom the VAUX, AAUX and subcode data to be recorded with the digital video and audio data. The system data processing circuit 43 (in FIG. 6 also shown as AUX data processing circuit 15) modifies the CGMS information to indicate that the HD signal is completely copy-protected when the CGMS information supplied thereto indicates that the HD signal is partially copy-protected.

The system data processing circuit 43 supplies the VAUX, AAUX, and subcode data as system data to the mixer circuit 56 which combines the system data, the video data, and the audio data, and supplies the resultant digital signal at a transmission rate of 40.5 Mbps (megabits) per second) to the recording signal processing circuit 46 which, as described earlier, digitally modulates and amplifies the digital signal. The digital signal is supplied to the head mechanism 13, which records the HD digital signal on the magnetic tape.

In addition to recording (ie, doubling) an HD signal reproduced by a digital video tape recorder embodying the present invention, the present invention is also useful for recording and reproducing HD signals supplied from another device or to another device be transmitted. For example, Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a channel selector or Tuner and decoder 61 and a digital video cassette recorder or digital VCR 62, both of which embody the present invention. A digital broadcast program is received by the tuner and decoder 61, which tunes to a selected broadcast program in which a copy protection signal is included, and transmits the selected broadcast program to the digital VCR (VTR) 62 via either a digital I / F or an analog I / F supplies.

The tuner and decoder 61 shown in the detailed block diagram of FIG. 9B includes a front end circuit 63, a modulator 64, an error processing circuit 65, a processor 66, a D / A converter 67, a mixer circuit 68, and a VBI encoder 69. The received broadcast signal is supplied to the front end circuit 63 in which a tuning circuit tuned to a selected broadcast signal and containing a frequency converter circuit which frequency-converts the selected broadcast signal, and supplies the frequency-converted signal to a demodulator circuit 64, which performs a demodulation operation on the frequency converted signal by the so-called QSK method or QAM method or another suitable method, and supplies the demodulated signal to the error processing circuit 65. The error processing circuit 65 detects and corrects errors in the demodulated signal and outputs the error-corrected signal as a bit stream (having, for example, an MPEG format) to the processor 66 and the VBI encoder 69. The processor 66 decodes the MPEG bit stream to produce a digital HD signal in which both video data and audio data are included. The processor 66 supplies the HD digital signal to the D / A converter 67, which converts the HD digital signal to an analog HD signal and supplies the analog HD signal to the mixer circuit 68.

The VBI encoder 69 extracts CGMS data from the error-corrected signal and generates therefrom a VBI signal having the format shown in Figs. 3A and 3B. The VBI encoder 69 supplies the VBI signal to the mixer circuit 68, which superimposes the VBI signal on the analog HD signal and outputs the resulting analog HD signal as an output signal. In an alternative embodiment, the VBI signal is combined with the digital HD output signal of the processor 66, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 9B, prior to conversion of the HD digital signal to an analog HD signal.

The tuner and decoder 61 supplies the analog HD signal to the digital VTR 62, which operates in a similar manner to the digital VTR 2 shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. If the analog HD signal is not completely copy protected, as identified by the VDI signal, the digital VTR 62 is operable to record the analog HD signal in digital form onto a magnetic tape.

Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a digital video disk player (DVD player) 71 embodying the present invention. From a digital video disk (DVD) 72, a compressed and encoded HD digital signal (having, for example, the MPEG format) is encoded optical pickup 73 which supplies the reproduced signal to a preamplifier / waveform trimming circuit 74. The circuit 74 processes the reproduced signal in a manner well known in the art, and supplies the processed signal to an error handling circuit 75 which detects and corrects errors in the processed signal and supplies the error-corrected signal to the processor circuit 76 and to a VBI encoder 79. The processor 76 generates a digital HD signal from the processed reproduced signal and supplies the digital HD signal to a D / A converter 77. The HD digital signal is converted into an analog HD signal and supplied to a mixer circuit 78. The VBI encoder 79 extracts CGMS data from the processed reproduced signal, generates a VBI signal therefrom, and supplies the VBI signal to the mixer circuit 78. The mixer circuit 78 superimposes the VBI signal on the analog HD signal and feeds the superimposed analog HD signal as an output signal. In an alternative embodiment, the VBI signal is superimposed on the digital HD output signal from the processor 76, and the combined signal is converted by the D / A converter 77 into an analog HD signal. The analog HD signal output from the DVD player 71 may then be recorded on a magnetic tape, such as the digital VTR 2 described above.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a MUSE converter 71 embodying the present invention, which includes a MUSE decoder 82, a mixer circuit 83, a MUSE-VBI decoder 84, and an HDTV-VBI encoder 85. As is known, MUSE is an analog transmission format in which an HD signal is band-compressed before its transmission. Both the MUSE decoder 82 and the MUSE-VBI decoder 84 are supplied with a MUSE signal sent from a broadcast station, a MUSE VCR, a MUSE disk unit and so forth. The MUSE detector 82 decodes the MUSE signal and supplies the decoded MUSE signal to the mixer circuit 83 as an analog HD signal. The MUSE-VBI decoder 84 extracts a MUSE-VBI signal from the MUSE signal and supplies the MUSEVBI signal to the HDTV-VBI encoder 95, which generates an HD-VBI signal therefrom, as shown in FIG Figs. 3A and 3B. The HD-VBI signal is supplied to the mixer circuit 83 which combines the analog HD signal and the HD-VBI signal and outputs the combined HD analog signal as an output signal, for example, to the digital VTR 2 shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a high-resolution NTSC resolution converter 91 embodying the present invention, which includes a processor 92, a mixer circuit 93, a VBI decoder 94, and an HDTV-VBI encoder 95. An NTSC video signal is provided to the processor 92 which "upsamples" the NTSC signal to an HD signal. The processor 92 generally comprises an interpolator, a motion detector and a picture or Frame memory for performing the Hochwandlungsprozesses, although other suitable circuits can be used, as are well known in the art. The processor 92 supplies the HD signal to the mixer circuit 93. The NTSC signal is also supplied to the VBI decoder 94, which extracts therefrom a VBI signal, extracts CGMS information from the VBI signal, and supplies the CGMS information to the HDTV-VBI encoder 95. The encoder 95 generates an HD-VBI signal from the CGMS information and supplies the HD-VBI signal to the mixer circuit 93. The mixer circuit 93 combines the VBI signal with the analog HD signal and outputs the resultant signal to, for example, a digital VTR embodying the present invention.

Although the present invention has been particularly shown and described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, when copy protection data has been described as CGMS data stored in, in particular, VAUX and AAUX data packs in the digital HD signal, the present invention is not limited to that particular data structure and may be applied to other data structures in which encoding protection data is different Way are stored.

As another example, when the present description is directed to the recording and reproduction of a high definition video signal, the present invention is not limited to only this type of signal format but can be widely applied to the recording and reproduction of many other non-standard video signals.

Therefore, the appended claims should be interpreted to include the embodiments described herein, the alternatives mentioned above, and all equivalents thereto.