Television signal sub-titling device.

The present invention relates to a device for subtitling television signals having the characteristics indicated in the preamble of claim 1.

It is already known to present information to the viewer in writing on the screen of a television receiver. This type of information presentation is used, for example, when television films are shown in their original version, the image scenes accompanying voice information is offered in a viewers not familiar foreign language. In such films often done subtitling of image scenes, in which the image scenes accompanying voice information is displayed in the native language of the audience near the lower edge of the screen. This type of information presentation is especially for the hearing impaired of importance that can not understand an acoustic speech reproduction.

Furthermore, a transmission of teletext signals is already known. Such teletext signals are transmitted in addition to the actual television image in digital form during the vertical blanking interval of the image signal. A teletext signal can either be related to the transferred during the active line time image content, if for example as sports commentary for the hearing impaired is also transmitted as a teletext signal, or be independent of the actual picture content. The video text signal may also be displayed in addition to this on the screen of the television receiver instead of the actual image content both as. For evaluation of a teletext signal a service associated with the television receiver teletext decoder is required, which among other things has a character generator which generates broadband from the teletext signal RGB signals for a signature appearance.

Further, it is known from the journal "telecommunications-praxis", Vol 58/1981, No. 9, pp 330 -.. 334 already known to analyze picked up by a microphone voice signals using a microprocessor and reproduce on the screen of a visual display unit. For evaluation of the voice signals are digitized, these collected into blocks of 1000 values ​​and converted into spectral time series by means of the discrete Fourier transformation. These spectral time series are compared with previously stored model series and displayed in case of a match on the screen of the visual display unit.

The object of the present invention is a device specified in the preamble of claim 1 type so that particular hearing impaired persons, which the image information accompanying sound information can not hear in television broadcasting, the understanding of this program is facilitated.

This object is achieved by the features specified in the characterizing parts of the independent claims 1 and 2 features. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims.

The advantages of the invention lie in particular in that it requires no transmission-side measures to effect a subtitling of television programs.

Further, the device according to the present invention has the advantage that it is effective only in case of need, that is, only when the viewer desires a subtitling. Further advantageous features will be apparent from embodiments, which are explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2

It shows the<ul><li>Fig. 1 shows a device according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and</li><li>Fig. 2 shows a device according to a second preferred embodiment for the present invention.</li></ul>

The device shown in Figure 1 has two inputs E₁ and e_Z, The input E₁ is supplied to a video signal. This video signal is in a circuit 1, which may be, for example, a video amplifier of a conventional color or B / W television receiver, processed and forwarded to the first input of an adder 7th The output signal of the adder 7 is, if necessary via an amplifier, a display 2, in which it may be the screen of the television receiver, shown visually. 7

The input E2 of the device shown in Figure 1, a sound signal is supplied, which represents the image content accompanying audio information. This sound signal is amplified in a circuit 3 and acoustically reproduced through a speaker. 4

Further, the output signal of the circuit 3 is applied to the sound signal to a switch S. This switch is always switched permeable, for example by actuating a arranged on the housing or on the television receiver front panel or on the remote control transmitter button when the viewer wants a subtitling the currently received image broadcast. The output of the switch is applied to a speech processor 5, which analyzes the low frequency sound. This analysis can be done for example by a comparison of samples of the low-frequency sound signal with previously stored signal values ​​representing a kind of "dictionary".

Become recognized words, phrases or sentences in the context of this comparison, it can be brought into suitable for display on the screen 2 form by means of a character generator. 6 These output signals of the character generator 6 are applied to the second input of the adder 7 and there in such a way keyed into the video signal, that they are visible on the screen as a subtitle image to the current broadcast. This keying can be effected both in the CVBS and RGB in the level.

Furthermore, certain sounds can by the above comparison are recognized as such. B. pistol shots, knock, thunder, pop, etc. This noise can by a suitable pre-programming of the speech processor 5 and the character generator 6 a particular character set are assigned so that a hard of hearing viewers also sounds that are acoustically inaudible to him, may differ from each other.

Further, in the subtitling can also be taken to ensure that only speech signals are displayed and any other noise is suppressed. This is for example shown in televised political debates, interviews, news bulletins, etc., is advantageous since there is the essential information in the language and the reproduction of ambient noise is negligible and in some cases can even be disturbing.

2 shows a device according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The input E₁ this means is supplied to a video signal. This is amplified in a circuit 1 for video signal processing and supplied to the screen or display 2 for visually displaying via an amplifier 10th

The input E2 of the device shown in Figure 2, a sound signal is supplied, which represents the image content accompanying audio information. This sound signal is amplified in a circuit 3 and acoustically reproduced through a speaker. 4

Further, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, a microphone 8 is provided, in which a television viewer a private, concerned the current TV broadcast or descriptive comment einspricht. The output of the microphone 8 is applied to a speech processor 5, which is constructed like the im'Zusammenhang with 1 explained speech processor. The output of the speech processor 5 is a character generator supplied 6 and there converted into signals suitable for display on the screen. These signals are keyed in an adder 7 to the output of the circuit 1 for video signal processing. The output signal of the adder 7 is supplied to a VTR 9 and recorded on this magnetic. The video recorder 9, the output of the circuit 3 is also supplied to the sound signal, which is, for example, recorded in a longitudinal track on the tape edge of the magnetic tape.

By means of the device described, for example, a television program with a private comment provided a family member of a deaf person, which is displayed when playing back the recorded on the magnetic tape on the VCR TV Program in the form of subtitles, so that the hard of hearing to understand the television program is facilitated.

Furthermore, a foreign-language television broadcast, for example, when receiving satellite television signals from a foreign language dominant person, either directly or in a short form may be converted into the national language using the described means so that when playing the recorded program to one of the foreign language uninitiated viewer a voice information, he understands, is offered in the form of subtitles.

Further, to the inputs E_l and E2-scale image or audio information also originate from another video recorder, so that by means of the device described dubbing with simultaneous subtitling is done. Of course, it is the embodiment of figure 1 possible to record the output of the adder 7 magnetically. Also in the embodiment of Figure 2, the output of the adder 7 on the screen are displayed.