Processing high definition video signals

ES 2 159 686 T3

DESCRIPTION

High definition video signal processing.

This invention relates to the processing of high definition video signals including copy prevention information.

Videotape recorders are currently being developed that use an ID signal (usually referred to as a VBI signal) inserted into a vertical blanking range of a video signal to avoid repeated recording or recording of the video signal. A VBI signal indicating whether a video signal is copy-protected or not is inserted in the twentieth line (that is, in the horizontal interval) of the vertical blanking interval in the first field of a frame, and it is also inserted in on the line of order 283 of the vertical blanking interval in the second frame of the field.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it is shown that a VBI signal follows a horizontal sync signal and a color sync burst signal of a horizontal interval of a video signal. The VBI signal is made up of a two-bit reference signal followed by twenty bits of “digital” information (bit 1 ... bit 20). The reference signal has a value of seventy IRE units (on a voltage scale, one IRE unit corresponds to 1% of the range between the white level and the blanking level), and the values ​​of bits 1 to 20 are indistinctly 0 or 70 IRE units. The twenty bits of digital information are encoded as signal ID activating a synchronism signal FC, both of the reference signal and of the digital signal, at the value FC = FSC + 8 = 447 KHz, where FSC is the frequency of the subcarrier of Colour.

Video transmission systems are currently being developed that transmit video signals that include a VBI signal that contains copy prevention (or copy restriction) information. Figure 2A illustrates the data structure of the twenty bits of digital information in the signal ID included in the transmitted video signal. The ID signal (or VBI signal, also known as VBI-A signal) is composed of fourteen bits of information data and six bits of correction code (CCRC) that are used to detect errors in the information data. Word 0 (bits 1 and 2) of the information data identifies the transmission format of the video signal, and word 1 (bits 3-6) is a "header" word that designates the type of information included in word 2. For example, a word 1 value of 0000 indicates that copy restriction information was contained in word 2. Word 2 comprises bits 714, and its bits 7 and 8 represent copy generation management system information that indicate whether the video signal is fully copy-protected, partially copy-protected (ie, only one copy can be made), or not copy-protected. Figure 2B is a table identifying the values ​​of bits 7 and 8 for the different types of copy protection.

Video signal transmission systems that transmit copy generation management system information in a VBI signal in a video signal, as mentioned above, transmit video signals in accordance with the NTSC standard (525 lines) or video signals in accordance with the PAL standard (625 lones). However, such transmission systems are generally incapable of transmitting high definition video signals that include copy prevention information and that are easily recorded and reproduced by digital video tape recorders.

European patent serial number EP-A-0 581 227 describes a recording and reproducing apparatus. In a playback mode, a control signal generator functions to add copy information to a reproduced analog video signal, in the vertical blanking period of the video signal. In a recording mode, a detection circuit detects copy information from an analog input video signal, which is transmitted to a recording control circuit. The registration control circuit decides a video signal copy permission / inhibition according to the presence or absence of detected copy information, and when copying is allowed, the necessary copy information is generated and added to the signal. of video being recorded.

Different respective aspects of the invention are set forth in the respective independent claims of said patent.

According to an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus and a method function to receive a high definition video signal that has copy prevention information incorporated, extract the copy prevention information from the high definition video signal, Generate from the extracted copy prevention information a copy inhibit signal that has a data format of a copy inhibit signal superimposed on the standard definition video signal, and add the copy inhibit signal to the high definition video signal (for example, in its vertical blanking range).

According to one way of implementing the invention, the high definition video signal is a digital signal, an analog copy inhibition signal is generated from the extraneous copy prevention information, the digital signal is converted into a signal. analog high definition video signal, and the analog copy inhibit signal is superimposed on the analog high definition video signal.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the apparatus and method function to extract from a high definition video signal a copy inhibit signal that has the same data format as a copy inhibit signal superimposed on a video signal. standard definition, supply the high definition video signal when the high definition video signal is not copy protected, generate from the extracted copy inhibition signal copy prevention data having a different data format from the data format of the copy inhibit signal, and combine the copy prevention data and the vi2 signal

ES 2 deo high definition digital supplied for transmission as output.

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

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the apparatus and method function to reproduce a digital high definition video signal from a recording medium, extract digital copy prevention data therefrom, generate from the digital data of copy prevention extracted an analogue copy inhibit signal that has the same data format as a copy inhibit signal superimposed on a standard definition video signal, converting the high definition video digital signal to an analog signal, and superimposing the analog copy inhibit signal on the analog signal.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the apparatus and method operate to receive a high definition analog video signal superimposed on a copy inhibit signal having the same data format as a copy inhibit signal superimposed on a standard definition video signal, extract the copy inhibit signal from the analog high definition video signal, supply the received high definition video analog signal when the received high definition video signal is not copy protected, convert the supplied high definition video signal into a digital signal, generate from the copy inhibit signal extract digital copy prevention data, add the digital copy prevention data to the digital signal, and recording on a recording medium the digital signal with the added digital copy prevention data.

The preferred embodiments of the invention described below create:

an apparatus and a method for treating high definition video signals, which overcome or at least alleviate the above-explained drawbacks of the devices described above;

an apparatus and method for processing high definition video signals that include copy prevention information; and an apparatus and method for recording and reproducing high definition video signals including copy protection data.

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

Figure 1 is a waveform diagram of a horizontal line interval having a VBI signal inserted;

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

Figures 3A and 3B are exemplary waveform diagrams of analog signals from

686 T3 4 high definition video that can be processed by embodiments of the invention;

Figure 4 illustrates the data structure of a VAUX data packet that identifies the type of copy protection of a video signal;

Figure 5 illustrates the data structure of an AAUX data packet that identifies the type of copy protection of an audio signal;

Figure 6 is a block diagram of an apparatus for recording and reproducing a high definition video signal embodying the invention;

Figure 7 is a detailed block diagram of an apparatus for reproducing a high definition video signal embodying the present invention;

Figure 8 is a detailed block diagram of an apparatus for recording a high definition video signal embodying the present invention;

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

Figure 10 is a block diagram of a digital video disc player embodying the present invention;

Figure 11 is a block diagram of a MUSE converter embodying the present invention; ^Y

Figure 12 is a block diagram of a standard video signal to high definition video signal converter embodying the present invention.

Referring now to Figures 3A and 3B of the drawings, VBI signals are shown embedded in high definition video analog signals of two different formats. Figure 3A illustrates a VBI signal inserted in a high definition signal having a format of 1250 lines / 50 fields, in which the VBI signal is inserted in the horizontal region (line) of order 44 of the first field of a frame, and it is also inserted in the horizontal region of order 669 of the second field of the table. In the high definition format of 1250 lines / 50 fields, 144 samples (i.e. bits) are inserted at a sampling frequency of 4.5 MHz (13.5 MHz / 3 = 4.5 MHz) and therefore The sampling frequency of the vertical blanking interval signal and the 40.5 MHz sampling frequency of the high definition signal have an integer relationship (ie, 4.5 x 9 = 40.5).

As shown in Figure 3A, a horizontal line of the high definition signal consists of a horizontal sync signal (sync) followed by a blanking region of sixteen bits, a two-bit reference signal, twenty data bits. copy generation management system, a four-bit suppression region and a ninety-bit “word” region (described above). The data from the copy generation management system has the same data format as the VBI signal inserted in a standard video signal, as shown in Figure 2, which has been discussed above. However, the data from the copy generation management system in a high definition signal consists of a non-return-to-zero (NRZ) signal.

ES 2 159 686 T3 in which data "0" and "1" correspond to "low" and "high" levels, respectively, and the bit rate of the copy generation management system data in a High definition signal is 2.25MHz (4.5MHz / 2 =

2.25 MHz). Bits 7 and 8 of word 2 of the copy generation management system data identify the type of copy protection of the high definition signal. The CRC code (Cyclical Redundancy Check Code) (CRCC) of the copy generation management system data is generated using the polynomial: G (x) = x⁶ + x + 1.

The ninety-bit "word" region is made up of eight eight-bit data words W0-W7 followed by a redundancy coclic check code word used to detect and correct errors in data words. A two-bit sync bit pattern (eg, "01") precedes the redundancy coclic check code word and each data word W0-W7. The collic redundancy check code word is generated using the polynomial: G (x) = x⁸ +1.

The ninety- bit word region of the VBI signal is generally intended to store identification data that includes the date and time that video images are generated in the high-definition signal, temperature data, and temperature information. position that identifies the latitude and longitude at which photographs were taken, etc. The ninety-bit word region may also include data relating to the title of a commercial broadcast program, the date a program was registered, the broadcast channel from which the program was registered, etc. Although a specific embodiment has been described herein, the VBI signal can be inserted in other horizontal lines of the high definition signal, and the words W0-W7 can be inserted in other areas of the vertical blanking interval of the high definition signal. .

Figure 3B illustrates a VBI signal inserted into a high definition signal having a 1125 line / 60 field format. The VBI signal depicted in Figure 3B has the same data structure as a VBI signal embedded in a high definition signal having a 1250 line / 50 field format, with the exception that the VBI signal has a data length of 133.3 bits in 1125 lines / 60 fields format.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the copy generation management system data discussed above is stored as auxiliary data (AUX) in a high definition digital signal. A high definition digital signal comprises video data, audio data, and sub-code data. Video data generally includes image information and auxiliary video data (VAUX), audio data generally includes audio information (i.e. sound) and auxiliary audio data (AAUX), and sub-code data includes system information. The copy generation management system data is stored in "packets" of auxiliary video data and auxiliary audio data in the high definition digital signal, the data of which will be described later.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the data structure of the VAUX and AAUX data packets, respectively, which have copy generation management system data included. Referring first to Figure 4, the data structure of a video ancillary data packet is shown in which the first octet, called "header", has a value of "01100001" or 61h (representing "h" the hexadecimal notation). A video ancillary data packet (and for the purposes of this specification all packets) is made up of five data bytes (PC0-PC4), whereby the PC0 byte is the packet header and the PC1-PC4 bytes they contain the package data. The copy generation management system data is stored as bits 0 and 1 of the PC1 byte, and is defined as follows:

00: Valid copy operation (without copy protection)

01: Not used

10: Valid only for one copy operation (partial copy protection)

11: Non-valid copy operation (full copy protection)

It is observed that the previous definition of the copy generation management system data stored in an auxiliary video data package is identical to the definition of the copy generation management system data included in a VBI signal of a single signal. high definition analogue, as shown in Figure 2B, discussed above.

Byte PC1 of the video ancillary data packet also includes copy source information (bits 2-3), defined as follows:

00: Copy operation by analog input 01: Copy operation by digital input 10: Reserved

11: No information and byte PC1 includes copy generation data (bits 4-5), defined as follows:

00: First generation 01: Second generation 10: Third generation 11: Fourth generation

Figure 5 illustrates the data structure of an ancillary audio data packet including copy protection information for the audio signal included in the high definition digital signal. The packet header (that is, the first octet) of the audio ancillary data packet is “01010001” or 51H, and the PC1-PC4 octets of the ancillary data packet4

ES 2 159 686 T3 audio files have the same data structure as the PC1-PC4 bytes of the video auxiliary data packet represented in Figure 4, which has been discussed above.

Figure 6 is a block diagram of two digital video tape recorders 1 and 2 embodying the present invention. The videotape recorder 1 functions to reproduce a digitally recorded high definition video signal from a magnetic tape, and the videotape recorder 2 functions to record a high definition video signal on a magnetic tape.

The videotape recorder 1 comprises a head mechanism 3 (including a magnetic tape), a mixer circuit 4, an auxiliary data processing circuit 5 and a VBI signal encoder 6. The head mechanism 3 reproduces a high definition digital video signal from a magnetic tape, converts the reproduced high definition digital signal into a high definition analog signal, and supplies the high definition analog signal to the mixer circuit 4. The head mechanism 3 also supplies the reproduced high definition digital signal (in digital format) to the auxiliary data processing circuit 5, which extracts from it the auxiliary video data (VAUX) and the auxiliary audio data (AAUX), also extracts the data from the copy generation management system from both the auxiliary video data and the auxiliary audio data, and supplies the extracted copy generation management system data to the VBI signal encoder 6. The VBI signal encoder 6 generates from the copy generation management system data an analog vertical blanking interval (VBI) signal including the copy generation management system data, as shown in FIG. 1, and supplies the VBI signal to the mixer circuit 4 which combines the VBI signal with the high definition analog signal supplied by the head mechanism 3. The videotape recorder 1 supplies the videotape recorder 2 with the resulting high definition analog signal.

The videotape recorder 2 comprises 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 high definition analog signal is applied to the head mechanism 13 through the register signal processing circuit and is also supplied to the VBI signal decoder 16. The VBI signal decoder 16 extracts the VBI signal from the high definition analog signal, extracts from it the copy generation management system information and supplies the copy generation management system information to the data processing circuit 15 auxiliaries. The auxiliary data processing circuit 15 modifies the copy generation management system information if necessary (which was discussed), generates data packets having the data structures represented in Figures 4 and 5, and supplies the data data packets generated to the registration signal processing circuit, which treats the high definition analog signal and controls whether the high definition analog signal, combined with the data packets, it is recorded on a magnetic tape by the head mechanism 13, which was discussed further.

The auxiliary data processing circuit 15 modifies the copy generation management system data when said data, which has been extracted from the VBI signal, indicates that the high definition analog signal can be copied once (that is, this partially copy protected). When the copy generation management system data has the values ​​"10" (see FIG. 2), the auxiliary data processing circuit 15 changes the copy generation management system data to the value "11", which represents that the high definition signal to be recorded on the magnetic tape is copy protected. On the other hand, if the copy generation management system data indicates that the high definition signal is indistinctly fully copy-protected (that is, the bits are 11) or not copy-protected (that is, the bits are 00) , the copy generation management system data is not altered. The auxiliary data processing circuit 15 supplies the registration signal processing circuit with an indication of whether the high definition signal is recordable (that is, the original data of the copy generation management system are indistinctly 00 or 10), or if the high definition signal is not recordable (that is, the original data from the copy generation management system has the value 11). If the originally supplied high definition signal is not fully copy-protected, the high definition analog signal is converted into a high definition digital signal, combined with the data packets supplied by the auxiliary data processing circuit 15, and it is recorded on a magnetic tape by the head mechanism 13.

Figures 7 and 8 are detailed block diagrams of videotape recorders 1 and 2, respectively. Referring first to Figure 7, the head mechanism 3 reproduces a high definition digital signal from a magnetic tape in which is stored a frame of the high definition digital signal recorded on twenty tracks in the 1125 line format. / 60 fields, and is stored in twenty-four 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 sub-code area, in which video data, audio data, and sub-code data are recorded, respectively, and in which the video areas and audio include auxiliary video data and auxiliary audio data, respectively. As discussed above, the video ancillary data, the audio ancillary data, and the sub-code data are stored in data packets having a common packet structure.

The reproduced high definition digital signal is supplied to a reproduction signal processing circuit 21 which includes a reproduction amplifier, a demodulator circuit and a data separator circuit that separates the da5.

ES 2 159 686 T3 video, audio and sub-code. The reproduction signal processing circuit 21 supplies the reproduced high definition digital signal to a digital interface (I / F) 22 which converts the high definition digital signal into a bit string and displays the bit string at the terminal t1 output. The playback signal processing circuit 21 supplies the audio data, the video data and the system data, including the auxiliary video data, the auxiliary audio data, and the sub-code data, to circuits 23, 24 and 25 treatment, respectively. In an alternative embodiment, the reproduction signal processing circuit 21 supplies the reproduced full high definition signal to the audio signal processing circuit 23, the video signal processing circuit 24 and the video data processing circuit 25. system, which extract audio data, video data, and system data from the reproduced high-definition signal.

The audio signal processing circuit 23 corrects errors in the audio data and rearranges the audio data in a way well known in the art, and supplies the resulting audio data to a digital-to-analog converter 26. The digital-analog converter 26 converts the digital audio data into an analog audio signal and supplies the analog audio signal as output at a terminal t2.

The video signal processing circuit 24 corrects errors in the digital video signal and rearranges the signal in a manner well known in the art, and supplies the resulting video data to a digital-to-analog converter 27. The digital-to-analog converter 27 converts the digital video data into a high definition analog video signal and supplies the high definition analog video signal to a mixer circuit 28 that combines the analog video signal with a sync signal and a VBI signal, which was discussed further, and supplies the resulting high definition analog video signal as output at a terminal t3.

The system data processing circuit 25 generates from the auxiliary video data, the auxiliary audio data and the sub-code data, a control signal (not shown) that controls the reproduction of the high definition signal of the magnetic tape. The system data processing circuit 25 (represented as auxiliary data processing circuit 5) extracts the copy generation management system data from the auxiliary video and auxiliary audio data packets and supplies the system data from Generation management of copies extracted to a vertical blanking interval encoder 30. The vertical blanking interval encoder 30 (shown as VBI signal encoder 6 in Figure 6) converts the digital copy generation management system data into an analog VBI signal having the format illustrated in Figures 3A and 3B. The analog VBI signal is supplied to mixer circuit 28 which superimposes the VBI signal on the analog high definition video signal in the manner discussed above. A sync signal generator 29 generates and supplies sync signals to mixer circuit 28, which inserts these sync signals into the high definition video analog signal.

Referring now to Fig. 8, a digital video tape recorder 2 is shown, which operates to indistinctly record a high definition digital video signal or an analog high definition signal as a high definition digital signal on a magnetic tape. A digital data stream representing a high definition digital signal, such as the signal output from the videotape recorder 1 output terminal t1, is supplied to the output terminal t11 and to a digital interface (I / F) 41 which performs an error detection / correction procedure on the digital bit string and converts the bit string into a digital signal having a data structure suitable for recording on a magnetic tape. The digital interface 41 supplies the digital signal to a controller 42 that controls the switching of a switch SW, and the digital interface 41 also supplies the digital signal to the switch SW that transfers the digital signal indistinctly to a delay circuit 44 or to a circuit 43. system data processing. The controller 42 controls the operation of the switch SW so that the video and audio data are supplied to the delay circuit 44 through the output terminal A of the switch SW, and controls the switch SW so that the auxiliary video data , the auxiliary audio data and the sub-code data are supplied to the system data processing circuit 43 through the output terminal B of the switch SW. The system data processing circuit extracts the copy generation management system data from the auxiliary video data and auxiliary audio data packets and supplies a gate circuit 46 with a control signal indicative of whether it can be or High definition signal not recorded on the tape. The control signal indicates that the high definition signal is recordable when the data from the copy generation management system indicates that the high definition signal is partially copy-protected or not copy-protected, and indicates that the high definition signal is It cannot be registered when the data from the copy generation management system indicates that the high definition signal was fully copy protected.

The system data processing circuit 43 modifies the copy generation management system data to indicate that the high definition signal was fully copy protected (for example, with a value of 11) when the management system data Generating extracts of the supplied high-definition signal identify the signal as partially copy-protected signal. The system data (i.e., the video ancillary data, the audio ancillary data, and the sub-code data), including the copy generation management system data, is supplied to a mixer circuit 45 that combines the data. video and audio (delayed by the delay circuit) and system data, and supplies the combined digital data to the gate circuit

ES 2 159 686 T3

46.

The gate circuit 46 supplies the resulting digital signal to a registration signal processing circuit 47 when the control signal provided by the system data processing circuit 43 indicates that the high definition signal can be recorded. On the contrary, when the control signal indicates that the high definition signal cannot be registered, the gate circuit 46 is inhibited from supplying the high definition digital signal.

In an alternative embodiment, the system data processing circuit 43 supplies independent video and audio control signals to the gate circuit 46, which identifies whether or not the video and audio signals, respectively, can be recorded on a magnetic tape, and the gate circuit 46 operates to supply both the video data and the audio data, indistinctly the video data or the audio data, or neither of these data, in response to the video and audio control signals applied to said circuit.

The registration signal processing circuit 47 digitally modulates the high definition signal supplied by the gate circuit 46 and supplies the modulated digital signal to the head mechanism 13 which records the high definition digital signal on a magnetic tape.

The videotape recorder 2 can also function to receive an analog high definition audio signal at a terminal t12 and to receive an analog high definition video signal at a terminal t13, which are supplied, for example, from the terminals t2 and t3 of the videotape recorder 1, as discussed above. The analog high definition audio signal is supplied to a gate circuit 48 which, in response to a control signal from a vertical blanking decoder 51, supplies the analog high definition audio signal to an analog converter 52. to digital (A / D) which converts the analog high definition audio signal into a digital high definition audio signal.

The analog high definition video signal is supplied to a gain adjustment circuit (AGC) 49 which adjusts the gain of the analog high definition video signal and supplies the gain adjusted signal to a gate circuit 50. The analog signal High definition video is also applied to the vertical blanking interval decoder 51 which generates the control signal from it and applies the control signal to both gate circuits 48 and 50. Similar to gate circuit 48, gate circuit 50 supplies, in response to the control signal, the high definition video signal to an analog-to-digital converter 54 which converts the analog high-definition video signal to a high definition video digital signal. The audio and video signal processing circuits 53, 55 perform various processes on the respective digital audio and video data, such processes including altering the order of the data and detecting / correcting errors. The processed audio and video data are supplied by circuits 53, 55 to a mixer circuit 56 which combines the data supplied thereto.

The vertical blanking interval decoder 51 (represented as VB1 signal decoder 16 in FIG. 6) extracts the VBI signal from the high definition video analog signal, extracts the VBI signal from the extracted VBI signal generation management system information. copies, and generates from the information of the copy generation management system the control signal that is supplied to the gate circuits 48, 50. When the copy generation management system information indicates that the high definition signal is fully copy protected, the vertical blanking interval decoder 51 controls the gate circuits 48 and 50 not to supply the respective audio and video signals to the analog-to-digital converters 52, 54. On the other hand, when the extracted copy generation management system information indicates that the high definition signal is partially copy protected or not copy protected, the vertical blanking interval decoder 51 controls the circuits 48, 50 to supply the respective audio and video signals to the analog-to-digital converters 52, 54. In other words, the high definition analog signal (video and audio) is recordable on a magnetic tape when the VBI signal inserted into it indicates that the high definition signal is not fully copy protected.

The vertical blanking interval decoder 51 additionally supplies the extracted copy generation management system information, as well as the data words W0-W7, to the system data processing circuit 43 that generates the auxiliary data from them. video, auxiliary audio data and sub-code data to be recorded with digital video and audio data. The system data processing circuit 43 (also represented as auxiliary data processing circuit 15 in FIG. 6) modifies the copy generation management system information to indicate that the high definition signal is fully copy protected when the copy generation management system information supplied to it indicates that the high definition signal is partially copy protected.

The system data processing circuit 43 supplies the auxiliary video data, auxiliary audio data and sub-code data as system data to the mixer circuit 56, which combines the system data, the video data and the audio data, and supplies the resulting digital signal at a transmission frequency of 40.5 Mbps (millions of bits per second) to the register signal processing circuit 46 which, as previously commented, digitally modulates and amplifies the digital signal. The digital signal is supplied to the head mechanism 13 which records the high definition digital signal on the magnetic tape.

In addition to recording (i.e., doubling) a high definition signal that is reproduced by a digital video tape recorder embodying the present invention, the present invention is also applicable to the recording and reproduction of high definition signals supplied from other devices.

ES 2 159 686 T3 sent and transmitted to other devices. For example, FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a set-top box 61 and digital video recorder 62, both of which embody the present invention. A digital radio frequency broadcast program is received by tuner and decoder 61, which tunes the system to a selected broadcast program including a copy protection signal, and supplies the selected broadcast program to a tape recorder 62. video through a digital interface or an analog interface.

The tuner and decoder 61, represented in the detailed block diagram of Figure 9B, is composed of a signal input circuit 63, a demodulator 64, an error handling circuit 65, a processor 66, a digital-converter 67 analog, a mixer circuit 68 and a VBI encoder 69. The received broadcast signal is applied to the signal input circuit 63, which includes a tuner circuit and a frequency conversion circuit, which tunes to a selected broadcast signal and frequency converts said signal, and supplies the frequency signal. converted to demodulator 64 which performs a demodulation operation corresponding to the so-called QPSK method, or QAM method, or other suitable method, on the signal converted into frequency, and supplies the demodulated signal to the error handling circuit 65. The error handling circuit 65 detects and corrects errors in the demodulated signal and provides the error corrected signal as a bit string (having, for example, an MPEG format) to processor 66 and VBI encoder 69. Processor 66 decodes the MPEG format bitstream to provide a high definition digital signal that has both video data and audio data. Processor 66 supplies the high definition digital signal to digital-to-analog converter 67 which converts the high definition digital signal to a high definition analog signal, and supplies the high definition analog signal to mixer circuit 68.

The VBI encoder 69 extracts copy generation management system data from the error corrected signal and generates therefrom a VBI signal having the format illustrated in Figures 3A and 3B. The VBI encoder 69 supplies the VBI signal to the mixer circuit 68 which superimposes the VBI signal on the high definition analog signal, and supplies the resulting high definition analog signal as an output. In an alternative embodiment, the VBI signal is combined with the high definition digital output of processor 66, as represented by the dashed line in Figure 9B, before converting the high definition digital signal to a high definition analog signal.

The tuner and decoder 61 supplies the high definition analog signal to the videotape recorder 62, which operates in a similar manner to the videotape recorder 2 shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. If the high definition analog signal is not fully copy protected, as identified by the VBI signal, the videotape recorder 62 functions to record the high definition analog signal in digital form on magnetic tape.

Figure 10 illustrates a block diagram of a digital video (DVD) disc player 71 embodying the present invention. A compressed and encoded high definition digital signal (having, for example, the MPEG format) is reproduced from a digital video disc 72 by an optical pickup device 73 which supplies the reproduced signal to a preamplifier / clipper circuit 74 in the form of wave. 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 that detects and corrects errors in the processed signal and supplies the error-corrected signal to a processor circuit. 76 and a VBI encoder 79. The processor circuit 76 generates from the processed reproduced signal a high definition digital signal and supplies the high definition digital signal to a digital-analog converter 77. The high definition digital signal is converted to a high definition analog signal and supplied to a mixer circuit 78. The VBI encoder 79 extracts from the processed reproduced signal data from the copy generation management system, generates a VBI signal from it, and supplies the VBI signal to the mixer circuit 78. The mixer circuit 78 superimposes the VBI signal on the high definition analog signal and provides as output signal the superimposed high definition analog signal. In an alternative embodiment, the VBI signal is combined with the high definition digital signal output from the processor circuit 76, and the combined signal is converted to a high definition analog signal by the digital-to-analog converter 77. The high definition analog signal output from the digital video disc player 71 can then be recorded on a magnetic tape, for example by the videotape recorder 2 discussed above.

Figure 11 is a block diagram of a MUSE converter 81 embodying the present invention and comprising a MUSE decoder 82, a mixer circuit 83, a VBI MUSE 84 decoder, and a high definition television VBI 85 encoder. As is known, MUSE is an analog transmission format in which the band of a high definition signal is compressed before being transmitted. A MUSE signal, generated by a television broadcast station, a MUSE videotape recorder, a MUSE disk drive, etc., is provided to both the MUSE 82 decoder and the VBI MUSE 84 decoder. The MUSE decoder 82 decodes the MUSE signal and supplies the decoded MUSE signal as a high definition analog signal to the mixer circuit 83. The VBI MUSE 84 decoder extracts a VBI MUSE signal from the MUSE signal and supplies this signal to a high definition television VBI encoder 95 which generates from it a high definition VBI signal, as shown in the Figures 3A and 3B. The high definition VBI signal is supplied to mixer circuit 83, which combines the analog signal of

ES 2 159 686 T3 high definition with the high definition VBI signal, and supplies the combined high definition analog signal as an output, for example, to the videotape recorder 2 shown in the figure

8.

Figure 12 is a block diagram of an NTSC to high definition converter 91 embodying the present invention, and comprising a processor 92, a mixer circuit 93, a VBI decoder 94, and a television VBI encoder 95. high definition. An NTSC video signal is supplied to processor 92, which "upconverts" the NTSC signal to obtain a high definition signal. Processor 92 is generally comprised of an interpolator, motion detector, and frame memory to perform the up conversion process, although other suitable circuitry may be used, as is well known in the art. Processor 92 supplies the high definition signal to mixer circuit 93. The NTSC signal is also supplied to VBI decoder 94, which extracts a VBI signal from it, extracts copy generation management system information from the VBI signal, and supplies the copy generation management system information to encoder 95 of VBI of high definition television. The encoder 95 generates a high definition VBI signal from the copy generation management system information and supplies the high definition VBI signal to the mixer circuit 93. The mixer circuit 93 combines the VBI signal with the analog high definition signal. define and supply the resulting signal, for example, to a videotape recorder embodying the present invention.

Although the present invention has been set forth and described particularly in conjunction with preferred embodiments thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, although copy protection data has been described as information stored as copy generation management system data in particular video and audio ancillary data packets in the high definition digital signal, the present invention is not limited to to this specific data structure and can be applied to other data structures in which the copy protection information data is stored in a different way.

As another example, although the present discussion focuses on the recording and playback of a high definition video signal, the present invention is not limited only to this type of signal format and can be widely applied to the recording and playback of various other signals. non-standard video streams.

Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to be construed to include the embodiments described herein, the alternatives mentioned above, and all their equivalents.