Television ghost signal detector with color burst phase delay control

In a television receiver, including a source of video signals subject to contamination by ghost signals, said video signals including a signal interval suitable for use as a training signal interval, including a training signal component and a burst signal component;

• a television ghost signal detector system comprising:
• a variable delay line having a signal input and a signal output;
• means, coupled to said variable delay line, for controlling the signal delay exhibited by said delay line between its input and its output;
• means, coupled to said signal input of said variable delay line, for supplying said video signals to said delay line input during said training signal interval;
• a first tracking circuit having inputs coupled to the input and the output of said variable delay line, and an output coupled to said controlling means, and responsive to the appearance of a delayed training signal component at the output of said delay line and to the appearance of a ghost of said training signal component at the input of said delay line when a ghost signal is present for controlling said variable delay line so as to exhibit a delay between its input and output which is approximately equal to the delay between said training signal component and its ghost signal component;
• and
• a second tracking circuit having inputs coupled to the input and the output of said variable delay line, and an output coupled to said controlling means, and responsive to the appearance of a delayed burst signal component at the output of said delay line and to the appearance of a ghost of said burst signal component at the input of said delay line when a ghost signal is present, a phase detector means having inputs coupled to the input and output of said delay line for developing a control signal representative of the phase relationship of said delayed burst signal component at the output of said delay line and its ghost signal component at the input of said delay line, and means for applying said control signal to said controlling means for controlling said variable delay line in response to the phase relationship of said delayed burst signal component and its ghost signal component so as to exhibit a delay between the input and output of said delay line which is substantially equal to the delay between video signals and said ghost signals.