Apparatus and method for synchronizing asynchronous signals

An apparatus responsive to a reference signal and operative with a plurality of input electronic signals having uncontrolled synchronization thereto including in combination for each said input signal:

• a) an input processing section responsive respectively to said input signal to provide synchronizing components related thereto and to provide a processed signal which is a version of said input signal;
• b) for each said input signal a clock section for generating a sampling clock;
• c) a sampling section operative to sample said processed signal and provide samples thereof in response to said clock section;
• d) a memory section responsive to said reference signal and said samples to provide a stored signal synchronized in response to said reference signal.

An electronic apparatus for processing an input signal which is a video signal including in combination:

• a) an input processing means responsive to said input signal to separate horizontal synchronizing components therefrom and to provide a processed signal which has been restored to a known DC value;
• b) a clock means for generating a sampling clock which is phase locked to said horizontal synchronizing components;
• c) a sampling means operative to sample and digitize said processed signal and provide samples thereof in response to said sampling clock;
• d) an interpolation means responsive to groups of said samples to perform interpolation thereof to provide filtered samples having improved bits of resolution;
• e) a memory means responsive to a reference signal to temporarily store said filtered samples to provide a stored signal synchronized in response to said reference signal which reference signal may be a version of said input signal.

An apparatus responsive to a reference signal and operative with a plurality of mutually unsynchronized input signals which are video signals including in combination:

• a) for each said input signal an input processing means responsive respectively to said input signal to provide horizontal synchronizing components related thereto and to provide a processed signal which is a DC restored version of said input signal;
• b) for each said input signal a clock means for generating a sampling clock phase locked to said horizontal synchronizing components corresponding thereto;
• c) for each said input signal a sampling means operative to sample and digitize the corresponding said processed signal and provide samples thereof in response to the corresponding said clock means;
• d) for each said input signal a memory means responsive to said reference signal and the corresponding said samples to provide a stored signal synchronized in response to said reference signal.

An electronic apparatus for processing an input signal having synchronizing components including in combination:

• a) an input processing section responsive to said input signal to separate said synchronizing components thererefrom and to provide a processed signal;
• b) a clock section for generating a sampling clock;
• c) a sampling section operative to continuously sample said input signal over at least one repetition period in response to said sampling clock and provide samples thereof;
• d) an input signal disruption section to detect when said input signal is disrupted;
• e) a memory section responsive to said sampling section to store said samples of at least one repetition period and to provide a stored signal synchronized in response to a reference signal which reference signal may be a version of said input signal, with said memory section further responsive to said input signal disruption section to repetitively output said repetition period of stored samples during at least the pendency of said disruption.

A method for processing an input signal having synchronizing components including in combination the steps of:

• a) recovering said synchronizing components from said input signal;
• b) providing a processed signal in response to said input signal;
• c) generating a sampling clock;
• d) sampling said processed signal to provide samples thereof in response to said sampling clock;
• e) interpolating said samples to provide filtered samples having improved resolution;
• f) temporarily storing said filtered samples to provide a synchronized signal synchronized in response to said reference signal which reference signal may be a version of said input signal.

A method responsive to a plurality of input signals of an electronic type and having uncontrolled synchronization with respect to a reference signal, including for each said input signal the steps of:

• a) for each said input signal providing synchronizing components related thereto;
• b) providing a processed signal which is a version of said input signal;
• c) for each said input signal generating a sampling clock;
• d) sampling said processed signal and provide samples thereof in response to said sampling clock;
• e) temporarily storing said samples to provide a synchronized signal which is synchronized in response to said reference signal.