Time Compression Multiplexing of Multiple Television Signals in Satellite Channels Using Chirp Transform Processors

Higher picture quality and better link utilization can be obtained using time compression multiplexing of color television signals in satellite channels instead of the conventional approach of frequency-division multiplexing. A time compression/expansion technique based on chirp transforms is proposed for such an application. The real-time chirp transform needed is realizable by surface acoustic wave devices. The processing itself introduces truncation distortion on the signal, but the distortion can be controlled to a negligible level by proper design of the chirp filter. Preliminary results are encouraging and indicate that the method is promising for future applications.