Magnetic tape recording apparatus and method, magnetic tape format, and recording medium therefor

A magnetic tape recording method for use in a magnetic tape recording apparatus for recording digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, said magnetic tape recording method comprising:

• a formatting step of adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• a supply step of supplying the data formatted in said formatting step to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting step continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each consisting of a detection pattern for detecting the sync block, identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a remaining quantity of the sync blocks each consist of the detection pattern, the identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks are arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A recording medium for storing a computer readable program for allowing a magnetic tape recording apparatus to record digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, said computer readable program comprising:

• a formatting step of adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• a supply step of supplying the data formatted in said formatting step to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting step continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a detection pattern for detecting the sync block, identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and remaining quantity of sync blocks each consist of the detection pattern, the identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first number of tracks by a first number of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks are arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A magnetic tape recording apparatus for recording digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, comprising:

• formatting means for adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and for formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• supply means for supplying the data formatted by said formatting means to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting means continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a detection pattern for detecting the sync block, identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a quantity of remaining sync blocks each consist of the detection pattern, the identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks are arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A magnetic tape recording method for use in a magnetic tape recording apparatus for recording digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, said magnetic tape recording method comprising:

• a formatting step of adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• a supply step of supplying the data formatted in said formatting step to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting step continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a detection pattern for detecting the sync block, identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a quantity of remaining sync blocks each consist of the detection pattern, the identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks are arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A recording medium for storing a computer readable program which allows a magnetic tape recording apparatus to record digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, said computer readable program comprising:

• a formatting step of adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• a supply step of supplying the data formatted in said formatting step to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting step continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a detection pattern for detecting the sync block, identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a remaining quantity of sync blocks each consist of the detection pattern, the identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks are arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A magnetic tape recording apparatus for recording digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, comprising:

• formatting means for adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and for formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• supply means for supplying the data formatted by said formatting means to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting means continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a detection pattern for detecting the sync block, identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a quantity of remaining sync blocks each consist of the detection pattern, the identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks are arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A magnetic tape recording method for use in a magnetic tape recording apparatus for recording digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, said magnetic tape recording method comprising:

• a formatting step of adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• a supply step of supplying the data formatted in said formatting step to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting step continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a detection pattern for detecting the sync block, three-byte identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a quantity of remaining sync blocks each consist of the two-byte detection pattern, the three-byte identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks are arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A recording medium for storing a computer readable program which allows a magnetic tape recording apparatus to record digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, said computer readable program comprising:

• a formatting step of adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• a supply step of supplying the data formatted in said formatting step to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting step continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a two-byte detection pattern for detecting the sync block, three-byte identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a quantity of remaining sync blocks each consist of the two-byte detection pattern, the three-byte identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A magnetic tape recording apparatus for recording digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, comprising:

• formatting means for adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and for formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• supply means for supplying the data formatted by said formatting means to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting means continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a two-byte detection pattern for detecting the sync block, three-byte identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a quantity of remaining sync blocks each consist of the two-byte detection pattern, the three-byte identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A magnetic tape recording method for use in a magnetic tape recording apparatus for recording digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, said magnetic tape recording method comprising:

• a formatting step of adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• a supply step of supplying the data formatted in said formatting step to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting step continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising secon sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a two-byte detection pattern for detecting the sync block, three-byte identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a quantity of remaining blocks each consist of the two-byte detection pattern, the three-byte identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.

A recording medium for storing a computer readable program which allows a magnetic tape recording apparatus to record digital data on tracks of a magnetic tape by using a rotary head, said computer readable program comprising:

• a formatting step of adding error correcting code to each of first group data including video data, audio data, or search data, and second group data including subcode data related to said first group data, and formatting said first group data and said second group data so that they are continuously disposed on the tracks of said magnetic tape;
• and
• a supply step of supplying the data formatted in said formatting step to said rotary head so as to record the data on said magnetic tape, wherein:
• said formatting step continuously disposes sync blocks on each of said tracks, each of said sync blocks having a predetermined number of bytes;
• said sync blocks comprising second sync blocks each second sync block consisting of a two-byte detection pattern for detecting the sync block, three-byte identification information for identifying the sync block, main data, and inner error correcting code added to said identification information and said main data, and a quantity of remaining sync blocks each consist of the two-byte detection pattern, the three-byte identification information, outer error correcting code, and the inner error correcting code;
• and
• said outer error correcting code is provided for each group of the sync blocks obtained by dividing third sync blocks contained in a first quantity of tracks by a first quantity of planes;
• and
• said sync blocks arranged on said magnetic tape so that a distance between the sync blocks belonging to the identical plane is constant among the planes.