Method and apparatus for digital video signal processing

A method of processing a continuous digital television information signal during recording and reproducing operations by a recording and reproducing apparatus, comprising:

• during recording, supplying successive increments of said digital television information at a first rate to a plurality of digital memories that are arranged in two groups, with each group being associated with a separate information channel;
• during recording, writing said increments of digital television information sequentially into selected ones of said memories at said first rate so that each increment of said information is written into one of said memories;
• during recording, reading increments of digital television information in said memories at a second rate that is slower than said first rate such that an increment of said digital information from a selected memory of each group is simultaneously read onto one of two information channels for subsequent digital recording, the selected memories being read are other than those into which increments of digital television information are being written;
• during reproducing, simultaneously writing an increment of said digital television information from each of said two information channels into a selected memory of each group at said second rate;
• during reproducing, sequentially reading increments of digital television information from said memories at said first rate and combining the same to reconstitute a generally continuous digital television information signal.

A method of processing a digital television information signal during recording in a recording apparatus to enable time expanded recording of a generally continuous digital television information signal, comprising:

• supplying said digital television information signal to each of four digital memories with first and third memories being associated with a first information channel and second and fourth memories being associated with a second information channel;
• writing first and second increments of said digital television information signal into respective first and second memories at a first rate;
• writing third and fourth increments of said digital television information signal into respective third and fourth memories at said first rate;
• reading said first and second increments from said first and second memories onto separate channels at a second rate slower than said first rate during writing of said third and fourth increments;
• and
• reading said third and fourth increments from said third and fourth memories onto separate channels at said second rate during the writing of said first and second increments thereby providing a time expanded digital video information signal on two channels for recording in a manner whereby none of said memories is simultaneously reading and writing.

A method of processing a digital television information signal during a recording operation in a recording apparatus to permit time expanded recording of a generally continuous digital television information signal, comprising:

• supplying said digital television information signal to each of four digital memories at a first rate, said digital television information signal being comprised of successively occurring groups of four increments, first and third of said memories being associated with a first information channel and second and fourth memories being associated with a second information channel;
• writing first and second increments of each group into respective first and second memories;
• writing third and fourth increments of each group into respective third and fourth memories;
• reading said first and second increments from said first and second memories at a second rate slower than said first rate onto said respective first and second channels during writing of said third and fourth increments;
• and
• reading said third and fourth increments from said third and fourth memories at said second rate onto said respective first and second channels during the writing of said first and second increments.

A method of processing a continuous digital television information signal for recording by a recording apparatus to record said digital television information signal, comprising:

• supplying successively occurring increments of said digital television information signal at a first rate to a plurality of digital memories wherein said memories are arranged in two groups, with each group being associated with a separate information channel, each of said increments comprising a horizontal line interval including the horizontal blanking interval and the video interval;
• writing a portion of each of said increments of said digital television information signal sequentially into selected memories at said first rate so that said portion of each increment of said digital television information signal is written into one of said memories said portion of said increment being written comprising less than the entire horizontal blanking interval and substantially all of said video interval;
• and
• reading said written portions of said increments of digital television information signal at a second rate that is slower than said first rate simultaneously from selected memories of each group onto said associated information channels such that all of said information is read thereon, the selected memories being read are other than those into which said portions of increments of digital television information signal are being written.

A method of processing a continuous digital television information signal during recording and reproducing operations by a recording and reproducing apparatus, comprising:

• during recording, supplying successive increments of said digital television information signal at a first rate to a plurality of digital memories that are arranged in two groups, with each group being associated with a separate information channel, each increment of digital television information signal comprising a horizontal line interval including the horizontal blanking interval and a video interval;
• during recording, writing a portion of said increments of digital television information signal sequentially into selected ones of said memories at said first rate so that said portion of each increment of said information is written into one of said memories, said portion including all of said video interval and a predetermined amount of said horizontal blanking interval that is less than the entire blanking interval;
• during recording, reading said written portion of said increments of digital television information signal at a second rate that is slower than said first rate such that said portion of said increment of said information from a selected memory of each group is simultaneously read onto one of two information channels for subsequent digital recording, the selected memories being read are other than those into which portions of increments of digital television information signal are being written;
• during reproducing, simultaneously writing a portion of an increment of said digital television information signal from each of said two information channels into a selected memory of each group at said second rate;
• during reproducing, sequentially reading said portions of said increments of said digital television information signal from said memories at said first rate, said reading being delayed for a time period between successive increments that corresponds to the said predetermined amount of said horizontal blanking interval, and combining said increments to reconstitute a generally continuous digital television information signal.

A method of processing a continuous digital television information signal comprising successively occurring groups of four increments during reproducing in a reproducing apparatus wherein the digital television information signal has been simultaneously recorded at a second rate on two information channels, said second rate being slower relative to a first rate, said method comprising:

• supplying said digital television information signal from each of said channels to two of four digital memories, with the first and third of said memories being associated with a first channel and the second and fourth of said memories being associated with a second channel;
• writing a first increment of each group from said first channel into said first memory at said second rate while writing a second increment of each group from said second channel into said second memory;
• writing a third increment of each group from said first channel into said third memory while writing a fourth increment of each group from said second channel into said fourth memory;
• reading said first increment from said first memory at said first rate followed by reading said second increment from said second memory at said first rate, said reading of said first and second increments occurring during the writing of said third and fourth increments;
• reading said third increment from said third memory at said first rate followed by reading said fourth increment from said fourth memory at said first rate, said reading of said third and fourth increments occurring during the writing of said first and second increments;
• and
• sequentially combining said read increments from said memories to reconstitute said continuous digital television information signal at said first rate.

In a video recording and reproducing system for processing digital television signals comprising:

• first and second sets of digital memories for writing and reading digital television information signals, each of said memories being associated with one of two information channels, each memory being coupled to receive and write input digital television information signals and to read said written signals on to one of said channels during recording, each memory being coupled to receive digital signals from one of said channels during reproducing and write the same therein, and to read the same onto a single output;
• control means
• coupled to said memories for controlling the writing and reading of said digital television information signals into and out of said memories;
• said control means being operable during recording to effect writing of predetermined increments of said digital television information signals into said memories at a first rate and to effect selective reading of said digital television information signals from said memories onto two separate channels at a second slower rate;
• said control means being operable during reproducing to effect simultaneous and selective writing of digital television information signals from said two channels into said memories at said second slower rate and to effect selective reading of said digital video signals out of said memories at said first rate;
• said control means selectively controlling the reading and writing of said memories so that reading and writing can only occur simultaneously in separate memories.

Apparatus for recording television information signals on a record medium using a rotating means carrying a plurality of transducing heads and for reproducing recorded television information signals from the record medium, comprising:

• means for removing information during the horizontal blanking interval of each horizontal line interval from an input analog composite color television signal having a color burst and color subcarrier component;
• means for sampling the analog television signal and converting said samples to digital words;
• means for inserting line data during a portion of said horizontal blanking interval of each horizontal line interval, including a sequence of synchronizing digital words, said line data identifying at least the field and color frame of a multi-field sequence in which said horizontal line interval is located and providing timing information relative to the color subcarrier signal component of said television signal, said line data having a time duration less than the duration of the horizontal blanking interval;
• digital memory means for receiving and writing into storage said digital words and line data at a first clock rate, said memory means reading said digital words and line data from storage onto at least two separate channels at a second clock rate;
• means for applying said digital words and said line data to said transducing heads for recording on said medium;
• and,
• means for reproducing said digital words and line data from said media and for applying said digital words at least a portion of said line data to said memory means at said second clock rate, said memory means providing said digital words and said portions of said synchronizing digital word sequence at said first rate in a manner whereby said digital words are recombined in their original order.