US 4,578,718 AGranted

Control arrangement and method for video tape recorder

AssigneeBell & Howell Company

InventorsRobert R. Parker, Dev R. Rattan

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Apparatus is provided for the control of a video tape or cassette recorder by a microcomputer. The apparatus is interfaced to the video recorder for the input and output of various control signals via the remote control connector of the video recorder. The apparatus also includes interconnections to a microcomputer, a monitor and the audio and video signals of the video recorder. The apparatus under the control of the microcomputer controls operation of the video recorder and selectively supplies either video recorder video or microcomputer video to the monitor and independently supplies one of the two audio channels of the video recorder or no audio to the monitor. The apparatus under keyboard inputs from the microcomputer controls transport functions of the video recorder including rewind, fast forward, various play speeds, stop and pause. The apparatus also controls random access and presentation of addressable frame segments and locations of a video tape or cassette and maintains an accurate frame count throughout various transport functions with respect to an accurately defined starting point.

Claims9

Dependent claims

Control apparatus for controlling the operation of a video or cassette recorder in response to control signals from a microcomputer, the video recorder having first and second audio channel signals on two respective audio signal paths and a video signal on a video signal path, the control apparatus comprising:

means for generating digital control signals responsive to the control signals from the microcomputer;
control signal means responsive to digital control signals for generating audio and video selection signals;
audio switching means responsive to said audio selection signals for selectively providing an audio monitor output of one of the first audio channel signal, the second audio channel signal and no audio in accordance with said digital control signals;
and
video switching means responsive to said video selection signals for selectively providing a video monitor output of one of the video recorder video signal and a computer generated video signal on a second video path in accordance with said digital control signals independently of said audio switching means and said audio signal selection, said digital control signals including at least data representations defining three audio selection states and two video selection states independent of said audio selection states.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/504,914Filed 16 Jun 1983
Granted: 25 Mar 1986
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04N 5/765
Television signal recording: interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
G11B 15/005
Driving, starting or stopping record carriers of filamentary or web form; Driving both such record carriers and heads; Guiding such record…:…
G11B 15/023
Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing: remotely controlled
G11B 15/026
Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing: by using processor, e.g. microcomputer