Multi-function rotary dial system including timer setting feature

A rotary dial assembly for a video tape recorder system capable of recording and reproducing video signals, performing a picture search, and performing timer activated recording, comprising:

• a sub-panel associated with a front panel of said video tape recorder system and mounting the rotary dial assembly, said sub-panel being hinged to said front panel for movement between a first position in which said sub-panel is oriented vertically so as to expose one side of said rotary dial assembly for manual operation and a second position in which said sub-panel is oriented horizontally so as to expose the other side of said rotary dial for manual operation;
• a dial manually rotatable at a desired speed in opposing first and second directions;
• a first sensing means for monitoring magnitude of angular displacement of said dial and producing a rotation angle indicative signal;
• a timer set mode switch manually operable to produce a timer set mode selector signal ordering said video tape recorder system to operate in a timer set mode;
• a display for displaying at least symbols representing a time-activated recording start timing and end timing;
• and
• a controller responsive to said timer set mode selector signal for changing the value represented by each of said symbols at a given rate on said display, said given rate being selected on the bases of the values of a direction indicative signal and said rotation angle indicative signal.

A rotary dial assembly for a video tape recorder system capable of recording and reproducing video signals, performing a picture search, and including a television tuner for varying a television signal, comprising:

• a dial manually rotatable at a desired speed in opposing first and second directions;
• a first sensing means for monitoring magnitude of angular displacement of said dial and producing a rotation angle indicative signal;
• a channel set mode switch manually operable to produce a first mode selector signal ordering said video tape recorder system to operate in a television channel set mode;
• a display for displaying at least symbols representing a time-activated recording start timing and end timing;
• and
• a controller responsive to said rotation angle indicative signal for performing said picture search for feeding fields of video signals in a forward and a reverse direction according to a rotating direction of said dial, a number of fields to feed depending upon said rotation angle indicative signal value and responsive to said first set mode selector signal for changing the value repesented by each of said symbols at a given rate on said display, said given rate being selected on the basis of the values of a direction indicative signal and said rotation angle indicative signal.

A rotary dial assembly for a video tape recorder system capable of recording and reproducing video signals, performing a picture search, and including a television tuner for varying a television channel, comprising:

• a sub-panel associated with a front panel of said video tape recorder system and mounting the rotary dial assembly, said sub-panel being hinged to said front panel for movement between a first position in which said sub-panel is oriented vertically so as to expose one side of said rotary dial assembly for manual operation and a second position in which said sub-panel is oriented horizontally so as to expose the other side of said rotary dial assembly for manual operation;
• a dial manually rotatable at a desired speed in opposing first and second directions;
• a first sensing means for monitoring magnitude of angular displacement of said dial and producing a rotation angle indicative signal;
• a channel set mode switch manually operable to produce a first mode selection signal ordering said video tape recorder system to operate in a television channel set mode;
• a display for displaying at least symbols representing a time-activated recording start timing and end timing;
• and
• a controller responsive to said first mode selector signal for changing the value represented by each of said symbols at a given rate on said display, said given rate being selected on the bases of the values of a direction indicative signal and said rotation angle indicative signal.

A video tape recorder system comprising:

• a signal processing system for processing video tape recorder signals for recording and reproducing, which signal processing system is associated with a timer for time-activated recording;
• said timer being actuatable to select a recording start timing, recording end timing and a television channel to be recorded;
• and
• a manually recordable rotary dial system associated with said timer to allow selection of said recording start timing, recording end timing and television channel by rotation thereof, said rotary dial system being rotatable for varying values to be set as said recording start timing, said recording end timing and television channel according to rotational magnitude thereof.

A video tape recorder system comprising:

• a signal processing system for processing video tape recorder signals for recording and reproducing, which signal processing system is associated with a timer for time-activated recording;
• a television tuner for selecting a television channel and in which the selected television channel is indicated on a display;
• means for triggering a channel set mode for the video tape recorder system for selecting a television channel;
• said timer being actuable to select a recording start timing, recording end timing and a television channel to be recorded;
• and
• a manually rotatable rotary dial system associated with said timer to allow selection of said rotation start timing, recording end timing and television channel by rotation thereof.

In a video tape recorder system with a rotary dial input device, a method of inputting information from a user to the video tape recorder system comprising the steps of:

• manually rotating said rotary dial at a rate to an extent and/or in a direction indicative of the desired information;
• monitoring rotation of said rotary dial;
• and
• converting the direction, speed and/or extent of rotation of said rotary dial into an information form readily employable by said video tape recorder system for performing at least two of a picture search by feeding fields of video signals depending upon the direction and/or extent of rotation of said dial and at the speed depending upon the rotation speed of said dial;
• a timer set for setting time-activated video recording operation start timing, recording operation end timing and channel to be recorded;
• and channel selection.

A video tape recorder system comprising:

• a signal processing system for processing video tape recorder signals for recording and reproducing, which signal processing system is associated with a timer for time-activated recording;
• a television tuner for selecting a television channel and in which the selected television channel is indicated on a display;
• means for triggering a channel set mode for the video tape recorder system for selecting a television channel;
• a manually recordable rotary dial system associated with said timer to allow selection of said recording start timing, recording end timing, and television channel by rotation thereof, said rotary dial system comprising:
• a dial manually rotatable at a desired speed in opposing first and second directions;
• a first sensing means for monitoring magnitude of angular displacement of said dial and producing a rotation angle indicative signal;
• a timer set mode switch manually operable to produce a timer set mode selector signal ordering said video tape recorder system to operate in a timer set mode;
• said display for displaying at least symbols representing a time-activated recording start timing and end timing;
• and
• a controller responsive to said timer set mode selector signal for changing the value represented by each of said symbols at a given rate on said display, said given rate being selected on the basis of the values of said direction indicative signal and said rotating angle indicative signal, and said controller is responsive to rotation of said dial in said channel set mode to adjust the channel selection according to angular displacement of said dial.

A rotary dial assembly for a video tape recorder system capable of recording and reproducing video signals, performing a picture search, and performing timer activated recording, comprising:

• a dial manually rotatable at a desired speed in opposing first and second directions;
• a first sensing means for monitoring magnitude of angular displacement of said dial and producing a rotation angle indicative signal;
• a timer set mode switch manually operable to produce a timer set mode selector signal ordering said video tape recorder system to operate in a timer set mode;
• a display for displaying at least symbols representing a time-activated recording start timing and end timing;
• and
• a controller responsive to said rotation angle indicative signal for performing the picture search for feeding fields of video signals in a forward and a reverse direction according to a rotating direction of said dial, a number of fields to feed depending upon said rotation angle indicative signal value and responsive to said timer set mode selector signal for changing the value represented by each of said symbols at a given rate on said display, said given rate being selected on the basis of the values of a dial rotation direction indicative signal and said rotation angle indicative signal.

A video tape recorder having a timer activated recording function comprising:

• a dial manually rotatable in opposing directions;
• sensing means for sensing the rotation of said dial;
• selecting means for selecting set modes of said time-activated recording function, said set modes comprising at least a record-starting set mode and a record-ending set mode;
• a controller responsive to said selecting means for changing the contents of each of said set modes according to an output from said sensing means.

A video tape recorder having a picture search function comprising:

• a dial manually rotatable in two directions;
• a ring rotatable in opposite two directions manually and independently of said dial;
• first sensing means for sensing the rotation of said dial;
• second sensing means for sensing the rotation of said ring;
• mode selecting means responsive to said second sensing means for selecting a jog mode or a shuttle mode, said jog mode being selected when the position of said ring is within a predetermined range from a neutral position and instead said shuttle mode is selected when the position of said ring is out of said predetermined range;
• a controller responsive to said mode selecting means for controlling tape speed in said picture search function according to said first or second sensing means, whereby said tape speed is controlled according to said first sensing means in said jog mode while the same is controlled according to said second sensing means in said shuttle mode.