US 5,134,499 A · Video recording apparatus having control means provided therein for independently controlling the writing head and the reading head

Abstract

A video recording apparatus used for a television system and the like writes video information on a track formed on a recording medium in a writing direction which directs from a predetermined start position to a predetermined end position of track by use of a head. Thereafter, the video information is read from a desirable designated positon of the track in the writing direction. The read video information is reproduced and then its corresponding pictures are displayed on a display unit of the television system. This video information is not outputted from the recording medium in a period while the head returns to the predetermined start position of the track after the video information at the predetermined end position of the track is read out. So, this video recording apparataus can provide a memory which stores the video information and then outputs the video information during such period. Thus, the video information can be continuously obtained. Preferably, the recording medium is constructed by an optical disk or an magneto-optical disk, the memory is constructed by a semiconductor memory such as a random-access memory (RAM), and the predetermined start and end positions are innermost side and outermost side of the track.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A video recording apparatus capable of recording at least video information on a recording medium comprising:

(a) write control means for controlling a motion of a write head to write said video information on a track formed on said recording medium in a writing direction which directs from a predetermined start position to a predetermined end position in said track, said write control means returning said write head to said predetermined start position of said track when said write head reaches at said predetermined end position of said track;
and
(b) read control means for controlling the motion of a read head which can move independently of said write head to read said video information from a designated position of said track in said writing direction.

A video recording/reproducing apparatus capable of recording/reproducing at least a video information on a recording medium comprising:

(a) compressing means for compressing digitized video data indicative of said video information into compressed video data;
(b) write means for generating a write signal based on said compressed video data, said write means controlling a motion of a head to write said write signal on a track formed on said recording medium in a writing direction which directs from a predetermined start position to a predetermined end position in said track, said write means returning said head to said predetermined start position of said track when said head reaches at said predetermined end position of said track;
(c) read means for controlling the motion of said head to read said compressed video data from a designated position of said track in said writing direction;
(d) reproducing means for reproducing said compressed video data based on an output signal of said read means;
(e) expanding means for expanding said compressed video data from said reproducing means;
(f) memory means for storing said compressed video data during a period between a first time when said head writes said write signal at said predetermined end position of said track and a second time when said head starts to write said write signal at said predetermined start position of said track;
and
(g) means for outputting said compressed video data from said memory means to said expanding means instead of said compressed video data from said reproducing means in a period between a third time when said read means reads out said compressed video data at said predetermined end position of said track and a fourth time when said read means starts to read out said compressed video data at said predetermined start position of said track,
whereby said video information is continuously reproduced based on video data outputted from said expanding means.

6 more elements

A television system employing a video recording/reproducing apparatus capable of recording/reproducing at least video information outputted from a television tuner on a recording medium comprising:

(a) write control means for controlling a motion of a head to write said video information on a track formed on said recording medium in a writing direction which directs from a predetermined start position to a predetermined end position in said track, said write control means returning said head to said predetermined start position of said track when said head reaches at said predetermined end position of said track;
(b) read control means for controlling the motion of said head to read said video information from a designated position of said track in said writing direction;
(c) memory means for storing said video information during a period between a first time when said head writes said video information at said predetermined end position of said track and a second time when said head starts to write said video information at said predetermined start position of said track;
(d) means for outputting said video information read from said memory means instead of said video information read from said recording medium in a period between a third time when said video information at said predetermined end position of said track is outputted and a fourth time when said video information at said predetermined start position of said track is started to be outputted;
and
(e) selecting means for selectively outputting one of said video information from said television tuner and said video information from said read control means or said means,
whereby a display unit said television system displays pictures corresponding to said video information outputted from said selecting means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Video recording apparatus having control means provided therein for independently controlling the writing head and the reading head

Life of this patent

Video recording apparatus having control means provided therein for independently controlling the writing head and the reading head

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15