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US 5,182,679 AGranted
Information recording/reproducing method and magnetic tape subsystem employing the same
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorToshifumi Nishimura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When invormation is recorded on a magnetic tape, a plurality of first data blocks which have been separately transferred from a higher rank apparatus are combined with each other while adding thereto control information for identifying each of the first data blocks, and are recorded on the magnetic tape as a continuous second data block. During a reproducing operation, either the first data blocks which have been separated based upon the control information, or the second data block containing the control information, are transferred to the higher rank apparatus.
Claims16
An information recording/reproducing method for a magnetic tape, comprising the steps of:
- combining a plurality of first data blocks which have been separately transferred from a higher rank apparatus with each other while adding thereto control information for identifying each of said first data blocks;
- recording the combined first data blocks with the added control information on the magnetic tape as a continuous second data block;
- reading said second data block from the magnetic tape;
- and
- either separating said first data blocks from said second data block based on the control information in said second data block and transferring the separated first data blocks to the higher rank apparatus, or transferring said second data block containing the control information to the higher rank apparatus.
2 more elements
A magnetic tape subsystem comprising:
- a magnetic tape apparatus for recording/reproducing data which is transmitted/received to/from a higher rank apparatus on a magnetic tape serving as a recording medium;
- a data buffer interposed between the magnetic tape apparatus and the higher rank apparatus for temporarily storing the data transmitted/received to/from the magnetic tape apparatus and the higher rank apparatus;
- and
- a magnetic tape control apparatus for controlling the operation of the magnetic tape apparatus in response to an instruction received from the higher rank apparatus, said magnetic tape control apparatus being provided with a management table for use in independently managing a plurality of first data blocks;
- wherien, during a recording operation, the magnetic tape control apparatus, using the management table, combines a plurality of first data blocks which have been separately transmitted from the higher rank apparatus with each other while adding thereto control information for identifying each of the first data blocks and records the combined first data blocks with the added control information on the magnetic tape as a continuous second data block;
- and
- wherein, during a reproducing operation, the magnetic tape control apparatus reads the second data block from the magnetic tape, and, using the management table, either separates the first data blocks from the second data block bzsed on the control information in the second data block and transmits the separated first data blocks to the higher rank apparatus, or transmits the second data block containing the control information to the higher rank apparatus.
4 more elements
An information recording/reproducign method for a magnetic tape in which data blocks recorded on the magnetic tape are separated by block intervals, comprising the steps of:
- successively receiving a plurality of first data blocks from a higher rank apparatus;
- combining the first data blocks with each other while adding thereto control information for identifying each of the first data blocks to form a continuous second data block such that the first data blocks are not separated by block intervals in the second data block;
- recording the second data block on the magnetic tape with a block interval such that a plurality of second data blocks recorded on the magnetic tape will be separated by block intervals;
- reading out the second data block from the magnetic tape;
- and
- either separating the first data blocks from the second data block based on the control information in the second data block and transferring the separated first data blocks to the higher rank apparatus, or transferring the second data block containing the control information to the higher rank apparatus.
3 more elements
A magnetic tape subsystem comprising:
- a magnetic tape apparatus for recording/reproducing data on a magnetic tape which records data blocks on the magnetic tape such that the data blocks are separated by block intervals;
- and
- a magnetic tape control apparatus coupled with the magnetic tape apparatus and a higher rank apparatus for controlling a recording/reproducing operation of the magnetic tape apparatus in response to an instruction received from the higher rank apparatus and for transferring data between the magnetic tape apparatus and the higher rank apparatus;
- wherein the magnetic tape control apparatus includes:
- means for successively receiving a plurality of first data blocks from the higher rank apparatus;
- means for combining the first data blocks with each other while adding thereto control information for identifying each of the first data blocks to form a continuous second data block such that the first data blocks are not separated by block intervals in the second data block;
- means for recording the second data block on the magnetic tape with a block interval such that a plurality of second data blocks recorded on the magnetic tape will be separated by block intervals;
- means for reading out the second data block from the magnetic tape;
- means for either separating the first data blocks from the second data block based on the control information in the second data block and transferring the separated first data blocks to the higher rank apparatus, or transferring the second data block containing the control information to the higher rank apparatus;
- control memory means for storing a management table for use in independently managing the first data blocks;
- and
- means for controlling the receiving means, the combining means, the recording means, the reading means, and the separating and transferring means in accordance with the instruction received from the higher rank apparatus and the management table stored in the control memory means.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.