Rotary head recording and playback apparatus and method
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazuhito Endo, Masayuki Ishida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a method of recording digital information signals to form tracks on a magnetic tape, the samples of the signals to be recorded are divided into a plurality of odd sample groups and a plurality of even samples groups. The groups containing adjacent samples are disposed on differently-numbered regions of different tracks. Error correcting codeword may be recorded in a plurality of tracks. Errors in one region can be corrected or compensated by samples in different tracks or samples in differently-numbered regions.
Claims29
An apparatus for recording digital information signals from two or more channels, the information signals being inputted for a predetermined time, on a recording medium to form four or more tracks, the information being distributed along the tracks, each track having a number of regions equal to the number of channels, the digital information signals being divided into m number of groups for each channel, m being equal to the number of tracks, comprising:
- recording signal processing means for interleaving the digital information signals and for outputting the interleaved digital information signals onto the recording medium to form the four or more tracks;
- and
- recording means for recording the signals supplied from said recording signal processing means on the recording medium to form the tracks;
- said recording signal processing means dividing the digital information signals into odd samples and even samples for each channel, dividing the odd samples for each channel into m/2 sample groups and dividing the even samples for each channel into m/2 sample groups, consecutive samples of a same channel being assigned to different sample groups;
- said recording signal processing means interleaving the sample groups such that the sample groups recorded in the regions of each track are from different channels and sample groups containing consecutive samples of a same channel are located in different regions of adjacent tracks, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the tracks.
A rotary-head playback apparatus for performing sequential scanning along four or more tracks formed on a recording medium to playback digital information signals of a predetermined time, each track having a m number of regions, m being equal to a number of channels, the digital information signals being distributed over the regions of the tracks, the digital information signals for each channel being divided into even and odd samples, the even samples of each channel being divided into m/2 sample groups and the odd samples of each channel being divided into m/2 sample groups, such that consecutive even samples and consecutive odd samples are assigned to different sample groups, sample groups containing consecutive samples of a same channel being located in adjacent tracks at different regions, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the tracks, comprising:
- playback means for scanning the tracks to reproduce signals;
- playback signal processing means for receiving digital information signals formed by samples produced by said playback means, for rearranging, for each channel, the samples of the tracks as a unit, and for outputting the rearranged samples;
- and
- signal compensation means for receiving the rearranged samples from said playback signal processing means and for compensating samples in which an error has occurred, by using a sample from a track adjacent to the track having the sample with the error;
- said playback signal processing means grouping samples associated with a channel for a predetermined time period from different regions and different tracks and outputting the samples after having been restored to an original sample order.
A method for recording digital information signals of n channels, n being an integer equal to or greater than two on a recording medium, the digital information signals being distributed across m tracks, m being an even number equal to or greater than four, each track having n regions, comprising the steps of:
- (a) dividing the digital information signals for each of the n channels for a predetermined time into m groups so that the digital information signals are recorded in a number of regions equal to a product of n and m;
- (b) dividing even samples and odd samples of the digital information signals for each channel into m/2 number of sample groups, respectively, the sample groups of different channels being allocated to the n regions in each track, consecutive samples being assigned to different sample groups;
- and
- (c) recording sample groups containing consecutive samples for a same channel in adjacent ones of the m tracks at different regions, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the tracks.
A method for performing sequential scanning along m, where m is an even number greater than or equal to four, number of helical tracks formed on a recording medium to playback digital information corresponding to a plurality of channels, each track having a plurality of regions, the digital information signals being divided into even and odd samples, the even and odd samples being divided into m/2 sample groups such that consecutive even samples and consecutive odd samples are assigned to different sample groups, sample groups containing consecutive samples of a same channel being located in adjacent tracks at different regions, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the tracks, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming digital information signals for each channel from signals played back from the regions of different tracks;
- and
- (b) outputting the digital information signals after having restored the digital information signals to an original sampling order.
An apparatus into which digital information signals of n channels, n being an integer equal to or greater than two, are inputted for a predetermined time and recorded on a recording medium, comprising:
- signal processing means for interleaving digital information signals of n channels inputted for a predetermined time and for outputting the interleaved signals;
- recording means for recording the signals formed of samples supplied from said signal processing means onto the recording medium to form m tracks, each track having a number of regions equal to a product of n and two, the digital information signals for each channel being divided into a number of groups equal to a product of m and two, the digital information signals being recorded in the regions over m tracks;
- said signal processing means interleaving the samples such that even samples for each channel are divided into m sample groups and odd samples for each channel are divided into m sample groups, respectively, consecutive samples are assigned to different sample groups, one of the even sample groups and one of the odd sample groups, for each channel, are disposed in each track, and sample groups containing consecutive samples for a same channel are recorded in different tracks and at different regions, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the tracks.
A rotary-head playback apparatus for sequential scanning along m number of tracks formed on a recording medium to playback digital information signals, m being equal to or greater than 2, each track having a plurality of regions, the digital information signals being distributed across the regions, the digital information signals being divided into even and odd samples, the even and odd samples each being divided into m/2 sample groups such that consecutive even samples and consecutive odd samples are assigned to different sample groups, sample groups containing one of consecutive odd samples and consecutive even samples of a same channel being located in non-adjacent tracks, comprising:
- playback means for scanning the tracks to produce digital signals;
- playback signal processing means for receiving the digital signals formed of samples played back by said playback means, for rearranging, for each channel, the digital signals of the tracks as a unit, and for outputting the rearranged signals;
- and
- signal compensating means for receiving the rearranged signals from said playback signal processing means and for compensating samples in which an error has occurred using a sample adjacent thereto;
- said playback signal processing means forming digital information signals for one channel from signals played back from the plurality of regions of m tracks, each track having a region containing even samples and a region containing odd samples.
A recording method in which digital information signals of n channels, n being an integer equal to or greater than two, are inputted for a predetermined time and recorded on a recording medium, the digital information signals being distributed across m tracks, m being a number equal to or greater than four, each track having a number of regions equal to a product of n and two, comprising the steps of:
- (a) dividing the digital information signals for each channels into groups;
- (b) dividing the digital information signals for each channel into m sample groups of even samples and m sample groups of odd samples such that consecutive samples are assigned to different sample groups, respectively, the sample groups of different channels being allocated to different regions in each track;
- and
- (c) recording sample groups containing consecutive samples for a same channel in different tracks and at different regions, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the tracks.
A playback method for performing sequential scanning along tracks formed on a recording medium to playback digital information signals, each track having a plurality of regions, the digital information signals being distributed across the regions of m tracks, m being an integer equal to or greater than four, the digital information signals being divided into even and odd samples, the even and odd samples each being divided into m/2 sample groups such that consecutive even samples and consecutive odd samples are assigned to different sample groups, sample groups containing one of consecutive odd samples and consecutive even samples of a same channel being located in nonadjacent tracks, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming digital information signals of one channel from signals played back from the regions of m different tracks;
- and
- (b) performing error detection and error correction using error detection and correcting codewords pre-recorded in a plurality of tracks of the m tracks.
An apparatus for recording video signals and digital information signals of N channels, N being an integer equal to or greater than two, comprising:
- a plurality of sets of M heads, M being an integer equal to or greater than two, mounted in proximity to each other;
- recording signal processing means for dividing the digital information signals of N channels into groups, for dividing even samples of each channel into M groups and odd samples of each channel into M groups such that consecutive odd samples and consecutive even samples are assigned to different groups, and for outputting the groups;
- coding means for coding error detection and error correction codewords;
- and
- recording means for sequentially recording signals outputted from said recording signal processing means into a magnetic tape to form tracks inclined with respect to a direction corresponding to a length of the magnetic tape, for each scanning by each set of M heads one segment consisting of M tracks is recorded, said recording means recording said signals such that digital information signals correspond to X segments are recorded in one of said X segments, X being an integer equal to or greater than two, each of the M tracks having a number of regions equal to a product of N and two, said recording means recording the signals outputted from said recording signal processing means such that an even sample group and an odd sample group for each channel are recorded in each track of said one of said X segments and groups containing consecutive samples of the same channel are recorded in different regions of adjacent tracks, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the track.
An apparatus having a plurality of sets of M heads, M being an integer equal to or greater than two, mounted in proximity to each other, for recording video signals and digital information signals of N channels, N being an integer equal to or greater than two, to form tracks inclined with respect to a direction corresponding to a length of a magnetic tape, for each scanning by each set of M heads one segment consisting of M tracks is recorded, digital information signals corresponding to X segments being recorded in one of said X segments, X being an integer equal to or greater than two, the digital information signals being divided into even and odd samples, the even and odd samples each being divided into M/2 sample groups such that consecutive even samples and consecutive odd samples are assigned to different sample groups, sample groups containing one of consecutive odd samples and consecutive even samples of a same channel being located in non-adjacent tracks, and for playing back, from a magnetic tape each of M tracks in the area, digital information signals for N channels inputted for a predetermined time at recording and having been time-axis compressed, comprising:
- playback signal processing means for receiving the digital information signals formed of samples played back from the heads, for rearranging, for each channel, the samples of the M tracks, and for outputting the rearranged samples;
- decoding means for detecting or correcting errors contained in the samples;
- and
- compensation means for compensating the sample not corrected by said decoding means by using a mean value of adjacent samples;
- said playback signal processing means forming digital information signals for each channel from signals played back from a number of regions equal to a product of N and two for each track;
- said playback signal processing means rearranging the samples, as a unit, into a sampling order which is the same as before recording.
An apparatus for recording digital information signals from two or more channels on a recording medium to form m tracks, the information signals being inputted for a predetermined time, the information being distributed along the tracks, each track having a number of regions equal to the number of channels, comprising:
- recording signal processing means for interleaving the digital information signals and for outputting the interleaved digital information signals;
- and
- recording means for recording the signals supplied from said recording signal processing means on the recording medium to form the tracks;
- said recording signal processing means dividing the digital information signals into odd samples and even samples for each channel, dividing the odd samples for each channel into m/2 sample groups and dividing the even samples for each channel into m/2 sample groups, one of consecutive odd and consecutive even samples of a same channel being assigned to different sample groups;
- said recording signal processing means interleaving the sample groups such that the sample groups recorded in the regions of each track are from different channels and sample groups containing consecutive samples of a same channel are located in adjacent regions of different tracks, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the tracks.
A method for recording digital information signals of n channels, n being an integer equal to or greater than two on a recording medium, the digital information signals being distributed across m tracks, each track having n regions, comprising the steps of:
- (a) dividing the digital information signals for each of the n channels for a predetermined time into m groups so that the digital information signals are recorded in a number of regions equal to a product of n and m;
- (b) dividing even samples and odd samples of the digital information signals for each channel into m/2 number of sample groups, respectively, the sample groups of different channels being allocated to the n regions in each track, one of consecutive odd samples and consecutive even samples being assigned to different sample groups;
- and
- (c) recording sample groups containing consecutive samples for a same channel in adjacent tracks at different regions, the different regions being formed at different positions in a longitudinal direction of the tracks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.