Variable transfer rate data reproduction apparatus

A data reproduction apparatus comprising:

• data reproducing means for reproducing data, which is recorded on a recording medium at a variable transfer rate, at intermittent cycles and providing a signal indicative thereof;
• data storage means, responsive to the signal from said data reproducing means, for storing therein the data reproduced by said data reproducing means;
• decoding means for decoding the data reproduced by said data reproducing means to provide a reproduction signal in sequence;
• reproduction controlling means for controlling operations of said data storage means and said decoding means, said reproduction controlling means transferring the reproduced data stored in said data storage means to said decoding means so as to allow said decoding means to provide the reproduction signal in sequence;
• said reproduction controlling means controlling a data reproduction operation of said data reproducing means so as to hold an amount of the reproduced data stored in said data storage means within a given range required for said decoding means to decode the reproduced data continuously,
• data storage monitoring means for monitoring the amount of the reproduced data stored in a memory installed in said data storage means to compare the monitored amount of the reproduced data with an upper storage level, a middle storage level, and lower storage level and providing a signal indicative thereof, said reproduction controlling means being responsive to the signal from said data storage monitoring means to inhibit the reproduced data stored in the memory from being read therefrom when the amount of the reproduced data stored in the memory is lower than the lower storage level, to inhibit the data reproduced by said data reproducing means from being stored in the memory when the amount of the reproduced data stored in the memory exceeds the upper storage level, and to allow the data reproduced by said data reproducing means to be stored in the memory when the reproduced data stored in the memory is decreased below the middle storage level, and
• middle storage level changing means for changing the middle storage level, said middle storage level changing means detecting a transfer rate of the reproduced data read out of the memory to change the middle storage level to a higher level when the transfer rate is greater than a given threshold value and to change the middle storage level to a lower level when the transfer rate is smaller than the given threshold value.