# US 5,710,859 A · Image data recorder wherein compressed data recording is stopped/started at a different time than commanded > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,710,859 A - Document ID: US5710859A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/553,873 - Filed: 1995-11-06 - Granted: 1998-01-20 - Earliest claimed: 1994-11-14 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yoshitaka Takeuchi; Akio Fujii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5710859A ## CPC - H04N 9/8042: {involving data reduction} - G11B 27/032: on tapes (G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence) - G11B 27/3027: {used signal is digitally coded} - G11B 20/10009: {Improvement or modification of read or write signals} - G11B 2220/90: Tape-like record carriers - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract Apparatus and method for recording coded image data which is coded such that frames of image data are intermixed and grouped into predetermined encoding units includes structure and steps for receiving a stop recording command or a start recording command for stopping or starting a recording operation. Structure and steps are provided for stopping or starting recording the coded image data to a recording medium in response to the stop recording command or the start recording command, respectively. Structure and steps are provided for controlling the stopping or starting recording operation to stop or start recording the coded image data at the end of an encoding unit. Preferably, the image data is encoded according to the MPEG standard, and the recording of the image coded data is not stopped/started until an entire encoding block of a Group of Pictures (GOP) is received so that all information packets necessary to decode a complete frame are present before the recording is stopped/started. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image data recorder, comprising: input means for inputting coded data in which intra-frame coded data and inter-frame coded data are mixed in at predetermined intervals; recording means for recording said coded data on a recording medium in a plurality of tracks; instruction means for providing an instruction that recording by said recording means be stopped; and control means for detecting an end of each track, and for stopping recording on the basis of a combination of (i) the operation of said instruction means, (ii) the predetermined intervals, and (iii) the detection of the end of each track. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An image data recorder according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined interval is an interval in which an error-correcting-coding process is completed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An image data recorder according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined interval corresponds to N (N.gtoreq.1) tracks. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An image data recorder according to claim 1, wherein said coded data is data coded by an encoding method in conformity with MPEG2. ### Claim 5 An image data recorder for recording image data coded by a moving picture encoding method that includes inter-fame encoding wherein a plurality of frames in a moving picture are assumed to be one encoding unit and wherein the coded image data is recorded in predetermined recording units determined by a recording medium, comprising: inputting means for inputting said coded image data; detecting means for detecting a start instruction to start recording of said coded image data; and recording means for recording said coded image data on the recording medium in accordance with an output of said detecting means, wherein said recording means controls a start recording operation such that the recording is performed from the beginning of said coded image data in said encoding unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An image data recorder according to claim 5, wherein said recording unit comprises an error-correcting-coding unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) An image data recorder according to claim 5, wherein said recording unit comprises N (N.gtoreq.1) tracks in a VTR using helical scan. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) An image data recorder according to claim 5, wherein said moving picture encoding method is an encoding method in which inter-frame encoding and inter-frame prediction encoding are combined. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) An image data recorder according to claim 5, wherein said moving picture encoding method is an encoding method in conformity with MPEG2, and said encoding unit is a GOP (group of pictures) in MPEG2. ### Claim 10 A method for recording coded image data which is coded such that frames of image data are intermixed and grouped into predetermined encoding units, said method comprising the steps of: inputting the coded image data; receiving a stop recording command or a start recording command for stopping or starting a recording operation respectively; stopping or starting recording the coded image data to a recording medium in response to the stop recording command or the start recording command, respectively; and controlling a stop recording operation or a start recording operation such that the recording is not stopped or started at the coded image data situated in the middle of the encoding unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, wherein the controlling step stops or starts recording the coded image data only at the end of an encoding unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, wherein the controlling step stops or starts recording the coded image data at the end of an encoding unit which is different from the currently-input encoding unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, wherein the recording medium has a plurality of recording tracks, and wherein the controlling step stops or starts recording the coded image data on the basis of a combination of (i) receipt of the stop recording command or the start recording command, (ii) the end of an encoding unit, and (iii) the end of each track. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10, wherein the coding method is a method in conformity with MPEG. ### Claim 15 Apparatus for recording coded image data which is coded such that frames of image data are intermixed and grouped into predetermined encoding units, said apparatus comprising: means for inputting the coded image data; means for receiving a stop recording command or a start recording command for stopping or starting a recording operation, respectively; means for stopping or starting the recording of the coded image data to a recording medium in response to the stop recording command or the start recording command, respectively; and control means for controlling a stop recording operation or a start recording operation such that the recording is not stopped or started at the coded image data situated in the middle of the encoding unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control means stops or starts recording the coded image data only at the end of an encoding unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said control means stops or starts the recording of the coded image data at the end of an encoding unit which is different from the currently-input encoding unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the recording medium has a plurality of tracks, and wherein said control means stops or starts the recording of the coded image data on the basis of (i) receipt of the stop recording command or the start recording command by the means for receiving a stop recording command or a start recording command for stopping or starting a recording operation, (ii) the end of the encoding unit, and (iii) the end of each track. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the image data is encoded by an encoding method in conformity with MPEG. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the coded image data is moving picture image data encoded in accordance with an encoding method in which inter-frame encoding and inter-frame prediction encoding are combined.