Dubbing apparatus and dubbing method

A dubbing apparatus capable of selecting either a predetermined-speed dubbing mode or a high-speed dubbing mode allowing dubbing of data to be carried out within a period of time shorter than that of said predetermined-speed dubbing mode in an operation to record data played back from said first recording medium for recording data controlled in program units into a second recording medium, said dubbing apparatus comprising:

• information storage means for storing information associated with one of said pieces of data stored in said first recording medium and used for indicating whether or not said piece of data associated with said information has been subjected to high-speed dubbing during a predetermined period of time in the past with the present point of time taken as a reference;
• first high-speed-dubbing-judging means for forming a judgment as to whether or not a piece of data stored on said first recording medium and specified to undergo high-speed dubbing has been subjected to high-speed dubbing during a predetermined period of time in the past with the present point of time taken as a reference on the basis of information stored in said information storage unit and associated with said piece of data;
• and
• recording control means for assigning pending status to high-speed dubbing of a piece of data stored on said first recording medium and judged by said first high-speed-dubbing-judging means to be a piece of data subjected to high-speed dubbing during a predetermined period of time in the past with the present point of time taken as a reference and for implementing high-speed dubbing of a piece of data stored on said first recording medium and judged by said high-speed-dubbing-judging means to be a piece of data not subjected to high-speed dubbing during a predetermined period of time in the past with the present point of time taken as a reference on a priority basis.

A dubbing-processing method for carrying out sequential high-speed dubbing on a program stored on a first recording medium to a second recording medium in a dubbing apparatus prohibiting high-speed dubbing of a program stored on a first recording medium and subjected to high-speed dubbing during a predetermined period of time in the past with the present point of time taken as a reference till the end of the lapse of said predetermined period of time as a reaction to a command to again carry out high-speed dubbing on said program, said dubbing-processing method comprising the steps of:

• sequentially forming a judgment as to whether or not a program stored in said first recording medium and specified to undergo high-speed dubbing is an object of high-speed-dubbing prohibition;
• assigning pending status to high-speed dubbing of a program stored on said first recording medium, specified to undergo high-speed dubbing and judged to be an object of high-speed-dubbing prohibition and implementing high-speed dubbing of a program stored on said first recording medium, specified to undergo high-speed dubbing and judged to be not an object of high-speed-dubbing prohibition in the past on a priority basis;
• forming a judgment as to whether or not all programs each stored on said first recording medium and judged to be not an object of high-speed-dubbing prohibition have each completed high-speed dubbing to said second recording medium;
• and
• recording programs each stored on said first recording medium and judged to be an object of high-speed-dubbing prohibition onto said second recording medium starting with one of said programs having the lapse of said predetermined period of time completed upon completion of said high-speed dubbing of all programs each stored on said first recording medium and judged to be not an object of high-speed-dubbing prohibition to said second recording medium.