# US 6,721,116 B1 · Method for determining whether tape is recordable and apparatus therefor

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- Number: US 6,721,116 B1
- Document ID: US6721116B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/588,786
- Filed: 2000-06-07
- Granted: 2004-04-13
- Earliest claimed: 1999-06-07
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Sei-Hyun Baik
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6721116B1

## CPC

- G11B 15/087: by sensing recorded signals
- G11B 5/00813: {magnetic tapes}
- G11B 5/09: Digital recording
- G11B 20/1816: {Testing}
- G11B 27/34: Indicating arrangements {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)}
- G11B 27/36: Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing {(for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06)}
- G11B 5/0086: {using cyclically driven heads providing segmented tracks}
- G11B 2005/001: {Controlling recording characteristics of record carriers or transducing characteristics of transducers by means not being part of their structure}
- G11B 2220/90: Tape-like record carriers
- 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

A method for recording data in a tape recorder, in particular, a method for determining whether a tape is recordable, and an apparatus therefor are provided. The method for determining whether a tape is recordable includes the steps of reproducing data and error correction data related to the data from a tape, correcting errors in the data using the error correction data, counting errors detected in said correcting step, determining that the tape is new and is recordable when the number of counted errors is larger than a first threshold value, and determining that the tape is not recordable when the number of counted errors is smaller than the first threshold value and is larger than a second threshold value. The first threshold value is larger than the second threshold value. According to the method for determining whether the tape is recordable, it is possible to inform the user whether the tape is recordable by determining the degree of deterioration and crosstalk of the tape.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
reading data and error correction information stored on a medium;
correcting errors in said stored data in dependence upon said error correction information;
counting said errors in said stored data;
when quantity of said counted errors is larger than a first predetermined quantity of errors, determining that the medium is a new medium and that the medium is recordable; and
when said quantity of said counted errors is larger than a second predetermined quantity of errors, determining that the medium is not recordable.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, said first predetermined quantity of errors being larger than said second predetermined quantity of errors.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
when said quantity of said counted errors is less than said second predetermined quantity of errors, determining that the medium is recordable.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, said first predetermined quantity of errors being larger than said second predetermined quantity of errors.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
when the medium is not recordable, warning a user that the medium is not recordable.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the warning corresponds to a displaying of a message indicating that the medium is not recordable.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, said method determining whether the medium is recordable.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
when the medium is recordable, informing a user that the medium is recordable.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein said informing being performed by displaying a message indicating that the medium is recordable.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, said reading of said data corresponding to reproducing said data.

### Claim 11

A method of identifying when a medium is recordable, comprising:
reproducing data and error correction information stored on a medium the medium corresponding to tape;
correcting errors in said stored data in dependence upon said error correction information;
counting said errors in said stored data;
when quantity of said counted errors is larger than a first predetermined quantity of errors determining that the medium is a new medium and that the medium is recordable; and
when said quantity of said counted errors is larger than a second predetermined quantity of errors, determining that the medium is not recordable.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, said first predetermined quantity of errors being larger than said second predetermined quantity of errors.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
when said quantity of said counted errors is less than said second predetermined quantity of errors, determining that the tape is recordable.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, said first predetermined quantity of errors being larger than said second predetermined quantity of errors.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
when the tape is not recordable, warning a user that the tape is not recordable.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the warning is performed by displaying a message indicating that the medium is not recordable.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
when the tape is recordable, informing a user that the tape is recordable.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein said informing is performed by displaying a message indicating that the tape is recordable.

### Claim 19

An apparatus, comprising:
a first unit correcting errors in data in dependence upon error correction information, said data and error correction information being stored in a medium;
a counter counting said errors in said data; and
a comparator comparing quantity of said counted errors with a first predetermined value;
the medium corresponding to a new medium when said quantity of said counted errors is larger than said first predetermined value the new medium being recordable;
the medium being not recordable when said quantity of said counted errors is larger than a second predetermined value.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, the medium corresponding to a digital tape.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, said apparatus identifying when the digital tape is recordable in a digital tape recorder, said digital tape recorder recording digital data on and reproducing digital data from the digital tape on which said data and error correction information are recorded.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The apparatus of claim 21, the medium being recordable when said quantity of said counted errors is less than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The apparatus of claim 22, said first predetermined value being larger than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The apparatus of claim 21, said first predetermined value being larger than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a display controller controlling a display device in dependence upon said comparing performed by said comparator, said display device displaying a warning when the medium is not recordable.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined quantity of time.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined reproducing period.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The apparatus of claim 25, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined quantity of said data.

### Claim 29 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a display controller controlling a display device in dependence upon said comparing performed by said comparator, said display device displaying a warning when the medium is not recordable.

### Claim 30 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined quantity of time.

### Claim 31 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined quantity of said data.

### Claim 32 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, said apparatus identifying when the digital tape is recordable in a digital video tape recorder, said digital video tape recorder recording digital data on and reproducing digital data from the digital tape on which said data and error correction information are recorded.

### Claim 33 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, the medium being recordable when said quantity of said counted errors is less than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The apparatus of claim 33, said first predetermined value being larger than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 35 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, said first predetermined value being larger than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 36 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, the medium being recordable when said quantity of said counted errors is less than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The apparatus of claim 36, said comparator comparing quantity of said counted errors with said second predetermined value.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The apparatus of claim 37, said first predetermined value being larger than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 39 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, said first predetermined value being larger than said second predetermined value.

### Claim 40 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined quantity of said data.

### Claim 41 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined quantity of time.

### Claim 42 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a display controller controlling a display device in dependence upon said comparing performed by said comparator, said display device displaying a warning when the medium is not recordable.

### Claim 43 (depends on 42)

The apparatus of claim 42, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined quantity of time.

### Claim 44 (depends on 42)

The apparatus of claim 42, said first unit performing said correcting of said errors in said data for a predetermined quantity of said data.