Data recording apparatus and system having sustained high transfer rates

• US 20050031318A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishijima, Hideo, Yamashita, Kazuya, Fujita, Kouji
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/235
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1251 for continuous data, e.g. digitised analog information signals, pulse code modulated [PCM] data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/001 Controlling recording characteristics of record carriers or transducing characteristics of transducers by means not being part of their structure
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10944 Real-time recording or reproducing, e.g. for ensuring seamless playback of AV data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/012 Recording on, or reproducing or erasing from, magnetic disks G11B17/00, G11B19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

According to the invention, techniques for recording data onto recording media at relatively high transfer rates for relatively long periods of time. Embodiments according to the present invention include systems and apparatus capable of an improved sustained rate of data recording onto disk type-recording media, for example. Many embodiments can remove the upper limits of both recording capacity and the number of media that can be used. Select embodiments can be used with different kinds of recording media as well. In a specific embodiment, the area on a hard disk is divided into three areas. A first area can be suitable for sequential recording of continuous data. A second area can be suitable for random recording of discontinuous data. A third area can be used for recording logical sector numbers, coupling logical sector numbers, and file information that are used for marking each of the first and second areas, so that continuous data can be recorded on the hard disk at a high data rate.

Claims

1. A data recording apparatus comprising:

a data input circuit to which video data and/or audio data is inputted;

a recording medium for endlessly recording said video and/or audio data in a predetermined area of said recording medium;

a selecting circuit capable of selecting video data and/or audio data in any time frame from the video data and/or audio data recorded on said recording medium; and

a control circuit for controlling said recording medium so that said video data and/or audio data selected by said selecting circuit can be saved in parallel with said endless recording operation.

2. A data recording apparatus comprising:

a data input circuit configured to receive video and/or audio data;

a hard disk for endlessly recoding said video data and/or audio data in a predetermined area of said hard disk;

a selecting circuit capable of selecting video data and/or audio data in any time frame including the past and the future from said video data and/or audio data that is recorded on said hard disk; and

a control circuit for controlling said hard disk so that said video data and/or audio data selected by said selecting circuit can be saved in parallel with said endless recording operation.

3. A data recording apparatus comprising:

a data input circuit to receive video and/or audio data;

a hard disk for endlessly recording said video data and/or audio data in a predetermined area of said hard disk;

an instruction input circuit for entering an instruction to select a range of video data and/or audio data to be recorded on said hard disk; and

a data saving circuit for saving said range of video data and/or audio data in parallel with said endless recording operation,

said instruction input circuit being capable of specifying any time frame including the past and the future relative to the time said instruction is entered.

4. A data recording apparatus for recording data on a recording medium, comprising:

a data recorder for recording data on said recording medium;

a data selector for selecting data arbitrarily from said data recorded on said recording medium; and

a data saving circuit for saving said selected data on said recording medium,

said saving circuit operating in parallel with said data recorder.

8. A data recording apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said data recorder and said data saving circuit are each provided with a time sharing parallel operation circuit that enables said data recorder and said data saving circuit to operate in a time-sharing manner.

12. A data recording apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said data is video data and/or audio data.

5. A data recording apparatus for recording data on a recording medium including a first area and a second area, comprising:

a data recorder for recording data in said first area on said recording medium;

a data selector for selecting data arbitrarily from said data recorded in said first area; and

a data saving circuit for saving said selected data as data for said second area,

said saving circuit operating in parallel with said data recorder.

6. A data recording apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said first area and said second area are different recoding media.

7. A data recording apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said data recorder records data endlessly in said first area.

9. A data recording apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said data recorder and said data saving circuit are each provided with a time sharing parallel operation circuit that enables said data recorder and said data saving circuit to operate in a time-sharing manner.

10. A data recording apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said recording medium has a third area in addition to said first and second areas, and management information for data in said first and second areas is recorded in said third area.

11. A data recording apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said recording medium is a disk-type recording medium, and said apparatus further includes an area division setting circuit for setting a recordable size for each of said first and second areas.

13. A data recording apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said data is video data and/or audio data.

14. A method for recording video data and/or audio data with a data recording apparatus, comprising:

receiving video data and/or audio data;

endlessly recording said video data and/or audio data to a predetermined area on a recording medium;

selecting video data and/or audio data in any time frame including the past and the future from said video data and/or audio data that is recorded on said recording medium; and

controlling said recording medium so that said video data and/or audio data in said selected time frame is saved in parallel with said endless recording operation.

15. A method for recording video data and/or audio data with a data recording apparatus, comprising:

receiving video data and/or audio data;

recording endlessly video data and/or audio data inputted to said data input circuit to a predetermined area on a hard disk;

selecting video data and/or audio data in any time frame including the past and the future from video data and/or audio data recorded on said hard disk; and

controlling said hard disk so that said video data and/or audio data in said selected time frame is saved in parallel with said endless recording operation.

16. A method for recording video data and/or audio data with a data recording apparatus, comprising:

receiving video data and/or audio data;

recording endlessly video data and/or audio data to a predetermined area on a hard disk;

receiving a selection request;

in response to said selection request, selecting a range of video data and/or audio data from video data and/or audio data recorded on said hard disk; and

saving said selected video data and/or audio data on said hard disk in parallel with said endless recording operation,

said range of video data and/or audio data being selected with any time frame including the past and the future relative to a time of said selection request.

17. A method for recording data on a recording medium with a data recording apparatus, comprising:

recording data on said recording medium;

selecting data arbitrarily from the data recorded on said recording medium; and

saving said selected data on said recording medium, said saving of data being performed in parallel with said data recording operation.

18. A method for recording data on a recording medium including a first area and a second area with a data recording apparatus, comprising:

recording data in a first area on said recording medium;

selecting data arbitrarily from the data recorded in said first area; and

saving said selected data as data for said second area in parallel with said data recording operation.