Image/audio information recording/reproduction apparatus with built-in semiconductor memory

• US 5,170,388 A
• Filed: 07/25/1990
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Endoh, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US07/557,094
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 360/8-10.3, 360/14.1-14.3, 360/19.1, 360/33.1, 360/27, 360/79, 369/47, 369/48, 369/69, 369/70, 369/14, 358/341, 358/343, 358/143
• US Class Current: 369/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/92 Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/802 involving processing of the sound signal H04N9/806, H04N9/835 take precedence

Abstract

An image/audio information recording/reproduction apparatus has a first recording device for receiving a first electrical signal representing image information and recording the image information on a dynamic recording medium of a given type, a static recording medium of a given type for storing a second electrical signal digitally representing audio information accompanying the image information, and a second recording device which is electrically connected to the static recording medium. The second recording device determines a memory address in the static recording medium of audio information accompanying the image information in a manner corresponding to a recording position of the image information on the dynamic recording medium, and records the audio information in the static recording medium in accordance with the determined memory address. The static recording medium includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory, such as an electrically erasable programmable read only memory.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording image information accompanied with audio information, comprising:

first recorder means for receiving a first electrical signal representing image information and for recording the image information on a preselected type of dynamic recording medium;

a preselected type of static recording medium for storing a second electrical signal which digitally represents audio information accompanying the image information; and

second recorder means, coupled to said static recording medium and said dynamic recording medium, for recording on said dynamic recording medium a management data specifying a storage address of the second signal in said static recording medium in a manner corresponding to a recording position of said image information on said dynamic recording medium, and for managing a relationship between a recording address of the image information on said dynamic recording medium and the storage address of the audio information accompanying said image information using said management data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said static recording medium comprises a non-volatile solid-state memory.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said non-volatile solid-state memory includes a programmable semiconductor memory.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second recorder means comprises recording head means for recording said management data together with said image information on said dynamic recording medium.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

compress means, connected to a semiconductor memory, for electrically compressing said second electrical signal and producing a compressed digital audio signal, said compressed digital audio signal being stored in said semiconductor memory.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

image reproduction means for dynamically playing back image information recorded on said recording medium, and for producing an electrical image reproduction signal representing said reproduced image information; and

audio information reproduction means, connected to said built-in information recording unit, for reading audio information accompanying said reproduced image information from said semiconductor memory under the control of said address manager means, and for producing an electrical digital audio reproduction signal representing said read-out audio information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said built-in information recording unit is removable.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

data compression means, connected to said built-in information recording unit and said audio information recorder means, for compressing said digital audio information, and for supplying compressed digital audio information having a reduced amount of data to said built-in information recording unit; and

data expansion means, connected to said built-in information recording unit and said audio information reproduction means, for expanding compressed digital audio information read out from said semiconductor memory to produce expanded digital audio reproduction information having a normal amount of data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said recording medium includes a magnetic recording medium.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said semiconductor memory includes an electrically rewritable programmable read only memory.

6. An information apparatus comprising:

image recorder means for receiving an electrical signal representing image information to be recorded, and for recording the image information on a recording medium in motion;

a built-in information recording unit having a non-volatile semiconductor memory;

audio information recorder means, connected to said built-in information recording unit, for receiving an electrical digital audio signal representing audio information accompanying said image information, and for storing in said semiconductor memory digital audio information corresponding to an image information component recorded on said recording medium; and

address manager means, connected to said image recorder means and said audio information recorder means, for recording on said recording medium a data specifying a storage address of said semiconductor memory at which the digital audio information accompanying said image information component is stored while said information component is being recorded on said recording medium, for managing, using said data, a relation between a recording position of said image information component on said recording medium and the storage address of digital audio information in said semiconductor memory, which corresponds to said recording position, and for supplying said storage address to said audio information recorder means.

12. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

data compression means, connected to said built-in information recording unit and said audio information recorder means, for compressing said digital audio information and for supplying compressed digital audio information having a reduced amount of data to said built-in information recording unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said recording medium includes a magnetic recording medium.

14. An information reproduction apparatus comprising:

image reproduction means for dynamically reproducing image information recorded on a recording medium and for producing an electrical image reproduction signal representing said reproduced image information;

built-in information storage means for electrically storing digital audio information accompanying said image information, said information storage means having a non-volatile semiconductor memory;

address manager means, connected to said image reproduction means and said information storage means, for reproducing means and said information storage means, for reproducing a data specifying a storage address of said semiconductor memory at which the digital audio information is stored while said image information is being reproduced from said recording medium, for managing, using said data, a relation between a recording position of said image information on said recording medium and the storage address of digital audio information in said semiconductor memory, which corresponds to said recording position, and for producing an address specifying signal; and

audio information reproduction means, connected to said built-in information storage means and said address manager means, for reading out audio information accompanying said reproduced image information in response to said address specifying signal, and for producing an electrical digital audio reproduction signal representing said read-out audio information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said semiconductor memory stores image information in a compressed form.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

data expansion means, connected to said built-in information storage means and said audio information reproduction means, for expanding compressed digital audio information read out from said semiconductor memory to produce expanded digital audio reproduction information having a normal amount of data.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said recording medium includes a magnetic recording medium.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said semiconductor memory includes an electrically rewritable programmable read only memory.