Video cassette recorder having dual decks for selective simultaneous functions

• US 5,216,552 A
• Filed: 08/30/1988
• Issued: 06/01/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tcl Govideo
• Original Assignee: GO-Video Incorporated (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Lang, Richard A., Dunlap, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): LALL, PARSHOTAM S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US07/238,199
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 358/188, 358/191.1, 358/335, 360/13-14.3, 360/15, 360/33.1, 360/16, 360/17, 360/61-63, 360/69, 369/6-12, 369/84, 455/3, 455/344
• US Class Current: 386/236
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/91 Helical scan format, wherein tracks are slightly tilted with respect to tape direction, e.g. VHS, DAT, DVC, AIT or exabyte
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A video cassette recorder and taping system is disclosed in which two video cassette decks are included within a single housing. Selection switches are provided so that a prerecorded tape may be displayed from a tape located in one video cassette unit deck while one of a plurality of inputs is being recorded on another video tape located in the second video cassette unit deck.

Claims

1. A dual deck video cassette system comprising:

means defining a tuner for connection to a receiving antenna and constructed and arranged to demodulate the signal received by said antenna to extract a video-audio signal therefrom,

means defining a first video cassette deck with record and playback capability,

means defining a second video cassette deck with record and playback capability,

means defining common housing of the two means defining video cassette decks,

the first and second means defining video cassette decks being independently operable,

means defining an output jack of the common housing connectable to a television receiver'"'"'s reception port and comprising, at said output jack an R.F. modulator to reestablish a simulation of an on-the-air video-audio,

switching means within said housing for selectively connecting;

(1) the extracted off-the-air video-audio to one or the other of said decks and independently connecting the other of said decks to the television receiver via said modulator and output jack, (2) one deck to the other directly for dubbing a played out recorded video-audio of a source cassette in one of said decks directly to a target cassette in the other of said decks without passing the source signal through an R.F. modulator in the course of dubbing, while independently allowing direct transmission of an antenna signal of the system to said television receiver via the housing without passage through the tuner and modulator within said housing or without passage of such antenna signal or of the source signal through the modulator within said housing, (3) auxiliary input or output jacks to one or the other of said decks while allowing the other of said decks to be connected to another one of said auxiliary jacks or to the television receiver via said modulator; and

(4) the extracted video-audio from the off-the-air signal simultaneously to;

(i) said receiver, and (ii) as extracted, one or the other of said decks connected to an active auxiliary jack.

2. A dual deck video cassette system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising an alternative housing output to enable provision of an unmodulated video-audio to a monitor such as the monitor portion of a television receiver.

3. A dual deck video system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said auxiliary jacks include one such jack constructed and arranged to accommodate video line input and output and another such jack constructed and arranged for direct connection to a camera video.

4. A dual deck video cassette system comprising:

means defining a tuner for connection to a receiving antenna and constructed and arranged to demodulate the signal received by said antenna to extract a video-audio signal therefrom,

means defining a first video cassette deck with record and playback capability,

means defining a second video cassette deck with playback capability only,

means defining common housing of the two means defining video cassette decks,

the first and second means defining video cassette decks being independently operable,

means defining an output jack of the common housing connectable to a television receiver'"'"'s VCR reception jack and comprising at said housing jack an R.f. modulator to reestablish an on-the-air simulation of video-audio,

switching means within said housing for selectively connecting;

(1) the extracted off-the-air video-audio to said first deck and independently connecting the said second deck to the television receiver via said modulator and output jack, (2) the second deck to the first deck directly for dubbing a played out video-audio source signal of a cassette in said second deck directly to a cassette in the first deck without passing the source signal through an R.F. modulator in the course of dubbing, while independently allowing direct transmission of an antenna signal of the system to said television receiver via the housing without passage through the tuner and modulator within said housing or with passage of the antenna signal or the source signal through the modulator within said housing, and (3a) auxiliary jacks to one or the first deck while allowing the other of said decks to be connected to another one of said auxiliary jacks or to the television receiver via said modulator, (3b) input jacks to said first deck while allowing the second deck to be connected to said television receiver via said modulator.

5. A dual deck video cassette system in accordance with claim 4 and further comprising an alternative housing output to enable provision of an unmodulated video-audio to a monitor such as the monitor portion of a television receiver.

6. A dual deck video system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said auxiliary jacks include one such jack constructed and arranged to accommodate video line input and output and another such jack constructed and arranged for direct connection to a camera video.

7. A dual deck video cassette system comprising:

a. means defining a first video cassette deck having at least playback capability;

b. means defining a second video cassette deck having at least playback capability, at least one of said means defining a video cassette deck having recording capability;

c. means defining common housing of the two means defining video cassette decks;

d. the first and second means defining video cassette decks being independently operable;

e. means defining an output jack of the common housing connectable to a television receiver'"'"'s reception port;

f. means defining an input jack of the common housing connectable to a television tuner for providing extracted off-the-air video-audio;

g. switching means within said housing for selectively connecting;

(1) extracted off-the-air video-audio to one or the other of said decks and independently connecting the other of said decks to a television receiver via the output jack,

(2) one deck to the other directly for dubbing a played out recorded video-audio of a source cassette in one of said decks directly to a target cassette in the other of said decks, while independently allowing direct transmission of an antenna signal of the system to the television receiver via the housing without passage through a tuner, or with passage of such antenna signal or of the source signal through a molulator in the housing,

(3) auxiliary input or output jacks to one or the other of said decks while allowing the other of said decks to be connected to another one of said auxiliary jacks or to the television receiver,

(4) the extracted video-audio from the off-the-air signal simultaneously to;

(a) the receiver and, as (b) extracted, one or the other of said decks which is connected to an active auxiliary jack, or

(5) the extracted video-audio from the off-the-air signal to both said decks for simultaneous copying onto cassettes located in both said decks and, selectively, the extracted video-audio, via the modulator, or the off-the-air signal directly to the receiver, or either of the decks to the receiver.

8. A dual deck video cassette system comprising:

a. means defining a first video cassette deck having at least playback capability;

b. means defining a second video cassette deck having at least playback capability, at least one of said means defining a video cassette deck having recording capability;

c. means defining common housing of the two means defining video cassette decks;

d. the first and second means defining video cassette decks being independently operable;

e. means defining an output jack of the common housing connectable to a television receiver'"'"'s reception port;

f. means defining an input jack of the common housing connectable to a television tuner for providing extracted off-the-air video-audio;

g. switching means within said housing for selectively connecting;

(1) the extracted off-the-air video-audio to said first deck and independently connecting the said second deck to the television receiver via said output jack,

(2) the second deck to the first deck directly for dubbing a played out video-audio source signal of a cassette in said second deck directly to a cassette in the first deck, while independently allowing direct transmission of an antenna signal to the television receiver via the housing,

(3) auxiliary jacks to one or the other of said decks while allowing the other of said decks to be connected to another one of said auxiliary jacks,

(4) input jacks to said first deck while allowing the second deck to be connected to the television receiver, or

(5) the off-the-air signal simultaneously to said receiver and the extracted video-audio therefrom to said first deck.