Information reproduction apparatus with control means for plural track kickback operation

• US 5,442,598 A
• Filed: 09/01/1993
• Issued: 08/15/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Haikawa, Yukihiko, Tsuji, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US08/114,349
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 369/32, 369/83, 369/84, 369/48, 369/54, 369/59, 369/60, 369/33, 369/24, 369/44.28, 369/43, 360/72.2, 360/77.04, 360/78.04, 360/77.07
• US Class Current: 369/30.23
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10768 by pre-caching the initial portion of songs or other recorded or downloaded data for starting playback instantly
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/083 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

Upon initiation of reproduction of data from a disc, the operation of writing into a buffer memory data reproduced from the disc and the operation of reading out data from the buffer memory are carried out in parallel because the buffer memory is first empty. When the data amount in the buffer memory becomes full, a pickup is kicked back from the last reproduction sector by n tracks corresponding to the data amount of L sectors and the data writing operation into the buffer memory is suspended. When the reproduction sector reaches a target sector, data writing is reinitiated, and data of L sectors is written continuously until the buffer memory becomes full.

Claims

1. An information reproduction apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a recording track of a recording medium, comprising:

reproduction means for reproducing at a first transfer rate information recorded on said recording medium by tracing said recording medium,

memory means for storing information reproduced by said reproduction means,

readout means for reading out stored information from said memory means at a second transfer rate lower than said first transfer rate, and

control means for controlling said reproduction means and said memory means such that

when the amount of information stored in said memory means exceeds a predetermined value, storage of information from said reproduction means into said memory means is suspended and the reproduction position of said reproduction means is moved back by a plurality of tracks at once with the number of tracks corresponding to an information amount to trace said recording track, and

when said reproduction means arrives at a position where information subsequent to the last information stored in said memory means is recorded, storage of information from said reproduction means to said storage means is reinitiated.

2. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium comprises a plurality of sectors in which said information is recorded in a divided manner.

3. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said information amount corresponding to the number of tracks by which the reproduction position of said reproduction means is moved back by said control means is in the unit of said sector.

4. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means stores information recorded in a plurality of said sectors in reinitiating storage of information from said reproduction means into said memory means.

5. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said recording medium comprises identification information for identifying said sector.

6. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means comprises reproduction position determination means for determining the reproduction position of said reproduction means by said identification information.

7. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means comprises detection means for detecting that said reproduction means reaches the position where information subsequent to the last information stored in said memory means is recorded by comparing identification information of the sector including the last information stored in said memory means with identification information indicating the reproduction position of said reproduction means determined by said reproduction position determination means.

8. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises

readout time determination means for determining the readout time required for reading out said information amount from said memory means, and

number of tracks determination means for determining the number of tracks corresponding to said readout time.

9. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said number of tracks determination means comprises a reference table defining the relationship between said readout time and said number of tracks corresponding to the reproduction position of said reproduction means for determining said number of tracks.

10. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising portable power supplying means for supplying power to said information reproduction apparatus.

11. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined value is the entire capacity of said memory means.

12. The information reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reproduction means comprises a linear motor type actuator.

13. An information reproduction apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a recording track of a recording medium, comprising:

reproduction means for reproducing at a first transfer rate information recorded on said recording medium,

memory means for storing information reproduced by said reproduction means,

readout means for reading out stored information from said memory means at a second transfer rate lower than said first transfer rate,

first control means for controlling said memory means, so that said memory means carries out only readout of information when the information amount stored in said storage means exceeds a predetermined value, and, so that said memory means carries out storage and readout of information when the predetermined amount of information is readout from said memory means,

estimation means for estimating a readout time period for said predetermined information amount to be read out, and

second control means for controlling said reproduction means so as to carry out only one kick back within said readout time.

14. An information reproduction apparatus for reproducing information recorded in sector units on a recording track of a recording medium, comprising:

reproduction means for reproducing at a first transfer rate information stored in said recording medium by tracing said recording medium,

memory means for storing information reproduced by said reproduction means,

readout means for reading out stored information from said memory means at a second transfer rate lower than said first transfer rate,

control means for controlling said reproduction means and said memory means so that

storage of information into said memory means is carried out in parallel with reading out information from said memory means, and when the information amount stored in said memory means exceeds a predetermined value, the reproduction position of said reproduction means is moved back by a plurality of tracks, at one time and storage of information into said memory means is suspended, and

when the reproduction position of said reproduction means reaches the position where the information subsequent to the last information stored in said memory means is recorded, storage of information into said memory means is reinitiated to store information of a plurality of sectors into said memory means continuously.