Disk playback apparatus

• US 5,559,776 A
• Filed: 02/27/1996
• Issued: 09/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikenaga, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindi, Nabil Z.
• Application Number:
  US08/607,656
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• Field of Search: 369/32, 369/44.26, 369/34, 369/33, 369/2, 369/54, 369/58, 369/60, 369/48, 369/50, 369/30, 369/47, 369/124, 369/49, 360/61, 364/449
• US Class Current: 369/47.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/228 Control systems for magazines G11B17/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22

Abstract

A disk recording medium playback apparatus wherein a plurality of disks are stored in a magazine, fetched one at a time for reproduction, and the information read from each fetched disk is written to a buffer memory at a higher speed than the speed at which the data is read out from the buffer memory and reproduced, thereby allowing a controlling apparatus enough time to sense by address codes in the reproduced data that reproduction of one disk is finished and that the first disk must be replaced in the magazine and another disk fetched. During replacement of a disk and retrieval of a new disk, data is read out from the buffer memory and reproduced so that there is no interruption of the reproduced data.

Claims

1. A continuous-playback method for continuously playing back a plurality of recording media each containing a plurality of recorded digital information signals corresponding to a plurality of recorded programs, table-of-contents information (TOC), and address information comprising the steps of:

(a) operating a recording media magazine apparatus to selectively fetch a recording medium from among the plurality of recording media;

(b) reading the TOC information, a digital information signal corresponding to a selected program, and the address information recorded in the selectively fetched recording medium;

(c) temporarily storing the digital information signal read from the selectively fetched recording medium in a storage means;

(d) audibly reproducing the digital information signal stored in the storage means while comparing the address information read from the selectively fetched recording medium to both a predetermined address corresponding to a predetermined time, the predetermined time corresponding to a time which is less than is required to reproduce the selected program from a start address for the selected program derived from the TOC information, and an end address of the recording medium which is derived from the TOC information; and

(i) if the address information is equal to the predetermined address, stopping audible reproduction of the digital information signal stored in the storage means, reading a different digital information signal and address information from the fetched recording medium corresponding to a second selected program, and repeating steps (c) and (d); and

(ii) if the address information read from the selectively fetched recording medium is equal to the end address, controlling the recording media magazine apparatus to replace the recording medium with another recording medium while continuously outputting data from the storage means and audibly reproducing the output data while the recording medium is being replaced with another recording medium.

2. A continuous-playback method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

writing said digital information signal read from the selectively fetched recording medium into said storage means at a write speed higher than a read speed at which said digital information signal is read back from said storage means.

3. A recording-medium reproducing apparatus with a replacing function for replacing a recording medium with another recording medium, the apparatus comprising:

a replacing means for selectively fetching a recording medium from a recording-medium accommodating unit for accommodating a plurality of recording media each having a digital information signal and address information recorded therein;

a reading means for reading the digital information signal from the fetched recording medium;

a memory for temporarily storing the digital information signal read and supplied by the reading means, wherein the digital information signal is written into the memory at a write transfer rate higher than a read-out transfer rate at which the digital information signal is read out therefrom;

a recording-medium reproducing unit for performing predetermined signal processing on the digital information signal read-out from the memory and outputting a result of the predetermined signal processing as a reproducing signal from the fetched recording medium, the recording-medium reproducing unit including a decoding means for extracting address information out of the digital information signal output from the reading means; and

a control means for controlling the recording-medium reproducing unit so that the recording medium reproducing unit reproduces the fetched recording medium for a predetermined period of reproducing time which is less than a time required to fully reproduce a selected program on the disk and is at least as long as a time required to disengage the reading means, to replace by the replacing means the fetched recording medium with another recording medium, and to reengage the reading means, and for allowing the digital information signal to be reproduced continuously from the memory while the replacing means is performing an operation to replace the fetched recording medium with another recording medium, wherein the address information output from the decoding means is supplied to the control means and when the address information supplied by the decoding means reaches a predetermined end address which corresponds to the predetermined period of reproducing time, the control means outputs a control signal to the replacing means, the control means requesting the replacing means to perform an operation to replace the fetched recording medium with another recording medium while the digital information signal is being read out from the memory.

4. A continuous reproducing method using a plurality of recording media for continuously reproducing the plurality of recording media on each of which is recorded a plurality of information signals and address information, said method comprising steps of:

selecting and extracting, by a replacing means, a recording medium from a container that contains the plurality of recording media;

reading and reproducing, by a reproducing means, one of the information signals and the address information from the extracted recording medium;

storing, in a storing means, the address information and temporarily storing the information signal supplied from the extracted recording medium by said reading means; and

comparing the address information read out from the extracted recording medium to an end address,

if a reproducing time from a start point of the information signal is a predetermined time according to the address information when one of information signal is read out and reproduced from the extracted recording medium, wherein said predetermined time is less than a time required to fully reproduce a selected program on the disk and is at least as long as a time required to disengage said reading means, to replace by said replacing means said fetched recording medium with another recording medium, and to reengage said reading means, controlling said reproducing means to access, read out, and reproduce another information signal according to the address information, and

if the address information readout from the extracted recording medium is equal to the end address, controlling said replacing means to replace the recording medium with another recording medium and continuously output data from said storing means while the recording medium is replaced with the another recording medium.