Method and apparatus for storing different types of data on the same storing medium

• US 7,016,601 B1
• Filed: 02/07/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshimoto, Masakazu, Shiga, Tomohisa, Yoneya, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/499,563
• Time in Patent Office: 2,234 Days
• Field of Search: 725/87, 725/91, 725/92, 725/103, 725/104, 725/114, 725/115, 725/138, 725/144, 725/145, 386/96, 386/98, 386/45, 386/125, 386/126, 711/114, 714/770
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2182 involving memory arrays, e.g. RAID disk arrays RAID arrays per se G06F3/0689; use of parity to protect data in RAID systems G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2312 Data placement on disk arrays data placement in general G06F3/0604
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals

Abstract

A data storing apparatus for inputting and outputting a plurality of types of data in parallel and storing data with a disc shaped record medium that is randomly accessible is disclosed, that comprises an inputting means for inputting a plurality of types of data in parallel and categorizing the plurality of types of data for each type, a recording means composed of at least one disc shaped record medium that is randomly accessible, and a record controlling means for distributively recording at least one channel of and the plurality of types of data that is input by said inputting means to radially divided areas of the disc shaped record medium, the radially divided areas corresponding to the types of data.

Claims

1. A data recording/reproducing apparatus designed to receive an input data and to generate an output data, comprising:

a plurality of record media that are random-accessible, in which each of said plurality of record media is operable to store therein at least two different types of data, each type of data being stored in a respective circumferential area of the media that is radially allocated;

recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing data to and from said plurality of record media; and

a plurality of input and output processing means for accessing said recording and reproducing means on time division basis, outputting said at least two different types of data that are received as input from outside the data recording/reproducing apparatus to said recording and reproducing means, and outputting the input data after processing the same,

wherein each of said plurality of input and output processing means has;

input means for outputting record area information and the data that is input from the outside to said reproducing and reproducing means so that the data is recorded to predetermined areas of said plurality of record media corresponding to the different types of data, and

wherein said recording and reproducing means record the different types of data to the predetermined areas of said plurality of record media corresponding to the record area information that is output from said input means;

wherein each of said random accessible record media is operable to store at least two different types of data thereby storing a higher quantity of data within each of said plurality of randomly accessible record media than storing only a single type of data therein.

2. The data recording and reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the different types of data are video data and audio data.

3. The data recording and reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the record area information is information representing an address of a record start position and an address of a record end position of one of said plurality of record

media.

4. A data recording and reproducing method for accessing recording and reproducing means, outputting data to the recording and reproducing means, inputting reproduced data that is output from the recording and reproducing means, and outputting the data to the outside, the recording and reproducing means recording and reproducing the data to a record medium that is random-accessible on time division basis, the data containing different types of data that are input from the outside, the method comprising the steps of:

outputting record area information and the data to the recording and reproducing means so that the different types of data are recorded to predetermined areas of the record medium, each type of data being recorded in a respective circumferential area of the media that is radially allocated;

recording the different types of data to the predetermined areas of the record medium corresponding to the record area information that is output to the recording and reproducing means at the outputting step; and

reproducing the different types of data from the predetermined areas of the record medium, outputting the different types of data on time division basis, and outputting them to the outside;

wherein the record medium is operable to store at least two different types of data thereby storing a higher quantity of data in the randomly accessible record medium than storing only a single type of data therein.

5. The data recording and reproducing method as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the different types of data are video data and audio data.

6. The data recording and reproducing method as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the record area information is information representing an address of a record start position and an address of a record end position of the record medium.

7. A data recording apparatus, comprising:

a record medium that is random-accessible and which is operable to store therein at least two different types of data, each type of data being stored in a respective circumferential area of the media that is radially allocated;

recording means for recording data to said record medium; and

a plurality of output processing means for accessing said recording means on time division basis and outputting said at least two different types of data that are input from the outside to said recording means,

wherein each of said output processing means has;

input means for outputting record area information and the data to said recoding means so that the different types of data are recorded to predetermined areas of said record medium, and

wherein said recording means records the different types of data to the predetermined areas corresponding to the record area information that is output from said input means;

wherein the record medium is operable to store at least two different types of data thereby storing a higher quantity of data in the randomly accessible record media than storing only a single type of data therein.

8. The data recording apparatus as set forth in claim 7,

wherein the different types of data are video data and audio data.

9. The data recording apparatus as set forth in claim 7,

wherein the record area information is information representing an address of a record start position and an address of a record end position of said record medium.

10. A data recording method for accessing recording and reproducing means, outputting data to the recording and reproducing means, and recording the data to the recording and reproducing means, the recording and reproducing means recording the data to a record medium that is random-accessible on time division basis, the data containing different types of data that are input from the outside, the method comprising the steps of:

outputting record area information and the data to the recording and reproducing means so that the different types of data are recorded to predetermined areas of the record medium, each type of data being recorded in a respective circumferential area of the media that is radially allocated; and

recording the different types of data to the predetermined areas of the record medium corresponding to the record area information that is output to the recording and reproducing means at the outputting step;

wherein the record medium is operable to store at least two different types of data thereby storing a higher quantity of data in the randomly accessible record medium than storing only a single type of data therein.

11. The data recording and reproducing method as set forth in claim 10,

wherein the different types of data are video data and audio data.

12. The data recording and reproducing method as set forth in claim 10,

wherein the record area information is information representing an address of a record start position and an address of a record end position of the record medium.

13. A data recording and reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a record medium that is random-accessible and which is operable to store therein at least two different types of data, each type of data being stored in a respective circumferential area of the media that is radially allocated;

recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing the data to and from said record medium, the data containing video data and audio data; and

a plurality of input and output processing means for accessing said recording and reproducing means on time division basis, outputting data that is input from the outside to said recoding and reproducing means, inputting data reproduced by said recording and reproducing means, and outputting the data to the outside,

wherein each of said input and output processing means has;

input means for changing the divide ratio of a record area for video data and a record area for audio data of said record medium corresponding to at least the data that is input from the outside and outputting record area information and the data to said recording and reproducing means so that the video data and the audio data are recorded to predetermined areas of the record medium, and

wherein said recording and reproducing means records the data to the predetermined areas of the record medium corresponding to the record area information that is output from said input means, reproduces the data from said record medium, and outputs the reproduced data to each of said input and output processing means on time division basis;

wherein the record medium is operable to store at least two different types of data thereby storing a higher quantity of data in the randomly accessible record medium than storing only a single type of data therein.

14. The data recoding and reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 13,

wherein each of said input and output processing means changes the divide ratio corresponding to the transmission rate of the video data that is input from the outside and the number of channels of the audio data.

15. The data recoding and reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 14,

wherein said record medium that is random-accessible is a disc shaped record medium, and

wherein each of said input and output processing means changes the divide ratio corresponding to a recording method of RAID for the audio data along with the transmission rate of the video data and the number of channels of the audio data.

16. The data recoding and reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 13,

wherein the record area information is information representing an address of a record start position and an address of a record end position of said record medium.

17. A data recording and reproducing method for accessing according and reproducing means, outputting data to the recording and producing means, inputting reproduced data that is output from the recording and reproducing means, and outputting the data to the outside, the recoding and reproducing means recording and reproducing the data to and from a record medium that is random-accessible, the data containing video data and audio data that are input from the outside, the method comprising the steps of:

changing the divide ratio of a record area for the video data and a record area for the audio data on the record medium corresponding to at least the data that is input from the outside and outputting record area information and the data to the recording and reproducing means so that the video data and the audio data are recorded to different record areas of the record medium, each in a respective circumferential area of the media that is radially allocated;

recording the video data and the audio data to the different record areas of the record medium corresponding to the record area information that is output to the recording and reproducing means at the changing step; and

reproducing the data from the record medium and outputting the reproduced data to each of input and output processing means;

wherein the record medium is operable to store at least two different types of data resulting in more data being stored in the randomly accessible record medium than storing only a single type of data therein.

18. The data recording and reproducing method as set forth in claim 17,

wherein the changing step is performed by changing the divide ratio corresponding to the transmission rate of the video data that is input from the outside and the number of channels of the audio data.

19. The data recording and reproducing method as set forth in claim 18,

wherein the record medium that is random accessible is a disc shaped record medium, and

wherein the changing step is performed by changing the divide ratio corresponding to a recording method of RAID for the audio data along with the transmission rate of the video data and the number of channels of the audio data.

20. The data recording and reproducing method as set forth in claim 17,

wherein the record area information is information representing an address of a record start position and an address of a record end position of the record medium.

21. A data recording apparatus, comprising:

a record medium that is random-accessible and which is operable to store therein at least two different types of data, each type of data being stored in a respective circumferential area of the media that is radially allocated;

recording means for recording the data that contains at least video data and audio data to said record medium;

a plurality of input and output processing means for accessing said recording means on time division basis and outputting data that is input from the outside to said recording means,

wherein each of said input and output processing means has;

input means for changing the divide ratio of a record area for the video data and a record area for the audio data of said record medium corresponding to at least the data that is input from the outside and outputting record area information and the data to said recording means so that the video data and the audio data are recorded to different record areas of said record medium, and

wherein said recording means records the data to the different record areas of said record medium corresponding to the record area information that is output from said input means;

wherein the record medium is operable to store at least two different types of data resulting in more data being stored within the randomly accessible record medium than storing only a single type of data therein.

22. The data recording apparatus as set forth in claim 21,

wherein each of said input and output processing means changes the divide ratio corresponding to the transmission rate of the video data that is input from the outside and the number of channels of the audio data.

23. The data recording apparatus as set forth in claim 22,

wherein said record medium that is random-accessible is a disc shaped record medium, and wherein each of said input and output processing means changes the divide ratio corresponding to a recording method of RAID for the audio data along with the transmission rate of the video data and the number of channels of the audio data.

24. The data recording apparatus as set forth in claim 21,

wherein the record area information is information representing an address of a record start position and an address of a record end position of said record medium.

25. A data recording method for accessing recording means, outputting data to the recording means, and recording the data, the recording means recording the data to a record medium that is random-accessible on the time division basis, the data containing video data and audio data that are input from the outside, the method comprising the steps of:

changing the divide ratio of a record area for video data and a record area for audio data of the record medium corresponding to at least the data that is input from the outside and outputting record area information and the data to the recording means so that the video data and the audio data are recorded to the different record areas of the record medium, each in a respective circumferential area of the media that is radially allocated; and

recoding the video data and the audio data to the different record areas of the record medium corresponding to the record area information that is output to the recording means at step (a));

wherein the record medium is operable to store at least two different types of data resulting in more data being stored within the randomly accessible record medium than storing only a single type of data therein.

26. The data recording method as set forth in claim 25,

wherein the changing step is performed by changing the divide ratio corresponding to the transmission rate of the video data that is input from the outside and the number of channels of the audio data.

27. The data recording method as set forth in claim 26,

wherein the record medium that is random-accessible is a disc shaped record medium, and wherein the changing step is performed by changing the divide ratio corresponding to a recording method of RAID for the audio data along with the transmission rate of the video data and the number of channels of the audio data.

28. The data recording method as set forth in claim 25,

wherein the record area information is information representing an address of a record start position and an address of a record end position of the record medium.