Information-signal recording and reproducing apparatus

• US 7,099,240 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Victor Company of Japan Limited (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueki, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US10/838,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20040202449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 369/32.01, 369/53.11, 369/30.23, 369/60.01, 369/47.33, 369/53.37, 369/53.22, 369/47.16, 369/124.06, 369/275.1, 369/44.24, 369/59.13, 369/275.3
• US Class Current: 369/32.01
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10592 specifically adapted for recording or reproducing multichannel signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1062 Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10703 processing rate of the buffer, e.g. by accelerating the data output
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10722 wherein the size of the buffer is variable, e.g. by adding additional memory cells for coping with input streams that have high bit rates
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10916 Seeking data on the record carrier for preparing an access to a specific address
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10953 Concurrent recording or playback of different streams or files
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10962 wherein both recording and playback take place simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2575 DVD-RAMs
• 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 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0079 Zoned data area, e.g. having different data structures or formats for the user data within data layer, Zone Constant Linear Velocity [ZCLV], Zone Constant Angular Velocity [ZCAV], carriers with RAM and ROM areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 : by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 : in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

A recording medium has first and second areas on which first and second information signals are recorded respectively. The first information signal has a size Ya. The second information signal has a size Yb. A head operates for reproducing the first and second information signals from the first and second areas of the recording medium and transmitting the reproduced first and second information signals on a time sharing basis and at a predetermined constant transfer rate Rp while moving between the first and second areas of the recording medium. A buffer memory operates for receiving the first and second information signals from the head at the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, for temporarily storing the first and second information signals, and for outputting the first and second information signals at first and second transfer rates Ra and Rb respectively. The first and second transfer rates Ra and Rb are lower than the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp. The predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, the first transfer rate Ra, the second transfer rate Rb, the size Ya of the first information signal, the size Yb of the second information signal, a seek time Tab taken by the head to move from the first area to the second area of the recording medium, and a seek time Tba taken by the head to move from the second area to the first area of the recording medium are in a relation as follows:
(Ya+Yb)≧Rp·(Ra+Rb)·(Tab+Tba)/(Rp−Ra−Rb).

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording and reproducing information on and from a recording medium having first and second areas and a management area, the management area storing management information representing addresses in the first and second areas, the apparatus comprising:

a first buffer memory for receiving a first information signal at a first transfer rate, for temporarily storing the first information signal, and for outputting the first information signal at a predetermined constant transfer rate higher than the first transfer rate;

a second buffer memory for receiving a second information signal at a second transfer rate lower than the predetermined constant transfer rate, for temporarily storing the second information signal, and for outputting the second information signal at the predetermined constant transfer rate;

a head for receiving the first and second information signals from the first and second buffer memories and recording the first and second information signals on the first and second areas of the recording medium respectively on a time sharing basis and at the predetermined constant transfer rate while moving between the first and second areas of the recording medium;

means for controlling the head to reproduce the management information from the management area of the recording medium before the head records the first and second information signals;

means for deriving the addresses from the reproduced management information;

means for searching for unoccupied regions in the first and second areas of the recording medium in response to the derived addresses; and

means for deciding whether or not the first and second information signals can be recorded on the unoccupied regions while recording continuities related to the first and second information signals are maintained.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the deciding means comprises means for deciding whether or not the first and second information signals can be recorded on the unoccupied regions while the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, the first transfer rate Ra for the first information signal, the second transfer rate Rb for the second information signal, a size Ya of the first information signal, a size Yb of the second information signal, a seek time Tab taken by the head to move from the first area to the second area of the recording medium, and a seek time Tba taken by the head to move from the second area to the first area of the recording medium are in a relation as follows:

(Ya+Yb)≧

Rp·

(Ra+Rb)·

(Tab+Tba)/(Rp−

Ra−

Rb).

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the deciding means comprises means for deciding whether or not the first and second information signals can be recorded on the unoccupied regions while the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, the first transfer rate Ra for the first information signal, the second transfer rate Rb for the second information signal, a size Ya of the first information signal, a size Yb of the second information signal, and a maximum allowable seek time Tmax taken by the head to move on the recording medium are in a relation as follows:

(Ya+Yb)≧

2·

Rp·

(Ra+Rb)·

Tmax/(Rp−

Ra−

Rb).

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for indicating a result of the deciding by the deciding means.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for calculating a first total capacity of the unoccupied regions, means for calculating a second total capacity of usable portions of the unoccupied regions, means for calculating an recording efficiency equal to a ratio between the first total capacity and the second total capacity, and means for indicating the calculated recording efficiency.

4. An apparatus for recording and reproducing information on and from a recording medium having first and second areas and a management area, the first area being loaded with a first information signal, the management area storing management information representing addresses in the first and second areas, the apparatus comprising:

a head for reproducing the first information signal from the first area of the recording medium and transmitting the reproduced first information signal at a predetermined constant transfer rate;

a first buffer memory for receiving the first information signal from the head at the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, for temporarily storing the first information signal, and for outputting the first information signal at a first transfer rate lower than the predetermined constant transfer rate;

a second buffer memory for receiving a second information signal at a second transfer rate lower than the predetermined constant transfer rate, for temporarily storing the second information signal, and for outputting the second information signal at the predetermined constant transfer rate;

the head being for receiving the second information signal from the second buffer memory, and for recording the second information signal on the second area of the recording medium at the predetermined constant transfer rate;

wherein the head implements reproduction of the first information signal from the first area of the recording medium and recording of the second information signal on the second area of the recording medium on a time sharing basis while moving between the first and second areas of the recording medium;

means for controlling the head to reproduce the management information from the management area of the recording medium before the head records the second information signal means for deriving the addresses from the reproduced management information;

means for searching for an unoccupied region in the second area of the recording medium in response to the derived addresses; and

means for deciding whether or not the second information signal can be recorded on the unoccupied region while a recording continuity related to the second information signal is maintained.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the deciding means comprises means for deciding whether or not the second information signal can be recorded on the unoccupied region while the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, the first transfer rate Ra for the first information signal, the second transfer rate Rb for the second information signal, a size Ya of the first information signal, a size Yb of the second information signal, a seek time Tab taken by the head to move from the first area to the second area of the recording medium, and a seek time Tba taken by the head to move from the second area to the first area of the recording medium are in a relation as follows:

(Ya+Yb)≧

Rp·

(Ra+Rb)·

(Tab+Tba)/(Rp−

Ra−

Rb).

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the deciding means comprises means for deciding whether or not the second information signal can be recorded on the unoccupied region while the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, the first transfer rate Ra for the first information signal, the second transfer rate Rb for the second information signal, a size Ya of the first information signal, a size Yb of the second information signal, and a maximum allowable seek time Tmax taken by the head to move on the recording medium are in a relation as follows:

(Ya+Yb)≧

2·

Rp·

(Ra+Rb)·

Tmax/(Rp−

Ra−

Rb).

9. An apparatus for recording information on a recording medium having first and second areas and a management area, the first area being for recording a first information signal, the second area being for recording a second information signal, the management area being for recording management information representing addresses in the first and second areas, the apparatus comprising:

means for rotating the recording medium;

a first buffer memory for temporarily storing the first information signal inputted at a first transfer rate;

a second buffer memory for temporarily storing the second information signal inputted at a second transfer rate;

means for reading out the first and second information signals from the first and second buffer memories on a time sharing basis;

a head movable in a radial direction of the recording medium for recording the readout first and second information signals on the first and second areas of the recording medium on a time sharing basis at a third transfer rate being constant and being higher than the first and second transfer rates; and

means for enabling differences of the third transfer rate from the first and second transfer rates to be absorbed by the first and second buffer memories while maintaining a continuity of time-sharing-based signal recording from the first and second buffer memories to the recording medium via the head.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising an interface provided on sides of the first and second buffer memories for communication with an external.

10. An apparatus for recording and reproducing information on and from a recording medium having first and second areas and a management area, the first area being previously loaded with a first information signal, the second area being for recording a second information signal, the management area being for recording management information representing addresses in the first and second areas, the apparatus comprising:

means for rotating the recording medium;

a head movable in a radial direction of the recording medium for reproducing the first information signal from the first area of the recording medium;

a first buffer memory for temporarily storing the reproduced first information signal, and outputting the first information signal at a first transfer rate;

a second buffer memory for temporarily storing the second information signal inputted at a second transfer rate;

means for reading out the second information signal from the second buffer memory;

the head being for sending the reproduced first information signal to the first buffer memory at a third transfer rate being constant and being higher than the first and second transfer rates, for recording the second information signal outputted from the second buffer memory on the second area of the recording medium at the third transfer rate, and for implementing said sending and said recording on a time sharing basis; and

means for enabling differences of the third transfer rate from the first and second transfer rates to be absorbed by the first and second buffer memories while maintaining a continuity of time-sharing-based signal recording and reproduction between the recording medium and the first and second buffer memories via the head.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising an interface provided on sides of the first and second buffer memories for communication with an external.

11. An apparatus for reproducing information from a recording medium having first and second areas and a management area, the first area being previously loaded with a first information signal, the second area being previously loaded with a second information signal, the management area being for recording management information representing addresses in the first and second areas, the apparatus comprising:

means for rotating the recording medium;

a head movable in a radial direction of the recording medium for reproducing the first and second information signals from the first and second areas of the recording medium on a time sharing basis;

a first buffer memory for temporarily storing the reproduced first information signal, and outputting the first information signal at a first transfer rate;

a second buffer memory for temporarily storing the reproduced second information signal, and outputting the second information signal at a second transfer rate;

the head being for sending the reproduced first and second information signals to the first and second buffer memories on a time sharing basis at a third transfer rate being constant and being higher than the first and second transfer rates; and

means for enabling differences of the third transfer rate from the first and second transfer rates to be absorbed by the first and second buffer memories while maintaining a continuity of time-sharing-based signal reproduction from the recording medium to the first and second buffer memories via the head.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising an interface provided on sides of the first and second buffer memories for communication with an external.