Method for successively recording data in hybrid digital recorder

• US 20050147009A1
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jong Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/53.310
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• 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 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode

Abstract

A method for successively recording data in a hybrid digital recorder. If an optical disc has no redundant area when a hybrid digital recorder in which an optical disc recorder and an HDD recorder, etc. are integrated in one body records an input data stream on the optical disc, the input data stream is temporarily stored in an HDD. If the optical disc is replaced with a new optical disc, the input data stream is temporarily stored in the HDD, and at the same time the data stream having been temporarily stored in the HDD is read and recorded on the new optical disc at a high speed. If all the data streams temporarily stored in the HDD are read and recorded on the new optical disc, the following data stream is recorded on the new optical disc. Therefore, an external input data stream such as a long-term broadcast program is distributed to a plurality of optical discs, and is stored on the optical discs without generating any lost data.

Claims

1. A method for successively recording data in a hybrid digital recorder, comprising:

a) recording an input data stream on a detachable recording medium;

b) temporarily storing the input data stream in a predetermined memory when the recording medium has no redundant area in which the data stream can additionally be recorded;

c) if the recording medium is replaced with a new recording medium, while temporarily storing the input data stream in the predetermined memory reading the data stream temporarily stored in the memory, and recording the read data stream on the new recording medium; and

d) recording a data stream input afterward on the new recording medium, if the data stream temporarily stored in the memory is read and recorded on the new recording medium.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step a) further includes:

displaying a remaining time during which the input data stream can additionally be recorded on the recording medium on an external display.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the remaining time is calculated based upon a transfer rate of the input data stream and a redundant area of the recording medium.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step b) further includes:

displaying a disc replacement time during which a user must replace the recording medium with the new recording medium on an external display.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the disc replacement time t_g is calculated based upon a transfer rate of the input data stream, a redundant area of the memory, and a recording speed at which the data stream temporarily stored in the memory is recorded on the new recording medium.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the recording speed at which the data stream temporarily stored in the memory is read and recorded on the new recording medium is higher than a transfer rate of the input data stream.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the disc replacement time t_g is represented by

$t_g=\frac{\left(V_b-V_a\right)}{V_a\times }$

V b ×

Q h ,

where V_a is indicative of a transfer rate of the input data stream, V_b is indicative of a recording speed at which the data stream temporarily stored in the memory is recorded on the new recording medium, and Q_h is indicative of a redundant area of the memory.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

a time t_s during which all the data streams temporarily stored in the memory are read and completely recorded on the new recording medium after replacing the recording medium is replaced with the new recording medium is represented by

$t_s=\frac{V_a}{\left(V_b-V_a\right)}\times <br><br>t_g,$

where V_a is indicative of a transfer rate of the input data stream, V_b is indicative of a recording speed at which the data stream temporarily stored in the memory is recorded on the new recording medium, t_g is indicative of a time taken to replace the recording medium with the new recording medium after the recording medium has no redundant area, and V_b is determined to be higher than V_a.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

disregarding a user-entry recording stop command or a user-entry power-off command if no data stream is input before all the data streams temporarily stored in the memory are recorded on the new recording medium, and recording all the data streams temporarily stored in the memory without being recorded on the new recording medium on the new recording medium.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is indicative of an optical disc.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory is indicative of a Hard Disc Drive (HDD).

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory is indicative of a detachable flash memory card and a memory card drive.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the detachable flash memory card is indicative of at least one of a Security Digital (SD) card, a Compact Flash (CF) card, and Memory Stick.

14. A hybrid digital recorder apparatus for successively recording data therein, comprising:

a drive for recording an input data stream on a detachable recording medium;

a memory for storing the input data stream; and

a controller for controlling the drive and the memory such that it temporarily stores the input data stream in the memory when the recording medium has no redundant area in which the data stream can additionally be recorded, if the recording medium is replaced with a new recording medium, while temporarily storing the input data stream in the memory, reads the data stream temporarily stored in the memory and records the read data stream on the new recording medium, and records a data stream input afterward on the new recording medium if the data stream temporarily stored in the memory is read and recorded on the new recording medium.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

an On Screen Display (OSD) generator for generating an image including information associated with a recording state of the hybrid digital recorder apparatus, and displaying the generated image on an external display.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the controller calculates the remaining time during which the input data stream can additionally be recorded based upon a transfer rate of the input data stream and a redundant area of the recording medium, and

the OSD generator generates an image including the remaining time, and displays the generated image on the external display.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

the controller calculates a disc replacement time based upon a transfer rate of the input data stream, a redundant area of the memory, and a recording speed at which the data stream temporarily stored in the memory is recorded on the new recording medium, and the OSD generator generates an image including the disc replacement time, and displays the generated image on the external display.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

the controller controls the drive and the memory, such that a recording speed at which the data stream temporarily stored in the memory is read and recorded on the new recording medium is higher than a transfer rate of the input data stream.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

the controller controls the drive and the memory, such that a user-entry recording stop command or a user-entry power-off command is disregarded if no data stream is input before all the data streams temporarily stored in the memory are recorded on the new recording medium, and all the data streams temporarily stored in the memory without being recorded on the new recording medium are recorded on the new recording medium.

20. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

the recording medium is indicative of an optical disc, and the memory is indicative of either a Hard Disc Drive (HDD) or a detachable flash memory card and a memory card drive.