Digital audio channels with multilingual indication

• US 6,344,939 B2
• Filed: 03/11/1997
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oguro, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US08/815,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20010015863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 386/96, 386/95, 386/97, 386/98, 386/99, 386/109, 360/8, 360/24, 360/22, 360/32, 360/27
• US Class Current: 360/27
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10592 specifically adapted for recording or reproducing multichannel signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/655 Memory in cassette [MIC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3063 Subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/86 Arrangements characterised by the broadcast information itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/78266 using more than one track for the recording of one television field or frame, i.e. segmented recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

During recording, a multilingual indication is generated when at least two of the audio channels of a digital audio signal are associated with a common program, and the multilingual indication is combined with the digital audio signal. During reproduction, a display is activated when a multilingual indication indicates that at least two of the audio channels included in a digital audio signal are associated with a common program.

Claims

1. A method for recording a digital audio signal made up of a plurality of audio channels on a recording medium, comprising the steps of:

receiving said digital audio signal;

generating audio auxiliary data for said digital audio signal, said audio auxiliary data including a multilingual indication indicating whether said digital audio signal includes information in more than one language and whether said digital audio signal is a stereo signal or a monaural signal;

formatting said digital audio signal into first pack data and said audio auxiliary data into second pack data; and

recording said first pack data and said second pack data on said recording medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of recording records said first pack data of a main audio channel first when said multilingual indication indicates that said digital audio signal includes information in more than one language.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said main audio channel is the first audio channel of said plurality of audio channels in a predetermined region on said recording medium.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of combining said first pack data of a subset of said plurality of audio channels into a first audio block and combining said first pack data of remaining audio channels into a second audio block;

wherein said first pack data of said main audio channel is placed in said first audio block; and

wherein said step of recording records said first audio block on said recording medium prior to recording said second audio block.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said recording medium is a magnetic tape having a plurality of tracks;

wherein said predetermined region has a frame of data recorded therein; and

wherein an audio recording area for one frame of said digital audio signals spans tens tracks of said magnetic tape.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of recording records said first pack data of each of said audio channels at a predetermined recording position on said recording medium.

7. Apparatus for recording a digital audio signal made up of a plurality of audio channels on a recording medium, comprising:

means for receiving said digital audio signal;

means for generating audio auxiliary data for said digital audio signal, said audio auxiliary data including a multilingual indication indicating whether said digital audio signal includes information in more than one language and whether said digital audio signal is a stereo signal or a monaural signal;

means for formatting said digital audio signal into first pack data and said audio auxiliary data into second pack data; and

means for recording said first pack data and said second pack data on said recording medium.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said means for recording is operable to record said first pack data of a main audio channel first when said multilingual indication indicates that said digital audio signal includes information in more than one language.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said main audio channel is the first audio channel of said plurality of audio channels in a predetermined region on said recording medium.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising means for combining said first pack data of a subset of said plurality of audio channels into a first audio block and for combining said first pack data of remaining audio channels into a second audio block;

wherein said first pack data of said main audio channel is placed in said first audio block; and

wherein said means for recording is operable to record said first audio block on said recording medium prior to recording said second audio block.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said recording medium is a magnetic tape having a plurality of tracks;

wherein said predetermined region has a frame of data recorded therein; and

wherein an audio recording area for one frame of said digital audio signals spans tens tracks of said magnetic tape.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said means for recording is operable to record said first pack data of each of said audio channels at a predetermined recording position on said recording medium.

13. A method for reproducing from a recording medium a digital audio signal made up of a plurality of audio channels, comprising the steps of:

reproducing from said recording medium second pack data having a multilingual indicator;

reading said multilingual indicator in said second pack data to determine if said digital audio signal includes information in more than one language and if said digital audio signal is a stereo signal or a monaural signal;

selecting first pack data associated with one of (i) a main audio channel when it is determined that said digital audio signal on a user selected audio channel does not include information in more than one language and (ii) said user selected channel when said digital audio signal does include information in more than one language; and

deformatting said first pack data to generate an output digital audio signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first pack data associated with said main channel is at the beginning of a predetermined region on said recording medium.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of reproducing an audio block associated with said second pack data;

and separating a plurality of first pack data from said audio block.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said recording medium is a magnetic tape having a plurality of tracks;

wherein said predetermined region has a frame of data recorded therein; and

wherein an audio recording area for one frame of said digital audio signal spans ten tracks of said magnetic tape.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said main channel is a user designated channel.

18. Apparatus for reproducing from a recording medium a digital audio signal made up of a plurality of audio channels, comprising:

means for reproducing from said recording medium second pack data having a multilingual indicator;

means for reading said multilingual indicator in said second pack data to determine if said digital audio signal includes information in more than one language and if said digital audio signal is a stereo signal or a monaural signal;

means for selecting first pack data associated with one of (i) a main audio channel when it is determined that said digital audio signal on a user selected audio channel does not include information in more than one language and (ii) said user selected channel when said digital audio signal does include information in more than one language; and

means for deformatting said first pack data to generate an output digital audio signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said first pack data associated with said main channel is at the beginning of a predetermined region on said recording medium.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said main channel is a user designated channel.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for reproducing an audio block associated with said second pack data;

and means for separating a plurality of first pack data from said audio block.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said recording medium is a magnetic tape having a plurality of tracks;

wherein said predetermined region has a frame of data recorded therein; and

wherein an audio recording area for one frame of said digital audio signal spans ten tracks of said magnetic tape.