Tape-form recording medium editing apparatus

0001The present invention relates to a recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing signals of e.g. video, audio, or other information data on a tape-like recording medium such as a magnetic recording tape and particularly, a recording/reproducing apparatus capable of editing the recorded data. The editing is a function of varying the recorded data including data replacement or erase in a given recording area and continuous data addition to succeeding recording areas after the given recording area.

0002A variety of magnetic recording/reproducing apparatuses, e.g. video taperecorders (referred to as VTRs hereinafter) have been developed and provided in practical use, utilizing magnetic recording tapes. They now become reduced in the size, improved for high density recording, and implemented for digital recording, thanking to the efforts of manufacturers. It is essential for increasing the recording density and maintaining the compatibility to allow a magnetic head to perform accurate tracking actions. For the purpose, a tracking control method termed as ATF has been introduced for use with a VTR in which a pilot signal is multiplexed onto a data signal during recording and utilized for correct tracking action during retrieval of the data signal. A conventional magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus using such a tracking control method will now be described.

0003In a recording mode, a row of oblique recording tracks are formed on a magnetic recording tape by a magnetic head mounted on a rotary cylinder. A recording signal fed to the magnetic head contains a data signal frequency multiplexed with pilot signals for tracking control. More particularly, two different pilot signals having frequencies of f1 and f2 respectively are recorded alternately onto every two recording tracks. In common, the frequency of each pilot signal is selected from four typical low frequencies which will hardly interfere with the data signal.

0004The action of tracking the foregoing recording tracks in a reproducing mode will be explained. As the magnetic head traces a target track, it reads a segment of the data signal and simultaneously, detects two pilot signal components f1 and f2 of the adjacent recording tracks. The relative position of the magnetic head to the target recording track can hence be examined through comparing the two pilot components f1,f2. In more detail, the two pilot components f1,f2 are extracted through a bandpass filter and converted by an AM detection circuit to their respective DC components depending on their amplitudes. The two DC components are then compared by a subtraction circuit. A resultant output of the subtraction circuit is a tracking error signal exhibiting a positional difference between the magnetic head and the target track to be traced. Upon receiving the tracking error signal, a capstan motor control circuit for controlling the feeding of a tape actuates a capstan motor to control the tape running so that the magnetic head traces along the center of the target track.

0005For replacement of the recorded data signal on a magnetic recording tape with another data signal (which will be termed as insert editing), the reproducing mode is shifted to the recording mode at a point of rewriting and the new data signal is recorded while the existing data signal being erased. More specifically, the new data signal is recorded onto the recording tape track by track at the timing determined by a signal from a rotating position detecting sensor mounted to the rotary cylinder.

0006According to the conventional magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus, the start point of recording on each track for insert editing action is determined by the signal of the rotating position detecting sensor of the rotary cylinder and thus, the existing data signal in the track will hardly be erased in entirety due to mechanical non-uniformity and setting error. The remaining, not erased data may result in malfunction of the entire apparatus. Also, excessive erasing in the same track will likely be caused during partial rewriting. Particularly, editing with another recording/ reproducing apparatus may create more error data thus degrading the performance of the apparatus. Also, the tracking is conducted using pilot signals multiplexed with the data signal according to the conventional apparatus and thus, no tracking control data will be given during the insert editing action. This may result in failure in the time matching between a current track and a preceding track at the end of editing, sequence error of the tracking data carried on the data signal, and development of imperfect width tracks.

0007US-A-4211997 discloses a recording technique for digitized audio signals. In this system the data on the magnetic tape is divided into blocks, the blocks being separated by interblock gaps which contain, inter aliae, editing information. Also, an article entitled "Design Considerations for the D-2NTSC composite DVTR by Richard Brush in the SMPTE Journal, March 1988, discloses a recording scheme for NTSC video signals. The sectors in a helical track are separated by edit gaps containing a fill pattern, to permit independent recording or editing of each sector. (See page 189).

0008An object of the present invention is to provide an editing apparatus for editing information recorded in a tape recording medium with a high positioning accuracy.

0009According to the present invention, a tape recording medium has formed thereon a plurality of recording tracks each being divided into a plurality of recording areas which are separated by a plurality of gaps such that two successive recording areas are separated by a gap disposed therebetween, a first recording area of the plurality of recording areas of each recording track from a beginning end of the track having recorded therein a positioning signal used for determining a position of an editing area.

0010An editing apparatus of the present invention comprises: recording information signal generating means for generating a recording information signal to be recorded for editing; at least a recording and reproducing head for recording the recording information signal onto the recording medium and for reproducing the recorded signal from the recording medium; selection means which is selectively operable in a first mode for transferring the recording information signal to the head and a second mode for transferring a reproduced signal from the head; editing control means for producing an editing area signal indicative of the editing area; positioning signal detecting means for detecting the positioning signal from a reproduced signal transferred from the selection means in the second mode; and timing signal generating means for generating an editing timing signal indicative of a timing corresponding to the editing area based on the editing area signal and the detected positioning signal from the positioning signal detecting means, wherein the selection means is responsive to the editing timing signal for selecting the first mode to thereby recording the recording information signal from the recording information signal generating means into the editing area of the recording medium.

0011Preferably, the first recording area may have recorded therein the positioning signal multiplexed with a pilot signal for tracking control use. In this modification, the editing apparatus may further comprises: tracking error detection means for detecting the pilot signal from the reproduced signal transferred from the selection means in the second mode and generating from the detected pilot signal a tracking error signal indicative of a tracking error of the head; sampling means for sampling the tracking error signal; and tracking control means responsive to a sampled tracking error signal from the sampling means for controlling a transfer of the recording medium to eliminate the tracking error, wherein the timing signal generating means generates a sampling signal in response to the detected positioning signal from the positioning signal detecting means, and wherein the sampling means is responsive to the sampling signal for sampling the tracking error signal from the tracking error detection means.

0012According to the foregoing editing apparatus, the timing for starting a recording action on a given track of a recording tape during editing is determined by its own signal so that the relative position of the head to the given recorded track can be maintained with accuracy. Also, the tracking data is retrieved from a first recording area of the track, whereby positional matching between the current track and a preceding track after completion of the editing action will be ensured. Hence, the editing can be executed with higher accuracy.

0013The sampling of the pilot signal is accurately controlled by the positioning signal stored in the magnetic tape and the recording area for storage of the pilot signal will thus be minimized thus enhancing the utilization of the tape recording surface.

0014The gaps in a track are preferably arranged to become greater in width towards the end of the track. Also, the recording areas of the track are desirably arranged to align from the smallest to the largest in size from the beginning end of the track. Those arrangements can ease a drawback that the editing accuracy becomes lower in proportion to the distance of a target recording area from the beginning end of the track when the magnetic tape is varied in length by changes in the temperature and humidity, wow-flutter characteristics of the rotary cylinder, or tension of the running tape. The recording areas in each track are separated from each other by the gaps and the gaps are arranged to become wider towards the end of the track, whereby each recording area of the track has an adequate room for its position when the magnetic tape is varied in length and the accuracy in editing will be ensured. The recording areas in the track are also aligned in an order from its smallest and thus, the gaps are biased in assignment towards the beginning end of the track and need not to have an unnecessary greater width. Accordingly, the area assignment of the gaps in the track will be minimized thus enhancing the utilization of the tape recording surface. <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Fig.1 is a schematic view of the action of a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig.2 is a view of the assignment of magnetic heads on a rotary cylinder of the apparatus of the embodiment;</li><li>Fig.3 is a view of recording tracks according to the embodiment;</li><li>Fig.4 is a spectrum diagram showing a pilot signal and a positioning signal stored in a recording track;</li><li>Fig.5 is a detailed diagram of an editing timing signal generator circuit of the apparatus of the embodiment; and</li><li>Fig.6 is a time chart of the signals during insert editing action according to the embodiment.</li></ul>

0015Fig.1 is a schematic view of the action of a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus showing one preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, there are provided two magnetic heads 1a,1b mounted to a rotary cylinder (not shown) and a row of recording tracks 20a,20b,20c formed on a magnetic recording tape 8. A tracking error detection circuit 15 is consisted mainly of two bandpass filters 3a,3b, two AM detection circuits 4a,4b, and a subtraction circuit 5. A capstan motor control circuit 6 is provided for control of the action of a capstan motor 7. The capstan motor control circuit 6 and the capstan motor 7 constitute in combination a tape running control means 10. A tape running means 9 is provided for rewinding a magnetic tape 8. Also, there are arranged an operation mode switch circuit 17, a positioning signal detection means 11, a pilot sampling timing generator circuit 12, an editing timing generator circuit 18, an editing control means 32, an editing switch 13, a sample and hold circuit 14, a recording signal generator 30, and a reproduced signal demodulator 31. This embodiment resides in recording and reproducing of data of two tracks at almost one time with the two channel magnetic heads 1a,1b. Fig.2 illustrates the assignment of the two magnetic heads 1a,1b on the rotary cylinder denoted by 16, according to the embodiment of the present invention.

0016Fig.3 illustrates the allocation of the recording areas in each recording track shown in Fig.1, in which a positioning signal 23 is stored in a region of a first recording area 21 assigned at the beginning end. The first recording area 21 also contains in a frequency multiplexing form a pilot signal for tracking control. In the embodiment, two different types of the pilot signals having frequencies f1 and f2 respectively are recorded alternately into the tracks by the same manner as of the prior art. Other information recording area 22a to 22c of the track following the first recording area 21 contain various data signals. Any two adjacent recording areas in the track are separated from each other by a gap 22d. The gap 22d is arranged to become greater in the width towards the end of the track, as shown in Fig.3. The information recording areas 22a to 22c are aligned in the track from the smallest at front end and to the largest at rear end. For example, in case of a digital VTR, an index data signal which indicates a track position in the tape may be recorded into the recording area 22a, a digital audio signal in the recording area 22b, and a digital video signal in the recording area 22c. As described, such a recording technique is well known in which various data signals are recorded into different recording areas of each track which are separated from one another by a plurality of gaps. Hence, an arrangement for implementation of the recording technique will not be described.

0017Fig.4 is a spectrum diagram showing the positioning signal 23 stored in the first recording area 21. As shown, the two frequencies f1,f2 of their respective pilot signals are so low as to be less affected by an azimuth loss of the magnetic head. The frequency of the positioning signal is high enough to avoid interference from the neighbor track.

0018The action of recording, reproducing, and editing modes will be explained.

0019At the recording mode, the magnetic head 1a is connected to a terminal 17a of the operation mode switch circuit 17 so that it receives a data signal from the recording signal generator circuit 30 and records it onto a given track of the recording tape as shown in Fig.3. Simultaneously, the magnetic head 1b receives another data signal and records it onto a neighbor track next to the given track.

0020At the reproducing mode, the operation mode switch circuit 17 is shifted to a terminal 17b for transmission of a reproduced signal from the head 1a to the reproduced signal demodulator 31 where the reproduced signal is demodulated. Also, another reproduced signal from the head 1b is simultaneously transferred to an unshown reproduced signal demodulator where it is demodulated.

0021The action of an editing mode will now be explained in which the data signal recorded on a track as shown in Fig.3 is replaced with another data signal. The operation mode switch circuit 17 is shifted to a terminal 17c for communication with the magnetic head 1a, as shown in Fig.1. Upon starting a scanning action of the head 1a along the track 20a, the editing switch 13 is turned to a terminal 13b for transmission of a reproduced signal from the head 1a. The reproduced signal supplied from the head 1a contains two pilot signal components f1,f2 of their respective adjacent tracks 20b,20c on both sides of the track 20a. The two pilot components f1,f2 are extracted from the reproduced signal by their respective bandpass filters 3a,3b and converted by the AM detection circuits 4a,4b to two DC components respectively. The two DC components are then fed to the subtraction circuit 5 where they are compared with each other to produce a tracking error signal. The succeeding action will also be explained referring to Figs.5 and 6. The reproduced signal from the head 1a is also fed to the positioning signal detection means 11 where the positioning signal 23 of a given frequency stored in the first recording area 21 is extracted from the reproduced signal and delivered as a pulse signal shown in Fig.6-b. The pulse signal of the positioning signal detection means 11 is fed to the pilot sampling timing generator circuit 12 which in turn counts clock pulses of an internal clock installed in the tape recording medium editing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in Fig.6-a. After a given number of clock pulses are counted which corresponds to the duration of a delay time t1, a pilot sampling timing signal shown in Fig.6-c is generated. In response to the pilot sampling timing signal, the sample and hold circuit 14 starts sampling the tracking error signal supplied from the tracking error detection circuit 15. A sampled tracking error data of the sample and hold circuit 14 is then transferred to the capstan motor control circuit 6 for controlling the tracking of the magnetic head 1a along a target track 20a to be scanned. The pulse signal of the positioning signal detection circuit 11 is also fed to the editing timing generator 18. For rewriting data in a particular recording area, its start and end locations of the area have to be determined. As illustrated in Fig.5, the editing timing generator 18 receives an editing area indicating signal from the editing control means 32 and according to the signal, determines a delay time t2 of its first delay circuit 18a and a delay time t3 of its second delay circuit 18b. Hence, the two delay circuits 18a,18b produce their respective delay pulse signals through counting pulses of their internal clocks, similar to the pilot sampling timing generator circuit 12 and send them to an R-S FF circuit 18c shown in Fig.5 which in turn produces an editing timing signal shown in Fig.6-d. It is now assumed that the editing timing signal is for rewriting of data in the third recording area 22b of the track. The editing timing signal is fed to the editing switch 13 for switching control. When the editing timing signal is at "H" level, the editing switch 13 is turned from the terminal 13b to the terminal 13a for transmitting a rewriting data signal to the magnetic head 1a. As the result, the existing data signal in the third recording area 22b is replaced with the rewriting data signal. While the rewriting data signal is fed to the magnetic head 1a through the editing switch 13 turned from the terminal 13b to the terminal 13a by the editing timing signal of the editing timing generator 18, another rewriting data signal is concurrently supplied to the magnetic head 1b through an unshown editing switch. Accordingly, the two existing data signals stored in their respective third recording areas 22b of the two adjacent tracks can be replaced with new data signals at approximately the same time. As the magnetic head 1b is arranged adjacent to the magnetic head 1a so that its relative position to the head 1a remain unchanged. This allows the head 1b to trace the track 20b with equal accuracy while the head 1a being scanned along the track 20a. It is hence unnecessary to provide a positioning signal to a second track which is scanned by the magnetic head 1b. Although Fig.6 explains the rewriting of data in the third recording area, the other recording areas of the track will be rewritten with equal success.

0022The same rewriting action will be used for recording a new data into the recording areas 22a to 22c while only the first recording area 21 being loaded with the existing data signal.

0023It is a good idea that the positioning signal is a combination of a sync signal and its identifying data which are repeating digital recorded for detection of a recording location at more accuracy.

0024Although the embodiment of the present invention resides in two-channel simultaneous recording actions with the use of two magnetic heads, it is not limitative and other recording techniques will be employed with equal success.

0025Although the tracking pilot signals of the embodiment are used of two different frequency types, they may be four different frequency type signals which are commonly used in 8-mm video systems or a series of one single type which are allocated to different recording locations by a like manner as of digital audio tape recorder (DAT). The assignment of the tracking pilot signals to recording areas will not be limited.

0026In the embodiment, the tracking control is carried out using pilot signals multiplex recorded into the first recording area of each track. Also, the tracking control may be executed by a known manner, as used in VHS video recording system, in which tracking control signals are recorded into linear tracks arranged at the edges of a recording tape while the first recording areas of their respective tracks are loaded with positioning signals used for editing.

0027The present invention is not limited to a magnetic recording system but also applicable to other recording systems including optical recording.