Audio signal recording and/or reproducing apparatus

Claim 2

A helical scan type magnetic audio signal reproducing apparatus in which an audio signal (Sa) is reproduced from a recorded magnetic tape (2) on the basis of a recording track format of a given type by using two rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B) mounted on a reduced-size guide drum (15) of a diameter D 2 , said recording track format of said given type being formed by a referance apparatus in which a pair of magnetic heads (1A, 1B) having an angular spacing of 180° therebetween are mounted on a given-sized guide drum (5) of a diameter D 1 , a magnetic tape (2) is wrapped around said guide drum (5) over a wrapping angle of 180° +α°, a plurality of slant audio recording tracks (3) are formed on said magnetic tape (2) by said magnetic heads (1A, 1B) and a plurality of segments of time compressed digital audio signals are recorded on segments of each slant track (3) in its longitudinal direction (4H) extending over the wrapping angle 180° +α° of said slant track (3), characterized in a reduced-size guide drum (15) of said diameter D 2 , said diameter D 2 being 1/N the diamter D 1 of said given-sized guide drum (5) where N is an integer at least as great as 2; means (41, 42) for rotating said reduced-size guide drum (15) at a rotation speed being N times greater than a rotation speed of said .given-sized guide drum (5); first and second magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) having a predetermined angular spacing 8 therebetween mounted on said reduced-size guide drum (15); transport means (31, 32, 33) for wrapping and transporting said magnetic tape (2) around said reduced-size guide drum (15) such that at least one of said plurality of segments comes in contact with said first and second magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B). audio signal processing means (61, 62, 63) connected to the heads (11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B) for converting said time compressed digital audio signal to a time- decompressed analog audio signal (Sa);and control means (50, 51) for selecting time compressed digital audio signals reproduced by said first and second heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B) and which are contained in a given one of the segments in each of the slant tracks (3).

Claim 3

A helical scan type magnetic audio signal recording apparatus in which a given type recording track format is recorded on magnetic tape (2) using two rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B) mounted on a reduced-size guide drum (15) of a diameter D 2 , said recording track format of a given type being formed by an apparatus in which a pair of magnetic heads (1A, 1B) having an angular spacing of 180° therebetween are mounted on a given-sized guide drum (5) of a diameter D 1 , a magnetic tape (2) is wrapped around said guide drum over a wrapping angle of 180° +α°, a plurality of slant audio recording tracks (3) are formed on said magnetic tape (2) by said magnetic heads (1A, 1B), and a plurality of segments of time compressed digital audio signals are recorded on segments of each slant track (3) in its longitudinal direction (4T) extending over the wrapping angle 180° +α° of said slant track (3), characterized in a reduced-size guide drum (15) of said diamter D 2 , said diameter D 2 being 1/N the diameter D 1 of said given-sized guide drum (5) where N is an integer at least as great as 2; means (41, 42) for rotating said reduced-size guide drum (15) at a rotation speed being N times greater than a rotation speed of said given-sized guide drum (5); first and second magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) having a predetermined angular spacing θ therebetween mounted on said reduced-size guide drum (15); transport means (31, 32, 33) for wrapping and transporting said magnetic tape (2) around said reduced-size guide drum (15) such that at least one of said plurality of segments comes in contact with said first and second magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B); audio signal processing means (22, 23, 24) connected to the heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) for converting an input analog audio signal (Sa) to a time compressed digital audio signal of one segment signal length; and control means (25, 50, 51) for selectively recording time compressed digital audio signals onto a given one of the segments of each of the slant tracks (3) by said first and second magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B).

Claim 4

A helical scan type magnetic audio signal recording apparatus in which a given type recording track format is recorded on magnetic tape (2) using two rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B) mounted on a reduced-size guide drum (15) of a diameter D 2 , said recording track format of a given type being formed by an apparatus in which a pair of magnetic heads (1A, 1B) having an angular spacing of 180° therebetween are mounted on a given-sized guide drum (5) of a diameter D 1 , a magnetic tape (2) is wrapped around said guide drum over a wrapping angle of 180° +α°, a plurality of slant audio recording tracks (3) are formed on said magnetic tape (2) by said magnetic heads (1A, 1B), and a plurality of segments of time compressed digital audio signals are recorded on segments of each slant track (3) in its longitudinal direction (4T) extending over the wrapping angle 180° +α° of said slant track (3), characterized in a reduced-size guide drum (15) of said diamter D 2 , said diameter D 2 being 1/N the diameter D 1 of said given-sized guide drum (5) where N is an integer at least as great as 2; means (41, 42) for rotating said reduced-size guide drum (15) at a rotation speed being N times greater than a rotation speed of said given-sized guide drum (5); first and second magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) having a predetermined angular spacing θ therebetween mounted on said reduced-size guide drum (15); transport means (31, 32, 33) for wrapping and transporting said magnetic tape (2) around said reduced-size guide drum (15) such that at least one of said plurality of segments comes in contact with said first and second magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B); audio signal processing means (22, 23, 24) connected to the heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) for converting an input analog audio signal (Sa) to a time compressed digital audio signal of one segment signal length; and control means (25, 50, 51) for selectively recording time compressed digital audio signals onto a given one of the segments of each of the slant tracks (3) by said first and second magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B).

Claim 5

An audio signal recording apparatus operable with a magnetic tape (2) having a track format comprising slant magnetic tracks (3) of predetermined length which can be formed on the magnetic tape (2) by a pair of rotary magnetic heads (1A, 1B) of a given rotary drum (5) of given diameter having an angular spacing of 180° therebetween, and wherein a video signal of given frame frequency can be recorded on a first segment (3V) of each magnetic track (3) along its longitudinal direction (4H) corresponding to the angular spacing of 180 0 of said pair of rotary magnetic heads (1A, 1B), and an audio signal can be recorded on a remaining second segment (3A) of said magnetic track (3) with a compressed time base, characterized in that said magnetic track first segment (3V) can be divided into a plurality of segments along the longitudinal direction thereof (4H) and an audio signal can be recorded on said plurality of segments instead of a video signal and with the signal format being the same as that of said audio signal, said audio signal recording apparatus comprising: a rotary drum,(15); a first rotary magnetic head (11A) mounted on said rotary drum (15) and at least a second rotary magnetic head (11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B) mounted on said rotary drum (15); a diameter of said rotary drum (15) being selected to be 1/N times a diameter of said given rotary drum (5) of given diameter and where N is an integer at least as great as 2; means (41, 42) for rotating said rotary drum (15) at a frequency being N times a frame frequency of said video signal; said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B) having a given angular spacing 8 therebetween; means for wrapping in slantwise fashion said magnetic tape (2) around a rotary circumferential surface of said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) over an angular range such that said plurality of segments on and/or from which said audio signal is recorded are traced by said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) and also is transported at a predetermined speed; and means (22, 23, 24, 25, 50, 51) for selectively supplying said audio signal (Sε) to said first or second rotary magnetic head (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) in response to presence at the respective head of a predetermined one of said plurality of segments so as to record the audio signal (Sa) on said predetermined one segment.

Claim 6

An audio signal recording apparatus operable with a magnetic tape (2) having a track format comprising slant magnetic tracks (3) of predetermined length which can be formed on the magnetic tape (2) by a pair of rotary magnetic heads (1A, 1B) of a given rotary drum (5) of given diameter having an angular spacing of 180° therebetween, and wherein a video signal of given frame frequency can be recorded on a first segment (3V) of each magnetic track (3) along its longitudinal direction (4H) corresponding to the angular spacing of 180 0 of said pair of rotary magnetic heads (1A, 1B), and an audio signal can be recorded on a remaining second segment (3A) of said magnetic track (3) with a compressed time base, characterized in that said magnetic track first segment (3V) can be divided into a plurality of segments along the longitudinal direction thereof (4H) and an audio signal can be recorded on said plurality of segments instead of a video signal and with the signal format being the same as that of said audio signal, said audio signal recording apparatus comprising: a rotary drum,(15); a first rotary magnetic head (11A) mounted on said rotary drum (15) and at least a second rotary magnetic head (11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B) mounted on said rotary drum (15); a diameter of said rotary drum (15) being selected to be 1/N times a diameter of said given rotary drum (5) of given diameter and where N is an integer at least as great as 2; means (41, 42) for rotating said rotary drum (15) at a frequency being N times a frame frequency of said video signal; said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B) having a given angular spacing 8 therebetween; means for wrapping in slantwise fashion said magnetic tape (2) around a rotary circumferential surface of said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) over an angular range such that said plurality of segments on and/or from which said audio signal is recorded are traced by said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) and also is transported at a predetermined speed; and means (22, 23, 24, 25, 50, 51) for selectively supplying said audio signal (Sε) to said first or second rotary magnetic head (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) in response to presence at the respective head of a predetermined one of said plurality of segments so as to record the audio signal (Sa) on said predetermined one segment.

Claim 7

An audio signal reproducing apparatus operable with a magnetic tape (2) having a track format comprising slant magnetic tracks (3) of predetermined length which can be formed on the magnetic tape (2) by a pair of rotary magnetic heads (1A, 1B) of a given rotary drum (5) of given diameter having an angular spacing of 180 0 therebetween, and wherein a video signal of given frame frequency being recorded on a first segment (3V) of each magnetic track (3) along its longitudinal direction (4H) corresponding to the angular spacing of 180 0 of said pair of rotary magnetic heads (1A, 1B), and an audio signal being recorded or not on a remaining second segment of (3A) said magnetic track (3) with a compressed time base, characterized in that said magnetic track first segment (3V) can be divided into a plurality of segments along the longitudinal direction (4H) thereof and an audio signal can be reproduced from said plurality of segments with the signal format being the same as that of said audio signal, said audio signal reproducing apparatus comprising: a rotary drum (15); a first rotary magnetic head (11A) mounted on said rotary drum (15) and at least a second rotary magnetic head (11B, 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) mounted on said rotary drum (15); a diameter of said rotary drum (15) being selected to be 1/N times a diameter of said given rotary drum (5) of given diameter and where N is an integer at least as great as 2; means (41, 43) for rotating said rotary drum at a frequency N times a frame frequency of said video signal; said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) having a given angular spacing e therebetween; means for wrapping in slantwise fashion said magnetic tape (2) around a rotary circumferential surface of said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) over an angular range such that said plurality of segments on and/or from which said audio signal is reproduced are traced by said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) and also is transported at a predetermined speed; means for selecting said first or second rotary magnetic head (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) in response to a predetermined one of said plurality of segments; and means (61, 62, 63) for reproducing an audio signal (Sa) recorded on said predetermined one segment.

Claim 8

An audio signal reproducing apparatus operable with a magnetic tape (2) having a track format comprising slant magnetic tracks (3) of predetermined length which can be formed on the magnetic tape (2) by a pair of rotary magnetic heads (1A, 1B) of a given rotary drum (5) of given diameter having an angular spacing of 180 0 therebetween, and wherein a video signal of given frame frequency being recorded on a first segment (3V) of each magnetic track (3) along its longitudinal direction (4H) corresponding to the angular spacing of 180 0 of said pair of rotary magnetic heads (1A, 1B), and an audio signal being recorded or not on a remaining second segment of (3A) said magnetic track (3) with a compressed time base, characterized in that said magnetic track first segment (3V) can be divided into a plurality of segments along the longitudinal direction (4H) thereof and an audio signal can be reproduced from said plurality of segments with the signal format being the same as that of said audio signal, said audio signal reproducing apparatus comprising: a rotary drum (15); a first rotary magnetic head (11A) mounted on said rotary drum (15) and at least a second rotary magnetic head (11B, 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) mounted on said rotary drum (15); a diameter of said rotary drum (15) being selected to be 1/N times a diameter of said given rotary drum (5) of given diameter and where N is an integer at least as great as 2; means (41, 43) for rotating said rotary drum at a frequency N times a frame frequency of said video signal; said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) having a given angular spacing e therebetween; means for wrapping in slantwise fashion said magnetic tape (2) around a rotary circumferential surface of said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) over an angular range such that said plurality of segments on and/or from which said audio signal is reproduced are traced by said first and second rotary magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) and also is transported at a predetermined speed; means for selecting said first or second rotary magnetic head (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) in response to a predetermined one of said plurality of segments; and means (61, 62, 63) for reproducing an audio signal (Sa) recorded on said predetermined one segment.

Claim 9

A helical scan type magnetic signal reproducing apparatus for reproducing magnetic signals recorded on a magnetic tape (2) having slant tracks (3) thereon and wherein the slant tracks (3) are divided into a plurality of segments along a longitudinal direction (4A) of each slant track (3), characterized in a guide drum (15); means for wrapping the magnetic tape (2) around a portion of the guide drum (15) and transporting it; said guide drum (15) having at least first and second magnetic head pairs (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B); the first head pair (11A, 11B) being positioned to scan at least one but not all segments of a first slant track (3) and the second head pair (12A, 12B) being positioned with respect to the first head pair (11A, 11B) and to the tape (2) so as to simultaneously scan at least one but not all segments of a second' slant track (3).

Claim 10

A helical scan type magnetic signal reproducing apparatus for reproducing magnetic signals recorded on a magnetic tape (2) having slant tracks (3) thereon and wherein the slant tracks (3) are divided into a plurality of segments along a longitudinal direction (4A) of each slant track (3), characterized in a guide drum (15); means for wrapping the magnetic tape (2) around a portion of the guide drum (15) and transporting it; said guide drum (15) having at least first and second magnetic head pairs (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B); the first head pair (11A, 11B) being positioned to scan at least one but not all segments of a first slant track (3) and the second head pair (12A, 12B) being positioned with respect to the first head pair (11A, 11B) and to the tape (2) so as to simultaneously scan at least one but not all segments of a second' slant track (3).

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 5 characterized in that said first and second head pairs (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B) are positioned relative to the tape (2) and to each other such that segments scanned on the first slant track (3) by the first head pair (11A, 11B) are at a beginning of the slant track (3) while segments scanned by the second head pair (12A, 12B) at the second slant track (3) follow after in a scanning direction, segments on the second track (3) which positionally correspond to the segments being - scanned at the first track (3) by the first head pair (11A, 11B).

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 7, characterizid in that each slant track (3) has 6 segments, N is equal to 3, 6 is equal to 180°, and 3 pairs of magnetic heads(11A, 11B; 12A, 12B; 13A, 13B) are provided (Fig. 4, 5).

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that each slant track (3) has 6 segments, N is equal to 2, 6 is smaller than 180°, and 2 pairs of magnetic heads (11A, 11B; 12A, 12B) are provided (Fig. 9, 10).

Claim 17

A method according to claim 10 characterized in said at least one segment scanned by the first head pair (11A, 11B) is a different positional segment than the corresponding positional segment scanned by the second head pair (12A, 12B).

Claim 18

A method according to claim 10 or 11 characterized in that the segments contain audio data.

Claim 21

A system according to claim 13 characterized in that means (61, 62, 63) are provided for receiving signals from the first and second head pairs (11A, 11B, 12A, 12B) and for selecting signals recorded on the slant tracks (3) from a given desired segment and excluding signals from other segments.