Apparatus for recording information in a magnetic record carrier

Claim 1

An apparatus for recording information in adjacent tracks which are inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of a magnetic record carrier, the information being contained in first blocks in the tracks, each track containing at least one first block of information and at least one second block of tracking signals, the apparatus comprising - an input terminal for receiving an electric input signal, - a first unit having an input coupled to the input terminal and an output, which unit is constructed to convert the electric input signals into information suitable for being recorded on the record carrier and to arrange the information in the first blocks, - a second unit having an output, for generating second blocks containing the tracking signals, - a signal combination unit having a first input and a second input coupled to the output of the first unit and the output of the second unit respectively, a control input and an output, which signal combination unit is constructed to combine the first blocks and the second blocks present on the first input and the second input and to supply the combined signal to the output under the influence of a first control signal to be applied to the control input, - a write unit comprising at least two write heads arranged on a rotatable head drum, which write unit has an input coupled to the output of the signal combination unit, - positioning means for varying the position of the write head and the track relative to each other in a direction which is at least substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said track, under the influence of a second control signal to be applied to an input of the positioning means, - first means for reading, during recording of a track, crosstalk of tracking signals from at least the preceding track to derive the second control signal, and for applying said second control signal to an output which is coupled to the input of the positioning means, characterized in that if a track to be recorded on the record carrier has been inscribed previously the apparatus is adapted to write only the first block(s) of information over the first block(s) already recorded in the relevant track.

Claim 2

An apparatus for recording information in adjacent tracks which are inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of a magnetic record carrier, the information being contained in first blocks in the tracks, each track containing at least one first block of information and at least one second block of tracking signals, the apparatus comprising - an input terminal for receiving an electric input signal, - a first unit having an input coupled to the input terminal and an output, which unit is constructed to convert the electric input signals into information suitable for being recorded on the record carrier and to arrange the information in the first blocks, - a second unit having an output, for generating second blocks containing the tracking signals, - a signal combination unit having a first input and a second input coupled to the output of the first unit and the output of the second unit respectively, a control input and an output, which signal combination unit is constructed to combine the first blocks and the second blocks present on the first input and the second input and to supply the combined signal to the output under the influence of a first control signal to be applied to the control input, - a write unit comprising at least two write heads arranged on a rotatable head drum, which write unit has an input coupled to the output of the signal combination unit, - positioning means for varying the position of the write head and the track relative to each other in a direction which is at least substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said track, under the influence of a second control signal to be applied to an input of the positioning means, - first means for reading, during recording of a track, crosstalk of tracking signals from at least the preceding track to derive the second control signal, and for applying said second control signal to an output which is coupled to the input of the positioning means, characterized in that if a track to be recorded on the record carrier has been inscribed previously the apparatus is adapted to write only the first block(s) of information over the first block(s) already recorded in the relevant track.

Claim 9

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the Claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the output of the detection means is coupled to a second control input of the signal combination unit for supplying the third or the fourth control signal, and in that the signal combination unit is adapted to inhibit,during the recording of information in the relevant track, the signal applied to its second input upon receipt of the third control signal.

Claim 10

An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, provided with means for previously erasing a track to be written, characterized in that the apparatus is further adapted to activate the second means to erase only the first block(s) recorded previously in the relevant track and not to erase the second block(s) recorded previously in the relevant track.