Recording and/or reproducing information signals

Claim 2

1 . Apparatus for recording an information signal in limited parts (23) of successive slanting tracks (4A, 4B) on a recording medium (2) by means of a rotary head (HA, HB), each track (4A, 4B) having an index area (242) apart from said limited part (23) for recording of the information signal, the apparatus comprising: means (60) for processing an information signal in a digital form; means (37, 32) for supplying the processed information signal to the rotary head (HA, HB) for recording in said limited parts (23) of the slanting tracks (4A, 4B); means (72) for generating an index signal having a predetermined number of bits for searching for beginnings of groups of the slanting tracks; means (72) for generating coded index data which is formed of a plurality of blocks (BLK1 to BLK6); and control means (41, 42, 100, 74, 35, 37, 32) for supplying said index signal and at least one block of said coded index data to the rotary head (HA, HB) for recording by the rotary head in said index area (242) of a slanting track (4A, 4B).

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information signal is an audio signal.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the number of blocks (BLK1 to BLK6) of said coded index data is variable.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said index signal replaces a preamble portion in the index area (242) when said index signal is recorded.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said index signal comprises consecutive "0"s and said preamble portion comprises consecutive "1"s.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising means for recording a second information signal in each slanting track (4A, 4B) in a portion (26) of the track which is different from said limited part (23) where the first-mentioned information signal is recorded.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second information signal is a video signal.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second information signal comprises a plurality of channels of audio signals.

Claim 10

Apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information signals in successive slanting tracks (4A, 4B) on a recording tape (2), the apparatus comprising: information signal processing means (60) for converting input information signals to a digitised form in which the information data for a predetermined length of time is grouped as a plurality of data blocks; rotary head means (HA, HB) connected to the information signal processing means (6) for recording and/or reproducing the grouped data blocks containing a digitised information signal for said predetermined length of time in a first part (23) of a respective slanting track (4A, 4B) on the tape (2); means (72) for generating coded index data formed of a plurality of blocks (BLK1 to BLK6); means (72) operative selectively for generating consecutive first logic values as a postamble signal and as a preamble signal for said coded index data, and for generating consecutive second logic values of at least a predetermined bit length as an index signal identifying the start of a respective group of the slanting tracks (4A, 4B); means (41, 42, 100, 74) responsive to rotation of the rotary head means (HA, HB) for providing an index area signal (GS) in correspondence to the scanning by the rotary head means (HA, HB) of an index area (242) of a respective slanting track (4A, 4B) which is spaced from said first part (23) of the respective track by an intervening postamble area (241); and control means (35) responsive to said index area signal (GS) and having a first state in which said consecutive first logic values are supplied to the rotary head means (HA, HB) for recording as a postamble signal in said postamble area (241) and in a contiguous portion of said index area (242) as a preamble signal and then at least one of said blocks (BLK1 to BLK6) of the coded index data is supplied to the rotary head means for recording in a remainder of said index area (242), the control means (35) further having a second state in which said consecutive second logic values of at least said predetermined bit length are supplied to the rotary head means for recording in said index area (242) as said index signal in place of said preamble signal and followed by said at least one block of the coded index data recorded in said remainder of the index area (242).

Claim 11

Apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information signals in successive slanting tracks (4A, 4B) on a recording tape (2), the apparatus comprising: information signal processing means (60) for converting input information signals to a digitised form in which the information data for a predetermined length of time is grouped as a plurality of data blocks; rotary head means (HA, HB) connected to the information signal processing means (6) for recording and/or reproducing the grouped data blocks containing a digitised information signal for said predetermined length of time in a first part (23) of a respective slanting track (4A, 4B) on the tape (2); means (72) for generating coded index data formed of a plurality of blocks (BLK1 to BLK6); means (72) operative selectively for generating consecutive first logic values as a postamble signal and as a preamble signal for said coded index data, and for generating consecutive second logic values of at least a predetermined bit length as an index signal identifying the start of a respective group of the slanting tracks (4A, 4B); means (41, 42, 100, 74) responsive to rotation of the rotary head means (HA, HB) for providing an index area signal (GS) in correspondence to the scanning by the rotary head means (HA, HB) of an index area (242) of a respective slanting track (4A, 4B) which is spaced from said first part (23) of the respective track by an intervening postamble area (241); and control means (35) responsive to said index area signal (GS) and having a first state in which said consecutive first logic values are supplied to the rotary head means (HA, HB) for recording as a postamble signal in said postamble area (241) and in a contiguous portion of said index area (242) as a preamble signal and then at least one of said blocks (BLK1 to BLK6) of the coded index data is supplied to the rotary head means for recording in a remainder of said index area (242), the control means (35) further having a second state in which said consecutive second logic values of at least said predetermined bit length are supplied to the rotary head means for recording in said index area (242) as said index signal in place of said preamble signal and followed by said at least one block of the coded index data recorded in said remainder of the index area (242).

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the input information signals are audio signals.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the number of said blocks (BLK1 to BLK6) forming said coded index data is variable.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 9, claim 10 or claim 11, wherein said first logic values are "1"s and said second logic values are "0"s so that said index signal is a "0" index signal of sufficient bit length to be reliably detected.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 12, comprising means for supplying to the rotary head means (HA, HB) second information signals for recording in second parts (26) of the slanting tracks (4A, 4B) which are each apart from said first part (23), postamble area (241) and index area (242) of the respective slanting track.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second information signals are video signals.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second information signals are channels of audio signals.