Recording, reproduction and editing of data

Claim 2

A recording apparatus for use with a recording medium (1) having a plurality of mutually separated data recording regions (2₁-­2₅₀) each being identified by a different identification number and having a capacity for recording a field of video data or a given period of audio data supplied from an external source, the apparatus comprising: first means for recording the video data on a selected one of said data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) which is identified by a first identification number; and second means for thereafter recording on another of said data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) the audio data along with a second identification number and a group identification number of at least one data recording region to designate a group of data recording regions whose recorded data are to be reproduced in synchronism with each other.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first means is operative to record a plurality of items of video data (V₁-V₃) on a plurality of mutually different data recording regions spaced apart by at least one data recording region (E) that is left blank, and said second means is operative to record said audio data (A₁ to A₈) in said at least one blank data recording region (E) between the data recording regions storing video data.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2, which comprises third means for setting the number of consecutive data recording regions to be left blank after a data recording region storing said video data.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second means records audio data over a plurality of consecutive data recording regions along with a different identification number and the same group identification number in each of the consecutive data recording regions.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said second means is operative to limit the number of data recording regions for storing audio data to be reproduced consecutively.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, capable of use with a recording medium (1) which is in the shape of a disc having plurality of concentrically arranged tracks serving as said data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀).

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each track has a capacity of one field of video data representative of a still image.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the identification numbers correspond to the track numbers.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the group identification number is the first identification number.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the group identification number is the identification number of the first of the data recording regions in which audio data is recorded.

Claim 12

An editing apparatus for use with a recording medium (1) having a plurality of mutually separated data recording regions (2₁-­2₅₀) each being identified by a different identification number and each data recording region having recorded therein a different identification number, a group identification number for designating a group of data recording regions whose recorded data are to be reproduced synchronously, and a field of video data or a given period of audio data, the editing apparatus comprising: first means for selecting one of the data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) to erase the data stored therein; second means for locating the data recording regions in which are recorded video or audio data associated with the data recorded in said selected data recording region by reproducing the identification numbers and the group identification numbers of selected ones of the data recording regions and comparing the group identification numbers with the group identification number of the selected one data recording region; and third means for erasing the data from the data recording regions selected by said first means and said second means.

Claim 13

An editing apparatus for use with a recording medium (1) having a plurality of mutually separated data recording regions (2₁-­2₅₀) each being identified by a different identification number and each data recording region having recorded therein a different identification number, a group identification number for designating a group of data recording regions whose recorded data are to be reproduced synchronously, and a field of video data or a given period of audio data, the editing apparatus comprising: first means for selecting one of the data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) to erase the data stored therein; second means for locating the data recording regions in which are recorded video or audio data associated with the data recorded in said selected data recording region by reproducing the identification numbers and the group identification numbers of selected ones of the data recording regions and comparing the group identification numbers with the group identification number of the selected one data recording region; and third means for erasing the data from the data recording regions selected by said first means and said second means.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: said second means includes means for detecting which of said data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) in which audio data is recorded have the same group identification number as the selected one data recording region, and memory means (16), connected to the detecting means, for storing a marking indicative of an erasure demand for each such detected data recording region; and said third means is operative automatically to erase data in said data recording regions for which an erasure demand indicative marking is stored in the memory means whereby the selected one data recording region and the data recording regions grouped to be reproduced synchronously with it are erased.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 12, capable of use with a recording medium (1) which is disc shaped and has a plurality of concentrically arranged tracks (2₁-2₅₀) serving as said data recording regions, each having a capacity for recording one field of video data representative of a still image, the identification numbers corresponding to the numbers of the tracks.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the group identification number corresponds to the track number of a track on which video data is recorded.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12, for use with a recording medium which has audio data recorded over a plurality of consecutive data recording regions along with a different identification number and the same group identification number in each of the consecutive data recording regions, wherein the detecting means is operative to scan the data recording regions in a radial direction beginning with the selected one of the data recording regions.

Claim 18

A recording method for use with a recording medium having a plurality of mutually separated data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) each being identified by a different identification number and having a capacity for recording a field of video data or a given period of audio data supplied from an external source, the method comprising: recording the video data on a selected one of said data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) which is identified by a first identification number; and thereafter recording on another of said data recording regions the audio data along with a second identification number and a group identification number of at least one data recording region to designate a group of data recording regions whose recorded data are to be reproduced in synchronism with each other.

Claim 19

A recording method for use with a recording medium having a plurality of mutually separated data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) each being identified by a different identification number and having a capacity for recording a field of video data or a given period of audio data supplied from an external source, the method comprising: recording the video data on a selected one of said data recording regions (2₁-2₅₀) which is identified by a first identification number; and thereafter recording on another of said data recording regions the audio data along with a second identification number and a group identification number of at least one data recording region to designate a group of data recording regions whose recorded data are to be reproduced in synchronism with each other.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 16, wherein said step of video data recording comprises recording a plurality of items of video data (V₁-V₃) on a plurality of mutually different data recording regions spaced apart by at least one data recording region (E) that is left blank, and said step of audio data recording comprises recording said audio data in said at least one blank data recording region between data recording regions storing video data.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 17, which comprises setting the number of consecutive data recording regions to be left blank after a data recording region storing said video data.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 16, wherein said step of audio data recording comprises recording audio data over a plurality of consecutive data recording regions along with a different identification number and the same group identification number in each of the consecutive data recording regions.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 19, wherein said step of audio data recording comprises limiting the number of data recording regions for storing audio date to be reproduced consecutively.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 21, wherein each track has a capacity of one field of video data representative of a still image.

Claim 26

A method according to claim 21 or claim 22, wherein the identification numbers correspond to the track numbers.

Claim 28

A method according to claim 18, wherein the group identification number is the identification number of the first of the data recording regions in which audio data is recorded.

Claim 31

A method according to claim 26, wherein: the locating step includes detecting which of said data recording regions in which audio data is recorded have the same group identification number as the selected one data recording region and storing a marking indicative of an erasure demand for each such detected data recording region; and the erasing step includes automatically erasing data on said data recording regions for which an erasure demand indicative marking is stored whereby the selected one data recording region and the data recording regions grouped to be reproduced synchronously with it are erased.

Claim 32

A method according to claim 27, wherein said recording medium (1) is disc shaped and has a plurality of concentrically arranged tracks (2₁-2₅₀) serving as said data recording regions, each having a capacity for recording one field of video data representative of a still image, and wherein the identification numbers correspond to the numbers of the tracks.

Claim 33

A method according to claim 28, wherein the group identification number corresponds to the track number of a track on which video data is recorded.

Claim 34

A method according to claim 27, wherein the recording medium has audio data recorded over a plurality of consecutive data recording regions along with a different identification number and the same group identification number in each of the consecutive data recording regions, and wherein the detecting step includes scanning the data recording regions in a radial direction beginning with the selected one of the data recording regions.