Rotary head recording and playback apparatus and method

Claim 2

Rotary-head recording apparatus for recording digital information signals of n (n being an integer equal to or greater than 2) channels input for a predetermined time, to form m (m being an even number equal to or greater than 4) tracks on a recording medium, the information being distributed along the tracks, each of said tracks having a first to n-th regions, and the digital information signals of n channels input for said predetermined time being divided into m groups for each channel, so that the digital information signals being recorded into n x m regions of m tracks, said apparatus comprising: a recording signal processing means for interleaving the digital information signals of the n channels input for said predetermined time, and outputting the interleaved digital information signals; a recording means for recording the signals supplied from said signal processing means on said recording medium to form said tracks; wherein said signal processing means divides the odd samples and the even samples input for said predetermined time for each channel into a first to m/2-th groups, and interleave them such that recorded in the n regions of each track are groups of different channels, and the groups containing adjacent samples of the same channel are disposed in differently-numbered regions of different tracks.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording signal processing means comprises a coding means which performs the coding for error detection and error correction for the digital information signals contained in m tracks, each audio data being encloded by means of at least two codewords for error detection and error correction, and at least one of said codewords for error detection and error correction is completed over a plurality of tracks of said m tracks, and adjacent samples of the same channels are contained in different codewords.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a playback means for scanning tracks recorded on said recording medium to play back digital information signals of the n channels; and a playback signal processing means for rearranging the digital information signals played back by said playback means, the rearrangement being performed to change the order of the samples into the original order of the samples for each channel.

Claim 5

A rotary-head playback apparatus for performing sequential scanning along tracks formed on a recording medium to perform playback of digital information signals, wherein each track comprises a first to n-th regions, digital information signals of n channels for a predetermined time are recorded, being distributed over said regions of m tracks (m being an integer equal to or greater than 4), said apparatus comprising: a playback means for scanning said tracks to reproduce signals; a playback signal processing means receiving digital signals played back by said playback means and rearranging, for each channel, the digital information signals of said m tracks as a unit, and outputting the rearranged samples; and a signal compensation means for receiving the rearranged signals from said playback signal processing means and compensating the samples on which error has occurred, using a sample adjacent thereto; wherein said playback signal processing means form the digital information signals of each channel for a predetermined time period from signals played back from m regions of m different tracks, and outputs said digital information signals after having restored the original order of samples.

Claim 6

A rotary-head playback apparatus for performing sequential scanning along tracks formed on a recording medium to perform playback of digital information signals, wherein each track comprises a first to n-th regions, digital information signals of n channels for a predetermined time are recorded, being distributed over said regions of m tracks (m being an integer equal to or greater than 4), said apparatus comprising: a playback means for scanning said tracks to reproduce signals; a playback signal processing means receiving digital signals played back by said playback means and rearranging, for each channel, the digital information signals of said m tracks as a unit, and outputting the rearranged samples; and a signal compensation means for receiving the rearranged signals from said playback signal processing means and compensating the samples on which error has occurred, using a sample adjacent thereto; wherein said playback signal processing means form the digital information signals of each channel for a predetermined time period from signals played back from m regions of m different tracks, and outputs said digital information signals after having restored the original order of samples.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said playback signal processing means comprises a decoding means which performs the error detection and error correction using error detection and correction codewords coded to be completed over a plurality of tracks in said m tracks.

Claim 8

A rotary-head recording method in which digital information signals of n channels (n being an integer equal to or greater than 2) that are input for a predetermined time are recorded on a recording medium, being distributed across m tracks (in being an even number equal to or greater than 4), wherein each of said tracks comprises first to n-th regions, and the digital information signals for each of n channels for said predetermined time are divided into m groups, so that the digital information signals for said n channels are recorded in n x m regions in m tracks; even samples and odd samples for each channel in said predetermined time are divided into first to m/2-th groups, respectively, said groups of different channels are allocated to the n regions in each track; and the groups containing adjacent samples in the same channel are recorded in different tracks and at the differently-numbered regions.

Claim 9

A rotary-head recording method in which digital information signals of n channels (n being an integer equal to or greater than 2) that are input for a predetermined time are recorded on a recording medium, being distributed across m tracks (in being an even number equal to or greater than 4), wherein each of said tracks comprises first to n-th regions, and the digital information signals for each of n channels for said predetermined time are divided into m groups, so that the digital information signals for said n channels are recorded in n x m regions in m tracks; even samples and odd samples for each channel in said predetermined time are divided into first to m/2-th groups, respectively, said groups of different channels are allocated to the n regions in each track; and the groups containing adjacent samples in the same channel are recorded in different tracks and at the differently-numbered regions.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 6, wherein each of the digital information signals belongs to at least two codewords for error detection and error correction, said codewords extending across m tracks; and coding is such that at least one of them is completed over a plurality of tracks in said m tracks, and adjacent samples in the same channel are contained in different codewords.

Claim 11

A rotary-head playback method for performing sequential scanning along helical tracks formed on a recording medium to perform playback of digital information, wherein each track comprises first to n-th regions, digital information signals of n channels for a predetermined time are recorded, being distributed across said regions of m tracks (m being an integer equal to or greater than 4), wherein wherein said playback signal processing means form the digital information signals of each channel for a predetermined time period from signals played back from m regions of m different tracks, and outputs said digital information signals after having restored the original order of samples.

Claim 12

A rotary-head playback method for performing sequential scanning along helical tracks formed on a recording medium to perform playback of digital information, wherein each track comprises first to n-th regions, digital information signals of n channels for a predetermined time are recorded, being distributed across said regions of m tracks (m being an integer equal to or greater than 4), wherein wherein said playback signal processing means form the digital information signals of each channel for a predetermined time period from signals played back from m regions of m different tracks, and outputs said digital information signals after having restored the original order of samples.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 8, wherein the error detection and error correction are performed using error detection and correcting codewords coded for which interleaves over a plurality of tracks in said m tracks.

Claim 14

A rotary-head recording apparatus in which digital information signals of n channels (n being an integer equal to or greater than 2) that are input for a predetermined time are recorded on a recording medium, being distributed across m tracks (in being an even number equal to or greater than 2), wherein each of said track comprise first to 2n-th regions, and the digital information signals for each of 2n channels for each channels input for said predetermined time are divided into 2m groups for each channel and the digital information signals of said n channels are recorded in 2n x m regions in m tracks; said apparatus comprising: a signal processing means for interleaving digital information signals of n channels input for a predetermined time and outputting the interleaved signals; a recording means recording the signals supplied from said signal processing means on said recording medium to form said tracks; wherein said recording signal processing means interleaves the samples in such a manner that even samples and odd samples for each channel in said predetermined time are divided into first to m-th groups, respectively, one of the even sample groups and one of the odd sample groups, for each channel, are disposed in the 2n regions in each track; and the groups containing adjacent samples in the same channel are recorded in different tracks and at the differently-numbered regions.

Claim 15

A rotary-head recording apparatus in which digital information signals of n channels (n being an integer equal to or greater than 2) that are input for a predetermined time are recorded on a recording medium, being distributed across m tracks (in being an even number equal to or greater than 2), wherein each of said track comprise first to 2n-th regions, and the digital information signals for each of 2n channels for each channels input for said predetermined time are divided into 2m groups for each channel and the digital information signals of said n channels are recorded in 2n x m regions in m tracks; said apparatus comprising: a signal processing means for interleaving digital information signals of n channels input for a predetermined time and outputting the interleaved signals; a recording means recording the signals supplied from said signal processing means on said recording medium to form said tracks; wherein said recording signal processing means interleaves the samples in such a manner that even samples and odd samples for each channel in said predetermined time are divided into first to m-th groups, respectively, one of the even sample groups and one of the odd sample groups, for each channel, are disposed in the 2n regions in each track; and the groups containing adjacent samples in the same channel are recorded in different tracks and at the differently-numbered regions.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said recording signal processing means performs such a coding that each recording signal belongs at least two codewords for error detection and error correction, said codewords extending across m tracks; and coding is such that at least one of them is completed over a plurality of tracks in said m tracks, and adjacent samples in the same channel are contained in different codewords.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: a playback means for scanning tracks formed on said recording medium to play back digital information signals of n channels; and a playback signal processing means receiving the signals played back by said playback means and rearranging, for each channel, the digital information signals of said m tracks as a unit, into the original order of sampling.

Claim 18

A rotary-head playback apparatus for performing sequential scanning along tracks formed on a recording medium to perform playback of digital information signals, wherein each track comprises first to 2n-th regions, digital information signals of n channels for a predetermined time are recorded, being distributed across said regions of m tracks (m being an integer equal to or greater than 2), said apparatus comprising: a playback means for scanning said tracks to produce signals; a playback signal processing means receiving digital signals played back by said playback means and rearranging, for each channel, the digital information signals of said m tracks as a unit, and outputting the rearranged samples; and a signal compensating means for receiving the rearranged signals from said playback signal processing means and compensating the sample on which error has occurred, using a sample adjacent thereto; wherein said playback signal processing means form the digital information signals for a predetermined time period of one channel from signals played back from 2m regions of m tracks, said 2m regions comprising, of each track, a region containing even samples and a region containing odd samples.

Claim 19

A rotary-head playback apparatus for performing sequential scanning along tracks formed on a recording medium to perform playback of digital information signals, wherein each track comprises first to 2n-th regions, digital information signals of n channels for a predetermined time are recorded, being distributed across said regions of m tracks (m being an integer equal to or greater than 2), said apparatus comprising: a playback means for scanning said tracks to produce signals; a playback signal processing means receiving digital signals played back by said playback means and rearranging, for each channel, the digital information signals of said m tracks as a unit, and outputting the rearranged samples; and a signal compensating means for receiving the rearranged signals from said playback signal processing means and compensating the sample on which error has occurred, using a sample adjacent thereto; wherein said playback signal processing means form the digital information signals for a predetermined time period of one channel from signals played back from 2m regions of m tracks, said 2m regions comprising, of each track, a region containing even samples and a region containing odd samples.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said playback signal processing means comprises a decoding means which performs the error detection and error correction using error detection and correction codewords completed in a plurality of tracks in said m tracks.

Claim 21

A rotary-head recording method in which digital information signals of n channels (n being an integer equal to or greater t!ian 2) that are input for a predetermined time are recorded on a recording medium, being distributed across m tracks (m being an even number equal to or greater than 4), wherein each of said track comprise first to 2n-th regions, and the digital information signals of n channels for each channels input for said predetermined time are divided into 2m groups and recorded in 2n x m regions in m tracks; even samples and odd samples for each channel in said predetermined time are divided into first to m-th groups, respectively, said groups of different channels are allocated to the 2n regions in each track; and the groups containing adjacent samples in the same channel are recorded in different tracks and at the differently-numbered regions.

Claim 22

A rotary-head recording method in which digital information signals of n channels (n being an integer equal to or greater t!ian 2) that are input for a predetermined time are recorded on a recording medium, being distributed across m tracks (m being an even number equal to or greater than 4), wherein each of said track comprise first to 2n-th regions, and the digital information signals of n channels for each channels input for said predetermined time are divided into 2m groups and recorded in 2n x m regions in m tracks; even samples and odd samples for each channel in said predetermined time are divided into first to m-th groups, respectively, said groups of different channels are allocated to the 2n regions in each track; and the groups containing adjacent samples in the same channel are recorded in different tracks and at the differently-numbered regions.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 15, wherein the coding for error detection and error correction being performed for the digital information signals contained in m tracks; and coding is such that at least one of them is completed over a plurality of tracks in said m tracks, and adjacent samples in the same channel are contained in different codewords.

Claim 24

A rotary-head playback method for performing sequential scanning along tracks formed on a recording medium to perform playback of digital information signals, wherein each track comprises at least first to 2n-th regions, digital information signals of n channels for a predetermined time are recorded, being distributed across said regions of in tracks (m being an integer equal to or greater than 4), wherein the digital information signals of one channel for a predetermined time period are formed from signals played back from 2m regions of m different tracks and output.

Claim 25

A rotary-head playback method for performing sequential scanning along tracks formed on a recording medium to perform playback of digital information signals, wherein each track comprises at least first to 2n-th regions, digital information signals of n channels for a predetermined time are recorded, being distributed across said regions of in tracks (m being an integer equal to or greater than 4), wherein the digital information signals of one channel for a predetermined time period are formed from signals played back from 2m regions of m different tracks and output.

Claim 26

A method according to claim 17, wherein the error detection and error correction are performed using error detection and correcting codewords completed in a plurality of tracks in said m tracks.

Claim 27

A rotary-head recording apparatus having a plurality of sets of M heads (M being an integer equal to or greater than 2) mounted in the proximity of each other, and recording video signals and digital information signals of N channels (N being an integer equal to or greater than 2) to form tracks inclined with respect to the direction of the length of a magnetic tape, one scanning of each set of M heads recording on one segment consisting of M tracks, one of X segments (X being an integer equal to or grater than 2) having a PCM area for recording digital information signals, and each of M tracks in said PCM areas has first to 2N-th regions, said apparatus comprising: a recording signal processing means for dividing the digital information signals of N channels input for a predetermined time into groups, the even samples of each channel being divided into M groups and the odd samples of each channel being divided into M groups, and outputting the 2MN groups so that they are recorded into 2MN regions in M tracks in said PCM area, a coding means for performing coding for error detection and error correction, and a recording means for sequentially recording signals output from said recording signal processing means, on said magnetic tape, wherein even sample groups and odd sample groups of N channels are disposed in 2N regions in each track, and the groups containing adjacent samples of the same channel are recorded in differently-numbered regions of different tracks.

Claim 28

A rotary-head recording apparatus having a plurality of sets of M heads (M being an integer equal to or greater than 2) mounted in the proximity of each other, and recording video signals and digital information signals of N channels (N being an integer equal to or greater than 2) to form tracks inclined with respect to the direction of the length of a magnetic tape, one scanning of each set of M heads recording on one segment consisting of M tracks, one of X segments (X being an integer equal to or grater than 2) having a PCM area for recording digital information signals, and each of M tracks in said PCM areas has first to 2N-th regions, said apparatus comprising: a recording signal processing means for dividing the digital information signals of N channels input for a predetermined time into groups, the even samples of each channel being divided into M groups and the odd samples of each channel being divided into M groups, and outputting the 2MN groups so that they are recorded into 2MN regions in M tracks in said PCM area, a coding means for performing coding for error detection and error correction, and a recording means for sequentially recording signals output from said recording signal processing means, on said magnetic tape, wherein even sample groups and odd sample groups of N channels are disposed in 2N regions in each track, and the groups containing adjacent samples of the same channel are recorded in differently-numbered regions of different tracks.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the samples input in one field period are recorded in the PCM area in the same segment.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the samples input in two field periods are taken as a unit, and the even samples and the odd samples are recorded in the PCM regions of different segments.

Claim 31

Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said PCM area is provided in the region preceding the area in which the video signals of each field are recorded.

Claim 32

Apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a playback signal processing means for playing back said recording signals that are recorded on the magnetic tape, and correcting errors, and rearranging the signals, taking the samples input in said predetermined time period as a unit, into the original order of sampling, and outputting the rearranged samples.

Claim 33

Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said coding means performs coding which is completed in one track.

Claim 34

A rotary-head playback apparatus having a plurality of sets of M heads (M being an integer equal to or greater than 2) mounted in the proximity of each other, and recording video signals and digital information signals of N channels (N being an integer equal to or greater than 2) to form tracks inclined with respect to the direction of the length of a magnetic tape, one scanning of each set of M heads recording on one segment consisting of M tracks, one of X segments (X being an integer equal to or grater than 2) having a PCM area for recording digital information signals, said apparatus playing back, from a magnetic tape in which each of M tracks in said PCM area has first to 2N-th regions and on which digital information signals of N channels input for a predetermined time are recorded, having been time-axis compressed, said video signals and digital information signals of N channels, said apparatus comprising: a playback signal processing means for receiving the digital information signals played back from said heads and rearranging, for each channel, the digital information signals of the M tracks, and outputting the rearranged samples, a decoding means for detecting or correcting errors contained in the digital information signals played back by said heads, and a compensation means for compensating the sample that could not been corrected by said decoding means, using an mean value of both adjacent samples, wherein said playback signal processing means form digital information signals for a predetermined time of each channel from signals played back from 2M regions, with two regions on each of M tracks, one of said two regions containing even samples and the other of said two regions containing odd samples, and rearranging the digital information signals for said predetermined time as a unit into the same order of sampling as in the recording.

Claim 35

A rotary-head playback apparatus having a plurality of sets of M heads (M being an integer equal to or greater than 2) mounted in the proximity of each other, and recording video signals and digital information signals of N channels (N being an integer equal to or greater than 2) to form tracks inclined with respect to the direction of the length of a magnetic tape, one scanning of each set of M heads recording on one segment consisting of M tracks, one of X segments (X being an integer equal to or grater than 2) having a PCM area for recording digital information signals, said apparatus playing back, from a magnetic tape in which each of M tracks in said PCM area has first to 2N-th regions and on which digital information signals of N channels input for a predetermined time are recorded, having been time-axis compressed, said video signals and digital information signals of N channels, said apparatus comprising: a playback signal processing means for receiving the digital information signals played back from said heads and rearranging, for each channel, the digital information signals of the M tracks, and outputting the rearranged samples, a decoding means for detecting or correcting errors contained in the digital information signals played back by said heads, and a compensation means for compensating the sample that could not been corrected by said decoding means, using an mean value of both adjacent samples, wherein said playback signal processing means form digital information signals for a predetermined time of each channel from signals played back from 2M regions, with two regions on each of M tracks, one of said two regions containing even samples and the other of said two regions containing odd samples, and rearranging the digital information signals for said predetermined time as a unit into the same order of sampling as in the recording.

Claim 36

Apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the digital signals recorded in X segments are taken as a unit and rearranged.

Claim 37

Apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the digital signals recorded in two PCM regions in 2X segments are taken as a unit and are rearranged.

Claim 38

Apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said PCM area is provided in the area preceding the area in which the video signals of each field is recorded.