Apparatus for magnetically recording digital data

Claim 1

An apparatus for magnetically recording digital data on a magnetic tape, comprising: block segmenting means (6) for converting an input digital picture signal into data segmented into blocks each composed of a plurality of picture elements; encoding means (8) for compressing and encoding the picture signal data of each of said blocks; channel encoding means (11) for channel encoding the encoded data from said encoding means (8); audio signal encoding means (15) for encoding an input digital audio signal; additional code generating means for generating an additional control code including subdata; means for providing pilot signal data for tracking; tape guiding drum (76) means with rotary head means (13A, 13B) thereon for tracing successive tracks (TA, TB) on a magnetic tape (78) wrapped on said drum means (76), with each of said tracks having a head entering end, where said head means (13A, 13B) moves into contact with the tape (78), and a head leaving end where said head means (13A, 13B) moves out of contact with said tape (78); and means for mixing said pilot signal data, the channel encoded picture signal data from said channel encoding means, the encoded audio signal data from said audio signal encoding means (15), and said subdata so as to provide a sequence of data supplied to said head means (13A, 13B) for recording in each of said tracks (TA, TB) with said pilot signal data recorded at an end portion of the respective track adjacent said head entering end, said subdata recorded at a portion of said respective track adjacent said head leaving end, and said encoded picture signal data and encoded audio signal data recorded at a portion of said respective track (TA, TB) intermediate said portions in which the pilot signal data and the subdata, respectively, are recorded.

Claim 9

An apparatus for magnetically recording digital data on a magnetic tape according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said encoding means includes discrete cosine transform (DCT) means.

Claim 10

An apparatus for magnetically recording digital data on a magnetic tape according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said encoding means includes adaptive dynamic range coding (ADRC) means.

Claim 11

An apparatus for magnetically recording digital data on a magnetic tape according to one the preceding claims, characterized in that said magnetic tape (78) is a metal evaporated (ME) tape.

Claim 12

An apparatus for magnetically recording digital data on a magnetic tape according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said channel encoding means (11) includes scrambled non-return to zero (NRZ) means.

Claim 13

An apparatus for magnetically recording digital data on a magnetic tape according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by playback means for reproducing data recorded in each of said tracks when scanned by said head means (13A, 13B); channel decoding means for channel decoding reproduced data from said playback means; decoding means (22) for expanding and decoding block-by-block the channel decoded data from said channel decoding means; and block disassembling means (26) for converting the data expanded and decoded by the block into a digital-picture signal.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said magnetic tape (78) is wrapped on said drum means (76) with a wrap angle of less than 180 o .