Method and apparatus for recording digital video signals

Claim 1

A method of recording digital video signals (Y, R-Y, B-Y) in slant tracks (R1, R2, R3...) on a magnetic tape (T) by means of a plurality of magnetic heads (H1, H2) disposed on a rotating drum (21) about which said tape is wrapped, said heads each forming a respective one of said tracks during each rotation of said drum, the method comprising the steps of: forming said digital video signals into n x n blocks of picture data elements, n being an integer greater than 1; compression-coding each said block of picture data elements to form a block (BL) of coefficient data that includes a plurality of elements, the compression-coding including an orthogonal transformation of said block of picture data elements; and recording all elements of said block of coefficient data in a single one of said slant tracks.

Claim 7

A method of recording digital video signals (Y, R-Y, B-Y) in slant tracks (R1, R2, R3...) on a magnetic tape (T) by means of a plurality of magnetic heads (H1, H2) disposed on a rotating drum (21) about which said tape is wrapped, said heads each forming a respective one of said tracks during each rotation of said drum, the method comprising the steps of: forming from said digital video signals an n x n block of picture data elements, n being an integer greater than 1; compression-coding said block of picture data elements to form a block (BL) of coefficient data that includes a plurality of elements, the compression-coding including an orthogonal transformation of said block of picture data elements; and using a single one of said magnetic heads to record all elements of said block of coefficient data in the respective track formed by said one head.

Claim 8

A method of recording digital video signals (Y, R-Y, B-Y) in slant tracks (R1, R2, R3...) on a magnetic tape (T) by means of a plurality of magnetic heads (H1, H2) disposed on a rotating drum (21) about which said tape is wrapped, said heads each forming a respective one of said tracks during each rotation of said drum, the method comprising the steps of: receiving digital input video signals that include a luminance signal (Y) obtained at a first sampling frequency, a first color difference signal (R-Y) obtained at a second sampling frequency, and a second color difference signal (B-Y) obtained at a third sampling frequency; retrieving data from valid portions of said input signals to obtain valid input signals; converting said color difference signals to a fourth sampling frequency that is lower than said second and third sampling frequencies; dividing fields (Fk, Fk+1 ) of said input signals into picture element areas (a1, a2, a3...; b1, b2, b3...); forming an n x n block of picture data elements, n being an integer greater than 1, comprised of picture data elements from corresponding ones of said areas of a first field and an immediately following field, respectively, of said input signals; compression-coding said block of picture data elements to form a block (BL) of coefficient data that includes a plurality of elements, the compression-coding including an orthogonal transformation of said block of picture data elements; and recording all elements of said block of coefficient data in a single one of said slant tracks.

Claim 11

An apparatus for recording digital video signals in slant tracks (R1, R2, R3...) on a magnetic tape (T), comprising: a rotary drum (21) about which said tape is wrapped; a plurality of magnetic heads (H1, H2) disposed on said drum, for each forming a respective one of said tracks during each rotation of said drum; means (4) for forming, from said digital video signals, an n x n block of picture data elements, n being an integer greater than 1; means (5) for compression-coding said block of picture data elements to form a block (BL) of coefficient data that includes a plurality of elements, said compression-coding means including means for performing an orthogonai transformation on said block of picture data elements; and means (9A, 9B) for supplying all said elements of the block of coefficient data to one of said heads for recording in a single one of said slant tracks.

Claim 17

An apparatus for recording digital video signals (Y, R-Y, B-Y) in slant tracks (R1, R2, R3...) on a magnetic tape (T), comprising: a rotary drum (21) about which said tape is wrapped; a plurality of magnetic heads (H1, H2) disposed on said drum for each forming a respective one of said tracks during each rotation of said drum; means (1) for receiving digital video input signals that include a luminance signal (Y) obtained at a first sampling frequency, a first color difference signal (R-Y) obtained at a second sampling frequency, and a second color difference signal (B-Y) obtained at a third sampling frequency; means (2) for retrieving data from valid portions of said input signals to obtain valid input signals; means (3) for converting said color difference signals to a fourth sampling frequency that is lower than said second and third sampling frequencies; means (4) for dividing fields (Fk, Fk+1 ) of said input signals into picture element areas (a1, a2, a3...; b1, b2, b3...); means (4) for forming an n x n block of picture data elements, n being an integer greater than 1, form picture data elements in corresponding ones of said picture element areas of a first field (Fk) and an immediately following field (Fk+1 ) of said input signals; means (5) for compression-coding said block of picture data elements to form a block (BL) of coefficient data that includes a plurality of elements, said compression-coding means including means for performing an orthogonal transformation upon said block of picture data elements; and means (9A, 9B) for supplying all elements of said block of coefficient data to one of said heads so that said all elements are recorded in a single one of said slant tracks.