Disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a buffer memory

Claim 2

A disc recording apparatus comprising: an encoder for subjecting an input digital signal to data compression; a memory in which to the data output from said encoder can be temporarily written; a head device for recording onto a disc the data read from said memory; and a controller for controlling said memory and said head device in operation, wherein said controller, before having said head device start recording data onto said disc, always writes to said memory the digital data that is input over a period of time starting from a given point in time, said period of time corresponding to the storage capacity of said memory, and wherein, when having said head device start recording data onto said disc in accordance with an actually input recording start instruction, said controller reads data from said memory starting from a point in time chronologically preceding the point in time at which said recording start instruction is input.

Claim 3

A disc recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller erases the data stored temporarily in said memory prior to starting the recording of data onto said disc.

Claim 4

A disc recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said memory is a random access memory.

Claim 5

A disc recording apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising: a first input part for setting normal recording mode in which to have said head device record the data read from said memory onto said disc; and a second input part for setting prerecording mode in which to read from said memory the data chronologically preceding the point in time at which said recording start instruction is input, in order to have said head device record the read data onto said disc; wherein said first and said second input parts are connected to said controller.

Claim 6

A disc recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said second input part comprises variable input means for determining from which point in time data is to be read from said memory, the determined point in time chronologically preceding the point in time at which said recording start instruction is input.

Claim 7

A disc recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said variable input means is a slide rheostat or potentiometer.

Claim 8

A disc recording method comprising the steps of: subjecting input digital data to data compression; writing temporarily the compressed data to a memory; recording the data read from said memory onto a disc in predetermined recording units; when prerecording mode is established and before a head device starts recording data onto said disc, always writing to said memory in compressed form the digital data that is input over a period of time starting from a given point in time, said period of time corresponding to the storage capacity of said memory; when said head device starts recording data onto said disc in accordance with an actually input recording start instruction, starting to read data sequentially from said memory at a speed higher than the speed at which to write said compressed data to said memory, the reading of the data from said memory being started earlier by a predetermined time than the point in time at which said recording start instruction is input; and feeding said head device with the data read from said memory for recording onto said disc.

Claim 9

A disc recording method comprising the steps of: subjecting input digital data to data compression; writing temporarily the compressed data to a memory; recording the data read from said memory onto a disc in predetermined recording units; when prerecording mode is established and before a head device starts recording data onto said disc, always writing to said memory in compressed form the digital data that is input over a period of time starting from a given point in time, said period of time corresponding to the storage capacity of said memory; when said head device starts recording data onto said disc in accordance with an actually input recording start instruction, starting to read data sequentially from said memory at a speed higher than the speed at which to write said compressed data to said memory, the reading of the data from said memory being started earlier by a predetermined time than the point in time at which said recording start instruction is input; and feeding said head device with the data read from said memory for recording onto said disc.

Claim 10

A disc recording method according to claim 7, said method further comprises the step of reading data from said memory starting from a chronologically preceding point in time determined by variable input means.

Claim 11

A disc recording method according to claim 7 or 8, said method further comprises the step of erasing the data in said memory before said head device starts recording data onto said disc.

Claim 12

A disc recording method according to claim 7, 8 or 9, said method further comprises the step of feeding, in normal recording mode, said head device with the data read from said memory at a speed higher than the speed at which data is written to said memory.

Claim 13

A disc recording apparatus comprising: a first encoder for subjecting an input digital audio signal to data compression; a memory for temporarily storing the digital data output from said first encoder; a memory controller for controlling the writing and reading of data to and from said memory in such a manner that the speed at which to read data from said memory is higher than the speed at which to write to said memory the data read from said first encoder; a second encoder for converting the data read from said memory into record data; a head device for receiving the record data output from said second encoder; a controller for controlling said head device, said second encoder and said memory controller; and an input unit including a first input part connected to said controller for inputting a recording start instruction thereto, and a second input part for setting a mode in such a manner that before said head device starts recording data onto said disc, said digital data is always written to said memory when output from said first encoder over a period of time starting from a given point in time, said period of time corresponding to the storage capacity of said memory; wherein said controller, in controlling the writing of data to said memory, sends a control signal to said memory controller in accordance with an input signal from said second input part so as to erase the data in said memory before writing thereto the data output from said first encoder, and wherein said controller, in controlling the reading of data from said memory, starts reading data from said memory earlier by a predetermined time than the point in time at which said recording start instruction is input by said first input part.

Claim 14

A disc recording apparatus comprising: a first encoder for subjecting an input digital audio signal to data compression; a memory for temporarily storing the digital data output from said first encoder; a memory controller for controlling the writing and reading of data to and from said memory in such a manner that the speed at which to read data from said memory is higher than the speed at which to write to said memory the data read from said first encoder; a second encoder for converting the data read from said memory into record data; a head device for receiving the record data output from said second encoder; a controller for controlling said head device, said second encoder and said memory controller; and an input unit including a first input part connected to said controller for inputting a recording start instruction thereto, and a second input part for setting a mode in such a manner that before said head device starts recording data onto said disc, said digital data is always written to said memory when output from said first encoder over a period of time starting from a given point in time, said period of time corresponding to the storage capacity of said memory; wherein said controller, in controlling the writing of data to said memory, sends a control signal to said memory controller in accordance with an input signal from said second input part so as to erase the data in said memory before writing thereto the data output from said first encoder, and wherein said controller, in controlling the reading of data from said memory, starts reading data from said memory earlier by a predetermined time than the point in time at which said recording start instruction is input by said first input part.

Claim 15

Adisc recording apparatus according to claim 11, said apparatus further comprises setting means for setting that starting location in said memory from which to start reading data in the mode set by said second input part.