US4542418A — Method and apparatus for reproducing an informati…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 194 words

Apparatus for reproducing an information signal recorded in a plurality of successive parallel tracks on a record medium and comprised of a video signal and at least one of a frequency-modulated audio signal and a digitized audio signal, with the video signal and frequency-modulated audio signal being recorded only in a main section of each track and the digitized audio signal being recorded only in an overscan section of each track, said apparatus comprising: transducer means for scanning said tracks to reproduce said information signal recorded in said plurality of successive parallel tracks; separation means for separating said information signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track by said transducer means and a signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track by said transducer means; detecting means for detecting whether said separated signal reproduced during scanning of said overscan section of each track includes a digitized audio signal and producing a detection signal in response thereto; output means; and switch means for switching an audio signal corresponding to one of the digitized audio signal and frequency-modulated audio signal to the output means in response to the detection signal.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 194 words

Apparatus for reproducing an information signal recorded in a plurality of successive parallel tracks on a record medium and comprised of a video signal and at least one of a frequency-modulated audio signal and a digitized audio signal, with the video signal and frequency-modulated audio signal being recorded only in a main section of each track and the digitized audio signal being recorded only in an overscan section of each track, said apparatus comprising: transducer means for scanning said tracks to reproduce said information signal recorded in said plurality of successive parallel tracks; separation means for separating said information signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track by said transducer means and a signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track by said transducer means; detecting means for detecting whether said separated signal reproduced during scanning of said overscan section of each track includes a digitized audio signal and producing a detection signal in response thereto; output means; and switch means for switching an audio signal corresponding to one of the digitized audio signal and frequency-modulated audio signal to the output means in response to the detection signal.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 89 words

Apparatus according to claim 1; in which said video signal includes a vertical synchronizing signal; and said detecting means includes control signal generating means for producing a gate signal in synchronism with said vertical synchronizing signal, and digital detector means for detecting whether said separated signal reproduced during scanning of said overscan section of each track includes a digitized audio signal, in response to said gate signal and said separated signal reproduced during scanning of said overscan section of each track, and producing said detection signal in response thereto.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 52 words

Apparatus according to claim 2; in which said separated signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track includes a run-in signal when said separated signal includes said digitized audio signal, and said digital detector means produces said detection signal in response to said gate signal and said run-in signal.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 89 words

Apparatus according to claim 3; further including frequency-demodulation means for frequency-demodulating a frequency-modulated audio signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track to produce a first analog audio signal, and digital processing means for processing a digitized audio signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track to produce a second analog audio signal; and in which said switch means switches one of the first analog audio signal and the second analog audio signal to the output means in response to said detection signal.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 50 words

Apparatus according to claim 4; in which said digital processing means includes time base expansion means for expanding the time base of said digitized audio signal, decoding means for decoding said digitized audio signal and digital-to-analog converting means for converting said digitized audio signal to said second analog audio signal.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 58 words

Apparatus according to claim 2; in which said control signal generating means produces a switch control signal for controlling said separation means to separate said information signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track by said transducer means and the signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track by said transducer means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 118 words

Apparatus according to claim 6; in which said transducer means includes first and second head means for scanning said tracks to reproduce said information signal recorded in said plurality of successive parallel tracks; and said separation means includes a first switch connected to said first and second head means and controlled by said switch control signal to separate said information signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track by said first and second head means, and a second switch connected to said first and second head means and controlled by said switch control signal to separate said signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track by said first and second head means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 34 words

Apparatus according to claim 7; further including filter means for further separating said information signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track into said video signal and said frequency-modulated audio signal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to claim 6; in which one field interval of said video signal is recorded in each track, and said switch control signal alternates between two different states for successive field intervals.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 179 words

A method of reproducing an information signal recorded in a plurality of successive parallel tracks on a record medium and comprised of a video signal and at least one of a frequency-modulated audio signal and a digitized audio signal, with the video signal and frequency-modulated audio signal being recorded only in a main section of each track and the digitized audio signal being recorded only in an overscan section of each track, said method comprising the steps of: scanning said tracks to reproduce said information signal recorded in said plurality of successive parallel tracks; separating said information signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track and a signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track; detecting whether said separated signal reproduced during scanning of said overscan section of each track includes a digitized audio signal; producing a detection signal in response to said step of detecting; and switching an audio signal corresponding to one of said digitized audio signal and said frequency-modulated audio signal to output means in response to said detection signal.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 179 words

A method of reproducing an information signal recorded in a plurality of successive parallel tracks on a record medium and comprised of a video signal and at least one of a frequency-modulated audio signal and a digitized audio signal, with the video signal and frequency-modulated audio signal being recorded only in a main section of each track and the digitized audio signal being recorded only in an overscan section of each track, said method comprising the steps of: scanning said tracks to reproduce said information signal recorded in said plurality of successive parallel tracks; separating said information signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track and a signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track; detecting whether said separated signal reproduced during scanning of said overscan section of each track includes a digitized audio signal; producing a detection signal in response to said step of detecting; and switching an audio signal corresponding to one of said digitized audio signal and said frequency-modulated audio signal to output means in response to said detection signal.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 89 words

A method according to claim 10; in which said video signal includes a vertical synchronizing signal, and said step of detecting includes the steps of producing a gate signal in synchronism with said vertical synchronizing signal, detecting whether said separated signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track includes a digitized audio signal, in response to said gate signal and said separated signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track, and producing said detection signal in response to said latter step of detecting.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 57 words

A method according to claim 11; in which said separated signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track includes a run-in signal when said separated signal includes said digitized audio signal, and said step of producing includes the step of producing said detection signal in response to said gate signal and said run-in signal.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 91 words

A method according to claim 12; further including the steps of producing a first analog audio signal by frequency-demodulating a frequency-modulated audio signal reproducing during scanning of the main section of each track and producing a second analog audio signal by processing a digitized audio signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track; and in which said step of switching includes the step of switching one of the first analog audio signal and the second analog audio signal to the output means in response to said detection signal.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 47 words

A method according to claim 13; in which said step of producing said second analog audio signal includes the steps of expanding the time base of said digitized audio signal, decoding said digitized audio signal and converting said digitized audio signal to said second analog audio signal.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 69 words

A method according to claim 10; further including the step of producing a switch control signal, and in which said step of separating includes the step of separating said information signal reproduced during scanning of the main section of each track by said transducer means and the signal reproduced during scanning of the overscan section of each track by said transducer means, in response to said switch control signal.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1988-09-16	1989-03-18	1989-09-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1992-09-16	1993-03-18	1993-09-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1996-09-16	1997-03-18	1997-09-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for reproducing an information signal comprised of a video signal and audio signal

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag