Digital data error correction method and apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for serially recording a digital data record on magnetic tape, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of memory means, means responsive to said data record for storing portions of said data record into at least two of said memory means, means for assigning said portion of said data record stored in each of said memory means a unique sequential number, said number being stored in said memory means along with the assigned information, and means responsive to said stored information for recording the data record portion stored in each of said memory means serially on said tape in a sequential order specified by the assigned numbers, said recording means comprising a counter for producing a count signal and means responsive to said count signal for recording on said tape the portion of said data record assigned a number equal to said count signal, means responsive to a data record portion recorded on said tape for generating read data signals, means responsive to said read data signals for detecting a recording error therein, said detecting means comprising means responsive to said data signals for generating a valid signal when said data has been properly recorded on said tape and means responsive to said valid signal for incrementing said counter.

Claim 4

A method for serially recording a block of digital data temporarily stored in a memory on a continuously moving serial storage medium to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said block into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts containing a portion of said information, B. assigning unique identification information selected from a set of sequential identification numbers to each of said sub parts, so that each sequential sub part is assigned a corresponding sequential identification number, C. recording each of said data sub parts and its associated identification information sequentially on said medium, D. after each data part is recorded, immediately reading the information recorded on said medium corresponding to said said recorded part, E. determining from said information read from said medium whether a recording error has occurred, and F. re-recording the sub part which has an identification number which precedes the number of the sub part last recorded by a predetermined, fixed number on said medium at a position other than the position at which said sub part was originally recorded.

Claim 5

A method for serially recording a block of digital data temporarily stored in a memory on a continuously moving serial storage medium to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said block into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts containing a portion of said information, B. assigning unique identification information selected from a set of sequential identification numbers to each of said sub parts, so that each sequential sub part is assigned a corresponding sequential identification number, C. recording each of said data sub parts and its associated identification information sequentially on said medium, D. after each data part is recorded, immediately reading the information recorded on said medium corresponding to said said recorded part, E. determining from said information read from said medium whether a recording error has occurred, and F. re-recording the sub part which has an identification number which precedes the number of the sub part last recorded by a predetermined, fixed number on said medium at a position other than the position at which said sub part was originally recorded.

Claim 11

A method for serially recording a block of digital data temporarily stored in a memory in a tape recording system which has a continuously moving tape and a single read head and a single write head to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said block into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts containing a portion of said information of predetermined length, B. assigning a unique identification number selected from a set of sequential identification numbers to each of said sub parts, C. recording each of said data sub parts and its assigned identification number sequentially on said tape, D. computing an error checking code from the information in said data sub part and recording said error checking code sequentially with said sub part information and said identification number, E. after each data part is recorded, immediately reading the information recorded on said tape corresponding to said said recorded sub part and said recorded error checking code, F. calculating a new error checking code from said sub part information read from said tape G. comparing said new error checking code with said error checking code read from said tape to determine whether a recording error has occurred, H. recording previously recorded sub parts and additional sub parts on said tape starting with the sub part which has a first identification that which precedes the number of the sub part last recorded by a predetermined, fixed number, and I. recording on said tape sequentially with each of said recorded sub parts an identification number selected from a set of sequential identification numbers, said set of sequential identification numbers starting with said first identification number.

Claim 12

A method for serially recording a block of digital data temporarily stored in a memory in a tape recording system which has a continuously moving tape and a single read head and a single write head to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said block into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts containing a portion of said information of predetermined length, B. assigning a unique identification number selected from a set of sequential identification numbers to each of said sub parts, C. recording each of said data sub parts and its assigned identification number sequentially on said tape, D. computing an error checking code from the information in said data sub part and recording said error checking code sequentially with said sub part information and said identification number, E. after each data part is recorded, immediately reading the information recorded on said tape corresponding to said said recorded sub part and said recorded error checking code, F. calculating a new error checking code from said sub part information read from said tape G. comparing said new error checking code with said error checking code read from said tape to determine whether a recording error has occurred, H. recording previously recorded sub parts and additional sub parts on said tape starting with the sub part which has a first identification that which precedes the number of the sub part last recorded by a predetermined, fixed number, and I. recording on said tape sequentially with each of said recorded sub parts an identification number selected from a set of sequential identification numbers, said set of sequential identification numbers starting with said first identification number.

Claim 13

A method for recording digital data on a serial storage medium and for reading said data from said medium to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said data into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts containing a portion of said data, B. recording said data sub parts and unique identifier information for each of said sub parts sequentially on said medium, C. detecting recording errors in sub parts recorded on said medium, D. recording at least one duplicate sub part on said medium for each erroneously-recorded sub part, E. reading said information sequentially from said medium and dividing said information read from said medium into sub parts corresponding to the sub parts written on said medium, F. determining from information read from said medium in step E whether a data recording error has occurred in a particular sub part, G. marking a read data sub part which contains no recording error as valid, and H. assembling said digital data from read data sub blocks containing valid information utilizing said identifier information.

Claim 14

A method for recording digital data on a serial storage medium and for reading said data from said medium to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said data into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts containing a portion of said data, B. recording said data sub parts and unique identifier information for each of said sub parts sequentially on said medium, C. detecting recording errors in sub parts recorded on said medium, D. recording at least one duplicate sub part on said medium for each erroneously-recorded sub part, E. reading said information sequentially from said medium and dividing said information read from said medium into sub parts corresponding to the sub parts written on said medium, F. determining from information read from said medium in step E whether a data recording error has occurred in a particular sub part, G. marking a read data sub part which contains no recording error as valid, and H. assembling said digital data from read data sub blocks containing valid information utilizing said identifier information.

Claim 20

A method for serially recording a block of digital data temporarily stored in a memory on a continuously moving serial storage medium and subsequently reading information from said medium to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said block into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts containing a portion of said information, B. assigning unique identification information to each of said sub parts, C. recording each of said data sub parts and its associated identification information sequentially on said medium, D. after each data part is recorded, immediately reading the information recorded on said medium corresponding to said said recorded part, E. determining from said information read from said medium whether a recording error has occurred, and F. re-recording an erroneously-recorded sub part on said medium at a position other than the position at which said sub part was originally recorded. G. subsequently reading said information sequentially from said medium and dividing said information read from said medium into sub parts corresponding to the sub parts written on said medium, H. determining from information read from said medium in step G whether a data recording error has occurred in a particular sub part, I. marking a read data sub part which contains no recording error as valid, and J. assembling said digital data from read data sub blocks containing valid information utilizing said identifier information.

Claim 21

A method for serially recording a block of digital data temporarily stored in a memory on a continuously moving serial storage medium and subsequently reading information from said medium to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said block into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts containing a portion of said information, B. assigning unique identification information to each of said sub parts, C. recording each of said data sub parts and its associated identification information sequentially on said medium, D. after each data part is recorded, immediately reading the information recorded on said medium corresponding to said said recorded part, E. determining from said information read from said medium whether a recording error has occurred, and F. re-recording an erroneously-recorded sub part on said medium at a position other than the position at which said sub part was originally recorded. G. subsequently reading said information sequentially from said medium and dividing said information read from said medium into sub parts corresponding to the sub parts written on said medium, H. determining from information read from said medium in step G whether a data recording error has occurred in a particular sub part, I. marking a read data sub part which contains no recording error as valid, and J. assembling said digital data from read data sub blocks containing valid information utilizing said identifier information.

Claim 28

A method for serially recording a block of digital data temporarily stored in a memory in a tape recording system which has a continuously moving tape, a single read head and a single write head to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said block into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts being of predetermined length and containing a portion of said information, B. assigning a unique identification number selected from a set of sequential identification numbers to each of said sub parts, C. recording each of said data sub parts and its assigned identification number sequentially on said tape, D. computing an error checking code from the information in said data sub part and recording said error checking code sequentially with said sub part information and said identification number, E. after each data part is recorded, immediately reading the information recorded on said tape corresponding to said said recorded sub part and said recorded error checking code, F. calculating a new error checking code from said sub part information read from said tape, G. comparing said new error checking code with said error checking code read from said tape to determine whether a recording error has occurred, H. re-recording an erroneously-recorded sub part on said tape at a position other than the position at which said sub part was originally recorded, and I. re-recording on said tape the same identification number associated with said erroneously recorded sub part sequentially with said re-recorded sub part, J. subsequently reading said information sequentially from said medium into a plurality of buffer stores of predetermined length so that said information read from said medium is divided into sub parts corresponding to the sub parts originally written on said medium, K. calculating a new error checking code from said sub part information read from said tape in step J, L. comparing said new error checking code determined in step K to the error checking code stored on said tape with each data sub part to determine whether a data recording error has occurred in a particular sub part, L. marking a read data sub part which contains no recording error as valid, and M. assembling said digital data from read data sub blocks containing valid information utilizing said identifier informatinn.

Claim 29

A method for serially recording a block of digital data temporarily stored in a memory in a tape recording system which has a continuously moving tape, a single read head and a single write head to allow for error correction comprising the steps of: A. dividing said block into a plurality of sub parts, each of said sub parts being of predetermined length and containing a portion of said information, B. assigning a unique identification number selected from a set of sequential identification numbers to each of said sub parts, C. recording each of said data sub parts and its assigned identification number sequentially on said tape, D. computing an error checking code from the information in said data sub part and recording said error checking code sequentially with said sub part information and said identification number, E. after each data part is recorded, immediately reading the information recorded on said tape corresponding to said said recorded sub part and said recorded error checking code, F. calculating a new error checking code from said sub part information read from said tape, G. comparing said new error checking code with said error checking code read from said tape to determine whether a recording error has occurred, H. re-recording an erroneously-recorded sub part on said tape at a position other than the position at which said sub part was originally recorded, and I. re-recording on said tape the same identification number associated with said erroneously recorded sub part sequentially with said re-recorded sub part, J. subsequently reading said information sequentially from said medium into a plurality of buffer stores of predetermined length so that said information read from said medium is divided into sub parts corresponding to the sub parts originally written on said medium, K. calculating a new error checking code from said sub part information read from said tape in step J, L. comparing said new error checking code determined in step K to the error checking code stored on said tape with each data sub part to determine whether a data recording error has occurred in a particular sub part, L. marking a read data sub part which contains no recording error as valid, and M. assembling said digital data from read data sub blocks containing valid information utilizing said identifier informatinn.