Method and apparatus for reproducing magnetic tape using rotary drum heads

Claim 1

A method for reproducing a magnetic tape using rotary drum heads comprising the steps of: forming a frame on a magnetic tape, the frame including a pair of tracks, one track being formed by a magnetic head, mounted on a rotary drum with a predetermined azimuth angle, and the other track being formed by a second magnetic head, mounted on the rotary drum at a circumferential spacing from the first magnetic head, with a different azimuth angle; reading contents from one track by the magnetic head having a predetermined azimuth angle, and reading contents from the other track by the other magnetic head having a different azimuth angle; generating a track identification signal, during reproduction in a first direction, which is one of a high level and a low level during reproduction of one track and is a different one of the high level and low level during reproduction of the other track; sending out the contents read from one track and the contents read from the other track, for each frame, rearranged in a predetermined sequence, in response to the generated track identification signal; and inverting the track identification signal, during reproduction in a second direction, reverse of the first direction, selecting two tracks composing one frame in response to this inverted track identification signal, and sending out the contents read from the selected two tracks, rearranged in a sequence reverse to the sequence during reproduction in the first direction.

Claim 2

A method for reproducing a magnetic tape using rotary drum heads comprising the steps of: forming a frame on a magnetic tape, the frame including a pair of tracks, one track being formed by a magnetic head, mounted on a rotary drum with a predetermined azimuth angle, and the other track being formed by a second magnetic head, mounted on the rotary drum at a circumferential spacing from the first magnetic head, with a different azimuth angle; reading contents from one track by the magnetic head having a predetermined azimuth angle, and reading contents from the other track by the other magnetic head having a different azimuth angle; generating a track identification signal, during reproduction in a first direction, which is one of a high level and a low level during reproduction of one track and is a different one of the high level and low level during reproduction of the other track; sending out the contents read from one track and the contents read from the other track, for each frame, rearranged in a predetermined sequence, in response to the generated track identification signal; and inverting the track identification signal, during reproduction in a second direction, reverse of the first direction, selecting two tracks composing one frame in response to this inverted track identification signal, and sending out the contents read from the selected two tracks, rearranged in a sequence reverse to the sequence during reproduction in the first direction.

Claim 3

An apparatus for reproducing a magnetic tape using rotary drum heads comprising: a rotary drum rotated in a single predetermined direction, including at least two magnetic heads, each of a different azimuth angle, mounted thereon in a peripheral direction; a magnetic tape driven in contact with the rotary drum; driving means for driving the magnetic tape, to contact the rotary drum, in a first running direction and in a second running direction, opposite to the first running direction, the magnetic tape including a frame, the frame further including a pair of tracks, one track being formed by a first of said at least two magnetic heads, having a predetermined azimuth angle, and the other track being formed by a second of said at least two magnetic heads, having a different azimuth angle, said first and second magnetic heads subsequently reading the one track and the other track, respectively; means for detecting a reading state for the magnetic heads and for sending out a signal to express the detected reading state; a memory for storing data read from two tracks forming one frame, at addresses sequentially corresponding to the reading of the data, according to the signal sent out from the means for detecting the reading state; and means for controlling outputting of the data from the addresses in the memory, by specifying the addresses in the sequence corresponding to the reading of the data, so that the data may be output in a predetermined sequence when said magnetic tape is driven in the first running direction, and outputting the data from the addresses in the memory, by specifying the addresses in a sequence so that the data may be output in a reverse sequence to that of the predetermined sequence, when said magnetic tape is driven in the second running direction.

Claim 4

An apparatus for reproducing a magnetic tape using rotary drum heads comprising: a rotary drum rotated in a single predetermined direction, including at least two magnetic heads, each of a different azimuth angle, mounted thereon in a peripheral direction; a magnetic tape driven in contact with the rotary drum; driving means for driving the magnetic tape, to contact the rotary drum, in a first running direction and in a second running direction, opposite to the first running direction, the magnetic tape including a frame, the frame further including a pair of tracks, one track being formed by a first of said at least two magnetic heads, having a predetermined azimuth angle, and the other track being formed by a second of said at least two magnetic heads, having a different azimuth angle, said first and second magnetic heads subsequently reading the one track and the other track, respectively; means for detecting a reading state for the magnetic heads and for sending out a signal to express the detected reading state; a memory for storing data read from two tracks forming one frame, at addresses sequentially corresponding to the reading of the data, according to the signal sent out from the means for detecting the reading state; and means for controlling outputting of the data from the addresses in the memory, by specifying the addresses in the sequence corresponding to the reading of the data, so that the data may be output in a predetermined sequence when said magnetic tape is driven in the first running direction, and outputting the data from the addresses in the memory, by specifying the addresses in a sequence so that the data may be output in a reverse sequence to that of the predetermined sequence, when said magnetic tape is driven in the second running direction.