Digital signal recording apparatus

Claim 2

A digital information signal recording apparatus comprising: (a) head means including at least one pair of heads which are arranged to have different azimuth angles and to rotate at adjacent rotating phases to each other; (b) data compressing means for reducing the amount of digital data; (c) selection means for selectively producing one of a first digital data sequence to be supplied to said data compressing means and a second digital data sequence outputted by said data compressing means; (d) signal processing means, arranged to receive the digital data sequence produced from said selection means for supplying two channels of recording signals in parallel to said pair of heads such that a given amount of data is periodically recorded on a recording medium by said pair of heads at a time; and (e) mode switching means for switching an operation mode of said apparatus between a plurality of modes, including: a first mode in which said selection means produces the first data sequence and said signal processing means supplies in parallel said head means with the two channels of recording signals including the given amount of data for every given period of time t, and a second mode in which said selection means produces the second data sequence and said signal processing means supplies in parallel said head means with the two channels of recording signals including the given amount of data for every given period of time nt, wherein "n" represents an integer which is at least 2.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising transportation means for transporting the recording medium in the direction of intersecting a tracing direction of said pair of heads, said transportation means being arranged to transport said recording medium at a given speed v in said first mode and at another given speed v/n in said second mode.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pair of heads are arranged to rotate at a given speed w in said first mode and at another given speed w/n in said second mode.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rotating speed of said pair of heads remains the same in both said first and second modes.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said head means includes a (θ/360) number of pairs of heads which are arranged to rotate at a phase difference of θ degrees from each other and said pairs of heads are arranged to rotate θ degrees during said given period of time t.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data includes image information; and said data compressing means is arranged to reduce the number of pixels includes in each image plane.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data includes image information; and said data compressing means is arranged to reduce the amount of information for every pixel.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said data compressing means includes block encoding means.

Claim 10

A digital information signal recording apparatus comprising: (a) head means including first and second pairs of rotating heads, each pair of rotating heads having different azimuth angles and rotating at adjacent rotating phases to each other; (b) data compressing means for reducing the amount of digital data; (c) selection means for selectively producing one of a first digital data sequence to be supplied to said data compressing means and a second digital data sequence outputted by said data compressing means; (d) signal processing means, arranged to receive the digital data sequence produced from the selection means, for supplying two channels of recording signals to said first and second pairs of rotating heads such that a given amount of data is periodically recorded on a recording medium by said first and second pairs of heads at a time; and (e) mode switching means for switching an operation mode of said apparatus between a plurality of modes including: a first mode in which said selection means produces the first digital data sequence and said head means performs recording by using both of said first and second pairs of heads, and a second mode in which said selection means produces the second digital data sequence and said head means performs recording by using only said first pair of heads.

Claim 11

A digital information signal recording apparatus comprising: (a) head means including first and second pairs of rotating heads, each pair of rotating heads having different azimuth angles and rotating at adjacent rotating phases to each other; (b) data compressing means for reducing the amount of digital data; (c) selection means for selectively producing one of a first digital data sequence to be supplied to said data compressing means and a second digital data sequence outputted by said data compressing means; (d) signal processing means, arranged to receive the digital data sequence produced from the selection means, for supplying two channels of recording signals to said first and second pairs of rotating heads such that a given amount of data is periodically recorded on a recording medium by said first and second pairs of heads at a time; and (e) mode switching means for switching an operation mode of said apparatus between a plurality of modes including: a first mode in which said selection means produces the first digital data sequence and said head means performs recording by using both of said first and second pairs of heads, and a second mode in which said selection means produces the second digital data sequence and said head means performs recording by using only said first pair of heads.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising transportation means for transporting the recording medium in the direction of intersecting a tracing direction of said first and second pairs of heads, said transportation means being arranged to transport said recording medium at a given speed v in said first mode and at another given speed v/n in said second mode, n being an integer which is at least 2.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the rotating speed of said first and second pairs of heads remains the same in both said first and second modes.

Claim 14

A digital information signal recording apparatus comprising: (a) head means including at least one pair of rotary heads which are arranged to have different azimuth angles and to rotate at adjacent rotating phases to each other; (b) data compressing means for reducing the amount of digital data; (c) selection means for selectively producing one of a first digital data sequence to be supplied to said data compressing means and a second digital data sequence outputted by said data compressing means; (d) signal processing means, arranged to receive the digital data sequence produced from said selection means for supplying two channels of recording signals in parallel to said pairs of heads such that a given amount of data is periodically recorded on a recording medium by said pair of heads in a given amount at a time; (e) transportation means for transporting said recording medium in the direction of intersecting a tracing direction in which said rotary head traces said recording medium; and (f) mode switching means for switching an operation mode of said apparatus between a plurality of modes including: a first mode in which said selection means produces the first data sequence, said pair of rotary heads rotate at a given speed w and said transportation means transports said recording medium at a given speed v, and a second mode in which said selection means produces the second data sequence, said pair of rotary heads rotate at said given speed w and said transportation means transports said recording medium at a given speed v/n, wherein "n" represents an integer which is at least 2.

Claim 15

A digital information signal recording apparatus comprising: (a) head means including at least one pair of rotary heads which are arranged to have different azimuth angles and to rotate at adjacent rotating phases to each other; (b) data compressing means for reducing the amount of digital data; (c) selection means for selectively producing one of a first digital data sequence to be supplied to said data compressing means and a second digital data sequence outputted by said data compressing means; (d) signal processing means, arranged to receive the digital data sequence produced from said selection means for supplying two channels of recording signals in parallel to said pairs of heads such that a given amount of data is periodically recorded on a recording medium by said pair of heads in a given amount at a time; (e) transportation means for transporting said recording medium in the direction of intersecting a tracing direction in which said rotary head traces said recording medium; and (f) mode switching means for switching an operation mode of said apparatus between a plurality of modes including: a first mode in which said selection means produces the first data sequence, said pair of rotary heads rotate at a given speed w and said transportation means transports said recording medium at a given speed v, and a second mode in which said selection means produces the second data sequence, said pair of rotary heads rotate at said given speed w and said transportation means transports said recording medium at a given speed v/n, wherein "n" represents an integer which is at least 2.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said data includes image information; and said data compressing means is arranged to reduce the number of pixels includes in each image plane.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said data includes image information; and said data compressing means is arranged to reduce the amount of data for every pixel.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said data compressing means includes block encoding means.

Claim 19

A digital information signal recording apparatus comprising: (a) input means for inputting a first data sequence; (b) first data compressing means for reproducing the amount of digital data of said first data sequence to produce a second data sequence; (c) second data compressing means for reducing the amount of said digital data of said second data sequence to produce a third data sequence; (d) selection means for selectively producing one of said second data sequence and said third data sequence; and (e) recording means for recording data sequence selected by said selection means.

Claim 20

A digital information signal recording apparatus comprising: (a) input means for inputting a first data sequence; (b) first data compressing means for reproducing the amount of digital data of said first data sequence to produce a second data sequence; (c) second data compressing means for reducing the amount of said digital data of said second data sequence to produce a third data sequence; (d) selection means for selectively producing one of said second data sequence and said third data sequence; and (e) recording means for recording data sequence selected by said selection means.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said first data sequence includes image information; and said first data compressing means is arranged to reduce the number of pixels included in each image plane.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said second data compressing means is arranged to reduce the amount of data for every pixel.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said second data compressing means includes a block encoding means.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said selection means is arranged to selectively produce one of said first, second and third data sequences.