Digital image signal recording-reproducing apparatus and method thereof

Claim 2

A digital image signal recording and reproducing method comprising the steps of: recording a digital image data on a recording medium in a long time mode, in which recording speed is reduced by 1/N so as to record and reproduce for an N times longer period of time than in a normal time mode, by recording digital image data compressed to 1/N that of said digital image data in said normal time mode; and reproducing said digital image data recorded in said recording step 1/N times slower than in said normal time mode to thereafter restore said digital image data compressed in said recording step.

Claim 3

A digital image signal recording and reproducing method as defined in claim 1, wherein said recording speed is a rotary speed of a head drum.

Claim 4

A digital image signal recording and reproducing method as defined in claim 1, wherein said reproduced speed is a rotary speed of a head drum.

Claim 5

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: a data compressing means for compressing digital image signal data in accordance with a long time mode, in which recording speed is reduced by 1/N so as to record and reproduce for an N times longer period of time than in a normal time mode, at a different compression rate than in said normal time mode; recording signal processing means for selecting said digital image signal data outputted from said data compressing means having different compression rates to thereby process said digital image signal data as a signal recordable on a recording medium; a head for recording said signal processed from said recording signal processing means on said recording medium to thereafter reproduce said signal recorded on said recording medium; head control means for controlling a speed of said head; reproduced signal processing means for processing and thereafter outputting said signal reproduced from said recording medium by said head; and a data restoring means for restoring a signal outputted from said reproduced signal processing means to a digital image signal.

Claim 6

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: a data compressing means for compressing digital image signal data in accordance with a long time mode, in which recording speed is reduced by 1/N so as to record and reproduce for an N times longer period of time than in a normal time mode, at a different compression rate than in said normal time mode; recording signal processing means for selecting said digital image signal data outputted from said data compressing means having different compression rates to thereby process said digital image signal data as a signal recordable on a recording medium; a head for recording said signal processed from said recording signal processing means on said recording medium to thereafter reproduce said signal recorded on said recording medium; head control means for controlling a speed of said head; reproduced signal processing means for processing and thereafter outputting said signal reproduced from said recording medium by said head; and a data restoring means for restoring a signal outputted from said reproduced signal processing means to a digital image signal.

Claim 7

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said data compressing means comprises: an Analog-to-Digital converter for converting an incoming image signal to digital signal data and for outputting said digital signal data; and a plurality of data compressing units for compressing said digital signal data of said Analog-to-Digital converter with each of said plurality of data compressing units compressing said digital signal data at a different compression rate.

Claim 8

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said data compressing means comprises: a plurality of data compressing units, each of said plurality of data compressing units compressing a digital image signal at different compression rates.

Claim 9

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said recording signal processing means comprises: a first control switch for selecting one of the outputs from said compressing means; an error correction encoding unit for performing an error correction encoding on said output selected from said first control switch; a modulating unit for modulating said output of said error correction encoding unit; and a record amplifying unit for amplifying said output of said modulating unit so that said output can be recorded on a recording medium.

Claim 10

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said head control means comprises: a head drum for holding said head; a motor for driving said head drum; and a drum motor driving unit for controlling said motor in accordance with a mode control signal outputted from a microcomputer to thereby vary a rotating speed of said head drum.

Claim 11

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said drum motor driving unit is inputted with frequency generator signals and phase generator signals outputted from a frequency generator and a phase generator mounted within said head drum.

Claim 12

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said reproduced signal processing means comprises: a reproducing amplifier for amplifying said signal reproduced from said head; a demodulating unit for demodulating said output from said reproducing amplifier; an error correction decoding unit for performing an error correction decoding on said output of said decoding unit; and a second control switch for selecting said output of said error correction decoding unit to thereby output the same to one of said output terminals in accordance with the standard mode or long time mode.

Claim 13

A digital image signal recording/reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said data restoring means comprises: a plurality of data restoring units for restoring said compressed data outputted from said reproduced signal processing means to a digital image signal with different stretch rates in accordance with said normal mode or said long time mode; and a Digital-to-Analog converter for converting said digital image signal outputted from said data restoring units to an analog signal.

Claim 14

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said data restoring means comprises: a plurality of data restoring units for restoring said compressed data outputted from said reproduced signal processing means to a digital image signal with different stretch rates in accordance with said normal mode or said long time mode.

Claim 15

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: a data compressing means for compressing digital image signal data in accordance with a long time mode, in which recording speed is reduced by 1/N so as to record and reproduce for an N times longer period of time than in a normal time mode, to 1/N of said digital image data in said normal time mode; and recording signal processing means for selecting said digital image signal data outputted from said data compressing means having different compression rates to thereby process said digital image signal data as a signal recordable on a recording medium; a head for recording said signal processed from said recording signal processing means on said recording medium to thereafter reproduce said signal recorded on said recording medium; head control means for controlling a speed of said head; reproduced signal processing means for processing and thereafter outputting said signal reproduced from said recording medium by said head 1/N times slower than in said normal time mode; and a data restoring means for restoring a signal outputted from said reproduced signal processing means to a digital image signal.

Claim 16

A digital image signal recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: a data compressing means for compressing digital image signal data in accordance with a long time mode, in which recording speed is reduced by 1/N so as to record and reproduce for an N times longer period of time than in a normal time mode, to 1/N of said digital image data in said normal time mode; and recording signal processing means for selecting said digital image signal data outputted from said data compressing means having different compression rates to thereby process said digital image signal data as a signal recordable on a recording medium; a head for recording said signal processed from said recording signal processing means on said recording medium to thereafter reproduce said signal recorded on said recording medium; head control means for controlling a speed of said head; reproduced signal processing means for processing and thereafter outputting said signal reproduced from said recording medium by said head 1/N times slower than in said normal time mode; and a data restoring means for restoring a signal outputted from said reproduced signal processing means to a digital image signal.

Claim 17

A digital image signal recording and reproducing method comprising the steps of: recording a digital image data on a recording medium in a long time mode, in which recording speed is reduced by 1/N so as to record and reproduce for an N times longer period of time than in a normal time mode, by recording a digital image data compressed at a different compression rate than in said normal time mode; and reproducing said digital image data recorded in said recording step to thereafter restore said digital image data compressed in said recording step.

Claim 18

A digital image signal recording and reproducing method comprising the steps of: recording a digital image data on a recording medium in a long time mode, in which recording speed is reduced by 1/N so as to record and reproduce for an N times longer period of time than in a normal time mode, by recording a digital image data compressed at a different compression rate than in said normal time mode; and reproducing said digital image data recorded in said recording step to thereafter restore said digital image data compressed in said recording step.