Digital signal recording method and digital video tape recorder

Claim 2

A digitally recorded tape having multi-channel audio and video signals recorded thereon in helical tracks, for reproduction of the recorded multichannel audio and video signals in a tape reproducing apparatus, each audio channel having an audio signal associated therewith which is divided into odd and even digital samples, comprising: a plurality of helical tracks each having at least one of audio and video information recorded thereon, each track with audio information recorded thereon including an audio sector and each track with video information recorded thereon including a video sector; each said audio sector being disposed on only one end of each helical track adjacent an edge of the tape; and each said audio sector storing, adjacent one edge of the tape, only one of said odd digital samples and said even digital samples of an audio channel or storing, adjacent the other edge of the tape, opposite the one edge, only the other of said odd digital samples and said even digital samples of the audio channel.

Claim 3

The tape of claim 1 wherein said audio and video information are arranged on the tape in information frames, each audio information frame overlapping two adjacent video information frames.

Claim 4

The tape of claim 1, wherein each helical track including an audio sector includes only one of a first type audio sector and a second type audio sector wherein, said even samples are stored in said first type audio sector disposed on only a first end of each helical track adjacent a first edge of the tape and said odd samples are stored in said second type audio sector disposed on only a second end of each helical track adjacent a second edge of the tape, opposite the first edge.

Claim 5

The tape of claim 1 wherein said helical tracks are arranged in track pairs of adjacent tracks, tracks of said track pairs having said audio sectors thereof disposed on only the same edge of the tape.

Claim 6

The tape of claim 4 wherein adjacent track pairs which have audio information recorded thereon have their associated audio sectors disposed on opposite edges of the tape so that alternate track pairs having audio signals have their associated audio sectors disposed on the same edge of the tape.

Claim 7

The tape of claim 1 wherein a single audio frame is formed by a pair of track pairs, each track pair including two tracks, separated by tracks containing only video signals.

Claim 8

The tape of claim 6 wherein even samples of a first two channels are disposed on audio sectors of each track of a first track pair having audio signals provided thereon while the odd samples of another two channels, each different from the first two channels, are disposed on audio sectors of a second track pair having audio signals provided thereon nearest to the first track pair.

Claim 9

The digitally recorded tape of claim 1, wherein each said audio sector includes first and second audio subsectors, wherein audio subsectors of a single helical track store samples of different audio channels.

Claim 10

The digitally recorded tape of claim 8, wherein said odd digital samples are recorded on different tracks from any of said even digital samples.

Claim 11

The digitally recorded tape of claim 9, wherein said audio and video information are arranged on the tape in information frames, each audio information frame overlapping two adjacent video information frames.

Claim 12

A digitally recorded tape having video signals and audio signals recorded thereon, for reproduction of the recorded audio and video signals in a tape reproducing apparatus, said video signals being arranged in frames, each representative of individual video images comprising: a tape; a plurality of tracks having video signals and audio signals recorded thereon provided on said tape, each frame of said video signals including more than one track; said audio signals corresponding to each frame of said video signals being recorded on the tape in audio track areas, formed at only end portions of two separate tracks within a frame of said video signals, on less than all of the tracks corresponding to said frame of said video signals, at least a portion of said video signals being recorded in track areas, positionally corresponding to said audio track areas, on tracks not having audio signals recorded thereon.

Claim 13

A digitally recorded tape having video signals and audio signals recorded thereon, for reproduction of the recorded audio and video signals in a tape reproducing apparatus, said video signals being arranged in frames, each representative of individual video images comprising: a tape; a plurality of tracks having video signals and audio signals recorded thereon provided on said tape, each frame of said video signals including more than one track; said audio signals corresponding to each frame of said video signals being recorded on the tape in audio track areas, formed at only end portions of two separate tracks within a frame of said video signals, on less than all of the tracks corresponding to said frame of said video signals, at least a portion of said video signals being recorded in track areas, positionally corresponding to said audio track areas, on tracks not having audio signals recorded thereon.

Claim 14

The tape of claim 11 wherein said audio signals are provided on said tape as a plurality of digital audio samples which are divided into odd samples and even samples.

Claim 15

The tape of claim 12 wherein said frames are video frames; said audio information being arranged in audio frames, each audio frame including a plurality of tracks; at least some of said tracks being part of both a video frame and an audio frame and having both video and audio signals recorded thereon; said video frames and said audio frames being arranged in an interleaved manner so that audio signals of a audio frame are on tracks corresponding to more than one video frame, thereby enabling improved audio dubbing.

Claim 16

The tape of claim 13 wherein each said audio frame includes audio signals of both even samples and odd samples; for each audio frame, said even samples and odd samples being provided in different video frames.

Claim 17

The tape of claim 13 wherein said audio signals are recorded in audio sectors of individual tracks.

Claim 18

The tape of claim 11 wherein the increased audio information within a single track increases information storage efficiency.

Claim 19

The tape of claim 11 wherein the tracks having audio information recorded thereon are arranged in track pairs, a track pair having a sample of each channel of the multi-channel audio signals recorded thereon.

Claim 20

The tape of claim 17 wherein even samples of two channels and the odd samples of another two channels, different from the first two channels, are recorded in the audio subsectors of one track pair.

Claim 21

The tape of claim 18 wherein adjacent track pairs having audio signals provided thereon have their associated audio sectors disposed only near opposite edges of the tape so that alternate track pairs having audio signals provided thereon have their associated audio sectors disposed on the same edge of said tape.

Claim 22

The tape of claim 19 wherein a single audio frame is formed by a pair of track pairs, each track pair including two tracks, separated by tracks containing only video information.

Claim 23

The tape of claim 11 wherein said tracks are helically arranged on said tape.

Claim 24

The tape of claim 11 wherein said audio information includes four channel sound information, said four channel sound information being provided on said tape using error correction coding but without any audio information redundancy.

Claim 25

The tape of claim 11 wherein said video signals are provided on all said tracks.

Claim 26

The tape of claim 11 wherein said audio information is provided on only one end of each said track containing audio information.

Claim 27

The digitally recorded tape of claim 13, wherein the audio track areas, containing said recorded digital audio signals on less than all of the tracks corresponding to the audio frame, are located at an end of a track proximate to an edge of the tape.

Claim 28

The digitally recorded tape of claim 13, wherein the digital audio signals are recorded at opposite tape edges of different tracks within both a video frame and an audio frame.

Claim 29

A digitally recorded tape for reproduction in a tape reproducing apparatus, comprising: a tape; and a plurality of tracks recorded on said tape, said tracks being arranged in video frames representative of individual images and audio frames, each frame having a plurality of tracks, wherein one input video frame of input video data corresponds to one audio frame of input audio data; at least some of said tracks being part of both a video frame and an audio frame and having video and audio signals recorded thereon; said video frame and said audio frame being interleaved so that audio signals of an audio frame are on tracks of more than one video frame.

Claim 30

A digitally recorded tape for reproduction in a tape reproducing apparatus, comprising: a tape; and a plurality of tracks recorded on said tape, said tracks being arranged in video frames representative of individual images and audio frames, each frame having a plurality of tracks, wherein one input video frame of input video data corresponds to one audio frame of input audio data; at least some of said tracks being part of both a video frame and an audio frame and having video and audio signals recorded thereon; said video frame and said audio frame being interleaved so that audio signals of an audio frame are on tracks of more than one video frame.

Claim 31

The tape of claim 27 wherein said audio signals are provided on said tape as a plurality of digital audio samples which are divided into odd samples and even samples.

Claim 32

The tape of claim 28 wherein each audio frame includes both even samples and odd samples; for each audio frame, said even samples and odd samples being provided in different video frames.

Claim 33

The tape of claim 28 wherein said audio signals are recorded in audio sectors of individual tracks.

Claim 34

The tape of claim 28 wherein the tracks having audio information recorded thereon are arranged in track pairs, a track pair having a sample of each channel recorded thereon.

Claim 35

The tape of claim 31 wherein even samples of two channels and the odd samples another two channels, different from the first two channels, are recorded in the audio subsectors of one track pair.

Claim 36

The tape of claim 32 wherein adjacent track pairs having audio signals provided thereon have their associated audio sectors disposed on only opposite edges of the tape so that alternate track pairs having audio signals provided thereon have their associated audio sectors disposed on the same edge of said tape.

Claim 37

The tape of claim 33 wherein a single audio frame is formed by a pair of track pairs, each track pair including two tracks, separated by tracks containing only video information.

Claim 38

The tape of claim 27 wherein said tracks are helically arranged on said tape.

Claim 39

The tape of claim 27 wherein said audio information includes four channel sound information, said four channel sound information being provided on said tape using error correction coding but without any audio information redundancy.

Claim 40

The tape of claim 27 wherein said video signals are provided on all said tracks.

Claim 41

The tape of claim 27 wherein said audio information is provided on only one end of each track containing audio information.

Claim 42

The tape of claim 27 wherein each audio frame is divided substantially equally between tracks which are part of adjacent video frames.

Claim 43

A digitally recorded tape having multichannel audio and video signals recorded thereon in helical tracks, for reproduction of the recorded multi-channel audio and video signals in a tape reproducing apparatus, each audio channel having an audio signal associated therewith which is divided into odd and even digital samples, comprising: a plurality of helical tracks each having at least one of audio and video information recorded thereon, each track with audio information recorded thereon including an audio sector and each track with video information recorded thereon including a video sector; each said audio sector being disposed on only one end of each helical track adjacent an edge of the tape, said helical tracks being arranged in track pairs of adjacent tracks, each said track of said track pairs including said audio sector disposed adjacent a common edge of the tape, one track of the track pairs including said audio sector storing only odd digital samples of an audio channel and the other track including said audio sector storing only even digital samples of an audio channel, wherein a first track pair includes tracks with said audio sector disposed adjacent only a single first edge of the tape and a second track pair, proximate to the first track pair, includes tracks with said audio sector disposed adjacent only a single second edge of the tape, opposite the first edge.

Claim 44

A digitally recorded tape having multichannel audio and video signals recorded thereon in helical tracks, for reproduction of the recorded multi-channel audio and video signals in a tape reproducing apparatus, each audio channel having an audio signal associated therewith which is divided into odd and even digital samples, comprising: a plurality of helical tracks each having at least one of audio and video information recorded thereon, each track with audio information recorded thereon including an audio sector and each track with video information recorded thereon including a video sector; each said audio sector being disposed on only one end of each helical track adjacent an edge of the tape, said helical tracks being arranged in track pairs of adjacent tracks, each said track of said track pairs including said audio sector disposed adjacent a common edge of the tape, one track of the track pairs including said audio sector storing only odd digital samples of an audio channel and the other track including said audio sector storing only even digital samples of an audio channel, wherein a first track pair includes tracks with said audio sector disposed adjacent only a single first edge of the tape and a second track pair, proximate to the first track pair, includes tracks with said audio sector disposed adjacent only a single second edge of the tape, opposite the first edge.

Claim 45

The digitally recorded tape of claim 40, wherein each said audio sector includes first and second audio subsectors, audio subsectors of a single helical track storing samples of different audio channels.

Claim 46

The digitally recorded tape of claim 41, wherein said odd digital samples are recorded on different tracks from any of said even digital samples.

Claim 47

The digitally recorded tape of claim 42, wherein said audio and video information are arranged on the tape in information frames, each audio information frame overlapping two adjacent video information frames.