Patent ID: 6236631
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting a frame number from input signals, wherein the input signals consist of a plurality of sectors, a sector consisting of a plurality of frames, a frame including synchronizing signals and data, the synchronizing signals having a pattern used to identify a frame number in a sector, the pattern being defined to identify a frame number from a pattern of the synchronizing signals in a frame or from patterns of the synchronizing signals in consecutive frames, the apparatus comprising:an extracting device operable to extract a pattern of synchronizing signals for consecutive X frames from input signals where X is a natural number;a comparator operable to compare the extracted pattern of synchronizing signals extracted by said extracting device with a predetermined pattern for a predetermined number of consecutive frames to determine whether the extracted pattern agrees with the predetermined pattern by at least Y frames or not, wherein Y is a natural number smaller than the predetermined number of consecutive frames; anda device operable to determine a frame number based on an output signal of said comparator.