Patent ID: 6594203
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: G11B,H04N

Abstract:
A method of reproducing information from a recording medium having first and second areas on which first and second information signals are recorded respectively, the first information signal having a size Ya, the second information signal having a size Yb, the method comprising the steps of:controlling a head to reproduce the first and second information signals from the first and second areas of the recording medium and to transmit the reproduced first and second information signals on a time sharing basis and at a predetermined constant transfer rate Rp while moving the head between the first and second areas of the recording medium; and controlling a buffer memory to receive the first and second information signals from the head at the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, to temporarily store the first and second information signals, and to output the first and second information signals at first and second transfer rates Ra and Rb respectively, the first and second transfer rates Ra and Rb being lower than the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp; wherein the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, the first transfer rate Ra for the first information signal, the second transfer rate Rb for the second information signal, the size Ya of the first information signal, the size Yb of the second information signal, a seek time Tab taken by the head to move from the first area to the second area of the recording medium, and a seek time Tba taken by the head to move from the second area to the first area of the recording medium are in a relation as follows: (Ya+Yb)&gE;RpÂ·(Ra+Rb)Â·(Tab+Tba)/(Rpâˆ’Raâˆ’Rb).