Patent ID: 6172831
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A helical-scan type digital data recording apparatus for recording digital data on a magnetic recording medium in a helical track pattern, comprising:compressing means for compressing first and second input digital data to thereby output first and second compressed digital data;first and second recording rotary heads disposed on an outer periphery of a rotatable drum, said first and second recording rotary heads being distanced from each other by a first predetermined space in a rotating direction of said rotatable drum and disposed adjacent to each other in a direction orthogonal to said rotating direction for writing said first and second compressed digital data supplied from said compressing means onto two adjacent tracks, respectively; andfirst and second reproducing rotary heads disposed on the outer periphery of said rotatable drum at positions opposite to said first and second recording rotary heads with reference to a center of said rotatable drum, said first and second reproducing rotary heads being distanced from each other by a second predetermined space in the rotating direction of said rotatable drum and disposed adjacent to each other in the direction orthogonal to said rotating direction for reading out the first and second compressed digital data recorded by said first and second recording rotary heads from said two adjacent tracks, respectively,wherein said compressing means compresses said first digital data such that a recording period required for recording said first digital data on one track by said first recording rotary head is shortened by a time for which the recording period of said first recording rotary head for one track and a reproducing period of said second reproducing rotary head for one track overlap each other; andwherein said compressing means compresses said second digital data such that a recording period required for recording said second digital data on one track by said second recording rotary head is shortened by a time for which the recording period of said second recording rotary head for one track and a reproducing period of said first reproducing rotary head for one track overlap each other,whereby the recording periods of said first and second recording rotary heads, respectively, and the reproducing periods of said first and second reproducing rotary heads, respectively, are prevented from overlapping each other.