Patent ID: 6097876
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: G11B,H04N

Abstract:
A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing digital signals on/from a magnetic recording medium, comprising:signal processing means for processing a plurality of input digital signals transmitted at a first data rate, a second data rate equal to 1/N (N is a natural number) times the first data rate or a third data rate equal to N times the first data rate in a recording operation to produce a plurality of blocks of digital recording signals;driving means for driving the magnetic recording medium;recording operation control means for generating an information signal, which indicates a first traveling speed in cases where the input digital signals transmitted at the first data rate are processed in the signal processing means, a second traveling speed equal to 1/N times the first traveling speed in cases where the input digital signals transmitted at the second data rate are processed in the signal processing means or a third traveling speed equal to N times the first traveling speed in cases where the input digital signals transmitted at the third data rate are processed in the signal processing means;means for receiving an operator's command related to a desired traveling speed;said recording operation control means being responsive to said operator's command relative to said desired traveling speed for controlling the driving means in the recording operation to drive the magnetic recording medium at one of said first, second or third traveling speeds so that it is possible to drive the magnetic recording medium at the first traveling speed in cases where the input digital signals are transmitted at the first data rate, at the second traveling speed in cases where the input digital signals are transmitted at the second data rate, and at the third traveling speed in cases where the input digital signals are transmitted at the third data rate;recording and reading means, having a first azimuth head of a first azimuth angle and a second azimuth head of a second azimuth angle, for recording the blocks of digital recording signals processed in the signal processing means and the information signal generated by the recording-operation control means on the magnetic recording medium driven by the driving means in the recording operation to form alternate rows of first blocks of digital recording signals recorded through the first azimuth head and second blocks of digital recording signals recorded through the second azimuth head on the magnetic recording medium and reading the blocks of digital recording signals and the information signal from the magnetic recording medium driven driving means in a reproducing operation on condition that the first blocks of digital recording signals are read through the first azimuth head and the second blocks of digital recording signals are read through the second azimuth head;reproducing operation control means for controlling the driving means in the reproducing operation to automatically set a traveling speed of the magnetic recording medium to the first second or third traveling speed which is indicated by the information signal read by the recording and reading means,head tracing means for repeatedly making the first and second azimuth heads of the recording and reading means trace the magnetic recording medium at a fixed cycle regardless of the traveling speed of the magnetic recording medium, the first blocks of digital recording signals being recorded or read through the first azimuth head each time the first azimuth head traces the magnetic recording medium at the fixed cycle, and the second blocks of digital recording signals being recorded or read through the second azimuth head each time the second azimuth head traces the magnetic recording medium at the fixed cycle; andsignal reproducing means for reproducing the information signal read through the recording and reading means in the reproducing operation, transferring the information signal to the reproducing operation control means in the reproducing operation to drive the magnetic recording medium at the first, second or third traveling speed automatically set by the reproducing operation control means, and reproducing the blocks of digital recording signals read by the recording and reading means in the reproducing operation from the magnetic recording medium which is driven at the first, second or third traveling speed automatically set by the reproducing operation control means.