INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM AND DEVICE FOR PREPARING THE SAME

Abstract: An information recording medium (1) having a first informa­ tion comprising continuous information such as music re­ corded on one track (2), and a second information recorded on the other track (3) comprising information corresponding to individual blocks of said first information having given periods as part of said first information, such as explanations of said individual blocks, having defi­ nite timewise position relations to said corresponding individual blocks, recorded in the reverse time flow di­ rection to that for said first information.

Description: The invention relates to an information recording medium having a first and a second track. FR-A-2 379 875 discloses an information recording medium having the form of a cassette tape. Recorded thereon are in a first track a number of questions followed by a respective response in a second track. EP-A-0 276 720 further discloses an information recording medium also containing discontinuous data in both tracks. An information recording medium, however, would be convenient allowing continuous resumption of an information and allowing it to the user to listen or not to listen an explanation related thereto. For instance, it would be convenient to have music recorded in one track of the recording medium and explanation related thereto which the user could listen if interested or, if not, continue to hear the music. Another example would be a continuous text in one track and explanation thereto in another track. In order to satisfy such need the invention provides for an information recording medium having a first and a second track, a continuous first information comprising individual blocks of information being recorded on said first track, a discontinuous second information corresponding to individual blocks of said first information and having definite timewise position relations to said corresponding blocks of said first information being recorded on said second track in a timeflow direction reverse to that of the first information, wherein the end points of individual blocks of said second information coincide with the start points of corresponding individual blocks of said first information. With the recording medium of the present invention it is possible to listen a continuous information like music or a text and to switch the recording medium into the other direction at the end of a block of the first information in order to listen an explanation thereof. It is also possible to first listen the explanation and then switch over to the continuous information. Otherwise if the user wishes to listen the complete continuous information he may decide not to switch over into the other track running in the opposite direction. The invention is further described with reference to the attached drawing which shows a magnetic tape according to the present invention. The drawing shows as an example of an information recording medium a cassette tape 1 having thereon an A track 2 and a B track 3. On the A track 2 a first, continuous information is recorded being divided into a plurality of blocks I A-1, I A-2, I A-3, I A-4 and I A-5 . On the B track 3 as second, discontinuous information explanation in individual blocks I B-1, I B-2, I B-3, I B-4 and I B-5 are recorded respectively corresponding to the individual blocks I A-1 , I A-2 , I A-3 , I A-4 , and I A-5 of the first information. The flow direction of the second, discontinuous information is opposite to the flow direction of the continuous, first information. If in the drawing the tape 1 in the reproduction mode moves to the left the information blocks I A-1 ... may be listened. At the end of each block the tape may be reversed for listening the second information related thereto. It is also possible, to initially reproduce the second information as a preparation step for listening the first information. For example, the first information may be a music melody whereas the second one is the text of the music. Accordingly, initially the text may be heard in order to listen or to sing the melody corresponding to the words, that is, to memorize the song while learning the words.

Claims: An information recording medium (1) having a first and a second track (2, 3), a continuous first information (I A ) comprising individual blocks of information being recorded on said first track (2), a discontinuous second information (I B ) corresponding to individual blocks of said first information (I A ) and having definite timewise position relations to said corresponding blocks of said first information (I A ) being recorded on said second track (3) in a timeflow direction reverse to that of the first information (I A ), wherein the end points of individual blocks of said second information (I B ) coincide with the start points of corresponding individual blocks of said first information (I A ).

Inventors: MURAKAMI, MIKI
Applicants: MURAKAMI, MIKI
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G11B23
IPC codes: G09B5, G11B23, G11B5