Audio signal reproducing apparatus

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing from a recording medium (10) a frequency-modulated audio signal which has its carrier level in a specific period determined accord­ ing to the kind of information and for producing the audio signal after processing the reproduced audio signal is arranged to control the signal processing action according to the output of a detecting circuit (36) which detects the level of a difference between the carrier level of the frequency-modulated audio signal obtained in the specific period and the carrier level obtained in a period other than the specific period or detects changes taking place in the carrier level. This arrangement enables the apparatus to process the audio signal appositely to the kind of the frequency-modulated signal thereof without recourse to any additional reproducing circuit solely for this purpose. Further, the apparatus is arranged to prevent any faulty signal processing action by nullifying as necessary the output of the detecting circuit.

Description: Background of the Invention: Field of the Invention: This invention relates to an audio signal reproducing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for reproducing a recorded signal from a recording medium on which some of audio signals of a plurality of kinds are recorded. Description of the Related Art: The video tape recorder (VTR) of the camera-integrated type has recently come to be arranged to record and reproduce sounds in a stereophonic state. Even the VTR of the conventional kind recording a monaural audio signal by frequency-modulating it with a carrier wave of 1.5 MHz has come to be arranged to record, with the frequency modulation carrier wave of 1.5 MHz, a sum signal obtained from L (left) and R (right) channels and further to record a difference signal between the L and R channel signals by newly providing a frequency modulation carrier wave of 1.7 MHz. In cases where different audio signals are to be recorded separately in the L and R channels (for example, the Japanese language in the L channel and the English language in the R channel) as main-and-sub audio signals, the VTR which is arranged to record the stereophonic audio signals by the above-stated sum/difference signal recording method is required to find whether recorded signals are stereophonic audio signals or main-and-sub audio signals and to switch its signal processing mode from one mode over to another by determining whether or not these signals should be allowed to pass through a matrix circuit. It is, however, troublesome to manually perform the above-stated switch-over of processes. Besides, erroneous switch-over would greatly degrade the quality of reproduced sounds. To avoid the error, therefore, it has been desired to automatically switch one processing mode over to another. For this purpose, identification data which indicates the kinds of the audio signals must be somehow recorded on the recording medium and the above-stated switch-over must be performed according to the identification data. Generally, however, a real-time analog audio signal does not include any surplus part. It has been, therefore, difficult to add such identification data to the audio signal. Further, it hinders high density recording to record and reproduce the identification data in addition to the audio signal. Besides, it requires use of discrete recording/reproducing means. To solve this problem, it is conceivable to multiplex the identification data and the audio signal together. However, since the audio signal does not have any surplus part, the multiplexed identification data tends to be erroneously detected. Such erroneous detection would cause a large noise in the reproduced audio signal. U.S. Patent Specification US-A-4,630,134 discloses a system for reproducing a frequency-modulated audio signal in which carrier components are detected by separate parallel circuits and output control is carried out independently of the levels of the signals as detected. U.K. Patent Specification GB-A-604759 discloses a double carrier transmission system. It is a concern of the invention to provide an audio signal reproducing apparatus which is capable of accurately detecting the kind of a reproduced audio signal and processing it accordingly even in cases where no identification data indicating the kind of the audio signal is discretely recorded. From a first aspect the present invention provides apparatus for reproducing an audio signal from a recording medium as set out in claim 1. From a second aspect the present invention provides a method of reproducing an audio signal from a recording medium as set out in claim 8. In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows the frequency spectra of recorded signals. Figs. 2(A), 2(B) and 2(C) show the carrier levels of frequency-modulated audio signals as recorded. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing in outline the arrangement of the reproducing system of a VTR arranged according to this invention as an embodiment thereof. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing by way of example the arrangement of a mode detecting circuit included in the VTR of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing another example of arrangement of the mode detecting circuit of the VTR of Fig. 3. Referring now to the accompanying drawings and in particular Figures 1 to 4, these show a VTR arranged according to an embodiment of the present invention. The VTR is arranged to frequency-modulate and record either sum and difference signals of the left and right channel stereo audio signals or main-and-sub audio signals as the audio signals of two channels. The frequency-modulated audio signal (hereinafter referred to as an AFM signal) is magnetically recorded and reproduced as frequency-modulated audio signal which is obtained by frequency-modulating an audio signal. The frequency spectrum of the AFM signal is shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, reference symbols fl to f4 denote the frequencies of pilot signals ATF which are provided for tracking control in accordance with a known 4-frequency method. A symbol fc denotes the carrier frequency of a low-band converted chrominance signal CL. Symbols fm and fs denote respectively the carrier frequency of a main AFM signal AFM-main and that of a subsidiary AFM signal AFM-sub. In the mode of stereo audio signal recording, the main AFM signal AFM-main is recorded as the sum signal of the signals of the L (left) and R (right) channels. In the mode of main-and-sub audio signal recording, the Japanese language is, for example, recorded as the main AFM signal. Meanwhile, the subsidiary AFM signal AFM-sub is recorded as a difference signal between the signals of the L and R channels in the stereo audio signal recording mode. In the main-and-sub audio signal recording mode, the English language is, for example, recorded as the subsidiary audio signal. Further, in cases where no subsidiary AFM signal is recorded, the main AFM signal is recorded as a monaural audio signal. A reference symbol fsy denotes the frequency of the sync tip part of a luminance signal. A symbol fwh denotes the frequency of the white peak part of the luminance signal. The allocation of these frequencies varies, as well known, according to the format of the so-called high-band recording made and that of the normal recording mode. Figs. 2(A) and 2(B) show the amplitude of the carrier wave of the main AFM signal AFM-main and that of the subsidiary AFM signal AFM-sub, respectively, in the main-and-sub audio signal recording mode. As shown in Figs. 2(A) and 2(B), the amplitude level of the carrier wave of the AFM signal obtained in the vertical blanking period of the luminance signal shown in Fig. 2(C) is greater than that obtained in a period other than the vertical blanking period. Fig. 3 shows in outline the arrangement of the reproducing system of a VTR which is arranged according to this invention as an embodiment thereof. Referring to Fig. 3, signals recorded on a magnetic tape 10 are reproduced through rotary heads 11 and 12 and preamplifiers 13 and 14. These signals are then interleaved by a switch circuit 15 which is arranged to have its switching position changed by a head switching pulse signal (HSWP) which is supplied from a terminal 16 in synchronism with the rotation phases of the heads 11 and 12. After that, the signal output from the switch circuit 15 is supplied to a band-pass filter (BPF) 17, a high-pass filter (HPF) 18, a BPF 25 and a BPF 26. The BPF 17 separates a low-band chrominance signal. The low-band chrominance signal is supplied to a chrominance signal (C) processing circuit 19 to be brought back to its original frequency band through a frequency converting process, etc.. The chrominance signal which is processed by the circuit 19 is supplied to a chrominance signal output terminal 21 to be output therefrom and is also supplied to a mixing circuit 22. The HPF 18 separates a frequency-modulated luminance signal. The luminance signal is supplied to a luminance signal (Y) processing circuit 20 to be subjected to a frequency demodulating process, etc.. The luminance signal thus processed is supplied to a luminance signal output terminal 24 to be output therefrom and is, at the same time, supplied to the mixing circuit 22. Then, the mixing circuit 22 produces a composite video signal. The video signal is supplied to an output terminal 23 to be output therefrom. The BPF 25 separates the main AFM signal, which is supplied to a mode detecting circuit 36 and a limiter 27. The main AFM signal processed by the limiter 27 is supplied to a frequency demodulation circuit 29 to be demodulated into an original audio signal. The demodulated signal is supplied to a stereo matrix circuit 33, to the terminal "a" of a switch 31 and also to the terminals b of the switch 31 and a switch 32 respectively. The BPF 26 is arranged to separate the subsidiary AFM signal. The subsidiary AFM signal is supplied also to the mode detecting circuit 36 and to a limiter 28. The signal processed by the limiter 28 is supplied to a frequency demodulation circuit 30 to be demodulated back to an original audio signal. The demodulated subsidiary audio signal is supplied to the matrix circuit 33 and to the terminal "a" of the switch 32 respectively. In a case where the recorded audio signals are found to be stereophonic audio signals by a two-bit mode detection signal "md" which is output from the mode detecting circuit 36 as will be described later, the switches 31 and 32 cause the demodulated stereophonic audio signals output from the matrix circuit 33 to be supplied to output terminals 34 and 35 through the terminals "c" of the switches 31 and 32 respectively. In a case where the audio signals are found to be recorded in the main-and-sub audio signal mode, the frequency-demodulated audio signals output from the frequency demodulation circuits 29 and 30 are supplied to the output terminals 34 and 35 via the terminals "a" of the switches 31 and 32 without being supplied to the matrix circuit 33. Either the stereophonic audio signals or the main-and-sub audio signals thus can be selectively output as applicable. Further, in a case where no subsidiary AFM signal is recorded, both the switches 31 and 32 are connected to their terminals "b". In that case, a monaural audio signal obtained by frequency-demodulating the main AFM signal is output from the terminals 34 and 35 as will be described later. The details of arrangement of the mode detecting circuit 36 of Fig. 3 are as described below: Fig. 4 shows by way of example the details of the mode detecting circuit 36. Referring to Fig. 4, terminals 40 and 41 are arranged to receive the AFM signals separated by the BPFs 25 and 26 respectively. These AFM signals are respectively supplied to envelope detection circuits 42 and 43. The envelope detection circuits 42 and 43 are arranged to detect the levels of the carrier waves of these AFM signals. The output of the envelope detection circuit 42 is supplied to sample-and-hold (S/H) circuits 44 and 45 and also to a comparator 54. The output of the other envelope detection circuit 43 is supplied to S/H circuits 46 and 47 and a comparator 55. The S/H (sample-and-hold) circuits 44 and 46 are arranged to sample and hold the carrier levels of the AFM signals obtained immediately before a vertical blanking period respectively. Sampling pulse signals for this purpose are formed by a timing signal generating circuit 49 in synchronism with a signal HSWP coming from a terminal 48. Meanwhile, the S/H circuits 45 and 47 are arranged to sample and hold the carrier wave levels of the AFM signals obtained in a vertical blanking period respectively. Sampling pulse signals for the S/H circuits 45 and 47 are also likewise obtained by and supplied from the timing signal generating circuit 49. Each of differential amplifiers 50 and 51 is arranged to produce a signal indicating the level of a difference between the output of the S/H circuit 45 or 47 and that of the S/H circuit 44 or 46. In other words, the level of a difference between the carrier level of the AFM signal obtained in a vertical blanking period and that of the AFM signal obtained in a period other than the vertical blanking period is obtained. The difference level signals thus output from the differential amplifiers 50 and 51 are supplied respectively to comparators 52 and 53 to be compared with a given threshold level Vth1. If these difference levels are found to be higher than the threshold level Vth1, each of the comparators 52 and 53 produces a logical high level signal (Hi). In other words, the output levels of the comparators 52 and 53 become high in a case where the main-and-sub audio signals are recorded. Meanwhile, the outputs of the envelope detection circuits 42 and 43 are supplied also to other comparators 54 and 55. These comparators 54 and 55 then find whether the carrier levels of the AFM signals are higher than given threshold levels Vth2 and Vth3, respectively. If the carrier levels are higher than the threshold levels respectively, i.e., if the carrier levels of the AFM signals are sufficiently high, the output levels of the comparators 54 and 55 become high. The outputs of the comparators 52 and 54 are supplied to an AND gate 56. The outputs of the comparators 53 and 55 are supplied to another AND gate 57. The AND gates 56 and 57 are arranged to nullify, if the carrier levels are low, the information from the comparators 52 and 53 which indicates that the main-and-sub audio signals are recorded as mentioned above, because: The information is considered to be unreliable in the event of low carrier levels. In cases where at least one of the AND gates 56 and 57 produces a high level output, the output of an OR gate 58 is produced at a high level. In this instance, the mode detecting circuit 36 judges that the the main-and-sub audio signals are recorded. Then, the output of the OR gate 58 is supplied to a terminal 59 as mode information Ma. The output of the comparator 55 indicates the presence or absence of the subsidiary AFM signal. Therefore, if the output of this comparator 55 is at a logical low level (Lo), it is difficult to restore the audio signals of two channels. In that instance, the output of this comparator 55 is supplied as mode information Mb to a terminal 60. In this manner, the mode detecting circuit 36 is arranged to produce the mode information signals Ma and Mb in the form of two-bit data respectively. In a case where the mode information signal Mb is at a low level, the switches 31 and 32 are connected to their terminals "b" independent of the mode information signal Ma. Then, the audio signal output from the frequency demodulation circuit 29, i.e., the sum signal of the stereophonic audio signals or the main audio signal, is supplied as a monaural audio signal to output terminals 34 and 35. If the mode information signal Mb is at a high level, the audio signals of two channels can be produced. In that case, the switches 31 and 32 are connected to their terminals "a" when the mode information signal Ma is at a high level. Then, the main-and-sub audio signals output from the frequency demodulation circuits 29 and 30 are supplied to the output terminals 34 and 35. Further, in a case where the mode information signal Mb is at a high level while the mode information signal Ma is at a low level, the switches 31 and 32 are connected to their terminals "c". As a result, the stereophonic audio signals of the left and right channels which are output from the matrix circuit 33 are supplied to the output terminals 34 and 35. In this instance, a display part 38 makes a display according to the mode information signals Ma and Mb indicating whether the audio signals are output in the stereophonic audio signal mode or the monaural audio signal mode or in the main-and-sub audio signal mode. With the embodiment arranged as described above, whether or not the main-and-sub audio signals are recorded is detectable by finding the level of a difference between the carrier level of the AFM signal obtained in a vertical blanking period and that of the AFM signal obtained in a period other than the vertical blanking period by means of each of the differential amplifiers 50 and 51. Therefore, the discriminating action can be accurately accomplished without being affected by fluctuations of the reproducing efficiency of the heads 11 and 13 or by the condition of tracking. Further, this arrangement obviates the necessity of setting the carrier level in such a way as to have a great difference between the vertical blanking period and other periods. This enables the carrier level of the audio signal in the vertical blanking period to be set at a level close to the carrier level set at an ideal level in other periods. Therefore, the audio signals can be reproduced without deteriorating them at all. Fig. 5 shows another example of arrangement of the mode detecting circuit 36 of Fig. 3. In Fig. 5, the same parts as those of Fig. 4 are indicated by the same reference numerals and the details of them are omitted from the following description. Referring to Fig. 5, a signal output from each of the envelope detection circuits 42 and 43 is supplied to one end of a capacitor 61 or 62. The other ends of the capacitors 61 and 62 are connected to inverting amplifiers 63 and 64. The output and input sides of each of the inverting amplifiers 63 and 64 are arranged to be short-circuited by turning on a switch 65 or 66. The timing signal generating circuit 49 is arranged to generate a timing pulse signal for turning on these switches 65 and 66 during a vertical blanking period. The input and output sides of the inverting amplifiers 63 and 64 are thus short-circuited according to the timing pulse signal. In this instance, the input and output levels of the inverting amplifiers 63 and 64 are fixed to zero level. Then, the carrier levels of the AFM signals obtained in the vertical blanking period are held at the capacitors 61 and 62. When the switches 65 and 66 are opened after this, each of the capacitors 61 and 62 supplies to the inverting amplifier 63 or 64 with a signal indicating a negative level which is obtained by subtracting the above-stated held level from the current carrier level of the AFM signal. As a result, each of the inverting amplifiers 63 and 64 produces a signal indicating a positive level which corresponds to the level of a difference between the carrier level of the AFM signal obtained in the vertical blanking period and the carrier level of the AFM signal as currently reproduced. The signals indicating these difference levels are supplied to comparators 69 and 70. The comparators 60 and 70 are arranged to compare the output levels of the inverting amplifiers 63 and 64 with a given threshold level value Vth1′. The results of comparison are output in the form of logical binary signals. The binary signals are supplied to the D terminals of D type flip-flops 71 and 72. The clock terminals of these D type flip-flops 71 and 72 are arranged to receive, in a period other than the vertical blanking period, a timing pulse signal which is supplied in synchronism with a signal HSWP. The flip-flops 71 and 72 thus hold the logical binary signals for every vertical blanking period to output them. The outputs of the D type flip-flops 71 and 72 are similar to those of the comparators 52 and 53 of Fig. 4. After that, processes are carried out in the same manner as in the case of Fig. 4 to obtain the mode information signals Ma and Mb. Like in the case of the mode detecting circuit of Fig. 4, this example is arranged to detect the main-and-sub audio signal recording mode according to a difference in the carrier levels of the AFM signals between the vertical blanking period and the other period. The arrangement, therefore, gives the same advantageous effect as the mode detecting circuit of Fig. 4. The detecting circuits 36 of Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are arranged to find whether the audio signals of two channels are recorded in the main-and-sub audio signal recording mode or in the stereophonic audio signal recording mode by detecting the changes of the level of the carrier wave. However, this arrangement may be changed to detect the kind of the frequency-modulated audio signal of one channel, for example, by making a discrimination between a music record and a non-music record or between the presence and absence of a record showing a noise low-band processing action by means of the detecting circuit arranged as shown in Fig. 4 or 5. The reproducing processes then can be determined according to the result of detection. As described above, the audio signal reproducing apparatus arranged as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is capable of accurately detecting the kind of the recorded audio signals and carrying out reproducing processes according to the result of detection even in cases where no identifying information on the kind of them is discretely recorded.

Claims: Apparatus for reproducing an audio signal from a recording medium (10), the medium carrying a frequency modulated video signal and a multi-channel frequency modulated audio signal, said signals being frequency multiplexed, said apparatus comprising: reproducing means (11-16, 25-30) for reproducing the audio signal from the recording medium (10), processing means (31-33) for carrying out different processing operations on the reproduced audio signal under the control of control means (36), the control means including first detection means (54, 55) for detecting the carrier level of the FM audio signal; characterised in that said control means (36) additionally comprises: second detection means (44-47, 50-53; 49, 61-66, 69-72;) for detecting the difference between the FM audio signal carrier level during the video blanking period and said carrier level outside said period; and means (56-58; 56-58;) for producing a control signal in accordance with the outputs of said first and second detection means. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said multi-channel frequency modulated audio signal comprises a main channel frequency modulated signal (AFM - main) and a sub-channel frequency modulated signal (AFM -sub) capable of carrying one of stereophonic, main and sub monaural or single monaural information and said processing means includes switching means (31, 32) controlled by said control signal to generate a stereophonic or mono output. Apparatus according to claim 2, including a matrix circuit (33) operative on said multi-channel audio signal to provide said stereophonic signal. Apparatus according to either of claims 2 or 3, wherein said first detection means includes two pairs of sample-and-hold circuits (44,45,46,47), each pair associated with a different channel of the multi-channel audio signal and respectively sampling the magnitude of the audio signal supplied thereto in the respective blanking and non-blanking periods; and comparator means (50,51) for comparing the values of said respective pairs of sample-and-hold circuits to detect changes in carrier levels of said main and sub-audio signals. Apparatus according to either of claims 2 or 3, wherein said first detection means comprises two amplifiers (63,64) each associated with a different channel of the multi-channel audio signal; storage means (61,62) connected to the input of each amplifier for storing the level of the associated audio channel during one of said periods, and two switch means (65,66) each associated with one of said amplifiers to bypass the associated amplifier during the other of said periods. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said amplifiers (63,64) are inverting amplifiers and said storage means (61,62) are capacitors. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and including means for nullifying the output of said first and second detection means outside one of said period. A method of reproducing an audio signal from a recording medium (10), the medium carrying a frequency modulated video signal and a multi-channel frequency modulated audio signal, said signals being frequency multiplexed, said method comprising: reproducing (11-16, 25-30) the audio signal from the recording medium (10), carrying out (31-33) different processing operations on the reproduced audio signal under the control of a control signal, first detecting means detecting (54, 55) the carrier level of the FM audio signal; and characterised in that detecting by means of second detection means (44-47, 50-53; 49, 61-66, 69-72) the difference between the FM audio signal carrier level during the video blanking period and said carrier level outside said period; and generating (56-58; 56-58) said control signal in accordance with the outputs of said first and second detection means so as to control the reproduction of the audio signal. A method according to claim 9, wherein said multi-channel frequency modulated audio signal comprises a main channel frequency modulated signal (AFM-main) and a sub-channel frequency modulated signal (AFM-sub) capable of carrying one of stereophonic, main and sub monaural or single monaural information.

Inventors: HATAE SHINICHI, HORI TAIZOU, NAGASAWA KENICHI, HATAE, SHINICHI, HORI, TAIZOU, NAGASAWA, KENICHI, HATAE, SHINICHI, C/O TAMAGAWA JIGYOSHO, HORI, TAIZOU, C/O TAMAGAWA JIGYOSHO
Applicants: CANON KK, CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: H04N9
IPC codes: H04N7, H04N9, G11B27