Magnetic record reproducing apparatus

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus of the present invention comprises an apparatus for reproducing a magnetic recording pattern, in which pattern, tracks are recorded by recording heads (REC A1 , REC A2 , REC B1 , REC B2 ) of at least two kinds of azimuth angles so as to be alternately disposed, said magnetic recording pattern being recorded so as to include a plurality of adjacent tracks recorded as one recorded unit. The apparatus includes a set of reproducing heads (PBa and PBb) equal in number to the number of tracks of said one recorded unit. The centre of each of the reproducing heads (PBa, PBb) located at opposite ends of the set of reproducing heads is shifted to a position towards a centre line of the set of reproducing heads with respect to a centre line of a corresponding one of said number of tracks.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic recording reproducing apparatus for reproducing signals from a magnetic tape which has been recorded and edited by a magnetic recording apparatus for recording video signals and audio signals onto the magnetic tape and having editing function of performing assemble editing and insert editing on the magnetic tape having signals previously recorded thereon. Description of the Prior Art In recent years, the D-1 format and D-2 format are standardized by the SMPTE for digital VTR's free from degradation in picture quality and audio quality caused by dubbing. Further, high definition VTR's for recording high-resolution television signals have also been put into practical use. In these digital VTR's and high definition VTR's, a very large number of amount of information must be recorded and high recording density is demanded from the viewpoint of tape consumption, resulting in narrower track pitches (such as 39.1 µm in D-2). In conventional analog VTR's for broadcast requiring editing function such as VTR's of M2 format or C2 format, it is important to secure the reliability of editing points and a guard is provided between helical tracks. Further, in digital VTR's of D-2 format (as described in "Design Consideration for the D-2 NTSC Composite DVTR" by Richard Brush, SMPTE journal, March 1988), disturbance caused by adjacent tracks is reduced by using a combination of azimuth recording and the Miller 2 channel code. This reduction of disturbance caused by adjacent tracks is owing to the fact that high-frequency components are attenuated by the azimuth effect for crosstalk signals from adjacent tracks and the low frequency energy contained in signals so recorded by means of Miller 2 channel codes as to limit the run length range to 3 data bit cells or less is very little. From these facts, the above described paper says that drift off track of a head by as much as ±20 µm or less is in a range wherein correction using an ECC (error-correction coding system) can be performed. However, this is nothing but a margin for disagreement between a recorded track and the locus of a reproducing head caused when normally recorded tape is reproduced by another machine. As well known, track linearities of VTR's differ somewhat with apparatuses. Further, expansion and contraction of tape and/or a servo tracking deviation may be caused with changes in environment. As a result of deviation between a recorded track and the trajectory of a recording head at the time of editing generated by these factors, partial residue of an original recording track which should originally disappear may be sometimes caused at the editing point in addition to reduction in track width of a track which should be left. Reliability at the editing point must be considered with due regard to these facts. Assuming now that the tape pattern has a format of a conventional digital VTR using azimuth recording and having no guards between tracks, degradation of the reproduced signal at the editing point will now be described by referring to Figs. 4A and 4B. In some formats of conventional digital VTR's, audio sectors are disposed at the beginning and the end of helical tracks. For brevity of description, however, the track angle is disregarded and only video sectors are illustrated in Figs. 4A and 4B. For the same reason, the recording head width is made equal to the track pitch W p . These figures show a tape pattern obtained when insert editing is performed in a state of tracking deviation (tracking error) and tape runs from the right to the left. Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B show the tape pattern obtained when an inserted tape pattern (hereafter simply referred to as insert pattern) deviates respectively on the delayed side (i.e., the illustrated right side) and on the advanced side (i.e., the illustrated left side) by W e with respect to the original tape pattern (hereafter simply referred to as original pattern). PBa and PBb respectively denote positions wherein respective tracks are traced by a wide-width reproduction head having azimuth a and a wide-width reproduction head having azimuth b in the tracking state at the time of recording the original pattern. (Hereafter, tape pattern diagrams are shown in similar forms unless otherwise specified.) When the insert pattern deviates on the delayed side (lag side) by W e as shown in Fig. 4A, residue of erasing of the original pattern having the same azimuth as that of the leading track of the insert pattern (hereafter referred to simply as residue of the same azimuth) is generated by an amount corresponding to W e immediately before the in-point as evident from the Figure and the residue is mixed into the reproduction head PBa as disturbance at the time of reproduction. (This phenomenon is hereafter referred to as disturbance of the same azimuth.) Further, as this time, a track width of the original pattern corresponding to the same W e is shaved at the out point. When the insert pattern is deviated on the advanced side (lead side) (Fig. 4B ), a track width of the original pattern immediately before the in-point corresponding to the same W e is shaved and disturbance due to the residue of the same azimuth corresponding to W e is caused at the out-point. When editing is performed in a tape pattern having no guards of the prior art, disturbance due to residue of the same azimuth and reduction in the track width are thus caused. Especially, disturbance due to the residue of the same azimuth corresponds, in case of digital VTR's to degradation in reproduced signal which is 1.5 to 3 times that caused by reduction in track width. IN case of analog VTR's, disturbance due to the residue of the same azimuth corresponds to degradation in reproduced signal which is several ten times that caused by reduction in track width. (Hereafter, this ratio is referred to as disturbance coefficient of the same azimuth.) A great problem is thus caused. Further, in case guards are provided as in conventional analog VTR's for broadcast, the track width of all tracks including tracks other than the editing point is largely reduced as compared with the track pitch in the resultant tape format. The disturbance due to the residue of the same azimuth and reduction in the track width as described above pose a great problem in narrow track recording of VTR's needing high-density recording such as high-definition VTR's or digital VTR's. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to realize a reproducing apparatus having such a reproducing head arrangement that degradation of a reproduced signal at the editing point is suppressed to the minimum when edited tape is reproduced. In order to attain the object in a reproducing apparatus of the present invention, an apparatus for reproducing a magnetic recording pattern including parallel tracks so recorded by recording heads of at least two kinds of head azimuth angles as to be alternately or sequentially disposed in track width direction, said magnetic recording pattern being recorded including a plurality of tracks recorded as one recording unit with regard to the track width direction, wherein the arrangement is such that tracks in any insert pattern included in the recording pattern are possibly deviated in location relative to the remainder of the tracks by up to a predetermined maximum track deviation; and said apparatus includes a set of reproducing heads equal in number to the number of tracks of said one recording unit, a first and second head being respectively located at opposite ends of the set; said apparatus being characterised in that the first and second heads have a width and location so that: the outer edge of said first head is so disposed as to be aligned with the position of the outer edge of a guard band provided adjacent an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation in a first direction; and the inner edge of said first head is so disposed as to be aligned with the postion of the inner edge of an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation in said first direction; and the outer edge of said second head is so disposed as to be aligned with the position of the outer edge of a guard band provided adjacent an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation in a second direction; and the inner edge of said second head is so disposed as to be aligned with the position of the inner edge of an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation in said second direction. If no guard band is provided the first and second heads have a width equivalent to the track width. Owing to the configuration heretofore described, the head reproduction region of each reproducing head pair is shifted to the inside with respect to the recording track pattern. As for the track of azimuth wherein the residue of erasing of the same azimuth has occurred, a recording track newly recorded deviates to the inside of paired heads and a reproducing head shifts to the inside of paired heads. A larger amount of track which should be originally reproduced can thus be reproduced, resulting in a greater resistance to disturbance caused by residue of erasing of the same azimuth. The invention will be described now by way of example only, with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings.: Fig. 1A shows a head mounting diagram in a direction of head rotation in an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1B shows a head mounting diagram indicating a height of each head mounting in the magnetic record reproducing apparatus which implements the present invention; Figs. 2A and 2B show tape pattern diagrams indicating disposition of reproducing heads on the tape pattern in the embodiment., Figs. 3A and 3B show second tape pattern diagrams in the embodiment; and Figs. 4A and 4B show tape pattern diagrams illustrating the prior art. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will hereafter be described. In the ensuring description of the embodiments, it is assumed that a digital VTR comprising tape wound over 180 degrees and recording heads and reproducing heads with two kinds of azimuth, i.e., azimuth a and azimuth b is used unless otherwise stated. As shown in Fig. 1A, the head configuration similar to that which can be used in the present invention comprises recording heads (REC a1 - - REC b2 ) each having a head width equivalent to the track pitch W p , simultaneous reproducing heads (COF a1 - COF b2 ) each having a width sufficiently larger than the track deviation W e mounted behind the recording heads, flying erase heads (FE1 and FE2) preceding the above described recording heads by two or more tracks and each having a width which is larger than twice the track pitch W p by twice the guard width W g , and preceding reproducing heads (AD a1 - AD b2 ) preceding to the flying erase heads by two or more tracks and each having a width sufficiently larger than the track deviation W e . Further in this head configuration, flying erase heads are activated during the entire interval of the insert portion of editing. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In a VTR for performing editing while taking two tracks as the unit and always handling the two tracks together as a - b track pair, the present embodiment aims at reducing the disturbance of the same azimuth at the editing point on the reproduction side as well. The present embodiment is a reproducing apparatus for reproducing a magnetic recording pattern, comprising tracks so recorded by heads of at least two kinds of azimuth angles as to be alternately disposed, the above described magnetic recording pattern being recorded by handling a plurality of tracks as one recording unit at the time of recording with regard to the track width direction and forming tracks of the recording unit, and width between both ends of reproducing heads for reproducing the above described tracks of recording unit at the time of reproduction being made narrower than at least the width of the above described tracks of recording unit. In this head configuration, the width and mounting height of reproducing heads of the head configuration shown in Fig. 1 are changed. With respect to the recording track pattern as shown in Fig. 2, the head width of each of paired reproducing heads (Pba and Pbb) is extended to the inside of paired heads by maximum track deviation, and its outside is shaved by the above described maximum track deviation minus the guard width. The configuration of the present embodiment heretofore described brings about an effect that the residue of erasing of the same azimuth is not reproduced at neither the in-point nor the out-point of editing as shown in Fig. 2A and hence the disturbance due to residue of erasing of the same azimuth can be prevented. The present embodiment produces a similar effect for a tape pattern having no guards as well. In that case, it is sufficient to make the reproducing head width equivalent to the track pitch and shift each head mounting height to the center side of the paired heads by the maximum track deviation value as shown in Fig. 3. In the present embodiment, two tracks are defined as one editing unit in the track width direction. However, more tracks may be defined as one editing unit. In that case, only reproducing heads for reproducing tracks abutting on the in-point and out-point need only be configured as in the present embodiment, and other tracks may be mere wide-width reproducing heads. That is to say, there may be used a reproducing apparatus for reproducing a magnetic recording pattern, comprising tracks so recorded by heads of at least two kinds of azimuth angles as to be alternately disposed, the above described magnetic recording pattern being recorded by handling a plurality of tracks as one recording unit at the time of recording with regard to the track width direction and forming tracks of the recording unit, and width between both ends of reproducing heads for reproducing the above described tracks of recording unit at the time of reproduction being made narrower than at least the width of the above described tracks of recording unit. In the present embodiment, the case where an arbitrary position can be selected as the height of the reproducing head has been described. In case it is necessary to reproduce the entire track width recorded at the time of normal reproduction for detecting the height deviation of the reproducing head (i.e., deviation from the on-track) in a reproducing apparatus capable of moving the height of the reproducing head, the head arrangement of the present embodiment cannot be used as it is. However, the present embodiment can be partially executed. By extending the head width of each of reproducing paired heads to the inside of paired heads with respect to the recording track pattern by the maximum track deviation, more tracks to be originally reproduced can be reproduced, resulting in a greater resistance to disturbance due to residue of erasing of the same azimuth. As for the track of azimuth whereon residue of erasing of the same azimuth has occurred, a recording track newly recorded is deviated to the inside of pair heads and reproducing heads are shifted to the inside of paired heads. Even in the worst case, therefore, a larger amount of track which should be originally reproduced are reproduced. This is the reason for greater resistance to disturbance due to residue of erasing of the same azimuth. As heretofore described, improvements are made upon the disturbance due to residue of erasing of the same azimuth by configuring a reproducing apparatus for reproducing a magnetic recording pattern, comprising tracks so recorded by heads of at least two kinds of azimuth angles as to be alternately disposed, the above described magnetic recording pattern being recorded by handling a plurality of tracks as one recording unit at the time of recording with regard to the track width direction and forming tracks of the recording unit, and center of each of reproducing heads located at both ends of reproducing heads for reproducing tracks of the recording unit at the time of reproduction being shifted to the inside of recording tracks as compared with the center of each recording track.

Claims: An apparatus for reproducing a magnetic recording pattern including parallel tracks so recorded by recording heads (RECa1, and RECa2, and RECb1, RECb2 in Fig. 1) of at least two kinds of head azimuth angles as to be alternately or sequentially disposed in track width direction, said magnetic recording pattern being recorded including a plurality of tracks recorded as one recording unit with regard to the track width direction, wherein the arrangement is such that tracks in any insert pattern included in the recording pattern are possibly deviated in location relative to the remainder of the tracks by up to a predetermined maximum track deviation (W e ); and said apparatus includes a set of reproducing heads (PBa, PBb) equal in number to the number of tracks of said one recording unit, a first and second head (PBa and PBb in Figure 2) being respectively located at opposite ends of the set; said apparatus being characterised in that the first and second heads have a width and location so that: the outer edge (ho) of said first head (PBa) is so disposed as to be aligned with the position of the outer edge (g e ) of a guard band (g) provided adjacent an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation (W e ) in a first direction; and the inner edge (hi) of said first head (PBa) is so disposed as to be aligned with the postion of the inner edge (ti) of an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation in said first direction; and the outer edge (ho) of said second head (PBb) is so disposed as to be aligned with the position of the outer edge (go) of a guard band (g) provided adjacent an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation (W e ) in a second direction; and the inner edge (hi) of said second head (PBb) is so disposed as to be aligned with the position of the inner edge (ti) of an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation (W e ) in said second direction. An apparatus for reproducing a magnetic recording pattern including parallel tracks so recorded by recording heads (RECa1, and RECa2, and RECb1, RECb2 in Fig. 1) of at least two kinds of head azimuth angles as to be alternately or sequentially disposed in track width direction, said magnetic recording pattern being recorded including a plurality of tracks recorded as one recording unit with regard to the track width direction, wherein the arrangement is such that tracks in any insert pattern included in the recording pattern are possibly deviated in location relative to the remainder of the tracks by up to a predetermined maximum track deviation (W e ); and said apparatus includes a set of reproducing heads (PBa, PBb) equal in number to the number of tracks of said one recording unit, a first and second head (PBa and PBb in Figure 3) being respectively located at opposite ends of the set; said apparatus being characterised in that the first and second heads have a width equivalent to the track width and a location so that: the outer edge (ho) of said first head (PBa) is so disposed as to be aligned with the position of the outer edge (to) of an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation in a first direction, and the outer edge (ho) of said second head (PBb) is so disposed as to be aligned with the position of the outer edge (to) of an inserted track inserted with the maximum track deviation (W e ) in a second direction.

Inventors: NAKAYAMA TADASHI, OBA YOSHINOBU, SEKIMOTO KUNIO, SUESADA KUNIO, TOGASHI SIGEKAZU, NAKAYAMA, TADASHI, OBA, YOSHINOBU, SEKIMOTO, KUNIO, SUESADA, KUNIO, TOGASHI, SIGEKAZU
Applicants: JAPAN BROADCASTING CORP, MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC IND CO LTD, MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., NIPPON HOSO KYOKAI
Application year: 1991
Main classification: G11B15
IPC codes: G11B15, G11B27