Magnetic reproducing apparatus

Abstract: In magnetic reproducing apparatus, regenerative signals are produced by magnetic heads 1A, 1B of a magnetic head assembly. The reproducing characteristic is compensated by using a filter 4 serving as an equalizer, the output of which is decoded at a decoder 5. An adaptive control unit 7 adjusts (modifies) the characteristic of the filter 4 so that it becomes optimum on the basis of a decode error (residual) at the decoder 5 and an input to the filter 4. The adaptive control unit 7 carries out an adaptive processing in a time divisional manner of the regenerative signals of respective magnetic heads 1A, 1B to send filter coefficients for the respective magnetic heads 1A, 1B to the filter 4. Thus, since the adaptive processing is carried out in a time divisional manner by the filter 4 and the adaptive control unit 7, the circuit scale can be reduced, resulting in low cost.

Description: Generally, in magnetic recording/reproduction, in order to compensate an amplitude distortion or a phase distortion, etc. resulting from the recording/reproducing characteristic with respect to a magnetic recording medium, an equalizer is used. In recent years, an adaptive equalizing system as used in communication has been adopted also in such magnetic recording/reproduction. The adaptive equalizing has been conventionally developed as a technology to carry out high speed data transmission utilizing a telephone line. In the telephone line, the transmission path characteristic varies depending upon connection state of the line. For this reason, since the transmission path characteristic can not be sufficiently corrected with a fixed equalizer, there occurs the necessity of adaptively adjusting the characteristic of the equalizer. In such a communication system, there are a method in which a signal of which waveform, etc. is known in advance is transmitted to examine the transmission path characteristic thereafter to transmit a necessary signal (automatic equalizing), and a method in which a signal itself desired to be transmitted is used to examine the transmission path characteristic (adaptive equalizing). In either case, the object of the equalizer is to automatically eliminate distortion from a received signal waveform which was distorted in passing through a transmission path to faithfully restore a transmit signal waveform. In order to consider application to the magnetic recording/reproduction of adaptive equalizing as described above, such a digital VTR (Video Tape Recorder) adapted to convert a video signal to a digital signal to record the digital signal onto a magnetic tape (video tape) or reproducing it therefrom by using the so-called partial response system is assumed as a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. This partial response system is a system of shaping a spectrum of code positively utilizing interference between codes due to the transfer characteristic of the transmission path (or recording medium). For example, NRZI code, Interleaved NRZI code, and the like belong to the partial response. On the recording side, there is provided so called a precoder to convert input data to an intermediate series in order to avoid propagation of code error at the time of reproduction (at the time of discrimination). An example of the configuration on the reproducing side in the case where the above-mentioned adaptive equalizing system is adopted for a digital VTR for carrying out magnetic recording/reproduction by making use of such a partial response system is shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, a magnetic signal recorded on a magnetic tape (not shown) is converted to an electric signal by using a magnetic head 101. The electric signal thus obtained is then amplified by means of a reproducing amplifier 102. The signal thus amplified is sent to a detection characteristic circuit 103. This detection characteristic circuit 103 has a detection characteristic (encode characteristic) of the partial response, and a characteristic of (1+D) in the case of the class IV. An output signal from the detection characteristic circuit 103 is delivered to an equalizer 104 comprised of so called a FIR (Finite Impulse Response) or a transversal filter, at which adaptive equalizing processing is implemented to that output signal. The output signal thus processed is then delivered to a decoder 105, at which discrimination between "1" and "0" by level comparison (comparate), etc. is carried out. Thus, decoding of data series at the time of recording is conducted. An output d from the decoder 105 is sent to an adder (error detector) 106, at which an output y from the equalizer 104 is subtracted from the output d. Thus, an error (residual) e is taken out. The error e thus obtained is sent to an adaptive control unit 107. To this adaptive control unit 107, an output x from the detection characteristic circuit 103 is delivered as so called a reference input. The adaptive control unit 107 adjusts the filter characteristic of the equalizer 104 so as to allow a signal power of the error (residual) to be minimum. In the case where so called a transversal filter is used as the equalizer 104, multiplication coefficients (tap coefficients) every taps are adaptively modified (corrected) and updated. Thus, the characteristic of the transversal filter is adjusted so that a characteristic close to an inverse characteristic of the electromagnetic conversion characteristic in the magnetic recording/ reproduction is provided. An output from the encoder 105 is sent to a signal processing circuit 108, at which reproduction of a synchronous block and/or error correction, etc. are carried out. The signal thus processed is sent to a video signal processing circuit 109, at which restoring of original image data is carried out. In addition, although not shown, output data from the signal processing circuit 108 is sent to an audio signal processing circuit and a sub-code signal processing circuit, etc. In these circuits, respective processing are carried out. Meanwhile, in digital VTRs, a quantity of data to be recorded and reproduced becomes extremely large. Particularly, in VTRs of HD (High Definition) TV signal, or the like, when a relative speed of the magnetic head and the tape is merely increased to carry out recording by using a lesser number of channels, there is limit in the quantity of recordable and reproducible data. As a result there are many instances where it is impossible to realize a desired system. In view of this, a technique is employed to increase the number of channels for recording and reproduction to realize a great increase in the quantity of recordable and reproducible data by using a magnetic head assembly of the multi-channel type (so called a multi-channel head). However, the provision of individual adaptive equalizers every respective channels of such a multi-channel head disadvantageously increases the circuit scale, resulting in EP-A-0 355 721 discloses a rotary head magnetic tape reproducing apparatus which comprises a pair of rotary head assemblies each having a pair of head channels A+, A- and B+, B-; and a pair of signal processing channels; wherein one signal processing channel is coupled to one channel A+ of one head assembly and to one channel B+ of the other head assembly and the other processing channel is coupled correspondingly to the remaining heads A- and B-; and each signal processing channel comprises an equalizer filter and a decoder. EP-A-0 109 674 discloses a multitrack PCM reproducing apparatus having heads for reproducing signals from respective tracks on a magnetic tape. All the heads are connected by a multiplexer to a single signal processing channel. The multiplexer interleaves signal samples from all the heads into a single data stream. The signal processing channel includes a digital filter for equalization of the heads, by for example automatic equalization. Because the signals from the heads are sampled and all the samples from the heads are interleaved into a single stream. the data sample rate is high. In accordance with this invention, there is provided a rotary head magnetic tape reproducing apparatus adapted for reproducing magnetic data recorded on a magnetic recording medium, comprising: a pair of rotary head assemblies arranged to reproduce the data from the medium sequentially, each head assembly having a pair of head channels; and a pair of signal processing channels, one signal processing channel being coupled to one of the channels of one head assembly and to one of the channels of the other head assembly, the other signal processing channel being coupled to the other channel of said one head assembly and to the other channel of said other head assembly, the head channels coupled to said one signal processing circuit reproducing data alternately, and the head channels coupled to said other signal processing circuit reproducing data alternately, each signal processing channel comprising switching means, a filter serving as an equalizer for compensating the characteristic of a regenerative signal from a head channel, and a decoder for decoding an output signal from said filter; whereby an adaptive control means common to both signal processing channels is provided for successively adaptively adjusting the characteristics of the filters of the channels in a time division manner on the basis of input signals to said filters and input and output signals to and from said decoders; and the switching means of each signal processing channel connects the filter of the signal processing channel to the head assemblies sequentially, synchronously with reproduction of data by the head assemblies, whereby each signal processing channel carries out in a time division manner adaptive equalizing processes for the head channels coupled thereto by the switching means. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing, in a block form, the outline of the configuration of a portion of a reproducing system of a digital VTR; Fig. 2 is a plan view schematically showing an actual example of a head arrangement of rotary heads used in the system of Figure 1; Fig. 3 is a time chart for explaining the operation of the system of Figure 1; Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram showing, in a block form, an actual example of the internal configuration of an adaptive equalizer (adaptive filter used in the system of Figure 1). Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram showing, in a block form, the outline of the configuration of a portion of the reproducing system of a digital VTR as an embodiment of a magnetic reproducing apparatus according to this invention. Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram showing, in a block form, the outline of the configuration of the reproducing system of a digital VTR used for explanation of a previously proposed system. In Fig. 1, magnetic signals recorded on a magnetic tape (not shown) are converted to an electric signals by means of magnetic heads 1A, 1B, 11A and 11B, and are then amplified by means of reproducing amplifiers 2A, 2B, 12A and 12B, respectively. Thus, regenerative signals from the reproducing amplifiers 2A and 2B are sent to a changeover switch 9, and regenerative signals from the reproducing amplifiers 12A and 12B are sent to a changeover switch 19. Such regenerative signals are subjected to switching control. Fig. 2 schematically shows a head arrangement of rotary heads. A set of adjacent magnetic heads 1A, 11A and a set of adjacent magnetic heads 1B, 11B constitute so called multi-channel heads. A multi-channel head assembly comprised of the set of magnetic heads 1A, 11A and a multi-channel head comprised of the set of magnetic heads 1B, 11B are arranged on a rotary drum with an angular difference of 180 degrees therebetween. A magnetic tape is assumed to run while being guided in the state wound at a lapping angle of about 180 degrees around the rotary drum. At this time, regenerative output signals from respective magnetic heads 1A, 1B, 11A, 11B are designated at a, b, e and f of Fig. 3, respectively. In Fig. 3, reproduced outputs from respective magnetic heads 1A, 1B, 11a and 11B are designated at RF (1A), RF (1B), RF (11A) and RF(11B), respectively. To the changeover switches 9 and 19 are respectively supplied with switching pulses SP 1 and SP 2 as indicated by d and h of Fig. 3 for carrying out switching control of heads in dependency upon rotational phases of the rotary heads, respectively. Accordingly, output signals from respective changeover switches 9 and 19 are as shown at c and g of Fig. 3. An output signal from the changeover switch 9 is sent to a detection characteristic circuit 3. This detection characteristic circuit 13 has a detection characteristic (encoded characteristic) of the previously described partial response, and has a characteristic of (1+D) in the case of class IV. An output signal from the detection characteristic circuit 3 is delivered to a filter 4 serving as the main part of the equalizer. As this filter 4, so called a FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filter or a transversal filter is generally used. Its filter characteristic is adaptively adjusted by an adaptive control unit 7 (which will be described later). An output signal from the filter 4 is delivered to a decoder 5, at which discrimination between "1" and "0" by level comparison (comparate), etc. is carried out. Thus, decoding of data series at the time of recording is carried out. An output signal from the decoder 5 is taken out through an output terminal 5 OT . Further, an output signal from the changeover switch 19 is delivered to a detection characteristic circuit 13, and is taken out from an output terminal 15 OT through a filter 14 and a decoder 15. Respective data signals from these output terminals 5 OT , 15 OT are sent to the previously described signal processing circuit 108, etc. shown in Fig. 6. Since the operation on the adaptive filter side comprised of the filter 4 and the adaptive control unit 7 and the operation on the adaptive filter side comprised of the filter 14 and the adaptive control unit 17 are the same, only one side, e.g., the filter 14 and the adaptive control unit 17 side will now be described. An adder (error detector) 16 subtracts an output y of the filter 14 of the equalizer from an output d of the decoder 15 to thereby take out an error (residual) e to send this error e to the adaptive control unit 17. At this time, the adaptive control unit 17 is supplied with an output x from the detection characteristic circuit 13 as so called a reference input. As the result of the fact that the adaptive control unit 17 modifies/updates coefficients (tap coefficients) of the filter 14 so as to allow the signal power of the error (residual) to be minimum, the equalizer characteristic is adjusted in such a manner that it becomes close to a characteristic opposite to that of the electromagnetic conversion characteristic in the magnetic recording/reproduction. Here, in the adaptive filter (adaptive equalizer) comprised of the filter 14 and the adaptive control unit 17, a regenerative signal shown at g of Fig. 3 is adaptively subjected to equalizing processing, and adaptive processing respectively corresponding to an output RF (11A) from the head 11A and an output RF(11B) from the head 11B are carried out under time switching control in a time divisional manner in accordance with a switching pulse shown at h. As stated above, respective filter coefficients (filter tap coefficients) are selectively switched in accordance with respective reproduced outputs RF (11A), RF (11B) from the heads 11A, 11B so that the adaptive processing are carried out in a time divisional manner. Thus, effective utilization of the hardware configuration is permitted, thus making it possible to prevent the cost from increasing resulting from an increase of the circuit scale, or the like. An example of an actual configuration of so called an adaptive filter comprised of the filter 14 and the adaptive control unit 17 will now be described with reference to Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, a reference input x from an input terminal 14 IN is sent to a series circuit comprised of delay elements corresponding to the number of taps, e.g., four delay elements 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d. An input x 0 from the input terminal 14 IN and outputs x -1 , x -2 , x -3 and x -4 from the delay elements 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d are sent to coefficient multipliers 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d and 22e, respectively. At these multipliers, those outputs are multiplied by filter coefficients W 0 , W 1 , W 2 , W 3 and W 4 , respectively. Then, corresponding multiplied results or values are subjected to the following additive operation. Namely, respective outputs from the coefficient multipliers 22a and 22b are added at an adder 23a, and an output from the coefficient multipliers 22c and an output from the adder 23a are added at an adder 23b. Additive operation similar to the above is applied to outputs from the remaining coefficient multipliers. Namely, an output from the coefficient multiplier 22d and an output from the adder 23b are added at an adder 23c. In addition, an output from the coefficient multiplier 22e and an output from the adder 23c are added at an adder 23d. Thus, an output y is provided as an output from the adaptive filter. This output y is sent to the above-mentioned decoder 15. It is to be noted that respective filter coefficients W 0 , W 1 , W 2 , W 3 and W 4 are modified by a coefficient modifying (updating) control signal from the adaptive control unit 17. As the adaptive algorithm used in the adaptive control unit 17, many techniques have been proposed. Explanation will now be given in connection with the LMS (Least Mean Square) algorithm as its actual example. Here, the number of delay elements is generalized so that it becomes equal to L, and delay elements are assumed to be designated at 21 1 , 21 2 , ···, 21 L . At this time, further assumption is made such that the above-mentioned first input x 0 and outputs x -1 , x -2 , ···, x -L from the delay elements 21 1 , 21 2 , ···, 21 L are sent to coefficient multipliers 22 0 , 22 1 , 22 2 , ···, 22 L , and are then multiplied by filter coefficients W 0 , W 1 , W 2 , ···, W L , respectively. The values thus obtained are sent to adders, at which additive operation similar to the above is implemented thereto. When input data at the k-th sample period time of (time k) of data series of an input x and delay output data from the delay elements 21 1 , 21 2 , ···, 21 L are assumed to be designated at x k , x k-1 , x k-2 , ···, x k-L , an input vector X k subjected to the FIR filtering is defined as follows: X k = [x k x k-1 x k-2 ··· x k-L ] T In the above formula (1), T indicates a transposition symbol. When respective filter coefficients (weighting coefficients) are assumed as W k0 , W k1 , W k2 , ···, W kL with respect to this input vector X k , and a FIR filter output is assumed as y k , the relationship of input/output is expressed by the following formula (2) y k = w k0 x k + w k1 x k-1 + ··· + w kL x k-L Further, if a filter coefficient vector (weighting vector) W k is defined as follows: W k = [w k0 w k1 w k2 ··· w kL ] T the input/output relationship is described as follows: y k = X k T W k = W k T X k If a desired response is d k , an error ε k between the desired response and the output y k is expressed as follows: ε k = d k - y k = d k - X k T W k Since W k is updated so that ε k becomes equal to zero, the following formula is used: W k+1 = W k - µ▿ k In this formula, µ is a gain factor determining the speed and the stability of the adaptive processing, and ▿ k indicates gradient. In the LMS algorithm, ▿ k is not estimated from a short-time mean of ε k 2 , but is obtained by directly partially differentiating ε k 2 . ▿ k = δε k 2 /δW = -2ε k X k By substitution of the formula (7) into the formula (6), the coefficient updating formula is expressed as follows: W k+1 = W k + 2µε k X k Referring to Fig. 1 again, the adaptive control unit 17 detects rise of the switching pulse SP 2 to output filter coefficients corresponding to the head 11A. At this time, the adaptive control unit 17 inputs the respective signals x, y and e relating to the head 11A to perform an operation in accordance with the adaptive algorithm with respect to the signals obtained to obtain updated filter tap coefficients to store them into a memory, etc. Then, the adaptive control unit 17 detects fall of the switching pulse SP 2 to output filter coefficients corresponding to the head 11B to perform an operation in accordance with the adaptive algorithm with respect to the respective signals x, y and e relating to the head 11B to obtain updated filter tap coefficients to store them into the memory, etc. By repeating such adaptive control operation, adaptive equalizing processing for regenerative signals from the respective heads 11A, 11B can be realized by a hardware of a single system in a time divisional multiplexing manner. It is to be noted that it is a matter of course that an operation similar to the above is carried out also with respect to the adaptive control unit 7. Fig. 5 shows the outline of the configuration in the case where a single adaptive control unit 20 is used for all regenerative signals from the heads 1A, 1B, 11A and 11B as an embodiment of this invention. This adaptive control unit 20 sends filter tap coefficients to respective filters 4 and 14. Since other components are the same as those of the above-described embodiment of Fig. 1, the same reference numerals are respectively attached to corresponding portions, and their explanation is omitted here. Further, in Fig. 5, regenerative signals from respective magnetic heads 1A, 1B, 11A and 11B, output signals from respective changeover switches 7 and 17, and switching pulse signals SP 1 and SP 2 are indicated in a manner similar to that as in Fig. 3. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the adaptive control unit 20 detects rise of the switching pulse SP 1 to output filter coefficients for the head 1A to the filter 4 to input the respective signals x, y and e relating to the head 1A to perform an operation in accordance with the adaptive algorithm with respect to the signals obtained to obtain updated filter tap coefficients to store them into a memory, etc. Then, the adaptive control unit 20 detects fall of the switching pulse SP 2 to send coefficients for the head 11A to the filter 14 to input the respective signals x, y and e relating to the head 11A to perform an operation in accordance with the adaptive algorithm with respect to the signals obtained to store updated filter tap coefficients into the memory, etc. Then, the control unit 20 detects fall of the switching pulse signal SP 1 to output coefficients for the head 1B to the filter 4 to input the respective signals x, y and e relating to the head 1B to perform an operation in accordance with the adaptive algorithm with respect to the respective signals obtained to obtain updated filter tap coefficients to store them into the memory. Then, the control unit 20 detects fall of the switching pulse signal SP 2 to send coefficients for the head 11B to the filter 14 to perform an operation in accordance with the adaptive algorithm with respect to the respective signals x, y and e relating to the head 11B to obtain updated filter tap coefficients to store them into the memory. By repeating such adaptive control operation, adaptive equalizing processing corresponding to all regenerative signals from the respective heads 1A, 1B, 11A, 11B can be realized by a hardware of a single system in a time divisional multiplexing manner. It is to be noted that in the case where processing cannot be satisfactorily executed because of low processing speed of the hardware, processing may be executed with a portion thereof being thinned. In actual terms, in the preceding repetitive cycle, inputs of respective signals x, y and e relating to the head 11A after the rise of the switching pulse SP 2 is detected and an operational processing in conformity with the adaptive algorithm are thinned; and, in the succeeding repetitive cycle, respective signals x, y and e relating to the head 1A after the rise of the switching pulse signal Speed is detected and an operational processing in conformity with the adaptive algorithm are thinned. At times subsequent thereto, processing is thinned every processing relating to one of four kinds of magnetic heads. It should be noted that this invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the actual configuration of the filter 14 and/or the algorithm used in the adaptive control unit 17, etc. are not limited to the FIR filter and the LMS algorithm, respectively. In addition, equipments applied are not limited to a digital VTR, and this invention may be applied to a digital tape recorder, an analog VTR, or the like.

Claims: A rotary head magnetic tape reproducing apparatus adapted for reproducing magnetic data recorded on a magnetic recording medium, comprising: a pair of rotary head assemblies (1A, 1B; 11A, 11B) arranged to reproduce the data from the medium sequentially. each head assembly having a pair of head channels; and a pair of signal processing channels (3, 4, 5, 6; 13, 14, 15, 16), one signal processing channel being coupled to one of the channels of one head assembly and to one of the channels of the other head assembly, the other signal processing channel being coupled to the other channel of said one head assembly and to the other channel of said other head assembly, the head channels coupled to said one signal processing circuit reproducing data alternately, and the head channels coupled to said other signal processing circuit reproducing data alternately, each signal processing channel comprising switching means (9, 19), a filter (4, 14) serving as an equalizer for compensating the characteristic of a regenerative signal from a head channel (1A, 1B; 11A, 11B), and a decoder (5,15) for decoding an output signal from said filter; whereby an adaptive control means (20) common to both signal processing channels is provided for successively adaptively adjusting the characteristics of the filters (4, 14) of the channels in a time division manner on the basis of input signals to said filters (4, 14) and input and output signals to and from said decoders (5,15); and the switching means (9, 19) of each signal processing channel connects the filter of the signal processing channel to the head assemblies sequentially, synchronously with reproduction of data by the head assemblies, whereby each signal processing channel carries out in a time division manner adaptive equalizing processes for the head channels coupled thereto by the switching means. A magnetic reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each signal processing channel further comprises a detection characteristic circuit (3, 13) having a detection characteristic of a partial response, for supplying the regenerative signal to the filter (4, 14). A magnetic reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein a FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filter (4, 14) is used as said filter. A magnetic reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said decoder (5, 15) level-discriminates an output signal from said filter to thereby output a binary signal. A magnetic reproducing apparatus as set forth in any preceding claim, wherein a Least Mean Square algorithm is used as the adaptive algorithm of said adaptive control means (7, 17, 20). A magnetic reproducing apparatus as set forth in any preceding claim, wherein said adaptive control means (7, 17, 20) modifies or alters tap coefficients of said filter (4, 14) to minimise errors between input and output signals of said decoder. A magnetic reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the adaptive control means includes a memory for storing the tap coefficients.

Inventors: INOUE HAJIME, SEKI TAKAHITO, TAKIZAWA CHIHOKO, INOUE, HAJIME, SEKI, TAKAHITO, TAKIZAWA, CHIHOKO, INOUE, HAJIME, C/O PATENTS DIVISION, SEKI, TAKAHITO, C/O PATENTS DIVISION, Takizawa, Chihoko, c/o Patents Division
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G11B20
IPC codes: G11B5, H04N5, G11B20