Digital video signal recording apparatus

Abstract: A digital video tape recorder includes a rotary drum ( d ) that has a leading head ( a ) and a trailing head ( b ) mounted thereon for recording video signals in respective slanting tracks (A, B) scanned on the tape (T) while the tape is advanced. Each of the tracks (A, B) includes, in sequence in the scanning direction of the respective head, a first auxiliary recording area (AU1), a second auxiliary recording area (AU2) and a video signal recording area (VI). The heads ( a , b ) are displaced with respect to each other on the drum ( d ) in the scanning direction by a distance (GL) that is less than the distance (K) in the scanning direction between an ending edge ( e ) of the first auxiliary recording area (AU1) of the track (B) formed by the trailing head ( b ) and a starting edge ( s ) of the video recording area (VI) of the track (A) formed by the leading head ( a ). Because of the arrangement of the heads, after-recording of audio signals in the first auxiliary recording area (AU1) by the trailing head ( b ) is completed before the leading head ( a ) begins reproduction of video signals. This prevents cross-talk from the audio recording signal that would disrupt the reproduced video signal, whereby a satisfactory picture can therefore be reproduced during after-recording of audio signals.

Description: This invention relates to digital video signal recording apparatus and, more particularly, to digital video tape recorder (VTRs) which may, for example, be suited for commercial or professional use. In digital video tape recorders (VTRs) designed for commercial use, video and audio signals are respectively digitised and then recorded in separate areas of a recording track. It is known to operate a digital VTR in a so-called after-recording mode in which an audio signal, for example, is recorded on a recording track on which a video signal has previously been recorded. It is also known in a digital VTR to perform so-called multitrack recording in which signals are distributed among a plurality of channels for simultaneous recording or reproduction by a plurality of heads. For multi-track recording digital VTRs, it has been proposed to fabricate a plurality of heads together in a single head unit in order to simplify assembly and reduce the number of adjustments required for proper alignment of the heads. However, when after-recording is effected by means of a digital VTR having a plurality of heads fabricated together in a head unit, the level of the recording is very high as compared with that of a reproduced signal so that a video signal reproduced by one head may be disturbed by cross-talk from an audio signal that is simultaneously being after-recorded by another head of the head unit. In this case it may be that a satisfactory reproduced picture cannot be obtained. Figures 1A to 1D of the accompanying drawings show tracks A and B which are recorded on, and reproduced from, a tape T by heads a and b , respectively. Each of the tracks A and B has a recording area AT1 in which a first tracking adjustment signal is recorded, a first auxiliary recording area AU1 in which a first audio signal is recorded, a second auxiliary recording area AU2 in which a second audio signal is recorded, a recording area VI in which a video signal is recorded, a recording area SC in which a sub code is recorded, and a recording area AT2 in which a second tracking adjustment signal is recorded. These respective areas are formed sequentially in the order stated above, starting at the beginning of the track and proceeding in the head scanning direction (i.e. from left to right in Figures 1A to 1D). In order to simplify the drawings, only the respective recording areas of the track A are labelled. The formation of the respective recording areas comes about as a result of the provision of the various types of recording signals to the recording head at times when the head is scanning the respective areas. Figure 1A shows the positions of the heads a and b relative to the recording areas at a time when the leading head (the head a ) is beginning after-recording of the first audio signal in the recording area AU1 of the track A. Figure 1B shows the positions of the heads at a time when the head a is completing the after-recording of the first audio signal in the recording area AU1 of the track A. Figure 1C shows the positions of the heads when the trailing head b is beginning after-recording of the first audio signal in the recording area AU1 of the track B. Figure 1D shows the positions of the heads when the trailing head b is completing the after-recording of the first audio signal in the recording area AU1 of the track B. It will be observed that, at the time shown in Figure 1D, the playback by the leading head a of the video signal recorded in the recording area VI of the track A has already started. Consequently, cross-talk from the audio signal being recorded by the trailing head b occurs so that the video signal reproduced by the head a is disturbed during a period in which the head a scans that portion of the recording area VI of the track A that is shown hatched. To overcome this problem, it has been proposed to mask the reproduced video signal during the period of the disturbance so that the deteriorated portion of the picture is not displayed. According to this previously-proposed method, however, a complete reproduced picture is not provided in the after-recording mode. Furthermore, in digital VTRs in which shuffling of video signal data is used, it is frequently observed that a masking of some of the video signal causes deterioration in the entire picture. In our copending European Patent Application No. 92105055.5 (Publication No. EP-A-505983) filed on 24 March 1992, the recording areas in each track are arranged so that a video signal recording area precedes audio signal recording areas, and adjacent tracks are offset by a step distance in the head scanning direction. It is proposed in this copending application that a pair of heads be mounted on a head base so that the heads are displaced from each other in the head scanning direction by a distance that is less than the sum of the step distance and the length of a gap between the video recording area and the following audio recording area. The purpose of this arrangement is to prevent disturbance of the video signal during after-recording of an audio signal. According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a digital video tape recorder comprising: a rotary drum; and a plurality of magnetic heads mounted on the rotary drum for recording video signals on a magnetic tape, the heads being movable relative to the tape in a scanning direction to form successive slanting tracks thereon while the tape is advanced, the heads comprising a leading head and a trailing head that simultaneously scan the tape, the leading head having a leading position in said scanning direction with respect to the trailing head, and the leading and trailing heads each being operative to form a respective track that includes, in sequence in said scanning direction, a first auxiliary recording area, a second auxiliary recording area, and a video signal recording area in which said video signals are recorded; and the heads being so mounted on the rotary drum that the leading and trailing heads are displaced with respect to each other in said scanning direction by a distance that is less than a distance in said scanning direction between an ending edge of the first auxiliary recording area of the track formed by the trailing head and a starting edge of the video signal recording area of the track formed by the leading head. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a digital video tape recorder comprising a rotary drum and a plurality of heads mounted on the rotary drum for recording video signals in slant tracks on a magnetic tape while the heads move relative to the tape in a scanning direction to form successive slant tracks on the tape as the tape is advanced. The heads include a leading head and a trailing head that simultaneously scan the tape, the leading head having a leading position in the scanning direction with respect to the trailing head. The leading and trailing heads each form a respective track that includes, in sequence in the scanning direction, a first auxiliary recording area, a second auxiliary recording area and a video signal recording area in which the video signals are recorded. The heads are mounted on the rotary drum so that the leading and trailing heads are displaced with respect to each other in the scanning direction by a distance that is less than the distance in the scanning direction between the ending edge of the first auxiliary recording area of the track formed by the trailing head and the starting edge of the video recording area of the track formed by the leading head. With the arrangement of heads in the digital video tape recorder as described above, reproduction of a video signal by the leading head begins after recording of an audio or other auxiliary signal by the trailing head in the first auxiliary recording area is complete. Therefore, the audio or other auxiliary recording signal, which may have a high level, is not present at the same time as the reproduced video signal, so that a satisfactory video signal can be obtained in an after-recording mode. Embodiments of the invention described below provide an improved digital video signal recording apparatus in which the earlier described shortcomings of the prior proposals can be overcome in an apparatus using a tape track format in which audio or other auxiliary signals are recorded in areas in each track that are in advance of the video signal recording area. More specifically, the embodiments provide a digital video signal recording apparatus in which a satisfactory reproduced picture can be obtained in an after-recording mode. The invention will now be further described, by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like references are used to identify the same or similar parts throughout, and in which: Figures 1A to 1D are diagrams showing spatial relationships of heads and recording areas of tape tracks during successive stages of an after-recording operation of a previously proposed digital VTR; Figures 2A to 2D are diagrams showing spatial relationships of heads and recording areas of tape tracks during successive stages of an after-recording operation performed by a digital VTR embodying the invention; Figure 2E is a schematic illustration of azimuth angles of recording heads in the digital VTR embodying the invention; and Figures 3A to 3C are schematic illustrations of head mounting configurations used in respective embodiments of the invention. Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 2A to 2E and 3A to 3C, in which like parts corresponding to those of Figure 1 are designated by the same references and therefore need not be described in detail. As shown in Figures 2A to 2D, slanting tracks A and B are respectively recorded on, and reproduced from, a tape T by heads a and b . The tracks A and B are displaced with respect to each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the head scanning direction by a pitch distance P. The heads a and b are mounted together on a rotary head drum (not shown in Figures 2A to 2D) with the head a being in a leading position in the head scanning direction with respect to the head b . It will be understood that the head a may therefore be considered a leading head and the head b a trailing head. The heads a and b are displaced with respect to each other in the transverse direction (i.e. the direction perpendicular to the head scanning direction) by a distance that is substantially equal to the track pitch P. On each of the tracks A and B, there are respectively provided a recording area AT1 in which a first tracking adjustment signal is recorded, a first auxiliary recording area AU1 in which a first audio signal is recorded, a second auxiliary recording area AU2 in which a second audio signal is recorded, a recording area VI in which a video signal is recorded, a sub code recording area SC in which a sub code is recorded, and a recording area AT2 in which a second tracking adjustment signal is recorded. The respective areas are formed sequentially in the order stated above starting at the beginning of the track and proceeding in the head scanning direction (from left to right in Figures 2A to 2D). Respective guard areas AG are provided between the recording areas AT1 and AU1, between the recording areas AU1 and AU2, and between the recording areas AU2 and VI. In order to simplify the drawings, only the respective recording areas of the track A are labelled, and only the guard areas of the track A shown in Figure 2B are labelled. The heads a and b are mounted so that there is a specified distance or length GL, in the head scanning direction, between respective gaps g (labelled only in Figure 2A) of the heads a and b . The distance GL is selected to be shorter than a distance or length K in the head scanning direction between the ending edge e of the recording area AU1 of the track B recorded and reproduced by the trailing head b and the starting edge s of the recording area VI of the recording track A recorded and reproduced by the leading head a . The length K is defined by the sum of the length l 1 of the recording area AU2, the lengths l 2 , l 3 of the guard areas provided before and after the recording area AU2, and an offset distance l 4 between the tracks A and B determined by respective synchronising signals. For a given length K, the length GL is determined in accordance with the equation: GL < K = l 1 + l 2 + l 3 + l 4 Figure 2A shows the positions of the heads a and b relative to the recording areas at a time when the leading head a is beginning after-recording of the first audio signal in the recording area AU1 of the track A. Figure 2B shows the positions of the heads at a time when the trailing head b is beginning the after-recording of the first audio signal in the recording area AU1 of the track B. Figure 2C shows the positions of the heads at a time when the leading head a is completing the after-recording of the first audio signal in the recording area AU1 of the track A. Figure 2D shows the positions of the heads at a time when the trailing head b is completing the after-recording of the first audio signal in the recording area AU1 of the track B. It will be noted that reproduction of the video signal by the leading head a from the recording area VI of the track A has not yet begun at the time shown in Figure 2D, so that there will be no cross-talk from the audio signal recorded by the trailing head b in the recording area AU1 of the track B when the leading head a reproduces the video signal from the recording area VI of the track A. In other words, after-recording of the audio signals by the trailing head is completed before the leading head begins reproducing the video signal previously recorded in the track scanned by the leading head. In this way, a strong audio recording signal is not present in the trailing head at the same time that the leading head is reproducing the video signal, so that a satisfactory picture can be reproduced in the after-recording mode of operation. The length GL between the heads a and b typically cannot be made less than about 450 µm because of restrictions from the standpoint of head assembly. This length GL is sufficient, however, because the length l 1 of the recording area AU2 is about 500 µm so that the length K exceeds 500 µm. Further, although the azimuth angles of the two heads a and b are shown to be the same in Figures 2A to 2D for the sake of simplicity, the heads usually have different azimuth angles in order to permit high density recording while avoiding cross-talk during playback. This is illustrated in Figure 2E, in which the head a has an azimuth angle + while the head b has an azimuth angle of -. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the tape T is helically wrapped in a known manner around a drum d and the tape T is advanced with respect to the drum d by known tape transport means (not shown) so that the oblique tracks A and B shown in Figures 2A to 2D are formed by the heads a and b . Although a single set of heads a and b may be mounted on a rotary head drum d as shown in Figure 3A, the invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to a case in which two sets of heads a and b are mounted at diametrically opposed locations on the rotary head drum d as shown in Figure 3B. In the latter case, the angle through which the magnetic tape T is wrapped around the rotary head drum d should be substantially equal to 180°. Figure 3C illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which heads a and b are fabricated together in a single head base or unit h which is mounted on the rotary drum d . It should be noted that, in the digital VTR as described above, the audio or other signal recorded in the second auxiliary recording area AU2 of the track A cannot be reproduced during after-recording of the recording area AU1 of the track B. However, the distance between the ending edge of the recording area AU2 of the track B and the recording area VI of the track A (i.e., the sum of the lengths l 3 and l 4 ) is not much shorter than the distance GL between the heads a and b , so that after-recording of the recording area AU2 of the track B can be effected if a very small amount of deterioration of the reproduced picture or video signal is permitted. Although in the embodiments described so far herein a set or sets of two heads are shown, the invention is not so limited. The or each set of heads may include more than two heads, i.e. three or more. In such a case, it should also be understood that the leading and trailing heads need not be adjacent.

Claims: A digital video tape recorder comprising: a rotary drum ( d ); and a plurality of magnetic heads ( a , b ) mounted on the rotary drum ( d ) for recording video signals on a magnetic tape (T), the heads ( a , b ) being movable relative to the tape (T) in a scanning direction to form successive slanting tracks (A, B) thereon while the tape is advanced, the heads ( a , b ) comprising a leading head ( a ) and a trailing head ( b ) that simultaneously scan the tape (T), the leading head ( a ) having a leading position in said scanning direction with respect to the trailing head ( b ), and the leading and trailing heads ( a , b ) each being operative to form a respective track that includes, in sequence in said scanning direction, a first auxiliary recording area (AU1), a second auxiliary recording area (AU2), and a video signal recording area (VI) in which said video signals are recorded; and the heads ( a , b ) being so mounted on the rotary drum ( d ) that the leading and trailing heads ( a , b ) are displaced with respect to each other in said scanning direction by a distance (GL) that is less than a distance (K) in said scanning direction between an ending edge ( e ) of the first auxiliary recording area (AU1) of the track (B) formed by the trailing head ( b ) and a starting edge ( s ) of the video signal recording area (VI) of the track (A) formed by the leading head ( a ). A digital video tape recorder according to claim 1, which is operable in an after-recording mode in which an audio signal is recorded in the first auxiliary recording area (AU1). A digital video tape recorder according to claim 2, which is so operable that an audio signal is recorded in the second auxiliary recording area (AU2) during operation of the recorder in the after-recording mode. A digital video tape recorder according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, which is so operable that guard areas (AG) are provided in each track (A, B) between the first and second auxiliary recording areas (AU1, AU2) and between the second auxiliary recording area (AU2) and the video signal recording area (VI). A digital video tape recorder according to any one of the preceding claims, which is so operable that adjacent ones of the successive slanting tracks (A, B) are displaced with respect to each other in a transverse direction perpendicular to the scanning direction by a pitch distance (P), the heads ( a , b ) being so mounted on the rotary drum ( d ) that the leading and trailing heads ( a , b ) are displaced with respect to each other in said transverse direction by a distance that is substantially equal to the pitch distance (P). A digital video tape recorder according to claim 5, wherein the leading and trailing heads ( a , b ) have different azimuth angles (+, -). A digital video tape recorder according to claim 6, wherein the leading and trailing heads ( a , b ) are fabricated together in a single unit ( h ) that is mounted on the rotary drum ( d ).

Inventors: KUBOTA YUKIO, SENSHU YOICHIROU, KUBOTA, YUKIO, SENSHU, YOICHIROU, Kubota, Yukio, c/o Patents Division, Senshu, Yoichirou, c/o Patents Division
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1992
Main classification: H04N5
IPC codes: G11B5, H04N5, G11B20, G11B27