Patent Publication Number: US-2002008927-A1

Title: Connection apparatus for enabling an operative condition between a video cassette recorder and a camcorder

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a dubbing control apparatus for video appliances such as a video camera and a video cassette recorder (VCR), and more particularly to a dubbing control apparatus which can perform dubbing between the video appliances and the appliances being detachably connected with each other.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] Conventionally, the 8 mm camcorder is well known as a portable video camera. This camcorder is a kind of video appliance which, being easily carried by a user, can photograph an object and then record the photographed video signal on an 8 mm video tape. Meanwhile, fixed VCRs have now found their way into almost all homes with television (TV) sets. Generally, the fixed VCR employs a deck for a ½-inch video tape to record/reproduce video signals. Accordingly, the video signal photographed and recorded on the 8 mm video tape by the 8 mm camcorder must be dubbed on the ½-inch video tape in order for the user to view the photographed video signal on a TV screen by way of the fixed VCR. In order to solve this, a multi (double)-deck VCR having two decks, i.e., one deck for the 8 mm tape and another deck for the ½-inch tape, in a single housing has now been developed.  
       [0005]FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional multi-deck VCR. Referring to FIG. 1, the multi-deck VCR includes a radio frequency (RF) distributor  1  for distributing an RF television signal inputted through an RF input terminal RFI, a tuner  2  for tuning a broadcasting signal of a predetermined channel in the RF signal outputted from the RF distributor  1 , an 8 mm deck  3  and a ½-inch deck  4 , both installed in a single housing  9  (not illustrated), for respectively recording/reproducing video and audio signals on an 8 mm video tape and a ½-inch video tape, respectively, a first switching element SW 1  for selecting one among external video signals respectively inputted through external input terminals EI 1  and EI 2  and an output signal of the tuner  2 , and providing the selected signal to the 8 mm deck  3  as a recording signal, and a second switching element SW 2  for selecting one among the external signals from the external input terminals EI 1  and EI 2  and the output signal of the tuner  2 , and providing the selected signal to the ½ inch deck  4  as a recording signal. The conventional multi-deck VCR is also provided with a third switching element SW 3  for selecting one of the external signals from the external input terminals EI 1  and EI 2 , the output signal of the tuner  2 , and output signals of the 8 mm deck  3  and the ½-inch deck  4 , and providing the selected signal through an external output terminal EO, and a modulator  5  for modulating the output signal of the RF distributor  1  and/or the output signal of the third switching element SW 3  to provide the modulated signal through an RF output terminal RFO.  
       [0006] The operation of the conventional multi-deck VCR as constructed above will now be explained.  
       [0007] The RF signal (i.e, television signal) received by an antenna (not illustrated) and inputted through the RF input terminal RFI is distributed by in the RF distributor  1  to be outputted to the tuner  2  and the modulator  5 , respectively. The tuner  2  tunes a predetermined channel broadcasting signal from the input RF signal. Through the external input terminals EI 1  and EI 2 , external video signals provided from external video appliances may be inputted.  
       [0008] At this time, if a common contact of the first switching element SW 1  is contacted with either of fixed contacts a 2 , a 3  and a 4  thereof, either of the external video signals from the external input terminals EI 1  and EI 2  and the broadcasting signal tuned by the tuner  2  is selectively inputted to the 8 mm deck  3  to be recorded on the 8 mm video tape. Meanwhile, if a common contact of the second switching element SW 2  is contacted with either of fixed contacts b 2 , b 3  and b 4  thereof, either of the external video signals from the external input terminals EI 1  and EI 2  and the broadcasting signal tuned by the tuner  2  is selectively inputted to the ½-inch deck  4  to be recorded on the ½-inch video tape.  
       [0009] At the same time, if a common contact of the third switching element SW 3  is contacted with either of fixed contacts c 1  to c 5  thereof, either of the external video signals from the external input terminals EI 1  and EI 2 , the output signal of the tuner  2 , the output signal of the 8 mm deck  3  and the output signal of the ½-inch deck  4  is selectively outputted to the external output terminal EO and to the modulator  5  as well. The modulator  5  modulates the video signal selected by the third switching element SW 3  and outputs the modulated signal to the TV set through the RF output terminal RFO.  
       [0010] In the meantime, if the common contact of the second switching element SW 2  is contacted with the fixed contact b 1  thereof when a dubbing mode is selected, the video signal reproduced from the 8 mm video tape in the 8 mm deck  3  is outputted to the ½-inch deck  4  through the second switching element SW 2 , to be recorded on the ½-inch video tape. Meanwhile, if the common contact of the first switching element SW 1  is contacted with the fixed contact a 1  thereof, and the 8 mm deck  3  and the ½-inch deck  4  are determined to be in a recording mode and in a reproducing mode, respectively, the video signal reproduced from the ½-inch video tape in the ½-inch deck  4  is outputted to the 8 mm deck  3  through the first switching element SW 1 , to be recorded on the 8 mm video tape.  
       [0011] However, the conventional multi-deck VCR described as above has the drawbacks in that two decks, i.e., both the 8 mm deck and the ½-inch deck should be provided within a single housing in order to perform a dubbing operation and thus this causes the size of the appliance to be increased and the overall circuitry of the appliance to be complicated, resulting in an increase of the manufacturing cost. Further, every time dubbing is performed, the user should draw the photographed video tape out of the video camera and then insert it into the 8 mm deck of the appliance, making it inconvenient to use.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide a dubbing control apparatus for video appliances which, without utilizing a multi-deck type video appliance, can perform dubbing between the appliances with the appliances being detachably connected with each other, thereby providing great convenience in use.  
       [0013] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a control apparatus for dubbing video and audio signals recorded/reproduced by first and second video appliances, respectively, the dubbing control apparatus comprising:  
       [0014] first and second connector means, installed on said first and second video appliances, respectively, for being in contact with each other, said first and second connector means interfacing with said video and audio signals recorded/reproduced by said respective first and second video appliances, a data signal, a clock signal, a chip selection signal and a power supply during dubbing; and  
       [0015] switching means for selecting dubbing conditions from said first video appliance to said second video appliance and vice versa. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0016] The above object and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0017]FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a conventional multi-deck video appliance.  
     [0018]FIG. 2 is an explanatory side elevation showing a manner of connecting two video appliances by means of the dubbing control apparatus according to the present invention.  
     [0019]FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram explaining input/output signals of two video appliances connected by means of the dubbing control apparatus according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0020]FIG. 2 shows a manner of connecting two video appliances, for example, a fixed VCR and a video camera, by means of the dubbing control apparatus according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, one connector  11 A is installed on the upper surface of the fixed VCR  11 , and another connector  12 A to be connected with the connector  11 A is installed on the lower surface of the video camera  12 . During a dubbing session, the connectors  11 A and  12 A are in contact with each other and this causes the video camera  12  to be fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the fixed VCR  11 . When connectors  11 A and  12 A are released from each other, the video camera  12  is separated from the fixed VCR  11 . Each of the connectors  11 A and  12 A may be provided with a cover (not illustrated) for protecting internal terminals thereof while being separated from each other.  
     [0021]FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram explaining input/output signals of the two appliances connected by the dubbing control apparatus according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the power supply from the fixed VCR  11  is supplied to the video camera  12  through contacted terminals P 11  and P 21  of connectors  11 A and  12 A. Also, if dubbing from the fixed VCR  11  to the video camera  12  is selected, video and audio signals reproduced from the ½-inch video tape in the fixed VCR  11 , a chip selection signal, a data signal and a clock signal are respectively inputted to the video camera  12  through contacted terminals P 12  to P 16 , P 22  to P 26  of the connectors  11 A and  12 A.  
     [0022] Meanwhile, if dubbing from the video camera  12  to the fixed VCR  11  is selected, video and audio signals reproduced from the 8 mm video tape in the video camera  12  and a data signal are respectively inputted to the fixed VCR  11  through contacted terminals P 27  to P 29 , P 17  to P 19 .  
     [0023] The switching elements for selecting dubbing between the fixed VCR  11  and the video camera  12  may be the same as those used in the conventional multi-deck VCR as described above. It is preferable that the switching elements are provided in the fixed VCR  11 .  
     [0024] Now, the operation of the dubbing control apparatus according to the present invention will be explained in detail.  
     [0025] When dubbing between the fixed VCR  11  and the video camera  12  is desired, the user connects the connector  12 A installed on the lower surface of the video camera  12  with the connector  11 A installed on the upper surface of the fixed VCR. At this time, the terminals P 11  to P 19  of the fixed VCR  11  are electrically contacted to the terminals P 21  to P 29  of the video camera  12 , respectively, and the power supply from the fixed VCR  11  is provided to the video camera  12  through the contacted terminals P 11  and P 21  of the fixed VCR  11  and the video camera  12 .  
     [0026] At the same time, if the fixed VCR  11  and the video camera  12  are determined by the user to be in a recording mode and in a reproducing mode, respectively, the video camera  12  performs reproduction and the video and audio signals reproduced from the 8 mm video tape are outputted to the fixed VCR  11  through the contacted terminals P 27 , P 28 , P 17  and P 18  of the connectors  12 A and  11 A. The fixed VCR  11  then records the video and audio signals inputted from the video camera  12  on the ½-inch video tape.  
     [0027] Meanwhile, if the fixed VCR  11  and the video camera  12  are determined to be in a reproducing mode and in a recording mode, respectively, the video and audio signals reproduced from the ½-inch video tape in the fixed VCR  11  are outputted to the video camera  12  through the contacted terminals P 12 , P 13 , P 22  and P 23  of the connectors  11 A and  11 B, and then the video camera  12  records the video and audio signals inputted from the fixed VCR  11  on the 8 mm video tape.  
     [0028] During the dubbing, as mentioned above, the chip selection signal, the data signal and the clock signal are all inter-faced between the fixed VCR  11  and the video camera  12  through the contacted terminals P 14 , P 15 , P 16  and P 19 , P 24 , P 25 , P 26  and P 29  of the connectors  11 A and  12 A, and thus the user can perform dubbing from the video camera to the fixed VCR and vice versa by means of a single dubbing key.  
     [0029] In the embodiment as described above, it is shown that the chip selection signal and the clock signal are provided from the fixed VCR to the video camera. However, such signals may also be determined to be provided from the video camera to the fixed VCR. Also, it is shown that the video appliances for performing dubbing therebetween are the fixed VCR and the video camera. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and is applicable to all other video appliances for recording/reproducing video and/or audio signals.  
     [0030] As mentioned above, according to the present invention, dubbing can be performed between two video appliances with the appliances being detachably connected with each other, thereby providing great convenience in use, without the necessity of utilizing a costly multi-deck type video appliance.