Abstract:
An information recording and/or reproducing apparatus that records desired information from a plurality of kinds of information having identification information attached thereto, the apparatus having identification information detecting means for detecting the identification information from information supplied thereto; first recording means for sequentially recording supplied information and for recording a table of contents (TOC) of the supplied information including the identification information detected by the identification information detecting means; specifying means for specifying desired information from the TOC recorded by the first recording means; and controlling means for reading the desired information specified by the specifying means from the first recording means.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus (hereinafter an information recording/reproducing apparatus), and more particularly, to an information recording/reproducing apparatus that records desired information from a plurality of kinds of information having identifying information attached thereto, such as digital audio broadcasts. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, digital satellite broadcasting, or DSB, has become available on a pay-per-view basis. In response to consumer demand DSB is provided with a large number of channels such as, for example, movie channels and music channels. 
     Typically, such channels are scrambled for transmission. Subscribers are provided with a receiver. After selecting the requisite channel and paying a fee, the relevant channel is descrambled for subscriber viewing. 
     By contrast, the DSB music channels broadcast a large number of songs in a predetermined sequence. As a result, even when able to receive DSB transmissions subscribers are still unable to listen to selections they like when they like. In order to do so, subscribers currently use a recording apparatus, hereinafter referred to as a recorder, to record only those selections they like on a recording medium for later reproduction. 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of the conventional art. As shown in the diagram, the DSB transmission is received by an antenna  1 . The antenna  1  is connected to a tuner  2  and the DSB transmission received by the antenna  1  is supplied to the tuner. 
     The tuner  2  selects the required channel from the DSB transmission supplied from the antenna  1 . The signal of the channel selected by the tuner  2  is then supplied to a decoder  3 . The decoder  3  descrambles the signal of the selected channel and converts the descrambled signal to an audio signal, which the decoder  3  then supplies to an amplifier  5 . 
     The amplifier  5  then amplifies the audio signal supplied from the decoder  3 , activates a speaker  6  and reproduces the audio. Additionally, the audio signal descrambled by the decoder  3  is supplied to the recorder  7  and recorded to a recording medium as necessary. 
     However, a problem arises in that recording only the required information from the DSB transmission requires that the listener monitor the DSB transmission and wait until the desired song is broadcast. Additionally, even when the desired song is broadcast the listener must then perform certain operations with the recorder, which means that operator error can result in the required information not being recorded. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful information recording and/or reproducing apparatus, in which the disadvantages described above are eliminated. 
     The above-described object of the present invention is achieved by an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus that records desired information from a plurality of kinds of information having identification information attached thereto, the apparatus comprising: 
     identification information detecting means for detecting the identification information from information supplied thereto; 
     first recording means for sequentially recording supplied information and for recording a table of contents (TOC) of the supplied information including the identification information detected by the identification information detecting means; 
     specifying means for specifying desired information from the TOC recorded by the first recording means; and 
     controlling means for reading the desired information specified by the specifying means from the first recording means. 
     Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the information recording and/or reproducing apparatus as described above, further comprising second recording means for recording the information read from the first recording means by the controlling means. 
     Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the information recording/reproducing apparatus as described above, wherein the storage capacity of the first recording means is greater than the storage capacity of the second recording means. 
     Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the information recording/reproducing apparatus as described above, further comprising information expanding means for expanding information read from the second recording means. 
     Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the information recording apparatus as described above, wherein the first recording means includes a digital magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. 
     Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the information recording apparatus as described above, wherein the second recording means includes an optical disk recording/reproducing apparatus. 
     Additionally, the above-described object of the present invention is also achieved by the information recording/reproducing apparatus as described above, wherein the information is audio data, and the identifying information includes a title of the audio data. 
     According to the invention described above, it is possible to select only desired information from the information recorded sequentially by the first recording means and to record only the required information in the second recording means. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of the conventional art; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram for an information recording/reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 shows a structure for a digital data of an information recording/reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 shows a data table structure for an information recording/reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 shows a tape format for an information recording/reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart of processes performed during recording by a CPU of an information recording/reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an editing operation of an information recording/reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 8 is a diagram for the purpose of describing how the information recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment reproduces recorded information. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A description will now be given of an information recording/reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram for the information recording/reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that the present embodiment is described with reference to an information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing DSB music channels. 
     The information recording/reproducing apparatus comprises a DSB transceiver unit  11 , an information recording/reproduction unit  12  and an output unit  13 . 
     The DSB transceiver unit  11  selects the desired channel information from the DSB transmission and outputs it. The information so selected and output by the DSB transceiver is supplied to an output unit  13  via the information recording/reproduction unit  12 . The information recording/reproduction unit  12  stores the information selected and output by the DSB transceiver unit  11  on a DAT tape cassette  15 , and at the same time stores the information stored on the DAT tape cassette  15  on a Compact Disk-Recordable, or CD-R disk  16 . Additionally, the information recording/reproduction unit  12  supplies either an output signal of the DSB transceiver unit  11  or a reproduction signal from the information recording/reproduction unit  12  to the output unit  13 . 
     The DSB transceiver unit  11  comprises a tuner  17 , a demodulator  18 , an error correction unit  19 , a descrambler  20  and a demultiplexer  21 . 
     The tuner  17  tunes the DSB transmissions received via the antenna  14 . The signal of the DSB transmission selected by the tuner  17  is supplied to the demodulator  18 . 
     The demodulator  18  demodulates the signal supplied from the tuner  17  into digital data. The digital data demodulated by the demodulator  18  is supplied to the error correction unit  19 . The error correction unit  19  corrects errors present in the digital data supplied from the demodulator  18 . The digital data corrected for errors by the error correction unit  19  is supplied to the descrambler  20 . 
     The descrambler  20  descrambles the digital data from the scrambled state in which the digital data was transmitted. The descrambled digital data is then supplied to the demultiplexer  21 . 
     The demultiplexer  21  extracts the selected channel data from the digital data descrambled by the descrambler  20 . The output of the descrambler  21  is then supplied to the information recording/reproduction unit  12 . 
     FIG. 3 shows the structure of the digital data of the information recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in the diagram, the digital data output from the DSB transceiver  11  comprises mainly a song title part D 1  and a data part D 2 . Song titles D 1  are set in the song title part D 1  and audio data is set in the data part D 2 . 
     The information recording/reproduction unit  12  comprises a song title detector  22 , a RAM  23 , a counter  24 , a song designator  25 , a CPU  26 , a Digital Data Storage (DDS) system  27 , a CD-R system  28  and switches  29 ,  30 ,  31 . 
     The song title detector  22  obtains the song title NMn by searching the song title part D 1  of the digital data selected and output by the DSB transceiver  11  and having the structure indicated in FIG.  3 . The RAM  23  creates a table TB for the purpose of enabling recognition of the songs stored in the DDS  27 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a structure of the data table for the information recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in the diagram, the table TB created by the RAM  23  comprises a song number region S 1 , a song title region S 2  and a start address region S 3 . 
     A song title NM 1  detected by the song title detector  22  is stored in the song title region S 2 . A song number n obtained by the counter  24  counting is stored in the song number region S 1 . A start address An for each song on the DAT tape  15  is stored in the start address region S 3 . 
     Additionally, the table TB stored in the RAM  23  is recorded at the start of the DAT tape  15  as the Table of Contents (TOC) after recording of information by the DDS  27  is completed. 
     The counter  24  counts up each time a song title is detected by the song title detector  22 , generating song number information. The song designator  25  designates a desired song from the table set in the RAM  23 . The CPU  26  controls the operation of the DDS  27  in a manner to be described below. 
     As a recording medium the DAT tape  15  is loaded in the DDS  27 . The CPU directs the DDS  27  to record sequentially the digital data output from the DSB transceiver unit  11  on the DAT tape  15 . 
     FIG. 5 shows the tape format for the information recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, the TOC is located at the start of the DAT tape  15 . The information shown in FIG. 4 described above is stored in the TOC. The TOC is revised each time recording of information to the DAT tape  15  is completed. Following the TOC information, song information DNM 1 , DNM 2  . . . DNMn is recorded sequentially on the DAT tape  15 . The DDS  27  continuously records the DSB transmissions. 
     A CD-R disk  16  is loaded to the CD-R drive  28 . From the recorded information the CD-R drive  28  records on the CD-R disk  16  information specified by the song designator  25 . 
     Switch  29  connects the DSB transceiver  11  and the DDS  27  to each other during recording, supplies the signal from the DSB transceiver  11  to the DDS  27 , and disconnects the DSB transceiver  11  and the DDS  27  from each other during reproduction. Switch  30  connects the DSB transceiver  11  and the output unit  13  to each other during recording, supplies the digital data received and demodulated by the DSB transceiver  11  to the output unit  13 , and connects the output unit  13  to switch  31  during reproduction. 
     Switch  31  connects the CD-R drive  28  and the switch  30  to each other during recording/reproduction of information by the CD-R drive  28 , and connects the DDS  27  and switch  30  to each other during reproduction of information recorded on the DAT tape  15  of the DDS  27 . 
     Switches  29 ,  30 ,  31  are connected to the CPU  26  and are switched in response to control signals from the CPU  26 . The CPU  26  operates the DDS  27  and the switches the switches  29 ,  30 ,  31  according to the operation of the song designator  25 . 
     Additionally, the output unit  13  comprises a decoder  32 , a digital-analog converter (DAC)  33 , and an analog processing unit  34 . 
     The decoder  32  performs expansion according to the compression used in DSB. The DAC  33  converts the music data expanded by the decoder  32  to an analog signal. The analog processing circuit  34  performs a desired analog processing of the analog signal converted by the DAC  33 . 
     A description will now be given of an operation of the DDS  27  during recording of information. 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart of processes performed by a CPU of the information recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment during recording. 
     When a command has been issued by the song designator  25  to record song information on the DAT tape  15  using the DDS  27  in a step S 1 - 1 , the CPU  26  directs the song title detector  22  to detect the title of a song in a step S 1 - 2  and at the same time also determines whether or not the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27  is at a starting position in a step S 1 - 3 . 
     If in step S 1 - 3  it is determined that the DAT tape  15  is not at the starting position, then in a step S 1 - 4  the DAT tape  15  is rewound to the starting position. Once the DAT tape  15  has been rewound to the starting position in step S 1 - 4 , then in a step S 1 - 5  the TOC information recorded at the start of the DAT tape  15  is read out. 
     In a step S 1 - 6  it is determined whether or not the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27  is a blank tape by reference to the TOC read out from the DAT tape  15  in step S 1 - 5 . 
     If it is determined in step S 1 - 6  that the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27  is a blank tape, then in a step S 1 - 7  the song title detected by the song title detector  22  in step S 1 - 2  and the count counted by the counter  24  are recorded in the RAM  23  table TB shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Next, in a step S 1 - 8  the DDS  27  records music information sequentially from the start of the data area of the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27 . It should be noted that the RAM  23  table TB changes each time the song changes and the title of the succeeding song is detected by the song title detector  22  in a step S 1 - 8 . 
     Next, when the recording of music information to the DAT tape  15  by the DDS  27  stops in a step S 1 - 9 , then in a step S 1 - 10  the CPU  26  activates the DDS  27  and rewinds to the starting position the DAT tape  15  onto which music information has been recorded. When the DAT tape  15  has been rewound in step S 1 - 10 , the TOC recorded at the start of the tape is rewritten using the contents of the table TB recorded in the RAM  23  in a step S 1 - 11 . 
     When in step S 1 - 11  the TOC located at the start of the DAT tape  15  is revised, the DAT tape  15  is once again rewound to the starting position in a step S 1 - 12  and the process completed. 
     Additionally, if in step S 1 - 6  it is determined that the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27  is not a blank tape, then the TOC recorded at the start of the DAT tape  15  is read out and recorded to the RAM  23  in a step S 1 - 13 . 
     Once the TOC of the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27  is read out to the RAM  23  table TB in step S 1 - 13 , the CPU  26  checks the RAM  23  table TB, acquires the last song information next address An+ 1 , activates the DDS  27  and rewinds the DAT tape  15  to the acquired address An+ 1  in a step S 1 - 14 . 
     Next, the CPU  26  presets the counter  24  to the song number n of the last song of the RAM  23  table TB, activates the DDS  27  an records sequentially the music information received by the DSB transceiver  11  and, at the same time, revises the RAM  23  table TB contents sequentially with each song. 
     When in a step S 1 - 16  the operation of recording music information to the DAT tape  15  using the DDS  27  is completed, in a step S 1 - 17  the CPU  26  activates the DDS  27  and rewinds to a starting position the DAT tape  15  onto which the music information has been recorded. When the DAT tape  15  has been rewound in step S 1 - 17 , the TOC recorded at the start of the DAT tape  15  is rewritten using the contents of the table TB recorded in the RAM  23  in a step S 1 - 18 . 
     When in step S 1 - 18  the TOC located at the start of the DAT tape  15  is revised, the DAT tape  15  is once again rewound to the starting position in a step S 1 - 19 . 
     As described above, music information received by the DSB transceiver  11  is sequentially recorded onto the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27  and the contents thereof recorded as the TOC at the start of the DAT tape. 
     Next, by an editing operation of the music information sequentially recorded onto the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27 , the music information is recorded onto the CD-R disk  16  loaded in the CD-R drive  28 FIG. 7 is a flow chart of the editing operation of the information recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment. 
     When a command is issued from the song designator  25  to edit a desired music information from the music information recorded on the DAT tape  15  loaded in the DDS  27 , the CPU  26  operates switches  29 ,  30  so that switch  29  disconnects the DSB transceiver  11  from the DDS  27  and switch  30  connects the output unit  13  to switch  31 . 
     Additionally, the CPU  26  directs the DDS  27  to read out the TOC recorded at the start of the DAT tape  15  in a step S 2 - 1  and store the TOC to the RAM  23  in a step S 2 - 2 . 
     When the TOC is read out and stored in the RAM  23  from the DAT tape  15  of the DDS  27  in step S 2 - 2 , the DAT tape  15  is then rewound to the starting position in a step S 2 - 3 . 
     The song number stored in the RAM  23  ???. When the song designator  25  is operated and a desired song selected in a step S 2 - 4 , the CPU  26  checks the RAM  23  table TB, acquires the start address An of the song selected by the song designator  25  and reproduces the music information recorded at the start address An designated from the DDS  27  in a step S 2 - 5 . At this time, in a step S 2 - 6 , the CPU  26  enables the CD-R drive  28  to write music information to the CD-R disk  16  and the CD-R drive  28  records the music information reproduced from the DDS  27  onto the CD-R disk  16 . At this time, the CD-R drive  28  converts the reproduction music information supplied from the DDS  27  to CD-R format for recording to the CD-R disk  16 . 
     As described above, just the desired music information from among DSB transmission music information recorded sequentially on the DAT tape  15  of the DDS  27  can be recorded to a CD-R disk  16 . 
     When reading out the music information from the CD-R disk  16  loaded in the CD-R drive  28 , the CPU  26  operates switch  29  so that the DSB transceiver  11  and the DDS  27  are disconnected from each other and, at the same time, the CPU  26  also operates switch  30  so as to connect the output unit  13  and switch  31  to each other and further operates switch  31  so as to connect the CD-R drive  28  and switch  30 . 
     FIG. 8 is a diagram for the purpose of describing how the information recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment reproduces recorded information. 
     When music information is read from the CD-R disk  16  in a step S 3 - 1 , the CD-R drive  28  converts the information from the CD-R format to a format capable of ordinary reproduction in a step S 3 - 2 . 
     The data format-converted in step S 3 - 2  is supplied to the decoder  32  via switches  31 ,  30 . In a step S 3 - 3  the decoder  32  decompresses the music information supplied from the CD-R drive  28 . 
     The music information decompressed in step S 3 - 3  is supplied to the DAC  33 . In a step S 3 - 4 , the DAC  33  converts the music information decompressed in step S 3 - 3  into an analog signal. It should be noted that if the DSB transmission is MP 3 , that is, compressed using MPEG audio layer  3 , then the same is recorded in a compressed state to the DAT tape  15  and the CD-R disk  16  by the DDS  27  and CD-R drive  28 , and is decompressed during reproduction by the decoder  32 . In so doing it is possible to minimize on recording medium capacity. 
     The music information converted into an analog signal in step S 3 - 4  described above is then supplied to an analog processing circuit  34 . The analog processing circuit  34  performs a variety of analog processes on the analog signal supplied from the DAC  33  and reproduces and outputs an audio signal in a step S 3 - 5 , S 3 - 6 . 
     As described above, the music information edited to and recorded on the CD-R disk  16  can be reproduced. Only a desired song from among the songs of the continuously recorded DSB transmission is recorded, so subscribers can listen to the songs they like by replaying the CD-R disk  16 . 
     It should be noted that although in the present embodiment the compressed DSB signal is recorded to the DAT tape  15  and the CD-R disk  16  by the DDS  27  and the CD-R drive  28 , the signal may also be decompressed and recorded. Additionally, the signal may be compressed and recorded to the DAT tape  15  and may be decompressed and recorded to the CD disk  16 . In this case, when replaying the CD-R disk  16  there is no need for a decoder  32 . 
     Additionally, although the present embodiment uses a DDS  27  and a CD-R drive  28  as data storage means the invention is not limited to such means, and other data storage devices may be used. It should be noted that whatever device is used in place of the DDS  27  should be a large-capacity device, because DSB requires recording over a long period of time. Additionally, other optical disk recording/reproducing apparatuses, such as a CD-RW drive, a DVD-R/RW drive and the like can be used as a recording/reproducing apparatus in place of the CD-R drive  28  described above. 
     The above description is provided in order to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the invention. 
     The present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments and variations, and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     The present application is based on Japanese Priority Application No. 11-081773, filed on Mar. 25, 1999, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.