Abstract:
A data tape recorder having a data compressor/expander for recording digital information on a magnetic recording tape and for reproducing it therefrom. In a digital audio tape recorder having a 4-head deck each provided with two recording heads and two reproducing heads, a switching pulse interval is channel-counted to a multichannel interval, and if the channel count signal and a channel selection signal by user are identical, only a reproducing signal of the selection channel among the signals being reproduced from the reproducing heads is expanded and reproduced. Moreover, in order to record data to a corresponding channel, the expanded reproducing data and compressed input data are multiplexed by the channel selection signal. Thus, the record/reproduction of a multichannel for a long time is possible.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a data tape recorder for recording digital information on a magnetic tape and for reproducing digital information from the tape, and more particularly to a tape recorder having a data compressor/expander, which is capable of recording and reproducing digital information for a long time with a multichannel. 
     Presently, a digital recording and reproducing system such as a DAT (Digital Audio Tape) system which records and reproduces audio signals by digitally processing the signals, is divided into two main classes: normal mode and long time mode. The normal mode has a sampling frequency of 48 KHz and two channels of 16 bits, while long time mode has a sampling frequency of 32 KHz and two channels of 12 bits. 
     If the long time mode is permitted in the above DAT system, the recording and reproduction with a 4 mm tape (60 minutes) is possible at a maximum of four hours. Since the sampling frequency of the long time mode is 32 KHz, an actual audio bandwidth becomes about 14.5 KHz. And since the DAT has 12-bit quantization, the tone quality is deteriorated in comparison with 16-bit quantization. That is, when recording the audio signals for a long time with a multichannel, there is a disadvantage in that the tone quality is degraded. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a tape recorder which has a data compressor/expander, capable of recording/reproducing digital information for a long time with a multichannel, in a digital audio tape having a four-head deck. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a tape recorder circuit capable of recording input data by compression and capable of reproducing the compressed data by expansion. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide a tape recorder circuit capable of recording/reproducing the compressed data with a multichannel. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a data tape recorder having a rotary head mechanism is provided, for compressing and expanding data, the rotary head mechanism having a drum provided with at least one recording head and at least one reproducing head, for recording input data on a magnetic tape and for reproducing the recorded data from the magnetic tape, respectively. The data tape recorder comprises: an analog to digital converter for converting an input analog signal into a digital signal; a first digital filter for filtering the digital signal from output from the analog to digital converter; a second digital filter for filtering its input digital signal; a digital to analog converter for converting the data signal output from the second digital filter into an analog signal; a first digital signal processor for signal-processing compressed input recording data; a recording amplifier for amplifying the output of the first digital signal processor and providing an amplified output to the rotary head mechanism; a reproducing amplifier for amplifying a reproducing signal generated from the rotary head mechanism; a data strobe for extracting a clock from a reproducing signal obtained from the reproducing amplifier, and producing said clock and a reproducing signal; a second digital signal processor for signal-processing the reproducing signal generated from the data strobe; a system controller for producing a recording/reproducing mode control signal, multichannel selection control signal and servo control signal in response to a key input; a servo for controlling the rotary head mechanism by the control of the system controller and producing a switching pulse; and a data compressing/expanding circuit connected between the first and second digital signal processors and said first and second digital filters, for compressing input data in response to the control of the system controller and for expanding only a signal of a selected channel from among the reproducing signals. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a data tape recorder according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a data compressor/expander circuit of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a head drum and a format of a magnetic tape of FIG. 1, respectively.; 
     FIG. 4 consists of a series of waveform diagrams, A through E, showing recording/reproducing waveforms of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 shows a series of waveform diagrams, A through L, showing output waveforms of a channel counter and a comparator of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 shows a series of waveform diagrams, A through E, showing waveforms for the recording operation of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 7 shows a series of waveform diagrams, A through D, showing waveforms for the reproducing operation of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, a rotary head mechanism 10 having a drum provided with two recording heads and two reproducing heads, records input information on a magnetic recording tape and reproduces the recorded information from the tape. An input analog signal is converted into a digital signal in an analog to digital converter (ADC) 16, and then supplied to a first digital filter 18 (DF1) for filtering the digital signal output from the ADC 16. The digital signal output from a second digital filter 20 (DF2) for filtering input digital data, is converted into an analog signal in a digital to analog converter (DAC) 22. The compressed input recording data is signal-processed in a first signal processor (DSP1) 24. Recording amplifier 28 amplifies the output of the DSP1 24 to provide the amplified output to the rotary head mechanism 10, and the reproducing amplifier 30 amplifies a reproducing signal originated from the head 10. A data strobe 32 extracts a clock from the reproducing signal of the reproducing amplifier 30, and generates the extracted clock together with the reproducing signal. A second digital signal processor (DSP2) 34 signal-processes the reproducing signal produced from the data strobe 32. A system controller 40 produces a recording/reproducing mode control signal, a multichannel selection control signal and a servo control signal, in response to a key input of a keyboard 38. A servo 42 controls the rotary head mechanism 10 by the control of the system controller 40 and simultaneously generates a switching pulse SWP. A data compressor/expander (DCE) circuit 41 which is connected between the DSP1 24 and the DF1 18 and between the DSP2 34 and the DF2 20, compresses the input data in accordance with the control of the controller 40 to generate a record signal of an assigned channel. Through the DCE circuit 41, only a signal of the assigned channel among the signals being reproduced is expanded. 
     FIG. 2 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings shows a block diagram of the data compressor/expander circuit 41 of FIG. 1. A channel counter 48 receives a switching pulse SWP and a sampling frequency 2f s  and generates a channel count signal by determining a channel interval during a switching pulse period in response to the sampling control signals FS and S of the system controller 40. A comparator (CMP) 50 compares the channel count signal of the channel counter 48 with a channel selection signal CS of the controller 40. If the signals Q0, Q1, Q2 and CS are the same, the comparator 50 produces a channel enable signal CMPO. A data compressor 52 compresses input data at a predetermined compression rate. A data expander 54 operates in response to the channel enable signal CMPO of the comparator 50 and expands the input data at a predetermined expansion rate. Either a reproducing signal obtained from the DSP2 34 or a signal produced from the data compressor 52 is selected in a first data multiplexer 56 by the reproducing control signal PB/REC, the selected signal being fed to the data expander 54. A recording data selection circuit 66 receives and selects either the output of the compressor 52 or the output of the DSP2 34 in response to the channel enable signal CMPO, and provides its output signal to the DSP1 24. 
     The channel counter 48 includes a falling edge detector 43 for detecting a falling edge of the switching pulse SWP, a first counter 44 which is cleared by the output of the falling edge detector 43, for counting the sampling clock 2f s  to a signal of 200 Hz, and a second counter 46 which is cleared by the output of the falling edge detector 43, for counting the output of the first counter 44 to produce a channel count data Q0, Q1, Q2. 
     Next, the expansion reproducing operation will be described. In the embodiment of this invention, data recording/reproducing apparatus having N channels or N×2 channels, as contrasted with a standard DAT tape, can be described by the following data compressor/expander algorithm. However, for the convenience of the description, the recording/reproducing apparatus having a data compressor/expander with 6 channels will be described. 
     It is assumed that the compressed data with 6 channels has been recorded on the tape by the recording operation which will be described later. 
     If user selects a channel by a using a keyboard 38 and applies a read (reproduce) mode control signal to the keyboard 38, the system controller 40 connected to the keyboard 38 provides a servo control signal to the servo circuit 42. Simultaneously the system controller 40 generates the recording/reproducing mode control signal PB/REC of a logic &#34;high&#34; state, and supplies a channel selection signal CS to the DCE circuit 41. In this case, if reproducing heads a and b of FIG. 3 pick up a compressed-recorded signal by the switching pulse SWP obtained from the servo circuit 42, as shown in FIG. 4, waveform B, the reproducing amplifier 30 amplifies the signal and supplies the amplified signal to the data strobe 32. 
     The output of the data strobe 32 is applied to the DSP2 34 as a pulse signal. The DSP2 34 signal-processes the pulse signal to apply an output signal like the reproducing signal PBD indicated in FIG. 4, waveform C to a terminal X1 of the first multiplexer 56. Then, the first multiplexer 56 selects the reproducing signal applied to the terminal X1 by the reproducing mode control signal PB/REC of the system controller 40, providing the reproducing signal to the data expander 54. 
     Meanwhile, the falling edge detector (FED) 43 of the pulse counter 48 detects a falling edge of the switching pulse SWP shown in FIG. 5, waveform A, to generate a signal as shown in FIG. 5, waveform B of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. Thereby the first and second counters 44 and 46 are cleared. Moreover, the first counter 44 divides an input sampling clock, supplying a pulse shown in FIG. 5, waveform C to the second counter 46. The second counter 46 counts the output of the first counter 44 by 3-bit binary notation and supplies channel counting data Q0, Q1 and Q2 shown in FIG. 5, waveform D through FIG. 5, waveform F to the comparator 50. If the channel selected by the user is 0 a channel (0 is channel number), the channel selection signal CS originated from the system controller 40 becomes 000. Then, the output of the channel enable CMPO of the comparator 50 becomes a logic &#34;high&#34; state as shown in FIG. 5, waveform G. Therefore, the expander 54 to which the reproducing signal of 6 channels is applied as shown in FIG. 4, waveform C expands only 0 channel data by the channel selection signal CS=000, supplying its output to the second digital filter 20 and a digital out (DOUT) 14. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, waveform C, the expander 54 expands only 0 channel data among the reproducing data PBD of 6 channels of FIG. 7, waveform A by the channel selection enable signal CMPO of FIG. 7, waveform B generated from the comparator 50. Thereafter the expander 54 produces the expanded data as shown in FIG. 7, waveform D. 
     In this case, the data transmitted from the DCE circuit to the second digital filter 20 is converted into an analog signal in the DAC 22. The expanded reproducing data from the DCE circuit is also applied to the digital out 14 to generate a digital signal. 
     The channel enable signal CMPO produced from the comparator 50 is converted into waveforms indicated in FIG. 5, waveform G to FIG. 5, waveform L by the channel selection signal CS generated from the controller 40 in response to the channel selection of the user. Here, the respective channel of the reproducing data PBD having 6 channels can be expanded by the varied channel enable signal CMPO such as FIGS. 5, waveform G to L. Therefore, if the reproducing operation is carried out with the channel enable signal CMPO alternatively and successively changed from 0 channel up to 5 channel by the proper channel selection, the expansion and reproduction of 6 times in comparison with conventional reproducing time is possible. 
     Next, the compression recording operation is described. If the user selects a recording mode, analog/digital input and a recording channel by means of the keyboard 38, the controller 40 generates control signals in response to an input signal applied from the keyboard 38. 
     In case of selecting 1 channel under the condition that digital input is selected, the system controller 40 produces the recording/reproducing mode control signal PB/REC of a logic &#34;low&#34; state, a digital/analog signal D/AS of a logic &#34;high&#34; state and the channel selection signal CS of 001 state. Hence, the first multiplexer 56 generates data of the input terminal X0 through its output terminal X, and the second multiplexer 51 selects the output of a digital input DIN 12 to be produced to its output terminal X. Input data as indicated in FIG. 6, waveform A, which is applied to the data compressor 52 from the digital input DIN 12 by the selective operation of the second multiplexer 51, is compressed through the data compressor 52 and then supplied to a third multiplexer 62 and the first multiplexer 56. In this case, the comparator 50 compares the output of the second counter 46 with the channel selection signal CS=001 generated from the controller 40. If they are the same, the channel enable signal CMPO indicated in FIG. 5, waveform H is varied as shown in FIG. 6, waveform B. 
     In this case, if the rotary head mechanism 10 is operated by the operation of the servo circuit 42, the reproducing heads a and b of FIG. 3 reproduce the signal shown in FIG. 4, waveform B. The signal of FIG. 4, waveform B as mentioned above is signal-processed by the DSP2 34. Then the signal- processed signal as shown in FIG. 6, waveform C is applied to the input terminals X1 and X0 of the first and third multiplexers 56 and 62, respectively. 
     The reproducing data of 0 channel among the reproducing data PBD indicated in FIG. 6, waveform C is produced as shown in FIG. 6, waveform D through the terminals X0 and X of the third multiplexer 62, by the channel enable signal CMPO of a logic &#34;low&#34; state shown in FIG. 6, waveform B. After the reproducing data of 0 channel of FIG. 6, waveform C is supplied to the third multiplexer 62, if the channel enable signal CMPO of the comparator 50 becomes a logic &#34;high&#34; state as shown in FIG. 6, waveform B, the third multiplexer 62 selects the data of the input terminal X1 and produces it through the output terminal X. Moreover, the data expander 54 receives the compressed data from the compressor 52 through the first multiplexer 56 and expands the compressed data. Therefore, if the output of the comparator 50 becomes a logic &#34;high&#34; state as indicated in FIG. 6, waveform B, the compressed data by the compressor 52 is produced as the recording data RCD as shown in FIG. 6, waveform D through the third multiplexer 62 at 1 channel region of the reproducing data PBD. Simultaneously the compressed data is expanded in the data expander 54. That is, the user comes to monitor the compressed and recorded data with the data generated from the data expander 54. If the channel enable signal CMPO indicated in FIG. 6, waveform B becomes a logic &#34;low&#34; state, the reproduced data of 2 to 5 channels shown in FIG. 6, waveform C is produced through the third multiplexer 62. The recording data RCD of FIG. 6, waveform D produced from the third multiplexer 62 is delayed as much as about 5 milliseconds by a delay random access memory 64, as shown in FIG. 6, waveform E, and then is recorded through the DSP1 24 and the recording amplifier 28. 
     Hence, the reproducing heads a and b reproduce the track data of tracks T3 and T4 and apply the reproduced data to the DSP2 34. The recording heads A and B record the data which is presented at terminal X0 and generated at terminal X of multiplexor 62 and the compressed data through the data compressor 52, corresponding to the channel selection signal, which is generated through terminal X of multiplexor 62 onto the tracks T3 and T4 as shown in FIG. 4D. 
     As described above, since the compressing/expanding operation of data is carried out and simultaneously the data is recorded on a magnetic tape and reproduced therefrom with a multichannel, there is no deterioration of the data, and data processing of a large capacity is possible. 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.