Patent ID: 7885511

Claim:
A recording/reproducing apparatus capable of performing at least one of a recording operation in a reproduction mode and a reproducing operation in a recording mode, comprising: a recording unit configured to record an information signal on a recording medium; a reproducing unit configured to reproduce the information signal recorded on the recording medium; a mode selection switch selecting one of the recording mode and the reproduction mode; a predetermined switch different from the mode selection switch, capable of instructing performing at least one of the recording operation in the reproduction mode and the reproducing operation in the recording mode; a double-functional operating key capable of performing different operations depending on one of the recording mode and the reproduction mode respectively; and a controller controlling the recording unit and the reproducing unit in response to an operation of the double-functional operating key, wherein, while in one of the recording and reproduction modes selected by the mode selection switch, if a predetermined operation in the other one of the recording and reproduction modes is started up in response to an instruction generated by the predetermined switch, the controller switches the function of the double-functional operating key to the function effective for the other one of the recording and reproduction modes, and in response to canceling of the predetermined operation in the other one of the recording and reproduction modes, the controller switches the function of the double-functional operating key to the function effective for the one of the recording and reproduction modes selected by the mode selection switch.