WO1993019556A1

WO1993019556A1 - Magnetic medium read and/or write device and videotape recorder containing such devices

Info

Publication number: WO1993019556A1
Application number: PCT/FR1993/000282
Authority: WO
Inventors: François LAINEE; Francis Hericourt
Original assignee: Thomson Broadcast
Priority date: 1992-03-20
Filing date: 1993-03-19
Publication date: 1993-09-30
Also published as: JPH07507186A; EP0631707A1; FR2688970A1

Abstract

Magnetic medium containing video information to be read either at the nominal recording speed, or at a speed different from the nominal speed. The magnetic medium is characterized in that the video information to be read at the nominal speed is located in a first area and in that the video information to be read at a speed different to that of the nominal speed is compressed information located in a second area. The invention also concerns a device for writing video images on blank magnetic media and a device for reading video images on magnetic media according to the invention. Videotape recorders containing the read and/or write devices according to the invention are also described. Application in recording and video image reproduction.

Description

MEDIA READ AND / OR WRITE DEVICE

MAGNETIC AND MAGNETOSCOPE CONTAINING

SUCH DEVICES.

The present invention relates to a magnetic medium containing video information intended to be played at a fast speed different from the nominal recording speed. It also relates to a device for reading media at fast speed according to the invention and to a device for writing video information on blank magnetic media so as to constitute media according to the invention.

On a magnetic tape, the video information is recorded in the form of tracks. This information is read by scrolling the strip in front of the read heads.

As is known to those skilled in the art, on magnetic media, the tracks are generally arranged obliquely to the direction defined by the running of the strip, so as to increase the density of information.

In order to increase the relative speed of movement of the read heads relative to the tracks, it is also known to those skilled in the art that the read heads are placed on a drum driven by a certain speed of rotation.

For almost all professional or "general public" video recorders, we want to be able to quickly access sequences of given images. This is the so-called visible search function. It is then a question of scrolling the strip either in forward or in reverse, at a speed higher than the nominal speed while. retaining a recognizable image. The relative arrangement occupied by the read heads with respect to the tracks then poses a problem. When the tape speed is different from its nominal recording speed, the read heads no longer follow the tracks written on the tape. Noise bars then appear on the image, which very quickly leads to the impossibility of recognizing the sequences read. In order to overcome this drawback, it is known to a person skilled in the art that the read heads are arranged on piezoelectric actuators, for example made of Titanium Niobium (Ti Nb).

These actuators, positioned on the drum which drives the heads, are deformed under the effect of a control voltage, they thus allow the read heads to be moved so as to follow the tracks when the strip runs.

This solution has limitations, however, due to the limited excursions of the actuators.

With the aid of these devices, a recognizable image can be read at a speed of movement of the tape v ^ which can reach ± 40 times the nominal speed of reading v _n (the sign "+" indicates a scrolling of the running tape before and the "-" sign scrolls the tape in reverse). When we want to reach scrolling speeds located beyond these limits, this solution is totally ineffective. The images are then no longer recognizable. The invention does not have this drawback.

The subject of the present invention is a magnetic medium containing video information recorded in the form of tracks, said information being intended to be read either at nominal recording speed, or at a speed different from said nominal speed, characterized in that the tracks are located in two distinct zones, a first zone containing the tracks intended to be read at the nominal speed and a second zone containing the tracks intended to be read at a speed different from the nominal speed, said tracks intended to be read at a speed different from nominal speed containing information compressed from video images. The invention also relates to reading devices and writing devices for magnetic media according to the invention.

The invention also relates to video recorders containing reading and or writing devices according to the invention.

An advantage of the invention is therefore to allow rapid visual access to a given sequence of images. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading a preferred embodiment made with reference to the appended figures in which:

- Figure 1 shows the method of reading, at nominal speed, information constituting the video image according to the prior art;

- Figure 2 shows the relative trajectory of the read heads relative to the tracks during a fast speed reading according to the prior art;

- Figure 3 shows how the information is stored on a magnetic tape in order to perform a reading according to the preferred embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 4 shows the device for reading information when it is stored as described in Figure 3;

- Figures 5A and 5B show how information is stored on a magnetic tape for reading according to another embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 6 shows the device for reading information when it is stored as described in Figures 5A and 5B;

- Figure 7 shows the information writing device to obtain a support such as that described in Figure 3;

- Figure 8 shows the information writing device to obtain a support such as that described in Figures 5A and 5B.

In all the figures, the same references designate the same elements. FIG. 1 represents the method of reading at nominal speed the information constituting the video image according to the prior art.

A magnetic strip 1 contains a set of rectilinear tracks P. Each track has a width 1. For professional video recorders, this width 1 is generally between 40 and 70 microns.

The information contained on tracks P depends on the type of format used. It is thus known to those skilled in the art that a frame of the image to be reproduced is contained in two successive tracks according to the beta format in force. currently. One track contains the chrominance signal and the other the luminance signal.

As mentioned previously, the tracks P are arranged obliquely. They are inclined at a certain angle relative to the direction defined by the running of the strip, the nominal running speed of which is v _n .

The drum T on which one or more read heads are arranged is oriented so that these follow the tracks. This drum is in the form of a cylinder of circular cross section. D. rotates at constant angular speed <o around the xy axis perpendicular to said section and passing through the center thereof.

FIG. 2 represents the relative trajectory of the read heads relative to the tracks during a fast speed reading according to the prior art.

In this figure, the running speed of the strip v ^ is much higher than the nominal speed v _n . The trajectory followed by the read heads can be represented, for example, by the straight line D. The frames no longer being read in their continuity, noise bars then appear on the image At very high speeds, we arrive at l total impossibility of recognizing the sequences read.

These problems will be particularly present in future VCRs using image compression. Indeed, the loss of information due to the failure to read the compressed information will induce more serious effects on the image than in the case of reading information recorded without compression.

To overcome these drawbacks, current video recorders use dynamic track tracking. As mentioned previously, the read heads are placed on piezoelectric actuators making it possible to maintain, to a certain extent and using a control voltage, the heads on the tracks when the running speed of the band vj is different from the nominal speed v _n . The excursions of the piezoelectric actuators have limited amplitudes. Tracking is limited accordingly. It is clear that the follow-up track dynamics do not allow a significant increase in playback speeds.

In FIG. 2, the speed v <j of travel of the strip has the same direction as the nominal speed v _n . It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the drawbacks described above also occur in the case where the speed v_ is in the opposite direction to the nominal speed. They are even then accentuated since the inclination of the tracks is less favorable for a correct rapid reading.

FIG. 3 represents the way in which the information is stored on the magnetic medium in order to carry out a reading according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The information is divided into two zones A and C. These two zones are separated by a zone B, called the guard band, and devoid of information. Zone A contains the information intended to reproduce the images at nominal speed. This information can be compressed or not. All techniques can be used to achieve this possible compression of images. We can cite, by way of examples, the technique of sub-sampling, dynamic compression by blocks or even cosine transformations with high quantification.

Zone C contains the information intended to be read at high speed.

This information is recorded on a longitudinal track L, parallel to the direction of travel of the strip.

The longitudinal track has the advantage of allowing the trajectory of the read heads relative to the tape to be independent of the speed of the magnetic medium.

It is therefore an advantage of the invention to allow fast speed reading limited by visual perception and / or the good mechanical strength of the support. It is thus possible to reach running speeds v <j ranging, for example, from 100 to 150 times the nominal speed.

As is known to those skilled in the art, a video image is made up of two frames T1 and T2. In the following description, the numerical values assigned to the various parameters describing the preferred embodiment are given at indicative title. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that other values lead to other quite feasible embodiments of the invention.

Thus, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention described in FIG. 3, is each frame recorded on NP = 12 consecutive tracks P in zone A. These tracks are, for example, rectilinear, mutually parallel and equidistant from each other each other.

Let d be the distance longitudinally occupied by these 12 tracks. A value of d can be 500 microns. Each bit of information can be written, for example, on 0.5 micron. The information which can be contained on the fraction of longitudinal track L1 of length d located below the frame Tl or even on the fraction of longitudinal track L2 of the same length located below the frame T2 can therefore contain 1000 bits.

If the luminance or the chrominance of each uncompressed complete frame is coded on 1.2 Mega bits and if one considers a compression of images carried out using a frame subsampling by a factor of 100, then a compressed frame contains 12000 bits. The distance d containing 1000 bits, it is therefore possible to code one frame out of twelve on the longitudinal track L.

More generally, a frame can be recorded on NP consecutive tracks P of zone A (NP being any integer). It is then possible to code a frame on N on the longitudinal track L by judiciously choosing the frame sub-sampling factor.

The coding of the image intended for fast reading represents, in the case where NP = 12, a new image every quarter of a second in normal reading. The compressed image allowing the search in rapid viewing can be a reduced definition image, for example a black and white image. All image compression techniques are compatible with the use of this longitudinal auxiliary track.

As examples, we can cite, in addition to the sub-sampling technique, dynamic compression by blocks or even cosine transformations with high quantization.

On the videotapes of future "general public" digital video recorders, it will be possible to write one bit every 0.3 micron. Digital video will recorded on oblique tracks P with strong compression. A frame can be coded, for example, on 2 oblique tracks only. This will therefore lead to a distance d of the order of 30 to 40 microns. A subsampling of a factor of 100 could still be used. The longitudinal track will then contain approximately 1 image out of 100, or, in normal reading, a new image every 2 seconds.

FIG. 4 represents the device for reading information when it is stored on the magnetic medium according to the principle described in FIG. 3.

When the images are viewed at nominal speed, the read heads symbolically represented by the device 2 are in contact with the tracks located in the area A. Similarly, the switch 8 is positioned so that the points K and I are connected, thus allowing the information read to be sent to display circuits not shown in the figure.

It was mentioned previously that the information contained on the runways located in zone A may or may not be compressed. FIG. 4 represents a device for which this information is not compressed.

In the playback configuration described above, the read heads can be arranged on a drum and the images can be read at different speeds from the nominal speed. As in the prior art, the read heads can be arranged on piezoelectric actuators and speeds up to ± 40 times the nominal speed can be achieved with the appearance of noise bars.

When it is desired to view the images in fast reading without noise bar, the reading heads symbolically represented by the device 3 make contact with the longitudinal track of the support 1. It is preferably when one wishes to reach speeds exceeding the limits mentioned above that this reading is performed. The switch 8 is then such that the points K and J are connected together which makes it possible to send the information in the display circuits mentioned above.

The information from device 3 is compressed information. It is therefore necessary that it passes through the decompression system 4 adapted to the compression used during recording. According to the preferred embodiment chosen, the device 4 comprises a first device 5 making it possible to reconstitute a complete frame from the recorded frame fraction and a second device 6 allowing a complete image to be reconstructed from the frame thus reconstituted.

It should be recalled here that reading at high speed according to the invention is limited by the mere visual perception and / or the good mechanical strength of the magnetic support which, of course, must not be exceeded.

Another embodiment of the invention consists in recording the information intended to be read at high speed on the oblique tracks themselves. This information may represent only a few percent of the total video information corresponding to the image. It can be saved for all images or only for a selection of saved images, for example one in ten images.

As shown in FIG. 5A, according to a particular embodiment, the zones Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 in which this information is recorded define a straight line Δ and are preferably located at equal distance from each other.

According to the invention, the reading at high speed takes place so that the trajectory of the read heads follows the line Δ.

In order to avoid reading the information intended to be read at high speed during reading at nominal speed, signals indicating the start and the end of this information may be written respectively at the start and at the end of each zone Zi (i = 1, 2, 3, 4, ...).

For reasons of convenience of representation, the zones Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 are very close to each other: there is one zone every 5 tracks. π is obvious to those skilled in the art that said zones may be more spaced apart. Consider, for example, the case of a format where 10 tracks are used to constitute a frame, and where one wishes to be able to re-read the tape at speed 100 relative to the nominal speed.

Suppose we represent the frame compressed by information representing 0.3% of the total frame information using compression performed by subsampling by a factor of 100 and by black and white coding. If the compressed information intended for fast reading is recorded by groups of two heads, then the reduced information must be recorded on 2 tracks of the frame, at intervals of 100 tracks, to allow reading at the desired speed. One can also, for example, code each frame inside itself.

In general, the overall ordering of the magnetic medium depends on the coding and format used, the width and number of the magnetic heads as well as the limit of legibility of the tracks (signal to noise ratio limit).

According to the embodiment of which FIG. 5A illustrates an example, it should be noted that the information intended to be read at nominal speed can be compressed or not.

FIG. 5B represents an example of scheduling of the zones Zi defined above. These zones define a succession of lines Δ having all the same direction and located at equal distance from each other.

FIG. 6 represents the device for reading the information when it is stored in the manner described in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

When the images are viewed at high speed, the read heads, symbolically represented by the device 2, are in contact with the oblique tracks. A demultiplexer 9 is positioned so that the read heads are connected to the decompression system 10 allowing the compressed information read to be reconstructed in the form of images. The points L and N are then connected. The decompression system 10 is adapted to the type of compression used during recording. The device 10 can be, for example, identical to the device 4 described above.

A tilting switch system 8 is placed at the outlet of the decompression device 10 in order to send the thus reconstituted images to the display circuits. The points J and K are then connected and the signal is sent to display circuits not shown in the figure.

When the images are viewed at nominal speed, the same read heads are in contact with the oblique tracks and the demultiplexer 9 is positioned so that the points L and M are connected. The signal read is transmitted to the rocker switch system 8 via the link 19. The rocker switch system 8 is positioned so as to send information that it receives to the display circuits not shown in the figure. Points I and K are then connected. In order to avoid reading at nominal speed the information to be read at high speed, signals indicating the beginning and the end of each zone Zi can be written on the magnetic medium as mentioned previously. The detection of the start signal makes it possible to cut the LM link; point L is then connected, for example, to a point O isolated from any contact with the display circuits. Conversely, the detection of the end signal makes it possible to restore the LM link. The detection means and the means allowing the demultiplexer 9 to switch under the influence of the start and end signals are known to those skilled in the art and it is therefore unnecessary to specify them here.

FIG. 7 represents the device for writing information when it is stored in the manner described in FIG. 3.

The signal S representing the image to be reproduced is separated into two fractions FI and F2 by any means known to those skilled in the art and which it is unnecessary to specify here. The IF signal fraction is sent via the branch

B1 on the writing heads symbolically represented by the device 12. The writing heads 12 record the information on the oblique tracks of zone A.

As for the signal fraction F2, it is compressed using the compressor 14 and then sent to the writing heads symbolically represented by the device 13. The writing heads 13 record the information on the longitudinal track of the zone C. This information is recorded, for example, so as to be distributed on the longitudinal track as has been indicated according to the preferred embodiment (cf. FIG. 3).

Thus the compression device 14 can, for example, consist of an inter-frame sampler 15 for selecting the useful frames, and an intra-frame sampler 16 for selecting a fraction of the frame previously sampled. Preferably, the reading device will be separated from the writing device so as to make it possible to read the information almost simultaneously with writing ("read after write" function).

FIG. 8 shows the device for writing information when it is stored in the manner described in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

The signal S is sent to a signal doubler 17. For writing the signal intended to be read at nominal speed, the signal from the doubler 17 is sent via the branch B2 and the multiplexer 18 to the heads d 'writing

20. The branch B2 may contain a compression circuit although FIG. 8 does not contain it.

For writing the signal intended to be read at high speed, the signal from the doubler 17 is sent to the branch B3, which contains a compression device 14. The signal from the device 14 is then sent to the writing heads 20 via the multiplexer 18. The write heads 20 can be of the same type as the write heads 12.

Claims

1. Magnetic support (1) containing video information intended to be played either at the nominal recording speed or at a speed different from said nominal speed, characterized in that the video information intended to be played at nominal speed is located in a first area (A) and in that the video information intended to be played at a speed different from the nominal speed is compressed information located in a second area (C).

2. Magnetic support according to claim 1, characterized in that the first zone (A) contains a set of rectilinear tracks (P), mutually parallel and located at equal distance from each other, the direction of said tracks being oblique with respect to to the direction defined by the direction of travel of the tape during playback.

3. Magnetic support (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the second zone (C) contains at least one track (L) having for direction the direction defined by the direction of travel of the strip during reading.

4. Magnetic support (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one track (L) having for direction the direction defined by the direction of travel of the strip contains information compressed by frame sub-sampling.

5. Magnetic support (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that a frame of each image to be reproduced is recorded on NP successive tracks of the first area (A) and in that a frame on N of said image is compressed on at least one track (L) of the second zone (C).

6. Magnetic support (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the second zone (C) consists of a succession of elementary zones (Zl, Z2, Z3, Z4) whose scheduling defines a set of parallel lines (Δ) oblique to the direction defined by the direction of travel of the strip and located equidistant from each other, each elementary zone (Zl) being located inside a track (P) of the first zone (A), the different zones elementary, Tl, Z2, Z3, Z4) constituting a straight line (Δ) being located at equal distance le. . s from others.

7. Magnetic support (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that each elementary zone (Zl, Z2, Z3, Z4) contains information compressed by frame sub-sampling.

8. Magnetic support (1) according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that each elementary zone (Zl, Z2, Z3, Z4) contains information signaling its start and information signaling its end.

9. Magnetic support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the tracks contained in the first zone (A) contain compressed information of the video images.

10. Device for reading video images written on magnetic media (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises at least one read head (2) intended to read the information contained on the tracks of the first zone (A), means (3, 4) intended for reading and reconstructing the information contained on the tracks of the second zone (C), and a switch (8) making it possible to connect to said display circuits either said heads reading (2) or said means (3, 4).

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the means (3, 4) comprise at least one read head (3) and an image decompression device (4) intended to reconstitute in the form of images the information read by said heads (3).

12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the image decompression device (4) comprises a first device (5) making it possible to reconstruct a complete frame from the frame fraction read and a second device (6) allowing a complete image to be reconstructed from the frame thus reconstructed.

13. Device for reading video images written on magnetic media (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5 and according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a first sub-assembly comprising at least one head reading device (2) intended to read the compressed information contained on the tracks of the first zone (A) and a decompression device of images (4) connected to said read heads (2) and intended to decompress the information read, a second subset comprising at least one read head (3) intended to read the compressed information contained on the tracks of the second zone (C) and an image decompression device (4) connected to said read heads (3), and a switch (8) making it possible to connect to the display circuits either the first subset or the second subset .

14. Device for reading video images written on magnetic media (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8 characterized in that it comprises at least one read head (2) intended to read the information contained in the first zone (A) or in the second zone (C), a demultiplexer (9), a connecting element (19) and an image decompression device (10) connected so that said demultiplexer (9) orientates the information read either towards said connecting element (19) during reading at nominal speed, or towards said image decompression device (10) during reading at high speed, and a rocker switch (8) connected either to the connecting element (19) during reading at nominal speed, or to the image decompression device (10) during reading at high speed and making it possible in both cases to transmit the signal to the display circuits .

15. Reading device according to claim 14, characterized in that the image decompression device (10) comprises a first device (5) making it possible to reconstruct a complete frame from the frame fraction read and a second device ( 6) allowing a complete image to be reconstructed from the frame thus reconstructed.

16. Device for reading video images written on magnetic media (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 8 and according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one read head (2) intended reading the information contained in the first zone (A) or in the second zone (C), a demultiplexer (9), a first image decompression device (10) and a second image decompression device (10 ) said devices being connected to the demultiplexer (9) so that the latter reads the information read either towards the first device during reading at nominal speed, or towards the second device during reading at high speed, and a switch tilting (8) connected either to the first decompression device during reading at nominal speed, or to the second device during reading at high speed and in both cases for transmitting the signal to the display circuits.

17. Device for writing video images on magnetic media

(1) intended to constitute supports according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises at least one writing head (12) intended to write the information in the first zone (A) and means (13, 14 ) intended to compress and write the information in the second zone (C).

18. Writing device according to claim 17, characterized in that the means (13, 14) comprise an image compression device (14) and at least one writing head (13).

19. Writing device according to claim 18, characterized in that the image compression device (14) comprises an inter-frame sampler (15) and an intra-frame sampler (16).

20. Device for writing video images on magnetic supports (1) intended to constitute supports according to any one of claims 3 to 5 and according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a first sub-assembly comprising an image compression device (14) intended to compress the information received and at least one writing head (12) connected to said compression device and intended to write the compressed information on the tracks (P) of the first zone (A), and a second sub-assembly also comprising an image compression device (14) and at least one writing head connected to said compression device and intended to write the compressed information on at least one track (L) of the second zone (C).

21. Device for writing video images on magnetic supports intended to constitute supports according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one writing head (20) intended to write the information in the first zone (A) or in the second zone (C), a multiplexer (18) connected to the writing heads (20), a connecting element (B2) and an image compression device ( 14) connected so that said multiplexer (18) receives the information either from the link element (B2) when writing the signal intended to be read at nominal speed, either from the compression device (14) when writing the signal intended to be read at high speed, and a doubler (17) connected either to the connecting element (B2), or to the compression device (14) and making it possible in both cases to recover the signal to be written on the support.

22. Device for writing video images on magnetic media

(1) intended to constitute supports according to any one of claims 6 to 8 and according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one writing head (20) intended to write the information in the first zone (A) or in the second zone (C), a multiplexer (18) connected to the writing heads (20), a first image compression device (14) and a second image compression device (14 ) connected so that said multiplexer (18) receives the information either from the first compression device when writing the signal intended to be read at nominal speed, or from the second compression device when writing the signal intended to be read at high speed, and a doubler (17) connected either to the first compression device or to the second compression device and making it possible, in both cases, to recover the signal to be written on the support.

23. VCR containing at least one device for reading recorded magnetic media and / or at least one device for writing on blank magnetic media, characterized in that at least one reading device is a device according to any one of claims 10 to 16 and at least one writing device is a device according to any one of claims 17 to 23.