JPH0235373B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tape recorder, and particularly to a control system for a tape recorder.

Various methods have been devised as a recording start position setting method for automatically detecting and setting a recording start position at the beginning of an unrecorded section of a recording tape set in a tape recorder that is suitable for new recording. However, in either case, when applied to a tape recorder capable of reciprocating playback and recording, when the recording start position setting operation on either the forward side or reverse side track is specified, it is assumed that there is no unrecorded section on that track. After performing an operation of switching the operation mode of the tape recorder from the forward side to the reverse side or from the reverse side to the forward side, it is necessary to command the recording start position setting operation again. Such operating procedures are complicated, and it is desirable to be able to set the recording start position as quickly and reliably as possible.

Therefore, the present invention automatically detects the head or tip of the unrecorded part on either the forward or reverse track and sets the recording start position even if there is no unrecorded part on either the forward or reverse track. The purpose of this invention is to provide a recording start setting method that can be used.

The recording start position setting method according to the present invention detects the presence or absence of an unrecorded portion of a predetermined length from an arbitrary location on either the forward side track or the reverse side track of the recording tape toward the end. When there is no unrecorded section of a predetermined length, an operation is performed to detect the presence or absence of an unrecorded section of a predetermined length on the other track, and after detecting the presence of an unrecorded section of the predetermined length, the last end of the recorded section (or The recording head is located a predetermined distance away from the starting end (if there is no section) in the direction of the ending end.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a recording start position setting device that executes a recording start position setting method according to the present invention using a so-called microcomputer. In the figure, a playback head 1 detects a recording signal of either a forward or reverse track and supplies it to a signal detection circuit 2. The signal detection circuit 2 is configured to generate a pulse train signal having a repeating frequency depending on the frequency of the recording signal when the recording signal is supplied. This pulse train signal is supplied to a one-chip microcomputer 3. The microcomputer 3 is a semiconductor device obtained by integrating a processor, memory, interface circuit, etc. on one chip. The microcomputer 3 is supplied with the output of the end detection circuit 4. The end detection circuit 4 is designed to output an end signal when the tape reel stand stops rotating. The microcomputer 3 receives an operation start command generated by pressing a non-lock type start switch S, and starts a predetermined recording start position setting operation in cooperation with an internal read/write memory and a read-only memory. . At this time, microcomputer 3
Due to this action, current is supplied to the light emitting diode D via the resistor R, and the light emitting diode is turned on.
The mechanism control section 5 controls the mechanism section (not shown) of the tape recorder according to the operation mode command from the microcomputer 3 to perform PLAY, CUE, RVW, and REC/PAUSE. (standby), stop, etc.

Next, an example of the operation of the microcomputer 3 when executing the recording start position setting method according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. A cue operation mode command is issued in response to an operation start command issued by pressing the start switch S (S1 in FIG. 2). Next, the end detection circuit 4 detects the presence or absence of the generated end signal to detect whether the recording head has reached the end of either the forward or reverse track (S2 in the same figure). When the recording head reaches the end, the operation mode of the tape recorder is changed to the operation mode for recording and playing on the other track, that is, from the forward side to the reverse side, or from the reverse side to the forward side ( _S3 in the same figure). Return to If the recording head has not reached the end, the presence or absence of the pulse train signal output from the signal detection circuit 2 is detected to detect the presence or absence of an unrecorded portion of a predetermined length (S4 in the figure). When the presence or absence of an unrecorded portion of a predetermined length is not detected, the process returns to S2. When the presence of an unrecorded portion of a predetermined length is detected, a review operation mode command is issued (S5 in the figure). Next, the presence or absence of the pulse train signal is detected again to detect the presence or absence of the recording section (S6 in the figure). When the presence of the recording section is not detected, the presence or absence of an end signal is detected to determine whether the recording head has reached the beginning of the track (S7 in the same figure). If the recording head has not reached the start end, the process returns to S6. When the recording head reaches the starting end, a cue operation mode command is issued (S8 in the figure). Next, the elapsed time since the cue operation mode command is issued is monitored to detect that a predetermined time has elapsed (S9 in the same figure), and a stop command is issued (S10 in the same figure). In S6, when the presence of the recording section is detected, a cue operation mode command is issued (S11 in the figure). Next, the elapsed time since the queue operation mode command is issued is monitored to detect that a predetermined time has elapsed (S12 in the figure), and the process proceeds to S10.
Then, a command signal is applied to the REC/PAUSE input terminal of the mechanism control section 5 to put the tape recorder in a recording standby state (S13 in the figure), and the operation ends. It is also conceivable to omit this step S13 and leave the tape recorder in a stopped state to end the operation.

FIG. 3 shows the movement of the recording head relative to the recording tape when the above-described recording start position setting method according to the present invention is executed. This figure shows a case where a recording section R exists in the entire forward track _T1 and a part of the reverse track _T2 of the recording tape. in this case,
If the recording/playback head is located at ST on the forward side track _T1 , there is no unrecorded section on the forward side track, so the recording/playback head reaches the terminal end _E1 by cue operation and the operation mode is reversed. side and the recording/playback head moves onto the reverse side track _T2 . Then, by the queue operation, the recording/playback head advances on the track _T2 toward the terminal end _E2 , passes the rear end of the recording section R, continues to advance until a predetermined time has elapsed, and then returns to the recording section R by the review operation. Then, by the cue operation, it returns to the position SP suitable for starting recording and enters recording standby.

As detailed above, in the recording start position setting method according to the present invention, when the recording start position setting operation is started on either the forward side or reverse side track, if there is no unrecorded section on that track, This is preferable because the operation mode is automatically changed and the recording head is automatically set at the beginning of an unrecorded section suitable for new recording on the other track, which saves complicated steps.

In the explanation of Fig. 3, the head is a recording/playback head, but even if the recording head and playback head are separated, the timing should be determined by taking into account the distance between the two heads. There is no need to change the circuit configuration or operating principle just by making appropriate settings.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a device for implementing the recording start position setting method according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the movement of the head by the apparatus shown in FIG. Explanation of symbols of main parts, 1... Playback head, 2
... Signal detection circuit, 3 ... 1-chip microcomputer, 4 ... End detection circuit, 5 ... Mechanism control section, S ... Start switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A recording start position setting method for a tape recorder capable of performing back-and-forth playback recording on a set recording tape, which starts from an arbitrary location on either the forward side track or the reverse side track of the recording tape in the direction of the end. If there is no unrecorded part of the predetermined length, detect the presence or absence of the unrecorded part of the predetermined length from the start end to the end of the other track. When the presence of the non-recorded portion of the predetermined length is detected, the presence or absence of the recorded portion is detected at any location located in the direction of the starting end from the location where the non-recorded portion of the predetermined length is detected. When the recording section is detected, the recording head is positioned a predetermined distance away from the detected location in the direction of the end, and when the recording section is not detected, the recording head is positioned a predetermined distance away from the start end in the direction of the end. A recording start position setting method for a tape recorder characterized by locating a recording head at a remote location.