JPH04370569A - Information signal recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform recording with good efficiency by comparing an information signal recordable capacity of a recording medium with a recording capacity required for recording the information signal on the recording medium and recording the information signal to the recording medium. CONSTITUTION:When an operating switch 124 is operated, the commencement of a fetching operation of a picture signal supplied to a picture signal input terminal is instructed from a system controller 123 to a video memory controller 117. Then, a synchronizing signal is separated from the inputted picture signal by a picture signal processing circuit 203, and the picture signal separated from the synchronizing signal is digitalized by an A/D converter 204. Afterward, the picture signal digitalized by the timing signal generator 204 is written to a video memory 118 in synchronization with the synchronizing signal separated by the picture signal processing circuit 203 by the video memory controller 117. Then, a magnetic disk D is rotated at a prescribed number of revolutions by turning on the operating switch, and a magnetic head H is moved onto a recording track of the magnetic disk D specified by the system controller 123.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information signal recording method for recording information signals on a recording medium.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are devices such as video tape recorders and electronic still video cameras that record information signals such as image signals and audio signals on recording media in the form of analog signals.

[0003] In recent years, when recording information signals, information signals are being recorded on recording media in the form of digital signals in order to improve the quality and stability of the recorded information, or to match it with other information devices. Various devices have been considered to do this.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, as mentioned above, when recording information signals digitally, the amount of information increases compared to analog recording, and a recording medium with a larger recording capacity than analog recording is required. It becomes necessary.

[0005] Furthermore, when trying to digitally record information signals using a recording medium conventionally used for analog recording, for example, in an electronic still video camera, when analog recording is performed, information signals are recorded on one track on a magnetic disk. However, in order to digitally record one field's worth of still image signals while maintaining a predetermined image quality, a plurality of tracks are required.

[0006] In the above case, even if there is an unrecorded track on the magnetic disk, the still image signal cannot be digitally recorded, resulting in waste, resulting in the inconvenience of lowering the recording efficiency. Ta.

An object of the present invention is to provide an information signal recording method that can efficiently record information signals on a recording medium using a simple method.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The information signal recording method of the present invention includes a first method for detecting the information signal recordable capacity of a recording medium.
a second step of specifying the recording method of the information signal; an information signal recordable capacity of the recording medium detected in the first step; and a recording of the information signal specified in the second step. a third step of comparing the recording capacity of a recording medium necessary for recording the information signal based on the method; and setting the recording method of the information signal according to the comparison result in the third step. , a fourth step of recording the information signal on the recording medium based on the set recording method.

[0009]

[Operation] According to the above method, information signals can be efficiently recorded on a recording medium.

0010

EXAMPLES The present invention will be explained below using examples of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a recording system of an electronic still video camera to which the present invention is applied, as an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, when the system controller 123 instructs the video memory controller 117 to start the operation of capturing the image signal supplied to the image signal input terminal by operating the operation switch 124, A synchronizing signal is separated from the input image signal in an image signal processing circuit 203, and the image signal from which the synchronizing signal has been separated is digitized in an A/D converter 204, and then the video memory controller 117 processes the image signal. The image signal digitized by the A/D converter 204 is written into the video memory 118 in synchronization with the synchronization signal separated in the circuit 203 and in accordance with the timing signal output from the timing signal generator 121.

When digital recording of an image signal is instructed by operating the operation switch 124, the system controller 123 sets the switch SW7 to the terminal i side in the figure and the switch SW4 to the terminal l side in the figure. on the side,
The switch SW6 is connected to the terminal o side in the figure, and the motor drive circuit 122 drives the spindle motor M to rotate the magnetic disk D at a predetermined rotation speed, and the magnetic head H is rotated at a speed specified by the system controller 123. It is moved onto the recording track of the magnetic disk D.

The system controller 123 then instructs the video memory controller 117 to start reading out the digital image signal stored in the video memory 118 , and the video memory controller 117 receives the signal output from the timing signal generator 121 . Digital image signals are sequentially read out from the video memory 118 according to the timing signal.

The digital image signals read from the video memory 118 are added via a switch SW7 connected to the terminal i side in the figure and a switch SW4 connected to the terminal l side in the figure. In the adder 215, control data indicating predetermined information such as the compression method of the image signal generated by the control data generation circuit 205 is added.
After being digitally modulated in the 10 modulation circuit 206,
The signal is amplified by the recording amplifier 207 via the switch SW6 connected to the terminal o side in the figure, and is recorded on the magnetic disk D by the magnetic head H.

Further, when analog recording of an image signal is instructed by operating the operation switch 124, the system controller 123 sets the switch SW7 to the terminal j side in the figure and the switch SW5 to the terminal n side in the figure. At the same time, the switch SW6 is connected to the terminal o side in the figure, and the motor drive circuit 122 drives the spindle motor M to rotate the magnetic disk D at a predetermined number of rotations, and the magnetic head H
is moved onto the recording track of the magnetic disk D designated by the system controller 123.

The system controller 123 then instructs the video memory controller 117 to start reading out the digital image signal stored in the video memory 118 , and the video memory controller 117 receives the signal output from the timing signal generator 121 . Digital image signals are sequentially read out from the video memory 118 according to the timing signal.

The read digital image signal is then supplied to the D/A converter 211 via the switch SW7 connected to the terminal j side in the figure.
11, the image signal is converted into an analog image signal, an image signal processing circuit 212 adds a synchronization signal, and a nonlinear emphasis circuit 213 performs nonlinear emphasis processing, and then the switch SW5 connected to the terminal n side in the figure is supplied to the FM modulation circuit 214 via
The signal is FM modulated in the FM modulation circuit 214, amplified by the recording amplifier 207 via the switch SW6 connected to the terminal p side in the figure, and recorded on the magnetic disk D by the magnetic head H.

Next, by operating the operation switch 124, the system controller 123 instructs the audio memory controller 113 to start the operation of capturing the audio signal supplied to the audio signal input terminal. The resulting audio signal is band-limited in the audio signal processing circuit 201, digitized in the A/D converter 202 at a sampling period corresponding to a preset time axis compression rate, and then digitized in the audio memory controller 1.
13 converts the audio signal digitized by the A/D converter 202 into the audio memory 114 according to the timing signal output from the timing signal generator 121.
Write sequentially to .

When the digital recording of the audio signal is instructed by operating the operation switch 124, the system controller 123 sets the switch SW3 to the terminal g side in the figure and the switch SW4 to the terminal k side in the figure. At the same time, the switch SW6 is connected to the terminal o side in the figure, and the spindle motor M is driven by the motor drive circuit 122.
The magnetic disk D is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed, and the magnetic head H is moved onto the recording track of the magnetic disk D designated by the system controller 123.

Then, the system controller 123 instructs the audio memory controller 113 to start reading out the digital audio signal stored in the audio memory 114, and the audio memory controller 113 reads the digital audio signal output from the timing signal generator 121. According to the timing signal, the audio memory 114
The digital audio signals are read out sequentially.

The digital audio signals read from the audio memory 114 are added via a switch SW3 connected to the terminal g side in the figure and a switch SW4 connected to the terminal k side in the figure. The adder 215 adds control data indicating predetermined information such as the compression method of the audio generated from the control data generator 205.
After being digitally modulated in the 0 conversion circuit 206, the signal is transmitted through the switch SW6 connected to the terminal o side in the figure.
The signal is amplified by the recording amplifier 207 and recorded on the magnetic disk D by the magnetic head H.

Furthermore, when analog recording of audio signals is instructed by operating the operation switch 124, the system controller 123 sets the switch SW3 to the terminal h side in the figure and the switch SW5 to the terminal m side in the figure. At the same time, the switch SW6 is connected to the terminal p side in the figure, and the motor drive circuit 122 drives the spindle motor M to rotate the magnetic disk D at the rotation speed specified by the system controller 123. magnetic disk D
on the recording track.

Then, the system controller 123 instructs the audio memory controller 113 to start reading out the digital audio signal stored in the audio memory 114, and the audio memory controller 113 reads the digital audio signal output from the timing signal generator 121. According to the timing signal, the audio memory 114
The digital audio signals are read out sequentially.

The read digital audio signal is then supplied to the adder 216 via the switch SW3 connected to the terminal h side in the figure, and in the adder 216, the flag/control code generation circuit 208 After adding a flag for identifying the audio signal and a control code indicating the compression rate of the audio signal, etc., which are generated by After the processing, the signal is supplied to the FM modulation circuit 214 via the switch SW5 connected to the terminal m side in the figure, is FM modulated in the FM modulation circuit 214, and is connected to the terminal p side in the figure. The signal is amplified by the recording amplifier 207 via the switch SW6, and recorded on the magnetic disk D by the magnetic head H.

After the digital or analog recording operation of the image signal and the audio signal on the magnetic disk D is completed as described above, the system controller 123 gives an instruction to the motor drive circuit 122 to cause the spindle motor M to record the magnetic disk D. Stop rotation.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a playback system of an electronic still video camera to which the present invention is applied, as an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, when a magnetic disk D is loaded into the apparatus, a spindle motor M is driven by a motor drive circuit 122 to rotate the loaded magnetic disk D.

[0029] As the magnetic disk D rotates,
A PG pin (not shown) is provided on a center hub (not shown) of the magnetic disk D and rotates together with the magnetic disk D.
When it is detected that the period of the PG pulse that is generated every time the coil detects a predetermined phase and that the magnetic disk D has rotated at a predetermined number of rotations, the system controller 123 uses a head movement mechanism (not shown) to rotate the PG pulse. By moving the magnetic head H, all the recording tracks on the magnetic disk D are reproduced, the signals reproduced from each recording track by the magnetic head H are amplified by the preamplifier 101, and the recording signal level detection circuit 107 amplifies the signals reproduced from each recording track by the magnetic head H. By detecting the level of the signal supplied from the preamplifier 101, it is determined whether or not there is a recording signal in each recording track on the magnetic disk D, and the determination result is stored in the memory in the system controller 123, and is also stored in a memory (not shown). display on the display section.

Then, by operating the operation switch 124, a recording track to be reproduced is designated from among the recording tracks on which signals are recorded on the magnetic disk D, and when the start of the reproduction operation is instructed, the system The controller 123 instructs the head moving mechanism to move the magnetic head H onto the recording track of the magnetic disk D specified by the operation switch 124, and starts reproducing the signal recorded on the recording track. do.

The signal reproduced from the magnetic disk D by the magnetic head H is amplified by the preamplifier 101 and then sent to the waveform shaping circuit 102, the FM demodulation circuit 105, the chroma FM carrier detection circuit 106, and the recording signal level detection circuit 107.
are supplied respectively.

The waveform shaping circuit 102 binarizes the input signal and passes it through the 10/8 demodulation circuit 103 to convert the signal into 8 bits during recording.
The /10 modulated digital signal is demodulated to the original digital signal and output to the control data detection circuit 104 and switch SW1.

The control data detection circuit 104 detects the control data added to the digital image signal or the digital audio signal during recording according to the timing signal output from the timing signal generator 121, and detects the detected control data in a predetermined manner. If the format is compliant, the playback signal is determined to be a digitally recorded signal, and the playback signal is determined to be a digital image according to the content of the signal identification code indicating the image signal/audio signal in the control data. It is determined whether it is a signal or a digital audio signal, and the determination result is supplied to the system controller 123.

Then, the system controller 123 connects the switch SW2 to the terminals c and e in the figure, and
When the determination result in the control data detection circuit 104 is a digital audio signal, the switch SW1 is connected to the terminal a side in the figure, and when it is a digital image signal, it is connected to the terminal b side in the figure.

Then, when the determination result in the control data detection circuit 104 is a digital image signal, the system controller 123 instructs the video memory controller 117 to start storing the digital image signal, and the video memory controller 117 According to the timing signal output from the timing signal generator 121, the signal is output from the 10/8 demodulation circuit 103 through the switch SW1 connected to the terminal b side in the figure and the switch SW2 connected to the terminal e side in the figure. The supplied digital image signals are sequentially stored in the video memory 118, and if the determination result in the control data detection circuit 104 is a digital audio signal, the audio memory controller 113
The audio memory controller 113 is connected to the terminal a side of the figure from the 10/8 demodulation circuit 103 in accordance with the timing signal output from the timing signal generator 121. The digital audio signals supplied through the switch SW1 connected to the terminal d side in the figure and the switch SW2 connected to the terminal d side in the figure are sequentially stored in the audio memory 114.

Furthermore, the FM demodulation circuit 105 performs FM demodulation on the input signal and supplies it to a linear de-emphasis circuit 108 and a non-linear de-emphasis circuit 111, and the linear de-emphasis circuit 108 performs linear de-emphasis processing. After the signal is digitized by the A/D converter 109, the flag/control code detection circuit 110 detects the presence or absence of a flag for audio signal discrimination, which is added to the analog audio signal during recording, and control data indicating the compression rate, etc. Through the detection, it is determined whether the reproduced signal is an analog audio signal or not, and the determination result is supplied to the system controller 123.

When the system controller 123 confirms that the reproduced signal is an analog audio signal according to the determination result in the flag/control code detection circuit 110, it connects the switch SW2 to the terminal d side in the figure. , audio memory controller 113
, the audio memory controller 113 instructs to start the storage operation of the analog audio signal, and the audio memory controller 113 transmits the data via the switch SW2 connected to the terminal d side in the figure in accordance with the timing signal output from the timing signal generator 121. The digital audio signals supplied from the A/D converter 109 are sequentially stored in the audio memory 114.

In addition, the nonlinear de-emphasis circuit 111
The image signal processing circuit 125 separates the synchronization signal from the signal subjected to nonlinear de-emphasis processing in the image signal processing circuit 125.
The separated synchronization signals are supplied to the system controller 123, and the system controller 123 determines whether the reproduced signal is an analog image signal by counting the number of synchronization signals separated in the image signal processing circuit 125. It is determined whether

Furthermore, the chroma FM carrier detection circuit 106
detects the chroma FM carrier component in the analog image signal with respect to the signal supplied from the preamplifier 101,
It determines whether the reproduced signal is an analog image signal or not, and supplies the determination result to the system controller 123.

Note that the chroma FM carrier detection circuit 10
In step 6, if the supplied reproduced signal is an analog black-and-white image signal, the reproduced signal does not include a chroma FM carrier component, so that it is not possible to perform discrimination based on the chroma FM carrier component.

The system controller 123 then controls the number of synchronization signals separated in the image signal processing circuit 125, the presence or absence of a chroma FM carrier component determined in the chroma FM carrier detection circuit 106, and the According to the determination result, it is determined whether the reproduced signal is an analog image signal or not, and if it is an analog image signal, the switch SW2 is connected to the terminal f side in the figure, and the signal is connected to the video memory controller 117. , and the video memory controller 117 is connected to the terminal f side in the figure from the A/D converter 112 in accordance with the timing signal output from the timing signal generator 121. Digital image signals supplied via switch SW2 are sequentially stored in video memory 118.

The image signal or audio signal recorded digitally or analogously on the magnetic disk D in the manner described above is stored in the video memory 118 or the audio memory 114.

Then, as described above, the video memory 1
18 or after the storage operation in the audio memory 114 is completed, if the playback signal is a digital image signal or a digital audio signal, the system controller 123
In accordance with the control data detected by the control data detection circuit 104, the video memory controller 117 and the audio memory controller 113
An instruction is given to the control data, and the processing (for example, interpolation processing of image signals, etc.) instructed by the control data is performed as necessary.

After that, the system controller 123 instructs the video memory controller 117 or the audio memory controller 113 to start reading out the digital image signal stored in the video memory 118 or the digital audio signal stored in the audio memory 114. instruct.

[0045] Then, the video memory controller 117
The digital image signals stored in the video memory 118 are sequentially and repeatedly read out, converted into analog signals by the D/A converter 119, and the converted image signals are subjected to processing such as adding a synchronization signal in the image signal processing circuit 120. After this, the image signal is output from the output terminal.

[0046] Also, the audio memory controller 11
3 converts the digital audio signal stored in the audio memory 114 into the control data or flag detected by the control data detection circuit 104.
The digital audio signal is sequentially and repeatedly read out at a reading speed according to the compression rate of the audio signal specified by the control code detected by the control code detection circuit 110, and is converted into an analog signal by the D/A converter 115. The audio signal is processed by the audio processing circuit 116.
After processing such as waveform shaping, the audio signal is output from the audio signal output terminal.

The electronic still video camera in this embodiment is configured to perform operations based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 during recording, and the operations during recording will be explained below according to the flowchart shown in FIG. do.

First, when the start of recording operation is instructed by operating the operation switch 124, the system controller 123 detects whether or not the magnetic disk D is loaded in the device using a sensor (not shown), and detects whether or not the magnetic disk D is loaded in the device. When it is detected that the disk D has been loaded, the process proceeds to the next step (see 301 in FIG. 3).

Then, in order to determine which tracks on which no signals are recorded (hereinafter referred to as empty tracks) among the recording tracks of the loaded magnetic disk D, all recording tracks of the loaded magnetic disk D are checked. By detecting the level of the signal reproduced by the magnetic head H and reproduced from each track by the recording signal level detection circuit 107,
It is determined which of the recording tracks of the loaded magnetic disk D is an empty track (3 in FIG. 3).
(See 02).

As a result of the determination, if there is no empty track on the loaded magnetic disk D, it is determined that image signals or audio signals cannot be recorded on the magnetic disk D, and a warning is displayed on a display section (not shown). The system controller 123 displays the information, automatically ejects the loaded magnetic disk D, and, if there is an empty track, sends information about which recording track is empty to the system controller 123.
(See 303 in FIG. 3).

[0051] In the above step, if it is detected that there is an empty track, the system controller 123 causes the user to operate the operation switch 124 so that the image signal or the audio signal is digitally recorded. If analog recording is specified, specify any empty track from among the empty tracks detected in the step above, and check whether analog recording is specified. The image signal or the audio signal is recorded in analog on the track recorded in the system controller 123, and among the information indicating the status of each recording track stored in the memory in the system controller 123, information corresponding to the track in which the image signal or the audio signal is recorded is recorded. from an empty track to a recorded track (3 in Figure 3).
04, 307).

[0052] Here, in the case of analog recording of the audio signal, the compressed audio signal is recorded on the magnetic disk D according to the compression ratio of the audio signal selected by operating the operation switch 124. become.

When the image signal is specified to be digitally recorded, the image signal for one frame or one field is digitally recorded according to the sampling frequency of the image signal specified by operating the operation switch 124. amount of information and magnetic disk D
If the recordable capacity of the empty track is larger than the amount of information of the digitalized image signal, the image signal is digitized and the capacity of the empty track of the magnetic disk D is compared. If the recordable capacity of an empty track is less than the amount of information of an image signal recorded on a track and digitized, the image signal is recorded as an analog signal on an empty track of the magnetic disk D without being digitized. In addition, when the audio signal is specified to be digitally recorded, the amount of information when the audio signal for a predetermined period of time is digitized according to the sampling frequency of the audio signal specified by operating the operation switch 124. and the recordable capacity of the empty tracks of the magnetic disk D, and if the recordable capacity of the empty tracks is greater than the amount of information of the digitized audio signal, the audio signal is digitized. When recording on an empty track of the magnetic disk D, if the recordable capacity of the empty track is less than the amount of information of the digitized audio signal, the audio signal is not digitized and is recorded as an analog signal on the magnetic disk D. Among the information indicating the status of each recording track stored in the memory in the system controller 123, information corresponding to the track where the image signal or audio signal is recorded is recorded from the empty track. Rewrite to track (304 in Figure 3,
305, 306).

[0054] In the above manner, one field or one
When the recording operation of the image signal for a frame or the audio signal for a predetermined period of time is completed, and if the recording operation of the image signal or audio signal is to be continued by operating the operation switch 124, the process returns to step 303 in FIG. , if the recording operation is not to be continued, the recording operation is completed (308 in FIG. 3).
reference).

As explained above, in the electronic still video camera of this embodiment, when an instruction is given to digitally record an image signal or an audio signal, the recordable capacity of the empty track on the magnetic disk and the image signal are Alternatively, compare the amount of information when the audio signal is digitized, and only if the recordable capacity of empty tracks is sufficient for the amount of information, digitally record the image signal or audio signal, and increase the recordable capacity. If there is a shortage, analog recording allows you to use the recording tracks on the magnetic disk without wasting it, and even if you use a magnetic disk with a small recordable capacity for digital recording, you can still record the information signal for the time being. It becomes possible to record analog data.

[0056]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information signal recording method that can efficiently record information signals on a recording medium using a simple method.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a recording system of an electronic still video camera to which the present invention is applied, as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a playback system of an electronic still video camera to which the present invention is applied, as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic still video camera during recording in this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

113 Audio memory controller 114 Audio memory 117 Video memory controller 118 Video memory 121 Timing signal generator 122 Motor drive circuit 123 System controller 124 Operation switch 201 Audio signal processing circuit 202 A/D converter 203 Image signal processing circuit 204 A/D conversion device 205 control data generation circuit 206 8/
10 Modulation circuit 207 Recording amplifier 208 Flag/control code generation circuit 209
D/A converter 210 Linear emphasis circuit 211 D/A converter 212 Image signal processing circuit 213 Nonlinear emphasis circuit 214 FM modulation circuit 215 Adder 216 Adder

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first step of detecting the information signal recordable capacity of the recording medium, a second step of specifying the recording method of the information signal, and the information signal of the recording medium detected in the first step. a third step of comparing the recordable capacity with the recording capacity of the recording medium necessary to record the information signal based on the recording method of the information signal specified in the second step; An information signal recording method, comprising a fourth step of setting a recording method for the information signal according to the comparison result in the step, and recording the information signal on a recording medium based on the set recording method.