JPH07123346A - Method for recording and reproducing picture and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a picture recording and reproducing device capable of being compatible with high-speed access and long-time recording relating to picture and sound information and also being operated without making a user conscious of device constitution. CONSTITUTION:This device is constituted of the medium and drive 8 of a tape system of a low bit cost though an access speed is slow, the medium and drive 5 of the disk system of a relatively small capacity though the access speed is fast, the compression and expansion 4 and 7 of data, semiconductor memories 3 and 6 for absorbing the access time of the drives, a switcher 10 for switching reproducing information from the drives of the two systems and performing the smooth transition of picture data and a controller for controlling the operations of this constitution. Since the cost of the medium is suppressed low in cost as much as possible and the picture recording and reproducing device whose access time is short can be realized, the ratio of performance against a price can be improved. Also, the transfer to the information from both storage means and the transfer from a retrieval screen to a viewing screen, etc., which are difficult to be realized just by simply combining components can be smoothly performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for recording and reproducing broadcast programs, moving images such as movies, and audio information, and particularly when performing reproduction of the stored information, high speed retrieval and high speed operation. The present invention relates to an image recording / reproducing method and apparatus with high cost performance, which enables the cueing of various information and also realizes recording / reproducing for a long time at low cost.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an image storage means, a tape type medium using a VTR (video tape recorder), a video disk, etc. are widely used. In the case of a tape-based storage medium, the price per unit information is low, it is relatively inexpensive, and recording / playback can be performed for a long time. However, in general, tape-based media cannot be randomly accessed, so it takes time from the start of the playback operation until the image is actually displayed. There is also a problem that it takes time to search for.

On the other hand, in the case of a disc type storage medium, basically, random access to any position on the disc is possible, so that the retrieval speed of information and the time until the start of reproduction are different from those of the tape type storage medium. Short compared to. However, the price per unit information is higher than that of tape-based media, so that the cost of a single disk or a single-disk unit
With the current storage capacity, there is a problem that the number of hours is limited even if image compression is assumed.

As described above, in consideration of the characteristics of each storage medium, as a general household image storage means, a tape-based medium is mainly used for recording / playback, and is not dedicated to playback. At present, tape-type media and disk-type media that have already been recorded are used, and it has been difficult to realize an image recording / reproducing apparatus that has a low medium cost and is capable of high-speed random access.

[0005]

As described above, the conventional image storage medium has the respective characteristics of the tape system and the disk system, and is considered to be a storage medium having a character complementary to each other. At present, the user selects and uses one of them in order to make the most of each advantage.

There is a problem that random access cannot be performed in the tape system, and long-time recording is difficult in the existing disk system.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention uses, as the storage means, both a tape-type medium which is advantageous for long-time recording and a disk-type medium or volatile memory which has a short access time at the same time. By doing so, it is intended to solve the problem.

However, when both storage media are simply used simultaneously, it is difficult for the user to directly operate each storage means and it is difficult to record intermittent information. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to perform absence recording.

According to the invention of the present application, the user can solve the above-mentioned problems without being aware of the storage means of both.

Images and audio information to be recorded are recorded as follows. Both recording and reproduction should be possible for both tape media and disk media or volatile memory. Also, it is possible to provide the same function as the conventional absence recording.

First, all the information to be recorded is recorded on the tape medium. For a randomly accessible medium, for example, the beginning of information to be recorded on a disk medium, or information recorded on a tape medium,
Intermittent information or high compression rate information is recorded. The timing to start recording is to wait until the tape-based medium is ready for recording, and then start it at the same time, or to start recording on the disk-based medium first, and after the tape-based medium is ready for recording, record on both recording media. There is a way to record. The former has a problem that the time until the start of recording is restricted by the access speed of the tape medium. The information can be reproduced, which is advantageous in terms of compatibility with conventional devices. On the other hand, in the latter case,
Although the time until the start of recording is high, there is a problem that the information at the beginning portion is lost when the tape-based medium is reproduced alone. However, in the configuration shown in the present invention, a buffer memory such as a semiconductor memory is used to temporarily store information about the time until the recording preparation of the tape medium is completed, and the information is stored after the recording preparation of the tape medium is completed. If the information is recorded, the information will not be lost even on the tape medium.

The reproduction of information is the reverse operation of the above recording process. First, the recorded image information is searched using a disk medium or the like. Since it has random accessibility, it can be searched and displayed at high speed. After the image information or the program to be viewed is decided, reproduction of the image information is started from the disc first. The operation of positioning the tape at the information recording position is performed so as to connect to the information from the disk, including the time during the preparation for the reproducing operation. For this purpose, a time code or frame information prerecorded in the control data recording portion of the tape is used. The positioning is performed at a position where the future image information is recorded for at least the time required for the switching operation compared to the image information currently reproduced from the disc. When the control signal indicating that the positioning preparation is completed is issued, the operation of switching the reproduction information from the disk to the reproduction information from the tape is performed.

By performing the recording / reproducing operation as described above, the purpose can be achieved.

[0014]

In the above-mentioned means, the information storage means includes a first storage means typified by a tape type medium and second and subsequent storage means typified by a disk type medium and a semiconductor memory. Control means for controlling the operation of the information display means and storage means. It is provided with a means for switching the reproduction information from the storage means.

As a function of the configuration of the present invention, long-time recording / reproducing is performed by using a long-length (tape-type) medium to ensure compatibility with the conventional technique and reduce the cost per unit information. ing. Recording and reproduction of image information mainly for searching and browsing are performed by using a disk medium or a semiconductor memory, so that the time required for high-speed searching and starting reproduction is shortened.

As described above, it is possible to record for a long time, perform a high-speed search, and significantly reduce the waiting time until the start of reproduction.

[0017]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below. Figure 1
It is an example of a device configuration for the present invention. Image / voice input 10
1 is input to the decoder 1. In general, image information is transmitted as information encoded by a specific modulation, that is, a coder. The source of the image / sound input is terrestrial waves from a broadcasting station, satellite broadcasting, cable transmission, or other package media, such as a video disc, a digital audio disc, a tape, etc. However, the application range of the present invention is not limited. Further, in the case of information input without modulation, the decoder 1 becomes unnecessary. This can be dealt with by omitting the configuration or by stopping the operation as a decoder.

The information demodulated by the decoder 1 is input to the memories 2 and 3. The memory will mainly operate as a data buffer. In general, image information is handled in units of frames, so a capacity equivalent to at least one frame is required. For example, in consideration of handling one frame per second, in the case of 256 × 256 pixels, non-interlaced, 8-bit color information, about 1 megabit memory is required. In FIG. 1, the system following the memory 2 is a system for using the tape drive 8 as a storage medium. Similarly, the system following the memory 3 is a system for using the disk drive 5 as a storage medium.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a tape is used for the former system and a disk is used for the latter system, but the present invention is not limited to these storage media, and the former is used for information with a low image compression rate. It is a medium that is compatible and capable of recording and reproducing for a long time, and the latter may be a medium that is compatible with information having a high image compression rate and is excellent in random accessibility. At present, the combination of a tape and a magnetic disk is an effective combination in terms of cost and the like. For example, as a combination of storage media other than that shown in FIG. 1, a disk can be used as the former system and a semiconductor memory can be used as the main storage means for the latter system. In this case, the capacity of each storage means corresponding to the recordable time, the capacity of the memories 2 and 3 provided as a buffer, and the access time of the storage means provided in the former system are supported. Then, the capacity of the storage means provided in the latter system may be changed.

As described above, various configurations are conceivable as a combination of storage media, but here, description will be made on the assumption that a tape is used in the former system and a disk is used in the latter system. .

The information buffered in the memory 2 is input to the tape drive 8. Here, the memory 2 functions as an image frame memory and a memory for temporary storage until the recording start of the tape drive 8 as described above.

The tape drive 8 can also be used with a widely used VTR (VTR), but based on an external command, recording, reproduction, stop, and index information recorded on the tape are used. It is necessary to have a mechanism capable of feeding and rewinding the tape to an arbitrary position (image frame). A configuration example of the tape drive will be described later.

The signal reproduced by the tape drive is
It is input to the memory 9. The memory 9 has a function almost opposite to that of the memory 2. That is, the reproduction signal from the tape drive 8 is buffered for each image frame, and the operation for absorbing the timing deviation from the reproduction signal of the system starting from the memory 3 is performed.

Next, the components and operation of the system on the memory 3 side will be described. Like the memory 2, the memory 3 performs buffering in image frame units.

The compression circuit 4 is a circuit for performing desired image compression on the signal from the memory 3. The compression circuit is for equalizing and increasing the capacity of the disk drive 5. However, as another embodiment shown in FIG.
If you want to record the image information for a certain time only at the beginning of each program or at regular time intervals,
It is not a particularly essential component. The compression circuit 4 may have a known configuration. However, the image compression rate is not particularly limited to the standardized standard regardless of whether the disk drive 5 has medium exchangeability, and if the compression / decompression combination is satisfied, any compression / decompression circuit can be used. Can be used.

In the configuration of FIG. 1, the disk drive 5
Is a device for recording and storing compressed image information. Specifically, a magnetic disk can be used. The other storage medium may be an optical disc or a semiconductor memory.

Here, a numerical example of the required capacity will be given. As a premise, it is assumed that image information for 10 hours a day is recorded and updated in one day. If the image per second is 10 frames, a memory with a capacity of 10 megabits is required. Here, the maximum access time of the disk drive 5 is 1 second, and the tape drive 8
Assuming that the maximum access time is 1 minute, the minimum required capacity of the memory 3 is the access time of the disk drive 5, that is, the capacity of 10 megabits. On the other hand, the required capacity of the memory 2 differs depending on the operation mode. For example, in the case of a tape, when recording is started from the beginning of the image information at the same time as the disc, a maximum access time of the tape drive 8 is required, and in this case, a capacity of 600 megabits equivalent to 1 minute is required. However, assuming that the tape and disk are used in pairs, the capacity of the memory 2 is the capacity of the memory 3 especially when there is no problem even if the information within 1 minute of the beginning of the image regarding the tape is lost. May be equivalent to.

When the average compression rate of the compression circuit 4 is set to 1/10, the required storage capacity of the disk drive per minute is 60 megabits, which is 36 in 10 hours.
It will be gigabit (4.5 gigabytes).

The structure of the disk drive 5 and thereafter will be described. The memory 6 performs the reverse operation of the memory 3. The minimum required capacity is the capacity of the memory 3 plus the capacity for adjusting the timing of data switching with the tape drive system.

The decompression circuit 7 performs the reverse operation of the compression circuit 4, and in the above-mentioned numerical example, it decompresses the data 10 times to restore the original image information. If a compressed image is used as the display image, the decompression circuit can be omitted.

The switcher 10 switches between image and audio information of the tape system and the disk system.

As a configuration slightly different from that of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the configuration of FIG. 2 can be considered. In FIG. 2, components having the same numbers as those of the configuration shown in FIG. 1 are parts that perform substantially the same functions and operations as in FIG. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the disk drive 5 system is slightly different. This is a configuration in which the image information to be recorded on the disc is not a spatially compressed image but information for a certain time interval at a certain time interval (for example, every one minute for every five minutes). The above-mentioned certain time interval may be the beginning part of each program or title, in addition to the constant interval.

The intermittent memory 11 and the intermittent memory 12 shown in FIG. 2 are for performing the temporal compression (intermittent frame) as described above. However, it is easy to provide the memory 3 and the memory 7 with a function of performing temporal compression (thinning-out operation), and in this case, the configuration can be omitted.

The other components and their operations are the same as in the case of FIG.

Next, with respect to the respective constituent elements shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the parts necessary for the intended operation of the present invention will be described. As the memories 2 and 3, a normal RAM (random access memory) can be used as an image frame memory. Although the memory of a single input / output port can be used, the image / audio input 101 can be used as the memory 2 and the memory 3
Considering that the data is simultaneously written and read out simultaneously and recorded in the storage medium, it is more desirable that the configuration is capable of two-port input / output. The hardware configuration of the memories 2 and 3 may be a conventional configuration.

As the compression circuit 4 and the expansion circuit 7, for example, either an MPEG (moving picture expert group) standard circuit or an original compression / expansion circuit can be used.

As for the intermittent memories 11 and 12, as described above, the memories 3 and 7, respectively, can also function. In terms of a separate configuration, as an advantage of having an intermittent memory, it is possible to easily improve the throughput and expand only the intermittent memory part by transferring the image and audio signal to the intermittent memory 11 while storing it in the memory 3. Is.

The disk drive 5 and the tape drive 8 can be basically supported by a conventional drive configuration, but the point of handling image data, fast-forwarding, winding, normal recording / playback, stillness, etc. It is the point that means for controlling the control based on the time code recorded on the tape and the disk, or a signal equivalent thereto is added. This point will be described below.

Image data is generally recorded / reproduced in frame units. In the case of a VTR tape, since it is premised that video and audio are originally handled, the format is also configured to support image recording and reproduction. As an example, FIGS. 3 to 5 show recording formats on the tape of the 1/2 inch digital VTR for broadcasting. In FIG. 3, the tape is a cue / audio track, a video / audio track, a control track,
Divided into timecode tracks. The VTR has an independent head for recording / reproducing each information. The cue / audio track is used for storing index information and audio during fast forward reproduction. The image / audio track is used for recording images and main audio, and is composed of a video sector and an audio sector. The control track is
Used for controlling tape running. The time code track is for recording absolute time on tape.

In the VTR for business use as described above, since the time code is recorded on the tape, the corresponding time code is also recorded on the disk mounted in the disk drive 5 shown in FIGS. If is recorded, it is possible to operate in synchronization with both the tape and the disk.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the data structure of the video / audio track portion of FIG. Further, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the data structure of the video data and the outer code parity part, and shows the product code structure of one field. One field is composed of nine sub-arrays, with the segment data of 128 rows of video data and eight rows of outer code parity as a unit for every 85 bytes. The outer code parity is additional data generated from video data for error correction. As described above, since the digital VTR has the time code track, the time code data can be used for controlling the running state of the tape. However, in a general home VTR, the time code is exclusively used for the time code. The area is not secured. It suffices that the time code can be grasped for each field, and since the video data is handled in screen scanning line units, for example, even if actually recorded on tape, it does not appear on the screen, at the top of the screen, or Time code and other control information can be recorded in the video data section corresponding to the lower part of the screen. Alternatively, an auxiliary data section is provided in the audio data recording section, and this section can also be used.

Next, with respect to the disc, the conversion for recording and reproducing image data and the time code recording area will be described. FIG. 6 shows an example of a sector format of a magnetic disk (hard disk), and FIG. 7 shows an example of a sector format of an optical disk. A sector consists of an address area and a data area. In the case of a magnetic disk, the address is also recorded at the same time as the data recording, but since the optical disk has an address area built in advance when the disk is manufactured,
It is often called the preformatted area. In order to read the address area, it is necessary to synchronize the clock signal for reading with the data on the disk. PLL S
The YNC part is a part provided for synchronization,
Generally, a repetitive signal having the shortest pattern permitted by the modulation method is used. An optical disk has an address mark (AM) added to indicate the start of an address (ADR). However, compared with a magnetic disk, the purpose is to recognize an address, and therefore, an essential difference. There is no. At the beginning of the data area, the PLL SYNC section and DATA
A SYNC portion indicating the start of (data) is added.

As the recording location of the time code, as described in the VTR, as a part of the image data in the data, the time code is inserted in the image data portion which is not displayed, or the start sector of continuous data is recorded. If a time code that means start is inserted in the following sector and the required time per sector can be grasped, a method of grasping the time by counting the number of sectors without particularly inserting the time code is conceivable. .

Originally, the disk medium has been developed for the purpose of code data, and the data is basically processed in a relatively short unit such as 1 kilobyte or 512 bytes. On the other hand, the image data is handled in a relatively large unit of 100 kilobytes per field in the case of FIG. Therefore, in order to link the data on the disc to the image data from the tape, it is necessary to divide a series of image data into sector units on the disc and record them, and to recompose the divided and recorded image information at the time of reproduction. is there. An example of the operation is shown below.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the concept of conversion when image data is recorded on the disc in sector units. The data string on the upper side of FIG. 8 is an image data string to be recorded. In the illustrated example, one field is assumed to be composed of T1 to TN. Where T is 1 of the disc
This is the time corresponding to the storage capacity of the data area for the sector. Separation of image data, that is, for each field,
A sync signal is inserted. On the disc, N sectors corresponding to T1 to TN and recorded from D1 to DN are divided and recorded. Since there is an address area and a recorded portion of information other than data on the disc, when the transfer rate of the image data and the transfer rate of the disc data are matched, as shown in FIG. Even if the recording is finished, the data recording on the disc will not be completed. That is, it is necessary to absorb the overhead such as the address area. There are several possible ways to avoid this. As shown in FIG. 9, the first method is a method of transferring data in consideration of the address area (preformatted area). In this case, the transfer rate of D is set higher than the transfer rate of T, and the memory is used as a buffer. In addition, in FIG. 8 and FIG.
It is rather rare that the data capacity of one field is generally an integer of the sector capacity of the disk.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the data in the shaded area is dummy data so that the image data is allocated to each sector. Further, when image compression is performed, data recording / reproduction in sector units can be realized on the disc by appropriately inserting dummy data corresponding to the data amount of one frame.

Returning again to the description of the components shown in FIGS. The memory 9 and the memory 6 also have an effect of absorbing the jitter generated due to the fluctuation of the tape elongation and the fluctuation of the feeding speed. The memory 6 also has the effect of absorbing jitter due to fluctuations in disk rotation and eccentricity. The time base correction (TBC) which has been conventionally used can be used for such time axis correction for the tape. The TBC sequentially stores the data read from the tape in the memory, and with an accurate external clock,
By re-reading from the memory, it is possible to absorb the time fluctuation contained in the data from the tape and perform accurate data operation up to the clock accuracy. The same processing can be realized by using a 2-port memory. The same applies to the memory 6.

As described above, by using the switcher 10 having a frame synchronizing circuit generally called a frame synchronizer for the image data string in which the time fluctuation is absorbed, the tape series data and the disk series data are combined. The smooth transition switching can be performed. The frame synchronizer is available as a single circuit,
The operating principle will be briefly described. FIG. 10 shows an example of the structure of the frame synchronizer. 2 systems of image and sound input 2
Clock extraction circuit 20 for each of 10 and 211
2, 204, the synchronous clock is extracted and generated from the data string recorded on the storage medium. The clock extraction circuit can be realized by using a conventional PLL (phase locked loop) circuit. The data of each system is stored in the memories 201, 2 by the clock generated by the clock extraction circuit.
It stores in 03. Here, the memories 201 and 203 are assumed to have a two-port memory configuration, and the stored data are read from the memories 201 and 203 in response to a clock signal from the reference clock generation circuit 205 that is separately operated. By the above operation, the jitter included in the read data from the storage medium can be absorbed.

The switching circuit 206 switches data from both systems, but several methods are possible. First, there is a method using a simple switch. In this case, the two system data strings need to be temporally matched. As described above, if the medium feed control is performed based on the time code on each storage medium, it is possible to cope with the situation. As another switching method, there is a method of effectively switching by applying a weight to the signals of two systems and changing the weight. For example,
The image / sound input 210 system signal is a,
When the system signal is b, the signal c after switching is Ka +
(1-K) b is given. Here, if the value of K is changed from 0 to 1, only the signals of the b system are output at the beginning, the signals of the a system are gradually mixed, and only the signals of the a system are output at the end. . Although the switching is described by a linear expression here, the present invention is not particularly limited to this expression, and any method may be used as long as it switches from a signal of one system to a signal of the other system while overlapping. Here, in addition to the method of simply changing the value of K over time, there is a method of changing it discretely for each frame, for example, by 0.1 or by a power of 2. is there. Considering the continuity of screen display, the latter method of changing the value of K discretely for each frame is more preferable.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the image information that can be recorded is limited to a single program at the same time, but in order to support a plurality of programs or channels, the configurations of FIGS. It is possible to deal with it by providing a plurality. Moreover, in order to view the image information of the real-time broadcast during the recording of the program, it is possible to prepare by separately preparing a receiving unit and displaying the image information from the receiving unit on the display.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the removable medium package structure of the present invention. In FIG. 11, the storage medium is composed of a tape, a disk, and a semiconductor memory, and is structured to fit in one package. In the example of FIG. 11, an optical disk is used as the disk, and the optical head performs data recording / reproduction on the optical disk from the optical head access window when mounted in the recording / reproducing apparatus shown in the present invention. The magnetic tape is the conventional V
Like the TR device, the tape is accessed from the head access window for the tape to record / reproduce data. Further, regarding the semiconductor memory, by providing a terminal for data input / output and a terminal for power supply, it is possible to realize a function equivalent to that of the memory in FIG. Regarding the semiconductor memory, if it is not particularly necessary to store data in the memory after taking out the package from the device, it can be omitted. Further, when the bit cost of the disk or the semiconductor memory is reduced, the combination of the semiconductor memory and the tape and the semiconductor memory and the disk can realize the high-speed access and the long-time recording, which is the object of the present invention. it can.

FIG. 12 shows a display embodiment when the information display screen is divided and a large number of search screens are displayed. The number in each screen indicates the time (time code value) corresponding to the reproduction start position of the search screen. Of course, when moving to the normal display screen by directly specifying the required screen with a pointing device such as a mouse or a numeric keypad for the search screen,
The time may not be displayed because it is not necessary to display the time on the screen. As an actual operation, when the search screen is divided into nine screens and displayed, as shown in FIG. 12 (a), the screens are displayed within one minute at 5 minute intervals from the upper left to the lower right. , After the recording screen from 9 o'clock to the recording screen up to 9:40, as shown in FIG. 12B, the screen after 45 minutes, that is, the screen from 9:45 to 10:25 for 1 minute It is conceivable that the operation is displayed only within the time. In this way, when the image data that is temporally close to each other is displayed on the search screen and the search display is performed to select a desired playback screen from among these, the storage means such as a disk or tape is displayed. The effect of shortening the access time of can be given. That is, in the example of FIG. 12, if the head position on the tape is positioned at a position 20 minutes after the beginning at the time of displaying the search screen, the tape is fast forwarded by a tape travel distance corresponding to ± 20 minutes at the maximum. Since the return is sufficient, the access time can be significantly shortened as compared with the case where the entire tape is accessed. As a result, the capacity required for the buffer memory and the disk can be reduced.

As described above, since it takes a maximum of 1 minute to access an arbitrary position on the tape, it can be processed in, for example, a few seconds. Therefore, the data storage time on the disk can be ensured only by the minimum search display time. It suffices to keep it in advance, and it can be shortened to about a fraction of that in the case of accessing the arbitrary position of the recorded information.

A plurality of small screens can be displayed on the display screen by using a frame memory. As shown in FIG. 12, the search image data is displayed after being stored in the memory for one screen. At this time, if you keep the pixel density of the screen constant,
In the case of a 9-split screen as shown in FIG. 12, the effect of compressing the data equivalently to 1/9 can be obtained. When the screen changes to the normal viewing screen after the search screen is displayed, the access time is short because the access is limited to relatively close areas as described above. Therefore, it is possible to record only one-ninth compressed image on the disk and switch to the image information from the tape several seconds after the search screen is displayed.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the search screen display. In FIG. 13A, the search screen is displayed as the screen A and the current playback screen is displayed as the screen B in the upper right corner of the entire display screen. When the desired screen or program is selected after the search, as shown in FIG. 13 (b), the screen A that has been the search screen until now becomes the full screen display, and the screen that has been displayed so far in the upper right corner is displayed. Displayed on the screen. Further, if a search screen is displayed in the upper right corner, the sequential search process can be smoothly carried out. This processing can also be realized by using the frame memory and the peripheral control circuit of the conventional configuration by using the frame memory and writing the display information in the frame memory.

[0054]

According to the present invention, in the case of recording and reproducing image information and audio information by combining a storage means having a short access time but a relatively small capacity and a storage means having a long access time but a large capacity, By utilizing the features of both storage means, it is possible to provide a video / audio recording / reproducing apparatus that achieves both high-speed access and long-time recording. When only the information retrieval processing is performed, the retrieval time can be greatly shortened by using the information from the storage means having the short access time. Further, by integrating both storage means, the user can input / output information without being aware of the storage medium.

[0055]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a device configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the device configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an information recording form on a VTR tape.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a recording format of audiovisual information on a VTR tape.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an information storage form on a VTR tape.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a sector format of a magnetic disk.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a sector format of an optical disc.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of a method of storing image data on a disc.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing another embodiment of a method of storing image data on a disc.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a principle of operation of a switcher and a frame synchronizer.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a package form example of a composite storage medium corresponding to the device of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a search screen display example.

FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a search screen display example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Decoder, 2, 3, 6, 9 ... Memory, 4 ... Compression circuit, 5 ... Disk drive, 7 ... Decompression circuit, 8 ... Tape drive, 10 ... Switcher.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI Technical display location G11B 27/28 A 8224-5D H04N 5/781 Z 7734-5C 5/7826 5/907 B 7734- 5C 5/937 8224-5D G11B 27/28 A (72) Inventor Masahiro Kageyama 1-280 Higashi-Kengikubo, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo Inside the Central Research Laboratory, Hitachi, Ltd.

Claims (28)

[Claims] 1. An image recording / reproducing method for recording temporally continuous image information and audio information in a storage means, and reproducing and displaying the information from the storage means. A first storage path having storage means of
A second storage path having a storage means of a type different from the first storage means for recording a part of information temporally and spatially, and the first storage path and the second storage path. Using the means for selecting and displaying the reproduction information and the means for controlling the recording / reproducing operation of these accumulating means, when reproducing the above-mentioned information, searching and browsing of the information content by the information reproduced from the second accumulation path And the reproduction of the information is started using the information from the second accumulation path, and the reproduction of the information succeeding the reproduction information from the second accumulation path is started by the first accumulation path. An image recording / reproducing method characterized in that the display information is switched to the reproduction information from the first accumulation path. 2. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein the average access time to the information storage position of the second storage means is shorter than the average access time of the first storage means. Recording and playback method. 3. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein the storage capacity of the first accumulating means is larger than that of the second accumulating means. 4. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein the image information recorded in the second accumulating means is only the head portion of the image information recorded in the first accumulating means. Image recording / playback method. 5. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein the image information recorded in the second accumulating means is a predetermined time interval with respect to the image information recorded in the first accumulating means. An image recording / reproducing method characterized by using only information. 6. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of programs can be recorded in the first accumulating means and the second accumulating means. . 7. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 6, wherein the second accumulating means stores data from the beginning of each program.
An image recording / reproducing method characterized by recording information for a certain fixed time. 8. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein the image information recorded in the second accumulating means has a different information compression rate from the image information recorded in the first accumulating means. Characteristic image recording / playback method. 9. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein the image information recorded in the second accumulating means is intermittently sampled in image frame units from the image information recorded in the first accumulating means. An image recording / reproducing method characterized by using image information. 10. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 8, wherein the image information recorded in the second accumulating means has a higher image compression rate than the image information recorded in the first accumulating means. Characteristic image recording / playback method. 11. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein a tape-type medium is used as the first accumulating means, and a disk-type medium and a semiconductor memory are used as the second accumulating means. Image recording / playback method. 12. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein an index signal for managing image information is recorded in the first accumulating unit and the accumulating medium, the second accumulating unit and the accumulating medium, and the index signal is recorded. An image recording / reproducing method characterized by comprising a means for reproducing and controlling the operation of the accumulating means based on the index signal. 13. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein when the reproduction information from the second accumulating means is switched to the reproduction information from the first accumulating means, an image frame delimiter of the image information is provided. An image recording / reproducing method characterized by performing. 14. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein when the reproduction information from the first accumulating means is switched to the reproduction information from the second accumulating means, a separation of image frames of the image information is provided. An image recording / reproducing method characterized by performing. 15. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein while the reproduction information from the second accumulating means is being displayed, the information recording position should be switched to the record information of the first accumulating means. An image recording / reproducing method characterized in that information reading means for the storage means is positioned. 16. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1 or 11, wherein the reproduced information from the second accumulating means is intermittently displayed at the time of content retrieval and reproduction of the accumulated information. Image recording / playback method. 17. An image recording / reproducing method according to claim 11, wherein a storage medium having a structure in which a tape type storage medium, a disk type medium, and a semiconductor memory are housed in the same portable package is used. An image recording and reproducing method characterized by the above. 18. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein at the time of retrieval of stored information, a display area having a smaller area than a normal reproduction display screen has at least one screen whose pixel density is equivalent to that of the normal display screen. Display the search screen,
An image recording / reproducing method characterized by switching to a screen having a normal reproduction display screen after a search is completed. 19. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1 or 18, wherein, as the image data for retrieval, only the data temporally close to each other is displayed. 20. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 1, wherein when switching the data system of the first storage means and the data system of the second storage means, the signal of the signal of the former system and the signal of the latter system are used. An image recording / reproducing method characterized in that system signals are gradually and continuously switched while changing the mixing ratio of the two on the screen. 21. The image recording / reproducing method according to claim 20, wherein the K-fold signal of the signal of the first system or the second and subsequent systems and the signal of the signal of the second system and the first system (1
An image recording / reproducing method characterized in that an addition signal of -K) times signal is used as a signal after switching. 22. An image recording / reproducing method and apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the image is switched by discretely changing the value of K from 1 to 0 or from 0 to 1 for each image frame. An image recording / reproducing method characterized by performing. 23. An information recording / reproducing apparatus for recording temporally continuous information in a storage means, and reproducing and displaying the information from the storage means, comprising a first storage means for recording the information. From one storage path, a second storage path having a storage means of a different type from the first storage means for recording only a part of the information, and the first storage path and the second storage path. An information recording / reproducing apparatus having a selecting means for selecting and displaying the reproducing information of 1. and a controlling means for controlling the recording / reproducing operation of the first and second accumulating means. 24. The second storage path has compression means for compressing the information before the second storage means, and expands the compressed information after the second storage means. 24. The information recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 23, comprising an expanding means. 25. The second storage path has a first intermittent memory for storing the information intermittently before the second accumulation means, and the first intermittent memory for the second accumulation means. 24. The information recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising a second intermittent memory for intermittently storing information from the second storage means. 26. The information recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the time axes of the output information from the first and second storage paths are configured so as to coincide with each other in the selecting means. 27. An information recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising a control device for reproducing the information recorded in said first and second storage means in time synchronization. 28. An information recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the first accumulating means is a sequential memory and the second accumulating means is a random access memory.