JPH07244932A - Recording/reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the consumption and timewise loss of power consumption by dividing a recording medium with a disk shape into blocks by time with a fixed length in advance and recording/reproducing an information signal in block unit. CONSTITUTION:An instruction that a recording area on a recording magneto- optical disk 12 is divided into n blocks imparted by a key input terminal 18 before initial recording is performed. Thus, the magneto-optical disk 12 whose start addresses and end address of respective blocks are distributed by an MD control circuit 17 so that address lengths of n blocks become T/n all. At this time, n is selected so that the T/n becomes equal to a time length of recorded sound information. Then, these blocks are allocated, and the address information is recorded on a UTOC area. In such a manner, when the sound information is recorded on the blocknized magneto-optical disk 12, the MD control circuit 17 reads out the start/end addresses with the unrecorded youngest TNO and records on it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing information signals such as audio signals using a disc-shaped recording medium such as a magneto-optical disc.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As the above-mentioned equipment, for example, MD
There is a (mini disc) system. The MD system is for recording / reproducing by compressing / decompressing an audio signal converted into a digital signal into a magneto-optical disk having a diameter of 64 mm contained in a cartridge by a high efficiency encoding called ATRAC method.

In this MD system, a concept called a cluster is introduced, and recording on a disc is performed in units of this cluster. One cluster is composed of 36 sectors, which is about 2 seconds when converted into a voice reproduction time.
Information such as addresses related to the information recorded on the disc is recorded in an area called UTOC, and a track or an empty area (remaining area where audio information can be recorded on the disc)
Address information such as is managed by a pointer, a start address, and an end address. The structure of sector 0 in the UTOC area is shown in FIG.

[0004]

When recording is performed using the MD system, an empty area of 6 clusters (about 12 seconds in terms of reproduction time) or more exists immediately before the lead-out area of the disc to be recorded. In this case, even if an empty area exists in an area before that, recording is started from the empty area immediately before the lead-out area.

Therefore, when erasing a track already recorded on the disc and newly recording on the disc, if there is an empty area of 6 clusters or more immediately before the lead-out area, the erased track The recording was started from an empty area instead of recording from the empty space created by the above, and if the recording could not be completed in the empty area, the continuation was caused by erasing the already recorded track. In order to record in an empty area, one track may be divided and recorded in two or more distant areas in the disc.

Also, one independent empty area in the recording area of the disc (generated by erasing a track)
Is less than 6 clusters (about 12 seconds in terms of reproduction time), that area is called a discard area, and audio information cannot be recorded in that area.

When recording a language broadcast such as a radio on a magneto-optical disc of an MD system for language learning, one disc is additionally recorded for one broadcast, and the disc is recorded. When it ’s full,
When an operation such as erasing an appropriate track recorded on the disc and newly recording a new broadcast portion is performed, if there is an empty area immediately before the lead-out area as described above, 1 In some cases, one track is divided into two parts, that area and another area that is separated from each other.

Further, by repeating recording and erasing in large numbers in the above-described procedure, one track is recorded in a plurality of areas divided into two or more areas, and there are many non-recordable areas called discard areas. It happens that you do. In such a state, the number of times the pickup accesses the recording / playback increases, which causes inconveniences such as an increase in power consumption and time loss. There is a problem that it will be less than the recordable time.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, in a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing an information signal to / from a disc-shaped recording medium, the disc-shaped recording medium is previously set to a predetermined length. It is intended to provide a recording / reproducing apparatus which divides the time unit into blocks and records the information signal in the block units.

[0010]

With the above-mentioned structure, the information signal is recorded in a preset block unit on the recording medium.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing the configuration of an MD system to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, 1 is an input terminal for inputting an analog information signal such as a voice signal, 2 is an A / D conversion circuit for converting the analog information signal input from the input terminal 1 into a digital signal,
Reference numeral 3 is an A for compressing the digital signal converted by the A / D conversion circuit and converting it into a high-efficiency coded digital signal.
A TRAC processing circuit 4, a digital signal processing circuit for interleaving the digital signal processed by the ATRAC processing circuit 3, adding an error correction code, and converting it into a digital signal with a subcode signal added, 5 is a head drive circuit The output signal from the digital signal processing circuit 4 is converted into a signal for recording on the magneto-optical disk 12 by the recording magnetic head 11.

Reference numeral 14 is an optical pickup for converting the pit data read from the magneto-optical disk 12 into an electric signal, and 6 is an R for converting the pit data from the optical pickup 14 into a digital signal and generating a servo signal.
F amplifier circuit, 7 is a digital signal processing circuit for performing processing such as error correction, and 8 is an AT for expanding the signal processed by the digital signal processing circuit 7 and returning it to the original digital signal.
A RAC processing circuit, 9 is a D / A conversion circuit for converting this digital signal into an original analog signal, and 10 is an output terminal of a demodulated analog information signal.

Reference numeral 15 is a feed motor for reciprocating the optical pickup 14 between the inner and outer circumferences of the magneto-optical disk 12, and the servo control circuit 16 is driven by the tracking error signal output from the RF amplifier circuit 6. Controlled through. 13 is the magneto-optical disk 1
2 is a spindle motor that rotates 2.

Further, reference numeral 17 is an MD control circuit for controlling the operation of the entire MD system. The mechanism shifts to each mode of recording / playback / fast forward / fast rewind and a key input terminal 18
The digital signal processing circuit 4, the digital signal processing circuit 7, the servo control circuit 16 and the like are controlled by performing the processing based on the key input and the processing of the subcode data.

Next, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the magneto-optical disk 12, in which 20 is a lead-in area where disk information can be reproduced and 21 is a UTO.
Area C is an area in which recording information can be recorded / reproduced, 22 is a program area in which music information can be recorded / reproduced, and 23 is a lead-out area.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

First, FIG. 3 shows an example of a pattern of the program area 22 on the magneto-optical disk 12 to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, [T] indicates the address length of the program area 22.

In the case of repeatedly recording audio information of a certain fixed time length such as periodic recording of radio language broadcast programs of radio, recording is performed by the key input terminal 18 before the first recording. An instruction is given to divide the recording area on the magneto-optical disk 12 into n blocks. As a result, in the magneto-optical disk 12, the start address and end address of each block are set to the MD control circuit 17 so that the address length of all n blocks becomes [T / n].
Sorted by.

Here, n is selected so that [T / n] is equal to the time length of the recorded audio information. And these blocks are respectively TNO1, TNO2, TNO3, ...
.., TNOn, and assign the address information (start and end addresses of each track) to the UT
Record in the OC area 21. FIG. 4 shows an example of the track address table of the UTOC area 21 of the magneto-optical disk 12 sorted in this way. That is, for example, when the broadcast time of the program to be recorded is 10 minutes, the start address and the end address are set so that each track has a length of 10 minutes.

When recording audio information on the magneto-optical disk 12 which has been divided into blocks by the above procedure, the MD control circuit 17 first sets the start address of the youngest unrecorded TNO from the UTOC area 21 of the magneto-optical disk. The end address is read, the recording magnetic head 11 and the optical pickup 14 are moved to the start address to start recording, and when the end address is reached, the recording is ended.

On the other hand, when the user gives an instruction to stop recording from the key input terminal 18 before the end address is reached, "silence" is recorded from that point to the end address and the recording is ended at the end address. .

Next, when the track recorded on the magneto-optical disk 12 is to be erased by the above-mentioned operation, the start address of the track to which the instruction to erase from the key input terminal 18 is given by the user. The end address is read from the UTOC area 21, and information that the area indicated by the start address and the end address is an unrecorded area (empty area) is provided.
To record.

When new audio information is recorded on this disc, the start address of the track erased previously is set to UT.
Reading from the OC area 21, the recording magnetic head 11 and the optical pickup 14 are moved to a start address to start recording, and when the end address is reached, the recording is ended.

If the user gives an instruction to stop recording from the key input terminal 18 before the end address is reached, "silence" is recorded from that point to the end address and recording is performed at the end address. finish.

Further, it is generally well known that the recording of the program is not only manually operated by the user but also automatically performed by using an audio timer or the like.

[0027]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing an information signal on / from a disc-shaped recording medium, the disc-shaped recording medium is previously stored for a predetermined length of time. Since the information signal is recorded / reproduced in units of blocks, the recording / reproducing apparatus such as an MD system is used to repeatedly record / erase a radio language broadcast program etc. every day. As described above, in the case of repeatedly recording the information signal of a fixed time length, one track is not recorded in a plurality of areas on the disc. Therefore, since unnecessary access of the optical pickup during reproduction can be omitted, it is possible to eliminate waste of power consumption and time loss.

Further, by repeating recording and erasing, a discarded area (unrecordable area) generated on the disc does not occur, so that the recordable area on the disc can be utilized without waste, and the discarded area is generated. The inconvenience of not being able to record for a shorter time than originally supposed to be possible does not occur.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing a configuration of an MD system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a main part showing the structure of a magneto-optical disk.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a pattern example of a program area on a magneto-optical disk.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a track address table of a UTOC area of a magneto-optical disk.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of sector 0 in the UTOC area of the magneto-optical disk.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Terminal 2 A / D Converter Circuit 3 ATRAC Processing Circuit 4 Digital Signal Processing Circuit 5 Head Drive Circuit 6 RF Amplifier Circuit 7 Digital Signal Processing Circuit 8 ATRAC Processing Circuit 9 D / A Conversion Circuit 10 Output Terminal 11 Recording Magnetic Head 12 Magneto-optical disk 13 Spindle motor 14 Optical pickup 15 Feed motor 16 Servo control circuit 17 MD control circuit 18 Key input terminal 20 Lead-in area 21 UTOC area 22 Program area 23 Lead-out area

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing an information signal to / from a disc-shaped recording medium, wherein the disc-shaped recording medium is divided into blocks of a predetermined length in time unit, and the information signal is divided into blocks. Recording / reproducing apparatus characterized by performing recording of.