JPH0877760A - Magnetic recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a magnetic recording and reproducing device capable of easily obtaining reproducing images by retrieving images with a high speed picture searching without displaying pictures and transferring a tape to a required tape position at a high speed. CONSTITUTION: At the time of a recording, this device is provided with a retrieved data extractor 3 retrieving image data to be recorded on a tape with a prescribed time interval and a semiconductor memory 9 storing image data as retrieval data and tape positional information corresponding to image data. Picture data are extracted by the retrieved data extractor 3 and then image data as the retrieval data and the tape positional information corresponding to image data are stored in the semiconductor memory 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus used for image retrieval for retrieving recorded images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a VTR, an image search is performed to search what kind of image is recorded on one tape. In this case, a high-speed picture search that confirms while viewing the replayed image during fast-forwarding the tape is used unless the user leaves a memo during recording or manually inputs it to an external storage device such as a database. There was no choice but to do it.

This applies to all home analog VTRs, professional analog and digital VTRs. Below, mainly for commercial digital V
The TR will be described. Further, although most VTRs have already used cassette tapes, the term tape is used as a general term to distinguish them from disk media.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital VTR as a conventional magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus. Figure 9
At the time of recording, the analog input image signal supplied to the A / D converter 90 is converted into digital image data during recording. The digital image data is supplied to the recording encoder 91, and necessary signal processing such as addition of error correction code and shuffling is performed. The signal-processed recording data is supplied to the recording system circuit 92 of the recording / reproducing unit 99, is high-frequency amplified, and is recorded on the tape 94 by the recording head 93.

At the time of reproduction, the reproduction data reproduced by the reproducing head from the recorded tape 94 and demodulated by the reproducing system circuit 96 is supplied to the reproducing decoder 97. In the reproduction decoder 97, the reproduction data is subjected to necessary signal processing such as deshuffling and error correction, and is returned to the original image data. This image data is supplied to the D / A converter 98, converted into an analog output image signal, and output. The electrical and mechanical control of the entire digital VTR is performed by a system controller (not shown).

In the case of a digital VTR that records such image data as it is, in a high-speed picture search for searching an image, the pixel at a corresponding position on the display is updated based on the retrieved data. Thus, it was possible to display an incompletely distinguishable image.

Further, recently, the image compression technique based on the high-efficiency coding technique has remarkably advanced, and it has become possible to record at a data rate reduced to 1/10 or less without deteriorating the image quality so much. It was The structure of the digital VTR for image compression and recording is the same as that shown in FIG. 9, and in FIG. 9, the function of compressing the image is added to the recording encoder 91, and the image compression is expanded in the reproducing decoder 97. The only difference is that the function to add is added.

However, in the case of such a digital VTR using image compression, most of the data that can be extracted by the high-speed picture search does not correspond to independent pixels by itself, but is combined with the data of peripheral pixels. The data is meaningful by. Therefore, it is difficult to display the pixels that can be identified by the high-speed picture search unless the compression method and the data arrangement on the tape are devised.

In such conventional digital VTRs, high-speed picture search accompanied by image display has been an indispensable function. Therefore, in order to realize this, restrictions are placed on the tape format, compression method, or compression rate.
It was not allowed to compress up to the necessary and sufficient data rate, and it was difficult to use the tape effectively.

On the other hand, in the field, the most inconvenient point in the digital VTR used for program production is that it takes too much time to fast-forward to the tape position where necessary pixels are recorded. In order to overcome this drawback, as a recent tendency, development of an image editing machine using a workstation having a hard disk or a magneto-optical disk as a recording medium, which is characterized by good operability by random access, is progressing.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the image recording apparatus using this workstation. In FIG. 10, the necessary image data is the number of recorded tapes 1
00 as a source and is stored in the hard disk of the hard disk drive circuit 102 via the digital VTR 101. A magneto-optical disk may be used instead of the hard disk. Along with this, the minimum necessary data such as image data and indexes is displayed on the workstation 106.
It is stored in the semiconductor memory 103 inside.

When a program is edited using this, the editor displays the data in the semiconductor memory 103 on the display 105 of the workstation 106 and determines the editing procedure based on this. Following this editing procedure,
The image data is read from the hard disk of the hard disk drive circuit 102 and displayed on the display 105.

By repeating such work,
Editing can be done efficiently. The image recording apparatus using this workstation can take advantage of the feature of random access not only for editing but also for sending programs such as news and commercials as programs of relatively short time.

However, it is considered that a digital VTR will be used for the time being to store the completed program. The reason is that there is no recording medium cheaper than the magnetic tape so far, considering the medium unit price per information. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the result of the editing is again recorded and stored on another tape via the digital VTR.

By the way, while the helical scan VTR can realize recording / reproducing at a data rate of several hundred Mbps, a hard disk or a magneto-optical disk, at least at the present stage, has several tens of Mbps.
Only recording and reproduction at a data rate of s can be realized. Therefore, even assuming that the current NTSC image is handled, a digital VTR of 4: 2: 2 D-1 format is 200 Mbps, and the sampling frequency is 4 fsc (14.31818 MHz) of D-2 or D-3 format. Digital VTR 100Mbp
It is not possible to realize recording / reproducing at a data rate of s.

Therefore, the image compression technique is indispensable,
Image data compressed within the range of acceptable image quality will be handled. However, the result of editing using the compressed image data is the digital V of the conventional high data rate.
Even if the data is recorded and stored in the TR, the image quality is not the original data rate of the digital VTR, and deterioration due to the compression performed during editing remains.

Therefore, the digital VT for the purpose of saving is premised on the existence of the editing machine by the workstation.
Considering R, it is considered that recording / reproducing at a higher data rate than ever is not necessary. On the contrary, considering that the data rate of the digital VTR that can be realized by the current technology is several times or more the data rate of the hard disk or the magneto-optical disk, the image data of the data rate equivalent to that of the hard disk or the magneto-optical disk can be generated It is considered preferable to use a digital VTR in which data is recorded in parallel and the recording / reproducing time of one tape is significantly lengthened.

In the digital VTR in which the image data encoded at such a high compression rate is recorded, the high-speed picture search function for image retrieval is, as described at the beginning, the compression method and the signal processing of the reproduction system. It is clear that it will be a heavy burden on the circuit. Also, digital VT
When parallel recording is performed by making full use of the R capability, it is extremely difficult to display a distinguishable image by high-speed picture search unless special measures are taken such as the arrangement of data on the tape and the special playback function of the VTR. Considered difficult.

[0019]

As described above, in the conventional magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, in the digital VTR in which the image data encoded at a high compression rate is recorded, the high speed picture search for image retrieval is compressed. However, there is a problem in that it imposes a heavy burden on the signal processing circuit of the system and the reproduction system. Further, when recorded in parallel with a digital VTR, it is extremely difficult to display a distinguishable image by high-speed picture search.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a digital V for recording compressed image data.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus capable of retrieving an image by a high-speed picture search without displaying the image in a TR, rapidly feeding a tape to a required tape position, and easily obtaining a reproduced image.

[0021]

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention converts data supplied from a data supply source into a predetermined tape format and uses the recording / reproducing means 5 to perform a tape operation. In the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus for reproducing the data recorded on the tape by the recording / reproducing means 5 based on the tape format and retrieving the image recorded on the tape, the tape format is a header at the beginning of the tape. The area 24 is provided, and at least the tape identification data 85 for identifying the tape, the image data 82, 84 extracted from the image recorded on the tape, and the tape position information 86 corresponding to the image data 82, 84 are provided in the header area 24. The search data 83 including the data is recorded.

Further, in the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, in the above, the tape identification data 85 is the serial number of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus and the number indicating the number of the tape. Is to be recorded.

The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.
Image data is recorded in the area after 4 as an image recording area 27.

The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, converts the data supplied from the data supply source into a predetermined tape format and records it on the tape by the recording / reproducing means 5. In a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus for reproducing the data recorded on the tape by the recording / reproducing means 5 based on the tape format to retrieve the image recorded on the tape, at the time of recording, the image data 82, 84 to be recorded on the tape are recorded. The image data extracting means 3 for extracting at predetermined time intervals, the search data storing means 9 for storing the image data 82, 84 as the search data 83 and the tape position information 86 corresponding to the image data 82, 84 are provided. Image data 82, 84 by the data extraction means 3
And the search data storage means 9 extracts the search data 83
Image data 82, 84 and image data 82, 84
And the tape position information 86 corresponding to.

Further, in the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, in the above, when the tape is loaded, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape, and the recording / reproducing means 5 causes the beginning of the tape. The header area 24 provided in the portion is reproduced, and the search data recorded in the header area 24 is stored in the search data storage means 9.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention rewinds to the beginning of the tape when the continuous recording is finished, and is stored in the retrieval data storage means 9. The search data is recorded in the header area 24.

The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, converts the data supplied from the data supply source into a predetermined tape format and records it on the tape by the recording / reproducing means 5. In the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus for reproducing the data recorded on the tape by the recording / reproducing means 5 based on the tape format to retrieve the image recorded on the tape, the header area 24 provided at the head portion of the tape during reproduction. Display means 170 for displaying the image data recorded as the search data and the tape position information 177, and designating means 189 for designating a desired tape reproducing position based on the image data displayed on the display means 170. When the tape position information 177 of the display means 170 indicates near the desired reproduction position, the image as search data is displayed. Data speed play, is obtained so as to display on the display unit 170 as a moving image.

Further, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, has the above-described image data 82, 84 as search data and tape position information 86 corresponding to the image data 82, 84. A search data storage means 9 for storing is provided, and when the tape is loaded, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape, and the recording / reproducing means 5 reproduces the header area 24 provided at the beginning of the tape. The recorded search data is stored in the search data storage means 9, and the search data stored in the search data storage means 9 is displayed on the display means 170.

Further, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIGS.
When the tape position information 177 indicates a position away from the desired reproduction position, the tape is fast-forwarded and the image data as search data is sequentially displayed on the display means 170.

[0030]

According to the present invention, in the tape format, the header area 24 is provided in advance at the beginning of the tape, and at least the tape identification data 85 for identifying the tape in the header area 24 and the image recorded on the tape are extracted. Since the recorded image data 82 and 84 and the search data 83 including the tape position information 86 corresponding to the image data 82 and 84 are recorded, based on the tape format,
The image data 82 and 84 and the tape position information 86 can be recorded in the header area 24 to complete the search data 83.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
Since the tape identification data 85 records the serial number of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus and the number indicating the number of the tape, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus used for recording the tape is specified based on the tape format. can do.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
Since the image data is recorded in the portion after the header area 24 as the image recording area 27, the image data in the image recording area 27 can be searched by the search data in the header area 24 based on the tape format.

Further, according to the present invention, at the time of recording, the image data extracting means 3 for extracting the image data to be recorded on the tape at predetermined time intervals, the image data 82, 84 as the search data 83 and the image data 82. , 84, and the search data storage means 9 for storing the tape position information 86 corresponding to the tape position information 86, the image data extraction means 3 extracts the image data 82, 84, and the search data storage means 9 extracts the image data as the search data 83. Since the data 82 and 84 and the tape position information 86 corresponding to the image data 82 and 84 are stored, the image data 8 used for retrieval during recording is recorded.
The search data 83 can be easily created by accumulating 2, 84 and the tape position information 86.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
When the tape is loaded, it is rewound to the beginning of the tape, the recording / reproducing means 5 reproduces the header area 24 provided at the beginning of the tape, and the search data 83 recorded in the header area 24 is stored as search data. Since it is stored in the means 9, the search data 83 of the unrecorded portion can be further accumulated and added to the search data 83 of the recorded portion of the header area 24 which is provided in advance.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
When the continuous recording is completed, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape and the search data stored in the search data storage means 9 is recorded in the header area 24. Therefore, the search is returned to the header area 24 for each recording. Without writing the data 83, the header area 24 can be efficiently recorded when there is a gap in the operation of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus.

Further, according to the present invention, the display means 170 for displaying the image data as the search data recorded in the header area 24 provided at the head portion of the tape and the tape position information 177 during reproduction. And a designating unit 189 for designating a desired reproduction position of the tape based on the image data displayed on the display unit 170, and when the tape position information 177 of the display unit 170 indicates a position near the desired reproduction position, Since the image data as the search data is reproduced at double speed and displayed on the display unit 170 as the moving image, the image data can be easily restored by the clear moving image, and the high speed picture search is not required. It is possible to quickly and easily find the desired image and reproduce it.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
A search data storage unit 9 for storing image data as search data and tape position information corresponding to the image data is provided. When the tape is loaded, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape, and the recording / playback unit 5 rewrites the tape. The header area 24 provided in the head portion is reproduced, the search data recorded in the header area 24 is stored in the search data storage means,
Since the search data stored in the search data storage means is displayed on the display means 170, the image is searched based on the image data included in the search data displayed on the display means 170 to partially It is possible to find the desired image without performing a high-speed picture search based on the reproduced signal.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
When the tape position information 177 of the display means 170 indicates a position away from the desired reproduction position, the tape is fast-forwarded and the image data as search data is displayed on the display means 170.
Since the images are sequentially displayed on the screen, the images are searched so that the desired reproduction position is approached based on the image data included in the search data displayed on the display unit 170.
It is possible to find the desired image without performing a high-speed picture search based on the partially reproduced signal.

[0039]

1 is a block diagram showing the schematic construction of an embodiment of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. In this example, in particular, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes a search data extractor 3 having a function of extracting tape position information and image information necessary for image search and storing the same in the internal semiconductor memory 9. It is characterized by the points provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, during recording, the analog input image signal supplied to the A / D converter 1 is converted into digital image data. The image data is supplied to the recording encoder 2, and after being subjected to image compression as necessary, necessary signal processing such as addition of error correction code and shuffling is performed. The recording data that has been signal-processed by the recording encoder 2 is supplied to the recording / reproducing unit 5 via the switch 4 and recorded on a tape (not shown).

At the time of reproduction, the reproduction data reproduced from the recorded tape (not shown) of the recording / reproduction unit 5 is supplied to the reproduction decoder 6. The reproduction decoder 6 performs necessary signal processing such as deshuffling and error correction, and decompresses the compressed image as necessary. The image data subjected to signal processing by the reproduction decoder 6 is supplied to the D / A converter 7 and converted into an analog output image signal. The analog output image signal is displayed on the display 8. In FIG. 1, electrical and mechanical control of the entire magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus is performed by a system controller (not shown).

The process up to this point corresponds to the conventional magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 9, except that the search data extractor 3 and the semiconductor memory 9 incorporated therein are arranged in parallel with the recording encoder 2. The point is that the switch 4 is provided to switch between the recording encoder 2 and the recording encoder 2. The search data extractor 3 has a function of extracting tape position information and image information necessary for image search and accumulating them in the internal semiconductor memory 9.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a tape format of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. A header area 24 is secured in advance in the tape head portion 20. The header area 24 is small enough to be ignored in view of the recording / reproducing time of the entire tape, and the time required for formatting is preferably, for example, 1 minute or less.

It is also effective to carry out only the formatting in advance. Header area 2
In the first tape identification data area 21 of No. 4, the serial number of the VTR that formatted this tape and the number indicating the number of the formatted tape are recorded. In the next search data recording areas 22 and 23,
The tape position information and the image information extracted during the recording of the image are recorded. In the last image recording area 27, a normal VTR
Image data similar to that is recorded. The header area 24 has a recorded search data recording area 22 and an unrecorded search data recording area 23. In addition, the image recording area 27
The recorded image recording area 25 and the unrecorded image recording area 2
6 to the trailing end portion 28 of the tape.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the detailed construction of the recording system of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 3, the analog or digital video signal supplied to the analog / digital video signal input section 30 is converted into parallel video data. The parallel video data is supplied to the DCT blocking circuit 31,
After the predetermined DCT blocking is performed, it is supplied to the intra-field shuffling circuit 32. The intra-field shuffling circuit 32 rearranges the parallel video data within the field. This is because editing in a field unit and variable speed reproduction are possible, so that the compression process is completed within one field without using redundancy in the time axis direction.

The parallel video data rearranged by the intra-field shuffling circuit 32 is supplied to the bit rate reduction unit 71. The parallel video data supplied to the bit rate reduction unit 71 has its time axis component converted into a frequency component by the DCT converter 33, quantized by a quantizer 34, and variable length coded by a variable length code encoder 35. . In the bit rate reduction unit 71, DCT is adopted and combined with a variable length code,
The bit rate is efficiently reduced and the quantization is controlled so that the data amount is suppressed to half. Quantization control is to perform fixed-length quantization so that the amount of data becomes constant after variable-length coding in quantization.

The video data supplied from the bit rate reduction unit 71 is the outer code ECC for video signals.
The encoder 36 adds an outer error correction code and performs track interleaving.

Further, the intra-field shuffling circuit 32
The search data extracted by the search data extractor 3 from the parallel video data rearranged in (1) is stored in the built-in semiconductor memory 9 and is compressed to a necessary and sufficient data rate by the bit rate reduction circuit 38. An outer error correction code is added by an outer code ECC encoder 39 for video signals and track interleaving is performed.

The analog or digital audio signal supplied to the analog / digital audio signal input section 40 is converted into serial audio data. After being shuffled by the shuffling circuit 41, the serial audio data is added with an outer error correction code by the audio signal outer code ECC encoder 42, and field shuffled by the in-field shuffling circuit 43.

Here, the video data and audio data are supplied to the video / audio / search data multiplexing circuit 44 and multiplexed. ID data is added to the multiplexed data by the ID adding circuit 45, scrambled by the scramble circuit 46, and then supplied to the inner code ECC encoder 47, inner ECC encoded, and supplied to the synchronization signal adding circuit 48. Then, the sync data is added.

The recording data to which the sync data is added is
It is supplied to the partial response class 4 encoder 49 and channel-coded. Here, channel coding by partial response class 4 is performed. This suppresses low and high frequency components,
I try to use a lot of mid-range energy. The recording data thus channel-coded is recorded on the tape 51 by the recording head 50.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the detailed structure of the reproducing system of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. In the reproducing system, processing is performed in the reverse flow of the recording system. In FIG. 4, the recording data recorded on the tape 51 is reproduced by the reproducing head, and the reproduced data is reproduced by the Viterbi decoder 53.
And decrypt it. The Viterbi decoding method is used to improve the C / N and eventually the error rate. The Viterbi decoding method is a method of determining whether the value of the current data is 0 or 1 based on the past data, and is 0/0 compared with the method of simply determining 0/1.
1 The possibility of making a wrong decision is significantly reduced.

The reproduced data decoded by the Viterbi decoder 53 is supplied to the sync signal detection circuit 54, and sync data is detected. The reproduced data in which the sync data is detected is supplied to the inner code error decoder 55, and the inner E
Inner error correction is performed based on CC coding. The reproduction data subjected to the inner ECC decoding is supplied to the ID detection circuit 56, and the ID data is detected. The reproduction data in which the ID data is detected is descrambled by the descramble circuit 57, supplied to the video / audio / data demultiplexing circuit 58, and demultiplexed.

The demultiplexed video data is supplied to the video signal outer code error decoder 64, and the outer error is corrected based on the outer ECC coding. The outer error-corrected video data is supplied to the variable length code decoder 65 of the inverse bit rate reduction unit 72, subjected to variable length code decoding, supplied to the inverse quantizer 66, inversely quantized, and inverse D.
It is supplied to the CT converter 67 and subjected to inverse DCT conversion. The reproduced data that has been processed by the inverse bit rate reduction unit 72 is supplied to the intra-field deshuffling circuit 68 and is subjected to field deshuffling.

The field deshuffled reproduction data is supplied to the error concealment circuit 69,
Don't let out errors that could not be corrected even with error correction. Errors in the tape and head systems can usually be corrected by an error decoder, but if the condition cannot be corrected and the error cannot be corrected, effective concealment is required. In this case, it is desirable that there is no stumbling block in the worst case such as head clogs. The error-concealed reproduction data is supplied to the analog / digital video signal output unit 70 and displayed on the display 8.

Further, the demultiplexed audio data is supplied to the in-field deshuffling circuit 59 and subjected to field deshuffling. The field deshuffled audio data is supplied to the audio signal outer code error decoder 60, and the outer error is corrected based on the outer ECC coding. The reproduced audio data whose outer error has been corrected is supplied to the deshuffling circuit 61 and deshuffled. The deshuffled reproduced audio data is supplied to the error concealment circuit 62, and the error of the audio data which cannot be corrected by the inner and outer parts is error concealed. The reproduced audio data subjected to error concealment is processed by the analog / digital audio signal output unit 63.
Is supplied to.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a helical track of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. Here, one track of video data and audio data is recorded by six tracks. In FIG. 5, tracks 73 to 78 are recorded obliquely. These tracks 73 to 78 are provided with a video sector 79, an audio sector 80, and a video sector 81. Search image data (video) 82 is recorded in the video sector 79, and search image data (video) 82 is recorded in the video sector 81.
84 is recorded. Audio sector 80 no longer needed
For example, a tape ID 85, a tape position 86, frame information 87, a program name 88, etc. are recorded. These search image data (video) 82, 84, tape I
Search data 83 including D85, tape position 86, frame information 87, program name 88, etc. is recorded.

An embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, having such a structure, operates as follows. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. Start
When the tape is loaded, it is rewound to the beginning of the tape in step S1 and the header area is reproduced. In step S2, it is determined whether the header area has been formatted. If the header area has not been formatted in step S2, the header area is formatted in step S3. If the header area has been formatted in step S2, a recording or reproducing command is received, and it is determined in step S4 whether it is a recording command or a reproducing command.

That is, when the tape is mounted on the digital VTR as the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of this example, first, the tape is rewound to the head by the driving means (not shown),
The recording / reproducing unit 5 reproduces the header area. And if the header area 24 is not formatted,
Formatting is performed to secure the header area at the beginning of the tape and to record the tape identification data. During the playback or formatting of this header area, enter a recording or playback command.

If the command is a recording command in step S4, it is fast-forwarded to the image recordable area and stopped in step S5.
Upon receiving the recording command, image recording is started in step S6 to extract the search data. Upon receiving the end command, the image recording is ended in step S7. Step S8
To rewind to the header area. In step S9, the search data is written and the process ends.

That is, when a recording command is input, the image is automatically fast-forwarded to the beginning of the area where image recording is possible and stopped. If it is a tape to be recorded for the first time, it goes to the beginning of the image recording area, and if it is a recorded tape, it goes to the beginning of the unrecorded area of the image recording area.

Then, the input signal is connected and recording is performed.
While the recording is being performed, the image data is also input to the search data extractor 3 to extract and store the image data necessary for the image search, and the tape position information sent from the system controller (not shown). Accumulate.

When the continuous recording is completed, the system controller (not shown) issues an instruction to return to the header area of the beginning portion of the tape, and the retrieval data extractor 3
Automatically perform the process of writing the data stored in.

If the recorded image has a program name or the like, it may be input during recording and written in the header area after the recording is completed. Further, when it is often the case that recording is performed next after continuous recording, it is inefficient to return to the header area and write search data every time, so when there is a gap in the operation of the digital VTR. Alternatively, the setting may be changeable so that the header area is recorded in anticipation of changing the tape.

Further, in the actual operation of the digital VTR, it is necessary to switch the input source and rewind or replace the source tape. Even when recording is continued, it is time to return to the header area and write the search data. There is a margin.

If it is a reproduction command in step S4, search data is displayed in step S10. In response to the designation of the tape position, the search image is displayed by fast-forwarding in step S11. Double speed reproduction is performed in step S12. Upon receipt of the reproduction command, normal reproduction is carried out in step S13, and upon completion of the termination command.

That is, when a reproduction command is input, a representative screen, position data, etc. are displayed on the display 8. The user searches for an image based on the image data of the search data displayed on the display 8, roughly knows the tape position where the desired image exists, and specifies the tape position.

As a result, the tape of the digital VTR is fast-forwarded by the driving means (not shown). During fast-forwarding, the digital VTR only fast-forwards the tape and does not display an image based on the reproduced data. Instead, the accumulated image data of the search data is sequentially displayed.

When the position near the designated tape position is reached, double speed playback is performed at a designated tape feeding speed which is 2 to 4 times faster than normal playback, and a moving image as clear as possible is displayed. To do. This double speed reproduction may be performed at a fixed tape feeding speed at which data can be easily restored, and it is necessary to display a moving image for arbitrary or several kinds of tape feeding speeds like a normal VTR. There is no. When you reach the required image by this high-speed playback at a fixed speed, enter the playback command again to switch to normal playback.

In this way, it is possible to quickly and easily find and reproduce the required image without the need for a high-speed picture search.

If it is difficult to realize the double speed reproduction due to the compression method or the like, this function is omitted and the normal reproduction is started when the designated tape position is reached. May be.

Further, by having a function of automatically feeding the tape in advance to the vicinity of the tape position estimated from the retrieval operation before the tape position is designated, the time required for fast-forwarding to the designated tape position can be reduced. It may be shortened.

Although the description so far has been made only for a general type VTR which records one input signal, a V type which records many kinds of input signals in parallel.
Also in the case of TR, the structure and operation of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention can be basically applied in the same manner.

However, in the search data extractor 3 described above, search data is extracted and stored for each input signal,
A process of organizing the data and recording it in the header area 24 is required. Further, at the time of reproduction, a function of displaying image data of search data for each input signal is required.

Although all the explanations so far have been given only to the digital VTR for business use, in the VTR for home use, the analog V of the conventional format will be used for a while.
TR is considered to be the mainstream. Extraction during recording of search data, which is the basic part of the present invention, and automatic recording by tape rewinding after the end of continuous recording can be applied to a household analog VTR, and a recorded image can be searched. It makes it extremely easy.

A stationary type V used for long-time recording
In TR, the embodiment of the present invention can be applied as it is. In a VTR such as a video movie used for fine recording, search data is extracted and accumulated during recording, and is rewound and stored without being recorded as long as the storage capacity of the internal memory allows it. When the memory becomes full, a warning may be issued and writing may be performed. When the search data is not written even when the internal memory is full, old search data may be thinned out and new search data may be written.

Next, a method of extracting search data and an image search method will be described. The extraction method of the search data, its display, and the image search method will be described below, but it goes without saying that the description given here is only an example.

As a method of extracting the search data during recording, the search data extractor 3 samples an image at a time interval of about 30 seconds, compresses the image, and adds additional data such as tape position information. Together with the method of storing in the semiconductor memory 9.

In this case, let us consider how much time interval the images should be captured in order to substitute for the high speed picture search when the tape is fast forwarded. Assuming that the tape speed when fast-forwarding the tape is up to 120 times that during playback, if one image is captured and displayed every 30 seconds,
When fast-forwarding at 0 times, four images can be sequentially displayed per second. If images are switched during fast-forwarding at such a frequency, high-speed picture search can be substituted.

Next, let us consider how much data this has. In the NTSC system, 30 images are switched per second, so if this is compared with the total number of images, it is only 1/1800, and assuming that a tape having a recording / reproducing time of 120 minutes is used, This corresponds to an image for 4 seconds. Since it is not a continuous image, it is difficult to perform compression using the correlation in the time axis direction, but it is not intended for high-quality playback and is used as a substitute for high-speed picture search, so additional data such as tape position information is used. There is no problem in compressing up to a data rate of about 10 Mbps including. If this has a total of 40 Mbit in 4 seconds, and therefore has a semiconductor memory of 5 Mbytes or more, data can be accumulated.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display screen of search data in one embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.
In FIG. 7, the display 170 of the search data is
The search window 171, the representative screen window 172, and the operation window 173 are divided into three parts. In the search window 171, time axis information (TIME SCAL
E) 174, Video Index (VIDEO IND)
EX) 175, display position (VIEW) 176, and tape position (TAPE) 177 are displayed.

Video index (VIDEO IND
EX) 175 is for grasping the outline of the image recorded on the entire tape, and vertically cuts the image taken in for retrieval by the retrieval data extractor 3 shown in FIG. One slit is selected for one image and displayed along the time axis. this is,
It is generated by a so-called video browser (VIDEO BROWSER) originally developed by the applicant of the present invention. Video browser (VIDEO BROWSER)
Is a strip of sample images of the images recorded on the tape in the time axis direction.

In the representative screen window 172, some images of the portion designated by the arrow indicating the display position 176 in the search window 171 are reduced and displayed. This is to supplement image information that is difficult to understand in the video index 175. Select one of these small screens and then click Search window 17
The display range 1 and the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus are operated.

The operation window 173 is a portion in which switches for displaying search data and operating the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus are arranged. Representative screen window 172
The display method of is selected by "MODE" and displayed at approximately equal intervals in time, "TIME", and "SCENE" that selects and displays the scene change parts at appropriate intervals. Is prepared.

The display range of the search window 171 is designated by "SCALE", and "FU" for displaying the whole is displayed.
LL ”,“ ZOOM UP ”for enlarging display around the selected representative screen, and“ ZOO for reducing display for displaying a wide range twice as wide as the currently displayed range.
A command such as “M DOWN” is prepared.

When these commands are selected,
As the display range of the search window 171 changes, the display of the representative screen window 172 also changes. The operation of the VTR as the recording / reproducing unit 5 of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is performed in the "VTR" portion, where the tape is fast-forwarded to the tape position where the selected screen is recorded. Or search command "SEARCH" to rewind
Or "PLAY" to play from the current tape position,
"REC" for recording and "STOP" for stopping tape feeding are prepared.

Since the search is basically made by selecting the representative screen window 172, the "FF" command for fast-forwarding the tape and the "REW" command for rewinding the tape prepared in a general VTR are not always necessary. There is no. Also,
A function for changing the speed during search and a function for slow playback may be added as necessary.

The image search is performed in the following procedure. First, the search window 171 and the representative screen window 172
To see the outline of the image recorded on the entire tape. Next, change the display range to understand the vicinity of the screen you want to cue in a little more detail. When a representative screen close to the desired image is obtained, select this and then enter a search command. FIG. 8 is a view showing a display screen during a search of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG.
During search, the tape position 177 of the search window 171 moves and the representative screen window 17
The second screen becomes one, and the image data included in the search data is displayed in the largest possible size in synchronization with the actual tape position 177.

When the specified tape position is reached,
The VTR will automatically start playing. If you want to see the part in the middle, you can switch to playback by entering the playback command.

In the VTR, the tape does not have to be sent until the search command is input, but when the user starts to limit the display range, the tape is fast-forwarded to a nearby position in advance and waits. You may make it provide such a function. This can reduce the time required to fast forward the tape to the specified position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the desired position (SELEC
T) 189 is displayed, and when any one of the representative screens is selected, this display may be moved to the temporal position. In this case, referring to only the time axis information 174 and the video index 175, the desired position (SELE
By directly moving the display of (CT) 189 and then inputting a search command, it is possible to realize a function of fast-forwarding the tape quickly without having to search the representative screen.

In this case, the desired position (SELECT) 18
9 and the tape position (TAPE) 177 match, it is desirable that the display of the desired position (SELECT) 189 disappears. And the tape position (TAPE) 177
When is selected, or when a certain representative screen is selected, this is separated into two and the desired position (SELECT
T) 189 is displayed.

As a search method when many kinds of programs are recorded on one tape, in the first display,
The representative screen window 172 is omitted, and the search window 171 only for programs is displayed. If the title of each program has already been entered, it will be displayed at the same time.
Then, after grasping the outline of each program and selecting the search window 171 in which the program to be searched is displayed, the screen as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed so that the actual search can be performed. May be.

By doing so, it becomes possible to adopt the most efficient compression method and recording format by removing the constraint condition of the high-speed picture search function accompanied by image display, and the tape usage amount in the digital VTR. Can be significantly reduced.

Further, by simply reproducing the header portion in which the search data is recorded, necessary and sufficient image information of the image recorded on one tape can be obtained, which facilitates the image search. Further, the header area 24 may be provided at the rear end portion of the tape.

Also, the search data and the image data must be 1
Since it exists in the tape of the book, only the tape can be handled independently and the management becomes easy.

By storing only the header area in the database of the external storage device, even if the number of tapes becomes large, it can be centrally managed,
Easy to use.

According to the above example, in the tape format, the header area 24 is provided in advance at the head portion of the tape, and at least the tape ID 85 as the tape identification data for identifying the tape is recorded in the header area 24 on the tape. Since the image data 82, 84 extracted from the image and the search data 83 including the tape position information 86 corresponding to the image data 82, 84 are recorded, the image data 8 is recorded in the header area 24 based on the tape format.
2, 84 and tape position information 86 are recorded, and search data 8
It can be completed as 3.

Further, according to the above example, in the above description, the tape ID 85 as the tape identification data records the serial number of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus and the number indicating the number of the tape. Based on the format, the magnetic recording / reproducing device used for recording the tape can be specified.

Further, according to the above example, in the above description, the image data is recorded in the portion after the header area 24 as the image recording area 27. Therefore, according to the search data of the header area 24 based on the tape format. The image data in the image recording area 27 can be searched.

Further, according to the above example, at the time of recording, the retrieval data extractor 3 as image data extracting means for extracting the image data to be recorded on the tape at predetermined time intervals,
A semiconductor memory 9 as search data storage means for storing image data 82, 84 as search data 83 and tape position information 86 corresponding to the image data 82, 84 is provided, and search data extraction as image data extraction means is provided. Bowl 3
The image data 82 and 84 are extracted by the semiconductor memory 9 as the search data storage means, and the image data 82 and 84 as the search data 83 and the tape position information 86 corresponding to the image data 82 and 84 are stored. Therefore, the image data 82 and 84 and the tape position information 86 used for the search at the time of recording can be accumulated and the search data 83 can be easily created.

Further, according to the above example, in the above, when the tape is loaded, the tape is rewound to the beginning,
Since the recording / reproducing unit 5 as recording / reproducing means reproduces the header area 24 provided at the beginning of the tape and stores the search data 83 recorded in the header area 24 in the search data storage means, it is provided in advance. It is possible to accumulate and add the unrecorded search data 83 to the recorded search data 83 of the recorded header area 24.

Further, in the above description, when the tape is loaded and the header area 24 is not formatted by the tape format, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape to secure the header area 24 and the recording / reproducing means. 5 may be used to format the tape for recording the tape identification data.

Further, in the above description, if the tape has been formatted or the formatting has been completed, the tape is recorded for the first time to the head of the image recording area 27, and if the tape is already recorded, the unrecorded area 26 of the image recording area 27. It is also possible to automatically feed the tape to the beginning of and then stop the tape.

Further, according to the above example, in the above, when continuous recording is completed, rewinding is performed to the beginning of the tape,
Since the search data stored in the semiconductor memory 9 as the search data storage means is recorded in the header area 24, the search data 83 is not written back to the header area 24 each time recording is performed, and thus the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus It is possible to efficiently record the header area 24 when there is a gap between operations.

In addition, in the above description, when many kinds of signals are input and are recorded in parallel, the search data is extracted and accumulated for each input signal, and the header area 24 It may be recorded in.

Further, according to the above example, the image data as search data recorded in the header area 24 provided at the head portion of the tape and the tape position information 177 are displayed as a display means during reproduction. Display 17
0 and designation means 189 for designating a desired tape reproduction position based on the image data displayed on the display 170 as a display means, and the tape position information 177 of the display 170 as a display means is the desired reproduction position. When the vicinity of is displayed, the image data as the search data is reproduced at double speed and is displayed as the moving image on the display 170 as the display means. Therefore, the image data can be easily restored by the clear moving image. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and easily find the desired image and reproduce it without requiring a high-speed picture search.

In the above example, when the tape comes to the designated desired reproduction position, normal reproduction may be performed.

In addition, in the above description, when various kinds of signals are input and recorded in parallel, the search data are arranged and displayed so that the images can be searched independently. May be.

Further, according to the above example, in the above, the semiconductor memory 9 as the search data storage means for storing the image data as the search data and the tape position information corresponding to the image data is provided, and the tape is mounted. At this time, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape, the recording / reproducing unit 5 as a recording / reproducing unit reproduces the header area 24 provided at the beginning of the tape, and the search data recorded in the header area 24 is used as search data storage means. Since the search data stored in the semiconductor memory 9 as the search data storage means is displayed on the display 170 as the display means, the image included in the search data displayed on the display 170 as the display means is displayed. By searching for an image based on the data, a high-speed picture server based on the partially reproduced signal Without performing switch, it is possible to perform the beginning of obtaining images.

Further, according to the above example, in the above description, the tape position information 1 of the display 170 as the display means is displayed.
When 77 displays a position away from the desired playback position,
Since the tape is fast-forwarded and the image data as the search data is sequentially displayed on the display 170 as the display unit, based on the image data included in the search data displayed on the display 170 as the display unit, By searching for an image so that the desired reproduction position is approached, it is possible to find the desired image without performing a high-speed picture search based on the partially reproduced signal.

In the above example, in the vicinity of the tape position estimated from the retrieval operation before the tape position is designated,
By having a function of automatically feeding the tape in advance, the time required for fast-forwarding to the designated tape position may be shortened.

[0113]

According to the present invention, in the tape format, a header area is provided in advance at the beginning of the tape, and at least the tape identification data for identifying the tape and the image recorded on the tape are extracted in the header area. Since the image data and the search data including the tape position information corresponding to the image data are recorded, it is possible to record the image data and the tape position information in the header area based on the tape format and complete the search data. it can.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
Since the tape identification data records the serial number of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus and the number indicating the number of the tape, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus used for recording the tape is specified based on the tape format. be able to.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
Since the image data is recorded using the portion after the header area as the image recording area, the image data in the image recording area can be searched by the search data in the header area based on the tape format.

Further, according to the present invention, at the time of recording, image data extracting means for extracting image data to be recorded on the tape at predetermined time intervals, image data as search data, and tape position information corresponding to the image data. And a search data storing means for storing the image data, the image data extracting means extracts the image data, and the search data storing means stores the image data as the search data and the tape position information corresponding to the image data. Therefore, it is possible to easily create search data by accumulating image data and tape position information used for search during recording.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
When the tape is loaded, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape, the header area provided at the beginning of the tape is reproduced by the recording / reproducing means, and the search data recorded in the header area is stored in the search data storage means. Since this is done, it is possible to accumulate and add the search data of the unrecorded portion to the search data of the recorded portion of the header area provided in advance.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
When the continuous recording is completed, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape and the search data stored in the search data storage means is recorded in the header area. Therefore, the search data is written back in the header area every time recording is performed. Without doing so, it is possible to efficiently record in the header area when there is a gap in the operation of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus.

Further, according to the present invention, the display means for displaying the image data as the search data recorded in the header area provided at the head portion of the tape and the position information of the tape during reproduction, and the display means. When the tape position information of the display means near the desired reproduction position is displayed, the image data as search data is displayed. Since it is played back at double speed and is displayed on the display means as a moving image, the image data can be easily restored with a clear moving image, and the required image can be displayed quickly and easily without the need for a high-speed picture search. It can be played back at the beginning.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
A search data storage means for storing image data as search data and tape position information corresponding to the image data is provided, and when the tape is loaded, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape, and the recording / reproducing means is used to start the tape. The header area provided in the search area is reproduced, the search data recorded in the header area is stored in the search data storage means, and the search data stored in the search data storage means is displayed on the display means. By searching for images based on the image data included in the search data displayed in,
It is possible to find the desired image without performing a high-speed picture search based on the partially reproduced signal.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above,
When the position information of the tape on the display means indicates a position away from the desired reproduction position, the tape is fast-forwarded and the image data as the search data is sequentially displayed on the display means. Based on the image data included in the searched data,
By searching for an image, it is possible to find the desired image without performing a high-speed picture search based on a partially reproduced signal.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a tape format of an embodiment of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a recording system of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a reproducing system of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a helical track of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a search data display screen of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display screen during a search of an embodiment of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional image recording apparatus using a workstation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 A / D converter 2 Recording encoder 3 Search data extractor 4 Switch 5 Recording / playback unit 6 Playback decoder 7 D / A converter 8 Display 9 Semiconductor memory 20 Tape head part 21 Tape identification data area 22 For searching Data recording area (recorded) 23 Search data recording area (unrecorded) 24 Header area 25 Image recording area (recorded) 26 Image recording area (unrecorded) 27 Image recording area 28 Tape trailing end portion 82 Search image data (Video) 84 Search image data (Video) 83 Search data 85 Tape ID 86 Tape position 87 Frame information 88 Program name 170 Display 177 Tape position 189 Desired position

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. The data supplied from a data supply source is converted into a predetermined tape format and recorded on a tape by a recording / reproducing means, and the data recorded on the tape by the recording / reproducing means is converted based on the tape format. In the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus for reproducing and retrieving the image recorded on the tape, the tape format is such that a header area is provided in advance at the head portion of the tape, and at least a tape identification for identifying the tape in the header area. A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, wherein data, image data extracted from an image recorded on the tape, and search data including tape position information corresponding to the image data are recorded. 2. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tape identification data is recorded with a serial number of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus and a number indicating the number of the tape. And a magnetic recording and reproducing device. 3. A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein image data is recorded by using a portion after the header area as an image recording area. 4. The data supplied from the data supply source is converted into a predetermined tape format and recorded on the tape by the recording / reproducing means, and the data recorded on the tape by the recording / reproducing means based on the tape format. In a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus for reproducing and retrieving an image recorded on the tape, at the time of recording, image data extracting means for extracting image data to be recorded on the tape at predetermined time intervals, and the image as the retrieval data. A search data storage unit for storing data and tape position information corresponding to the image data, wherein the image data extraction unit extracts image data, and the search data storage unit stores the image data as search data and the above Magnetic recording characterized by storing tape position information corresponding to image data Recording / playback device. 5. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the tape is loaded, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape, and the recording / reproducing means forms a header area provided at the beginning of the tape. A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus characterized in that the search data recorded in the header area is reproduced and stored in the search data storage means. 6. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when continuous recording is completed, the tape is rewound to the beginning of the tape, and the search data stored in the search data storage means is stored in the header area. A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus characterized by being adapted for recording. 7. The data supplied from a data supply source is converted into a predetermined tape format and recorded on a tape by a recording / reproducing means, and the data recorded on the tape by the recording / reproducing means based on the tape format. In a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus for reproducing and retrieving an image recorded on the tape, during reproduction, image data as retrieval data recorded in a header area provided at the beginning of the tape and position information of the tape. And a designation means for designating a desired reproduction position of the tape on the basis of the image data displayed on the display means, and the position information of the tape on the display means is the reproduction desired position. When displaying near the position, the image data is played at double speed,
A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus characterized in that a moving image is displayed on the display means. 8. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a search data storage means for storing the image data as the search data and tape position information corresponding to the image data, wherein the tape is mounted. At the beginning of the tape, the recording / reproducing means reproduces the header area provided at the beginning of the tape, and the retrieval data recorded in the header area is stored in the retrieval data storage means. Then, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus is characterized in that the search data stored in the search data storage means is displayed on the display means. 9. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the position information of the tape on the display means indicates a position away from the desired reproduction position, the tape is fast-forwarded and the retrieval data is retrieved. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus is characterized in that the image data as the above is sequentially displayed on the display means.