JPH09200692A - Recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain video recording and reproduction for plural video images simultaneously by distributing plural video signals to plural hard disk units and writing them respectively into the units, combining and decoding the stored signals at reproduction to select video recording and reproduction of the plural video images simply. SOLUTION: When number of input video signals is one at recording, the signal is distributed into N by a signal distribution section 1 and when number is N, the signals fed to memories 2a-2n as they are and stored tentatively in them and written respectively into hard disk units 3a-3n. In the case of reproduction, the signals recorded in the N-sets of the hard disk units are read in the memories 2 respectively and coupled through multiplexing in the recorded order by a signal coupling section 5 and decoded into the original video signal and reproduced. Thus, recording/reproduction of one video image and plural video images are selected simply and the access time is remarkably reduced in comparison with the time requiring program-search in the case of video recording of the plural video images in time division.

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 an image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a device for recording an image on a magnetic tape (video tape recorder) has become widespread in general households. Some of these are equipped with two magnetic heads and recorded on two magnetic tapes at the same time, one recording and playing the other, and one magnetic head can record multiple images on one magnetic tape. Some include multiple recordings.

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-187980 can be cited. Hereinafter, the conventional recording / reproducing apparatus described above will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a magnetic tape recorded by using a conventional recording / reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing a plurality of images multiplexed on one magnetic tape. In FIG. 3, two video signals are multiplexed on the time axis and alternately recorded on the magnetic tape.

[0005]

However, when an image is recorded on the magnetic tape as described above, it takes a lot of time to access the recorded data such as cueing (advancing to the beginning position of recording).

Further, when video signals are multiplexed on the time axis in order to record and reproduce a plurality of videos at the same time, it is impossible to operate each video signal separately.

[0007]

In order to solve this problem, according to the present invention, means for distributing a plurality of input video signals, N memories for temporarily storing the distributed video signals, and memories The N hard disks for recording the video signals stored in the HDD, the N controllers for controlling the hard disks, the recording portion including the control circuit for controlling the signal distribution and the memory, and the signals distributed and stored in the hard disk And a reproducing portion including means for restoring the video signal to restore the video signal.

With this, it is possible to record a plurality of video signals at the same time, and to switch recording of one video signal and recording of a plurality of video signals at the same time.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a recording / reproducing apparatus including a recording section and a reproducing section, wherein the recording section distributes a plurality of input video signals, N memories for temporarily storing the distributed video signal, N hard disks for recording the video signal stored in the N memories, and for storing the video signal distributed by the distributing means in the memory And a reproducing means for combining the signals distributed and stored in the hard disk to restore to a video signal. With this configuration, one video signal is recorded. Alternatively, a plurality of video signals can be recorded at the same time. Further, it is possible to easily switch between recording one video signal and simultaneously recording a plurality of video signals.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for recording / reproducing a video signal according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 divides a plurality of input video signals into N pieces. As shown in FIG. 2, when there is one input signal, it is divided into N in time series. When the number of input signals is N, the input signals are output as they are. 2a, 2b, ..., 2n are memories for temporarily storing the signals input from 1 or 4. Reference numeral 3 is a hard disk for recording the signal input from 2. Reference numeral 4 is a control unit for storing the signal distributed by 1 in each memory. Reference numeral 5 is a circuit that combines the signals input from 6 and restores them to a video signal. Reference numeral 6 is a video display device. The input video signal may be NTSC or may be a compressed video signal such as MPEG.

The operation of the recording / reproducing apparatus configured as described above will be described below. First, at the time of recording, when the number of input video signals is one, the video signal is divided into N pieces in the time axis direction as shown in FIG. 2, and each piece is sent to 2 N memories. Each memory temporarily stores the input signal. This is because the writing speed of the hard disk is slow with respect to the video signal. The signal once stored in memory is taken out at the writing speed of the hard disk and written to the hard disk. When the number of input video signals is N, the distribution is not performed at 1 and the input N signals are output as they are. The N signals output from 1 are temporarily stored in N memories, respectively, and then written in the hard disk.

Next, at the time of reproduction, the signals recorded on each of the N hard disks are once read into the memory. The signals read from each memory are temporally multiplexed and combined in the order in which they were recorded, restored to the original video signal, and then sent to the video display device to reproduce the video.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily switch between recording and reproducing one image and recording and reproducing a plurality of images, and to record and reproduce various images.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a recording / reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation waveform diagram of signal distribution in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a magnetic tape recorded in a multiplexed manner in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 signal distribution unit 2 memory 3 hard disk 4 control unit 5 signal coupling unit 6 video display device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A recording / reproducing apparatus including a recording unit and a reproducing unit, wherein the recording unit distributes a plurality of input video signals, and N memories for temporarily storing the distributed video signals. And N hard disks for recording the video signals stored in the N memories, and control means for storing the video signals distributed by the distributing means in the memory, and the reproducing means are distributed. A recording / reproducing apparatus comprising: a restoring unit that restores a video signal by combining signals stored in a hard disk.