Sony Corporation

Akihiro Uetake

Kazuyoshi Suzuki

Takashi Sawada

Yoichirou Senshu

Shuichi Ota

Toshio Mamiya

Masaki Takase

Katsuji Akimoto

Keiji Kanota

Yukio Kubota

Katsunori Takahashi

Katsuaki Ikema

Chiaki Sugai

Yasuaki Yamagishi

Hiroshi Fujii

Hajime Inoue

Ichiro Kubota

Kazuhiro Hara

Moriyuki Kawaguchi

Noboru Fujii

Tetsuro Morii

Tetsujiro Kondo

Naofumi Yanagihara

Takahito Seki

Tomihiro Nakagawa

Kazunobu Chiba

Kenichi Fukahori

Naoki Honda

Norio Shindo

In an apparatus for recording and reproducing a digital picture signal, the large number of data bits in the digital picture signal to be recorded is reduced by a ratio of approximately 1:9, and the thus compressed data are recorded with a recording density of at least approximately 0.8 bit/&mgr;m in relatively narrow successive skewed tracks without guard bands on a metal evaporated magnetic tape having predefined characteristics. The magnetic tape has a width of no more than approximately 8 mm and a thickness of no more than approximately 7 &mgr;m and is wound in a relatively small size cassette.

Apparatus for recording and reproducing digital picture data

A data path control device with a first interface section for connecting to a LAN, second interface section for connecting to an external network through a small transmission capacity two-way line such as a telephone line, and third interface section for receiving a large capacity data from a large transmission capacity one-way line such as a satellite broadcast line. The data path control device changes the sender address of the data transmitted from a computer to a network based on a previously set correspondent relationship, thereby controls the path so that the large capacity data from the network is transmitted through the large transmission capacity one-way line. A path of the reply data from a network responsive to the request data from a computer outputted to an external network is selected by the computer side, and in the case that the reply data is composed of large capacity data, a satellite line having a large transmission capacity can be selected.

Communication path control device, communication path control method, and communication path control unit

Data receiving device and method in which data is received through a broadcast network, the data is reconstructed into packets usable on a computer, and the packets are output to the computer, directly or through a local area network. The reconstructed packets are preferably in the format of Internet Protocol (IP) packets. A destination address allocated to the data receiving device on the broadcast network is converted, via the data receiving device, to an IP address allocated to a personal computer on the Internet.

Data receiving device and data receiving method

A tape-loading mechanism of a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus according to the present invention has a tape travel system in which a magnetic tape drawn out of a supply-side tape reel is helically wound around a drum along a lead thereof by tilted guides respectively provided on inlet and outlet sides of the drum and tape guides respectively provided on inlet and outlet sides thereof, passed via a capstan and wound around a takeup side tape reel. A vertical position of the lead of the drum is set equal to that of a lower edge of the tape in a state immediately before the magnetic tape is loaded onto the drum. The magnetic tape is twisted in the middle of the tape travel system in order to cancel difference in tension between upper and lower edges of the magnetic tape when the magnetic tape is loaded onto the drum.

Tape guide members for a tape travel system for a tape loading mechanism

A recording and reproducing apparatus has an indirect drive arrangement in which the reel turntables are rotated by an existing motor, such as a capstan motor or the like. The reel turntables can pivot about supporting points on a chassis such that they can be moved between large and small cassette driving positions. A drive gear supported on a swing arm and which is driven by a capstan motor, is selectively meshed with one of the driven gears provided on the two reel turntables.

Indirect drive mechanism for recording and reproducing apparatus capable

A recording and reproducing apparatus includes a connection for contact with electrical terminals of a record medium cassette set in the recording and reproducing apparatus and incorporating a memory containing audio/video data and record data, such as the length of the tape in the cassette, whether it contains recorded data, or whether it is a rental video, wherein the record medium cassette does not have to be loaded in the apparatus for contact with the connection; a circuit for reading the data; and a circuit for communicating the read data to a second recording and reproducing apparatus for dubbing.

Recording and reproducing apparatus and method of dubbing record medium

A recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a rack mechanism by which a cassette compartment can be easily removed from a mechanical deck regardless of any position at which reel tables are moved. In a recording and/or reproducing apparatus such as a video cassette recorder in which a space between two reel tables can be moved by a reel table movement mechanism and small and large tape cassettes of different size are selectively mounted on the reel tables, a rack mechanism has a pair of parallel racks which can be relatively moved through a pinion, one rack has an engagement recess formed on one end portion thereof, the other rack has an engagement recess formed on one end portion thereof, the engagement recess being positioned over the one rack and a cassette compartment includes a drive lever which is moved in the height direction in response to the insertion of tape cassettes of different size. When the drive lever is lowered, the drive lever is engaged with the engagement recess of the one rack thereby to slidably move the rack member so that the reel tables are moved to the position corresponding to the small tape cassette. When the drive lever is elevated, the drive lever is engaged with the engagement recess of the other rack thereby to slidably move the rack so that the reel tables are moved to the position corresponding to the large tape cassette.

Recording and/or reproducing apparatus having means for selectively

To provide a recording and reproducing apparatus which permits to use tape cassettes different in not only size but also thickness. In order to make the apparatus cope with the tape cassettes different in size and thickness, there is provided a positioning guide mechanism including a pair of positioning guide members so that a small cassette can be guided at both the side faces on a cassette supporting surface of the cassette holder so as to be depressed and projected by a biasing means, and a pair of side plates at its both sides of a cassette holder so that a large cassette can be guided at its both side faces. If a user is not highly skilled in operating such recording and reproducing apparatus which permits to use tape cassettes different in size and thickness, the apparatus will suffer from risk that the cassettes are erroneously inserted or the user carries out malicious operation. In order to avoid a trouble due to such erroneous insertion, malicious operation or the like, the recording and reproducing apparatus further includes a cassette insertion detecting switch mechanism useful for detecting the insertion of the cassette and leading the cassette into the cassette holder and a holder stopper mechanism composed of a holder unlocking member and a lock member.

Positioning guide mechanism and erroneous insertion detecting and

A recording and reproducing apparatus can translate a detecting device for detecting information, such as the kind and content of tape cassette and a reel lock mechanism releasing device to proper positions corresponding to tape cassettes of different sizes. A tape cassette information detecting device (71) and reel lock releasing device (72a, 72b) can be translated to positions at which large and small tape cassettes are in use through a swing drive member (54), a translating lever (73), a driving link (74), a detection mechanism holding member (75) and a reel lock releasing plate (77) in unison with a movement of reel mounts (44, 45).

Tape cassette information detecting mechanism and reel lock releasing

Recording and reproducing apparatus and method of dubbing for record

A recording/reproducing apparatus within which tape cassettes of different sizes are installable includes a tension regulator arm, pivotably supported by a base plate, and in elastic contact with the magnetic tape withdrawn from the tape cassette, and a tension regulating belt, attached to the tension regulator arm at one end thereof, and in slidable contact with a reel mount to apply a braking force thereto, the braking force being altered according to the position of the reel mount. The braking force applied by the tension regulating belt to the reel mount is less when a smaller sized tape cassette is positioned in the apparatus as compared to when a larger sized tape cassette is positioned therein.

Tape tension regulating system for a tape cassette recording and/or

In a tape cassette having a case with a mouth for receiving a magnetic head drum of a recording/reproducing apparatus and containing a recording tape wound on rotatable reels and including a tape run extending across the mouth; a front lid is pivotally supported on side walls of the case so as to be movable between a closed position covering a front opening of the mouth and opened position to uncover the tape run, and upper lid is pivotally joined at its front edge to the upper edge portion of the front lid so as to be movable between a closed position to covering a top opening of the mouth and opened position to uncover the top opening, and a slide shutter is supported on the case for sliding between a closed position covering a bottom opening of the mouth and opened position to uncover such bottom opening. The mouth across which a run of the recording tape extends can be closely covered by the front lid, the upper lid and the slide shutter when the tape cassette is not in use. When the tape cassette is in use, the mouth is fully opened in response to the movements of the front lid, upper lid and slide shutter to this opened position so as to enable the magnetic head drum to advance deep into the mouth.

Tape cassette

In a digital magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus, a magnetic head comprises a plurality of head chips mounted closely together in parallel with each other on a rotary drum member which is rotatably supported by dynamic pressure bearing in which a sleeve and a shaft inserted therein are relatively rotatably supported by fluid under pressure therebetween.

Rotary magnetic head drum with fluid bearing and with head chips mounted

An rotary drum head for recording and/or reproducing a signal on slanted tracks formed on a magnetic tape. A chassis is provided with a rotary head drum unit having a lower stationary drum mounted on the chassis in an inclined position. A rotary drum is rotatably and coaxially mounted above the lower stationary drum. A transducer is mounted on a periphery of the rotary drum. A motor rotates the rotary drum. An upper stationary drum is coaxially mounted above the rotary drum wherein an upper portion of the upper stationary drum at the farther side from the chassis is cut so that total height of the rotary head drum unit is reduced.

Rotary head drum having reduced exterior dimensions

A digital VTR is provided with a block segmenting circuit for converting an input digital picture signal into data segmented into blocks of picture elements, an encoding circuit for compressing and encoding the output data of the block segmenting circuit block-by-block, a channel encoding circuit for channel encoding the encoded output data from the encoding circuit, an audio signal encoding circuit for encoding an input digital audio signal, and an additional code generating circuit for generating an additional control code which includes subdata. The encoded picture data from the channel encoding circuit, the encoded audio data output from the audio signal encoding circuit, the additional control code and pilot signal data for tracking are recorded in skewed tracks traced on a magnetic tape by a magnetic head or heads mounted on a rotary drum, with each skewed track having pilot signal data recorded at least adjacent the end portion of the track at which the magnetic head enters into contract with such track, subdata recorded at the other end portion at which the magnetic head leaves the track, and the picture data and the audio data recorded at an intermediate portion of the track, so that both picture data and audio data can be reproduced with high quality while the subdata can be played back with relatively high accuracy.

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Tokyo, Japan

Akihiro Uetake