Victor Company of Japan, Limited

Kenji Yoshihara

Masaki Sakurai

Hiroyuki Sugiyama

Ryozo Abe

Yasuhiro Yusa

Ryuzo Abe

Takashi Saito

Yasuhiko Teranishi

Susumu Sakakibara

Yasuo Haneji

Chitoshi Hibino

Yoshihiko Honjo

Yahuhiro Yusa

Hiroyuki Sigiyama

Kazuhiro Hosono

Hisayoshi Yamada

Atsushi Arimoto

An optical disc of a recordable type or a rewritable type has a plurality of recording layers including first and second recording layers. A laser beam is applied to the second recording layer through a used area in the first recording layer to record arbitrary information on at least a part of the second recording layer. The used area in the first recording layer has been used for at least one of information recording and data recording. Positional information is generated. The generated positional information is of a blank area in the second recording layer which occurs due to the presence of an unused area in the first recording layer. The blank area adjoins the unused area. The generated positional information is recorded on a predetermined area in the optical disc.

Method and apparatus for recording information on optical disc

A picture producing apparatus alternately operates in mutually different first and second time periods, so as to make access to picture information at a high speed and process the picture information in real time. In the first time period, the picture producing apparatus arranges the picture information which is transmitted into a predetermined format, detects and corrects error in the picture information and writes the picture information into a first memory, and reads picture data stored in a second memory. On the other hand, in a second time period, the picture producing apparatus reads the picture information stored in the first memory, and writes the picture data of the picture information into the second memory depending on control data of the picture information.

Picture producing apparatus

A rotary recording medium comprises a video signal of the same unit repeatedly recorded for N-field period (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) for each track turn, a track shift address signal for instructing the existence of forced track shift of a pickup reproducing element, the shifting direction, and the shifting position, recorded on at least one position for one revolution of the rotary recording medium with a constant period regardless of the kind of video signal source of the video signal, where the track shift address signal comprising at least a synchronizing code, rotary recording medium type discriminating code, a kick existence instructing code, and a kick direction instructing code, and divided audio signal parts obtained by dividing an audio signal for every field period of the video signal which is reproduced, successively arranged and recorded according to a scanning locus of the pickup reproducing element upon normal reproduction. The rotary recording medium has track parts recorded with the divided audio signal parts on at least one part of a recording surface thereof. The reproducing apparatus comprises an address signal reproducing circuit for reproducing the track shift address signal from within a signal reproduced by a reproducing circuit, and a kick pulse generator responsive to an output signal of the address signal reproducing circuit, for generating a pulse for forcibly shifting the scanning track of the pickup reproducing element.

Rotary recording medium which is playable in still picture, slow-motion

A rotary recording medium recorded with an information signal including a video signal along a spiral track thereon, and from which the recorded information signal is reproduced by a reproducing apparatus in which a reproducing element scans over the spiral track, is further recorded with a stop signal on a track turn recorded with an information signal which is to be reproduced repeatedly for a predetermined time period so that the reproducing element repetitively reproduces the track turn for the predetermined time period. The reproducing apparatus comprises a stop signal detection circuit for detecting the stop signal from a signal reproduced by the reproducing element, and a circuit responsive to the stop signal detected by the stop signal detection circuit, for causing repetitive reproduction of a predetermined track turn recorded with the stop signal. The still picture reproduction is performed by repetitively reproducing the information signal recorded on a track turn recorded with the stop signal.

Rotary recording medium and reproducing apparatus therefor

A rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus comprises a holding mechanism for clamping and holding a lid plate and a rotary recording medium when a case having a jacket accommodating therein the rotary recording medium and the lid plate for closing the jacket is inserted into the reproducing apparatus through an inserting opening, where the lid plate and the rotary recording medium thus clamped and held are recovered within an empty jacket inserted through the inserting opening, a control mechanism for putting the reproducing apparatus in a state possible or not to insert the case or the jacket into the reproducing apparatus through the inserting opening, a detection circuit for detecting whether the rotary recording medium exists within the reproducing apparatus, a single load/eject switch, and a control circuit for controlling the control mechanism by use of a detection output of the detection circuit and an output of the load/eject switch, so that a state possible for inserting the case into the reproducing apparatus is obtained when the rotary recording medium does not exist within the reproducing apparatus, and a state possible for inserting the empty jacket into the reproducing apparatus is obtained when the rotary recording medium does exist within the reproducing apparatus in order to enable recovery of the rotary recording medium.

Rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus

An address signal reproducing system is provided in a rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus which reproduces signals from a rotary recording medium by a reproducing element, where the rotary recording medium is recorded with an address signal in units of predetermined sections for a plurality of sections for each track turn of the rotary recording medium. The address signal reproducing system comprises a kick pulse signal generator for generating a kick pulse signal for forcibly shifting the reproducing element to an adjacent track, a shifting circuit for performing tracking control with respect to the reproducing element and shifting the reproducing element to an adjacent track when applied with the kick pulse signal generated by the kick pulse signal generator, and a stopping circuit for stopping the kick pulse signal from being generated by the kick pulse signal generator during an interval in which the reproducing element traces over at least one of the predetermined sections of the rotary recording medium. The reproducing element reproduces the address signal under a tracking controlled state without being shifted, during the interval in which the generation of the kick pulse signal is stopped by the stopping circuit.

System for reproducing an address signal from each track turn during a

A special reproducing system comprises a reproducing element for scanning a spiral track of a rotary recording medium on which an information signal is recorded and a kick control signal is recorded together therewith at a predetermined position, a detecting circuit for detecting the kick control signal from among signals reproduced by the reproducing element, a kick pulse generating circuit for generating a kick pulse in response to the kick control signal detected by the detecting circuit, and a shift mechanism for shifting the reproducing element from a track to another track adjacent thereto in an inner peripheral or outer peripheral direction in response to the kick pulse supplied from the kick pulse generating means, the reproducing stylus is shifted by the shift mechanism to effect a special reproduction.

Special reproducing system for reproducing a rotary recording medium

A signal pickup device in a rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus comprises a turntable placed thereon with a rotary recording medium recorded with an information signal as variations in geometrical configuration, for rotating the rotary recording medium, a reproducing stylus provided at a tip end of a cantilever, for making contact with and sliding against a recorded region of the rotary recording medium upon reproduction to reproduce the information signal, a resonator having a resonance frequency which varies in accordance with the above variations in geometrical configuration, and a conductive ribbon having one end connected to the reproducing stylus and the other end connected to the resonator to electrically connect an electrode of the reproducing stylus with the resonator, where the conductive ribbon is in a curved and bent state upon reproduction of the rotary recording medium. The conductive ribbon has a length such that the conductive ribbon is put into an extended state from the above curved and bent state when the reproducing stylus is lowered below the height position of the rotary recording medium, to restrict the lowering of the reproducing stylus at a height position higher than that of the turntable.

Signal pickup device in a rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus

A pausing system pauses reproduction in a rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus which reproduces a rotary recording medium recorded with an information signal on a spiral track. The reproducing apparatus comprises a reproducing transducer having a reproducing element for reproducing a signal from a track on the rotary recording medium and a kicking mechanism for kicking the reproducing element to an adjacent track in response to a kick pulse applied thereto. The pausing system comprises a pause mode signal supplying circuit for supplying a pause signal when the reproducing apparatus is to be put into a pause mode, where the reproducing apparatus generates the kick pulse in response to the pause mode signal supplied thereto so that the reproducing element scans over the same track to carry out a pause operation, a timer operating in response to the pause mode signal supplied from the pause mode signal supplying circuit, for producing an output signal after a predetermined time period has elapsed, and a mode control circuit supplied with the output signal of the timer, for cancelling the scanning of the same track by the reproducing element.

System for pausing reproduction in rotary recording medium reproducing

A rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus has an inserting opening through which the case of the medium is inserted, a turntable for rotating the medium, a locking mechanism for the lid of the case, and a medium clamping mechanism. A jacket opening enlarging mechanism is provided in the vicinity of the inserting opening for moving over the turntable between the vicinity of the inserting opening and the innermost part of the reproducing apparatus, in response to an operation in which the case is inserted into and then pulled out from the recording apparatus. A medium supporting member provided at a center part of the turntable moves upwards and downwards independently of the turntable, for raising to support an inner peripheral part of the medium above the turntable. A supporting member elevator mechanism elevates the medium supporting member so that the latter is in a raised state when the case or an empty jacket is inserted into the reproducing apparatus. A driving circuit operates the supporting member elevator mechanism in one direction to operate the mechanism so that the medium supporting member is raised and operates in a reverse direction to lower the supporting member. A control circuit and detector operates the driving circuit if the supporting member is still at the raised position after a predetermined time period.

A rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus for reproducing a rotary recording medium in which a plurality of fields of video signals are recorded for each track turn on a spiral track comprises a reproducing transducer having a reproducing element for scanning over tracks on the rotary recording medium to reproduce recorded signals, and shifting device responsive to a signal applied thereto for shifting the reproducing element towards the outer side or the inner side on the rotary recording medium, and a circuit for producing shifting a signal in order to shift the reproducing element by one track pitch towards the outer side on the rotary recording medium every time the reproducing element reaches one predetermined position on the rotary recording medium, and capable of producing a shifting signal for shifting the reproducing element towards the outer side or the inner side on the rotary recording medium according to the slow-motion ratio and the direction of the slow-motion reproduction when the reproducing element reaches another predetermined position on the rotary recording medium. The shifting signal is supplied to the shifting device. The tracks are reproduced a plurality of times with respect to each track turn, to perform a slow-motion reproduction.

Apparatus for playing back video signals recorded on a rotary recording

A rotary recording medium is recorded with a program information signal and an address signal having a predetermined code in correspondence with the program information signal within a program information signal recorded section. This rotary recording medium is recorded with an address signal having a code different from the code of the address signal recorded within the program information signal recorded section, in a section or sections other than the above program information signal recorded section.

Rotary recording medium

An address indicator control device in a rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus having a reproducing transducer for reproducing a rotary recording medium recorded with at least two kinds of address signals together with an information signal, a circuit for transferring the reproducing transducer to a set address position on the rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus to carry out a search operation, and an indicator for indicating an address, comprises an indication mode setting circuit for setting the kind of address to be indicated on the indicator, a search address setting circuit for setting the kind of address to be searched and the address value, an address signal separation circuit for separating an address signal from a signal reproduced from the rotary recording medium by the reproducing transducer, and a control circuit for indicating an address of the kind and value set by the search address setting circuit on the indicator regardless of the setting by the indication mode setting circuit, at lease during the search operation of the reproducing transducer, and until a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the search operation when the duration of the search operation is shorter than the above predetermined time.

Address indicator control device in a rotary recording medium

A rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus comprises a transferring circuit for transferring a reproducing element for reproducing a rotary recording medium, along a radial direction of the rotary recording medium, where the transferring circuit transfers the reproducing element at a normal speed during a normal reproduction mode, and transfers the reproducing element at a speed higher than the normal speed during a search mode in which a search is performed with respect to a desired reproducing position on the rotary recording medium, a synchronizing signal generating circuit for generating a synchronizing signal consisting of a horizontal synchronizing signal and a vertical synchronizing signal synchronized with a synchronizing signal within a video signal reproduced by the reproducing element during the search mode, a switching circuit for selectively passing the video signal reproduced by the reproducing element and the synchronizing signal obtained from the synchronizing signal generating circuit, and a control circuit for controlling and switching the switching circuit so that the switching circuit passes the video signal reproduced by the reproduced element during the normal mode and passes the synchronizing signal obtained from the synchronizing signal generating circuit during the search mode. The signal passed through the switching circuit is supplied to a television receiver.

Rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus capable of performing

A rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus for reproducing a rotary recording medium recorded with a program information signal and different kinds of address signals having mutually different predetermined codes in correspondence with the program information signal within a program information signal recorded section. The reproducing apparatus comprises a reproducing element for reproducing recorded signals from the rotary recording medium, a moving device for moving the reproducing element along a radial direction of the rotary recording medium, an address signal detecting circuit for detecting address signals from signals reproduced by the reproducing element, and a driving voltage generating circuit set with an address signal to be searched, for generating a driving voltage in accordance with the kind of set address signal, and supplying the driving voltage thus generated to the moving device. The moving device moves the reproducing element at a speed in accordance with the kind of the address signal.

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Chiba, Japan

Kenji Yoshihara