Sony Corporation

Tetsuo Nishigaki

Kiyoshi Ota

Toshiyuki Ishii

Seiichi Misawa

Kousuke Misono

Joji Fukuda

Kae Nagano

Takamichi Mitsuhashi

Kousuki Misono

Miwako Tsuneki

Hiroshige Okamoto

Takashi Tsujimura

Naoyuki Kinebuchi

Hirokazu Nagasawa

Yukari Kohashi

Takamichi Yoshidaa

Takashi Kakuta

In a recording and reproducing apparatus having at least one program recorded to recording tracks on a recording medium, management database is recorded on the recording tracks with the program so as to form a management database recording field. The management data is reproduced on being loaded the recording medium to the recording and reproducing apparatus to manage each program recorded on the recording tracks. In the case of video tape recorder, the management data is recorded on video recording tracks, audio recording tracks and/or a control signal recording tracks. therefore, to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Video tape recorder having control head upstream of erase head

In a recording and reproducing apparatus having at least one program recorded in recording tracks on a recording medium, a management database is recorded on the recording tracks with the program so as to form a management database recording field. The management data is reproduced when the recording medium is loaded in the recording and reproducing apparatus to manage each program recorded on the recording tracks. In the case of a video tape recorder, the management data is recorded on video recording tracks, audio recording tracks and/or control signal recording tracks.

AV data base for VTR

Identification codes of broadcasting stations which transmit the correct time information are recorded in broadcasting station tables, if a broadcasting station identification code in the broadcasting station tables is found in VPS or Teletext in the received broadcasting signal, the time information in the broadcasting signal is set to the clock. If the time information does not include year, month, and day data, the correct year, month, and day data is calculated based on the time information including year, month, and day data items from another broadcasting station, and the time information is used to set the time to the clock. The correct year, month, and day data are calculated based on the time difference between the time information from another broadcasting station and the time information comprising correct hour, minute, and second data.

Television device

Video tape recorder for recording management data on video tape

The invention provides a broadcasting signal receiver which can prevent a failure in reserved recording. A microcomputer decodes a VCR+code of a program desired to be recorded by reservation, which is inputted by way of a remote commander or the like, to obtain data of program starting and ending times and channel information. A channel indicated by the channel information is selected by a tuner circuit, and program table data is extracted from a character broadcasting signal multiplexed in a video signal by a decoder. It is discriminated whether or not one of the program starting times of programs included in the program table data coincides with the program starting time obtained by decoding of the VCR+code. A result of the discrimination is displayed on a monitor television. Only when it is discriminated that a coincident program starting time is present, the data of the program starting and ending times and the channel information are written into a reservation memory and registered for reservation. Recording is started when the program label (program starting time) extracted from the video signal by the decoder coincides with the program starting time of the reservation memory.

Broadcasting signal receiver

An apparatus controls a recording operation, performed by a recording system on a recording medium, of a data signal which includes a copy inhibiting signal. When the copy inhibiting signal is detected, the recording operation is inhibited in the recording system which enters a stand-by state. The recording operation then resumes if the copy inhibiting signal is no longer detected. Alternatively, when the copy inhibiting signal is detected, the data signal is muted while the recording operation continues. The muting operation is cancelled and the normal recording is resumed once the copy inhibiting signal is no longer detected.

Apparatus for controlling a record operation based on a copy inhibiting

When the time is to be set to a clock in a video tape recorder (VTR) utilizing time information that is interpolated in a broadcasting signal, a broadcasting station for this time setting can easily be selected by using broadcasting station tables containing identification codes of broadcasting stations which transmit time information of the areas (countries) separately for each area. A microprocessor in the VTR successively searches broadcasting stations and selects the broadcasting station which has the broadcasting station identification code contained in its broadcasting station tables in VPS or Teletext as the broadcasting station desired for time setting. Not only are the broadcasting station identification codes to be stored in memory but also a priority order may be stored in the broadcasting tables to enable the selection of a broadcasting station having the highest priority from among the received broadcasting station identification codes as the determined broadcasting station for time setting.

A shade pattern can be added characters or character strings by a simple arrangement. Count values of a vertical direction counter (2) and a horizontal direction counter (3) are supplied to an address signal generator (4), and an address signal from the address signal generator (4) is supplied to a memory, i.e. RAM (5), in which character codes to be displayed, etc., are stored. A character code from the memory (5) is supplied to a memory, i.e. ROM (6) in which character patterns and so on are stored. Count values of a character vertical counter (7) and a character horizontal counter (8) are supplied to the memory (6) which derives a signal representing a character pattern to be displayed. The signal representing the character code or the like from the memory (5), the signal representing character codes to be displayed on peripheral portions and the count values of the counters (7), (8) are supplied to a pattern generator (9) which generates a shade pattern signal. The shade pattern signal and the character pattern signal are supplied to a pattern synthesizer (10) which generates a displaying synthesized pattern signal.

Apparatus for and method of generating characters

Channel selecting operation of a tuner is controlled by a VTR microprocessor. A broadcasting station code detected by a broadcasting station code detector from an output video signal SV from the tuner is supplied to the VTR microprocessor. To the VTR microprocessor, there are connected a first memory which stores, in advance, data representing the corresponding relationship between broadcasting station codes and VCR+ guide channels, and a second memory which stores data representing the corresponding relationship between channels selectable by the tuner and the VCR+ guide channels. When an automatic setting key on a remote control commander or a key input circuit is pressed, the VTR microprocessor controls the tuner to select channels successively, reads VCR+ guide channels corresponding to the broadcasting station codes detected by the broadcasting station code detector from the first memory, and writes the VCR+ guide channels in the second memory in relation to the channels selected by the tuner.

Recording method and apparatus for programming a recording schedule

An apparatus for remotely controlling audio/video devices from different manufacturers. First code signals are directly input to the remote controller apparatus when it is in a learning mode by way of a cable or an infrared light-emitting unit from a peripheral audio/video device. The first code signals are stored in specified locations of a conversion table in the lookup table memory. Second code signals are input to the remote controller apparatus when it is in a conversion mode from another audio/video apparatus by way of a cable or an infrared light-emitting unit. The second code signals represent command control functions. The conversion of the second code signals to third control signals is accomplished by a microprocessor using the conversion table containing the first code signals. The third code signals are output from the remote controller apparatus to control a peripheral audio/video device. Also, there is disclosed an audio/video combination system using the remote controller apparatus.

Remote controller apparatus and an audio-video combination system using

Apparatus is provided for recording on and reproducing from a record medium events supplied at particular times from at least one source, as well as preset data selectively input by a user to establish an event to be recorded and the time of recording that event. Preset data to select source, time and duration of events to be recorded on the record medium are selectively input and stored in a temporary storage device for recording on the record medium. A display operates to display preset data stored in the storage device and is controlled to provide indications of events to be (and that may have been) recorded.

Recording and reproducing apparatus having program information

In a storage medium, data for controlling a recording and reproducing apparatus is stored in a management database recording region provided in recording tracks. Management data recorded in the management database recording region can include various types of management information, such as erase permission or inhibition, information indicating whether the program recorded in the recording tracks has been reproduced, external unit control data for controlling cooperating apparatus, subscriber data corresponding to a respective program, a recorded flag for redesignating recording reservation information corresponding to a recorded program as recorded program information and character display information for depicting a personified guide character for an interactive display.

Devices for controlling recording and/or reproducing apparatus utilizing

A video tape recorder has a recording current setting unit for setting recording currents to be supplied to a recording head for recording audio and video signals on a magnetic tape. The recording current setting unit controls electronic volume controls to adjust and output audio and video signals to set the recording currents. Level detectors detect reproduced signals, which have been recorded on the magnetic tape by the recording head, and supply the detected signals to the recording current setting unit. The recording current setting unit controls the electronic volume controls to hold the audio signal at a constant level and to simultaneously vary levels of luminance and chrominance signals of the video signal with the levels being kept at a constant ratio, and at the same time controls the recording head to preliminarily magnetically record the audio and video signals on the magnetic tape. Subsequently, the recording current setting unit measures the level of the audio signal based on the reproduced signals from the level detectors and supplies the recording head with a normal recording current based on the levels of the luminance and chrominance signals corresponding to a predetermined value of the measured level of the audio signal.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Tetsuo Nishigaki