Illllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllihiillilllllllllllllllllllllllll USOO5296976A United States Patent [191 [11] Patent Number: 5,296,976 Takayama Et Al
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IllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllIHIIllIlllllllllllllllllllllllll USOO5296976A United States Patent [191 [11] Patent Number: 5,296,976 Takayama et al. [45] Date of Patent: Mar. 22, 1994 [54] MAGNETIC RECORDING/REPRODUCING [56] References Cited DEVICE U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 3,829,892 8/1974 Na ahiro et a]. .............. .. 360/7301 [75] lnvem°rs= Jun Takayama’ T°ky°; “W511i 4,999,722 3/1991 Koguki et a1. ................. .. sec/77.15 Sawakata; Kozo Kaminaga, both of _ _ Kanagawa; Seiichi Sakai, Tokyo, all Pnma'lv Examme"‘R°Pe" J- pilscal of Japan Assistant Examiner-A11 Neyzari Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hill, Steadrnan & Simpson [73] Assignee: Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan [57] ABSTRACT A magnetic recording/reproducing device for recor [211 App}_ No’. 765,380 ding/ reproducing information signals for one recording unit over a plurality of recording tracks by helically ’ scanning a magnetic tape with rotary heads. The infor [22] Flled‘ Sep- 25’ 1991 mation signals for one recording unit are recorded on the plurality of recording tracks on the magnetic tape, [30] Foreign Application priority Data and guard bands are formed simultaneously between the one recording units. The recording density is substan Jun. 28, 1991 [JP] Japan ................................ .. 3485482 tiany improved. Erase heads overwrite the information signals on the magnetic tape and the plurality of record [51] Int. Cl.5 ....................................... .. G11B 5/02 ing tracks for one recording unit on the magnetic tape [52] US. Cl. ........................ .. 360/57; 360/77.15 are erased en block, which prevents over-erasing un [58] Field of Search .................. .. 360/57, 77.14, 77.15, erased portions during editing. 360/77.l6, 77.12, 77.13, 10.3, 19.1, 21, 72.2, 72.3, 27, 18, 61, 74.4 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets G83 US. Patent Mar. 22, ‘1994 Sheet 1 of 7 5,296,976 FIG. I 10 I T2 T4 T 6 / ‘0 { (T3) 75/ %/ , W-I l/ / / ’ / F1 F2 ' / F3 ,l’, w > 662 FIG. 2 /7777777\ FE’ F’? [77777 6M4 LAX-Q’. ______ .._ \\\\\\\\(rT1 r\ Ir» ////////Q§ /’ ''''' " IIIIIIIAT4 211i: \\\\\\\\ 12. 052i; ‘"7" J /______________ \\\\\\ IIIIII (A) 7 (8) (C) (m US. Patent . Mar. 22, 1994 Sheet 5 of 7 5,296,976 ""f FRAME 1 —-|n- FRAME 2-.‘- FRAME3 ._.‘_ FIG. 6A ' —_1' v0 ' 5 I l | r:| vsvs V3V5V7;V1V3V5V7|' l l US. Patent Mar. 22, 1994 Sheet 6 of 7 5,296,976 1;“ T12 T113 T114 T15 T26 ¥ M may AD <> O <> 0 O HG.7A ____l000000000000 <> O <> O O O______ MyI WW I R‘;I /1 123 T2; T2§ T124 125125 US. Patent Mar. 22, 1994 Sheet 7 of7 5,296,976 ~ FIGS FIGQ 5,296,976 1 2 D-l format guard band record. This results in a problem MAGNETIC RECORDING/REPRODUCIN G in that the track pitch is widened. DEVICE The D-2 format digital video tape recorder adopts the azimuth solid recording using no guard band and is BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION therefore considered to be fundamentally suitable for 1. Field of the Invention ameliorating the recording density by narrowing the The present invention relates to a magnetic recor track pitches of the recording tracks. ding/reproducing device and suitable particularly for When the track pitches of the recording tracks are an application to a device for recording and reproduc further narrowed, however, and if a tracking error is ing desired information signals by helically scanning a caused on the occasion of effecting an editing process magnetic tape with rotary heads. by overwriting, as depicted in FIG. 8, an old recording track T24 having an equiphase azimuth contain some 2. Description of the Prior Art unerased portions at this overwrite starting part T21N. A conventional magnetic recording/reproducing A problem is thereby caused, wherein the S/N ratio is device, has a digital video tape recorder for helically deteriorated, and the error rate during the reproduction scanning a magnetic tape with rotary heads and thereby deteriorates so as to cause a decline of image quality. effecting record/reproduction of information signals As depicted in FIG. 9, if the tracking error is pro consisting of, e.g., digital video signals on and from duced when only one-channel information of the digital recording tracks formed obliquely to a traveling direc audio signals is to be replaced, the same problem occurs. tion of the magnetic tape. - 20 Some unerased portions of the old recording tracks A1 This type of digital video tape recorder includes a having the equiphase azimuth exist for of digital audio DJ format digital video tape recorder, based on so signal A1N which are to be replaced, resulting in noises. called SMPTE (American Movie & Television Engi For eliminating the remainder of such old recording neer Association) standards, for recording and repro tracks T24, A1 having the equiphase azimuth, the old ducing component digital video signals and also a D-2 25 recording tracks T24, A1 can be erased in advance of format digital video tape recorder, based on the the overwrite recording by use of a ?ying erase head. SMPTE standards, for recording and reproducing com In this case, however, if a head width of the flying posite digital video signals. Both of the devices record erase head is selectively set to a value which is narrower the video signals for one ?eld over the plurality of re than a track width of the recording track, a problem cording tracks. 30 occurs because the old recording tracks having equi A so-called guard band recording is adopted in the phase are left on both sides. Whereas if set to a value D-1 format digital video tape recorder. As illustrated in wider than the track width of the recording track, the FIG. 7(A), the digital video signals are recorded on a two necessary adjacent recording tracks are erased, magnetic tape 1 in format in which guard bands GB are making it difficult to form the guard band. This is not interposed between respective recording tracks T11, 35 acceptable in actual equipment. T12, T13, T14, T15, T16, . , TIN. So-called azimuth solid recording is adopted in the SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION D-2 format digital video tape recorder. As illustrated in The present invention solves the above-discussed FIG. 7(B), the digital video signals are recorded on problems by proposing a magnetic recording/reproduc recording tracks T21, T22, T23, T24, T25, T26, . , ing device capable of remarkably improving the record T2N having sequentially alternately different azimuths ing density over the prior art. on the magnetic tape 1. To solve the above listed problems, according to the The recording tracks TIN based on the D-1 format invention, there is provided a magnetic recording/re shown in FIG. 7(A) are formed in the direction inclined producing device for recording and reproducing de to the traveling direction of the magnetic tape 1 with 45 sired information signals VD on and from a magnetic the guard bands GB being interposed between the re tape 10 by helically scanning the magnetic tape 10 with spective tracks. Digital audio signals AD for 4 channels rotary heads HA, HBl, I-ICI, HDl, characterized in are recorded on the central parts thereof, while digital that the information signals VD for one recording unit video signals VDl, VD2 are recorded on upper and F are recorded over a plurality of recording tracks T1, lower parts thereof. Note that in the case of the D-1 50 T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 on the magnetic tape 10, and guard format, the digital video signals VD1, VD2 for one field bands GBO, GBl, GB2, GB3 are formed between the are recorded on, e.g., 10 or 12 pieces of the recording one recording units F each consisting of the plurality of tracks TIN. recording tracks T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 on the mag The recording tracks T2N based on the D-2 format netic tape 10. shown in FIG. 7(B) are formed in the direction inclined 55 Provided according to a second embodiment of the to the traveling direction of the magnetic tape 1 having invention are erase heads FEI, FE2 for erasing en bloc, sequentially different azimuths. The digital video sig when overwriting the information signals VD on the nals VD are recorded on the central parts thereof‘. Digi magnetic tape 10, the plurality of recording tracks T1, tal video audio signals A1, A2, A3, A4 for 4 channels T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 for the one recording unit F on the are recorded on upper and lower parts thereof by a magnetic tape 10. double recording method. Note that in the case of the The information signals VD for one recording unit F ' D-2 format, the digital video signals VD for one ?eld are recorded over the plurality of recording tracks T1, are recorded on, e.g., six pieces of recording tracks T2, T3, T4, T5, T6 on the magnetic tape 10. Simulta T2N. neously, the guard bands GBO, GBl, GB2, GB3 are In the digital video tape recorders described above, if 65 formed between the one recording units F. The record track pitches of the recording tracks are narrowed to ing density is substantially improved over conventional improve the recording density, the efficiency is poor construction in which the guard bands are formed for corresponding to the existence of the guard bands in the every track. Further, when the erase heads FEl, FEZ 5,296,976 3 . 4 overwrite the information signals VD on the magnetic ingly, whereby the digital video signals are recorded tape 10, the plurality of recording tracks T1, T2, T3, T4, with a high density.