Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output command process
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-24
2001-09-18
Lee, Thomas (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Input/output command process
C710S058000, C710S069000, C360S079000, C369S047360, C386S349000, C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292846
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an interactive data transmission system including an information recording and/or reproduction apparatus connected via a bus for transmitting digital signals, and relates to a control method of this interactive data transmission system.
An interface bus, standardized according to IEEE 1394 (hereinafter referred to as a 1394 interface bus), is known as a high performance interface bus capable of realizing a data transmission rate exceeding 100 Mbps (Mbit/sec) and transmitting both video information and audio information in addition to control information.
This kind of high performance interface bus is preferably used for connecting an information recording and/or reproduction apparatus, such as VTR (video tape recorder), and an external electronic apparatus, such as a personal computer, to constitute an interactive data transmission system. Among various commands used in this interactive data transmission system, a command may be sent from the external recording apparatus to designate a tape speed during recording. Other command may relate to a judgement as to whether the signal to be recorded is a standard definition (SD) signal or a high definition (HD) signal.
However, it was impossible to designate a type of a cassette or a grade of a magnetic tape from an external electronic apparatus when a VTR has a plurality types of loadable (compatible) cassettes. For example, different kinds of cassettes, such as VHS (registered trademark) cassettes, VHS-C (registered trademark) cassettes and S-VHS (registered trademark) cassettes, are loadable in a VTR conforming to a D-VHS (registered trademark) standards. Furthermore, magnetic tapes accommodated in these different cassettes are classified into a plurality of grades, such as VHS tape, S-VHS (registered trademark) tape, D-VHS tape.
Furthermore, it was impossible for an external electronic apparatus to designate a recording by analog signals because there was a premise that the input information recordable on a magnetic tape by the information recording and/or reproduction apparatus was limited to digital data.
Furthermore, according to a VTR conforming to the D-VHS standards or the DVC standards (refer to Published Japanese Patent Application No. Kokai 7-226025), a recording region on its magnetic tape is divided into a plurality of regions including a recording region storing control information and a recording region storing main information corresponding to video and audio input information. However, it was impossible for an external electronic apparatus to designate a specific part of the divided regions on which the data are recorded (rewritten).
Furthermore, the above-described high performance interface bus can be used for connecting an information transport apparatus reproducing information recorded in a recording media, such as VTR, and an electronic apparatus, such as other VTR or a personal computer, to constitute an electronic data transmission system. Among various commands used in this electronic system, a command may be sent from other electronic apparatus to the information transport apparatus to inquire an operating condition (stopped or operated) of the information transport apparatus. Other command may be a transport state command returned from the information transport apparatus for responding to the received inquiry.
However, the 1394 interface bus does not restrict the transmission timing of the above-described transport state command for inquiring the operating condition of other electronic apparatus via the bus. This allows flexible and occasional inquiries. However, the following problems arise.
When an information transport apparatus starts transmitting a specific information (e.g., one movie program), it is important for an electronic apparatus connected to the information transport apparatus via a bus to correctly know an end time of the transmission of this specific information. To this end, it is necessary to transmit the transport state command at relatively short intervals and receive a response from the information transport apparatus. For example, it is now assumed that the information transport apparatus transmits a program of two hours (i.e., 120 minutes). When the transmission interval of the transport state command is set to 7 minutes, the number of required transmission of the transport state command is 18 times until the end of the data transmission is detected. Furthermore, there is a delay time of 6 minutes, between the actual end time of the data transmission and the detected time, due to a dormant period between the seventeenth command transmission (occurring at a 119 minutes point) and the eighteenth command transmission (occurring at a 126 minutes point). This delay time of 6 minutes will force a recording apparatus to operate unnecessarily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, the present invention has an object to provide an information recording system allowing an external electronic apparatus to perform various controls finely and precisely so as to improve its usability when the external electronic apparatus is connected via a digital interface bus to this information recording apparatus, and also to provide a control method for this system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic data transmission system and a related control method capable of adequately detecting an operating condition of an information transport apparatus via a bus.
In order to accomplish the above and other related objects, one aspect of the present invention provides an information recording system comprising an information recording apparatus for recording input information on a recording media and at least one external electronic apparatus connected to the information recording apparatus via a bus for transmitting digital signals. The external electronic apparatus comprises a command transmitting means for sending a command to the information recording apparatus via the bus. This command designates at least one of a recording mode according to which the input information is recorded on the recording media and a recording region of the recording media on which the input information is recorded. The information recording apparatus comprises a command receiving means for receiving the command sent from the external electronic apparatus and interpreting the content of the received command, and a control means for performing a control according to the interpreted command.
Preferably, the information recording apparatus is capable of recording both digital signals and analog signals on the recording media. The recording mode designating command designates digital signal or analog signal as signal form to be recorded on the recording media.
Preferably, the recording mode designating command includes at least one selected from the group consisting of type information of the recording media, error-correcting code information, structure information of input digital data, recording time information, data rate information of the input digital data, and time-axis compression rate information of the input digital data.
Preferably, the recording region of the recording media includes an input information recording region for recording the input information and a control information region for recording control information required for recording and reproducing the recording media.
Another aspect of the present invention provides an information recording system comprising an information recording apparatus for recording input information on a recording media and at least one external electronic apparatus connected to the information recording apparatus via a bus for transmitting digital signals. The external electronic apparatus comprises a command transmitting means for sending an inquiry command to the information recording apparatus via the bus. This inquiry command inquires at least one of a type information of the recording media loaded in the information recording apparatus and a recording prohibit informati
Hara Mitsuhiko
Okauchi Takeshi
Anderson Kill & Olick P.C.
Du Thuan
Lee Thomas
Victor Company of Japan Ltd.
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