United States Patent [19]
`Compoint et al.
`
`[54] CONTINUOUS TELEVISION
`TRANSMISSION REPRODUCTION AND
`PLAYBACK
`
`[75]
`
`Inventors: Philippe Compoint; Paul-Louis
`Meunier; Alain Staron, all of Paris.
`France; Dietmar Uhde, Konigsfeld.
`Germany
`
`[73] Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics.
`Courbevoie, France
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 235,244
`Apr. 29, 1994
`
`[22] Filed:
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`[63] Continuation ofSer. No. 768,184, filed as PCTIFR91/00179
`Mar. 5, 1991, abandoned.
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`[30]
`
`[FR]
`
`France ................................... 90 03385
`
`Mar. 16, 1990
`Int. Cl.6
`.............................. H04N 5n6; H04N 51781
`[51]
`[52] U.S. Cl . ................................. 386/95; 360/18; 369/32;
`369/111; 386170; 386/125
`[58] Field of Search ..................................... 358/342, 335,
`3581310; 369/32. 109. 111; 360/19.1, 33.1.
`18; H04N 5176, 5/78, 51781, 51782, 51783,
`5/92. 5/85, 9179
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`3,766,328 10/1973 Warren .
`
`11.~1111111111111
`5,625,464
`Apr. 29, 1997 .
`
`US005625464A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`2/1974 Enz, et al ..
`3,793,639
`9/1988 Harvey .
`4,774,597
`4,787,063 1111988 Mugnet ................................... 358/335
`4,841,502
`6/1989 Murakami et al ..
`4,879,611 1111989 Fukui et al. .. .......................... 358/335
`2/1991 Eigeldinger ............................. 358/335
`4,991,025
`5,016,273
`5/1991 Hoff ........................................ 358/335
`6/1991 Shinbo et al. .. ....................... 360/19.1
`5,027,222
`7/1991
`lindstrom ................................. 358/86
`5,029,014
`5/1992 Aoki et al ............................... 358/335
`5,111,299
`.. .................... 358/335
`5,132,807
`7/1992 Takimoto et al.
`5,134,499
`7/1992 Sata et al ................................ 358/335
`5,175,624 12/1992 Hieda et al. .. .......................... 358/906
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`0375764B1 1111993 European Pat. Off ..
`3242558
`7/1984 Germany ......................... H04N 5/13
`9001838
`2/1990 WIPO .
`
`Primary Examiner-Thai Q. Tran
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Obion, Spivak, McClelland,
`Maier & Neustadt. P.C.
`ABSTRACT
`
`[57]
`
`A receiver/recorder of television transmissions is disclosed
`which operates automatically on a stand-by basis to record
`continuously television transmissions from at least one
`channel onto a reusable large capacity recording medium
`such as a rnagnetooptic disk The recording is accomplished
`without user intervention and the system includes an index(cid:173)
`ing for distinguishing a recent recording from an older
`recording which is partially overlapped by the recent record(cid:173)
`ing.
`
`15 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet
`
`~11
`
`29
`
`Dish, Exh. 1020, p. 1
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Apr. 29, 1997
`
`5,625,464
`
`FIG .1
`
`FIG.2
`d19
`
`10, r
`
`/-\
`~21
`I
`D---< \
`I
`\ /
`
`I
`
`t::::::::=======::J\....10 2
`
`162 u----
`
`FIG .3
`
`29
`
`,- ....
`
`\
`I
`I
`I
`I
`
`I
`'
`
`- <.
`'
`•
`
`'-,
`
`Dish, Exh. 1020, p. 2
`
`

`
`5,625,464
`
`1
`CONTINUOUS TELEVISION
`TRANSMISSION REPRODUCTION AND
`PLAYBACK
`
`This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No.
`07n68J84, filed Oct. 16, 1991. abandoned, which was filed
`as International Application No. PCT/FR91/00179 on Mar.
`5, 1991.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Discussion of the Background
`
`The video recorder is nowadays a very widespread
`machine. It is above all used to view cassettes pre-recorded
`by specialised editors. In general these machines allow the 15
`automatic recording of television transmissions and, for this
`purpose, have available means for programming such
`recordings in advance. However the programming of a video
`recorder involves operations which are often considered
`complex by the user; furthermore care must be taken that a 20
`cassette is in fact inserted into the machine. This is why
`video recorders are used less to record television transmis(cid:173)
`sions than to view prerecorded cassettes.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The invention aims to facilitate the recording of television
`transmissions or the viewing of such transmissions subse(cid:173)
`quently.
`The receiver/recorder according to the invention is char(cid:173)
`acterised in that it comprises means by which the machine
`is constantly on standby (or active) so as to continuously
`record television transmissions from at least one channel on
`to a (reusable) reversible recording medium of large capac(cid:173)
`ity.
`With such a machine, the user need not perform program(cid:173)
`ming operations. In general it will be sufficient for him to
`leave it connected to the mains so that it remains on standby.
`However, a simplified programming may be provided which
`consists in selecting the channel(s) to be recorded. It then
`suffices for example to allocate each channel a key and the
`control of the recorder is then as easy as that of a simple
`television set. Preferably the machine according to the
`invention is configured to allow the simultaneous recording
`of several channels.
`According to another of its aspects, the invention relates
`to a machine for receiving and recording television trans(cid:173)
`missions which is characterised in that it comprises means
`by which the machine is constantly on standby so as to
`continuously record television transmissions from at least
`one channel onto a random-access reversible recording
`medium associated with writing and reproduction means
`ensuring wear-free exploration of the storage area of the
`medium, the recording of transmissions being performed
`without the intervention of a user in such a way as to have
`available upon reproduction a sufficiently sizeable segment
`of transmission( s) to enable the viewing and/or the recording
`subsequently and in full of one at least of the transmissions.
`In order to allow the machine to continue writing infor(cid:173)
`mation at the place at which it stopped, in particular after its
`supply is cut off, in a preferred embodiment an indexing is
`provided for distinguishing a recent recording from an older
`recording partially overlapped by the recent recording.
`To minimise the risks of an error of operation (or of use)
`it is preferable for the medium not to be easily removable
`from the machine, as in a recorder (or computerised
`memory) with hard disk
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`2
`Preferably a recording is only performed when a trans(cid:173)
`mission is present. This is why, in an embodiment, the
`machine comprises a means of detecting the presence of
`transmissions. This detector consists. for example, of an
`element for identifying the presence of the line-scan fre(cid:173)
`quency.
`Since the recording medium has a limited capacity there
`is provision for a detection of filling of the memory consti(cid:173)
`tuted by this medium which, when the memory is com-
`10 pletely filled, commands stoppage of the recording or return
`to the beginning of the memory so as to erase the informa(cid:173)
`tion written at the beginning and replace it with new
`information.
`The recorder part is preferably a recorder of magnetooptic
`type, the recording medium being in the form of a disk The
`advantage of such a recorder is, on the one hand. that the
`medium and the recording/reading head suffer no mechani(cid:173)
`cal wear since there is no contact between these components,
`and on the other hand, that the magnetic materials used in
`magnetooptic disks are infinitely reversible (reusable).
`Moreover, a magnetooptic disk has a large capacity and
`several disks may be provided within one recorder.
`In what follows. unless otherwise stated. reference will be
`made solely to a recorder of magnetooptic type.
`For choosing transmissions to be viewed, a means of fast
`advance is provided in order to rapidly locate the beginning
`of the transmission selected by the user.
`Preferably the recorder/reader comprises two heads, the
`one for recording and the other for reading, and means
`allowing the reading head and the recording head to be used
`independently of one another. In this way it is then
`possible-by using separate areas of the medium-to record
`a received transmission while viewing (on a screen),
`independently, an already recorded transmission.
`Although, as explained above, the, main object of the
`invention is to facilitate operation of the recorder, the same
`programming options as with a conventional video recorder
`may however be provided in combination with the continu-
`40 ous recording. Thus, in an embodiment a programming
`means is provided for recording a specified later transmis(cid:173)
`sion and means so that this transmission is afterwards
`retained in memory when rerecording on the information
`medium.
`45 A clock may be associated with the recorder in order to
`continuously write date information associated with the
`television transmissions. In this way it is afterwards possible
`to reach the beginning of a transmission almost immediately
`by displaying the date of this beginning, the search being
`50 performed in the same way as for the beginning of a
`fragment of recording in a (audio or video) disk of compact
`type.
`In an embodiment, the magnetooptic reader/recorder
`comprises two writing heads, one for continuous recording
`55 and the other for resiting already recorded transmissions in
`another location of the memory.
`According to another of its aspects, which can be used
`independently of the other aspects, the invention relates to a
`machine for recording data on a medium. for example of
`60 magnetic or magnetooptic type, which is characterised in
`that it comprises a means for periodically writing to the
`medium a code representing a filling of this medium. this
`code being the same upon a specified filling and varying
`when returning to the beginning of the recording of the
`65 medium. that is to say when a later writing is performed.
`According to yet another of its aspects. which can be used
`independently of the other aspects, the invention relates to a
`
`Dish, Exh. 1020, p. 3
`
`

`
`3
`machine for recording data onto a medium, for example of
`magnetic or magnetooptic type, which is characterised in
`that, since it is supplied with current from the mains, it
`comprises a backup energy source such as a buffer accumu(cid:173)
`lator of low capacity, means of detecting an interruption in
`supply and means, supplied by the backup source, for
`writing a code for stopping the recording at the location of
`the medium being written to.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TilE DRAWINGS
`
`Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will
`emerge with the description of some of its embodiments, this
`description being made with reference to the attached draw(cid:173)
`ings in which:
`FIG. 1 is a diagram of a machine according to the
`invention,
`FIGS. 2 and 3 are figures similar to the diagram of FIG.
`1 for variants, and
`FIG. 4 is a diagram of a recorded disk.
`
`DEfAJLED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`
`In all the examples the recording medium is of magne-
`tooptic type in the form of a rotating disk 10 with vertical
`axis 11.
`Referring now to FIG. 1: the recorder/reader receives
`television transmissions via an antenna 15 or a cable. In
`conventional manner it comprises a tuner 16 associated with
`means of sound and picture demodulation and intended to
`receive a television transmission via a channel. Such a
`circuit is conventional in television receivers or video
`recorders.
`At the output of the tuner 16, a component 17 is provided
`which detects the presence, or the absence, of line-frequency
`signals and whose role is to control a recording-control unit
`18. If a transmission is detected, the unit 18 allows recording
`and transmits the output signals from the tuner 16 to a
`recording head 19 via an analog/digital converter 20.
`In the absence of received transmissions the component
`17 suppresses operation of the recorder.
`The machine also comprises a reading head 21 distanced
`from the recording head 19 so that the magnetic field
`produced by the recording head does not disturb reading.
`The reading head 21 is connected to a digital/analog
`converter 22 and to conventional circuits 23 for viewing
`pictures on a television tube 24 and for sound reproduction.
`For the recording part, the machine does not in principle
`include any control in the user's range. The machine
`operates, that is to say records transmissions, so long as it is
`supplied with electrical energy.
`By contrast for reproduction, the machine includes the
`usual controls of a television receiver with, moreover, the
`option of reading the recording starting from any desired
`area of the disk. In this case the control is that conventionally
`found in a compact disk reader or in a videodisk reader.
`In a variant, recording, and hence reading, are performed
`similarly.
`Recording starts for example from the centre and finishes
`at the edge of the disk. When the disk has been completely
`written, the recording head 19 returns to the centre of the
`disk and erases the previously recorded transmissions and
`writes the new ones. As a variant, when the disk is com(cid:173)
`pletely filled, an automatic control acting on the circuit 18 is
`provided in order to interrupt recording. This interruption is
`
`35
`
`40
`
`55
`
`5,625,464
`
`25
`
`4
`conveyed for example by the lighting up of an indicator light
`on the front of the machine. To restart recording a reset
`button is pushed.
`In order to allow for interruptions in electrical energy
`supply, such as mains failures, a system of coding the
`information is provided which, with each turn of the disk,
`writes an item of information, for example a binary digit,
`and this item of information changes when the recording is
`taken up again at the beginning of the disk. Thus, upon the
`10 first filling with each rotation the digit 0 is allocated, upon
`the second filling with each turn the digit 1 is allocated, upon
`the third filling with each turn the digit 0 is allocated again,
`etc.
`In FIG. 4 has been represented a disk 10 on which
`recording has been started from the centre 25, and with each
`15 turn 26 the digit 1 is allocated. The last turn written has the
`reference 27. Later on, the succeeding turns 28, 29 etc., also
`contain recordings. However the latter are allocated the
`binary digit 0 corresponding to the preceding filling.
`In this way, in the event of an interruption in the electrical
`20 energy supply, the head 19 for recording and reading is able
`to determine the place, namely turn 27, on the disk at which
`the recording finished since it is the last turn (starting from
`the centre) of index 1.
`In a variant the machine comprises a backup energy
`source such as a buffer accumulator (not shown) of small
`capacity which allows operation of the machine to continue
`for a specified, relatively short time, for example 30 seconds.
`During this delay period a circuit allows an item of infor(cid:173)
`mation to be written at the place where the recording is
`30 performed. When the supply picks up again, the recorded
`code is easily recognisable.
`In the example the coding of television transmissions is
`performed similarly to the MAC/PACKEr coding as far as
`the sound and the separating of the luminance and the
`chrominance are concerned. However, in contrast to the
`MAC standards, the video information is recorded in digital
`form and not in analog form. Thus, in the course of one line,
`the digital sound information is firstly transmitted, then the
`digital chrominance information and finally the digital lumi(cid:173)
`nance information.
`As a variant the recording is done in analog form.
`In addition to, or in place of, the detector 17 for recog(cid:173)
`nising a television signal at the line frequency, a component
`45 (not shown) is provided for recognising a pilot signal
`furnished by the transmitter and representing the beginning
`of a television transmission.
`In the embodiment represented in FIG. 2, the machine is
`intended to allow the simultaneous recording of several
`50 television channels. For this purpose it comprises a number
`i of receiver sections with tuners 161, 162 . . . 16; equal to
`the number of channels which it is desired to receive and
`several disks 101 , 102 , etc., increasing the recording capac(cid:173)
`ity.
`In this example the signals furnished by the sections with
`tuners 161, 162, •.. to the analog/digital converter 20 pass
`through a multiplexer 35. In this way it is possible to
`simultaneously record several television channels on one
`disk 101 and there is then provision for just one recording
`60 head 19 and just one reading head 21. When a disk 101 is
`completely filled with information, a mechanism allows the
`recording head 19 to be moved from the disk 101 to the
`succeeding disk 102. Likewise a transfer mechanism is
`provided to allow the reading head 21 to be moved to
`65 another disk.
`In the example represented in FIG. 3, the number of
`recording heads 191, 192 , etc ... 19i is equal to the number
`
`Dish, Exh. 1020, p. 4
`
`

`
`5,625,464
`
`15
`
`20
`
`5
`of sections with tuners 161 , 162 • . . 16;. In this case the
`number of disks 101, 102 . .• 10; is the same, each disk being
`allocated one recording head. Likewise each disk is allo(cid:173)
`cated one reading head 21 1 ••• 21;.
`With this embodiment it is not necessary to provide a
`multiplexer as for the example of FIG. 2.
`Whatever the embodiment, it is advantageous to provide
`for the recording head 19 to allow the viewing of the
`transmission which is being recorded. for example by inlay(cid:173)
`ing in the picture read with the reading head or in the picture 10
`received directly by the tuner.
`We claim:
`1. An apparatus for receiving and recording television
`transmissions, comprising:
`means for continuously recording television transmis-
`sions from at least one channel onto a random-access
`rewritable recording medium wherein said means for
`recording provides for a continuous recording of
`received television transmission;
`means for reproducing said recorded television transmis(cid:173)
`sion;
`means for detecting a complete filling of said recording
`medium and providing a first signal fed to a return
`means to return a recording head to the beginning of 25
`said medium in order to rewrite subsequent transmis(cid:173)
`sions at the beginning of said medium while simulta(cid:173)
`neously erasing transmissions which were previously
`recorded and providing a complete filling indication
`signal;
`means for periodically writing to said medium a code
`representing a filling of said medium wherein said code
`remains the same until a speciiied filling is completed
`and wherein said code is changed to a second value
`when the recording head is returned to the beginning of 35
`the medium;
`indexing means responsive to said code wherein said
`indexing means is recorded on said medium for auto(cid:173)
`matically distinguishing a first in time recorded trans(cid:173)
`mission from a second in time recorded transmission. 40
`2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising
`a means for detecting said code and a means which, after an
`interruption, provides for continuation of recording follow(cid:173)
`ing the last location containing said second code value found
`at the beginning of the medium.
`3. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising
`a backup energy source and a means for detecting an
`interruption in a supply current and means, supplied by said
`
`6
`backup energy source. for writing a code indicating where
`the recording has stopped.
`4. The apparatus according to claim 1 including a record(cid:173)
`ing head and a separate reading head.
`5. The apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a means
`of control for simultaneously recording at least two televi(cid:173)
`sion channels.
`6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said
`recording medium comprises at least one disk.
`7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said
`recording medium comprises at least two disks.
`8. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including a
`clock for continuously recording date information simulta(cid:173)
`neous with said television transmissions.
`9. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising
`a means of fast searching from said date information.
`10. The apparatus according to claim 8 including a means
`for preventing erasure of preselected transmissions between
`two predetermined dates.
`11. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising
`a means for detecting the presence of television transmis(cid:173)
`sions and an element responsive to said means for detecting
`the presence of television transmissions to control recording
`of said transmissions.
`12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said
`means for detecting the presence of television transmissions
`includes a means for detecting the presence of absence of
`line-frequency signals.
`13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said code
`30 is a binary code.
`14. The apparatus for recording data comprising:
`means for continuously recording said data onto a random
`access rewritable recording medium wherein said
`means for recording provides for continuous recording
`of received data;
`means for periodically writing to said medium a code
`representing a filling of said medium wherein said code
`remains the same until a specified filling is completed
`and wherein said code is automatically changed to a
`second value when the recording head is returned to the
`beginning of the medium.
`15. The apparatus according to claim 14 further compris(cid:173)
`ing a means for detecting said code and a means which, after
`an int<(rruption, provides for continuation of recording fol(cid:173)
`lowing the last location containing said second code value
`found at the beginning of said medium.
`
`45
`
`* * * * *
`
`Dish, Exh. 1020, p. 5