Abstract: A control apparatus for use with a recordable recording medium, such as a write once compact disc (CD-WO), in accordance with a SCSI-2 interface previously defined for a pre-recorded recording medium, such as a normal CD, automatically sets and updates attribute information needed for recording the CD-WO. When the CD-WO is blank or partially written, track information pages, in addition to a disc information page, are used to manage recording medium attribute information. The disc and track information pages are associated with corresponding disc and track changeability information pages.

Abstract: A color correcting method of a color printer is provided. Input image data expressed by lightness (or brightness), saturation, and hue is compared with a color expression range of a color printer similarly expressed by lightness, saturation, and hue. The input image data is used without change as output data with respect to that input image data which is found to overlap the color expression range of the color printer as a result of the comparison. Output data is formed by changing the lightness of the input image data when the data is converted to a point on the outer edge of the color expression range of the color printer with respect to any portion of the input image data which does not overlap with the color expression range of the color printer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for encoding a digital video signal provided as a plurality of blocks of video data. The video data in block form are subjected to discrete cosine transformation to yield respective DC components and respective pluralities of AC components. The plurality of AC components are variable length encoded and, in certain embodiments, the DC components and variable-length encoded AC components of each block are arranged in a data stream so that the DC components precede the variable-length encoded AC components and relatively lower frequency variable length encoded AC components precede relatively higher frequency ones thereof. Error correction codes for the transformed data also are supplied. In certain embodiments of the invention, the transformed video data are arranged as a sequence of fixed length symbols so that the beginning of each of a plurality of blocks of transformed data corresponds with the beginning of a respective symbol within the sequence.

Abstract: An input data rate delivered from an external device and a recording rate at the recording system for recording data onto a recording tape by using a rotary head are compared at a rate comparison section, and a comparison result is sent to a control section. The control section controls a tape running drive section for allowing the recording tape to undergo running drive. This control section carries out a switching control such that when input rate is lower than recording rate, tape running speed is caused to undergo switching control so as to shift to a lower speed side and to reduce recording rate, and when input rate is higher than recording rate at the time of tape low speed running, tape running speed is caused to be in correspondence with original stationary speed for a second time.

Abstract: The television signal recording/reproducing system digitally records and reproduces television signals composed of a luminance signal, a chrominance signal and a resolution compensation signal included in predetermined television scanning lines. The system includes a Y/C separating circuit for separating the luminance signal Y from the chrominance signal C. The luminance signal Y and the resolution compensation signal are combined onto a first signal line. A demodulating circuit demodulates the chrominance signal into a color difference signal and outputs the demodulated signal to a second signal line. A digital video signal recorder digitally process the signals on the first signal line separately from the signals on the second signal line and records the digitally processed signals. In this manner, the resolution compensation signal is processed with the luminance signal and the resolution compensation signal can be accurately recorded.

Abstract: An information recording and reproducing apparatus comprises an optical device for causing a light beam to impinge upon a disc having a spiral guide groove along which a control signal is substantially recorded for scanning the spiral guide groove; a light beam modulating portion operative to intensity-modulate the light beam incident upon the disc in response to an information signal so that the information signal is intermittently recorded on the disc and operative further to cause the light beam to keep a relatively small intensity during a period in which the recording of the information signal is temporarily interrupted; a photo-detecting portion for detecting the light beam coming from the disc; a read signal processing portion operative to obtain, based on a detection output from the photo-detecting portion, a read output signal containing a read output of the control signal and a total amount signal corresponding to momentary total light amount of the light beam received by the photo-detecting portion

Abstract: An apparatus for coding and/or decoding information data can edit information data at the compression unit by use of a high-efficiency two-way motion compensation predictive system. A motion compensation processing circuit (1) includes one-way predicting circuit (first motion compensating circuit (14)) for motion-compensation-predicting video data (Dv) based on frame information just behind the video data (Dv), two-way predicting circuit (first and second motion compensating circuits (14), (15) and an adder (16)) for motion-compensation-predicting the video data (Dv) based on frame information immediately-preceding and immediately-succeeding the video data (Dv) and a first switching circuit (17) for selectively switching one-way motion compensation predictive data (Dsr) supplied thereto from the one-way predicting circuit (14) and two-way motion compensating data (Dt) supplied thereto from the two-way predicting circuit (14, 15, 16) based on edit information (Sh) supplied thereto through an input terminal (.

Abstract: An apparatus for replaying a disc-shaped recording medium such as a video CD on which first video data into which all of audio data or video information for one frame is compressed as well as second video data into which video information for frames located before and after the frame in question is recorded together with address data, and discrimination data for discriminating between menu data and recorded data is also recorded. The replay apparatus includes a replay section, an input section, a memory and a controller. The replay section loads the disc-shaped recording medium therein and replays the loaded disc-shaped recording medium.

Abstract: An exposure device controls the exposure of an image in a video camera using a vibration control system. The gain of an iris, which receives the image, the gain of an AGC amplifier, which amplifies the sensed image and the gain of an electronic shutter, which controls the speed at which images are sensed; are controlled by driving the iris in a first range indicative of an object illuminance when a hand vibration correcting operation is performed, driving the AGC amplifier in a second range indicative of the object illuminance, and driving the shutter in a third range indicative of the object illuminance.

Abstract: A telephone apparatus having a plurality of dedicated keys, a plurality of changeable keys each having at least one respective dedicated function associated therewith, and a display for displaying a plurality of lines of data. The telephone apparatus is adapted to perform a plurality of main functions including so-called menu, message, pad and book functions. Each of such main functions may be directly accessed by depressing only one of the keys. Further, the telephone apparatus enables messages, including voicemail and text data messages, to be received and stored therein. Messages or responses to received messages may be produced and transmitted from the telephone apparatus.

Abstract: A recording medium has a user recordable area in which two types of information may be recorded, such as audio data and user data, and a control area having a first area for management information regarding the first type of information and a second area for management information regarding the second type of information. A reproducing apparatus uses the first management information to reproduce the first type of information and to avoid reproducing the second type of information as the first type of information, and uses the second management information to reproduce the second type of information and to avoid reproducing the first type of information as the second type of information. A recording apparatus generates the first management information when the first type of information is recorded and generates the second management information when the second type of information is recorded.

Abstract: Digital data representing a compressed image is separated into priority data and normal data, and formatted so that the priority data is repeatedly recorded on a magnetic tape. The transmission rate of the digital data is compared with the recording rate on the magnetic tape to control the number of repetitions of the priority data.

Abstract: In an image data coding apparatus and method thereof, an image data recording medium, and an image data decoding apparatus and method thereof, in rating mode, the unlimited parts are consecutively reproduced without reproduction of the limited parts. In the case where a rating code has been found within the entry point in reproducing operation, the succeeding image data is not reproduced and the reproducing operation is skipped to the next address which is to be reproduced. During this event, the reproduced image is uninterruptedly displayed as a consecutive image by virtue of a difference between the data rates, and the image data which is following to the entry point to which it has skipped is a GOP which certainly starts from I-picture and, therefore, can be surely reproduced.

Abstract: An optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm and, a thickness of 1.2 mm.+-.0.1 mm, with a plurality of record tracks having data recorded thereon as embossed pits representing information and exhibiting a track pitch in the range between 0.646 .mu.m and 1.05 .mu.m; with the tracks being divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area. The data includes table of contents (TOC) information recorded in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track and user information recorded in a plurality of sectors in user tracks. The user information is comprised of MPEG-compressed video data, which may exhibit any one of difference MPEG formats, and compressed audio data, which likewise may exhibit an MPEG format, a PCM format or the like. The TOC information includes addresses of start sectors recorded in the user tracks and also includes application table of contents (ATOC) information which identifies various parameters for accessing and using the user information.

Abstract: Encoding and decoding of subtitle data is performed in real time. A buffer regulates a flow rate of the subtitle data to ensure that the appropriate subtitles are superimposed with the correct video picture. In encoding, subtitles are generated in correspondence to a video picture. The subtitles are separately encoded and multiplexed with the video picture for transmission. Upon decoding, the subtitles are selected at a time which corresponds to the display of the corresponding video picture. Since the subtitles are processed separately from the video data, the subtitles may be manipulated with great control; thus providing more flexibility in encoding and decoding.

Abstract: A digital video communication system for bidirectional communication between a first station and a second station is disclosed. The first station, which may be a camera head unit, includes a first transmitting portion and a first receiving portion. The first transmitting portion has a video data processing unit supplied with video data and adapted for outputting processed video data at a variable transmission bit rate controlled by a first rate controlling signal, and a first multiplexing unit for multiplexing audio data and an error detection signal on the processed video data. The first receiving portion has a separating unit for separating video data, a control signal and audio data from received multiplexed data, a generating unit for generating the rate control signal from the control signal and a unit for supplying the rate signal to the video data processing unit.

Abstract: A video signal receiver receives a plurality of video channels simultaneously carrying, offset by a transmission interval, a single video program, selects one channel from which to obtain the program for display to a user, and achieves a pause function in the display of the transmitted video program by temporarily storing a segment of the video program equal to the length of the transmission interval and obtaining the remainder of the program at a later time from the same or another channel.

Abstract: In image compression using motion compensated predictive coding, the number of bits of pixel data is reduced before the pixel data are supplied to a motion vector detecting apparatus. Motion vectors are detected using a pipelined operation in which pixel by pixel differences between a reference block and a search block are obtained and summed. At each stage of the pipeline, the sum of differences is limited to a predetermined maximum number of bits.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus for selectively having a normal cassette containing a recording and reproducing tape or a cleaning cassette containing a cleaning tape loaded therein is provided to detect, for example, on the basis of information stored in a semiconductor memory or an ID board of each cassette, whether the loaded cassette is a normal cassette or a cleaning cassette and, if a cleaning cassette is detected, to limit performance of a cleaning operation to only a predetermined time.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for simultaneously displaying two independent video signals are described.