Abstract: An image information reproducing apparatus generates a video signal carrying an original image from a read signal acquired from an image information recording medium, prepares a manually-input image to be superimposed on the original image in accordance with an operational input, thereby generating a manually-input image signal, generates a mixed image signal carrying a mixed image having the manually-input image superimposed on the original image, based on the video signal and the manually-input image signal, and stores the manually-input image signal in association with address information in the recording medium of a video signal corresponding to the original image on which the manually-input image is superimposed.

Abstract: Disclosed are a recording medium playback method and apparatus for a recording medium playback system in which recording media of different properties, such as a first recording medium having reproduction information recorded thereon and a second recording medium on which reproduction information and playback control information for controlling a playback order of that reproduction information are recorded, are installed and which plays back the first and second recording media. The recording medium playback method comprises the steps of generating a custom file having at least the first recording medium alone registered therein; and playing back the first and second recording media installed in the recording medium playback system in accordance with registered contents of the custom file.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a position detecting apparatus for and method of detecting a position of a transport unit, wherein the transport unit is used to pick up a designated disk from a disk container containing a plurality of disks to transport the disk thus picked up to a disk playback unit. The present invention accumulates the number of pulses output by an encoder of the transport unit as the unit moves upward or downward along an encoder channel. The accumulated count is used as a position count for determining the position of the transport unit between the disk container and the playback unit. A second encoder generates a pulse train corresponding to the movement of the transport unit along the second encoder channel. The second encoder channel having a plurality of recesses spaced at a wider pitch than in the encoder channel.

Abstract: In a stereo sound digital recording system in which a plurality of tunes or programs are sequentially and digitally recorded on a magnetic tape, the left and right analog input signals are combined and converted to a digital signal. The analog input signals are also applied to a detector which detects the head of the program or tune and which causes to be generated a start identification sub-code signal which is automatically added to the digital signal, before the modulation thereof, and which is recorded on the tape for about nine seconds in the non-sound portion preceding the tune or program. A second sub-code signal, in the form of a program number signal, may also be added to the digital signal, simultaneously with the program start identification sub-code signal, to provide recorded numbers respectively identifying programs which are sequentially recorded on the tape.

Abstract: In a signal reproducing device such as an R-DAT video tape recorder, a digital signal recorded on the recording medium is reproduced by the magnetic head, stored in a memory, processed by a processing circuit, and converted into an analog signal by a D/A converter, and a detector detects whether or not the reproduction signal outputted by the head is present so that, according to the output of the detector, a muting circuit mutes the digital-to-analog converted signal and a driver suspends the operation of a level meter adapted to display the level of the digital signal, whereby the production of noise signals and the abnormal display of signal levels are prevented.

Abstract: A signal recording/reproducing apparatus having both bar-type and numeric signal-level displaying units which can be easily read. The apparatus includes a sample-and-hold circuit for sampling and holding an input signal at a first predetermined rate, a first display unit for displaying in bar form the sample values sampled by the sample-and-hold circuit, a data holding circuit for sampling and holding the sample values periodically at a second predetermined rate, and a second display unit for numerically displaying the sample values selected by the data holding circuit. The bar code display can change at a rapid rate to dynamically follow the input signal, while the numeric display changes at a slower rate so as to allow the user sufficient time to comprehend the numerically displayed value.

Abstract: A system for positioning a pick-up head of a disk player at a predetermined point having an address determining circuit to determine the position of the pick-up head. A calculating circuit determines the distance to a target position on the basis of the address detected. A controller provides a move output signal to displace the pick-up head at high speed to the target position. The address (location) of the head is again determined and a second move operation performed to plan the pick-up within a predetermined range so that a search for the target address can be performed.