Abstract: An object is to prevent the motor from carrying out a regeneration braking operation even if any of phase output lines is short-circuited to VB or GND in addition to a short-circuit failure occurring in a MOSFET of an inverter. The semiconductor switching devices of a power conversion apparatus each have a diode that is coupled in parallel to each of the semiconductor switching devices. At least one of the diodes are connected in a direction opposite to the direction in which other diodes are oriented on a current path between the power supply and the ground. Further, at least one of diodes is connected in a direction opposite to the direction in which other diodes are oriented on a current path between the output of the motor and the power supply and on a current path between the output of the motor and the ground.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor drive device having a drive circuit for driving a power supply relay and a phase relay providing a fail-safe function. The motor drive device includes: an inverter circuit for supplying electric power to an electric motor; a power supply relay provided on a power supply line for supplying electric power from a power supply to the inverter circuit; a phase relay provided on a drive line between the inverter circuit and the electric motor, and constituted by a semiconductor switching element; and a drive circuit connected to the phase relay and the power supply relay. The phase relay and the power supply relay share the same drive circuit, and the phase relay and the power supply relay are driven simultaneously by a drive signal output from the drive circuit.

Abstract: A loss (generation of heat) is reduced in a capacitor precharge circuit, thereby reducing the size of the circuit. The capacitor precharge circuit according to the present invention divides a power supply voltage using a switched capacitor voltage divider circuit, thereby carrying out charging while suppressing a both-terminal voltage of the capacitor that is subject to the charging (refer to FIG. 1).

Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method includes an input device to which image data is inputted, a recorder which records the inputted image data into a recording medium, an eraser which erases the recorded image data in the recording medium, a protector which protects from an erasure setting so as to protect from erasure by the eraser of the recorded image data, and a display which displays a list of reduced images of a plurality of image data recorded in the recording medium. While the recorder is controlled utilizing a filing system and the list of reduced images of the plurality of image data recorded in the recording medium is displayed, the display is controlled so as to display a mark indicating that protection from erasure is set with respect to the recorded image data for which protection from erasure is set by the protector.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus includes an access display unit of a hard disk and a failure diagnosis unit to carry out a failure diagnosis by using error information of data reproduced from the hard disk, in which either a video recorded in the hard disk is displayed on the access display unit or an access on the reproduction is displayed thereon, and a warning content obtained from a diagnostic result of the hard disk is displayed after the access is completed.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus includes an access display unit of a hard disk and a failure diagnosis unit to carry out a failure diagnosis by using error information of data reproduced from the hard disk, in which either a video recorded in the hard disk is displayed on the access display unit or an access on the reproduction is displayed thereon, and a warning content obtained from a diagnostic result of the hard disk is displayed after the access is completed.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method includes an input device to which image data is inputted, a recorder which records the inputted image data into a recording medium, an eraser which erases the recorded image data in the recording medium, a protector which protects from an erasure setting so as to protect from erasure by the eraser of the recorded image data, and a display which displays a list of reduced images of a plurality of image data recorded in the recording medium. While the recorder is controlled utilizing a filing system and the list of reduced images of the plurality of image data recorded in the recording medium is displayed, the display is controlled so as to display a mark indicating that protection from erasure is set with respect to the recorded image data for which protection from erasure is set by the protector.

Abstract: A digital image and speech recording and reproducing apparatus is arranged to quickly and simply retrieve, classify, and erase a great deal of data for improving the operativity in small-sized equipment. The apparatus includes a recording and reproducing unit for a moving image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a still image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a digital speech signal operated in synchronous to the image, a display for displaying the image for said moving image signal or said still image signal, a recording condition recording unit for recording recording conditions containing data information about recorded data for distinguishing said moving image from said still image and recording time information for recording an image or a speech.

Abstract: To provide an image signal recording system for compressing image signals and storing compressed image data onto a storage-medium PC card; which prevents at least occurrence of an abnormal interruption of recording operation in the system. Conventionally, if a write data transfer rate of the PC card is relatively slow, full-motion picture data recording is disabled to cause an abnormal interruption of recording operation in the image signal recording system. Although there are conventional arrangements specifically designed for use with a dedicated card having a high rate of write data transfer, any arrangement applicable to write data transfer rates of various kinds of general-purpose PC cards has not been devised yet.

Abstract: A conventional image recording apparatus like a video camera recorder may often bring about coding noises if an image to be inputted or a target object reaches a certain degree of complexity. The remaining time when data is to be recorded on a recording medium may be so varied according to the magnitude of the coding rate that the time cannot be easily grasped. To overcome these problems, the present image recording apparatus is arranged to vary the display based on the coding rate according to the magnitude of the coding rate so that the user can grasp how much the coding noises appear with sense. Further, by displaying the remaining volume and the coding rate of the recording medium associated therewith, the decreasing pace of the remaining time may be notified to the user.

Abstract: A digital image and speech recording and reproducing apparatus is arranged to quickly and simply retrieve, classify, and erase a great deal of data for improving the operativity in small-sized equipment. The apparatus includes a recording and reproducing unit for a moving image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a still image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a digital speech signal operated in synchronous to the image, a display for displaying the image for said moving image signal or said still image signal, a recording condition recording unit for recording recording conditions containing data information about recorded data for distinguishing said moving image from said still image and recording time information for recording an image or a speech.

Abstract: A digital image and speech recording and reproducing apparatus is arranged to quickly and simply retrieve, classify, and erase a great deal of data for improving the operativity in small-sized equipment. The apparatus includes a recording and reproducing unit for a moving image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a still image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a digital speech signal operated in synchronous to the image, a display for displaying the image for said moving image signal or said still image signal, a recording condition recording unit for recording recording conditions containing data information about recorded data for distinguishing said moving image from said still image and recording time information for recording an image or a speech.

Abstract: In a combined, small-sized, portable video/still camera system, it is intended to improve the reliability against a rise in internal temperature of the system and improved reliability against vibration, while keeping small the external size of the system. Such compact system includes a PCMCIA hard disk drive capable of being loaded to, and removed from, the image recording/reproducing system. According to the present invention, as set forth hereinabove, a plate or medium formed of a thermally conductive rubber or copper (higher in thermal conductivity than air) is mounted on an encoder LSI package attached to a side of a circuit board opposite to the hard disk mounted side, and such medium is arranged to conduct heat to the system housing formed of aluminum or other material high in thermal conductivity. As a result, the housing is efficiently used as a heat sink.

Abstract: In a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, amplitude errors of recording currents respectively supplied to a plurality of rotary magnetic heads are detected, and, in individual periods of sequential scanning of a magnetic recording medium by the plural rotary magnetic heads, the gain of a variable gain amplifier disposed in a signal recording system sequentially supplying an input video signal to the plural rotary magnetic heads is controlled so as to automatically adjust the value of the recording current supplied to each of the rotary magnetic heads.

Abstract: A magnetic recording/reproducing circuit system which comprises an amplitude control circuit and wherein a video recording signal and voice recording signal are supplied to a magnetic head to be written as superimposed on surface and deep layers of a magnetic recording medium in a record mode and to be reproduced from the recording medium in a reproduction mode. In the record mode, the amplitude control circuit detects an ambient temperature and controls a current value indicative of the video recording signal to be optimum for the detected temperature. As a result, in the reproduction mode, a reproduction video signal can be substantially stabilized regardless of a variation in the ambient temperature.

Abstract: A tracking apparatus for a magnetic recording and playback device of a helical scan system including at least one audio head and at least one video head provided on a rotating cylinder for enabling recording and playback of an audio signal and a video signal onto and from a magnetic tape which is driven by a capstan motor. The tracking apparatus includes a tracker for detecting an audio tracking error of the audio head for an audio track of the magnetic tape and for generating a tracking compensation signal corresponding to the amount of audio tracking error, and a controller responsive to the tracking compensation signal for controlling the rotary phase of the capstan motor in accordance therewith so that the audio head correctly tracks the audio track of the magnetic tape and is controlled independently of control of the video head for video tracking error.

Abstract: A preamplifier circuit for amplifying a video signal reproduced by a magnetic head includes a positive feedback circuit for reducing an input capacitance thereof. A negative feedback circuit may be added thereto for stabilizing an operation of the preamplifier.