Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording
and reproducing device which makes it possible -to reproduce
sound and characters (letters) or pictures related to the sound
simultaneously or selectively, by adding a small device to an
ordinary cassette recorder used for recording and reproducing
sound.
It is well-known that studying efficiency is increased
when a magnetic recording and reproducing device of the type
mentioned above is used as a studying aid for ~nglish conversat-
ion etc., and when characters and pictures related to sound of
English conversation are shown on a display part such as a Braun
tube of a TV set, accompanying the sound, as in this manner so-
called audio-visual studying can be performed.
In order to carry out the audio-visual studying men-
tioned above, it is possible to employ conventional video
devices, but they have not become popular as studying aids as
they are primarily aimed to project so-called motion pictures and
aq, for this~reason, the devices themselves as well as their
magnetic tapes tend to be expensive.
The object of the present invention is to provide a
magnetic recording and reproducing device which realizes audio-
visual studying by recording sound and frequency-modulated dig-
ital signals on a magnetic tape by means of the conventional
cas~ette recorder, controlling the function and the operation of
the recorder, basing on the control information contained in the
digital signals and putting out sound (audio) to an ordinary
spea~er and further by reproducing and showing the character/
picture information in the digi~al signals on a display part
such as a domestic TV set, and finally by reproducing sound and
characters/pictures related to it synchronously or selectively.
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In accordance with a particular embodiment of the
invention there is provided a magnetic recording and reproduc-
ing device which is able to reproduce sound and characters/
pictures recorded on a magnetic tape simultaneously or selec-
tively. The device includes a cassette recorder and a mag-
netic tape on which are recorded digital signals. The diyital
signals comprise frequency modulated control information for
the cassette recorder and predetermined character/pict~re
information and predetermined sound signals related to the
eharacter/picture information. A processor part controls the
cassette recorder according to the control information
contained in digital signals read out by the cassette recorder
and which operates a display part to display according to
the character/picture information.
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The invention will now be described with reference to
the accompanying drawings which show a preferred form thereof
and wherein:
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of
the magnetic recording and reproducing device in accordance with
the present invention, and
Figure 2 is a pattern diagram showing a recording ex-
ample of the above-mentioned device.
Below an embodiment of the present invention is des-
cribed in reference to the attached drawings.
In the block diagram of Figure 1 a cassette recorder 1
~hich is used for ordinary recording and reproducing of sound,
is provided with a remote terminal which electrically controls
"on" and "off" of the running of a magnetic tape which acts as
the recording medium; a speaker switching terminal which puts
on and off the output to the speaker, a microphone switching
terminal which controls a microphone 2 "on" and "off", and a
monitor terminal. A modulating part of a digital signal modul-
ator/demodulator 4 is connected to a microphone switching part
3, ~hile a demodulating part thereof is connected to the monitor
terminal. The modulator/demodulator converts parallel digital
information sent from a processor part 5 into for example a
start-stop synchronous serial signal of 600bps and logic "0"
is modulated and magnetized as a frequency oscillation of
2400c/s and then put into the cassette recorder 1 through the
microphone terminal to be recorded on the magnetic tape. Logic
"1" is modulated and magnetized as a frequency oscillation of
4800c/s and is recorded on the magnetic tape in the same manner
as logic "0", In case of reproducing, modulated signals sent out
from the monitor terminal is demodulated and series/parallel
converted to be sent out to the processor part 5.
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The processor 5 which is provided with a memory, reads
digital information ~ent out from the digital signal modulator/
demodulator 4, and discriminates and decodes the control infor-
mation contained in the digital information so as to perform
remote control, microphone and speaker switching controls of the
cassette recorder 1. In addition, it has a function to store
character/picture information contained in the digital informat-
ion in its memory and to put it out to the display part 6 by
sychronizing it with the sound put out from the speaker of the
cassette recorder 1 or in the condition independent from the
sound. The display part 6 is composed by a domestic TV set or
a monitor TV, and in case of the former desired video is repro-
duced and displayed by putting character/picture information in
an antenna terminal, whereas in the latter instance it is done
by putting the information in a video signal terminal. It is,
however, also possible to reproduce the sound in the display
part 6.
In order to record on the magnetic tape in the magnetic
recording and reproducing device structured as described above,
it is necessary to store digital information in the memory of
the processor 5 beforehand. Secondly, when the cassette recorder
1 is set at "taping`' or "recording", digital signals from the
processor 5 frequency-modulated through the digital signal
modulator/demodulator 4, are put into the microphone terminal
and entered on the magnetic tape in the same manner as in the
case of ordinary sound. The digital signals contain information
on time period of the sound to be recorded next, character/
picture information in relation to the same sound as well as
control information of the cassette recorder 1 etc. When the
digital information of a pre-determined length is recorded, the
processor 5 stops transmission of the digital information, and
connects the microphone terminal to the sound microphone 2 by
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the control information mentioned above, are recorded on the
magnetic tape. In other wordg, frequency-modulated digital sig-
nals and sound signals are recorded alternately on the same
track o~ the magnetic tape as shown in Fig. 2, and thus the sound
is recorded only for the period of time designated by sound con-
tinuation period control information contained in the digital
signals.
In order to reproduce each information recorded on the
ma~netic tape as described above, the cassette recorder 1 is set
at the reproducing mode as in the conventional methods. At this
time, the speaker is kept "off" by the instruction ~rom the pro-
cessor 5 so that no sound is emitted. After the cassette recor-
der 1 reads frequency-modulated digital signals during the rep-
roducing mode, the signals are then demodulated at the digital
signal modulator/demodulator 4 through the monitor terminal and
are sent out to the processor 5. At this time mark signals of
4800c/s continue for a certain period of time in the head part.
After these mark signals, the processor 5 reads the character/
picture information contained in the digital signals to store
them in its memory, then reads the end mark of these signals as
well as control information such as that related to sound cont-
inuation period control which follows the end mark and puts out
certain signals to the speaker switching terminal to put the
speaker on and to emit sound.
Accordingly, sound signals recorded on the magnetic
tape are reproduced by the same tape as in conventional manners,
and pre-determined sound is sent out from the speaker. Also,
character/picture information stored as described above is syn-
chronized with the sound and put out to the display part 6, re-
producing and displaying characters and pictures related to thesound. After a pre-determined period of time, the speaker is
turned off by the instruction from the processor 5 and trans-
mission of character/picture information to the display part 6
is also stopped at the same time. Then, the digital signal read-
ing process is resumed and reproducing process is repeated in
the same mannerO
With regard to controls of the above-mentioned cassette
recorder 1, it is needless to mention tha-t various kinds of con-
trols such as stopping, rewinding, quick forwarding, picking out
heads or the initial parts of recorded parts as well as select-
ing and reproducing of the magnetic tape can be performed bypro~ramming suitable control information in the processor 5
beforehand. Moreover, it is possible to shorten recording inter-
vals of the digital signals on the magnetic tape, as digital in-
formation such as characters and pictures can record a grea-ter
quantit~ of information much faster compared with soundO
Accordingly, if picture/character information recorded between
sounds are received in advance at the processor 5 to be stored
in its memory, and put out to the display part 6 synchronously
with sound, the information and sound can be controlled to be
put out at the same speed. Therefore, there is no need to use
a sepcial magnetic tape nor a magnetic tape recorder, and rnore-
over, it is possible to record digital signals and sound signals
alternately on the same track of an ordinary cassette tape and
to reproduce them by an ordinary cassette recorder, thus present-
ing an advantage that the device can be made economical.
As described above, the present invention ma~es it
possible to reproduce sound and characters and pictures related
to it recorded on a magnetic tape at a pre-determlned timing by
making an effective use of an ordinary cassette recorder and a
home TV set. Therefore, when it is em~loyed for example as a
studying aid9 it can present an effective method of studying in
the so-called audio-visual manner without the conventional ex-
pensive video devices.
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