1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording/playback apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a magnetic recording/playback apparatus and magnetic tape write/read method, in which high-speed access to a magnetic tape is possible.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, mini computers, office computers such as personal computers, etc. have been used more and more widely. Along with this tendency, the researches on the magnetic tape as an external storage medium for recording computer data, the so-called tape streamer, have been done actively. For the development of a magnetic tape for actual use in such an application, the magnetic tape should have a larger storage capacity and a smaller size correspondingly to an increased processing capability and smaller design of such computers.
On the other hand, the magnetic recording medium for use as a video cassette should desirably have a smaller size corresponding to the smaller design of the video cassette as well as a capability of longer-time recording.
For an improved recording capacity and longer time of recording required for the digital-recording magnetic tapes such as the tape streamer and video cassette, it is essential for the tape to be accessible at a high speed and the high-speed access is required for information management of the magnetic tape.
Generally, a signal is written to or read from the above-mentioned magnetic tape by a magnetic recorder/player having a rotary head composed of magnetic heads installed on a rotary drum. For writing or reading information signal to or from the magnetic tape, it is necessary to manage the position of the magnetic tape for the purpose of information management. The magnetic tape position is managed by reading position information such as addresses recorded in the magnetic tape.
Conventionally, position information such as addresses in the magnetic tape is acquired as follows. Namely, the magnetic tape is set in the magnetic recorder/player and loaded in place, and then position information is written in a data format or address information recorded in a data format is read. Alternatively, the magnetic tape is set in the magnetic recorder/player and then the reel speed is counted before the magnetic tape is loaded in place.
However, if the former one of the conventional methods for acquisition of position information in the magnetic tape is adopted, it is necessary to load the magnetic tape in place, which will take a time. When the magnetic tape is fast forwarded or rewound at a high speed with the magnetic tape loaded in place, it will be deteriorated. That is, the magnetic tape may not be fast forwarded or rewound at any high speed. In case of the latter method, the magnetic tape position cannot be controlled with a high accuracy.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art by providing a magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus and method, in which a high-speed access is possible to the magnetic tape without any deterioration of the latter.
The above object can be attained by providing a magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus for writing and/or reading an information signal to and/or from a magnetic tape encased in a two-reel type tape cartridge, the apparatus including according to the present invention;
a magnetic head dedicated for writing or reading information on the position of the magnetic tape to or from the magnetic tape;
the tape cartridge having formed therein an opening for said information-dedicated magnetic head in a position where the opening will be corresponding to the position information-dedicated magnetic head when the tape cartridge is set in place in the magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus.
In the above magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus, the position information-dedicated magnetic head is provided to write or read magnetic tape position information to or from the magnetic tape. The opening formed in the tape cartridge is located in a position where it will be vis-a-vis to the position information-dedicated magnetic head when the tape cartridge is set in place in the magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus.
Therefore, in the magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus according to the present invention, the magnetic tape position information is written or read by the position information-dedicated magnetic head to or from the magnetic tape being unloaded.
Also the above object can be attained by providing a magnetic tape recording/playback method for writing and/or reading an information signal to and/or from a magnetic tape encased in a two-reel type tape cartridge by a magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus, the method including, according to the present invention, steps of;
setting the tape cartridge in the magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus;
placing a magnetic head dedicated for writing or reading information on the position of the magnetic tape in a position where the position information-dedicated magnetic head will be put into contact with the magnetic tape being unloaded in place; and
writing and/or reading the magnetic tape position information to and/or from the magnetic tape.
In the above magnetic tape recording/playback method, the position information-dedicated magnetic head is put into contact with the magnetic tape being unloaded in the magnetic tape recording/playback apparatus, and the magnetic tape position information is written and/or read from the magnetic tape.
Therefore, in the magnetic tape recording/playback method according to the present invention, the magnetic tape position information is written or read by the position information-dedicated magnetic head from or to the magnetic tape being unloaded in place.