Playback speed control apparatus and playback speed control method

1. A playback speed control apparatus that controls playback speed of data retrieved from a recording medium according to a detected rotation of a rotatable jog dial, the apparatus comprising:

a rotation speed detection unit that detects a rotation speed of the jog dial to determine periods of acceleration and deceleration of the rotation of the jog dial; and

a control unit that controls a relationship of the playback speed to the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit,

wherein the control unit increases the relationship of the playback speed to the rotation speed of the jog dial when the rotation speed detection unit detects a recursive pattern that includes cycles of short acceleration followed by longer deceleration in the same direction within a predetermined period and returns the playback speed to a normal playback speed when the rotation speed detection unit no longer detects the recursive pattern including short acceleration and longer deceleration in the same direction within a predetermined period.

2. The playback speed control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit changes the playback speed according to an increase and a decrease of an interval of short acceleration and longer deceleration, when the rotation speed detection unit detects a recursive pattern including short acceleration and longer deceleration in the same direction within a predetermined period.

3. The playback speed control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit incrementally increases the relationship of the playback speed to the detected rotation speed each time a predetermined number of cycles of the recursive pattern occur within the first predetermined period of time.

4. The playback speed control apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the relationship is incremented when three cycles of the recursive pattern occur within the first predetermined period of time.

5. The playback speed control apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the relationship of the playback speed to the rotation speed doubles each time the predetermined number of cycles of the recursive pattern occur within the first predetermined period of time.

6. The playback speed control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the jog dial comprises a jog dial provided with a disk shaped slit plate, and wherein the rotation speed detection unit comprises a photo-interrupter.

7. A playback speed control method for controlling playback speed of data retrieved from a recording medium according to a detected rotation of a rotatable jog dial, the method comprising:

detecting rotation speed of the jog dial to determine periods of acceleration and deceleration of rotation of the jog dial; and

controlling a relationship of the playback speed to the detected rotation speed of the jog dial;

analyzing the detected rotation speed to determine the occurrence of recursive patterns of short acceleration followed by longer deceleration in the same direction;

determining whether the number of such recursive patterns occurring in a first predetermined period exceeds a given threshold;

increasing the relationship of the playback speed to the rotation speed of the jog dial when the number of such recursive patterns occurring in the first predetermined period exceeds the given threshold; and

returning the relationship of the playback speed to the rotation speed of the jog dial to a normal playback speed, when no such recursive patterns are detected within a second predetermined period.

8. The playback speed control method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

changing the playback speed according to an increase and a decrease of an interval of short acceleration and longer deceleration, when a recursive pattern including short acceleration and longer deceleration in the same direction is detected within a predetermined period.

9. The playback speed control method of claim 7 , further comprising:

incrementally increasing the relationship of the playback speed to the detected rotation speed each time a predetermined number of cycles of the recursive pattern occur within the first predetermined period of time.

10. The playback speed control method of claim 9 , wherein the relationship is incremented when three cycles of the recursive pattern occur within the first predetermined period of time.

11. The playback speed control method of claim 9 , wherein the relationship of the playback speed to the rotation speed doubles each time the predetermined number of cycles of the recursive pattern occur within the first predetermined period of time.

12. An operation speed control apparatus that controls an operation speed according to rotation of a rotatable jog dial, the apparatus comprising:

a rotation speed detection unit that detects a rotation speed of the jog dial to determine periods of acceleration and deceleration of the rotation of the jog dial; and

a control unit that controls a relationship of the operation speed according to the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit,

wherein the control unit increases the relationship of the operation speed to the rotation speed when the rotation speed detection unit detects a recursive pattern that includes cycles of short acceleration followed by longer deceleration in the same direction within a first predetermined period and returns the playback speed to a normal playback speed when the rotation speed detection unit no longer detects the recursive pattern including short acceleration and longer deceleration in the same direction within a second predetermined period.