Abstract: A tape cassette handling and sequencing system includes a large storage library having a plurality of storage bins and a cassette loading section for receiving cassettes to be stored in the storage bins. Tape transports are provided for playing cassettes stored in the library. A manipulator assembly moves cassettes between the loading section, storage bins and tape transports. The design facilitates the automatic sequencing of a large number of cassettes thus freeing an operator for other tasks.

Abstract: An improved reel servo for a recording and reproducing machine is disclosed. The reel servo as well as other servos in the machine are controlled by a single microprocessor which results in greater inherent communication between such servos and significantly improved operating capabilities. The reel servo itself is adapted to have the supply and take-up reels operate in different kinds of close loop servo control during various operating modes. The servo circuitry provides instantaneous information to the microprocessor for determining the diameter of tape that is wrapped on each of the reels. The reel servo has the capability of performing high speed shuttle and cueing operations without engaging the capstan and the tensioning arm can be positioned to provide the appropriate tape tension during shuttling in both the forward and reverse directions. An acceleration loop controls the supply reel so that the tape tension is maintained within predetermined upper and lower limits.

Abstract: A program selection signal is recorded in a program recording start portion of a magnetic tape by a recording magnetic head. When a program selection request is produced at a keyboard, a control circuit fast-forwards or rewinds the magnetic tape in accordance with the keyed fast forward (FF) or rewind (REW) request. In the FF or REW mode, the program selection signal is detected by a reproducing magnetic head for reproducing the program selection signal. In this case, the control circuit reproduces the detected program, and starts counting. If no operation is made from the keyboard in a predetermined period of time, the control circuit resumes the FF or REW modes so as to cause the reproducing magnetic head to detect the next program selection signal.

Abstract: A tracking control system comprises a capstan motor for moving a magnetic tape which is at least recorded with an FM signal and a control signal having a constant period, a driving circuit for generating a signal which drives the capstan motor, a control head for reproducing the control signal from the tape in a reproducing mode, heads for reproducing the FM signal from the tape in the reproducing mode, a tracking adjuster for generating a comparison signal, a phase comparator for comparing phases of the reproduced control signal with the comparison signal and for generating a phase error signal which is supplied to the driving circuit to control the driving circuit, a sampling circuit for sampling a signal which is based on the reproduced FM signal with a preset sampling interval, a discriminating circuit for discriminating levels of sampled data obtained from the sampling circuit, and a circuit for generating a control signal based on a discriminated result in the discriminating circuit and for supplying th

Abstract: A magnetoresistance element is arranged in a plane parallel to the end face of a PG yoke and is situated on the outer side of a circle described by revolution of the PG yoke end face and in close proximity to the end face to detect a characteristic flux component emitted from the PG yoke end face. The magnetoresistance element is disposed in such a manner that an acute angle is formed between the direction of a current flowing in the element and a normal line extending from the axis of rotation of a recording medium. A flux component hardly influenced by the area of the PG yoke end face is thus detected.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically supplying and selectively reproducing a tape cassette having a plurality of cassette accommodating racks into which a plurality of tape cassettes are accommodated, a plurality of reproducing apparatus for reproducing the plurality of tape cassettes, a tape cassette transporting apparatus for transporting the plurality of tape cassettes from the tape cassette accommodating racks to the plurality of reproducing apparatus and for transporting the plurality of tape cassettes from the plurality of reproducing apparatus to the tape cassette accommodating racks and a control apparatus for controlling at least a sequential order of reproducing the plurality of tape cassettes and a sequential order of a playback mode operation of the plurality of reproducing apparatus.

Abstract: In the disclosed automatic tracking control device, a moving element in a VTR laterally moves a pick-up head relative to a recording track on a recording medium. A first control circuit produces a control signal for controlling the moving element to cause the head to trace recording tracks on the recording medium, and a sampling circuit samples the control signal produced by the first control circuit at times approximately corresponding to the mid-point of the movement of the lateral head. A second control controls a drive for driving the recording medium on the basis of the signal sampled by the sampling circuit.

Abstract: A floppy disk drive apparatus includes a spindle for holding a floppy disk, a motor which is driven in response to a drive signal from a drive signal generator, thereby rotating the spindle, a head for writing data into this floppy disk and reading out data therefrom, and a control circuit which detects an index hole of the floppy disk and generates an index signal. This control circuit is provided with an inhibiting circuit for inhibiting the drive signal supplied to the motor when it has been detected that the floppy disk is not held on the spindle.

Abstract: The invention discloses a twin track servoing method and apparatus useful for vertical magnetic media recordings. Vertical magnetic media are those in which the magnetic vector in the medium is oriented perpendicular to the surface of the medium instead of lying laterally or longitudinally in the surface of the medium. There are two servo tracks of essentially constant and opposite magnetic polarity recorded on the vertical magnetic medium for each data channel on the medium. The servo tracks themselves may be segmented into reference zones and control or guard zones and they may be recorded on a dedicated surface of a magnetic medium or on the same surface as the data and interleaved with data tracks. When the servo tracks are alternated with data tracks on the same surface of the medium, a single read/write head for twin track recordings may be used to simultaneously read servo signals and data signals.

Abstract: The rotary head type helical scanning magnetic tape recording and reproducing apparatus is provided with an auxiliary recording head for recording pilot signals adjacent to a main head for recording a signal to be recorded, and an auxiliary reproducing head for reproducing the recorded pilot signals.The pilot signals recorded to an antecedent track are reproduced by the auxiliary reproducing head at the time of recording to the next track. A tracking control of the main head at the time of next track recording is effected according to the reproduced pilot signals.

Abstract: A magnetic tape recorder for video recording and video playback with a one head drum and a head support plate. According to the invention the head support plate is point supported and spring attached to a base plate. The head support plate is movable around two rotation axes and is actuated with an electromagnetic drive means. The one motion cooperates with a dynamic track following circuit for providing dynamic height level correction of the head and allows to capture tracks during replay, which deviate from the parallel inclined position or, in case of a course of the track deviating from the tape recording speed resulting in a trick palyback. The motion around the other axis allows a controlled and regulated azimuth offset of the neighboring tracks during playback, which are recorded with continuously alternating azimuth angle.

Abstract: In a recording/reproducing apparatus, a program identifying number is recorded in a beginning portion of each of a sequence of programs recorded on a record medium during a first recording operation, and a program start signal is recorded in a beginning portion of each program recorded in a second recording operation and thereafter. Subsequently, in a renumbering operation, each of the recorded program identifying numbers and/or program start signals is detected, with high speed movement of the record medium therebetween, and the previously existing recorded program identifying numbers and/or program start signals are replaced by a properly ordered sequence of program identifying numbers on the record medium.

Abstract: A recording or reproducing apparatus comprising first means for moving a cassette or a rotary head drum between a position where the cassette and the drum relatively go away from each other and a position where the cassette and the drum relatively come near to each other, detection means for detecting whether or not the cassette is loaded, pulling-out means for pulling out a record bearing medium from the cassette, the pulling-out means being movable between a first position where the pulling-out means is positioned in the cassette and a second position where the pulling-out means has wound the pulled out medium about the rotary head drum by a predetermined angle, and second means responsive to the detection means for moving the pulling-out means from the first position to the second position when the cassette is loaded and for moving the pulling-out means from the first position to a third position which is a middle position between the first position and the second position when the cassette is not loaded.

Abstract: For accurate positioning of a transducer to a track of a tape-recording medium, for example a magnetic head to a magnetic tape, a sensing device is utilized which is partially covered by the edge of the recording medium and comprises a light barrier structure. In the first embodiment, the light barrier structure is fixed at a control signal generated by way of a converter is supplied to a positioning device for the transducer. Dependent on the control signal, the transducer is positioned such that the write and read elements thereof respectively have a prescribed distance from the edge of the recording medium. In a second embodiment, at least one part of the light barrier is disposed at the transducer 4 and extends in the region of the transducer 4 to a region which corresponds to the stroke of the positioning of the transducer when the same is positioned to different tracks.

Abstract: A disk drive storage device employs two control subsystems, one for transducer position digital control and the other to control and precisely regulate spindle motor angular velocity in accordance with a crystal reference and a speed correction made at least once each revolution. A single servo sector on a data surface provides prerecorded track centering information. Overall electromechanical operations during track following activities are synchronized by the crystal controlled disk spindle motor subsystem which locates the position in time and space of the servo sector and which also interrupts program execution of the transducer position digital control subsystem and causes it to execute a subroutine for track centerline position correction. Direct digital commutation of the brushless DC spindle motor by a programmed digital microprocessor is an aspect of the present invention.

Abstract: A micro-Winchester disk drive system particularly suited to meet the demands of a portable computer system. The micro-Winchester disk is a Winchester disk of 85-100 mm in diameter. This disk drive system by virtue of its small size and vibration isolation is ideally suited for use in portable computer systems. The micro-Winchester disk drive system was developed to store data at a density of 600 tracks per inch utilizing open-loop positioning mechanism. This disk drive system provides fast access data storage for use with small business computers, terminals and microprocessor based systems, portable or otherwise, and many other areas where compact, rugged light-weight hard-disk storage is required. The disk drive system of the present invention normally utilizes either one or two hard disks such as Winchester disks and provides data storage on each disk in excess of 5 Megabytes, once the disks are formatted.

Abstract: A control panel for a tape recorder includes wind and rewind buttons, recording button, a playback button and a stop button. On actuation of the recording button or of the playback button, the respective tape position is automatically stored in a main memory. Under the stop button a location button is arranged. On actuation of the location button the magnetic tape is stopped, the tape location stored in the memory is read, and the tape rewound to this tape location. On a simultaneous actuation of the locations button and of the stop button, the tape is stopped and rewound to the tape location "zero". On simultaneous actuation of the location button and of the playback button, the tape is stopped, the tape location stored in the memory is read, the tape is rewound to this tape location, and in automatic repeat played back between this tape location and the stopped location.

Abstract: A fine position closed loop servo system is disclosed for magnetic disk storage media having a plurality of data storage disks in which a first servo burst is contained on the surface of one of the data storage disks, the servo burst data being spaced at radial positions one-half track displaced from each of the odd-numbered concentric track centerlines and a second servo burst signal is contained on the surface of another of the data storage disks, the second servo burst signal being recorded at radial positions one-half track displaced from the even-numbered concentric track centerlines. Both the first and second servo burst data are read simultaneously utilizing the data transducers associated with the surfaces of the respective data storage disks and the envelopes of each of the servo burst signals are simultaneously, separately detected.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording an information signal on a record bearing medium comprises recording means for recording the information signal on the record bearing medium, instruction means for producing an instruction to stop a recording operation, stopping means for bringing the recording operation to a stop in response to the instruction of the instruction means, pilot signal generating means for generating pilot signals of frequencies differing from each other in a first generating pattern one after another, control means for controlling the pilot signal generating means to generate the pilot signals in a second generating pattern in response to the instruction of the instruction means, and superimposing means for superimposing upon the information signal the pilot signals generated by the pilot signal generating means.

Abstract: A planar array of high track density magnetic heads is mounted on a piezoelectric structural member. The heads are in contact with an area of magnetic recording medium coated onto a stationary support member located adjacent the head array structure. A repetitive ramp voltage is applied to the piezoelectric member causing repetitive linear extension of the member with resultant relative motion between the head array and the medium. A position transducer provides a feedback signal which monitors the position of the head array in relation to the magnetic medium, and this feedback signal is used to servo control the motion of the head array. Recording and playback of the stored information occurs coincidentally with the movement of the head array relative to the medium.