Abstract: An auto reverse mechanism in a tape recorder system having a single magnetic head for forward playback (recording) and a single magnetic head for reverse playback (recording), both mounted on a head base, comprises a select lever for selecting between forward and reverse modes, a main body plate for gear attachment, provided with a retaining groove for allowing the select lever to be manipulated in the direction of the selected mode, and a forked guide hole so formed as to permit the head base to move forward from the position of the select lever in the selected forward or reverse mode.

Abstract: A system for the automatic and continuous loading of composite tape into a tape-laying machine is disclosed. The system provides composite tape from a plurality of cassettes which are held in the magazine of a tape loading system. The tape loading system has a tape drive which feeds tape from a cassette in an active position to the tape-laying system in controlled amounts. The tape loading system also has a cassette transfer system which pushes a full cassette from a standby position into the active position when the cassette in the active position exhausts its supply of tape.

Abstract: An optical card information recording/reproducing apparatus is provided for recording and/or reproducing information to or from an optical card. The apparatus comprises a mounting base on which the optical card is to be mounted and which moves in a predetermined direction, an optical head for irradiating an optical beam onto the optical card to record and/or reproduce information therein or therefrom, and a locking device for locking the mounting base in an unmovable state during transportation of the apparatus. The locking device may be arranged to lock the optical head in an unmovable state as well.

Abstract: A disk changer employs two disk guides to support a recorded disk at opposite points along its edge. One of the disk guides has a belt that revolves around two pulleys. A surface of the belt frictionally engages an edge surface of the disk. The other disk guide has two surfaces, a low-friction guide surface parallel to the recorded surface of the disk and a resilient sloped surface that forms an angle with both the recorded surface of the disk and the perpendicular to the recorded surface of the disk. Both guides are urged together, and, as a result, the sloped surface is urged against the disk edge. Because of the slope of the surface, the sloped surface meets a corner where the recorded surface of the disk meets the edge surface of the disk and urges the disk's recorded surface toward the guide surface. This stabilizes the disk against pitching motion.

Abstract: A scanning device for an optical disc record carrier includes a turntable and a positioning device which is movable relative to the turntable in a plane transverse to the axis of rotation thereof. The positioning device includes a radiation source unit and an actuator unit having a carrier which supports several different objective lenses and which is movable parallel to the access of rotation. The scanning device further includes actuating apparatus for moving the actuator unit and the radiation source unit relative to one another between discrete operating positions in at least the plane transverse to the axis of rotation, so as to place a respective lens in position for scanning a respective one of several different types of optical discs having mutually different substrate thicknesses and/or information densities.

Abstract: A disk player including a baseframe having an opening into which a disk is inserted, a deck fixed to the baseframe, a spindle motor fixed to the deck and having a shaft, a turntable fixed to the shaft of the spindle motor, rollers installed in upper and lower portions of the opening or on left and right sides of the opening, for clamping the disk inserted through the opening and moving the disk toward an upper portion of the turntable, and a disk setting portion for setting the disk onto the turntable.

Abstract: To eject a transfer tray while no disc is played, the transfer tray is moved to an ejected position with a rotary table rotated through an angle corresponding to 1/10 revolution, so that even the rearmost disc holding portion on the rotary table sufficiently projects or is exposed out of a body of the device. This permits simultaneous disc replacement for the disc holding portions. To eject the transfer tray during playing of a disc, the transfer tray is moved to the ejected position without the rotary table being rotated, so that the rearmost disc holding portion on the rotary table does not sufficiently project out of the body of the device, permitting disc replacement only for the other disc holding portions than the rearmost disc holding portion.

Abstract: A method corrects track misregistration attributable to out-of-plane motions of a rotating disk in a hard disk drive, and includes the steps of measuring a base plate-roll-bias angle between the rotating data storage disk and the head arm with a precision measuring device, and connecting the head arm and load beam at a roll-bias angle selected to minimize track misregistration attributable to the roll-bias. A number of connection arrangements and structures are presented in order to achieve the desired reduction in track misregistration.

Abstract: A plurality of rotary circular racks are vertically disposed. Each of the racks has a plurality of radial slits, for storing recording mediums, and a radially formed recess without the slits. The recesses of all racks are located at the same circumferential position. A disc player is provided to be vertically moved passing through the recess for reproducing a disc removed from one of the slits. An encoder comprising a plurality of slits are circumferentially provided on each of the racks, and a sensor is provided for detecting an angular position of each of the slits, whereby an angular position of all of the racks is determined in order to reproduce a selected disc stored in one of the racks.

Abstract: A remote monitoring system automatically communicates system diagnostic information from a monitored computer system to a remote service center at regular intervals. The monitored computer system includes a plurality of monitored computers coupled together by a network. One of the monitored computers is a master and others of the monitored computers are slaves coupled to the master. The monitored computers store system diagnostic information resulting from execution of diagnostic programs. The diagnostic information from the slaves is collected at a memory location accessible by the master before the diagnostic information from all of the monitored computers is communicated to the remote monitoring computer system. The remote monitoring computer system receives the diagnostic information at predetermined intervals and incorporates the diagnostic information into a searchable database.

Abstract: A disc device having a floating base supported by a chassis through a plurality of elastic members, a holder which is supported on the floating base so as to be able to move vertically with respect to the floating base, and into which a disc cartridge is inserted, a slider, slidably disposed so as to move in directions of inserting and discharging a disc cartridge into and out of the disc device, for holding and carrying a disc cartridge inserted thereinto, and a driving arm, one end part of which is rotatably supported on an axis, and another end part of which can be engaged with the slider for inserting and discharging the disc cartridge. Furthermore, the device having a pair of slide plates slidably fixed on the chassis, for securing the floating base to the chassis and for releasing the floating base from the chassis, a pair of links for sliding the pair of slide plates, and a rotary member for rotating the driving arm so as to drive the slider and for driving the pair of links.

Abstract: A disk loading mechanism of a disk drive includes a loading motor which transmits a rotating force. A disk transporting unit, having a loading arm, transports a disk in either of two opposite directions by a rotation of the loading arm. A turntable moving unit, having a slide member, vertically moves a turntable between a non-contact position and a supporting position by a movement of the slide member. A gear is connected to the loading arm, and the gear is rotated by the loading motor to perform the rotation of the loading arm. A pinion is connected to the slide member, and the pinion is rotated by the loading motor to perform the movement of the slide member.

Abstract: The system and method for provisioning resources in a network provides real time, parallel evaluation of the best path within the network using neural network principles. Elements of the network having a plurality of paths are assigned relative values according to a network user's requirements. Attributes may include factors such as reliability, cost, speed, distance, expandability, etc., and may be static or dynamic. Selection of a best path from the plurality of paths comprises application of fuzzy logic, using a threshold function to identify a best relative path value by providing an input to the function which is a combination of the attribute values of the elements within each path. The input to the function is the sum of weighted attribute values, where each attribute value is multiplied by a weight which is a relative value determined in accordance with the network user's priorities; the higher the priority, the greater the weight applied to that attribute.

Abstract: A disk cartridge includes a cartridge casing comprised of upper and lower shells attached along the peripheral edges thereof so as to define a disk receiving space within the cartridge casing. The casing structure is formed with an insert opening for allowing a data disk to be easily inserted into an operating position within the assembled cartridge casing. A slide area which may be formed as a recessed surface portion, or the like, is defined at corresponding outer peripheral portions of the upper and lower shells. A disk access opening is formed in the casing shells at a location within the slide area for allowing a head portion of a disk drive to perform read and write operations to the disk. A slidable shutter is mounted astride the upper and lower shells at and edge of the cartridge casing, within the slide area.

Abstract: A method of updating or rebasing templates for information sent across a relatively slow transmission link such that only changed information is transmitted across the links. In addition, the information is updated such that the information transmitted across the links is minimized by updating the templates based on the characteristics of the data being sent.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and apparatus for registering devices in a computer network. Initially, for an unregistered device, the network establishes a unregistered enabled packet filter. The unregistered enabled packet filter discards all IP packets that originate at the unregistered device, except IP packets addressed to a registration server. IP packets sent to the registration server allow a user to authenticate the unregistered device. Subsequently, the network replaces the unregistered enabled packet filter with a registered enable packet filter. The registered enabled packet filter allows the device to send packets to a login server within the computer network. Subsequently, if the user fails to pay subscription fees (of for other applicable reason) the registered enabled packet filter may be replaced with a registered disabled packet filter to prevent the device from sending packets to the network.

Abstract: Messages are sent from a primary node of a computer system to one or more distribution nodes of the system. Each of the distribution nodes then further sends the message to one or more other nodes of the computer system. After receipt of the message, the other nodes forward an acknowledgement to the particular distribution node, which sent the message. The distribution nodes collect their respective acknowledgements, and when all of the expected acknowledgements are received by a distribution node, the distribution node sends one acknowledgement to the primary node. The one acknowledgement indicates receipt of the message by the other nodes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the air bearing surface of a magnetic head of a tape drive by employing components of an actuator for oscillating the magnetic head against bristles of a brush assembly. Circuitry is provided which senses the appropriate time to commence the cleaning action and continues the cleaning action for an appropriate duration when the magnetic tape is off the magnetic head. The circuitry causes the actuator to move the magnetic head in oscillatory motion against stationary bristles of a brush assembly which are selectively brought into engagement with the magnetic head. The engagement and disengagement of the bristles with respect to the magnetic head are implemented by a lever arm which has camming surfaces which are engageable with a leader pin which moves a leader block and magnetic tape about a guide and across the magnetic head.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning method which utilizes a cleaning disk to clean a compact disk drive. The compact disk drive comprises a compact disk holder for holding a compact disk, a motor for spinning the compact disk holder, an optical module having an optical lens, a lens driver for driving the optical lens up and down to focus the optical lens on the compact disk, and a radial driver for moving the optical module horizontally. The cleaning disk comprises a cleaning means installed on the cleaning surface of the cleaning disk for cleaning the optical lens. The cleaning method comprises: (1) using the radial driver to drive the optical module to a test region on the cleaning surface and using the lens driver to focus the optical lens on the test region; and (2) using the motor to spin the disk and using the radial driver and lens driver to move the optical lens to interact with the cleaning means so as to clean the optical lens.

Abstract: A loading mechanism for a compact disk (CD) recording and/or reproducing device, comprising: a motor; a set of gears; a lever plate; a gliding piece; and a CD carrier. Mounting and dismounting of the CD is driven by a combination of a linear and a rotatory movement, allowing the operations of inserting/ejecting and raising/lowering of the CD to be driven by a single motor. The arrangement provides stable movements with minimum vibrations, such that a high reliability of reading and recording data is achieved.