Abstract: A magnetic tape recorder of the type wherein tape is transported at high speed during recording and at low speed during playback is described. The recorder has separate record and playback heads. To prevent the shallow-gapped playback head from being worn out by, and during, the high speed recording operation, the playback head is disposed to fly the tape at an appreciable distance from the playback head. During low speed playback of the tape, however, tape flight vis-a-vis the playback head is desirably miniscule.

Abstract: Two magnetic ferrite pieces having longitudinal channels formed in the side faces thereof are bonded together with a gapping substance so that the resultant channels form a window. The bonded pieces are precisely slotted to a depth below the apex of the window to form a narrow track-defining comb-like array. The resulting slots are adapted to receive gap-protecting compatible ceramic support material which is so chosen as to wear slightly faster than the ferrite surfaces. In one embodiment, the slots contain ceramic-convertible glass which is devitrified by firing the array. The assembly is then processed to form a ceramic-ferrite-ceramic or ceramic-ferrite transducer sandwich which may be further processed to form part of a magnetic record and/or reproduce head.

Abstract: A method for making a multitrack head is disclosed wherein, by use of two separate alignment structures, a head having a large number of perfectly aligned cores, with perfect track-to-track spacing, is provided. The described multitrack head, by virtue of the inventive alignment technique, acquires a plurality of lead-protecting channels, the leads which are associated with the head coils being carried through such channels.

Abstract: A gapped magnetic core is comprised of core material of one type. Gapping material, which is magnetically different from the core material, "completely" bridges the core gap. The gapping material has a lower magnetic saturation level than does the core material; and thus the gap cannot act as a transducer gap until it becomes magnetically saturated. When gapped cores as described above are stacked to form a multitrack head, the effects of inductive coupling between the cores is prevented; i.e., when, for example, one core of the stack of cores is actuated by magnetically saturating its gap, all other cores of the stack are inherently immune to inductive coupling to the actuated core. This is because induced flux in all non-actuated cores is magnetically short-circuited through their respective magnetic gaps.

Abstract: An electrically conductive element is employed in proximity to a thin film magnetic structure. The conductive element has current applied to it which is just sufficient to maintain, by field coupling between the thin film structure and the conductive element, the given magnetic orientation of the thin film structure, this occurring despite the application of a signal field tending to reorient the magnetization of the thin film structure. Such current is, therefore, the analog of the applied signal field and, since the magnetization of the thin film structure, by virtue of induced magnetic feedback, does not appreciably change direction, harmonics of any signal field applied to the thin film structure, and noise, are not manifested in the current analog.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus for calculating the skew distortion introduced in each channel of a multi-channel longitudinal recorder when recorded information signals in at least two channels contain a detectable characteristic. In accordance with the invention, a timing signal is recorded containing certain information that is used, upon playback, to produce a reference marker which is compared with the detectable characteristics of recorded information signals to produce a measure of skew distortion.

Abstract: Fast frame recorder apparatus is known wherein information corresponding to an object of interest is recorded at a fast frame rate (e.g., 2,000 frames per second) and displayed at a slower frame rate (e.g., 60 frames per second) to produce a slow motion replay of the object. In accordance with the present disclosure, such apparatus is so modified that information corresponding to the object of interest is sampled a plurality of times for each recorded frame to provide an increased frame rate (e.g., 12,000 frames per second) with respect to the object of interest.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the exposure of a solid state image sensor array monitors the semiconductor substrate current produced as charge signal accumulates during an exposure of the array to radiant energy. The exposure of the array is controlled in response to an output signal representative of the total substrate current.

Abstract: A pair of field store devices which are slaved to a stable sync signal are employed to record, along with such sync signal, video information on a recording medium. During periods of asynchronism in the video input to the field store devices, synchronous noise or a synchronous blank is inserted into the output of the field store devices. Such use of field store devices enables (1) the easy conversion of one recording format to another; (2) the splicing of scenes recorded on different tapes of the same, or different formats to be effected on a tape with any format; and (3) the recording of stillframe scene information.

Abstract: In an electronic copier of a type that includes a document scanner, a memory device and a printer, a complex servo system is generally used to provide phase synchronous operation between such copier components. In accordance with the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided wherein an electronic copier is operated in a "free running" mode without such phase synchronization. Specifically, in accordance with a disclosed embodiment of the invention, a composite information signal corresponding to an original document is stored in the memory device in the form of document information sandwiched by leading and trailing pilot signals. Upon playback, certain copier functions are so coordinated with the termination of the leading pilot signal that problems which would be expected in the absence of a servo system, such as image registration errors, are avoided.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus for adjusting the time base of a signal that is read out from an addressable memory device. In accordance with a disclosed embodiment, coarse time base adjustment is provided by controlling the address count produced by a readout counter, while the phase of the counter clocking signal is adjusted to provide fine time base adjustment.

Abstract: By dimensioning a magnetic playback head so that it coacts with a magnetic signal track having an effective width that is less than one half the shortest signal wavelength to be played back divided by the tangent (or sine) of a predetermined magnetic skew angle that may be experienced by the head, skew angles less than the maximum skew angle will have no effect on the playback of signals having wavelengths greater than said shortest wavelength.

Abstract: A video camera is provided with means for producing lap and/or dissolve effects between successively recorded scenes. Means are provided for controlling the level of AC bias accompanying the video signals applied to a magnetic recording head. A dissolve effect is achieved by gradually decreasing the level of such bias at the end of a recorded scene. A lap effect is achieved by gradually increasing the bias level at the beginning of a new scene. A simultaneous lap and dissolve effect is achieved by performing the individual lap and dissolve effects on the same segment of tape. To do this, the tape drive is reversed at the end of each scene to position the dissolved portion of the scene upstream of the magnetic recording head. Upon recording a new scene while gradually increasing the level of AC bias at the beginning thereof, a simultaneous lap and dissolve effect is achieved automatically.

Abstract: The advantages of magnetron sputtering are applied to magnetic target materials by substantially reducing the saturation magnetization of the target material temporarily, and magnetron sputtering the magnetic material while in such a state of reduced magnetization. A technique is disclosed for using the thermal energy inherent in the sputtering process for initially heating the target material to its Curie temperature, thereby rendering the material non-magnetic, and for maintaining the target temperature at or above such temperature during the sputtering process.

Abstract: A magnetic record and/or reproduce head, comprised of electrically conductive magnetic core material, has an electrically conductive transducer gap having a magnetic gap length of less than about 15 microinches. The head is selectively actuable by passing a current through the core material via the gap.

Abstract: Prior art electronic cameras that use solid state area image sensors are generally limited to operation at frame rates less than about 120 frames per second. Such frame rates are limited, principally, by the maximum data rate at which solid state sensors may be operated. The present invention provides methods and apparatus for readout of an area image sensor at greatly increased frame rates, doing so by formatting the sensor into blocks of photosite rows for purposes of readout, and by modifying the method of sensor readout in a manner compatible with such format.

Abstract: By recording an alternating signal in an ancillary recording medium having high coercivity, such medium will exhibit an external field of a given strength. The ancillary medium is placed in proximation to the record zone of a signal-carrying magnetic head cooperative with a primary magnetic recording medium of lesser coercivity, the fields of the head and ancillary medium algebraically adding to effect signal recording in the primary medium. When the field of the ancillary medium has a strength approximating the coercivity of the primary medium, the signal current applied to the magnetic head may be quite small.

Abstract: A multitrack magnetic head is made from an electrically conductive first helix formed on an iron wire that is, in turn, wound to form a second helix. By cutting or lapping a longitudinal flat along one side of the second helix, the first helix is severed into respective discrete coil-wound gapped cores.

Abstract: A multitrack magnetic head is made from an electrically conductive first helix formed on an iron wire that is, in turn, wound to form a second helix. By longitudinally cutting along one side of the second helix, the first helix is severed into respective coils on discrete gapped cores.

Abstract: Flux sensitive apparatus, in one form thereof, employs paired thin single domain magnetic film structures, the easy magnetization axes of which are canted with respect to the direction of sense current flow therewithin. The magnetization vectors of the film structures are opposite with respect to each other, thereby to preclude, or at least lessen, demagnetization fields associated with the structures. By special connections between the thin film structures, the respective sense currents therein are provided with the same spatial direction of flow; and mutual biasing of the structures is thereby avoided.