Abstract: A peak detection circuit receives a playback signal from a magnetic storage medium and generates a peak detection signal. A shift register transmits the peak detection signal, and a pattern detection circuit is responsive to signals from the shift register to detect a first predetermined temporal pattern of peaks in the peak detection signal. A pattern correction circuit adjusts the relative timing of peaks in the peak detection signal so that the first predetermined temporal pattern of peaks in the peak detection signal is converted to a second predetermined temporal pattern of peaks in a corrected peak detection signal.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus with a teletext recording capability comprises an FM tuner (11) for receiving teletext with text information multiplexed with an FM signal; a text information decoder (21) for extracting the text information from the output of the FM tuner (11); a RAM (3) for temporarily storing the text information from the text information decoder (21); an audio circuit (41) for performing an audio signal processing based on the output of the FM tuner (11); and a recording/reproducing means (5) for recording an audio signal from the audio circuit (41) in a mini disc (6) with recording and reproducing capabilities and reproducing the audio signal from the disc; whereby, after recording the audio signal in the mini disc (6), a content of the text information preselected as additional information to the audio signal is read out from the RAM (3) and automatically recorded in a predetermined area of the mini disc (6).

Abstract: A process of chemical-mechanical contouring (CMC) using a stair-step etch involves formation of an elevated layer of substrate overlying a device, in the illustrative example a thin-film magnetic head. The elevated layer of substrate is formed into a stair-step structure with the height and width of the stair-steps selected to attain a predetermined shape and size.

Abstract: A turntable can be manufactured inexpensively using a comparatively inexpensive material and in accordance with ordinary injection molding technique and mold management. A thin-walled cylindrical fixing portion having an insertion hole, into which a rotational shaft is pressed, is formed at a central portion of the turntable. A thin-walled cylindrical reinforcing portion, which is concentric with the fixing portion and has a large diameter, is formed at the outer circumferential side of the fixing portion. Reinforcing rib portions are provided radially between the fixing portion and the reinforcing portion. In this way, deformation due to sink or the like does not occur at the time of injection molding, and extracting force of the rotational shaft which was pressed into the insertion hole can be adjusted to a predetermined value.

Abstract: A magneto-optical head with a centrally-located solid immersion lens and a coil formed radially about the lens advantageously utilizes an insulating material with a relatively high thermal conductivity for isolating the coil and avoiding heat damage to the head when current is passed through the head during a write operation. First and second coils in first and second coil layers are coupled by a via to form a continuous coil. A combination of a chemical-mechanical contouring operation and the lack of any intervening low thermal conductivity material adjacent the coil effectively produces an insulation layer that is thin but has a contour with a very smooth surface, resulting in a highly compact multiple-level coil.

Abstract: An optical pickup dustproofing mechanism having a simple structure is provided in which an objective lens is shielded promptly and reliably and adhesion of dust or the like to the objective lens is prevented. A movable portion 34 is able to move along a shaft center direction of a clamper 26. Further, the movable portion 34 is connected to the clamper 26 so as to face a standby position of an optical pickup 20. When a disc 14 is not placed on a turn table 18, the movable portion 34 moves downwardly and shields the objective lens 22 positioned in the standby position. Since adhesion of dust or the like to the objective lens 22 is prevented, the amount of light transmitted onto a photodetector does not decrease and reading failure is prevented. Since the present invention is simply structured such that the movable portion 34 is connected to the clamper 26, as compared to a conventional dustproofing mechanism, the number of components decreases and the structure is simplified.

Abstract: To record data, pieces of second data are produced by dividing supplied first data and an error correction code is added, and the pieces of second data and the error correction code are allocated to and recorded in a plurality of recording and reproducing units, respectively. To reproduce data, the first data is reproduced by synthesizing the pieces of second data read from the plurality of recording and reproducing units. If a fault occurs at any one of the plurality of recording and reproducing units, and if the faulty unit has recorded one of the second pieces of data, the first data is reproduced by reading the second pieces of data and error correction code recorded in the plurality of faultless recording and reproducing units, and if the faulty unit has not recorded one of the pieces of second data, the first data is reproduced by reading the pieces of second data recorded in the plurality of faultless recording and reproducing units.

Abstract: An electronic device is provided with a first panel selectively exposing the front face or the reverse face by being rotated, and a second panel mounted so that it is shifted between the position being flush with the first panel and the position where it is retracted into the system body. A braking unit for panels in which a resilient pressing member mounted on the second panel is brought into abutment with the first panel when the second panel is shifted from the position within the system body to the position being flush with the first panel that is exposing its front face is further provided. An electronic device further comprises an urging member fixed on the axial rod of the first panel and an urging operation element formed with a resiliently deformable oblique line on a part of the urging member.

Abstract: Chemical-mechanical processing of a patterned substrate selectively etches patterned portions of the substrate surface, producing deep narrow features with a rapid etch rate. This chemical-mechanical processing is termed chemical-mechanical etching and produces a result that is substantially the opposite of the planarization that is achieved by conventional chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) technique which is widely used for planarization of surfaces is converted for usage as an etching technique, a chemical-mechanical etching (CME) technique, by forming a patterned mask on the substrate surface prior to mechanical polishing. The usage of chemical-mechanical polishing techniques in this manner yields an etching method with properties including a rapid etch rate, a highly controllable etch rate, a highly controllable etch depth, and a greatly selective etch directionality.

Abstract: Read and write performance in a magnetic thin-film head is improved by forming a highly compact multiple-gap head with separate magnetic core and coil structures for a read head and a write head that are respectively designed to improve reading and writing performance. A thin film magnetic head includes a thin-film magnetic core including a read core portion and an interconnected write core portion, a thin-film read coil encircling the read core portion, and a thin-film write coil encircling the write core portion. The read core portion is separated by a read magnetic gap and the write core portion being separated by a write magnetic gap. The read gap and write gap are mutually combined in close proximity in abutting sections of the read core portion and the write core portion respectively so that a magnetic medium is accessible to the read gap and the write gap simultaneously.

Abstract: This invention relates to a portable terminal equipment establishing synchronism with a control channel by intermittently receiving the control channel when the synchronism with the control channel is made off. When the synchronism with the control channel is made off, the equipment is set to a control channel receiving state for a period of time W2 every period of time t1 (ST3-ST10). When the synchronism with the control channel is not established in the receiving state which is set to N (=X+5) times (X=number of off-synchronism during the past one hour), the equipment is set to shifting to a control channel receiving state for the period of time W2 every period of time t2 (ST2 and ST11-ST18). The more frequently a user moves, the larger the time X of off-synchronism becomes and thus N becomes larger by that amount so that a time period until the interval t1 between each period of the control receiving state is shift to the interval t2, is prolonged.

Abstract: A sound reproducing device that displays character information in languages corresponding to a user's wishes without increasing a burden on the user. The user sets an order of priority of the languages in which the character information is displayed when a CD is reproduced. For example, a code “69” (=Japanese) is set as a first priority. Then, when the CD is reproduced, based on the order of priority set in advance, the character information represented by the language with the highest priority among the character information recorded on the CD is displayed on a LCD (19). By setting the order of priority in advance, there is no longer any need of setting at each reproduction of the CD and the character information is displayed on the LCD (19) in the languages desired by the user.

Abstract: A sound reproducing device that displays character information in languages corresponding to a user's wishes without increasing a burden on the user. The user sets an order of priority of the languages in which the character information is displayed when a CD is reproduced. For example, a code “69” (=Japanese) is set as a first priority. Then, when the CD is reproduced, based on the order of priority set in advance, the character information represented by the language with the highest priority among the character information recorded on the CD is displayed on a LCD (19). By setting the order of priority in advance, there is no longer any need of setting at each reproduction of the CD and the character information is displayed on the LCD (19) in the languages desired by the user.

Abstract: This invention relates to a portable terminal equipment which receives intermittently a control channel transmitted from a cell station in a standby state. When the equipment shifts to the standby state, the equipment is brought into a receiving state to receive intermittently the control channel (PCH) for a set period of time W1 at every 1.2 seconds (ST22-ST25 and ST32). In addition, the equipment judges the receiving state from judging information of the receiving state such as the intensity of the electric field in receiving time and the presence/absence of an error in the received data (ST27 and ST33). In a power saving mode, when the equipment keeps on receiving the control channel in a good state for a set period of time while the equipment receives the control channel at every 1.2 seconds, the equipment is brought into a receiving state to receive the control channel at every 2.4 seconds (ST33-ST35).

Abstract: This invention relates to a portable terminal equipment using a battery as a power source. The equipment determines whether or not battery voltage VB is lower than a voltage value V1 in a standby state or a speaking state (ST1 and ST8). The voltage value V1 is set to such a value that the equipment is capable of generating an outgoing call and making a speech during a set period of time, when the battery voltage VB is equal to the value V1. When VB<V1, the equipment shifts to a low-consumption standby mode in which a small amount of current is consumed (ST14). When the equipment is set to a speaking state, it generates a warning by means of alerting voice and so on to warn the user that the telephone communication will be broken after a expiration of a set period of time (ST10) .

Abstract: A data storage cassette includes an upper cassette half and a lower cassette half and containing therein a tape for storing data. The cassette has an outer shape of a predetermined dimension, and the lower cassette half is formed with a reel lock release hole. A discrimination hole is formed through the lower cassette half at a location adjacent to the reel lock release hole for discriminating the data storage cassette from another cassette having an outer shape of a dimension substantially identical with the abovementioned predetermined dimension of the outer shape of the data storage cassette. A data recording and reproducing device has a discrimination switch or a fixed pin for identifying the presence of the discrimination hole during a loading operation of the data storage cassette into the device and enabling only the data storage cassette to be loaded and set in the device.

Abstract: A cartridge tape drive for use with a tape cartridge includes a temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the tape cartridge and a control device responsive to the temperature sensor for automatically adjusting the speed of the tape when a temperature threshold value is realized. The cartridge tape drive includes a housing including an opening dimensioned to receive the cartridge and a device for supporting the cartridge within the housing, a magnetic head within the housing, a driver for moving the cartridge in operative engagement with the magnetic head, a temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the cartridge when the cartridge is in operative engagement with the magnetic head, and a control device responsive to the temperature sensor for automatically adjusting the speed of the tape when a temperature threshold value is realized.

Abstract: A digital signal recording method and apparatus for recording digital signals of two channels along tracks on a magnetic tape in a helical pattern by employing at least two pairs of rotary heads mounted on a rotatable drum oppositely to each other and by making use of a read-after-write function, the paired heads being disposed adjacent to each other. The input signal to be recorded is compressed such that the digital signal recording period for each relevant track is shortened by a ratio corresponding to a time for which a write period for one track and a read period for adjacent one overlap each other. The write period and the read period are thus prevented from overlapping. The reproduced signal for the read-after-write function is prevented from being masked by an input signal recording current.

Abstract: A method of fabricating thin film magnetic heads on a thin film substrate uses a chemical-mechanical contouring (CMC) step after completion of the fundamental thin film head structure to form a curved surface on the substrate for the individual thin film magnetic heads of a substantial plurality of heads on a thin film substrate. A special CMC process utilizes a soft polishing pad, applying mechanical contouring motion at a slow speed, typically on the order of 1/3 a typical conventional CMP rotational speed, and at a relatively high pressure, typically two to three times a typical conventional CMP applied pressure.

Abstract: An electroless plating apparatus heats a plating bath solution with precise uniformity and avoids localized high temperatures within the bath. The electroless plating apparatus achieves this performance using two solution tanks included an inner tank nested inside an outer tank. A distributed heating element encases a plurality of surfaces of the outer tank, which contains an ethylene glycol solution. The inner tank contains a plating bath solution. A substrate is placed inside the inner tank for plating. Each of the outer tank and the inner tank include a device for evenly distributing the applied heat. In one embodiment, the outer tank heat distributing device is a pump which mixes the ethylene glycol solution. The inner tank heat distributing device is a pump which recirculates plating bath solution, applying returning solution via a sparger.