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: With a tape container inserted into the disclosed recorder, two reel drives, two tape guiding and tensioning devices, and a capstan "all" enter cutouts within the tape container. Actuation of a thread-up mechanism within the recorder then causes the following: the capstan is repositioned, thereby urging tape about itself by withdrawing tape from the tape container; the reel-drives engage respectively the supply and take-up reels within the tape container, thereby effectively removing the reels from all contact with and within the tape container; and the tape-guiding and tensioning devices guidingly withdraw additional tape from the tape container so that, except for contact with the tape container reels, the tape has virtually no other contact of any kind with any part of the tape container. Thus, functionally, the tape is transported in reel-to-reel fashion despite the use of a customer-convenience cassette-like tape container.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: A magnetic recording which is useful as a mirror image duplication video tape master is made from another magnetic recording by anhysteretic transfer at a temperature at which the coercive force of the master is much less than the coercive force of the other recording. Preferably, the magnetic recording layer of the master comprises fine particles of a manganese bismuth alloy, the coercivity of which decreases with decreasing temperature, and the other record comprises a magnetic recording layer having a coercivity which increases with decreasing temperature. The master record may subsequently be used to duplicate copies of the recording by anhysteretic transfer to a copy record having a coercive force which, at the temperature at which the transfer is made (typically room temperature), is substantially lower than the coercive force of the master.

Abstract: A conductor device is formed by recording a magnetic record track on a record medium (for example, ordinary magnetic recording tape), applying a catalytic toner to the recorder track, and then electrolessly plating a conductive layer on the toned record track.

Abstract: A video recording and reproducing apparatus utilizes a specialized head assembly which is arranged to be driven in a radial direction relative to a rotating magnetic recording disc. A spiral track is recorded on the disc and the specialized head assembly employs two discrete individual heads which are proximately aligned. The signals produced by each head are utilized in producing the final output signal. During playback, "scene motion speed" depends upon the speed at which the head is moved in a radial direction relative to the recorded disc and on the manner in which the output signals from the two heads are operated on.

Abstract: A flux sensitive magnetic head is disclosed wherein a thin single domain magnetic film coated on a non-conductor bridges the head gap. A magnetic bias is applied to the hard axis of the film; and flux entering the gap causes the resistivity of the film to vary about a resistance reference established by the bias. The resistance variation is converted to a useful signal corresponding to the flux entering the gap.

Abstract: A flux-sensitive magnetic head employs at its back part a wire having a thin single-domain magnetic film coated thereon. A sense coil wraps around the coated wire, and, in response to current passed through the coated wire, develops a voltage proportional to the flux in the head front gap.

Abstract: In a magnetic head of the type having a thin film magnetically-coated electrically-conductive wire bridging the windowed back section of the head, excitation currents are applied to the wire within the windowed head section.

Abstract: A flux-sensitive magnetic head employs, at its back part, a structure having a thin single domain magnetic film coated thereon. A coil wraps around the coated structure, and a direct current is passed through the coil, thereby to apply a hard axis magnetic bias to the film. Signal flux appearing at the head front gap asserts a magnetic force along the hard axis of the film. Contrary to what would be expected, the signal flux causes the inductance of the coil to vary. Such inductance variation may be conveniently detected by (1) connecting the variable inductor into a tank circuit, (2) applying a high frequency ac ripple to the "hard axis" dc bias, and (3) measuring the "hard axis" detuning experienced by the tank circuit.

Abstract: A high Q magnetic playback head applies its developed signal to the input of a voltage mode circuit. To facilitate equalizer design, the head is resistor-damped. While mere resistor damping reduces the Q of the head, it does so at the expense of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the head-and-amplifier circuit. To maintain SNR substantially without change, the amplifier employs a large resistance to which negative feedback is applied so the resistance appears as an effective resistance equal to its actual value divided by the amplifier gain. The value of this effective resistance is made to equal the magnetic playback head inductive reactance at the point of resonance, thereby reducing the head Q to approximately 1, and equalizer design is made easier.

Abstract: The source of anomalies in the performance characteristics of a magnetic head employing a sense wire having a thin film coated thereon and a coil coupled therewith is explained. Solution to the problem anomalies centers around use of a mandril for the coil.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for forming a magnetic image on a recording element replicating incident image illumination. The recording element is a composite structure comprising a photoconductive, piezoelectric component and a magnetostrictive component. By rigidly associating these components, mechanical stress generated by the illumination of the photoconductive, piezoelectric component is transmitted to the magnetostrictive component, in which the mechanical stress is converted to imagewise coercivity variations. If the recording element is simultaneously subjected to a magnetic field, a remanent magnetic field that replicates the image is produced in the magnetostrictive component.

Abstract: Color video recording apparatus is known wherein, for purposes of bandwidth compression, luminance information and chrominance information is alternately recorded for the transmitted lines of a television picture frame. Upon playback a video signal is reconstructed for each line by combining the signal recorded for that line (luminance or chrominance) with the signal recorded for the preceding line (chrominance or luminance). Rather than leave half of the lines of the recorded television picture frame void of luminance information, the present invention, through recognition and correction of an inefficiency in the alternating line recording scheme described above, enables the "gaps" in luminance information to be filled in with narrow bandwidth luminance information at no increase in the bandwidth handling requirements of the recording system.