Abstract: A method of protecting a magnetic recording medium includes measuring a time period over which a main power supply continues to remain in an off state and the magnetic recording medium continues to remain loaded at a predetermined position. If the measured time period attains a predetermined time period (e.g. 60 minutes), a magnetic recording/playback head is shifted to an origin position or a stand-by position outside a recording/playback area of the recording medium, thereby preventing the magnetic head from leaving its impression on the magnetic recording/playback area of the recording medium due to continuous pressing contact between the two.

Abstract: The device, of the autoreverse type, conventionally comprises at least one cassette (10) with a magnetic tape (1) which is alternately wound around one of two reels (11' and 11"), also part of the cassette (10). Each reel is keyed and/or keyable to its own shaft (32', 32") with a winding key (31', 31") driven, directly or indirectly, by at least one motor (33), where the tape, extending between the two reels (11' and 11") or idle rollers (12' and 12"), also part of the cassette (10), is transported tangential to two capstans (4', 4") provided with flywheels (40', 40"). At the other side of the tape (1) there are two rollers (41', 41"), each roller being idle-mounted at the symmetrical, swinging end (42', 42") of its own arm (43', 43") and alternately biased by a spring (45) to adhere to the magnetic tape (1) or to two substantially parallel capstans (4', 4"), directly or indirectly driven by one or more motors (35).

Abstract: In a helical scan type magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus having a tape loading mechanism for training the magnetic tape against the wall of a tape guide drum, including a magnetic head, over a predetermined angle, an idler is arranged to selectively engage a supply reel pedestal and a takeup reel pedestal and is provided with a driving torque transmitting device for transmitting driving torque from a drive source to this idler, wherein the aforesaid driving torque transmitting device is arranged to be switchable between a first mode, where the driving torque of the drive source is directly transmitted to the idler, and a second mode, where the driving torque of the drive source is transmitted through a slip torque transmission portion to the idler, and this switching is effected in relation to operation of the aforesaid tape loading mechanism.

Abstract: A magnetic tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus is provided with a motor for driving a capstan, a cassette loading mechanism for loading a tape cassette at a predetermined position, a tape loading mechanism reciprocable between an inoperative position where the tape is ready be drawn out from the tape cassette and an operative position where the tape is drawn out and wound onto a guide drum, an operating mode changing mechanism driven by the motor for changing operating mode of the apparatus, a reel turntable driving mechanism for transmitting a rotational driving force of the motor to reel turntables, and a clutch for transmitting intermittently the driving force of the motor to the cassette loading, tape loading and operating mode changing mechanisms, whereby cassette loading operation, tape loading operation, operating mode changing operation and tape transporting operation and performed by the single motor.

Abstract: A method of formatting a drive system for a magnetic data storage disk which eliminates the need for track-zero sensors. According to the method, formatting is begun at a first crash stop and proceeds across the disk to the opposite crash stop, in incremental steps from track to track.

Abstract: A servo system for positioning a data transducer head relative to a plurality of substantially concentric data tracks on the surface of a magnetic disc including a pair of servo transducer heads for sensing the data tracks and generating output signals representative of a data signal written on the sensed track, a distance between the pair of servo transducer heads being related to the dimension of the data track and a distance between the servo transducer heads and the data transducer head being related to a data track pitch, a signal processing circuit connected to the pair of servo transducer heads for generating a data transducer head positioning signal and a positioning device for positioning the data transducer head in response to the transducer positioning signal and for maintaining the track centerline alignment of the data transducer head.

Abstract: A method of protecting a magnetic recording medium includes measuring a time period over which a main power supply continues to remain in an off state and the magnetic recording medium continues to remain loaded at a predetermined position. If the measured time period attains a first predetermined time period (e.g. 60 minutes), the recording medium is rotated for a second predetermined time period (e.g. several second), thereby preventing a magnetic recording/playback head from leaving its impression on the recording medium due to continuous pressing contact between the two at the same location on the recording medium.

Abstract: When a standby command is issued in a long-period recording (intermittent recording) mode, a control circuit 70 stops the rotation of a rotating drum 60 and a capstan shaft 72 with a magnetic tape 20 being maintained in a loaded state. Then, a back tension arm 310 is moved and rotating torques are applied to a feed reel 11 and a take-up reel 12 in opposite directions, whereby a prescribed back tension is applied to the magnetic tape 20.

Abstract: An improved system and process is provided in a disc drive for determining and for compensating head/track offsets when a data (target) head is moved to a new data (target) track position. Such disc drives typically include an armstack with transducer heads thereon, either pivotally or linearly mounted to move the transducer heads radially across a plurality of memory discs in a disc stack. A dedicated reference head is provided for scanning dedicated servo tracks on a dedicated memory disc, and a data head is provided on each data disc.Head/track position offset is determined by generating an initial position offset signal indicative of the position offset between the dedicated head and an adjacent dedicated track while a selected data head, called the present head, is centered on its data track.

Abstract: An automatic cassette tape recorder stop apparatus which can drive a plurality of magnetic tapes simultaneously or individually and includes a sensor for each of the tapes; and a lock release block which receives the load applied to each sensor, rotates a trigger lever through a conversion lever, and actuates a cam gear, a lock release plate and a lock plate. The automatic stop apparatus further includes a load-receiving resilient member for each sensor which does not allow the load on the sensor to be transmitted to the trigger lever while the tape is running but allows the load to be transmitted to the trigger lever for its rotation when the tape has been wound to the end.

Abstract: A capstan servo system for a video tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus permits recording of a new video signal precisely commenced at a selected edit point. For this, the capstan servo system is provided a tape speed error dependent feedback control feature and a phase error dependent feedback control feature. Tape speed error dependent feedback control is carried out when the recording and/or reproducing apparatus operates in recording or assemble edit mode. Phase error dependent feedback control is carried out when the recording and/or reproducing apparatus operates in reproducing or playback mode.

Abstract: According to the invention, a magnetic head positioning control apparatus using an index servo data has a circuit for determining a final correction value such that a magnetic head position correcting operation is repeatedly performed at a designated track position. The apparatus also has a circuit for obtaining final correction values for two different tracks, to calculate a thermal offset value accordingly. A correction current value and a track position can be expressed by a linear relation, and two coefficients of the relation can be determined using the two final correction current values. When an arbitrary track position is designated, a thermal offset value can be determined with reference to the two coefficients of the relation and the designated track position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for checking the azimuthal alignment of the magnetic head of a disk drive with respect to a standard head alignment by use of diagnostic disk having plural sectors along a checking track. The sectors include an identification field, a data field and noise areas adjacent to the data field. The patterns recorded in the respective data field and adjacent noise fields being at relative azimuthal angles.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the position of a web containing location identifying information thereon. In particular, a means for measuring displacement of the web independent of the location information is employed to measure the displacement of the web in a cyclic manner such that the measuring cycle is in the expected displacement intervals between identifying information. A difference between a desired position of the web determined by an operator controlled reference displacement position of the web is determined, and used for controlling the position of the web to the desired position.

Abstract: A head-positioning mechanism of an endless tape useful in, for example, various tape-recorders of an endless cartridge type is disclosed, in which the endless tape on its inner side between a capstan and a tape guide is provided with an electrically conductive sensor and at its predetermined site is provided with a cut-line, while the endless tape on its inner surface is normally supplied with a faint current for disenergizing a power source of a DC motor upon contact of the cut-line with the sensor, thereby to arrest a head of the endless tape at a starting position.

Abstract: A movable head support arm establishes a curved path and orientation for the head along a memory disc such that the head gap is maintained tangential to the path. A variable delay of the track reference, established as a function of track position, is developed to insure coherence of stored information from track to track in the direction of the head path.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus including a transporting portion for moving a tape-shaped recording medium at one of at least two different speeds, a reproducing head for reproducing the informations from the recording medium as it is run by the transporting portion, and a detecting portion for detecting whether or not the speed of movement of the recording medium during reproduction is coincident with that of the recording medium during recording the informations.

Abstract: A magnetic recorder or reproducer in an electronic camera system wherein a subject is pure-electronically still-photographed and recorded on a rotating magnetic disc, and the reproducing of an image is carried out by a television system or a printer.In this rotary magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus, the addressing of tracks is performed under two modes including absolute addresses and relative addresses, so that the most proper mode can be used in accordance with the purpose of use of the track addresses. Particularly, the adverse influence of a shift in the addressing due to a dropout can be eliminated and a shift in the numbering when the track number is displayed can be also eliminated.

Abstract: A tracking apparatus for tracking a track recorded in a rotary recording medium which rotates at a predetermined constant speed has a playback head for sensing a signal out of a desired one of tracks each being provided in the recording medium such that a beginning and an end of recording coincide with each other includes a head transport mechanism for supporting the playback head movably along the recording medium, an envelope detector for detecting an envelope of the signal sensed by the playback head, and a controller for controlling the head transport mechanism to move the playback head to a position where a desired one of the tracks is located. The head transport mechanism includes a head position detector for detecting a position of the playback head on the recording medium.

Abstract: An apparatus performs recording and/or reproduction of an information signal on or from a tape-shaped record bearing medium arranged to have a main recording area for recording an information signal and a sub-recording area for recording a control signal in a position which is related to the recorded position of the information signal of the main recording area and is not within a non-recording part of a predetermined length in a specific position on the medium. The main recording area and the sub-recording area extend in the longitudinal direction of the medium.