Abstract: As tape moves through a closed loop, high-speed tape transporter (10) loops of the tape are accumulated and stored in a tape bin (64). The capacity of the tape bin (64) is increased by extracting air from and lowering the air pressure in the region of the bin (64) occupied by the loops of accumulated tape and inside the loops of tape sufficient to cause the accumulated tape to compress into tighter loops which occupy less space in the tape bin (64). Air extraction takes place through a vacuum port (95) which communicates with the interior of the tape bin (64) and which is connected to a vacuum supply (11A).

Abstract: A method is provided for operationally synchronizing movement of an audio tape for a tape recorder with a program controlling computer monitor where the audio tape is recorded in a manner that segments of sound are separated by either tones or periods of silence and then played back in conjunction with the computer monitor wherein the tones or lengths of silence are detected and signaled to a mechanism for stopping the tape recorder spindles.

Abstract: A portable video tape recorder includes a tachogenerator which generates an actual speed signal representative of the angular velocity of a video head and an actual phase signal representative of the angular position of the head. A frequency comparator generates a speed control signal representative of the deviation of the actual speed signal from a reference speed signal and a phase comparator generates a phase control signal representative of the deviation of the actual phase signal from a reference phase signal. The speed and phase control signals are summed and applied to the motor. A detector is provided for detecting when the deviation of the actual phase signal exceeds a predetermined level and generating a warning signal to alert the user either in visual or audible form to prevent external vibration from severely disturbing the angular position of the video head.

Abstract: A synthetic control track signal is provided for a magnetic video tape recording and/or reproducing machine having a motor driven capstan and capstan servo which controls the speed of the tape during recording and reproducing. The synthetic signal enables the capstan servo to operate when the control track signal has not been recorded or has been improperly recorded. The synthetic signal is generated from vertical synchronization information extracted from the video information extracted signal.

Abstract: Drawing on the observation that a signal which is magnetically recorded near the edge of a magnetic tape not only projects a magnetic field that is above (and below) the plane of the tape, but also projects a field that extends away from the edge thereof, the invention calls for (tracking-) control of relative head-to-tape positioning in response to the edge-projected field of a pre-recorded edge-positioned tracking control signal, whereby the tightness of such control is governed directly by the spacing loss equation.

Abstract: A high performance, low cost rotating disk data storage subsystem includes a head and disk assembly. A plurality of sectors in data tracks include a servo portion containing a prerecorded pattern of a plurality of repeating, time staggered, non-phase-coherent bursts, each burst having a predetermined integral fraction radial offset relative to the other bursts and having a constant frequency preamble field followed by a unique value field related to its burst spatial location.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing information signals from a record bearing medium having the information signals recorded together with different pilot signals which are repeatedly recorded, one after another, in a plurality of recording tracks. The apparatus includes a reproducing device arranged to trace the recording tracks on the record bearing medium; a reference signal generating device for generating reference signals which have frequencies corresponding to the pilot signals; a detection signal generating device for generating a plurality of detection signals having different frequency components by using the pilot signals reproduced by the reproducing device and the reference signals; and a tracking error signal generating device for generating a tracking error signal by utilizing the different frequency components of the detection signals.

Abstract: This method and apparatus for eliminating apparent offset in the servo code adjacent to a guard band on a magnetic memory disc utilizes at least two phases of servo code per magnetic cell for seeking and track centering, or track following, operations and two phases or guard band code per magnetic cell. The two phases or guard band code are each either in phase or similarly out of phase with the respective phases of the servo code in individual magnetic cells.Phase locking on a selected phase of guard band code is achieved by providing a synchronizing code in the guard band using an irregular pattern of guard band code, providing a timing signal count representing a cell count, for example, decoding the synchronizing code to provide an end of code signal and utilizing the end of code signal and a predetermined cell count signal to achieve phase locking on the correct phase of the guard band code.

Abstract: A floppy disk drive apparatus includes a receptacle portion for receiving a jacket which has a notch on an edge portion thereof and houses a floppy disk with an index hole therein; a holding member for holding the floppy disk inserted in the receptacle portion; a disk driver for rotating the floppy disk held by the holding member; an index detector for generating an index detection signal when the jacket is inserted not to exceed a predetermined distance in the receptacle portion through a disk slot, or the index hole is detected; and a notch detector for generating a notch detection signal when the jacket is inserted not to exceed a predetermined distance in the receptacle portion through the disk slot, or the notch of the jacket is detected.

Abstract: A rotating head type reproducing apparatus, arranged to reproduce a recorded signal by tracing, one after another many recording tracks formed on a record bearing medium at a predetermined pitch by a rotating head, includes a moving mechanism for moving the record bearing medium in a direction transverse to the recording tracks; a shifting mechanism for shifting the rotating head in a direction transverse to the rotating plane thereof; a pulse signal generator for generating a pulse signal in association with the moving operation of the moving mechanism on the record bearing medium; a counter for counting the pulse signal, the count datum of the counter being arranged to return to the initial datum every time a predetermined number of pulses of the pulse signal are counted; a timing signal generator for generating a timing signal in association with the rotation of the rotating head; and a control device for forming a control signal for controlling the shifting mechanism on the basis of the count data of the

Abstract: A magnetic disk drive for writing and reading data to and from a magnetic disk contained in a cartridge which is inserted through an opening in the disk drive includes a drive motor rotated on a yoke by a manually operated shaft having a handle on one end and a cam on the other end. A flat diaphragm switch is operated by a rotation stop on the shaft to indicate when the motor is in the loaded position of engagement with the disk.

Abstract: A tape address synchronizing apparatus for synchronizing the tape position of a video tape recorder to another tape recorder or to a reference has a tape address generating circuit, a reference address generating circuit, comparators for comparing the tape addresses to the reference addresses, a circuit for generating an acceleration signal or a deceleration signal and a capstan servo circuit controlling a motor which in turn controls the speed of the magnetic tape in the tape recorder which is to be synchronized. When the tape addresses match the reference addresses, the phases of a reference signal used for generating the reference addresses and the phase of a CTL signal recorded on the magnetic tape are compared to one another to further synchronize the phases of the signals to one another.

Abstract: The head assembly of a disc drive device is retracted upon the interruption of power to that device by utilizing the emf that is generated by the disc drive spindle motor as a result of the rotation of that motor following power interruption. Then, after a delay sufficient to allow the head assembly time to retract, the spindle motor is dynamically braked. Dynamic braking is achieved by utilizing a voltage to which a capacitor has been charged during normal operation to energize switching elements which effectively short circuit the motor windings.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling the tracking position of a magnetic head which reproduces parallel tracks successively formed on magnetic tape, the parallel tracks containing a video signal and a pilot signal having mutually different frequencies changing in cyclic sequence from track to track, a pair of control signals are generated in response to amplitudes of the reproduced pilot signal, said pair of control signals being indicative of opposite displacements of the head from the track to be traced, and a tracking error signal is formed by mixture of the pair of control circuits to control the tracking position in response to said tracking error signal. In accordance with this invention, magnitude of the pair of control signals is independently controlled according to the desired tracking position of the head.

Abstract: A data transfer apparatus is disclosed as typified by a floppy disk drive which, together with one or more like devices, is daisy chained to a central processor unit via a controller. Each disk drive comprises a disk motor for driving a record disk under the control of a disk motor drive circuit, a head motor for incrementally moving a transducer head radially of the record disk under the control of a head motor drive circuit, and a read/write circuit for processing data read from, or to be written on, the record disk via the transducer head. Also included in each disk drive is a sensor control circuit associated with an optical sensor assembly for producing a DISK PRESENCE signal representative of the presence or absence of the record disk in the disk drive.

Abstract: A disk drive control system includes servo sectors written on a disk, with each sector containing three sets of marker pulses arranged so that three adjacent marker pulses from each of the sets spans two tracks. Positional control utilizes a function comprising a ratio whose denominator value represents the sum of the amplitudes of the two largest amplitude marker pulses detected by the read/write head while traversing a servo sector and who numerator represents the differences in amplitude between said two largest amplitude marker pulses.

Abstract: In a helical-scan tape recorder, a digital signal having a series of M identification words of N bits each is generated. One of the N-bit words is a discrimination word identifying a particular combination of the other N-bit words. The M words are organized into J groups of I words each (where J.times.I=M) and recorded with an information signal at spaced intervals within each of a series of sectors defined along each track of a recording tape so that the word groups are interleaved with the information signal and each of the recorded sub-blocks can be traced substantially simultaneously by a transducer head during a search mode. At least one of the word groups includes data bits identifying distinct, but mutually closely related items of information and discrimination bits which identify the data bits. During search mode, distribution bits can be detected with the data bits of the same word group to allow the closely related items of information to be displayed.

Abstract: A device which may be incorporated in a conventional magnetic tape transport prevents adhesion between the magnetic tape and elements of the tape transport such as the magnetic head and the tape cleaner. When the tape speed falls below a preselected minimum, the device mechanically displaces the magnetic tape without significant wear on the tape.

Abstract: A vacuum column (34) is used in a closed loop, high-speed tape transporter (10) to maintain constant tension on a moving loop of tape as it is delivered to a pick-up head (20) of the transporter (10). A motor driven capstan (35) intermediate a tape storage bin (23) and the vacuum column (34) pulls the loop of tape from bin (23) and delivers it to the vacuum column (34). A servo-control (39), (40), (41) senses changes in the position of the tape within the vacuum column (34) caused by tension changes of the tape within the bin (23) and sends a signal responsive to the change of position of the tape in the vacuum column (34) to the capstan motor (31), thereby changing its speed sufficient to maintain the position of the tape within capstan (34) at a relatively constant level. Sensing can be by means of a vacuum slot (34), an ultrasonic proximity indicator (42) or a series of photo-optical sensors (44), (45).

Abstract: Signals are recorded on a magnetic tape in the standard or long time recording mode. A capstan drive system has a plurality of control elements and controls the reproduction drive state of the tape in accordance with a rotation detection signal of a capstan motor and a signal reproduced from a control track of the tape. A disk control system has a plurality of control elements and controls the reproduction state of the tape by a rotary head in accordance with rotation detection signals from a disk motor and a disk. A high speed reproduction mode specifying unit specifies the first or second high speed reproduction mode for reproduction at a speed Ns (Ns is a positive integer of 2 or more) or Ns.N (N is a ratio of the tape speeds in the standard and long time recording modes) times the tape speed in the recording mode. A recording mode detection unit detects if the tape is recorded in the standard or long time recording mode.