Abstract: An optical pickup guide mechanism for guiding the optical pickup of an optical disk player is capable of correctly guiding the optical pickup regardless of the position of the optical pickup relative to the guide rails of the optical pickup guide mechanism. The optical pickup guide mechanism comprises a fixed guide rail, a movable guide rail, and a holding mechanism capable of holding the movable guide rail constantly in parallel to the fixed guide rail and of resiliently biasing the movable guide rail toward the fixed guide rail so that the movable guide rail can be translated. The movable rail is held always in parallel to the fixed guide rail regardless of the position of the optical pickup relative to the fixed guide rail and the movable guide rail and, consequently, the optical pickup can be guided for smooth movement radially to the center of the optical disk loaded on the optical disk player in a plane parallel to the optical disk, so that the optical pickup is able to function satisfactorily.

Abstract: Disclosed is an information signal discriminating apparatus adapted to ascertain the type of an information signal which includes a synchronizing signal and which is modulated by one of a plurality of types of modulation carrier signals having respective different frequencies. The information signal type is ascertained quickly by detecting the frequency of a synchronizing signal section included in the information signal concerned. In other words, the frequency thus detected indicates the information signal type.

Abstract: A device for deactivating price tags of the kind provided with a magnetic strip intended to form part of an anti-theft store security system, said device being intended for use together with a so-called scanner used to optically read a bar code on an item of goods.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the representation of binary data. Each bit of binary data corresponds to one of two representations, where each representation is a 3.times.3 array of cells. In a first representation five cells of the array are asserted and four cells are not asserted, and the second representation is complementary to the first representation. In the first representation the asserted cells are the four corner cells and the central cell of the 3.times.3 array. These representations are preferred since they minimize the possibility of long runs of contiguous cells having the same value in an indicia representing a plurality of data bits; which is useful to synchronize scanning of the indicia. An error in the transcription of a data bit is detected by comparison of a nominal representation with the received 3.times.3 array in determining the number of cells which differ between the nominal and the received representations.

Abstract: In a laser scanning system, an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit for dynamically adjusting the gain of a receiver that is used to receive light reflected from a bar code. The AGC provides a fast adjustment to receiver gain so that the receiver can provide a decodable signal quickly. To accomplish the fast adjustment, the AGC circuit, in addition to sensing the final output of the receiver, includes an additional feedback path from an amplifier in the receiver that is located before the final amplification stage. The additional feedback has a negligible attack time, and adjusts receiver gain quickly, thereby minimizing the time required to reach steady state.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the processing a magnetic-track ticket, especially an air transport ticket, of the type comprising: an insertion station (G1, G2), a magnetic reading/writing station (19), an issuing station (G3, G4) and a belt (C1) wound in a closed circuit around rollers, one of which is a driving roller, and designed to drive the ticket along an internal path extending from the insertion station to the issuing station.

Abstract: An improved gaming chip and its fabrication process is provided wherein a discoidal insert having at least one label generally centered thereon is placed within the central aperture of a ring. A molding compound is formed over the ring and an outer peripheral portion of the insert thereby creating a lip over the outer peripheral edge of the label to prevent its removal. An electronic pre-encoded transponder may be placed within the ring prior to molding. When stimulated, the transponder will transmit encoded gaming chip identification information.

Abstract: A disk cartridge has a case comprising an upper and a lower shell halves for accommodating a disk. The case has a spindle insertion hole, a head insertion hole and a shutter for opening and closing the two holes. The case has at least one of a disconnection preventing mechanism for preventing an elastic spring for urging the shutter from being disconnected from a slider and a part of the case, a drive pin smooth motion mechanism for moving a drive pin on the slider, a shutter locking mechanism for locking the shutter at a closing position, a disk center holding mechanism for supporting the disk at its center position, a disk periphery holding mechanism for holding the periphery of the disk, a writing protection mechanism for prevention new information from being recorded on the disk and a mechanism for forming the case with a good outer appearance.

Abstract: A financial transaction card 2, such as a check guarantee and/or credit card includes a tagging element 4 of a high permeability, low coercivity magnetic material, such as Ni Fe. The tagging element 4 is arranged in magnetic communication with a magnetic stripe 10 of relatively hard magnetic material or in a region of the card 2 used to record identifying data, such as user details, so as to be deactivated when the user details are recorded on the card 2. The provision of the element 4 enables card blanks to be monitored by an electronic article surveillance system during manufacture or prior to issue.

Abstract: This system is arranged to selectively subject a color or monochrome image signal to the recording signal processing for recording on the recording medium, selectively multiplex a first pilot signal with the color image signal subjected to the recording signal processing or a second pilot signal different from the first pilot signal with the monochrome image signal subjected to the recording signal processing, record the thus-multiplexed signal on the recording medium, detect the pilot signal multiplexed with the signal recorded on the recording medium, discriminate whether the detected pilot signal is the first pilot signal or the second pilot signal, and separate the pilot signal multiplexed with the signal reproduced from the recording medium in accordance with the discrimination result, and correct the time-base variation of the signal reproduced from the recording medium by using the thus-separated pilot signal.

Abstract: A loading mechanism for a data storage device is provided in which the data storage device is housed in a cartridge. The loading mechanism includes a mounting frame. A holder is mounted on the frame and receives and maintains the cartridge in place. A chassis is mounted on the mounting frame so that when the cartridge is loaded, the holder and the chassis move in opposite directions relative to the mounting frame.

Abstract: A memory card comprises an index area, and a data area including a plurality of extents in each of which data is recorded. The index area includes in correspondence with each of the extents, an area for entering a file name, a status indicating area for entering the number of bytes to be recorded per sector, and areas for entering the beginning and end addresses of the corresponding extent, respectively. The memory card is accessed in such a way that the index area is read to decide if a desired file name exists, and that the status indicating area is read subject to the existence of the desired file name. A control unit translates an address premised on a floppy disc into an address for accessing the memory card, on the basis of the number of bytes entered in the status indicating area, and then accesses the memory card.

Abstract: A control circuit of a tray loading apparatus determines, according to a disc size and a tray moving direction, a time during which to control the motor at a constant speed. When the specified time has elapsed after the motor was started, the control circuit produces a pulse-width modulated output to slowly lower the motor speed, eliminating impact noise when the tray strikes a stopper. This motor deceleration time is measured. When the measured deceleration time disagrees with a preset or previously detected target deceleration time, the difference is either added to or subtracted from a constant-speed motor operation time and the resultant value is taken as the next target time for constant-speed motor operation. In this way, by changing the time during which the motor is driven at a constant speed, any variations in the tray moving speed as might occur from varying loads on the motor are absorbed to keep the motor deceleration time and decelerating speed unchanged, thus making the tray motion smooth.

Abstract: A disk record sound reproducing apparatus includes a turntable having a cylindrical rib formed on the lower surface thereof and protruding downwardly therefrom. A plurality of selection levers, equal in number to a number of modulated grooves of a disk record, are pivotably disposed below the turntable, the levers being arranged radially with respect to the center of the turntable. Each selection lever has a drawn-down arm and a holding arm which are respectively engageable with a part of the turntable and the lower edge of the rib. When one of the selection levers is turned, the turntable is lowered by the draw-down arm which presses down the part of the turntable, and at the same time, the holding arm rides over the lower edge of the rib and enters the inside of the rib. Thus, the turntable together with the record disk is maintained at its lowered position, and the application of stylus force to the disk record is released.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vibration preventive device for an optical disc player comprising a moving part supported movably relative to a stationary part, and a drive force generator including a coil fitted on either the stationary part or moving part and a magnet fitted on the other, the coil or magnet being supported resiliently on the stationary part.

Abstract: A swing-type actuator has (a) a housing including a pair of yokes and a permanent magnet attached to at least one of the yokes opposing each other for defining a magnetic gap therebetween; and (b) a swingable arm having at one end a hold member encompassing a movable coil, such that the hold member and movable coil have essentially the same thickness and the movable coil is swingable in the magnetic gap, the arm and the hold member being integrally formed of a thermoplastic resin having a longitudinal modulus of 30.times.10.sup.4 kg/cm.sup.2 or more.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical disk handling system, called an autochanger, having two control systems to provide the six motions necessary to move optical disk cartridges from storage holding cells to an optical drive. Whenever the mechanisms are being moved, the control systems monitor the progress of the movement, and should the control system detect an error conditon, a state update flag is changed to prevent further updates of the state of the system. With state updates disabled, the control system will stop all mechanisms and prevent further movement of the mechanisms. When the operation appears complete, an error recovery software function is called. When the error recovery software detects that the state update flag is in an error condition, error recovery is initiated. After the mechanism's state has been established, error recovery movement is started, based on the operation that was being performed at the time of the error, and the state of the machine at the time of the error.

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk storage has an erroneous insertion preventing mechanism which projects into a holder so that it can touch the magneto-optical disk cartridge in order to prevent the same from being inserted. The erroneous insertion preventing mechanism mechanically engages with the magneto-optical disk cartridge and moves in a direction approximately vertical to the recording suface of the magneto-optical disk to allow the magneto-optical disk cartridge to be inserted only if the magneto-optical disk cartridge is being inserted into the holder with a correct orientation.

Abstract: To prevent a person having found or stolen a card of a pay-television subscriber from using it fraudulently, the identity of the subscriber is recorded in a zone protected from reading and writing. At the beginning of the period of use of a new card, the new card compares the identity of the new card with that of the old one, and delivers the password only if the two identities are the same.

Abstract: A disc cartridge made up of a cartridge housing and a disc-shaped recording medium, such as an optical disc or a magneto-optical disc, accommodated in the cartridge housing, is disclosed. The cartridge housing of the disc cartridge is provided with a recording/reproducing aperture for exposing a part of the disc-shaped recording medium to the outside along the radius of the disc, and with a shutter member for opening or closing the aperture. Within a shutter opening actuating recess formed in the cartridge housing, a discriminating member associated with the type of the disc-shaped recording medium accommodated in the cartridge housing is provided for closing at least a part of the recess to prevent insertion of the disc cartridge into a recording and/or reproducing apparatus which is not suited to the type of the disc-shaped recording medium of the disc cartridge.