Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes a truth determining code for determining whether the medium is authentic. The truth determining code is indicated by a magnetic polarity at at least an edge of the medium. A method of determining whether the medium is authentic comprises the steps of detecting a magnetic polarity at an edge of the magnetic recording medium, and collating a combination of the magnetic polarity with a proper combination of the magnetic polarity.

Abstract: A disc cleaning device for cleaning the surface of a disc-type recording medium comprises a belt type cleaning device which is adapted to be operated in the radial direction of the recording medium so as to clean the surface of the recording medium and a pressurizing device which presses the cleaning member against the surface of the recording medium at a region to be cleaned while keeping a cleaning surface of the cleaning device in contact with the surface of the recording medium.

Abstract: An optical recording disk intended for use as an additionally recordable CD is provided. It has a substrate, a dye or recording layer on the substrate, and a reflective layer and a protective layer disposed on the recording layer in a close contact relationship. Recording is carried out by directing recording light to the recording layer to form a pit and reproduction is carried out by directing reproducing light to the pit. A layer containing a decomposition product of the dye or recording material, but substantially free of the substrate material is present at the interface between the substrate and the recording layer where the pit is formed.

Abstract: A device for processing optical data comprising a transparent substrate for a light to be applied, light source for projecting the diverging light onto one surface of the substrate substantially perpendicularly to the surface, lens provided on the substrate for causing the projected light to emerge obliquely or vertically upward from the other surface of the substrate and focusing the emergent light, photodetector provided on the substrate for receiving the light reflected from above, focusing drive mechanism for adjusting the position of the substrate upward or downward, and tracking drive mechanism for adjusting the position of the substrate laterally.

Abstract: A litigation support system and method in which information regarding documents and other items of evidence are stored in record fields of an electronic database using an optical scanning mechanism with the ability to scan bar-codes or other indicia. By using a bar-code to generate a single relation among databases as well as using bar-code authority lists for entries into the disclosed litigation support computer system, significant improvement in both the speed of coding documents or other items of evidence as well as the accuracy of such coding is greatly enhanced.

Abstract: A color signal processing apparatus comprising a first delay circuit for delaying an input chroma signal; a second delay circuit for delaying an output of the first delay circuit; a plurality of gain control circuits for controlling the amplitudes of the input chroma signal and the outputs of the first and second delay circuits, respectively; and an operating circuit for operating the gain-controlled amplitudes of the input chroma signal and the outputs of the first and second delay circuits, wherein the phases of the outputs of the first and second delay circuits are matched with the phase of the input chroma signal.

Abstract: A system for handling variable digital information comprising a key having an active integrated circuit component with leads extending therefrom, a battery for powering the component, unplated leads extending from the component to both the battery and to one edge of the key, and a container for sealing the component, battery and leads except at the edge of the container; and a receptacle having a plurality of unplated leads couplable at their inboard ends to electronic machinery and couplable at their outboard ends to the leads at the edge of the container.

Abstract: An IC card has a data transmission/receiving circuit for exchanging data with an external device, a data processing circuit connected to the data transmission/receiving circuit for processing the data, a battery for supplying the data transmission/receiving circuit and the data processing circuit with electrical power, a charge storage device such as a capacitor charged at a predetermined time constant by the battery, a charge control circuit for controlling connection of the battery to the charge storage device in accordance with a control signal from the data processing circuit, a comparator circuit for comparing the output voltage from the charge storage device with a reference value, and a time measuring counter for measuring the time from electrical connection of the battery to the charge storage device until the comparator circuit detects an output voltage from the charge storage circuit exceeding the reference value.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor for arranging at least one detection unit having a magnetoelectric transducer element for converting magnetic data printed on a bank note, a bond or the like into electric signals and inserted into a unit receiving slot in alignment on a detection line by a screw member provided on a sensor case. A nonmagnetic head cover for covering the unit receiving slot of the magnetic sensor is fixed to the magnetic sensor by engaging claw portions provided on the head cover with claw portion receiving grooves on the side surfaces of the sensor case with resilience or inserting leg portions provided on the head cover into cover receiving grooves provided on sensor case with the unit receiving slot therebetween.

Abstract: A prepaid card processing device for processing a prepaid card has a memory for storing information relating to an account, e.g., of money, and a printing portion on which the information is recorded. A prepaid card processing device has a reading portion for reading the information stored in the card memory; an input portion for inputting a charge amount of money for a transaction; a defrayal information processing portion for calculating the balance amount based on the charge amount inputted by the input portion and for preparing the defrayal information relating to the balance amount and the charge amount; a printing portion for printing defrayal information on the card; and a decision control portion for deciding whether or not the defrayal information is to be printed on the card by the printing portion. When the decision control portion decides that printing need not be performed, no printing on the card occurs. Thereby, the printing space on the card can be effectively utilized.

Abstract: A video signal processing system for use in an apparatus that handles a composite color television signal having therein frequency-multiplexed luminance and chrominance signals frequency-multiplexed in the composite color television signal are separated, comprises: remark picture element signal extracting circuitry for taking part of the composite color television signal as a remark picture element signal and extracting the remark picture element signal from the composite color television signal; reference picture element signal extracting circuitry for taking the composite color television signal whose chrominance signal frequency-mutliplexed therein is of the reverse phase to the chrominance signal frequency-multiplexed in the remark picture element signal as a reference picture element signal and extracting a plurality of the reference picture signals from the composite color television signal; selecting circuitry for selecting out of the plurality of reference picture element signals extracted by the refe

Abstract: A dot crawling interference elimination device and a color subcarrier vertical correlation detection device, which comprise a color subcarrier vertical correlation detection device for a video signal, an adaptive three-dimensional Y/C separation unit, and an adaptive notch filter of a color signal band, detect vertical correlation of a color subcarrier in a non-standard signal, such as a signal reproduced from a home VCRs or a special signal reproduced from an optical VDP system, that does not strictly meet the standards of the NTSC system or the PAL system, thereby to discriminate non-standard characteristics of the signal, and eliminate a color signal component, which mixes into a luminance signal when a motion-adaptive Y/C separation is carried out for the non-standard signal, by using an adaptive notch filter that suits a non-standard state of the input image signal.

Abstract: An electronic still video camera includes photography means having video signal production means for producing a video signal with respect to an object, color balance adjustment means for fixedly adjusting the color balance of the video signal of said video signal production means to a color temperature for daylight, judge means for judging as to whether an object is able to be photographed without flash light, and flash firing means for firing flash light when said judge means judges that flash light is necesary. The electronic still video camera can simplify the construction of color balance circuit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for reading bar codes having variable orientations on a substantially motionless medium. A portion of the surface of the medium having a bar code in a variable orientation is scanned using a light source and a photodetector receives the beam reflected from the surface and generates signals corresponding to the scanning lines. The signal corresponds to the scanning lines and has amplitude peaks corresponding to the intersection of the bars by the light beam. The amplitude peaks and position of the peaks on the scanning lines are recorded. The sum of the amplitude peaks is formed in the positions of the bars and deduced from the sums of the peaks amplitudes.

Abstract: Patients in hospitals are provided with identification bracelets which display the patient identity number in a machine-readable form, such as a bar code. Blood or other samples are taken from patients by a technician, nurse, or the like who carries a microprocessor-operated device for optically scanning the identification bracelet-coded patient identifications. When the patient ID is read, the device automatically prints out a label for securement to the specimen tube. The label includes the patient's name; ID number; tests to be performed on the specimen sample; and the time and date the sample was drawn. The device is preferably housed in the tray which carries the sample tubes and sampling needles. A connection can be made between a mainframe computer and the device's microprocessor so that the device can confirm to the mainframe computer that all of the samples were drawn, and so that the mainframe computer can preprogram the device to prepare for the next round of specimen samples.

Abstract: A device for actuating a shutter of a disc cartridge along with insertion of the disk cartridge into a holder of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus is disclosed. The device includes an engaging pin mounted on a lever member and adapted to be in engagement with one end of the shutter during the travel of the cartridge from a half-loaded position to a full-loaded position. The engaging pin extends downwardly through an oblique-inwardly engaging slot and protrudes into a cartridge accommodating space within the holder. A very small force is needed to smoothly actuate the shutter because a guide pin secured to the cassette or disc cartridge holder will act as an axis of rotation for the lever member 14 by vitrue of a slot provided in the other end of the lever member from the engaging pin. The guide pin is rotatably and linearly displaced with regard to the slot in the lever member.

Abstract: A bar code reader includes a hologram receiving a scanning light beam in sequence from a scanning light beam source for directing the scanning light beam to a bar code to be read along one path so that the bar code is scanned with the scanning laser beam in two-dimensional directions, and for guiding the scanning light beam to a photo-detector along the same path after the scanning light beam is reflected from the bar code, a condenser lens disposed in an optical system between the photo-detector and the hologram for collecting the reflected scanning light beam into the photo-detector, and a light blocking member disposed in an optical system between the condenser lens and the hologram for blocking unwanted light from the photo-detector, which unwanted light advances toward an incident side of the hologram on which the scanning light beam is directed.

Abstract: A mass loader stores a plurality of cartridges for loading a selected one of the cartridges into an optical disk reader. The loader comprises a magazine carrier and a cartridge loading apparatus. The cartridges are stored in a vertical and parallel orientation within slots in a magazine which is then inserted into the magazine carrier. The magazine carrier depends from a follower nut which travels along a lead screw in a direction transverse to the parallel orientation of the cartridges. As the leadscrew turns, the follower nut travels therealong to move the magazine into the correct position to load the selected one of the cartridges into the reader. After the magazine is properly positioned, another lead screw is driven to propel another follower nut therealong. The follower nut has a loading pin protruding therefrom which engages the selected one of the cartridges for loading. The leadscrew is then driven to propel the cartridge via the pin on the follower nut into the reader.

Abstract: A disk cartridge with an integral plastic shutter for shutting/opening an aperture formed in a cartridge case rotatably accommodating a disk-shaped recording medium therein characterized in that a faceplate part of the shutter has an outer surface including a large number of ridges. The shutter of this disk cartridge has a high dimensional stability and mechanical strength.

Abstract: A point-of-sale system includes an infinitely adjustable optical scanner for reading bar code symbols, and a terminal operatively connected to the scanner. A bendable, elongated arm is operative for at least temporarily maintaining the scanner in any selected one of an infinite number of adjusted orientations relative to a work surface over which the symbols pass. A hood is mounted on the scanner for preventing overloading of a scanner photodetector. One scan pattern is selected among a plurality of scan patterns to read the indicia.