Abstract: There is provided a method of dispensing telephone cards from automatic teller machines (ATM) and card constructions used therewith. Telephone time is apportioned to a number of sheetlets printed with random numbers which serve as a personal identification number (PIN). They are packaged in bricks and activated when installed in an ATM or when dispensed. The sheetlets are capable of being dispensed like currency and may contain the PIN on a removable zone.

Abstract: A system and method for remotely answering a phone call involves receiving a call over a first communications link at the home or office of a subscriber. A call recipient at a remote location is alerted of the call. Next, the call recipient is coupled to a bridging element over a second communications link. The bridging element bridges the first communications link and the second communications link together so that remote call recipient is connected to the call. The bridging is done so that the remote call recipient is connected to the calling party seamlessly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous presence conferencing is disclosed having voice-activated quadrant selection. A control processor in a multipoint control unit selects and assigns anchored sites to anchored regions of a composite video image. The control processor further selects a switched site according to a selection process and assigns the switched site to a switched region of the composite video image. The selection process for selecting the switched site includes evaluating audio signals received from the conference sites to determine a dominant audio signal and selecting the site associated with the dominant audio signal. A rotating site is selected and is assignable to any of the regions. A video processor processes the video signals according to the composite video image assignments to provide composite video signals for transmission to sites in the conference.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a moving picture searching apparatus, where moving picture information recorded can be searched easily when desired moving picture information is picked out. Of single or plural moving picture(s) S2 recorded in predetermined recording medium, moving picture information which meets the condition designated by a user and obtained based on output S1 of input means 2 are searched based on respective index information which has been recorded in the recording medium 6 with respective corresponding moving picture information. On the other hand, after this, when it is confirmed on the basis of the output S1 of the input means that the user designated first operation mode, respective moving picture information S2 picked out by the search are sequentially reproduced at a predetermined timing and displayed on display means 4.

Abstract: The emergency call such as Enhanced 911 call or the like is also originated through an exchange such as PBX (Private Branch Exchange). In this case, the identification information such as the extension number of the extension telephone terminal connected to the PBX should be transmitted to a network corresponding to the emergency call. For the extension telephone terminal, it is necessary to unhook or to capture an arbitrary line by the line key, before inputting the dial data “911”. Independent of the capture of arbitrary line, the PBX searches a vacant line connected to the network corresponding to the emergency call, captures the vacant line, transmits the identification information such as the extension number, and switches over and connects the extension telephone terminal from the line captured by the terminal to the vacant line.

Abstract: A memory unit having a plurality of heads performing at least one of recording or reproducing operations on a storage medium is disclosed. The memory unit includes a first converter circuit for receiving head-selection signals as first parallel data and converting the head-selection signals to first serial data to be transmitted, and a second converter circuit for receiving the first serial data from the first converter circuit and converting the first serial data to second parallel data to be transmitted. The memory unit further includes a head control circuit for receiving the second parallel data from the second converter circuit and selectively driving the heads on the basis of the second parallel data.

Abstract: A method formats disc surfaces in a disc drive for storage of data in a group of tracks on the disc surfaces. The disc drive performs seek operations to seek among cylinders on the disc surfaces as a function of time according to an actual seek profile. An approximation of the actual seek profile is determined such that the actual seek profile falls within the approximation. The disc surfaces are formatted according to the approximation of the actual seek profile.

Abstract: This invention enables the key telephone system to send a busy tone to a party calling on a main extension number when a telephone call to the main extension number is received when a pseudo extension number is in use. The receiving mode is memorized in the memory of the main unit. When a telephone call to the main extension number is received when the pseudo extension number is in use, a busy tone can be sent to the calling party on the main extension number. According to this invention, the calling party thus knows that the key telephone set, which is the destination of his call, is busy.

Abstract: Telecommunications traffic is dynamically distributed at a telecommunications node among plural telecommunication routes. A current distribution of traffic is detected for both incoming routes and outgoing routes. Traffic is automatically redistributed among the outgoing routes based on the distribution currently detected for the corresponding incoming routes. More specifically, the detected amount of incoming traffic for a particular network operator, carrier, route bundles, or route is compared with the amount of outgoing traffic detected for a corresponding network operator, carrier, route bundle, or route at the switching point. Traffic is rerouted, in one example embodiment, so that each outgoing network operator, carrier, route bundle, or route receives its “fair” share of traffic based on how much traffic it is currently delivering to the node.

Abstract: A least cost call routing system operates in conjunction with one or more telephones disposed in a location to provide least cost telephone call routing using a selected one of a number of commercial telephone carriers. A central server stores a plurality of telecommunications carriers and associated billing rates. A user's computer registers with the central server by providing certain user identification information. The central server generates a customized database of telecommunications carriers and associated billing rates for the user in response to the location of the user. The customized database is stored on the user's PC for use in routing telephone calls along a least cost route. The central server establishes an account for the user at each of the telecommunications carriers in the user's database. The user's PC periodically contacts the central server to receive updates to the customized database.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for minimizing settling time in a disc drive servo system. The disc drive includes a head adjacent a rotatable disc on which a plurality of tracks are defined and a motor which controllably positions the head in response to current applied to the motor. A servo circuit is provided to settle the head onto a destination track at the conclusion of a seek operation by determining velocity of the head at a selected distance from the destination track, comparing the velocity to a desired velocity of the head at the selected distance from the destination track, adding a settling gain to a current command signal to generate a modified current command signal in relation to a difference between the velocity and the desired velocity, and using the modified current command signal to settle the head onto the destination track.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus has a supply reel and a take-up reel around which a magnetic tape is to be wound. A first tape guide is provided in the vicinity of a rotary head at the supply reel side and a second tape guide in the vicinity of the rotary head at the take-up reel side. The first and second tape guides are movable in directions of a width of the magnetic tape. A detector detects a height of each of the first and second tape guides. A count value corresponding to the detected height of at least either the first or the second tape guide is obtained by a counter. The height of at least either the first or the second tape guide is adjusted so that the count value becomes equal to a reference value. The count value is set to a specific value when the detected height becomes a reference height corresponding to the reference value after the magnetic tape has been wound around the supply and take-up reels.

Abstract: A magnetic storage device is disclosed. The magnetic storage device contains a magnetic media. Previously recorded information resides on tracks in the magnetic media. A transducer is used to read information from the magnetic media. The transducer includes a first read element and a second read element. The first and second read elements are both laterally and longitudinally offset from each other. A method of reading information stored on a track of a magnetic media is also disclosed. Information is read from the magnetic media using the first and second read elements to produce respective first and second analog read signals. The first and second analog read signals are an electrical representation of the information previously recorded on the track.

Abstract: A device to turn on a disk formatter's write gate and NRZ line drivers with minimal delay from a sector pulse. The device utilizes a look-ahead scheme to asynchronously qualify a sector pulse to drive the write gate and enable the NRZ output drivers. The write gate and NRZ line drivers are conditionally enabled by a sector pulse and are held in the enabled state until the disk formatter provides an enable signal. The enabled NRZ line drivers provide binary zeros until actual data is provided to the drivers.

Abstract: An apparatus that compensates for the asymmetry and the baseline shift in the signal generated by a magnetoresistive head. The apparatus stores a first correction factor for the baseline shift, a second correction factor for correcting the amplitude of the positive portion of the signal and a third correction factor for correcting the amplitude of the negative portion of the signal. The first correction factor for correcting for baseline shift is added to the signal generated by the magnetoresistive head to generate a baseline corrected signal. The baseline corrected signal is then monitored for positive and negative excursions from the baseline and the positive excursions are multiplied by the second correction factor and the negative excursions are multiplied by the third correction factor for generating a compensated signal.

Abstract: A read channel (18) is provided for use in a mass storage system. The read channel (18) includes a plurality of circuit modules and an error estimation circuit (50). The plurality of circuit modules receive an analog data signal from a disk/head assembly (12) and condition the signal to provide a digital data signal. The error estimation circuit (50) receives an analog signal from one of the plurality of circuit modules and analyzes the analog signal. The error estimation circuit (50) provides digital error signal (94) and digital level estimation signal (96) as a result.

Abstract: A writing unit writes a first sync byte pattern SB1 to the head of data and writes a second sync byte pattern SB2 to the end of the data (DATA+ECC). When the first sync byte pattern SB1 is not detected, the data is stored into a memory, and after that, a reading unit reads out the second sync byte pattern SB2 in the memory. When the second sync byte pattern SB2 is detected, the reading unit reads out the data of a predetermined length DL in which a position that is preceding to the detecting position by only a predetermined data length (DL) is set to the head position from the memory and demodulates.

Abstract: A servo track writer for a head disk assembly and a method of making the head disk assembly using the servo track writer are disclosed. The head disk assembly includes an enclosure having an opening and a base and an actuator arm coupled to the base and having a servo writer positioning arm facing surface. The servo track writer includes a platform for supporting the head disk assembly. The platform includes a base portion, a column extending substantially perpendicular to the base portion, and an elongated servo writer positioning arm for protruding through the opening and supported by the column. The positioning arm includes a main body, a tip having an actuator arm facing surface for abutting the positioning arm facing surface, and a vibration damper positioned between the main body and the tip. The vibration damper damps vibrations induced in the actuator arm by dissipating energy transferred between the platform and the actuator arm.

Abstract: A magnetic tape unit with a magnetic head for reading and writing data from and onto a magnetic tape. The magnetic tape is kept in constant contact with the magnetic head, and a reel motor travels the magnetic tape kept in contact with the magnetic head. Adhesion of the magnetic tape to the magnetic head is prevented by slowly driving the reel motor to travel the magnetic tape at a speed lower than a normal traveling speed for a read/write operation of the magnetic head, during a rest period when the read/write operation of the magnetic head is not performed.

Abstract: A floppy disk drive has an exciting current supplying circuit and a control circuit for controlling the exciting current supplying circuit so that the exciting current is increased to a first predetermined value, reduced to a second predetermined value and then decreased to zero or raised to a third predetermined value. This arrangement has the effect of suppressing the counter electromotive force induced by the self induction of the motor coil, reducing noises on a power line and thereby preventing irregular rotation of the stepping motor.