Abstract: A machine for tracing an outline of an original picture and recording the same outline image as the picture for making a cutting mask for photo-printing, which includes an optical head for receiving light from a light spot projected to the picture by a projector, detecting elements in the optical head which detect the outline of the picture and produce signals for controlling drive means, and a processing head for recording a locus of the outline onto the recording material, wherein the processing head has the same movement relative to the recording material as the optical head has relative to the original picture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a data recording medium reproducing device in which a pick-up device reads address data from a recording medium such as a video disc. The read off data is compared with a supply desired address data to form a signal which represents whether the present position is inside, outside, or coincident with the desired position. A sequence controller operates in response to the output of the comparison to drive coarse and fine adjustment devices which position the pick-up device successively until the desired position or a position within the vicinity of desired position is reached.

Abstract: An image recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention has change over means between a running state and a stopped state of a recording medium, operation detecting means to detect an operation state of the change over means by a control signal synchronized either with a reference signal or a vertical synchronizing signal of an image signal, and delay means to have an output from the operation detecting means delayed for a prescribed length of time after a moment of the change over for a start of running of the recording medium or a stopping of the same thus having a running or stopping signal output therefrom. The recording of the control signal on the recording medium is stopped corresponding to the output of the operation detecting means and the output of the delay means.

Abstract: In a fast frame recorder having (1) a video camera adapted to produce signals corresponding to a variety of frame rates, (2) a variable speed tape recorder adapted to down-convert the frame rate of the camera signals to a reference frame rate by appropriately reducing the recorder tape speed to a reference speed, and (3) a display monitor adapted to receive the reference frame rate signals, the camera thereof may be adjusted for various scene and frame rate conditions without need to record the camera frame rate signals (for purposes of signal down-conversion). This is, in accordance with the invention, achieved by selecting a certain line (or lines) from each frame of the camera output signal, and applying such selected lines directly to the display monitor. Skipping from line to line in the camera output signal has the effect of down-converting the frame rate of the camera output signal as required.

Abstract: Recording and playback optical scanners are relatively movable with respect to each other and with respect to a movable recording medium such as reel of tape adapted for recording variations in applied light. The playback scanner reproduces recorded information at a time delayed with respect to the time of recording, wherein the amount of delay can vary within wide limits. When the playback scanner is moved relative to recording scanner, the playback rate will be faster or slower than the recording rate.

Abstract: A tape player with a built-in radio for a car, includes a station selection circuit and a tape scanning circuit. A single group of preset switches for selecting a desired station as well as a desired piece of music recorded on the tape is connected to both circuits. A change-over switch is provided for selectively changing over from one of the station selection circuit and tape scanning circuit, to the other. A switching circuit such as a gate circuit, for rendering one circuit inoperative and placing the other in a waiting state for operation in response to the change-over operation of the change-over switch, is also provided, so that manipulation of each preset switch of the group of preset switches, operates either the station selection circuit or the tape scanning circuit, which is kept in the waiting state for operation. The change-over switch is activated by loading a tape, to switch from the station selection circuit to the tape scanning circuit.

Abstract: A pickup control device for a data reading device in which, for fast or slow reproduction modes, a slider motor is forcibly driven to change the relative position of the pickup and the disk in a radial direction of the disk after which the pickup is set to a normal or center position thereof. A slider motor for changing the relative position of the pickup and the disk is driven in response to a fast or slow reproduction instruction and a position signal representative of the position of the pickup is produced with which a tracking servo loop is opened for a predetermined period of time during which the pickup is returned to its normal position. With this construction, the pickup is prevented from returning to a first track from a second track to which it has jumped through a scratch or the like.

Abstract: A method of synchronizing audio and video information is disclosed wherein standard motion picture techniques may be used to form a master finished audio track accurately synchronized with a recorded video signal. A standard master edited video tape is recorded with a conventional SMPTE time code or other code identifying each of the recorded frames. The video signal and time code are transferred to a first sprocketed magnetic film which operates at standard motion picture speeds. This film serves as a "work" print which is then used to build a plurality of audio tracks on sprocket driven films which are synchronized with the video information appearing on the work print. Thereafter, the audio tracks are mixed in synchronism to form a master finished audio track on a second sprocketed magnetic film. The SMPTE time code is transferred from the work print to the second sprocketed magnetic film in synchronism with the master finished audio track.

Abstract: A record system for reproducing information recorded on a record. Information is recorded on a track of the record in the form of an embossed print made of diffractive elements representing the time variation of a pulse modulated waveform. The diffractive elements have a width on the order of the wavelength of a readout light beam. An optical beam readout device provides the concentrated read-out beam and senses a spatial variation in the diffractive energy emerging from an illuminated portion of the track.

Abstract: A reproducing stylus traces a track of a recording medium, in which track an information signal is recorded as variations of geometrical shape, and reproduces as variations in capacitance the information signal thus recorded. The reproducing stylus comprises a reproducing stylus main structure having a tip portion with a sliding contact face for slidingly contacting at least one track of the recording medium, and an electrode disposed on the reproducing stylus main structure to trace one track and reproduce the information signal as the variations in capacitance in accordance with the variations in geometrical shape. The electrode has an end edge and side edges. The side edges are substantially parallel at least in the vicinity of the tip portion of the reproducing stylus main structure. The sliding contact face has a leading part and a trailing part respectively at the foremost end and the rearmost end in a relative sliding direction of the sliding contact face on the recording medium.

Abstract: An actuator for use in a pickup device for a video disk plunger having a cylindrical yoke made of a soft magnetic material, a pair of tubular solenoid coils disposed in said yoke such that the same polarity appears at adjacent portions thereof, and a movable element disposed axially movably inside of the tubular solenoid coils, the movable element having an axially magnetized permanent magnet and pole shoes attached to both ends of the permanent magnet. Dampers made of a resilient material such as a butyl rubber are secured to both ends of the yoke. The dampers support projections projected from both ends of the movable element such that the projections project axially outwardly of the dampers. A permanent magnet for magnetically attracting a stylus is secured to the outer end of one of the projections.

Abstract: A main control unit is connected through a selection unit to a magnetic tape memory device and an optical disk memory device. Picture information of a document which is subject to correction or revision is stored together with corresponding index information in the magnetic tape memory device, and picture information which does not require correction or revision is stored together with corresponding index information in the optical disc memory device. Index information for the picture information to be written or read out and also one of the memory devices are specified with a keyboard, which is connected to the main control unit. A reading unit, which is connected to the main control unit, reads out picture information of the document through scanning thereof and supplies the information thus obtained to the main control unit. A recording unit, which is also connected to the main control unit, records picture information supplied from the main control unit on recording sheet.

Abstract: A beam-splitting prism provided with a roof-edge prism is described. The roof-edge prism is made of a cured transparent synthetic material and can be arranged on a surface of the beam-splitting prism in a simple and cheap manner.

Abstract: Dual squelch circuits, the first preceding and the second following the video processor of a video disc player, are selectively activated by a control unit which receives transducer position information from the processor for calculation of disc playing time and control of the signal recovery transducer. The first squelch circuit aids in stabilizing the timebase correction servo of the video processor during the player pause operating mode. The second squelch circuit maintains video blanking during certain player transition operating modes (e.g., pause-to-play, load, etc.) while the control unit processes the position information to provide transducer control and playing time indicator signals.

Abstract: In an optical disc player or other apparatus in which a light beam is directed through an objective lens to be focused thereby at a record medium surface for optically reading information recorded in a track on such surface; the objective lens has its central axis offset in respect to the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical body forming part of a movable assembly and through which the light beam passes axially, and such cylindrical body is both angularly displaceable about its longitudinal axis and axially displaceable relative to a guide bearing forming part of a fixed assembly to correct for tracking errors and for focusing errors, respectively. The fixed assembly further includes a magnetic circuit generating a magnetic field which intersects coils included in the movable assembly to receive focusing error and tracking error signals, respectively.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for providing full frame reproduction, i.e., the reproducing of two consecutive video fields, during a still frame or stop action mode in a recording and reproducing apparatus of the type which utilizes transverse positioning of the transducing head to accurately follow a track during reproducing, and at the completion of the reproduction from the track, to properly position the head to either reproduce the next desired track or to again reproduce the same track. The present invention has the capability of reproducing two consecutive fields to obtain full frame picture resolution in the video display in the manner whereby the transducing head which is carried by a movable element is maintained relatively centered within its dynamic range so as to minimize the possibility of picture break-up due to mistracking.

Abstract: Variations in topography and material properties of the surface layer of a body are observed in microscopic imaging using a scanning capacitance probe. The acronym SCaM identifying the process and apparatus is derived from the phrase scanning capacitance microscope. The material properties observable by SCaM are the surface-electric property representative of the complex dielectric constant of the surface material and the surface-mechanical property representative of the elastic constant of the surface material.

Abstract: A photo-electric converter principally constructed with a photo-electric conversion unit wherein m.times.n photo-electric conversion elements, each having a light receiving window to form a pel and constructed with a layer of light receiving body and two electrodes provided on both sides thereof, are arranged two-dimensionally in an array of m ranks and n files, and wherein the light receiving windows of the photo-electric conversion elements constituting a rank are arranged at an equally spaced pitch of an integral multiple of that of pels. A signal processing circuit processes and produces as an output a signal which has been subjected to the photo-electric conversion in the photo-electric conversion unit.

Abstract: A data reproducing circuit comprises a modulated data signal supplying circuit for supplying a modulated data signal including a framing code representing a series of data signals, a clock signal detecting and reproducing circuit supplied with the demodulated data signal, for detecting and reproducing a clock signal, a data signal demodulating circuit supplied with the modulated data signal, for demodulating the data signal, a memory circuit for reading in and reading out a data signal demodulated by the data signal demodulating circuit, a framing code detecting circuit for detecting a framing code within a signal read in by the memory circuit, an instruction signal producing circuit responsive to the detection of the framing code by the framing code detecting circuit, for producing a signal for instructing read-out from the memory circuit, and a dropout detecting circuit for detecting dropout within the modulated data signal supplied thereto and producing a detected output, so that the instruction signal pro

Abstract: A filter limits the bandwidth of a caption video signal in a video disc player to minimize color beats when the caption signal is displayed along with a picture video signal on a television receiver. The filter delay, which would otherwise cause offset between the caption and an associated background signal used to enhance visibility of the caption, is compensated for by extending the time duration of each occurrence of the background signal by a multiple of the filter delay.