Abstract: Half-tone xerography involving high speed charging of a limited region of an electrophotographic member and subsequent high speed discharging as by writing with a fine laser beam upon the limited region of the electrophotographic member, the beam being modulated with recordable intelligence from stored digital data. The member is mounted for rotary and axial movement relative to both charging unit and an axial movement beam directing unit. The member as a unit and a charging device and writing device as a unit are mounted for relative axial and rotating movement to enable charging and imaging of the limited regions in a continuous progressive manner.

Abstract: A VTR reproducing system in a slant track type video tape recorder, in which a tape transport motor is driven by two pulse signals formed of a reference signal and different in frequency but coincident in phase, thereby reproducing a noiseless still picture and a slow motion picture on the television receiver.

Abstract: A latent electrostatic image is formed on an electrophotographic member having a crystalline, stable coating of wholly inorganic photoconductive material which is of the order of 0.2 to 2 microns thick. This is effected by moving a corona needle energized by a corona power source and a laser beam modulated from digital information together over the photoconductive coating in a progressive manner at high speed. The latent electrostatic image so formed is then developed.

Abstract: A rotary recording medium has at least one surface on which a spiral main track is formed with a reference signal track disposed centrally between mutually adjacent track turns. The track turns of the main track have an information signal recorded thereon. First and second reference signals are recorded alternately on the reference signal track, and a third reference signal is recorded at changeover positions on the recording medium. The three reference signals control a pickup guiding servo system. To identify specific places on the recorded disc, the third reference signal is recorded during extra long periods, with identification being made on a basis of the lengths of those long periods.

Abstract: An automatic telephone answering device employs a single magnetic tape and a single driving mechanism for driving the magnetic tape. Whenever an incoming call is received, a control circuit of the device sets the driving mechanism into a playback mode to play to the calling party an outgoing message recorded at the beginning of a track on the single magnetic tape. Then, if there have been no previously recorded incoming messages, the device records the calling party's incoming message on the same track after detecting the end of the recorded outgoing message. However, if any incoming messages have been recorded previously on the same track of the single magnetic tape, the tape is advanced at high speed to a point beyond the last of these previously recorded incoming messages. Then, the present incoming message is recorded. As soon as the incoming call is terminated and the recording of the incoming message is ended, the device is set into a rewind mode.

Abstract: Laser imaging system for imaging printed circuit artwork on an output medium such as a photosensitive film, a glass plate or a printed circuit board. The laser beam scans the output medium and is modulated in accordance with the image to be formed. A correction signal is applied to the modulator to maintain substantially uniform exposure across the output medium notwithstanding variations in the velocity of the beam.

Abstract: A time base error correcting apparatus for a video disk player including a pickup means picking up a video signal recorded on a video disk, a burst gate stage extracting a burst signal from the detected video signal, and a phase comparison stage comparing the phase of the extracted burst signal with that of an output signal from a reference frequency signal oscillator to provide an output signal indicative of the result of phase comparison which is used to control a system correcting an error of the time base of the chrominance loop and to control a pickup control unit controlling the relative positions of the information pickup means and the video disk. In the apparatus, a gate circuit is provided so as to inhibit application of the phase comparison output signal to the pickup control unit controlling the relative positions of the information pickup and the disk, during at least a period of time of about 200 .mu.sec to 300 .mu.

Abstract: An optical reproducing device for reproducing still image signals recorded on circular tracks and moving image or audio signals recorded on spiral tracks on a disk. Concentric and spiral tracks may be intermingled on the same disk. The address signals for each concentric track or each coil of a spiral track are previously recorded. When the address signals are reproduced, they are processed so as to detect whether the readout address signals changes with time, thereby detecting whether the accessed track is concentric or spiral. An optical head drive system is controlled in a manner depending on whether the track is circular or spiral, so that an optical head can scan the desired concentric or spiral track.

Abstract: Imaging system and method suitable for producing artwork masters for use in the manufacture of printed circuit boards. A beam of coherent radiation is modulated in accordance with data from a source defining the image to be produced, and the modulated beam is scanned across an output medium to form the desired image. A reference signal is generated in accordance with the position of the beam on the output medium, and this signal is shifted forward in phase to compensate for any delay between the generation of the reference signal and the arrival of the modulated beam at the output medium.

Abstract: A focus servo system for optical disc record/playback apparatus includes three current drivers for maintaining the distance between an objective lens and an information surface of the disc substantially constant. One driver is a DC to low frequency amplifier which can drive the transducer over its full range to the mechanical stops. The second current driver is a DC to high frequency amplifier whose output at DC is limited to drive the transducer approximately twice the expected disc runout. At higher frequencies, the output is such that the displacement of the transducer does not exceed the displacement corresponding to DC value. In operation, the low frequency driver adjusts the DC operating point of the high frequency driver so that its output averages to approximately zero, thus decreasing the drive requirements of the high frequency driver. The third driver is a DC current source which sets the static operating point of the transducer.

Abstract: An objective lens driving device useable in an information reading-out apparatus for projecting a light spot onto a record medium which has been spirally or concentrically recorded with one or more information tracks and for reading-out the information, which drives the objective lens in a direction perpendicular to its optical axis and the information track, thereby correcting relative positional error, i.e. tracking error, between the information track and the light spot.

Abstract: A rotary recording medium reproducing apparatus reproduces a rotary recording medium in which one and the other of first and second reference signals are alternately recorded every track turn between each track turn of a main information signal track.

Abstract: A time compression/expansion audio reproduction system of the type that provides pitch correction by repetitive variable time delay achieves improved performance by separating the reproduced signal from a recording into components which are separately delayed. For studio quality reproduction the signal is separated into contiguous frequency bands which are each delayed synchronously and the processing noise in each band is eliminated by filtering each band signal after delay to eliminate high frequency components. Bandpass filtering prior to recombination as well as blanking and amplitude compression and expansion are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic high speed inspection of information recorded on magnetic video tape to determine if the original recording has been altered by erasure or over-recording has been added to in a previously unrecorded portion of the tape. To facilitate the inspection, a low frequency signal is added to the audio track of the tape at the time the original recording is made. Inspection consists of sensing the tape's video control track and the audio track containing the added low frequency signal while rewinding the tape at high speed. During rewind, sensing means positioned on the backside or non-oxide coated surface of the tape receives signals from both the video control track and audio track. The detected signals are processed by an error detection circuit where they are analyzed to determine the tape speed, control track pulse amplitude, audio signal amplitude, control track pulse pattern, and low frequency audio signal pattern.

Abstract: An information signal recording system records an information signal, a first and a second reference signals for tracking control, and a third reference signal for switching the first and second reference signals at the time of reproduction on a recording disc. The first and second reference signals of different frequencies are alternately recorded on intermediate parts of the recording disc, at positions between centerlines of adjacent information signal tracks. The third reference signal of a still different frequency is recorded at a predetermined position on every information signal track. A reproducing system reproduces the information signal together with the third reference, and the first and second reference signals by a single reproducing element. A tracking control signal is produced from the first and second reference signals switched by the third reference signal separated from the reproduced information signal.

Abstract: A record system and method for recording and reproducing information relative to record cards is provided wherein the information is in the form of optically scannable parallel tracks containing recordings therein which are defined by variations in the surface topography of the record tracks. A narrow beam of radiation such as that generated by a laser or an electron beam gun is modulated with information such as a video picture signal or digital information and is caused to scan the surface of a record card to generate either a variable topography represented by variations in the widths and/or depths of the narrow recording area of a record track caused by variations in the intensity of the beam of radiation as the beam is deflected to scan the recording track or the card is automatically moved to effect scanning by the beam.

Abstract: An automatic telephone answering device with simultaneous drive for the outgoing message tape (T-1) and the incoming message tape T-2 has a disadvantage in that the calling party's voice cannot be recorded within a section of T-2 (T2-1, T2-3) which is driven simultaneously with the first half (T1-1, T1-3) of T-1. To prevent this disadvantage, T-2 is to be automatically rewound within the wasted section (T2-1 and T2-3). Then, it records the calling party's voice on the section (T3-1 and T3-2). The instant rewinding distance depends on the tape volume on the tape reel but the above rewinding section is not overrun to the previous recording section (T3-1 and T3-2). So, it must have minimum blanks l1, l2, . . . ln.

Abstract: In the case of driving the endless type outgoing message tape T-1 and the reel-to-reel type incoming message tape T-2 individually by engaging two pinch-rollers 5, 6 independently to a common capstan 4 by engaging mechanism 10, which drives the take-up reel TA which is so constructed as to take up the tape in the case of capstan-driving, with a linking means 25 which restricts the movement of taking up the tape T-2 only when the endless type outgoing message tape T-1 is capstan-driven, the wasteful driving of the reel-to-reel type incoming message tape T-2 on the take-up reel table 16 is avoided while the outgoing message tape T-1; is being driven, and linking of said mechanisms 10, 25 is relieved when driving the incoming message tape T-2 alone and thus hindrance in taking up the tape is eliminated.

Abstract: An electrodynamic pickup cartridge comprises two reproduction channels (1 and 2). Each channel (1 and 2) is provided with a cylindrical coil (3 and 4) representing a single-section structure and so disposed relative to its magnet (5 and 6) that it encompasses both poles (N and S) of said magnet and longitudinal axis thereof is perpendicular to the axis of said magnet (5 and 6) along the N-S line. The magnets (5 and 6) are installed on a stylus holder (7) which is common to both channels (1 and 2) and carries a stylus (8) so that unlike poles (N and S) thereof project on both sides of the stylus holder (7), while their axes (9 and 10) along the N-S line are found in planes crossing at a standard recording angle (.alpha.).

Abstract: Video editing apparatus for use with video playback and recording devices, such as video tape recorders (VTR's) wherein signals are reproduced from a first record medium and recorded on a second record medium. The apparatus is provided with a console having a plurality of display registers for displaying record medium position data representing respective positions of the first and second media. Register selector switches are associated with respective ones of the display registers, each such switch being operable to select its associated display register. The console also is provided with a plurality of signal selector switches, each being operable to select a particular type of signal (such as a video or audio signal) reproduced from the first medium to be recorded on the second medium when a pre-selected one of the media reaches a position represented by the position data displayed in a selected display register.