Abstract: An optical apparatus (1) for reading a recording track on an optical disc (3) comprises an objective (6) supported by a combined bearing arrangement which permits translations (12) of the objective for focussing a light beam (2) on the disc and pivotal movements (13, 14) for following the recording track in a radial and eventually also a tangential direction. The combined bearing arrangement comprises a plain bearing with a stationary member (17) having a convex outer surface (18) and a cylindrical moving member (19) which relative to the stationary member moves in a sliding and a pivoting fashion.

Abstract: A system for recording and reproducing a video signal, includes a converter for converting an incoming video signal into a number of signal channels, and a corresponding number of magnetic heads for recording and reproducing the signal channels in association with a magnetic tape. A circuit superimposes a pulse signal in the vicinity of the back porch of the incoming video signal prior to its conversion, and reconverting circuitry operates to reconvert the signal channels and combine them to provide a reproduced video signal. The superimposed pulse is separated from the reproduced video signal by appropriate circuitry, and the relative phase fluctuation between the separated pulse and a horizontal synchronizing signal to be added to the reproduced video signal is detected.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the playback speed of a VTR features an accurate speed control signal. The reproduced signal is resynchronized to a standard speed by repeating or deleting frames when successive frames are substantially identical. In addition, or as an alternative, frame averaging can be used. Provision for real time entry is made to minimize human error. Application of the invention to both quadruplex and helical scan machines is shown.

Abstract: Apparatus for rendering a dictation recorder selectively operable by a dictator at one of a plurality of dictate stations including automatic signal generating circuitry at the dictate station for generating a sequence of station identifier signals uniquely associated with the particular dictate station, and manual signal generating circuitry operable by the operator for generating a second sequence of signals. Receipt of a predetermined number of signals in the station identifier and manual sequences renders the recorder operable by the dictator in a conventional manner. Control lines carry the sequences of signals to the dictation recorder. A decoder at the dictation recorder decodes the signals appearing on the control lines and prevents operation of the dictation recorder until receipt of the appropriate number of signals which identifies both the dictate station and other information manually entered by the operator.

Abstract: A recorded tape, speed-change reproducing system comprises a transport for transporting a tape at a speed which is different from that used for normal reproduction (and recording). The tape carries a video signal which was recorded, by a rotary video head, on parallel video tracks which are disposed obliquely relative to the longitudinal direction of tape travel. An audio signal is recorded by a stationary audio head with an audio track extending longitudinally along the length of the tape. The rotary video heads scan the video tracks on the tape to reproduce the recorded video signal when the tape speed changes. The stationary audio head also scans the audio track on the tape under speed-change situations. The pitch of the reproduced audio signal is corrected in such a manner that the pitch is returned to become substantially equal to the pitch of the reproduced audio signal, as if the tape was travelling at the recording speed.

Abstract: A ring responsive circuit useful with a telephone answering device employs a single low inductance transformer both to couple audio to the telephone line and in the ring responsive circuit. A voltage doubler and neon bulb effectively capacitively couple the transformer primary to the telephone line. When a ring signal occurs, the doubled voltage fires the neon bulb on alternate half cycles of the ring signal. The resultant fast rise time current transients contain high frequency components that are coupled by the same transformer to the secondary. There, they repetitively momentarily turn on a transistor, as a result of which a bistable circuit is latched on. When on, the latch circuit connects dc power to the motor, amplifiers and other circuitry of the telephone answering device, and to the coil of a relay the contacts of which shunt the voltage doubler circuit and directly connect the transformer primary to the telephone line so as to seize the line and begin the answering cycle.

Abstract: In order to delete commercial messages during the viewing and/or video tape recording of broadcast television signals a control circuit is disclosed for producing a commercial editing control signal at the beginning of one or more television commercial messages, which signal continues for the duration of such messages and terminates after the end of the last of such messages. The control circuit incorporates detection circuitry for automatically detecting each of a series of fade breaks in the video and audio components of the television signal, wherein such fade breaks normally mark the beginning and end of each of one or more commercial messages that have been inserted in the program content. The first of a series of detected fade breaks marks the beginning of a single commercial or the first commercial in a consecutive block of commercials, and succeeding fade breaks occur at time intervals that correspond to the durations of the commercial messages.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for retrieving existing video signals from video tape just prior to re-recording to achieve dissolve edits and special-effects edits on that tape.

Abstract: To provide ample space for display of output of electrical signals, typically frequency and operating conditions of a radio receiver, tape recorder, and other electronic components, a display panel (16) with liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode (LED) display elements (18) is integrated with the cover plate (14) behind which a cassette of a cassette recorder can be inserted, so that the space taken up by the panel for the cassette recorder is utilized as an indicator. Additional indicating functions, such as in an automobile, outputs of trip computers, digital clock indications, and the like, can be provided on a display panel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for controlling a subscriber phone system including at least one automatic phone answering machine. When a calling party dials the phone number of a subscriber he wants to call, the apparatus will close the direct current loop, in response to which the calling party receives a ring-back signal. If he does not send a pre-established code after having received the ring-back signal, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the phone line will be automatically connected to an automatic phone-answering machine. But if he dials a pre-established code after the closing of the direct current loop, the code will be displayed on a display device and at the same time an acoustic signal source will be activated, warning the called party that he is receiving a call from somebody who knows the pre-established code. Looking at the display device, the called party is able to know the code and may or may not want to attend the call.

Abstract: An interface circuit for selectively generating TV RF signals on one of two adjacent TV channels is designed with two independent RF oscillator-modulator circuits. The respective double sideband modulated signals generated by the RF modulators are respectively passed through separate frequency rejection filters designed to attenuate the lower sound sideband of each of the modulated signals. The resultant signals are applied to a common bandpass filter via an isolation network. The pass band of the bandpass filter encompasses substantially the combination of the pass bands of the broadcast TV channels corresponding to the RF signals generated. Consequently the lower frequency RF modulated signal is similar to a conventional vestigal sideband TV signal and the higher frequency RF modulated signal is a double sideband signal minus the lower sound sideband.

Abstract: A plurality of copying machines (12), (13), (14) are connected to a control unit (16) which may control the copying machines (12), (13), (14) to operate individually in a conventional manner. Alternatively, two or more copying machines (12), (13), (14) may reproduce an original document scanned by one of the copying machines (12), (13), (14). Also, one or more copying machines (12), (13), (14) may reproduce two or more original documents scanned by respective copying machines (12), (13), (14) in a superimposed manner. As yet another alternative two more copying machines (12), (13), (14) may each reproduce two or more original documents which are sequentially scanned by respective copying machines (12), (13), (14), thereby collating the copies.

Abstract: Video disc player apparatus for aiding the signal recovery stylus to overcome locked grooves insurmountable by normal stylus deflection transducers. The player comprises a signal pickup stylus secured to a first end of a stylus arm, the second end thereof being secured to a carriage mechanism. The carriage mechanism is driven by a servomechanism responsive to the relative stylus-carriage position so as to translate the second end of the stylus arm in consonance with the radial travel of the pickup stylus engaging the disc. Secured within the carriage is a stylus deflection transducer which cooperates with the stylus arm to selectively translate the pickup stylus past a preselected number of grooves when the stylus is prevented from normal progression by a defect occurring on the disc surface. Occasionally defects occur which cannot be bypassed by deflector induced stylus translations due to limitations in the deflector transducer.

Abstract: A moving-coil type stereo pickup cartridge comprises a vibration mechanism, including a stylus for tracing the groove of a sound track on a record disc, at least one coil plate provided in the vibration system and adapted to vibrate in response to vibrations of the stylus, and a structure for forming a magnetic field for the coil plate. The coil plate comprises a thin insulative substrate and a pair of left and right coils substantially symmetric with respect to a center line and formed by an electrically conductive thin film placed in a spirally wound pattern on at least one surface of the substrate. The magnetic field-forming construction comprises a permanent magnet and a pair of yokes adapted to clamp the permanent magnet. The pair of yokes have confronting surfaces for defining a gap in which the coil plate is interposed and a recessed substantially reverse V-shaped notch or cutout. The notch is defined by edge parts or facets.

Abstract: An improved information storage and playback system comprising a playback stylus and a disc record. The information is recorded in the surface of the disc record and there is relative motion between the disc and the playback stylus during recovery of the recorded information. The stylus is fabricated out of a dielectric support material and contacts the record disc surface during the recovery of the information. The improvement comprises employing a playback stylus whose dielectric support material is single crystal magnesium aluminate spinel. The spinel composition comprises a ratio of MgO to Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 of from about 1:1 to about 1:2.5.

Abstract: An optical player signal reading device in which a supporting member having inner and outer cylinders pivotally supports an optical pickup. One of the inner and outer cylinders is made of an elastic material or, alternatively, an elastic piece is disposed between the inner and outer cylinder. The pickup is pivoted by a pair of tracking-direction drive sections disposed above and below the supporting member with the elastic component of the supporting member acting as a fulcrum. A focus-direction drive section moves the pickup in the focusing direction.

Abstract: An electromagnetic transducer for converting mechanical or recorded acoustic events into alternating voltages particularly for tracing stereo signals recorded on plate shaped supports comprises a substantially cylindrical permanent magnet which is radially magnetized and disposed around four pole rods each of which has a coil winding therearound and whose axes are arranged substantially at corner points of a square in a plane perpendicular to the axes of the rods. A pickup stylus has a soft iron element which is driven by the stylus and which is disposed adjacent one end of the pole rods. The stylus is mounted for swinging movement about its center point, on the central axis of the transducer system. The soft iron element is directly included in the magnetic circuit at one end of the permanent magnet.

Abstract: In a magnetic copying machine, a reflected light from an original copy is converted into an electrical signal, and supplied to a magnetic recording head to form a magnetic latent image on a magnetic recording drum. The magnetic latent image is developed by a magnetic toner, and the toner picture is transferred onto a recording paper. The transferred toner picture is fixed on the recording paper, and the remaining toner on the surface of the magnetic recording drum is cleaned after the transfer operation. When the copy magnification factor is larger than one, the pulse interval of clock pulses generated in synchronization with the rotation of the magnetic recording drum for reading out the electrical signal is made longer than that used with actual-size copying, and the movement of the magnetic recording head in the axial direction of the magnetic recording drum per one revolution of the magnetic recording drum is made larger than that used with actual-size copying.

Abstract: A cue address generator for generating a cue address representing the position of a respective record medium adapted to be accessed by signal recording/playback apparatus. The cue address generator is particularly adapted to be used in signal editing apparatus of the type wherein signals recorded on a first record medium are transferred to a second record medium when preselected positions of the media are reached. The cue address generator includes a plurality of registers, each operative to store position data representing a relative position of the first or second medium, and a plurality of register selector switches associated with respective ones of the registers, each being selectively operative to select its associated register. Cue selector switches are associated with respective ones of the record media and are selectively operative to initiate a cue address generating operation.

Abstract: A video disc playback system having digital circuitry for detecting degradation in recovered signal. Circuitry is included to determine probable errors in the digital components of signal recovered from the disc record. A digital reference number is generated by storing a valid digital number recovered from the disc and incrementing that number by a constant in accordance with the normal progression of numbers prerecorded on the disc. The recovered numbers are compared with the generated reference numbers to generate an error signal on mismatch. The error signal is used to weight a constant binary number by one or zero, the result being added to an accumulated error function. The sum is weighted, the result becoming the updated accumulated error function for the next iteration on the occurrence of the subsequently recovered digital number. The weighted sum is also compared against a predetermined value and a control signal is generated on the weighted sum exceeding the predetermined value.