Abstract: For a disk drive servo system using position and position-quadrature signals (P, Q), a method for automatically effecting "Absolute Track Registration" and compensating for "offsets" by using the peak position of one of signals (P or Q) to find "true" position (true offset) for the other (Q or P) wherein the R/W actuator is brought to rest at a reference position and sample-offset signal generated; while the corresponding magnitude of related positioning signals are detected--this being repeated until the peak values of said positioning signals is located whereupon the corresponding position-offset is derived as "true offset"--the actuator then being repositioned by this "true offset" value; and repeating this for a given number of track sites across the disk.

Abstract: An information storage member has a surface upon which information is stored in at least first and second series of lineal regions arranged on the surface of the member and defining a program of information having a first subprogram part and a second subprogram part each containing information representative of a block of program information and being accompanied by an associated identifying number unique from every other identifying number present on the recording surface of the information storage member.

Abstract: A video recording and reproducing apparatus comprises a line sensor camera having a line scan image sensor which is scanned along a predetermined standard line and receives an image of a moving object passing the standard line. An output video signal of the line sensor camera is converted by an A/D converter into a series of picture element data which are successively stored into a video memory to form therein a plurality of pictures. A control circuit selects in accordance with selection information supplied from a control box a desired one of the plurality of stored pictures, and reads the picture element data of the desired picture from the video memory. The picture element data thus read from the video memory are successively converted into analog video signals which are supplied through a mixing circuit to a display unit to thereby display the picture on the display unit.

Abstract: A power transfer arrangement provides regulated power transfer from a station to a contactless portable data card without the need for regulation circuitry on the card itself. The station includes a primary coil for magnetically coupling power to a secondary coil, located on the card, when the data card is brought into close association with the station. The arrangment includes a microprocessor, a power amplifier including the primary coil, a variable voltage source and apparatus for measuring current flow in the primary coil. When the portable data card is not in close association with the station, the microprocessor causes the variable voltage source to provide a sequence of stepped voltages. Quiescent current flow is measured at each step and stored in memory. When the portable data card is brought into close association with the station, the microprocessor causes the variable voltage source to provide a sequence of stepped voltages. Active current flow is measured at each step and stored in memory.

Abstract: In a magnetic tape recorder in which information is recorded on a plurality of longitudinal tracks running parallel to the length of the tape, a technique is disclosed for optimizing the positioning of a pair of magnetic heads for simultaneously reading information recorded on a pair of spaced tracks on the tape. The pair of spaced magnetic heads are mounted for simultaneous movement across the width of the tape in small uniform steps. The output of each magnetic head is monitored as the heads are moved laterally across two reference tracks at the beginning of the magnetic tape. An optimal position for both heads is determined as the mean position of the region of travel during which the amplitude of the output signal from both heads exceeds a predetermined reference value. This technique is also applicable to magnetic disc drives.

Abstract: In an automatic teller machine having a bill recycle module, when a deficiency detector detects a bill box to be deficient in bills, the operation of supplying bills from a refilling cashbox to the bill box is initiated provided that a customer sensor detects no person in front of the machine. The bill supplying operation continues as long as no person is detected until the number of the bills in the bill box reaches a predetermined value. Whenever a person is detected, the bill supplying operation is interrupted and the machine becomes again ready to accept a transaction. The bill supplying operation thus interrupted is resumed when the customer sensor ceases to detect a person.

Abstract: An information carrier having a surface upon which the information is stored. The surface having a first series of lineal regions and at least a second series of lineal regions with the second series being spaced from the first series of lineal regions. The first and second series of lineal regions are used to provide duplication of the stored information at two locations on the carrier so that even if a defect occurs in one region the information can still be read from another region. When stored on a disc, the different series of lineal regions can be arranged in a banded structure, whereby each series is separated from the next by a prescribed radial spacing. Alternatively the separate series of lineal regions can be arranged in interleaved fashion progressing radially on the disc.

Abstract: The invention in one embodiment thereof employs separate and respective heads for disparate signal frequency bands. One head is kept in intimate contact with the recording medium to maximize the response to the higher frequency signal band; and the other head is vibrated relative to the surface of the recording medium, thereby to augment(d.phi./dt)and to improve the playback response to the lower frequency signal band. Since the two heads cannot reside physically at the same location, a suitable delay device is employed to bring the signals from the two heads into proper timed relationship, the outputs of the two heads being appropriately band-passed to reconstruct a complex signal composed of the two signal bands.

Abstract: A personal memory card the size of a standard plastic credit card is usable in a variety of applications, from custom repertory dialing to storage of individual medical and/or banking records. Although the card looks and feels much like an ordinary credit card, the personal memory card includes a computer, an electrically erasable field-programmable read-only memory and also circuitry for inductively receiving a power signal and capacitive transferring data signals between the card and a card reader/writer located in an associated station. No direct ohmic electrical contact is made between the card and the reader/writer for transferring power to the card or for transferring data to and from the card. The card is also reprogrammable by the associated station with new and different data as desired.

Abstract: A control pulse recording circuit for a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus having standard and expanded play modes, comprising an oscillator for generating a predetermined signal having a predetermined frequency which is higher than that of the vertical synchronizing signal of a video signal; a counter for counting the predetermined signal to produce a 30 Hz signal when a counted value in the counter reaches a threshold value with a timing which has been delayed by a predetermined time from every other vertical synchronizing signal in a recording mode; a circuit supplied with the 30 Hz signal for producing 30 Hz pulses; and control head circuitry for recording the 30 Hz pulses on a magnetic tape in the recording mode. The 30 Hz pulses are recorded on the magnetic tape with a timing delayed by a delay time from a timing of every other vertical synchronizing signal in both the standard and expanded play modes.

Abstract: An actuator which carries a magnetic head of a disk memory seeks a track on the disk by being actuated by a pair of trapezoidal drive currents, which have no or less power spectrum at the frequency coinciding with the mechanical resonance frequency of the positioning mechanisms. A trapezoidal waveform whose ratio of an upper side to a bottom side is adjusted depending on seek stroke. The mechanical resonance frequency may be within the range of the power spectrum of the trapezoidal drive currents so long as it coincides with the characteristic frequency with a zero power spectrum. A constant velocity region which has no current flowing into the actuator between the first positive trapezoidal current and the second negative trapezoidal current is provided when the seek stroke is long.

Abstract: An optical data card random access information system featuring a data card with data tracks transverse to the lengthwise direction of motion of the card in a transport. An electromechanical actuator, having an arm parallel to the tracks, supports a light source for illuminating a track as well as a charge coupled device linear array detector for reading data. Light is directed onto a desired track to be read and preferably the entire track is imaged onto elements of the detector array so that an entire track may be read simultaneously. The card is supported by a carriage which advances the card in the card's lengthwise direction under control of a motor. The lengthwise motion of the card places any desired track under the actuator arm, while crosswise motion of the arm is able to place the track within the field of view of the detector.

Abstract: A mass polling system is situated in a central office of a telephone system, and does not employ toll machines or trunk lines leading to toll machines. The mass polling system ensures that a charge record is generated before the beginning of a recorded announcement, during the period while the caller is receiving an audible ring signal. Preferably, the charge record is generated at the initiation of the audible ring signal. In this way billing errors due to early caller disconnect are reduced or eliminated. The mass polling system is responsive to a billing disable command which prevents the mass polling system from causing charge records to be generated when the mass polling system is out of service.

Abstract: A video signal is time division multiplexed prior to recording using a time base compression device including a random access memory, instead of serial shift registers or the like. Large time base errors in the incoming video signal are accommodated without creating conflicts between memory read and write operations of successive video lines and without requiring a spare memory. Instead, the time compression random access memory has dual data ports, and successive video lines are loaded into and unloaded out of different locations in the random access memory simultaneously through different ports at different data rates to achieve the requisite time compression. As a result, the usual requirement to route incoming video signals to a spare memory in case of a time base error, for avoiding memory read and write conflicts, is eliminated by the invention.

Abstract: A system for providing a security capability for an electronic information reproducing device mounted within a housing, such as a floppy disk mounted in a jacket or a tape in a 3480 tape cartridge, by attaching an electronic surveillance tag to an inner surface of the housing during its manufacture so that the electronic surveillance tag cannot be easily removed from within the floppy disk or 3480 tape cartridge without destroying it and is not visible from outside of the housing and an electronic drive means having an electronic circuit for detecting the presence or absence of an electric surveillance tag and generating a signal in response to such presence or absence.

Abstract: A control system for use with telephone terminal equipment comprises a timer which generates a dummy control signal upon elapse of a preset period of time from the instant of time when operation of an automatic telephone answering apparatus starts. A dummy ringing signal generated in response to the dummy control signal is applied to the telephone terminal equipment connected through a relay to the public telephone circuit. Then, the terminal equipment responds to the dummy ringing signal to operate to be connected with the calling party side.

Abstract: In an apparatus for automatically supplying and selectively reproducing a plurality of cassettes, the error rate for each cassette and for each reproduction is automatically generated and stored in a separate area of a memory and, when the error rate exceeds a threshold rate, the deteriorating cassettes are automatically dubbed onto blank cassettes to ensure that deterioration of each tape or other record medium never exceeds a predetermined amount. In addition, the operator may independently cause any cassette to be dubbed when he deems the image produced therefrom to be too highly degraded regardless of the error rate of the signal recorded therein.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for detecting the recording data of a video tape recorder, which is enabled to detect data concerning the time and channel a program played back was recorded at and through, by adding both calendar data such as the date and time and channel data indicating a channel to be recorded in the recording operation of the video tape recorder and by extracting the above-specified data in the playback operation.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing device for use in a floppy disk apparatus. The device has a first coil and a second coil, both wound arond a common core. The coils are connected to each other at one end, and have taps, respectively. Both coils have characteristics optimized for data-reading. A read circuit is connected to the second ends of the coils. A write circuit is connected to the taps of the coils. The write circuit writes data on a recording medium by using that portion of the first coil which extends between the tap of the first coil and the connection point between the coils, and that portion of the second coil which extends between the tap of the second coil and the connection point between the coils.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for displacing a system that is movable with respect to a carrier of data recorded on a plurality of tracks, including a reading head (TEL.sub.1), which is displaced on a given path the position on which is measured at predetermined sampling instants (kT), characterized in that: (1) at each instant kT, the value of the state vector X0 k/k-1 is predicted, as a function of the measured position x.sub.m (k-1) and of the control voltage u(k-1), which are considered at the preceding sampling instant (k-1)T; (2) the predicted state vector is compared with a reference state vector Wk); and (3) the control voltage u(k) is calculated as a function of a reference control voltage e(k) at the instant kT and of the difference .epsilon. (k) between the predicted state vector and the reference state vector.