Abstract: An information recording and reproducing apparatus is disclosed, which makes use a recording medium made of a metal or alloy having phases different in their crystalline structures at at least two temperature regions in the solid state and capable of causing phase transformation by heating and quenching. Information such as signals, letters, patterns and symbols are recorded in a distinctive manner and erased by making use of a change in the spectral reflectance owing to the phase transformation. Rewriting can be made easily by making use of the energy of a light beam such as a laser beam.

Abstract: Apparatus for enhancing the bit error rate performance of a storage medium, such as magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, or an equivalent thereof, includes two data transmission channels for recording in duplicate a stream of data bits corresponding to an information-bearing signal, each recorded bit stream being potentially influenced by a pattern of statistically distributed recording surface defects. During playback, error detection and correction circuitry for each channel provides an alarm signal synchronized with each uncorrected error condition in the corresponding stream of playback bits. A control circuit, responsive to the alarm signals from each channel, serves to interleave error-free bits from one channel, to the exclusion of error bits from the other channel, to provide a single continuous stream of relatively error-free bits corresponding to the information-bearing signal recorded.

Abstract: An automatic cassette loading mechanism which includes a holder which is movable in a first direction and in a second direction which is nonparallel to the first direction. The mechanism additional includes a driving motor, an insertion detecting switch, a loading completion switch, and a home position switch.

Abstract: In an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing an information signal, such as, a PCM (pulse-code modulated) signal and the like, in slant tracks on a recording tape by means of rotary heads, and in which, when an index signal is recorded in, or erased from an area adjacent a part of a slant track in which the PCM signal is recorded, an index area signal which specifies the area for recording or reproducing the index signal is formed on the basis of address data in the reproduced PCM signal. Therefore, the index signal area always has a predetermined positional relation to a recording area of the PCM signal so that when the index signal is recorded in or erased from the index signal area, erasure of the adjacent PCM signal is prevented.

Abstract: A helical scanning type magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus records a signal representing recording conditions on a magnetic tape when a recording is effected thereon, together with a PCM audio signal. At the time of reproduction, reproducing conditions are controlled so as to be the same as the recording conditions on the basis of the signal representing recording conditions reproduced.

Abstract: A servo control apparatus which can accurately control the head with a simplified structure has a voltage controlled oscillator which is controlled in accordance with servo information stored in a servo data region of the disk, and a reversible counter which counts an output signal of the voltage controlled oscillator to convert it to a digital signal corresponding to the amount of deviation of the head from a target track. The digital signal is used for position control for accurate positioning of the head.

Abstract: In a magnetic head drive apparatus of this invention, a coil of an erasing head is connected to a center point of the coils of a read/write head, and a drive current from a constant-current source is alternately supplied to both terminals of the coil of the read/write head, according to the polarity of the write data. When the read/write head is driven to write data in a magnetic recording medium, the erasing head and the read/write head are driven at an identical timing. In this case, the drive currents for the read/write head and the erasing head are supplied from a single-current source. For this reason, separate constant-current sources are not necessary for the read/write head and the erasing head.

Abstract: Digital data recorded in Manchester code in a 1553 MUX bus has the data portion of each word converted into NRZ-L format with the synchronization prefix or portion of each word converted into a corresponding NRZ-L formatted portion according to a predetermined protocol. The NRZ-L formatted word, prefix and data, is then converted into DM-M coded format. The Manchester code NRZ-L coded data is driven at a 1-MHz clock frequency, while the DM-M coded format is driven at a 500 kHz clock frequency. The data in DM-M code is then recorded on magnetic tape in a test recorder. The magnetic tape can be analyzed at a remote site after test by decoding the DM-M word into its corresponding NRZ-L word driven at the 1-MHz clock rate. The synchronization portion of the reconverted NRZ-L word is identified and the NRZ-L word correspondingly assembled into an output register according to a predetermined protocol.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording video and digital audio signals in separate sections of slant tracks on a magnetic tape in the 8 mm format includes two main rotary magnetic heads for recording and reproducing both the video and digital audio signals during normal recording and reproduction modes and two auxiliary rotary magnetic heads for reproducing the digital audio signals during an audio edit mode. The auxiliary rotary heads are disposed for reproducing the digital audio signal recorded in respective tracks which are positioned upstream, considered in respect to the transporting direction of the tape, relative to the tracks to be next scanned by the main rotary heads so that the digital audio signals reproduced by the auxiliary rotary heads may be mixed with new audio signals and rerecorded by the main rotary heads in the same tracks from which they were produced.

Abstract: A write clock generator for a time base corrector incorporated in a video tape recorder can generate a write clock signal including accurate phase and frequency fluctuation information on a reproduced video signal in spite of a simple circuit configuration. A write clock signal is generated from a VCO oscillated in response to a reproduced burst signal, and further the VCO is so controlled on the basis of frequency difference between the oscillated write clock signal and a frequency fluctuation signal such that the frequency difference may be eliminated. The frequency fluctuation signal is generated in response to a horizontal synchronizing signal so as to include time base fluctuations in a reproduced video signal.

Abstract: An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information on and from an optical recording disk having an optically detectable guide track divided into a plurality of sectors is disclosed. When a sector to or from which a data is to be recorded or reproduced is a defective sector or a non-use sector because of updating, a special pattern signal is recorded on the defective sector or the non-use sector, and if the recorded special pattern signal is detected in the reproduction cycle, that sector is determined as a defective or non-use sector and recording or reproducing on or from that sector is inhibited.

Abstract: The magnetic hysteresis or magnetic memory error in a stepper motor is erased by sequencing the motor phases in a particular manner. In positioning a transducer by energizing selected phases of the stepper motor, the sequence is selected to eliminate the memory of the previous stepper motor position, and reinforce only the new position. This cancellation is achieved by activating the stepper motor to move a transducer from a given track position to an adjacent track position, the sequence of energization of the phases including at least one reversal of the magnetic sense of each phase that was energized to position the transducer at the initial track, but that is not to be energized at the target track; further, the phases not energized at the initial track but that are energized at the target track are reinforced by the selective energization during more than one of the steps used for reaching the target track.

Abstract: An audio signal reproducing apparatus for reproducing audio signals from a tape-shaped recording medium on which the audio signals are recorded together with mark signals respectively showing the longitudinal positions of the audio signals along the medium is arranged to detect the moving direction of the medium taken in recording in response to an instruction given to detect one of the mark signals and to search out the mark signals by moving the medium in the direction determined according to the result of the detection.

Abstract: A transaction card is disclosed capable of authorizing a transaction in a foreign currency. The subject transaction card includes an internal microprocessor which is connected to a memory. Stored within the memory is a transaction limit associated with each account of the cardholder. Also stored in the memory are one or more rates for converting the transaction limit into foreign currencies. In operation, the cardholder will select the foreign currency which will be used for a purchase. After the selection, the processor will convert the transaction limit from a local or base currency to the selected foreign country. Thereafter, during the transaction, the processor will compare the transaction amount with the converted transaction limit to determine if an approval code should be generated. In a preferred embodiment, a key pad is provided on the transaction card to facilitate data entry. In addition, an LCD readout is provided for displaying the approval code.

Abstract: An information retrieval system is disclosed which provides for user stations and disk readers or tape players. The storage units, such as video disks or cassettes, may be stored oriented vertically in a storage rack. One or more servo-arms on a carriage move along a track to retrieve disks from the storage rack. One of the servo-arms removes a disk from the storage rack and rotates it before inserting it into one of the disk players. The track may extend vertically, so that the players can all be loaded by any of the servo-arms. The storage rack may move past the track to select the disk to be loaded. A control device controls the operation of the servo-arms, the movement of the storage rack, the operation of the readers and the user stations. In addition, the control device selectively connects the readers to the user stations to display selections requested by users.

Abstract: In a floppy disk drive, the head position is controlled in accordance with prerecorded sets of sinusoidal bursts recorded first on the right side of each track and then on the left side of each track in the narrow separation space between each pair of adjacent disk sectors. The serial bursts are peak detected and then integrated by the same peak detector and the same integrator, the integrals of the right and left bursts being substracted and transmitted to the head tracking servo as a position error signal. The process of peak detecting prior to integration removes the detected wave shape (which changes with track radius) as a factor in the position error computation, thus eliminating dependency of the error computation on the track radius. Using a single channel--the same peak detector and the same integrator--to process both the right and left hand sinusoid bursts eliminates offset errors in the tracking error computation characteristic of dual channel devices.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for evaluating the quality of audio and/or video transfer characteristics of a device upon which, or through which, audio and/or video information is contained, or passes, respectively. Both method and apparatus concern the evaluation of the quality of information transfer in the recording and playing back of a recording medium or in the transferring of audio and/or video information through an information handling device referred to as a throughput device. Unit evaluation is accomplished by establishing an input signal of known content, measuring selected parameters of selected parts of the input signal, feeding the input signal to the unit under test, measuring the parameters of parts of the output signal from the unit under test corresponding to the same selected parts of the input signal, and comparing the selected parameters of the input signal with the corresponding parameters of the output signal.

Abstract: An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus is provided with a finely moving device. The movement of an optical device converging and radiating a light beam onto an optical information recording medium, is controlled to be able to finely move the position of a spot light radiated onto the recording medium. A coarsely moving device moves an optical head provided with the finely moving device and an optical system. A track crossing velocity monitoring device detects whether the track crossing velocity at which the spot light radiated onto the recording medium crosses the tracks of the recording medium is below a predetermined value. After a coarse access close to an objective track is made by the coarsely moving device, when the track crossing velocity is below the predetermined value, the clamping applied to the optical device at the time of the coarse access will be released.

Abstract: Apparatus including a rotary head accurately reproduces a digital signal recorded on a tape, even when the tape runs at high speed. Transitions of a reproduced signal are detected, intervals corresponding to the transitions are counted on the basis of a predetermined reference signal, and the rotation of the rotary head is controlled in response to the counted value so that the relative speed between the rotary head and the tape is held constant, notwithstanding changes in the absolute speed of the tape, as in the fast-forward mode.

Abstract: A video cassette recorder (VCR) erase protection system which is responsive to the standard anti-erase switch on a video cassette, is capable of "filling-in" unused portions of an erase-protected video cassette without disturbing previously recorded material on the cassette and without requiring the user to turn off the anti-erase switch on the cassette. By eliminating the need to turn off the anti-erase switch before recording additional material, the possibility of forgetting to later rearm the switch is eliminated. A microprocessor, responding to the anti-erase switch position and to the video signal sensed during an initial fast winding of the tape, intelligently positions the tape prior to recording so that recording takes place in unused tape portions only, without requiring any further action by the user.