Abstract: This invention relates to an autoreverse double deck system which enables the respective side of two tapes inserted in the double deck to be played or recorded continuously in sequential or alternative forwarding mode. A head selection switch 10 produces a timing pulse upon each autoreverse operation and a deck operation control unit 25 produces a clock pulse by differentiating the said timing pulse. The said clock pulse toggles two flip-flops FF.sub.1 and FF.sub.2 in turn. Switches S.sub.31 and S.sub.32 for deciding the deck operation mode respectively receive one of output signals of the said flip-flops and voltage of power supply B to turn on the associated motor driving transistor Q.sub.1 and/or Q.sub.2, whereby main motor M.sub.1 and/or sub-motor M.sub.2 can be rotated in a certain operation mode. A switch S.sub.4 functions to select one motor to start preferentially between said motors M.sub.1 and M.sub.2. A pulse generator 15 or 20 produces a pulse for driving said selected motor M.sub.1 or M.sub.

Abstract: A method for time axis control for performing both coarse and fine time axis adjustment in accordance with relative speeds of a recording disk and a playback unit while the playback unit is recording or reproducing signals on or from the disk, wherein a color image is displayed during a scanning operation, which displayed image is natural in appearance. The pickup unit is first caused to follow a track formed on the recording medium in a tracking control operation. Repetitive track jumping operations are then effected over successive tracks by moving the pickup unit. For the track jumping operations, a time constant circuit within a circuit which performs the fine time axis adjustment is reset at least for the duration of each track jumping operation.

Abstract: An optical disk recording and reproducing apparatus includes an optical disk memory and an optical head for writing and reading out data on and from the optical disk memory by accessing onto a track of this optical disk memory and irradiating a laser beam onto a desired track. The tracks of this optical disk memory are divided into a user inaccessible area, and non-recording area, and user accessible area which are respectively provided inside and outside of the user inaccessible area. A plurality of blocks is allocated to each track in these user inaccessible area and user accessible area. Block head data representative of a block position is recorded in each block. When the optical head inadvertently enters the user inaccessible area an operation is performed to reposition the head at the user accessible area.

Abstract: A device is described for determining a centring error of a track-shaped information structure in an optical record carrier relative to an axis of rotation of a turntable. The device comprises at least one radiation source and at least one radiation-sensitive detection system with at least two detectors. The output signals of the detectors provide an indication of the direction in which the radiation from the radiation source which is diffracted in a first radial order b(-1) by the information structure. This in turn gives an indication of the position of the center of the track structure. This device enables optical record carriers without center hole to be used.

Abstract: An information signal reproducing apparatus for reproducing information signals from a record bearing medium having many recording tracks which are formed with the information signals on the medium and are spaced at a track pitch selected from a plurality of track pitches is arranged to reproduce the information signals by head means which traces the medium; to perform tracking control by using the signals reproduced by the head means; and to detect the track pitch by comparing with a reference level each of the levels of signals reproduced by the head means from recording tracks neighboring a recording track presently controlled by a tracking control action on both sides of the controlled track. After discriminating the track pitch, the apparatus selects the rotary heads with the proper width and sets the tape speed so that the speed reproduction is at the same speed at which the tape was recorded.

Abstract: A system and method are described for aligning a set of tracks which have been recorded simultaneously on a magnetic medium by a multichannel transducer mounted in a rotating scanner, with transducing channels of a corresponding multichannel transducer for reproduction. A scan identifier signal is recorded simultaneously by a rotating multichannel transducer at a predetermined location along each track. Means are provided for reproducing and summing simultaneously accessed scan identifier signals during consecutive scans of the multichannel transducer over the medium. The relative position of the recorded medium to the rotating multichannel transducer is changed in a direction across the length of the tracks. That relative position in which the largest amplitude of the summed scan identifier signals is obtained corresponds to the desired alignment with the set of tracks.

Abstract: An optical card reader for reading marks made on the face of a preprinted card utilizes a video camera and a memory device to capture and store an image of at least a portion of the card. Positioning indices are printed on the card, and the reader has stored therein information defining possible locations of valid marks relative to the positioning indices. The centroids of the positioning indices on the cards are determined to define the possible locations of valid marks on the cards. The densities and centroids of the marks located in the possible locations are analyzed to determine if a valid mark is present.

Abstract: To reduce the engineering and operating costs, particularly to save a radiation source and minimize the space requirement of the illuminating device for the automatic reading of markings that are optically recognizable on a carrier, e.g. alphanumeric symbols on shipments such as letters, postcards, check cards, vouchers and the like, the light flux of a radiation source is utilized better by an additional, simple and inexpensive arrangement consisting of two mirrors. These mirrors are disposed around the radiation source and the radiation source generates two radiation beams which are sent on their way to the carrier to be illuminized first through a condenser system and are then redirected by reflectors in such a manner that the angle of incidence alpha of their beam axes to the carrier surface is essentially the same and that, after focusing the radiation beams, both illuminate the same partial area of the carrier.

Abstract: A fixed disk protection system for causing a head to seek for a CSS (contact-start-stop) zone at the time of power breaking is provided, which comprises a CSS zone discriminating section for receiving the type information of a fixed disk unit from a central processing unit and discriminating the position of the CSS zone at the time of power making, a power breaking request signal detecting section for detecting a power breaking request signal given from a power supply at the time of power breaking, a head seek commanding section for referring to a CSS zone memory section and issuing a command of causing the head to seek for the given CSS zone after the power breaking request signal has been detected, and a power breaking commanding section for sending a power breaking signal to the power supply after seeking for the given CSS zone has been terminated, whereby different types of fixed disks can be handled by causing the head to seek for the given CSS zone on the basis of the discriminated results of the CSS zo

Abstract: A method and apparatus for indicating the number of the particular message that has been reached on a bi-directionally movable record medium used with a record/playback device. A position count is incremented and decremented as the record medium moves in forward and reverse directions, respectively; and end-of-message counts representing the locations of the ends of messages relative to an arbitrary reference location of the record medium are stored. Information representing the number of each message whose end-of-message count is stored is provided; and the number of the message which has been reached is determined as a function of which stored end-of-message count is greater than the present position count and which stored end-of-message count is less than that position count.

Abstract: Block pattern detection circuitry for the read subsystem of a streaming tape drive system comprises a state machine, a pattern decoder, a tape mark detector, a block/gap filter, a block/gap meter, a verify count section, and a block read/verify section. The incorporation of a hardware state machine within the block detect circuitry permits the application of historical detect data in the interpretation of present detect data. This provides more certain pattern recognitions. Also, state data is fed back to the block/gap filter allowing precise block boundary triggers which are used by position capture circuitry and the drive controller to effect more precise re-try positioning. The use of the block/gap filter increases the detect circuitry's immunity to noise. The advantage is enhanced where the block/gap filter uses stochastic thresholding, which is also advantageously employed by the tape mark detector.

Abstract: A PCM signal recording and reproducing apparatus comprises first and second memory circuits, in which PCM signals are read and written using the first memory circuit, while PCM signals stored in the second memory circuit are error-corrected. At the end of writing by the first memory circuit, the first and second memory circuits are interchanged to read the error-corrected PCM signals stored in the second memory circuit. The read-out error-corrected PCM signals are then recorded on another magnetic tape.

Abstract: A field/frame signal conversion method in a magnetic picture recording for use in an electronic still camera and the like is disclosed which prevents the lowering of a SN ratio of a field signal and the occurrence of flicker caused by delaying the field signal. In the field/frame signal conversion method, an operation of delaying the field signal for the field/frame signal conversion as well as for an arithmetic mean operation, performed for the purpose of preventing the occurrence of the V jitter caused by the field/frame signal conversion, is carried out in the frequency modulated condition of the field signal. Then the arithmetic mean operation is performed after the field signal is frequency demodulated and before it is de-emphasized.

Abstract: A high security and rewritable IC card has a microprocessor, a memory, and a keyboard. The memory has a password registration area, an error counter area in which the number of occurrences of an error in inputting a password is stored, and a card information area. The microprocessor controls a password registration operation, registers the password inputted through the keyboard in the password registration area. When the registered password is to be updated, the microprocessor clears the password registration area in the memory to allow writing of a new password only when the microprocessor detects that a password data inputted by a card user matches the registered password and the error count in the error counter is no more than a predetermined count.

Abstract: In a method of detecting track crossings on an optical disc, a light source irradiates a light beam onto an optical disc having guide tracks in the form of a recess and the light beam is reflected and diffracted into a zero order light beam and positive and negative primary light beams. The light beams are defocused so as to produce interference patterns between the zero light beam and the positive and negative primary light beams. The interference patterns are detected by a four split light detector disposed between two parts of a two split detector. The outputs of the detectors are fed to an adder and to a subtractor for producing a sum signal and a difference signal respectively. The sum signal and difference signal are fed to a phase detector. Defocusing of the light beams is effected by a focusing coil to which is fed the amplified output of an adder of a reference signal controlled by a control circuit.

Abstract: A method for recording and reproducing information on or from an optical recording medium, which comprises:recording information by illuminating light to the optical recording medium which is equipped as a recording film with a thin film comprising dispersed fine grains of a material capable of showing a metal-insulator transition to cause the metal-insulator transition owing to the heating effect of the light; and reproducing the information by utilizing changes in optical characteristics owing to a plasma resonance absorption by the fine grains dispersed in the thin film. The method of this invention permits high-density recording with high sensitivity and upon reproduction, enables reproduction of record with a high signal/noise ratio. The recording medium obtained by this method is an erasable optical recording medium, which permits its reutilization for recording and reproduction after erasure of the previously-stored record.

Abstract: A helical scan type magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus comprises a rotary body which is wrapped with a magnetic tape on an outer peripheral surface thereof over a predetermined angular range and has a tape guide for guiding a part of the magnetic tape, and n pairs of rotary heads mounted on the rotary body. Each pair out of the n pairs of rotary heads is constituted by two rotary heads which are mounted at mutually opposite positions on a rotational plane of the rotary body at the same height position, and each pair out of the n pairs of rotary heads is mounted at different positions in an axial direction of the rotary body.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for evaluating the audio characteristics of an audio-video program recorded on a storage member in which the video portion of the program contains picture frame code numbers. A predetermined picture frame number at which video evaluation of the audio portion of the program is to commence in initially established. The audio and video portions of the recorded audio-video program are recovered, and the picture frame code numbers are extracted from the video portion thereof. The extracted picture frame numbers from the recovered video portion are then compared with the predetermined picture frame number, and audio evaluation of the audio portion of the program commences upon coincidence of the detected picture frame number and the predetermined picture number. Evaluation is effected by measuring predetermined picture number.

Abstract: An optical disk storage unit has an access and tracking system with a microprocessor which stores a runout signal representing the eccentricity of the tracks and bands as a function of the rotation of the disk surface. The runout signal is summed with the output of the access and tracking system to compensate for eccentricity as the disk rotates.

Abstract: In a tracking control apparatus for controlling tracking alignment of a rotary head with respect to record tracks appearing in succession on a record medium and in each of which there are recorded, at predetermined positions varying from track to track in accordance with a predetermined repeating sequence, pilot signals for controlling tracking and position detecting signals having different recorded length and which identify the positions of the pilot signals. An identifying signal for identifying the recorded length of a position detecting signal recorded in a track being traced by the rotary head is generated from the output of the rotary head, and a sampling signal is generated in response to the identifying signal for sampling a pilot signal reproduced as cross-talk from an adjacent track so as to reduce the pull-in time of the tracking alignment operation.