Abstract: Apparatus for processing vouchers includes a drive system suitable for causing a magnetic track on a voucher to pass over a magnetic head (170) which is connected to circuits for controlling writing and including a data transfer unit (22) and a data modulator (23). The stepper motor (185) has at least five phases, and the same clock (21) is used to control the stepper motor (185), the transfer of data from said unit (22), and the data modulator (23) in order to establish control transitions which are applied to the magnetic head.

Abstract: A magnetic disk memory is moved between a first position beyond the disk periphery to a second position proximate the disk periphery while the head is at an idle height above the disk face. The head is moved between the disk periphery and a third position at the edge of an area on the disk where data are located while the head is lowered and raised between the idle height and a hovering height above a face of the disk. An assembly carrying the head includes a radially extending arm, turned by a rotary DC motor. A continuous step excitation waveform is supplied to the motor as the head is driven between the first and second positions until the head arrives at one of the two positions. Each of the steps has a constant amplitude that differs from the immediately preceding step by a predetermined incremental value. All of the steps, except the last step, has the same predetermined duration.

Abstract: A music search device for a tape containing a number of pieces of music. If the search begins within a fixed period since the beginning of the currently played piece, the tape jumps back to the beginning of the preceding piece. If the search begins after the fixed period, the tape jumps back to the beginning of the current piece.

Abstract: A low cost easy use alignment device is used to perform radial alignment of a read/write head in a floppy disk drive of a personal computer. The computer holds the read/write head at the alignment track of a special alignment disk. The alignment track as well as the outermost track and an inner track contain all binary "1" bits while all other tracks contain no data. The alignment device contains an amplifier to amplify the signal read by the read/write head. The signal is detected at the output of the first read amplification stage of the disk drive. The alignment device amplifier signal is displayed on an indicator. A dot/bar display driver with light emitting diodes connected to the outputs is used as an indicator. The stepper motor or head carriage assembly is moved to maximize the indicator signal which corresponds to the optimum radial alignment of the read/write head.

Abstract: An information recording disc comprises a guide track, an address signal recording portion arranged in each track turn of the guide track and pre-recorded with an address signal, and a pseudo address signal recording portion arranged in each track turn of the guide track adjacent a corresponding address signal recording portion provided in a track turn of the guide track adjacent thereto. The recording length of the pseudo address signal recording portion is selected approximately equal to the recording length of the corresponding address signal recording portion.

Abstract: A low-range-converted chrominance signal is demodulated into two color difference signals. The two color difference signals are each filtered by a comb filter to eliminate undesired components. The two color difference signals, having been filtered, are modulated to obtain a carrier chrominance signal having a prescribed carrier frequency. To be suitable for digital signal processing, the low-range-converted chrominance signal is sampled at a first frequency which is an integral multiple of a low-range-converted carrier frequency of the low-range-converted chrominance signal when being demodulated. The two color difference signals are sampled at a second frequency which is an integral multiple of the prescribed carrier frequency of the carrier chrominance signal.

Abstract: A digital system is disclosed for synchronizing data in a variable-rate pulse stream, as by the intervals of a magnetic recording medium. Functionally, an estimate is made of the size of a repeatedly recorded interval and the estimate is registered. In subsequent operation, the estimate is revised whenever it is found to differ from the recorded interval, based on an allowable tolerance. The revision is by a fixed percentage of the registered estimate. An oscillator drives a down counter which is variably pre-set in accordance with the prior timing history of the pulse stream (including a substantial number of pulses). Accordingly, each cycle of the down counter provides a variable sub-interval, a predetermined number of which are counted to provide each variable synchronizing interval. Comparisons of the synchronizing interval and the pulse stream serve to adjust pre-setting of the down counter to a current value.

Abstract: A tracking indication system of a VCR to make a recognition to a user whether or not a precise tracking of a video head is achieved. The invention includes a peak value detecting and holding circuit for detecting and holding in a predetermined time a peak value of the reproduction output signals, a level shift circuit for lowering an output of said peak value detecting and holding circuit to a predetermined level, a LPF for filtering the reproduction output signal, a differential amplifier whose a non-inverting terminal is connected to an output of said level shift circuit and an inverting terminal is connected to an output of said LPF to amplify a difference voltage between output signals of said level shift circuit and said LPF, and a LED which is activated or deactivated by a transistor being closed or open in response to an output signal of said differential amplifier.

Abstract: A multitrack magnetic recording and reproducing device of the type, which converts analog signals into digital signals and records and reproduces such converted data by splitting onto a plurality of tracks, comprises heads for both high and low recording densities such that track pitches corresponding to them are at an integral ratio. It includes a reproducing circuit having detecting-decision making means such as multiplexers which, when information recorded by a head for lower recording density is reproduced by corresponding heads for higher recording density, is adapted to determine whether any of the outputs from these heads is incorrect.

Abstract: A tape drive system employs position capture circuitry to facilitate accurate positioning of the tape media. The position capture circuitry includes an input polling state machine (101) to ensure each detection results in exactly one position value transfer. A timing section (103) synchronizes the polling of inputs with data transfers. A bus multiplexing section (105) provides for 12-bit resolution over 8-bit busses. The position types can be data block boundaries or reel-encoder marks or position requests by the servo controller. The input lines (41-44) are polled routinely, ensuring that the stored values precisely reflect the referenced positions.

Abstract: An image recording and reproducing apparatus receives a string of image data consisting of image data of a plurality of frames. An image encoding section sequentially calculates difference image data for pixels of adjacent image data of the received image data. At least one reference image data among the string of image data and respective difference image data calculated by the image encoding section are recorded by a recording unit. The image data read out from the recording unit is sequentially calculated with reference to the reference image data, and the string of image data is decoded.

Abstract: An optical disk player is provided with a casing or base which need not be substantially larger than a square inscribed by the circular perimeter of the compact disk which it plays by causing the optical pick-up to radially scan the disk along a path at a predetermined angle to the sides of the square, preferably at about 45.degree. thereto. At the outermost position of the pick-up, its object lens is centered at the outermost track on the disk, and a corner of the casing conveniently accommodates the portion of the pick-up which then necessarily extends outwardly beyond the outermost track.

Abstract: In an apparatus for generating a magnetic field, first and second electromagnetic coils are linearly arranged on a yoke. The coils face one surface of an optical disk. An optical head is positioned above the other surface of the optical disk. A track address for denoting a track on the optical disk is picked up from the optical disk by the optical head and an information signal processor. A first and/or second energizing signal is generated from a switching circuit in accordance with the track address. Thus, one or both of coil drive circuits are driven in response to the energizing signals, energizing one or both of the coils, so that a predetermined magnetic field is applied to the optical disk from the selected coil or coils.

Abstract: An amplitude limiter circuit including first and second semiconductor elements of different conductivity types having their emitters connected with each other, first and second impedance elements connected to bases of said first and second semiconductor elements, respectivly, a switch and a capacitor connecting said first and second impedance elements, a third impedance element through which continuous oscillation is fed to the emitters of said first and second semiconductor elements, and means for applying control signal to said switch to operate said switch, thereby producing damped oscillation signal which finally reduces to zero.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting and marking television commercials is provided. A first comparator is utilized for comparing the television video signal to an adjustable reference voltage and for generating a triggering signal when a video signal is not present at the comparator input. A second comparator compares the television audio signal to a second adjustable reference voltage to provide a triggering signal when an audio signal is not present at the comparator input. The outputs from the two comparators are supplied to a one-shot timer mechanism which is adapted to generate an output signal of a predetermined time period only upon the simultaneous absence of an audio and video signal, thus signifying a fade break in the television broadcast signal. The timed output signal from the timer mechanism is connected to a low frequency oscillator which generates a low frequency output signal upon being actuated by the output from the timer mechanism.

Abstract: A record disc reproducing apparatus, which can be used for searching a desired track location rapidly, includes a pick-up device for reading data from the disc and movable in a radial direction with respect to the disc. A velocity detector detects a moving velocity of the pick-up device and produces a velocity signal corresponding to the moving velocity. An integrator integrates the velocity signal. A distance that the pick-up device should be moved is calculated according to addresses of a track presently scanned by the pick-up device and a track to be searched. A generator supplies a distance data corresponding to the distance calculated. A comparator compares the integrated velocity signal with the distance data. The pick-up device is stopped when the comparator produces an output signal.

Abstract: A composite wobbled tracking servo system uses a rotary optical disc which has a header field and a data field alternately arranged along the direction of rotation to provide a sector, and which includes pregrooves formed in at least the data field and at least one pair of wobbled track marks disposed in the header field in a relation wobbled relative to the center of a track. A light spot is directed toward and onto the optical disc to detect a push-pull tracking error signal from the reflection of the light spot diffracted by the pregroove, and a wobbled tracking error signal is detected from the reflection of the light spot traversing the wobbled track marks. The push-pull tracking error signal is corrected on the basis of the wobbled tracking error signal to attain the tracking control with higher accuracy, thereby eliminating an undesirable track offset attributable to tilting or eccentricity of the optical disc.

Abstract: A magneto-optical information system writes and erases information on and from a magneto-optical information recording medium under application of a bias-magnetic-field to the recording medium according to writing and erasing command signals. A differential amplifying circuit differentially processes the writing and erasing command signals to produce a differential output signal, and a constant current power amplifying circuit produces a stable drive current according to the differential output signal. A bias-magnetic-field generating coil is driven by the stable drive current so that a stable bias-magnetic-field is applied to the information recording medium according to the differential output signal.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for recording a digital information signal are disclosed in which a signal to be recorded is pulse-code-modulated (PCM) and the PCM signal is recorded on a recording medium by a rotary head as a slant tracks with no guard band between adjacent tracks and then reproduced therefrom. In this case, a tracking pilot signal is recorded on a part of each track independently of the PCM signal. The recording positions of the pilot signals on respective tracks are determined in such a manner that when succeeding three tracks are seen from the direction perpendicular to the tracing direction of the rotary head, they are not superimposed upon one another. Upon reproducing, when the record track is traced by the rotary head, the pilot signals from both tracks adjacent to the track to be traced are reproduced and a tracking signal is generated from the reproduced outputs whereby a playback rotary head traces the record track.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an external magnetic field inverting apparatus for magneto-optical disc apparatus in which a permanent magnet (15) is used as external magnetic field generating means and a winding (25) is located so as to surround the permanent magnet (15), and the permanent magnet (15) can be half-rotated in a desired direction by a rotation force generated by a repulsive force by an external magnetic field Hm generated by this permanent magnet (15) and a magnetic field Hc resulting from supplying a current to the winding (25), whereby the apparatus of the invention can be reduced in cost, increased in reliability and miniaturized in size.