Abstract: A karaoke reproducing apparatus is equipped a measure for easily checking whether a music piece selected by the user has correctly been accepted or not. The apparatus has a memory in which music title name information of each of the music pieces recorded on a recording medium has previously been stored. When one of the plurality of music pieces is selected by an operation, the music title name information of the selected music piece is soon displayed by characters. The apparatus also has memory means in which music piece classification information of each of the music pieces recorded on the recording medium has previously been stored. An item content selection command to designate the contents of at least one of a plurality of different items included in the music piece classification information is generated in accordance with an operation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for precision machining a surface suitable for use as a data recorder, using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) capable of observing an electrically insulating surface. The SPM includes a probe which comprises a tip having a pointed end, and also including a conductive layer applied on a surface of the tip. The tip is brought into close proximity to the surface which is to be machined and a machining voltage is applied between the tip and the surface to machine the surface.

Abstract: A recording-reproducing apparatus can remarkably relax the reproduction tracking accuracy by use of a head wider than the track width. The carrier signal frequency assigned to a recording track is designated to a synthesized signal generator. In compliance with this designation, the synthesized signal generator generates a signal of the designated frequency. This carrier signal is amplitude-modulated by the baseband signal to be recorded in a mixer. The unrequired frequency components are removed from this modulation signal by a bandpass filter, and the resulting signal is recorded in a recording medium by a head. The recording medium and the head are in relative motion. In read mode, a track is specified by the carrier signal.

Abstract: A method of recording compressed and coded data is designed to improve the speed and ease of random accessing, and to reduce the buffer capacity and facilitate control and editing in the reproducing system. The method comprises the steps of compressing and coding video signals for every predetermined number of frames with the amount of codes per predetermined number of frames being constant; storing the predetermined number of frames of compressed and coded video signals into at least one video packet; storing the video packet in a pack having a time slot corresponding to the predetermined number of frames (preferably at the end of the pack); and recording the video signals on the recording medium in a pack stream containing such packs, with the relation between the size of the pack and the size of the logical block of the recording medium being set to 1:n (n: an integer) and the relation between the size of the pack and the size of the physical block of the recording medium being set to 2:m (m: an integer).

Abstract: A synchronizing system with a simple structure accomplishes synchronous reproduction without complicating a control circuit for synchronizing video and audio signals with each other. The number of unit audio data blocks to be put in one pack is set in such a way that the difference between the presentation start times for the stream of video data and the stream of audio data in one pack in a predetermined pack period becomes a predetermined value, and the pack carries positional information of the pack in the predetermined pack period to the pack.

Abstract: A karaoke reproducing apparatus for recording singing sound together with karaoke play sound, has a facility of printing information on the recorded musical program. The karaoke reproducing apparatus has a memory which contains previously stored recorded music information including at least the title, songwriter's name, and composer's name for each of musical programs recorded on the recording medium. In response to a recording start command, the recorded music information corresponding to a musical program selected by an operation is read from the memory, and output to a printer. Since recorded music information can be printed on a printed member such as a label and preserved as a record when singing sound is recorded together with karaoke play sound, the label, if adhered to a recording medium on which the sound is recorded, allows the user to readily know the recorded contents afterward.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for precision machining a surface suitable for use as a data recorder, using a scanning probe microscope (SPM) capable of observing an electrically insulating surface. The SPM includes a probe which comprises a tip having a pointed end, and also including a conductive layer applied on a surface of the tip. The tip is brought into close proximity to the surface which is to be machined and a machining voltage is applied between the tip and the surface to machine the surface.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope in which the deflection of a cantilever caused by the proximity between a stylus and a sample is detected, the relative distance between the sample and a probe at which the level of the deflection detection signal coincides with a reference level is subjected to servo control thereby to control the force exerted on the stylus to a constant level, and the relative positions of the sample and the probe are scanned to produce a three-dimensional image of the surface of the sample. In order to eliminate the error of servo control attributable to the deformation of the cantilever, the deflection detection signal is held with the cantilever set in free standing state, and the signal thus held is used to correct the level of the cantilever deflection detection signal. The servo control is effected by the detection signal thus corrected.

Abstract: A karaoke reproducing apparatus which allows a user to specify one vocal part or both vocal parts of two parts when one piece of music selected from a plurality of pieces of music by the user is a multi-audio type, reproduces only instrumental accompaniment (karaoke) when both parts are specified, and reproduces the vocal sounds of an unspecified one of the two parts together with the instrumental accompaniment when only one part is specified.

Abstract: A surface observing apparatus for obtaining information of a specimen comprises a probe disposed in the close vicinity of the specimen, a deformable cantilever for holding the probe, a scanning mechanism for scanning a surface of the specimen with the probe and a detector for detecting displacements of the cantilever to thereby allow information of the specimen to be derived on the basis of the displacement of the cantilever. The apparatus further comprises a first detector for detecting a force acting on the probe from the displacement of the cantilever, and a second detector for measuring a change in the force acting on the probe on the basis of the displacement of the cantilever.

Abstract: A scanning tunneling microscope, in which the gap between a tip having a keenly sharpened end and a sample is narrowed to let flow a tunneling current between them and thereby allow observation of the surface of the sample, a strain wave detecting device is disposed on the sample or in the vicinity of the sample to detect strain waves generated within the sample. By modulating the value of the above described tunneling current, strain waves are generated within the sample. The strain waves are detected by the above described strain wave detecting device. On the basis of the amplitude information and phase information of detected strain waves, physical information regarding the inside of the sample is obtained.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of recording and reproducing picture information on a recording medium. In addition to a coded information signal, subcodes together with identification codes for identifying the coding system of the subcodes are recorded in a first recording area of a recording medium and the identification codes and content discrimination codes for indicating contents of information included in the subcode using the coding system indicated by the identification code are recorded in a second recording area of the recording medium. It is further characterized that the identification code and the content discrimination information recorded in the second recording area are displayed at the time of the playback of the recording medium.

Abstract: A scanning tunnel microscope comprising: a SEM stage provided in a specimen chamber of a SEM and having a mechanism for moving in a two dimensional manner along a surface perpendicular to an electron beam; a specimen stage provided on the SEM stage and provided with a mechanism for holding a specimen so that a surface of the specimen makes an angle of 45.degree.

Abstract: A combination apparatus having a scanning electron microscope includes equipment for performing any of observing, measuring and processing operations on a sample placed in a sample chamber. The sample chamber contains a focused electron beam irradiating unit apart from the components for performing the observing, measuring and processing operations. The focused electron beam irradiating unit irradiates a finely focused electron beam onto the surface of the sample for electron microscopic observation in scanning fashion. This setup allows the observing, measuring or processing equipment to combine with the scanning electron microscope without appreciably enlarging the construction of the combination apparatus.

Abstract: A scanning tunneling microscope, in which the gap between a tip having a keenly sharpened end and a sample is narrowed to let flow a tunneling current between them and thereby allow observation of the surface of the sample. A strain wave device is disposed on the sample or in the vicinity of the sample to detect strain waves generated within the sample. By modulating the value of the above described tunneling current, strain waves are generated within the sample. The strain waves are detected by the above described strain wave detecting device. On the basis of the amplitude information and phase information of detected strain waves, physical information regarding the inside of the sample is obtained.

Abstract: In a surface topographic observation method using a scanning tunneling microscope, a probe is moved away from the surface of a sample and is moved on a plane to successively move it to points of measurement on the surface of the sample in order to obtain texture information of the sample. That is, the probe is moved on a plane completely preventing the probe tip from colliding with the surface of the sample and enabling the probe to effect scanning at high speeds.

Abstract: An atomic force microscope is provided for sensing displacement of a cantilever based on scanning tunneling microscopy. The atomic force microscope includes a cantilever moving system which allows the cantilever to be moved or slipped between an STM tip and a sample. This results in the microscope being able to carry out atomic force microscopy and tunneling microscopy without changing a single STM tip and to control the very small force between the sample and the tip to be constant.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of recording and reproducing picture information on a recording medium. In addition to video format signal and a coded information signal, graphic codes including picture information are recorded on the recording medium, by inserting the graphic codes as a subcode of the coded information signal. At the time of reproduction, a signal according to the graphic codes is mixed with the video format signal. When the recording medium is played back, a portion of the video format signal corresponding to a predetermined period of the video format signal read-out from the recording medium is written in a memory, and the signal according to the graphic code is mixed with a still picture video format signal which is produced by repeatedly reading the stored content of the memory.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of recording and reproducing picture information on a recording medium. In addition to a coded information signal, subcodes together with an identification code for identifying the coding system of the subcodes are recorded in a first recording area of a recording medium. The subcodes are preferably graphic codes including picture information and character codes having predetermined bit patterns, and are decoded in accordance with the identification code at the time of the playback of the recording medium.

Abstract: Method of recording and reproducing picture information and a recording medium on which the picture information is recorded by the method, and an apparatus for playing such a recording medium. In addition to video format signal and a coded information signal, graphic codes including picture information are recorded on the recording medium correspondingly to playback sections of the video format signal, the graphic codes being inserted as the subcode of the coded information signal. At the time of playback of the recording medium, a video signal according to the graphic codes corresponding to the playback section of the video format signal is generated each time one playback section of the video format signal is played back. Preferably, presence or absence of the graphic codes is displayed each time one playback section of the video format signal is played back.