Abstract: A seek control apparatus for a disk apparatus includes the steps of performing a seek operation in which a head (6) is moved from a first position on a recording medium to a second position under control of a processor (4) receiving a first command from an external device (113, 116, 117), and setting a load state of the processor to a state where the processor can accept a command during executing the step (E). Then it is determined whether or not a second command has been supplied to the processor from the external device during a time the step is being executed (121). The seek operation is stopped between the first position and the second position when it is determined by the just above step that the second command has been supplied to the processor (121, 122, 123, 125).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing a thermal transfer recording, uses an ink ribbon having a plurality of ink parts which are coated with ink of different colors. The ink parts are successively arranged in a longitudinal direction of the ink ribbon. First, when performing a recording with a first color ink, an information is recorded on a recording paper by use of the first color ink, and at the same time, synchronization marks are also recorded by use of the first color ink. Next, when performing a recording with a second color ink, the information is recorded on the recording paper which is pre-recorded with the first color ink, by use of a second color ink, in synchronism with the synchronization marks which are detected.

Abstract: A thermal ink transfer printer comprises a thermal print head including a linear array of resistance elements corresponding to picture elements to be printed along a line path on a record medium, and means for continuously and relatively moving the head and the mediums to each other at a substantially constant speed in a direction perpendicular to the line path and providing a pressure contact between the head and transfer medium and between the mediums. A head control circuit is provided for generating currents in the resistance elements respectively for durations each proportional to the tone value of each of the picture elements.

Abstract: A plurality of heat generating resistors (11a, 11b) arranged in line in a thermal head are driven such that two consecutive heat generating resistors (11a, 11b) are combined to cover a single picture element whose desired density is represented by each datum. A head drive circuit is provided so that only a first heat generating resistor (11a) is energized when the desired density is below a predetermined value, and that both the first and second heat generating resistors (11a, 11b) are energized when the desired density is equal to or above the predetermined value. The energizing duration of the second heat generating resistor (11b) is set to be within the energizing duration of the first heat generating resistor (11a) to reduce printing time, and the end of the energizing duration of the second heat generating resistor (11b) corresponds to the end of energizing duration of the first heat generating resistor (11a) so as to ensure linearity in tone value.

Abstract: An input composite color video signal is processed to derive a luminance signal and three primary color signals first, and then only a high frequency component of the luminance signal is A/D converted by a first A/D converter, while only low frequency component of each of the three primary color signals is A/D converted by a second A/D converter with the low frequency component of the three primary color signals being time-shared by a first switching circuit to be a single analog signal. The A/D converted chrominance information is fed to a second switching circuit comprising shift registers of parallel-in and serial-out type so that three bits respectively indicative of red, green and blue signals are simultaneously outputted therefrom. The A/D converted luminance data of a plurality of bits, and three bits indicative of three primary colors are simultaneously written into a memory.

Abstract: In thermal ink transfer printing, a layer of thermally fusable binder is deposited on a recording sheet prior to the transfer print of thermally fusable ink from a transfer sheet to provide a strong bond between the underlying recording sheet and the overlying ink deposits. In one embodiment, layers of thermally fusable ink and binder material are deposited on the base of a common transfer sheet in alternate fashion. The binder layer is initially positioned above a thermal head and the latter is heated so that the binder is fused and transferred to the recording sheet. The recording sheet and transfer sheet are advanced together with respect to the head so that the recording sheet is entirely covered with a layer of the binder material. Thereafter, the binder-coated recording sheet comes into contact with the ink layer and the thermal head is controlled to heat portions of the ink layer for transfer to the binder-coated surface of the recording sheet.