Patent EP0107307A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0107307A2
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EP
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A tape remaining circuit
Assignee: Ampex Systems Corp
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Filing: 1983-09-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-09-07
Abstract
Abstract The tension arm position of a tape recorder is sensed and any change in position is added as a correction factor to the capstan tach or tape timer tach count generated during a reel tach period. To this end, the tension arm position signal is clamped to ground at the start of the capstan count. At the end of the capstan count, the tension arm position is sensed to provide a value that is proportional to the change in the position that has occurred during the capstan count. The value is then added to the capstan count to provide a corrected capstan count that no longer contains a tension arm error and constitutes a precise tape remaining output signal.
Inventors
- 👤 Marshall Williams
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 22:53
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B27/00; G11B27/10; G11B27/11; G11B27/13
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
A circuit for determining the tape remaining on a reel wherein the tape movement is responsive to a tension arm, comprising: means (24,28) for supplying a first signal indicative of the extent of tape movement relative to a selected reel rotation; means (50,38) for generating a second signal indicative of an instantaneous change in the position of the tension arm; and means (26) for combining the first and second signals to provide a corrected tape remaining output signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
A circuit for determining the tape remaining on a reel wherein the tape movement is responsive to a tension arm, comprising: means (24,28) for supplying a first signal indicative of the extent of tape movement relative to a selected reel rotation; means (50,38) for generating a second signal indicative of an instantaneous change in the position of the tension arm; and means (26) for combining the first and second signals to provide a corrected tape remaining output signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A circuit according to claim 1 wherein the means for supplying the first signal include: means (14 or 16) for providing reel pulses indicative of the selected reel rotation; and counter means (28) for generating capstan tach pulses corresponding to said first signal and indicative of the extent of tape movement between successive reel tach pulses.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
A circuit according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the means for generating the second signal include: means (60) for sensing a change of position of the tension arm; and means (50,62,38) for producing a tension arm position value corresponding to the second signal and to the sensed change of position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
A circuit according to claim 3 wherein the means for producing include: sample/hold means (50) coupled to the means for sensing the change of tension arm position; and A/D converter means (38) coupled from the sample/hold means to the means for combining.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
A circuit according to claim 4 wherein the means for generating reel tach pulses include: first switching means (42) for changing state in response to the selected reel rotation; and second switching means (44) responsive to the first switching means for controlling the A/D converter means and resetting the counter means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A circuit according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the means for combining include: binary adder means 26 coupled to the A/D converter means (38) and to the counter means (28).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A circuit according to claim 6 further including: programmable read only memory means (30) coupled to the binary adder means; and output latch means (32) coupled to the programmable read only memory means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
A circuit according to claim 4 wherein the means for producing further include: switch means (58) responsive to the tape direction for switching to the reel which supplies the tape; and amplifier means (60) coupled to the switch means for supplying a tension arm position signal to the sample/hold means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A circuit according to claim 8 further including: clamping means (46) for clamping the amplifier means to a selected clamp level prior to producing the second signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A circuit according to claim 8 wherein the amplifier means include: a first operational amplifier (52) coupled to the switch means; and a second operational amplifier (60) coupled to the first operational amplifier and thence to the sample/hold circuit means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
A circuit according to claim 4 further including: gate means (64) for supplying a reset pulse indicative of a change in tape direction; and validity indicator means (43) responsive to the gate means to inhibit the corrected tape remaining output signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
115 words
A circuit for determining the tape remaining on a reel wherein the tape movement is responsive to a tension arm, comprising: means (24) for supplying a first count value indicative of the extent of tape movement relative to a selected reel rotation; means (38) for generating a second count value indicative of a change in the tension arm position; means (46) for clamping said means for generating the second count value, prior to initiating the first count value; whereby the second count value is generated at the end of the first count value; and means (26) for adding the second count value to the first count value to provide a corrected tape remaining output signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
115 words
A circuit for determining the tape remaining on a reel wherein the tape movement is responsive to a tension arm, comprising: means (24) for supplying a first count value indicative of the extent of tape movement relative to a selected reel rotation; means (38) for generating a second count value indicative of a change in the tension arm position; means (46) for clamping said means for generating the second count value, prior to initiating the first count value; whereby the second count value is generated at the end of the first count value; and means (26) for adding the second count value to the first count value to provide a corrected tape remaining output signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
A circuit according to claim 12 wherein the means for generating include: means (50) responsive to a change in tension arm position for generating an analog voltage indicative of the change; and converter means (38) for supplying a digital count of the analog voltage to the means for adding.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
A circuit according to claim 13 wherein the means for generating an analog voltage include: amplifier means (60) for providing a signal indicative of tension arm position change; and sample/hold means (50) coupled to the amplifier means for generating the corresponding analog voltage at the end of taking the first count value.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
A circuit according to claim 13 further including: means (43,48,70) for inhibiting output of the tape remaining output signal in response to a change in tape direction.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
75 words
A circuit for determining the tape remaining on a reel comprising: means (14 or 16) for supplying reel tach pulses indicative of reel rotation rate; means (24) for generating a digital value indicative of tape movement which occurs between reel tach pulses; means (38) for generating a second digital value indicative of additional instantaneous tape movement; and means (26) for combining the first and second digital values to provide a corrected determination of tape remaining.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
75 words
A circuit for determining the tape remaining on a reel comprising: means (14 or 16) for supplying reel tach pulses indicative of reel rotation rate; means (24) for generating a digital value indicative of tape movement which occurs between reel tach pulses; means (38) for generating a second digital value indicative of additional instantaneous tape movement; and means (26) for combining the first and second digital values to provide a corrected determination of tape remaining.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
120 words
A circuit for determining the tape remaining on a reel, wherein tape movement is monitored by a capstan tach and is affected by a tension arm, and the reel rotation is monitored by a reel tach, comprising: means (42) for detecting successive reel pulses from the reel tach; counter means (24) for counting the number of capstan pulses from the capstan tach between successive reel pulses; means (50) for providing an analog voltage signal indicative of a change in the tension arm position; means (38) for generating a tension arm digital count of the analog voltage signal; and means (26) for combining the tension arm digital count with the counter means count, to produce a corrected tape remaining output signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
120 words
A circuit for determining the tape remaining on a reel, wherein tape movement is monitored by a capstan tach and is affected by a tension arm, and the reel rotation is monitored by a reel tach, comprising: means (42) for detecting successive reel pulses from the reel tach; counter means (24) for counting the number of capstan pulses from the capstan tach between successive reel pulses; means (50) for providing an analog voltage signal indicative of a change in the tension arm position; means (38) for generating a tension arm digital count of the analog voltage signal; and means (26) for combining the tension arm digital count with the counter means count, to produce a corrected tape remaining output signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
A circuit according to any of claims 1, 12, 16 or 17 further comprising a memory device (30) which provides predetermined correction of the output signal for non-linearity due to variation in the radius of the reel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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