Data detection system

Claim 2

For use in an arrangement in which the data carried by a data signal is detected by selectively gating pulses corresponding to the peaks of the data signal to an output under the control of a gating signal, a circuit for generating the pulses corresponding to the peaks of the data signal comprising means responsive to the data signal for differentiating the data signal and pulse generating means including means responsive to the differentiated data signal for initiating the generation of a pulse whenever the differentiated data signal becomes less positive than a predetermined positive threshold level and less negative than a predetermined negative threshold level and means responsive to the differentiated data signal for terminating the generation of the pulse whenever the differentiated data signal becomes more positive than the predetermined positive threshold level or more negative than the predetermined negative threshold level.

Claim 3

For use in an arrangement in which the data carried by a data signal is detected by selectively gating pulses corresponding to the peaks of the data signal to an output under the control of a gating signal, a circuit for generating the pulses corresponding to the peaks of the data signal comprising means responsive to the data signal for differentiating the data signal and pulse generating means including means responsive to the differentiated data signal for initiating the generation of a pulse whenever the differentiated data signal becomes less positive than a predetermined positive threshold level and less negative than a predetermined negative threshold level and means responsive to the differentiated data signal for terminating the generation of the pulse whenever the differentiated data signal becomes more positive than the predetermined positive threshold level or more negative than the predetermined negative threshold level.

Claim 4

For use in an arrangement in which the data carried by a data signal is detected by selectively gating pulses corresponding to the peaks of the data signal to an output under the control of a gating signal, a circuit for generating the pulses corresponding to the peaks of the data signal comprising means responsive to the data signal for differentiating the data signal and pulse generating means including means responsive to the differentiated data signal for initiating the generation of a pulse whenever the differentiated data signal becomes less positive than a predetermined positive threshold level and less negative than a predetermined negative threshold level and means responsive to the differentiated data signal for terminating the generation of the pulse whenever the differentiated data signal becomes more positive than the predetermined positive threshold level or more negative than the predetermined negative threshold level.

Claim 5

An arrangement for detecting data carried by an information bearing signal of varying waveform comprising: means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a data pulse in response to each peak of the information bearing signal waveform, said means including means responsive to the information bearing signal for differentiating the information bearing signal, and means responsive to the differentiated information bearing signal for generating a data pulse whenever the differentiated information bearing signal is less positive than a predetermined positive threshold level and less negative than a predetermined negative threshold level, said means for generating a data pulse being operative to prohibit the generation of a data pulse whenever the differentiated information bearing signal is more positive than the predetermined positive threshold level or more negative than the predetermined negative threshold level; means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a gating pulse whenever the information bearing signal waveform exceeds a predetermined clipping level; and means responsive to the data and gating pulses for selectively gating the data pulses to an output under the control of the gating pulses.

Claim 6

An arrangement for detecting data carried by an information bearing signal of varying waveform comprising: means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a data pulse in response to each peak of the information bearing signal waveform, said means including means responsive to the information bearing signal for differentiating the information bearing signal, and means responsive to the differentiated information bearing signal for generating a data pulse whenever the differentiated information bearing signal is less positive than a predetermined positive threshold level and less negative than a predetermined negative threshold level, said means for generating a data pulse being operative to prohibit the generation of a data pulse whenever the differentiated information bearing signal is more positive than the predetermined positive threshold level or more negative than the predetermined negative threshold level; means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a gating pulse whenever the information bearing signal waveform exceeds a predetermined clipping level; and means responsive to the data and gating pulses for selectively gating the data pulses to an output under the control of the gating pulses.

Claim 7

An arrangement for detecting data carried by an information bearing signal of varying waveform comprising: means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a data pulse in response to each peak of the information bearing signal waveform, said means including means responsive to the information bearing signal for differentiating the information bearing signal and means responsive to the differentiated information bearing signal for generating a data pulse only when the differentiated information bearing signal is less positive than a predetermined positive threshold level and less negative than a predetermined negative threshold level; means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a gating pulse whenever the information bearing signal waveform exceeds a predetermined clipping level; and means responsive to the data and gating pulses for selectively gating the data pulses to an output under the control of the gating pulses.

Claim 8

An arrangement for detecting data carried by an information bearing signal of varying waveform comprising: means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a data pulse in response to each peak of the information bearing signal waveform, said means including means responsive to the information bearing signal for differentiating the information bearing signal and means responsive to the differentiated information bearing signal for generating a data pulse only when the differentiated information bearing signal is less positive than a predetermined positive threshold level and less negative than a predetermined negative threshold level; means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a gating pulse whenever the information bearing signal waveform exceeds a predetermined clipping level; and means responsive to the data and gating pulses for selectively gating the data pulses to an output under the control of the gating pulses.

Claim 9

An arrangement in accordance with claim 3, wherein the means for generating a gating pulse includes first comparator means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a gating pulse whenever the information bearing signal waveform is more positive than a predetermined positive clipping level, and second comparator means responsive to the information bearing signal for generating a gating pulse whenever the information bearing signal waveform is more negative than a predetermined negative clipping level.

Claim 10

An arrangement in accordance with claim 3, further including means responsive to the data pulses for inverting the data pulses, and wherein the selective gating means comprises AND gate means having one input coupled to receive the inverted data pulses and another input coupled to receive the gating pulses.

Claim 11

An arrangement for detecting data bits represented by transitions of a magnetic recording comprising the combination of: read head means disposed adjacent the magnetic recording and responsive to movement of the magnetic recording relative thereto to provide a sensed signal of variable waveform having peaks corresponding to transitions of the magnetic recording; means responsive to the sensed signal for generating a data signal indication in response to each peak of the sensed signal waveform and including means for differentiating the sensed signal waveform, first comparator means for generating a data signal indication only whenever the differentiated sensed signal waveform has a value between a positive threshold level and zero, and second comparator means for generating a data signal indication only whenever the differentiated sensed signal waveform has a value between a negative threshold level and zero; and means responsive to the sensed signal and to the data signal indications for selectively passing the data signal indications to an output whenever the sensed signal exceeds a predetermined level.

Claim 12

An arrangement for detecting data bits represented by transitions of a magnetic recording comprising the combination of: read head means disposed adjacent the magnetic recording and responsive to movement of the magnetic recording relative thereto to provide a sensed signal of variable waveform having peaks corresponding to transitions of the magnetic recording; means responsive to the sensed signal for generating a data signal indication in response to each peak of the sensed signal waveform and including means for differentiating the sensed signal waveform, first comparator means for generating a data signal indication only whenever the differentiated sensed signal waveform has a value between a positive threshold level and zero, and second comparator means for generating a data signal indication only whenever the differentiated sensed signal waveform has a value between a negative threshold level and zero; and means responsive to the sensed signal and to the data signal indications for selectively passing the data signal indications to an output whenever the sensed signal exceeds a predetermined level.

Claim 13

An arrangement in accordance with claim 6 wherein the means for selectively passing includes bilevel signal generating means for providing a first signal level whenever the sensed signal is less than the predetermined level and a second signal level whenever the sensed signal is greater than the predetermined level.

Claim 14

An arrangement in accordance with claim 7, wherein the bilevel signal generating means includes third comparator means responsive to the sensed signal for providing the second signal level whenever the sensed signal is more positive than a positive clipping level and fourth comparator means responsive to the sensed signal for providing the second signal level whenever the sensed signal is more negative than a negative clipping level.