System for reproducing digital information

Claim 2

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, second means responsive to the signals from the first means for rectifying such signals to produce signals of a unidirectional polarity, third means responsive to the unidirectional signals from the second means for producing signals having a compressed amplitude relative to the amplitudes of the signals from the second means, fourth means responsive to the compressed signals from the third means for integrating such signals to produce control signals upon the occurrence of the peak amplitudes from the logarithmic signals, and fifth means responsive to the control signals from the fourTh means for reproducing the digital information.

Claim 3

The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the integrating means includes an amplifier having an input and an output and unidirectional means connected between the input and the output of the amplifier.

Claim 4

The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the integrating means includes a capacitor coupled to the third means to be charged by the signals of compressed amplitude and further includes means responsive to the signals of compressed amplitude and biased by the charge in the capacitor to produce the control signal upon the occurrence of the peak amplitudes in the signals of compressed amplitude.

Claim 5

The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the third means produces signals having an amplitude logarithmically related to the amplitudes of the signals from the second means.

Claim 6

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, second means responsive to the signals from the first means for producing signals having amplitudes compressed relative to the amplitudes of the signals from the first means, third means responsive to the signals of compressed amplitudes for integrating such signals, fourth means responsive to the signals of compressed amplitudes and the integrated signals for producing control signals upon the occurrence of peak amplitudes in the signals of compressed amplitudes, and fifth means responsive to the control signals from the fourth means for reproducing the digital information in accordance with the occurrence of the control signals.

Claim 7

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, second means responsive to the signals from the first means for producing signals having amplitudes compressed relative to the amplitudes of the signals from the first means, third means responsive to the signals of compressed amplitudes for integrating such signals, fourth means responsive to the signals of compressed amplitudes and the integrated signals for producing control signals upon the occurrence of peak amplitudes in the signals of compressed amplitudes, and fifth means responsive to the control signals from the fourth means for reproducing the digital information in accordance with the occurrence of the control signals.

Claim 8

The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein the second means includes first unidirectional means and the fourth means includes second unidirectional means.

Claim 9

The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein the third means includes a capacitor which is charged by the signals of compressed amplitude and wherein the second unidirectional means are biased by the charge in the capacitor to facilitate the production of the control signal upon the occurrence of the peak amplitudes in the logarithmic signals.

Claim 10

The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein the second means produces signals having a compressed amplitude logarithmically related to the amplitude of the signals from the first means.

Claim 11

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, second means responsive to the signals from the first means for rectifying such signals to produce unidirectional signals, third means responsive to the unidirectional signals for producing signals having amplitudes compressed relative to the amplitudes of the unidirectional signals, storage means responsive to the logarithmic signals for storing energy at a magnitude related to the amplitude of the signals of compressed amplitude, amplifier means having an input connected to the storage means and having an output and having first and second states of operation and responsive to the signals of compressed amplitude and the energy stored in the storage means for operating in the first state with the amplitude of the compressed signals greater than the level of the energy in the storage means and for operating in the second state upon the occurrence of a greater level of the energy in the storage means than the amplitude of the signals of compressed amplitude, and fourth means responsive to the operation of the amplifier means in the second state for reproducing the digital information.

Claim 12

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, second means responsive to the signals from the first means for rectifying such signals to produce unidirectional signals, third means responsive to the unidirectional signals for producing signals having amplitudes compressed relative to the amplitudes of the unidirectional signals, storage means responsive to the logarithmic signals for storing energy at a magnitude related to the amplitude of the signals of compressed amplitude, amplifier means having an input connected to the storage means and having an output and having first and second states of operation and responsive to the signals of compressed amplitude and the energy stored in the storage means for operating in the first state with the amplitude of the compressed signals greater than the level of the energy in the storage means and for operating in the second state upon the occurrence of a greater level of the energy in the storage means than the amplitude of the signals of compressed amplitude, and fourth means responsive to the operation of the amplifier means in the second state for reproducing the digital information.

Claim 13

The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein the storage means is capacitive and the third means includes a unidirectional member.

Claim 14

The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein the fourth means includes a monostable member for producing triggering signals upon each operation of the third means in the second state and further includes bistable means responsive to the triggering signals and the signals from the first means for reproducing the digital information.

Claim 15

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, amplitude compressing means responsive to the signals from the first means for compressing the amplitudes of such signals, second means for integrating the signals from the amplitude compressing means, amplifier means having inputs and an output and responsive at the inputs to the signals from the first means and to the integrated signals from the second means for producing at the output an amplified signal dependent upon the polarity of any difference between the signals from the first and second means, and third means responsive to the operations of the amplifier means in response to a particular polarity in the difference between the signals from the first and second means for reproducing the digital information.

Claim 16

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, amplitude compressing means responsive to the signals from the first means for compressing the amplitudes of such signals, second means for integrating the signals from the amplitude compressing means, amplifier means having inputs and an output and responsive at the inputs to the signals from the first means and to the integrated signals from the second means for producing at the output an amplified signal dependent upon the polarity of any difference between the signals from the first and second means, and third means responsive to the operations of the amplifier means in response to a particular polarity in the difference between the signals from the first and second means for reproducing the digital information.

Claim 17

The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein the amplitude compressing means produce signals of compressed amplitude logarithmically related to the amplitudes of the signals from the first means.

Claim 18

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, second means responsive to the signals from the first means for producing signals having amplitudes compressed relative to the amplitudes of the signals from the first means, third means responsive to the signals of compressed amplitudes for integrating such signals, amplifier means having a high gain and a high bandwidth and having an input connected to the integrating means and having first and second states of operation and responsive to the signals of compressed amplitudes and the integrated signals for operating in the first state with the amplitude of the compressed signals greater than the amplitude of the integrated signals and for operating in the second state upon the occurrence of an amplitude of the integrated signals at least as great as the amplitude of the signals of compressed amplitude, and fourth means responsive to the operation of the amplifier means in the second state for reproducing the digital information.

Claim 19

In combination in a system for reading from a medium signals representing digital information and having excursions between positive and negative peaks in a pattern dependent upon the digital information and for reproducing the digital information from such signals, first means for reading the signals from the medium, second means responsive to the signals from the first means for producing signals having amplitudes compressed relative to the amplitudes of the signals from the first means, third means responsive to the signals of compressed amplitudes for integrating such signals, amplifier means having a high gain and a high bandwidth and having an input connected to the integrating means and having first and second states of operation and responsive to the signals of compressed amplitudes and the integrated signals for operating in the first state with the amplitude of the compressed signals greater than the amplitude of the integrated signals and for operating in the second state upon the occurrence of an amplitude of the integrated signals at least as great as the amplitude of the signals of compressed amplitude, and fourth means responsive to the operation of the amplifier means in the second state for reproducing the digital information.

Claim 20

The combination set forth in claim 14 wherein the integrating means includes a storage member and wherein means are provided for providing a feedback from the output to the input of the amplifier.

Claim 21

The combination set forth in claim 15 wherein the second means produces signals of compressed amplitude logarithmically related to the amplitudes of the signals from the first means.

Claim 22

The combination set forth in claim 16 wherein means are responsive to the signals from the first means for rectifying such signals to produce signals of a unidirectional polarity and wherein the second means are responsive to the signals of unidirectional polarity for producing the signals having the compressed amplitude.