Method and apparatus for controlling the movement of a recording medium

Claim 3

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus further has a velocity servo control means for providing an adjustable continuous signal to control the velocity of the transported medium, the method further comprising the steps of: monitoring the velocity of the transported medium; and, switching control of the transport means to the velocity servo control means when the transported medium reaches and exceeds a predetermined velocity.

Claim 4

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein information is recorded on a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent one another on an elongated medium and said predetermined distance is substantially equal to the lengthwise distance along the elongated medium from the center of a track to the center of an adjacent track.

Claim 5

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein information is recorded on a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent one another on an elongated medium and said predetermined distance is substantialy equal to 1/2 the lengthwise distance along the elongated medium from the center of a track to the center of an adjacent track.

Claim 8

The method as defined in claim 5 further comprising the step of switching control of the transport means from the velocity servo control means when the velocity of the transported medium falls below the predetermined velocity.

Claim 9

The method as defined in claim 6 wherein said medium has signal information recorded thereon while the medium was moving at a first velocity, said predetermined velocity corresponding to a velocity of the medium ranging from approximately 1/6 to approximately 1/3 of said first velocity.

Claim 10

In an information recording and reproducing system having transducing means for recording and reproducing signal information on and from a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent one another on a recording medium, said medium having an area of physical proximity to a rotating means carrying the transducing means, transport means for precisely controlling the movement of the medium relative to said rotating means to effect movement of the recording medium at a desired velocity so that the area of proximity is controlled, allowing desired tracks to be scanned by the transducing means during reproducing; monitoring means for providing signals in accordance with increments of distance that the medium moves; drive means responsive to the signals from the monitoring means for providing variable width pulses that drive the transport means, each of said pulses being terminated when the medium has moved a predetermined distance corresponding to a preselected number of said increments of distances ; and, control means, adapted for manipulation, for controlling said drive means to selectively enable said drive means to provide pulses at a rate substantially determined by said manipulation to drive the transport means at a continuously variable desired velocity.

Claim 11

In an information recording and reproducing system having transducing means for recording and reproducing signal information on and from a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent one another on a recording medium, said medium having an area of physical proximity to a rotating means carrying the transducing means, transport means for precisely controlling the movement of the medium relative to said rotating means to effect movement of the recording medium at a desired velocity so that the area of proximity is controlled, allowing desired tracks to be scanned by the transducing means during reproducing; monitoring means for providing signals in accordance with increments of distance that the medium moves; drive means responsive to the signals from the monitoring means for providing variable width pulses that drive the transport means, each of said pulses being terminated when the medium has moved a predetermined distance corresponding to a preselected number of said increments of distances ; and, control means, adapted for manipulation, for controlling said drive means to selectively enable said drive means to provide pulses at a rate substantially determined by said manipulation to drive the transport means at a continuously variable desired velocity.

Claim 12

The system of claim 8 wherein the drive means is operatively connected to the monitoring means, said drive means including means for counting the signals from the monitoring means and driving the transport means until a predetermined number of signals corresponding to said predetermined distance has been counted.

Claim 13

The system of claim 9 wherein the counting means comprises a counter which is preset to stop the drive means from driving the transport means when said predetermined number of signals has been counted.

Claim 14

The system of claim 9 wherein the drive means further includes means for disabling the counting means from further counting after said predetermined number of signals has been counted until the counting means is reset to begin counting again, said means for disabling being operatively coupled between the input and the output of said counting means.

Claim 15

The system of claim 11 wherein the disabling means comprises a gate operatively connected to the input of the counting means, and having a first input coupled to the output of said counting means, and a second input coupled to said monitoring means such that said disabling means passes signals from said monitoring means to said counting means until the output of said counting means changes state in response to counting the predetermined number of signals from said monitoring means.

Claim 16

The system of claim 8 wherein the control means includes a timing means for enabling the drive means after a predetermined timed interval determined by said manipulation, said timing means having an output terminal coupled to a clear input terminal of said counting means so as to clear said counting means after said predetermined timed interval.

Claim 17

The system of claim 13 wherein the drive means further includes means for triggering the timing means to begin timing the timed interval after the medium has moved said pedetermined distance.

Claim 18

The system of claim 13 wherein the timing means comprises a capacitor and a controlled current source adapted for manipulation for supplying current to the capacitor at a controlled rate.

Claim 19

The system of claim 15 wherein the timing means further comprises a multivibrator means responsive to the voltage across said capacitor, said multivibrator means providing a signal to enable the drive means when the voltage across the capacitor reaches a predetermined level.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the multivibrator includes means for discharging said capacitor after the voltage reaches said predetermined level and the drive means further includes means for triggering the multivibrator after the medium has moved the predetermined distance allowing the capacitor to begin charging again.

Claim 21

Apparatus for controlling the movement of an elongated medium for use in an information reproducing system of the type which has transducing means for reproducing information recorded on a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent to one another on a recording medium, said medium having an area of physical proximity to a rotating means carrying the transducing means, transport means for precisely controlling the movement of the medium relative to the rotating means to effect movement of the recording medium at a continuously variable desired velocity so that the area of physical proximity is controlled, allowing desired tracks to be scanned by the transducing means during reproducing; monitoring means for monitoring the movement of the medium and providing a signal in response to movement of said medium by a constant incremental distance; drive means responsive to the signals from the monitoring means for providing variable width pulses, each of which is controlled to have a width for driving the transport means until the medium has moved a predetermined distance corresponding to a predetermined number of incremental distances, said drive means also providing an indicating signal when the medium has moved said predetermined distance; and, control means, adapted for manipulation and responsive to the indicating signal from the drive means, for enabling the drive means to provide pulses to drive the transport means to move said medium additional predetermined distances each corresponding to said predetermined number of incremental distances, the rate of drive pulses being determined by said manipulation to move said recording medium at said variable desired velocity.

Claim 22

Apparatus for controlling the movement of an elongated medium for use in an information reproducing system of the type which has transducing means for reproducing information recorded on a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent to one another on a recording medium, said medium having an area of physical proximity to a rotating means carrying the transducing means, transport means for precisely controlling the movement of the medium relative to the rotating means to effect movement of the recording medium at a continuously variable desired velocity so that the area of physical proximity is controlled, allowing desired tracks to be scanned by the transducing means during reproducing; monitoring means for monitoring the movement of the medium and providing a signal in response to movement of said medium by a constant incremental distance; drive means responsive to the signals from the monitoring means for providing variable width pulses, each of which is controlled to have a width for driving the transport means until the medium has moved a predetermined distance corresponding to a predetermined number of incremental distances, said drive means also providing an indicating signal when the medium has moved said predetermined distance; and, control means, adapted for manipulation and responsive to the indicating signal from the drive means, for enabling the drive means to provide pulses to drive the transport means to move said medium additional predetermined distances each corresponding to said predetermined number of incremental distances, the rate of drive pulses being determined by said manipulation to move said recording medium at said variable desired velocity.

Claim 23

In an information recording and reproducing system having transducing means for recording and reproducing signal information on and from a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent one another on a recording medium, said medium having an area of physical proximity to a rotating means carrying the transducing means, said system further having transport means for precisely controlling the movement of the medium relative to said rotating means so that the area of proximity is controlled allowing the desired track to be scanned by the transducing means during reproducing; pulse drive control means, adapted for manipulation, for providing pulse drive signals at a rate substantially determined by said manipulation to drive the transport means such that the medium is moved at an effective velocity ranging from zero to a relatively low velocity and the pulse drive signal being of a variable duration depending on the effective velocity sufficient to move the medium a predetermined distance; velocity servo control means adapted for manipulation for providing an adjustable continuous drive signal to drive the transport means such that the medium is moved at a velocity ranging from a cross-over velocity corresponding to said relatively low velocity of the medium to a relatively high velocity; and, switching means for switching control of the transport means from said pulse drive control means to said velocity servo control means when the transported medium velocity reaches and exceeds said cross-over velocity.

Claim 24

In an information recording and reproducing system having transducing means for recording and reproducing signal information on and from a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent one another on a recording medium, said medium having an area of physical proximity to a rotating means carrying the transducing means, said system further having transport means for precisely controlling the movement of the medium relative to said rotating means so that the area of proximity is controlled allowing the desired track to be scanned by the transducing means during reproducing; pulse drive control means, adapted for manipulation, for providing pulse drive signals at a rate substantially determined by said manipulation to drive the transport means such that the medium is moved at an effective velocity ranging from zero to a relatively low velocity and the pulse drive signal being of a variable duration depending on the effective velocity sufficient to move the medium a predetermined distance; velocity servo control means adapted for manipulation for providing an adjustable continuous drive signal to drive the transport means such that the medium is moved at a velocity ranging from a cross-over velocity corresponding to said relatively low velocity of the medium to a relatively high velocity; and, switching means for switching control of the transport means from said pulse drive control means to said velocity servo control means when the transported medium velocity reaches and exceeds said cross-over velocity.

Claim 25

The system of claim 19 wherein signal information was recorded on the medium while the medium moved at a first velocity, said cross-over velocity of the transport means corresponding to an effective velocity of the medium ranging from approximately 1/6 to 1/3 of said first velocity.

Claim 26

In an information recording and reproducing system having transducing means for recording and reproducing signal information on and from a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent one another on a recording medium, said medium having an area of physical proximity to a rotating means carrying the transducing means, said system further having transport means for precisely controlling the movement of the medium relative to said rotating means so that the area of proximity is controlled, thereby allowing desired tracks to be scanned by the transducing means during reproducing; pulse drive control means for controlling the effective velocity of the medium ranging from zero to a relatively low velocity comprising; monitoring means for monitoring the movement of the medium and providing signals in accordance with the distance that the medium moves; pulse drive means, responsive to the signals from the monitoring means, for driving the transport means until the medium has moved a predetermined distance, and control means adapted for manipulation for controlling said pulse drive means, said control means being adapted to selectively enable said pulse drive means to drive the transport means such that the effective velocity of the medium is substantially determined by said manipulation; velocity servo control means adapted for manipulation for providing an adjustable continuous signal to drive the transport means such that the medium is moved at a velocity ranging from a cross-over velocity corresponding to said relatively low velocity of the medium to a relatively high velocity; and switching means for switching control of the transport means from said pulse drive control means to said velocity servo control means when the transported medium velocity reaches and exceeds said cross-over velocity.

Claim 27

In an information recording and reproducing system having transducing means for recording and reproducing signal information on and from a plurality of generally parallel tracks located adjacent one another on a recording medium, said medium having an area of physical proximity to a rotating means carrying the transducing means, said system further having transport means for precisely controlling the movement of the medium relative to said rotating means so that the area of proximity is controlled, thereby allowing desired tracks to be scanned by the transducing means during reproducing; pulse drive control means for controlling the effective velocity of the medium ranging from zero to a relatively low velocity comprising; monitoring means for monitoring the movement of the medium and providing signals in accordance with the distance that the medium moves; pulse drive means, responsive to the signals from the monitoring means, for driving the transport means until the medium has moved a predetermined distance, and control means adapted for manipulation for controlling said pulse drive means, said control means being adapted to selectively enable said pulse drive means to drive the transport means such that the effective velocity of the medium is substantially determined by said manipulation; velocity servo control means adapted for manipulation for providing an adjustable continuous signal to drive the transport means such that the medium is moved at a velocity ranging from a cross-over velocity corresponding to said relatively low velocity of the medium to a relatively high velocity; and switching means for switching control of the transport means from said pulse drive control means to said velocity servo control means when the transported medium velocity reaches and exceeds said cross-over velocity.

Claim 28

The system of claim 21 wherein the signal information was recorded on the medium while the medium moved at a first velocity, said cross-over velocity of the transport means corresponding to an effective velocity of the medium ranging from approximately 1/6 to 166 of said first velocity.