Multiply pulsed magnetic recording

Claim 2

A current driver for a magnetic recording head, comprising: means for directing to said head a current of a polarity corresponding to a digital data signal pulse during the pulse width of said signal pulse; and means for enabling said current directing means only during a plurality of separate write pulse widths occurring during a signal pulse width, the sum of said plurality of write pulse widths being substantially less than the signal pulse width, a repetition period of said write pulse widths being longer than a value that is a ratio of a value of a head gap of said recording head to a velocity of a magnetic tape moving relative to said magnetic recording head, said value being increased to account for movement of said tape during one said write pulse width.

Claim 3

A current driver as recited in claim 1, further comprising a constant current source for providing a current of one polarity to said current directing means and wherein said directing means receives as a current only said current of said one polarity.

Claim 4

A current driver as recited in claim 2, wherein said enabling means is a switch for interrupting the supply of said current from said current source to said current directing means and further comprising means for supplying a write signal of regular and repetitive pulses having said write pulse widths to control said switch.

Claim 5

A current driver as recited in claim 3, wherein said switch is a transistor.

Claim 6

A current driver as recited in claim 3, wherein said current directing means is a current steering bridge.

Claim 7

A current driver as recited in claim 5, wherein said switch is a transistor.

Claim 8

A current driver as recited in claim 1, wherein said directing means directs current to a plurality of heads and said enabling means enables said directing of current to only one head at a time.

Claim 9

A current driver as recited in claim 1, wherein said repetition period is substantially twice a ratio of said head gap to said velocity.

Claim 10

A current driver for a plurality of recording heads, comprising: a constant current source providing a current of a predetermined polarity; a plurality of current steering bridges, each for directing the current from said current source to a corresponding recording head with a polarity determined by a corresponding digital data signal pulse having a data pulse width; a plurality of electronic switches connecting said current steering bridges to said current source; and means for enabling each of said switches for a plurality of separate write pulse widths during a data pulse width, said switches being enabled successively for one write pulse and only one switch being enabled at a time; and wherein a repetition period of said write pulse widths is longer than a value that is a ratio of a value of a head gap of said recording heads to a velocity of a magnetic tape moving relative to said recording heads, said value being increased to account for movement of said tape during one said write pulse width.

Claim 11

A current driver for a plurality of recording heads, comprising: a constant current source providing a current of a predetermined polarity; a plurality of current steering bridges, each for directing the current from said current source to a corresponding recording head with a polarity determined by a corresponding digital data signal pulse having a data pulse width; a plurality of electronic switches connecting said current steering bridges to said current source; and means for enabling each of said switches for a plurality of separate write pulse widths during a data pulse width, said switches being enabled successively for one write pulse and only one switch being enabled at a time; and wherein a repetition period of said write pulse widths is longer than a value that is a ratio of a value of a head gap of said recording heads to a velocity of a magnetic tape moving relative to said recording heads, said value being increased to account for movement of said tape during one said write pulse width.

Claim 12

A current driver as recited in Claim 9, wherein said enabling means enables each said switch during said data pulse width for a duty cycle substantially less than unity.

Claim 13

A current driver and recording head, as recited in claim 10, further comprising a thin-film recording head assembly comprising a plurality of conducting paths electrically connected to said recording heads and wherein said current steering bridges direct current through said conducting paths.

Claim 14

A current driver as recited in claim 9, wherein said repetition period is substantially twice a ratio of said head gap to said velocity.

Claim 17

A method of magnetic recording as recited in claim 13, wherein said repetition period is substantially twice a ratio of said head gap to said velocity.