Optical video or data tape record and playback apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for recording information signals, said apparatus comprising: an optical tape record medium; a source of radiant energy providing a beam of coherent light; said beam of coherent light being modulated in accordance with said information signals; a rotatable support; means for guiding said optical tape record medium in a substantially 180° arc adjacent to said rotatable support; first and second means, attached to said rotatable support, for focusing said coherent light beam to a first spot and a second spot, respectively on said optical tape record medium; means for establishing relative motion between said rotatable support and said optical tape record medium such that said first and second focused light spots scan said optical tape record medium in a helical fashion along the arc established by said guiding means; and means, in the path of said beam of coherent light, for switching said beam of coherent light between a first path and a second path, said first path coupling said beam of coherent light to said first focusing means during a first time interval during which said optical tape record medium is helically scanned by said coherent beam of light focused by said first focusing means and said second path coupling said coherent beam of light to said second focusing means during a second time interval during which said optical tape record medium is helically scanned by said coherent beam of light focused by said second focusing means; and means, attached to said rotatable support and common to said first and second path, for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent light beam approaches said rotatable support from a first direction during said first time interval, to said first focusing means and for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a direction opposite to said first direction during said second time interval, to said second focusing means.

Claim 3

Apparatus for reproducing information signals, said apparatus comprising: an optical tape record medium having said information signals recorded thereon; a source of radiant energy providing a beam of coherent light; a rotatable support; means for guiding said optical tape record medium in a substantially 180° arc adjacent to said rotatable support; first and second means, attached to said rotatable support, for focusing said coherent light beam to a first spot and a second spot respectively on said optical tape record medium; means for establishing relative motion between said rotatable support and said optical tape record medium such that said first and second focused light spots scan said optical tape record medium in a helical fashion along the arc established by said guiding means; means, in the path of said beam of coherent light, for switching said beam of coherent light between a first path and a second path, said first path coupling said beam of coherent light to said first focusing means during a first time interval during which said optical tape record medium is helically scanned by said coherent beam of light focused by said first focusing means and said second path said coherent beam of light to second focusing means during a second time interval during which said optical tape record medium is helically scanned by said coherent beam of light focused by said second focusing means; means, attached to said rotatable support, and common to said first and second paths, for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a first direction during said first time interval, to said first focusing means and for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a direction opposite to said first direction during said second time interval, to said second focusing means; and light detection means, responsive to a light beam reflected from said optical tape record medium during the occurrence of said relative motion, for developing electrical signals representative of said recorded information signals.

Claim 4

Apparatus for reproducing information signals, said apparatus comprising: an optical tape record medium having said information signals recorded thereon; a source of radiant energy providing a beam of coherent light; a rotatable support; means for guiding said optical tape record medium in a substantially 180° arc adjacent to said rotatable support; first and second means, attached to said rotatable support, for focusing said coherent light beam to a first spot and a second spot respectively on said optical tape record medium; means for establishing relative motion between said rotatable support and said optical tape record medium such that said first and second focused light spots scan said optical tape record medium in a helical fashion along the arc established by said guiding means; means, in the path of said beam of coherent light, for switching said beam of coherent light between a first path and a second path, said first path coupling said beam of coherent light to said first focusing means during a first time interval during which said optical tape record medium is helically scanned by said coherent beam of light focused by said first focusing means and said second path said coherent beam of light to second focusing means during a second time interval during which said optical tape record medium is helically scanned by said coherent beam of light focused by said second focusing means; means, attached to said rotatable support, and common to said first and second paths, for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a first direction during said first time interval, to said first focusing means and for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a direction opposite to said first direction during said second time interval, to said second focusing means; and light detection means, responsive to a light beam reflected from said optical tape record medium during the occurrence of said relative motion, for developing electrical signals representative of said recorded information signals.

Claim 5

Apparatus for recording information signals, said apparatus comprising: an optical tape record medium; first and second sources of radiant energy; each of said sources providing a beam of coherent light; a rotatable support; means for guiding said optical tape record medium in a substantially 180° arc adjacent to said rotatable support; first and second maans, attached to said rotatable support, for focusing said coherent light beams from said first and second sources respectively to spots on said optical tape record medium; means for establishing relative motion between said rotatable support and said optical tape record medium such that said focused light spots of said coherent light beams scan said optical tape record medium in a helical fashion along the arc established by said guiding means; first means for modulating said coherent light beam from said first source in accordance with said information signals during a first time interval during which said light beam from said first focusing means helically scans said 180° arc of said optical tape record medium; second means for modulating said coherent light beam from said second source in accordance with said information signals during a second time interval during which said light beam from said second focusing means helically scans said 180° arc of said optical tape record medium; and means, attached to said rotatable support, for directing said light beam from said first source of radiant energy to said first focusing means during said first time interval and for directing said light beam from said second source of radiant energy to said second focusing means during said second time interval.

Claim 6

Apparatus for recording information signals, said apparatus comprising: an optical tape record medium; first and second sources of radiant energy; each of said sources providing a beam of coherent light; a rotatable support; means for guiding said optical tape record medium in a substantially 180° arc adjacent to said rotatable support; first and second maans, attached to said rotatable support, for focusing said coherent light beams from said first and second sources respectively to spots on said optical tape record medium; means for establishing relative motion between said rotatable support and said optical tape record medium such that said focused light spots of said coherent light beams scan said optical tape record medium in a helical fashion along the arc established by said guiding means; first means for modulating said coherent light beam from said first source in accordance with said information signals during a first time interval during which said light beam from said first focusing means helically scans said 180° arc of said optical tape record medium; second means for modulating said coherent light beam from said second source in accordance with said information signals during a second time interval during which said light beam from said second focusing means helically scans said 180° arc of said optical tape record medium; and means, attached to said rotatable support, for directing said light beam from said first source of radiant energy to said first focusing means during said first time interval and for directing said light beam from said second source of radiant energy to said second focusing means during said second time interval.

Claim 7

Apparatus for reproducing information signals, said apparatus comprising: an optical tape record medium having said information signals recorded thereon; first and second sources of radiant energy; each of said sources providing a beam of coherent light; a rotatable support; means for guiding said optical tape record medium in a substantially 180° arc adjacent to said rotatable support; first and second means, attached to said rotatable support, for focusing said coherent light beams from said first and second source respectively to spots on said optical tape record medium; means for establishing relative motion between said rotatable support and said optical tape record medium such that said focused light spots of said coherent light beams scan said optical tape record medium in a helical fashion along the arc established by said guiding means; means, attached to said rotatable support, and common to said first and second paths, for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a first direction during a first time interval, to said first focusing means and for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a direction opposite to said first direction during a second time interval, to said second focusing means; and first light detection means, responsive to said light beam from said first source and reflected from said optical tape record medium during said first time interval, for developing electrical signals representative of said recorded information signals; and second light detection means, responsive to said light beam from said second source and reflected from said optical tape record medium during said second time interval, for developing electrical signals representative of said recorded information signals.

Claim 8

Apparatus for reproducing information signals, said apparatus comprising: an optical tape record medium having said information signals recorded thereon; first and second sources of radiant energy; each of said sources providing a beam of coherent light; a rotatable support; means for guiding said optical tape record medium in a substantially 180° arc adjacent to said rotatable support; first and second means, attached to said rotatable support, for focusing said coherent light beams from said first and second source respectively to spots on said optical tape record medium; means for establishing relative motion between said rotatable support and said optical tape record medium such that said focused light spots of said coherent light beams scan said optical tape record medium in a helical fashion along the arc established by said guiding means; means, attached to said rotatable support, and common to said first and second paths, for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a first direction during a first time interval, to said first focusing means and for directing said coherent beam of light, when said coherent beam of light approaches said rotatable support from a direction opposite to said first direction during a second time interval, to said second focusing means; and first light detection means, responsive to said light beam from said first source and reflected from said optical tape record medium during said first time interval, for developing electrical signals representative of said recorded information signals; and second light detection means, responsive to said light beam from said second source and reflected from said optical tape record medium during said second time interval, for developing electrical signals representative of said recorded information signals.