Optical card with increased data storage capacity and recording/reproducing apparatus therefor

Claim 2

An optical card for storing data, comprising: a base member; a plurality of parallel linear tracks on the base member for storing the data; and address means alternately disposed on an opposite end of each successive track for storing an identifying code corresponding to the respective track.

Claim 3

The optical card according to claim 1, wherein the address means includes an address area at one end of each track, each area having at least one code stored thereon.

Claim 4

The optical card according to claim 2, wherein the base member includes a rectangular card-shaped support, and each address area also includes a clock code for synchronizing the storing of data on the card and a start code for indicating a start position for storing of data on the card.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4, also including the step of recording in each address area a clock code for synchronizing a recording/reproducing operation, and a start code for identifying a start position for recording/reproducing.

Claim 8

The method of claim 4, wherein the step of dividing includes the step of defining odd and even parallel tracks along the longitudinal direction of the card, and the step of encoding includes the step of recording the address data into an address area on one end of the even tracks, and the other end of the odd tracks.

Claim 9

A data recording/reproducing apparatus for an optical card having a plurality of recording tracks provided in a predetermined direction, on and from which data respectively recorded and reproduced, comprising: carrying means for carrying said card; recording/reproducing means for recording the data on or reproducing the data from said card carried by said carrying means; first driving means for moving said recording/reproducing means relative to said card in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction for aligning the recording/reproducing means with one of said plurality of recording tracks; and second driving means for accelerating said carrying means in the predetermined direction from a stop condition where the carrying means is stationary to a uniform velocity condition during a predetermined acceleration period and for decelerating and stopping the carrying means during a shorter period than the acceleration period so that the distance decelerated by the carrying means is shorter than that accelerated by the carrying means.

Claim 10

A data recording/reproducing apparatus for an optical card having a plurality of recording tracks provided in a predetermined direction, on and from which data respectively recorded and reproduced, comprising: carrying means for carrying said card; recording/reproducing means for recording the data on or reproducing the data from said card carried by said carrying means; first driving means for moving said recording/reproducing means relative to said card in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction for aligning the recording/reproducing means with one of said plurality of recording tracks; and second driving means for accelerating said carrying means in the predetermined direction from a stop condition where the carrying means is stationary to a uniform velocity condition during a predetermined acceleration period and for decelerating and stopping the carrying means during a shorter period than the acceleration period so that the distance decelerated by the carrying means is shorter than that accelerated by the carrying means.

Claim 11

The recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second driving means includes means for maintaining the carrying means at a uniform acceleration between the uniform velocity condition and the stop condition.

Claim 12

The recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second driving means includes means for changing the speed of the carrying means at a varying acceleration between the uniform condition and the stop condition.

Claim 13

The recording/reproducing apparatus according claim 7, wherein said optical card comprises a base member, the recording tracks including a plurality of linear recording tracks provided on the optical card and each having first and second ends, and address means provided alternately on the first and second ends of the successive tracks, for storing identifying codes corresponding to the respective tracks thereon.

Claim 14

The recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the address means includes an address area at one of the first and second ends of each of the tracks, the address area having at least one code stored thereon.

Claim 15

The recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said base member includes a rectangular card-shaped support, and the address area also includes a clock code for synchronizing the storing of data on the card and a start code for indicating the start position for storing data on the card.