Programmable non-linear speed control for a recording and/or reproducing apparatus

In a video tape recording and reproducing apparatus of the type which has a rotating scanning drum with a movable element carrying a transducing head that is transversely movable relative to the longitudinal orientation of the track to be produced, a servo means for controlling the transverse movement to accurately follow a track during reproducing of a track and to selectively automatically position the head to begin following the next desired track to be reproduced subsequently of the completion of reproducing of a track, and a capstan drive means for moving the tape during reproducing, a speed control apparatus for nonlinearly varying the speed of special motion effects thereof, said speed control apparatus comprising:

• a capstan servo for said capstan drive means, said capstan servo including a programmable counting means that receives an input clock signal of a predetermined frequency at a frist input and which provides an output signal having a frequency corresponding to the clock signal frequency divided by a number that corresponds to the value of a digital word applied at a second input thereto, the capstan servo causing said capstan to drive the tape at a speed that is proportional to the frequency of the output signal of the counting means;
• processing means for providing a digital word to said second input of said counting means, said digital word being a function of a variable spee control signal and of changes in the same, the processing means being responsive to changes of the speed control signal to delay changing the digital word with greater amounts of delay being provided upon changes made in the speed control signal at speeds faster than normal reproducing speed and very little delay being provided in response to changes that are made in the speed control signal while reproducing at slow motion speeds.

A nonlinear speed control apparatus for varying the transport speed of tape in a magnetic tape recording and reproducing machine, comprising:

• means for transporting the tape at a speed proportional to a parameter of a driving signal;
• movable means having positional settings for providing a speed control signal which varies with the positional setting of said movable means;
• and
• means responsive to the speed of the tape and to said speed control signal for varying said parameter of said driving signal in a non-linear fashion with incremental changes in said speed control signal to produce a smaller percentage change in the speed of the tape at relatively faster speeds and a greater percentage change at slower speeds.

A speed control apparatus for varying the transport speed of a tape in a magnetic tape recording and reproducing machine, comprising:

• means for transporting the tape at a speed proportional to the parameter of a driving signal;
• movable means having positional settings for providing a speed control signal which varies with the positional setting of said movable means;
• and
• means responsive to the speed of the tape and to said speed control signal for varying said parameter of said driving signal with a delay between the time that a change occurs in said speed control signal and the time that the corresponding variation in said parameter occurs, said delay being proportional to the speed of the tape in the range of normal playback speed and above.

A nonlinear speed control apparatus for varying the transport speed of tape in a magnetic tape recording and reproducing machine, said apparatus comprising:

• means for moving the tape, said moving means including a programmable counting means receiving an input signal of a predetermined frequency and providing an output signal having a frequency proportional to the input signal frequency divided by a variable preselected number, the speed of the tape being proportional to the frequency of the output signal of the counting means;
• means having positional settings for providing a speed control signal, the value of which varies with the positional setting of said means;
• and
• processing means for providing said preselected number to said counting means, said number being a function of the speed control signal and of changes in the same, said processing means being responsive to changes in the setting of said speed control signal providing means to produce a preselected number that varies non-linearly with incremental changes in the speed control signal productive of a lesser percentage change in speed of the tape at relatively fast speeds and a greater percentage change at slow speeds.