Optical tape apparatus with a tracking control mechanism and/or a focusing control mechanism

An optical tape apparatus comprising:

• means for transporting in a longitudinal direction an optical tape comprising an optical recording medium on which control data comprising tracking signals is recorded at dispersed locations in the longitudinal direction;
• and
• an optical head for recording, reproducing, or rewriting data on the tape and detecting the tracking signals recorded on the tape by directing an optical beam onto the tape while the tape is being transported by the transporting means and scanning the beam across the tape at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the optical head includes a tracking mechanism for controlling the position of the beam on the tape in accordance with the detected tracking signals.

An optical tape apparatus comprising:

• means for transporting an optical tape comprising an optical recording medium in a longitudinal direction;
• and
• an optical head for recording, reproducing, or rewriting data on the tape by directing an optical beam onto the tape while the tape is being transported by the transporting means and scanning the beam across the tape at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the optical head comprises:
• a semiconductor laser for emitting an optical beam;
• and
• an optical system exhibiting chromatic aberration for directing the beam emitted by the laser onto the tape;
• wherein the beam is reflected from the tape after being directed onto the tape, and wherein the optical system focuses the directed beam onto the tape by changing the wavelength of the beam emitted by the laser by directing part of the reflected beam back to the laser, thereby changing the focal point of the beam by virtue of the chromatic aberration of the optical system.