Magnetic control of a transducer signal transfer zone to effect tracking of a path along a record medium

A system for transferring information signals between magnetic tape and a rotating transducer with respect to a plurality of discrete tracks located adjacent one another and extending along the tape transverse to its length dimension as said transducer is controlled to trace a path that follows a track along the tape as information signals are transferred, the magnetic tape has signals recorded thereon from which the location of a track along the tape can be determined, comprising:

• a magnetic transducer disposed for transferring information signals with respect to the magnetic tape, said magnetic transducer including a body of magnetically permeable material defining a magnetic flux path therein and a winding disposed in electromagnetic coupling relation to the magnetic flux path, said body defining a transducing gap therein of selected length and width dimensions for magnetically coupling the magnetic flux path to the tape;
• a saturation control means coupled to the magnetic transducer and responsive to a control signal for magnetically saturating a selected region of the body to enable a selected width segment of the gap to effect the transfer of information signals between the tape and the winding;
• a rotatable member for rotating the magnetic transducer relative to the tape so that the selected width segment of the transducing gap traces a path that follows a track along the tape during the transfers of information signals with respect to the tape, said magnetic transducer mounted to the rotatable member with the length dimension of the gap extending in the direction of rotation of the magnetic transducer so that the selected width segment of the gap extends along the tape as the magnetic transducer rotates;
• means responsive to signals recorded on the magnetic tape for sensing deviations of the selected width segment of the transducing gap from the track being followed along the tape;
• and
• a generator for generating said control signal and coupling the same to the saturation control means, said generator is responsive to the sensed deviations to vary said control signal according to deviations of the selected width segment of the gap from the track followed along the tape to effect, upon coupling to the saturation control means, a corresponding movement of the enabled selected width segment along the defined transducing gap in the direction of the width dimensions so that the enabled selected width segment follows said track.

A rotary segmented scan magnetic tape apparatus for reproducing information signals recorded along parallel tracks extending laterally of the magnetic tape at an angle to its length dimension, wherein the information signals are reproduced by a rotating transducer located at a transducing station and in transducing relation with respect to the magnetic tape which is transportable through the transducing station, comprising:

• a transport mechanism for transporting the magnetic tape through the transducing station;
• a magnetic transducer including a body of magnetically permeable material defining a magnetic flux path therein and a winding disposed in electromagnetic coupling relation to the magnetic flux path, said body defining a transducing gap therein of selected length and width dimensions for reproducing information signals from the tape;
• a saturation control means coupled to the magnetic transducer and responsive to a control signal for magnetically saturating a selected region of the body to enable a selected width segment of the gap to effect the reproduction of information signals from the tape and coupling to the winding;
• a rotatable member for rotating the magnetic transducer relative to the tape at the transducing station during reproduction of information signals with respect to the tape, said magnetic transducer mounted to the rotatable member to be in transducing relation to the tape with the length dimension of the gap extending in the direction of rotation of the magnetic transducer so that the selected width segment of the gap traces a path along the tape in the direction the tracks extend along the tape as the magnetic transducer rotates;
• and
• a generator for generating said control signal and coupling the same to the saturation control means, said control signal varied according to deviations of the selected width segment of the gap from the track followed along the tape to effect, upon coupling to the saturation control means, a corresponding movement of the enabled selected width segment along the defined transducing gap in the direction of the width dimension so that the enabled selected width segment follows said track.

A helical scan tape apparatus for transferring information signals with respect to parallel tracks extending diagonally across a magnetic tape at an angle to its length dimension, the magnetic tape has signals recorded thereon from which the location of a track along the tape can be determined, comprising:

• a tape guide including a cylindrical surface for guiding the magnetic tape in the direction of its length dimension along a helical path about said surface at a helix angle relative to a rotation axis;
• a transport mechanism for transporting the magnetic tape in the direction of its length dimension along a path that extends through the helical path;
• at least one magnetic transducer including a body of magnetically permeable material defining a magnetic flux path therein and a winding disposed in electromagnetic coupling relation to the magnetic flux path, said body defining a transducing gap therein of selected length and width dimensions for magnetically coupling the magnetic flux path to the tape;
• a saturation control means coupled to the magnetic transducer and responsive to a control signal for magnetically saturating a selected region of the body to enable a selected width segment of the gap to effect the transfer of information signals between the tape and the winding;
• a rotatable member for rotating the magnetic transducer relative to the tape about the rotation axis through a transducing station along the helical path at which transfers of information signals occur with respect to the tape, said magnetic transducer mounted to the rotatable member to be in transducing relation to the tape as said transducer passes the transducing station, said transducer mounted to the rotatable member to have the length dimension of the gap extending in the direction of rotation of the magnetic transducer so that the selected width segment of the gap traces a path along the tape in the direction the tracks extend along the tape as the magnetic transducer rotates;
• means responsive to signals recorded on the magnetic tape for sensing deviations of the selected width segment from the track being followed along the tape;
• and
• a generator for generating said control signal and coupling the same to the saturation control means, said generator is responsive to the sensed deviations to vary said control signal according to deviations of the selected width segment of the gap from the track followed along the tape to effect, upon coupling to the saturation control means, a corresponding movement of the enabled selected width segment along the defined transducing gap in the direction of the width dimension so that the enabled selected width segment follows said track.

A method of effecting control of the path traced along a magnetic record medium by a magnetic transducer having a body of magnetically permeable material defining therein a transducing gap with a magnetically movable segment for transferring information signals with respect to the magnetic record medium, the magnetic record medium has signals recorded thereon from which the location of the magnetically movable segment relative to the magnetic record medium can be determined, said method comprising the steps of:

• relatively moving the magnetic transducer and magnetic record medium as information signals are transferred with respect to a track along said magnetic record medium follow by the magnetically movable segment of the transducing gap;
• sensing signals recorded on the magnetic record medium to obtain an indication of deviations of the magnetically movable segment relative to the track followed thereby;
• and
• moving the movable segment of the transducing gap along said transducing gap in response to the indicated deviations.

A method of effecting control of the path traced along a magnetic record medium by a magnetic transducer having a body of magnetically permeable material defining therein a transducing gap with a magnetically movable segment for transferring information signals with respect to the magnetic record medium, said method comprising the steps of:

• relatively moving the magnetic transducer and magnetic record medium for transferring information signals with respect to a track along said magnetic record medium followed by the magnetically movable segment of the transducing gap;
• sensing deviations of the magnetically movable segment relative to the track followed thereby;
• and
• moving the movable segment of the transducing gap along said transducing gap in response to the sensed deviations in a direction to a counteract the deviations so that the movable segment follows said track as the information signals are transferred.

A system for transferring information signals with respect to a magnetic record medium wherein the information signals are transferred by a transducer controlled to trace a selected path along the record medium during the transfers, the magnetic record medium has signals recorded thereon from which the location of the selected path can be determined, comprising:

• a magnetic core having a pair of core portions defining a transducing gap therebetween that is controllable to have a segment thereof forming a transducing zone for magnetically coupling the transducer and the record medium;
• control signal for magnetically saturating selected regions of the core portions to enable a selected segment of the gap to form the transducing zone for magnetically coupling the transducer and the record medium;
• means for producing relative movement between the transducing zone and the magnetic record medium that causes the transducing zone to trace a path along the record medium;
• means responsive to signals recorded on the magnetic record medium for sensing deviations of the enabled selected segment of the gap from the selected path;
• and
• a generator for generating a said control signal and coupling the same to the saturation control means, said generator is responsive to the sensed deviations to vary said control signal according to deviations of the transducing zone from the selected path to effect, upon coupling in the saturation control means, a corresponding movement of the enabled selected segment along the defined transducing gap in a direction so that the transducing zone follows the selected path.

A system for transferring information signals with respect to a magnetic record medium wherein the information signals are transferred by a transducer controlled to trace a selected path along the record medium during the transfer, the magnetic record medium has signals recorded thereon from which the location of the selected path can be determined, comprising:

• a magnetic core having a pair of core portions defining a nonmagnetic gap between them;
• a body of magnetic material which is located magnetically proximate each of said record medium and the gap of said magnetic core;
• means responsive to a control signal for generating a bias flux in said magnetic core which is coupled into said body of magnetic material to define in said body a signal transfer zone along a selected segment of said gap through which magnetic flux is coupled between said body and the record medium;
• means for producing relative movement between the signal transfer zone and the record medium along said gap that causes the signal transfer zone to trace a path along the record medium;
• means responsive to signals recorded on the magnetic record medium for sensing deviations of the enabled selected segment of the gap from the selected path;
• and
• a generator for generating said control signal to which said bias flux generating means is responsive, said generator is responsive to the sensed deviations to vary said control signal according to deviations of the signal transfer zone from the selected path to effect a corresponding movement of the selected segment along said gap in a direction which causes the signal transfer zone to follow said path.

A system for transferring information signals between a rotating transducer and tracks that extend along a magnetic tape at a selected angle relative to the length dimension of the tape, the transfer occurring during relative motion between the tape and the transducer at a net relative velocity different from a first net relative velocity that causes the transducer to trace a path along the tape at the selected angle, the net relative velocity determined by the velocity of transport of the tape and the velocity of rotation of the transducer and corresponding to the velocity of the relative motion between the tape and the transducer, comprising:

• a magnetic transducer disposed for transferring information signals with respect to the magnetic tape, said magnetic transducer including a body of magnetically permeable material defining a magnetic flux path therein and a winding disposed in electromagnetic coupling relation to the magnetic flux path, said body defining a transducing gap therein of selected length and width dimensions for magnetically coupling the magnetic flux path to the tape;
• a saturation control means coupled to the magnetic transducer and responsive to a control signal for magnetically saturating a selected region of the body to enable a selected width segment of the gap to effect the transfer of information signals between the tape and the winding;
• a rotatable member for rotating the magnetic transducer relative to the tape at a velocity during the transfers of information signals with respect to the tape;
• means for transporting the magnetic tape past the rotating magnetic transducer in the direction of the length dimension of the tape at a velocity during the transfers of information signals with respect to the tape, the velocity of rotation of the magnetic transducer and the velocity of transport of the tape selected to produce relative motion between the tape and the selected width segment of the transducing gap of the transducer at a second net relative velocity different from the first net velocity;
• and
• a generator for generating said control signal and coupling the same to the saturation control means, said control signal varied according to the difference between the first and second net relative velocities to effect, upon coupling to the saturation control means, a movement of the enabled selected width segment along the defined transducing gap in the direction of the width dimension so that the enabled selected width segment follows a path along the magnetic tape at the selected angle that said tracks extend along the tape.