Rotary head type magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus employing dynamic closed loop and semi-closed loop or open loop tracking systems

A rotary head type magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus having a function of reproducing a main signal from a plurality of tracks having a plurality of pilot signals of different frequencies recorded to be superimposed sequentially on the main signal for every other track, said rotary head type magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus comprising:

• a rotary drum;
• a plurality of actuators attached on a circumferential face of said rotary drum with a constant distance therebetween, each of said plurality of actuators being displaceable in a track width direction;
• a plurality of magnetic heads attached to said plurality of actuators in a one-to-one correspondence;
• means for detecting a relative position error signal of one magnetic head out of said plurality of magnetic heads with respect to one track out of said plurality of tracks according to said pilot signal components included in a signal reproduced from said one track by said one magnetic head;
• control signal generating means for generating a control signal indicating an amount of displacement of one actuator corresponding to said one magnetic head out of said plurality of actuators, and for driving said one actuator so that the value of said relative position error signal approaches zero by closed loop control according to said detected relative position error signal;
• storage means for temporarily storing the control signal;
• and
• driving means for driving another actuator out of said plurality of actuators by open loop control according to said stored control signal.

A rotary head type magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus having a function of reproducing a main signal from a plurality of tracks having a plurality of pilot signals of different frequencies recorded to be superimposed sequentially on the main signal for every other track, said rotary head type magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus comprising:

• a rotary drum;
• a plurality of actuators attached on a circumferential face of said rotary drum with a constant distance therebetween, each of said plurality of actuators being displaceable in a track width direction;
• a plurality of magnetic heads attached to said plurality of actuators in a one-to-one correspondence;
• means for detecting a relative position error signal of one magnetic head out of said plurality of magnetic heads with respect to one track out of said plurality of tracks according to said pilot signal components included in a signal reproduced from said one track by said one magnetic head;
• means for generating a control signal for driving one actuator corresponding to said one magnetic head out of said plurality of actuators so that the value of said relative position error signal approaches zero by closed loop control according to said detected relative position error signal;
• absolute height detection means for detecting absolute height of said magnetic head attached to said one actuator detected by said absolute height detection means;
• and
• means for temporarily storing first information concerning the absolute height of said magnetic head attached to said one actuator detected by said absolute height detection means;
• and
• means for driving another actuator out of said plurality of actuators by semi-closed loop control according to said stored first information.

A method for controlling the tracking of a plurality of heads in a recording/reproduction apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing relative movement between a first head and a first data track;
• (b) detecting a relative position error signal of the first head with respect to the first data track;
• (c) generating a control signal for altering the position of the first head so that the value of the relative position error signal approaches zero;
• (d) temporarily storing the control signal for later use in controlling a position of a second head;
• (e) controlling the position of the second head in accordance with the stored control signal.

A method for controlling the tracking of a plurality of heads during data reproduction from a recording medium, the heads alternately tracking tracks on the recording medium during respective scanning time periods, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting a relative position error signal of a first head with respect to a data track during a first scanning time period;
• (b) generating a control signal for driving an actuator of the first head so that the value of the relative position error signal approaches zero;
• (c) storing the control signal;
• (d) controlling an actuator of a second head during a second scanning time period according to the stored control signal;
• and
• (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) during data reproduction from the recording medium.

A method for controlling the tracking of a plurality of heads over a recording medium in a recording/reproduction apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing first and second heads on respective independently controlled actuators;
• (b) providing relative movement between a first head and a first data track;
• (c) detecting a relative position error signal of the first head with respect to the first data track;
• (d) generating a control signal for driving the actuator of the first head so that the value of the relative position error signal approaches zero;
• (e) temporarily storing the control signal;
• (f) retrieving the temporarily stored control signal;
• (g) driving the actuator of the second head according to the retrieved control signal;
• and
• (h) repeating steps (b) through (g).

A method for controlling the tracking of a plurality of heads in a recording/reproduction apparatus, the heads alternately tracking during respective scanning time periods, comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting a relative position error signal of a first head with respect to a data track during a first scanning time period;
• (b) generating a control signal for driving an actuator of the first head so that the value of the relative position error signal approaches zero;
• (c) temporarily storing the control signal for use during a second scanning time period;
• (d) controlling an actuator of a second head during the second scanning time period according to the stored control signal;
• and
• (e) repeating steps (a) through (d).

A data recording/reproducing apparatus for reproducing data from a recording medium having a plurality of tracks, comprising:

• a plurality of independently controlled actuators;
• a plurality of data heads, each data head respectively connected to one of said plurality of independently controlled actuators;
• detecting means for detecting a relative position error signal of one data head with respect to one of the tracks;
• means for producing an information signal representing an amount of displacement of said one data head relative to the one track;
• means for temporarily storing the information signal for later use in controlling an actuator of a second data head;
• first drive signal producing means for producing a first actuator drive signal in accordance with the information signal, the drive signal driving an actuator connected to the first data head in a track width direction so that the value of the relative position error signal approaches zero;
• second drive signal producing means for retrieving the stored information signal and for generating a second actuator drive signal in accordance with the retrieved information signal, the second actuator drive signal driving a second actuator connected to the second data head in a track width direction.