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US 6,188,535 B1Granted
Arcuate scanning tape drive with a servo mechanism responsive to servo patterns in arcuate tracks on a moving tape
AssigneeJames U. Lemke
InventorsJames U. Lemke, A. Bruce Manildi, James C. Crosby, Charles J. Spatafore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tape drive includes a rotary head assembly for recording and playing back a series of arcuate tracks on a moving tape where the tracks are transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tape. The tape drive includes a servo mechanism for correcting track misregistration by adjusting the position of the rotary head assembly with respect to the tape in response to servo information in the arcuate tracks. A close transducing engagement between the tape and the rotary head assembly is provided by creation of a low ambient pressure between the assembly and the tape when the assembly rotates.
Claims56
An apparatus for reading information on a magnetic tape, including:
- a frame;
- means in the frame for receiving a container holding a magnetic tape and for positioning the magnetic tape at a reading location;
- transport means in the frame for engaging the magnetic tape and for advancing the magnetic tape longitudinally past the reading location;
- a rotating transducer carrier;
- transducer means on the transducer carrier for reading information on the magnetic tape;
- means for positioning the rotating transducer carrier adjacent the reading location to rotate on an axis of rotation which passes through the magnetic tape near the reading location, said axis of rotation corresponding substantially to the center of a circular transducing path followed by the transducer means when the transducer carrier rotates;
- means for rotating the transducer carrier to read a sequence of arcuate information tracks on the magnetic tape;
- and
- control means connected to the transducer means, to the transport means, and to the means for positioning and responsive to servo information in the arcuate information tracks for aligning the transducer means with the arcuate information tracks by adjusting:
- the speed of advancement of the magnetic tape;
- and
- the location of the transducer carrier with respect to the magnetic tape at the reading location.
9 more elements
A tape format for recording information on a magnetic tape in a tape drive including means for advancing the magnetic tape longitudinally, at least one electromagnetic transducer mounted for rotary scanning of the magnetic tape, the format comprising:
- at least one sequence of arcuate information tracks recorded transversely across a longitudinal center line of the magnetic tape;
- and
- track identification fields in the arcuate tracks, substantially aligned with the longitudinal center line, each track identification field containing a plurality of bits which indicate a respective identification of the track.
A combination for transduction of information on a magnetic tape, wherein the magnetic tape includes a compliant material having a first side for magnetically storing information and a second side, the combination comprising:
- at least one electromagnetic transducer;
- a rotary mounting having an axis of rotation, a periphery, and a surface of rotation centered on the axis of rotation at which the at least one electromagnetic transducer is retained at a predetermined radial distance from the axis of rotation;
- a tape drive for longitudinally advancing the magnetic tape past the surface of rotation;
- means for rotating the rotary mounting so that the at least one electromagnetic transducer reads a series of arcuate magnetically recorded tracks on the first side of the magnetic tape;
- and
- control means connected to the at least one electromagnetic transducer, and to the tape drive and responsive to information in the arcuate tracks for aligning the at least one electromagnetic transducer with the arcuate tracks by adjusting:
- the speed of advancement of magnetic tape;
- and
- the location of the rotary mounting with respect to the magnetic tape.
6 more elements
A combination for electromagnetic storage of information, comprising:
- a tape cartridge;
- an elongate electromagnetic tape movably contained in the cartridge, the tape including a longitudinal center-line;
- and
- a sequence of magnetization regions on a surface of the electromagnetic tape for storing information, the magnetization regions being in the form of substantially arcuately-shaped tracks which extend transversely across the longitudinal center-line from a first edge to a second edge of the tape;
- each track including;
- a track identification field substantially aligned with the longitudinal center-line of the magnetic tape, each track identification field containing a plurality of bits which identify the track.
3 more elements
In an information storage apparatus, including:
- a magnetic tape cartridge containing a magnetic tape with a longitudinal center-line and first and second edges;
- at least one electromagnetic transducer;
- a rotary mounting having an axis of rotation and a surface of rotation centered on the axis of rotation at which the at least one electromagnetic transducer is retained at a predetermined radial distance from the axis of rotation;
- and
- means for rotating the rotary mounting so that the at least one electromagnetic transducer reads information on the magnetic tape;
- a method for servoing the position of the at least one electromagnetic transducer with respect to the magnetic tape, the method comprising the steps of:
- advancing the magnetic tape along the longitudinal center-line;
- recording a sequence of arcuate information tracks on the magnetic tape, the arcuate information tracks extending substantially across the longitudinal center-line, from the first edge to the second edge of the tape;
- the recording step including, for each track of a plurality of tracks:
- recording at least one field including servo information;
- rewinding and then advancing the magnetic tape along its longitudinal center-line;
- reading the arcuate tracks;
- and
- in response to readback of servo information during the reading step, aligning the at least one electromagnetic transducer with an arcuate track containing the servo information by adjusting the speed of tape.
11 more elements
In an information storage apparatus, including:
- a magnetic tape cartridge containing a magnetic tape with a longitudinal center-line and first and second edges;
- at least one electromagnetic transducer;
- a rotary mounting having an axis of rotation and a surface of rotation centered on the axis of rotation at which the at least one electro-magnetic transducer is retained;
- and
- means for rotating the rotary mounting so that the at least one electro-magnetic transducer reads information on the magnetic tape;
- a method for servoing the position of the at least one electro-magnetic transducer with respect to the magnetic tape, the method comprising the steps of:
- advancing the magnetic tape along the longitudinal center-line;
- recording a sequence of arcuate information tracks on the magnetic tape, the arcuate information tracks extending substantially across the longitudinal center-line from the first edge to the second edge of the tape;
- the recording step including, for each track of a plurality of tracks:
- recording at least one field including servo information;
- rewinding and advancing the magnetic tape along its longitudinal center-line;
- reading the arcuate information tracks with the at least one electro-magnetic transducer;
- and
- in response to readback of servo information during the reading step, aligning the at least one electro-magnetic transducer with an arcuate track by repositioning the rotary mounting so that the axis of rotation passes through the tape at another position on the locus.
11 more elements
In a tape drive, a method of writing information on a magnetic tape in a sequence of arcuate tracks, each track in the sequence of arcuate tracks following a curved path extending from a first edge to a second edge of the tape across a longitudinal center line of the tape, the method including the steps of:
- inserting a tape container containing the tape into the tape drive;
- activating the tape drive to write the sequence of arcuate tracks;
- and
- for a track in the sequence of arcuate tracks:
- (a) writing track servo information in a first track servo region following the first edge of the tape;
- (b) writing one or more data fields between the first track servo region and the longitudinal center line;
- (c) writing information identifying the track substantially at the longitudinal center line;
- (d) writing one or more data fields between the longitudinal centerline and a second track servo region preceding the second edge of the tape;
- and
- (e) writing track servo information in the second track servo region.
7 more elements
An apparatus for reading information on a magnetic tape, including:
- a frame;
- a transport means in the frame for engaging and advancing a magnetic tape past a reading location;
- a rotating transducer carrier;
- transducer means on the transducer carrier for reading information on a magnetic tape;
- means in the frame for positioning the rotating transducer carrier adjacent the reading location to rotate on an axis of rotation which passes through the magnetic tape, said axis of rotation corresponding substantially to the center of a circular transducing path followed by the transducer means when the transducer carrier rotates;
- means for rotating the transducer carrier to cause the transducer means to read information in arcuate information tracks;
- and
- servo means responsive to information in arcuate information tracks of a magnetic tape for aligning the transducer means with the arcuate information tracks.
5 more elements
An apparatus for recording information on a magnetic tape, including:
- a frame;
- means in the frame for receiving and positioning a magnetic tape at a recording location;
- transport means in the frame for engaging and advancing the magnetic tape longitudinally past the recording location;
- a rotating transducer carrier;
- transducer means on the transducer carrier for recording information on the magnetic tape;
- and
- channel means connected to the transducer means for causing the transducer means to write a sequence of arcuate information tracks containing servo signals on the magnetic tape.
4 more elements
A magnetic tape for storing data for access by an arcuately scanning tape drive, comprising:
- a magnetic tape with two edges and a longitudinal center line;
- and
- data stored in a plurality of arcuate tracks on said magnetic tape, each arcuate track of the plurality of arcuate tracks extending in an arc from a first edge to a second edge of said magnetic tape, across the center line, said data including servo signals for causing alignment of an arcuately-scanning tape drive transducer with arcuate tracks on said magnetic tape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.