Discovision Associates

Del Mar Avionics, Inc.

Other

David P Gregg

Stephen K Shu

Kitchener Clark Wilson

Kenneth L Keester

An optical tape cartridge is disclosed that is suitable for playing by an optical tape player. The tape player provides the cartridge with a voltage supply capable of supplying the optical tape with a relatively high voltage. The tape cartridge includes a sealed cartridge housing and first and second tape reels that are disposed within and freely rotatable in either direction within the housing. The reels act as tape supply and tape take up reels. Also included in the cartridge is an optical tape that has a first surface on an optically recordable side. The tape is wound on and couples the two reels with a tape segment. The tape segment is positioned with the optically recordable side facing outwardly from each of the reels. The tape includes a conductive layer that extends substantially the length of the optical tape. The conductive layer is grounded at least one end. The housing includes a sealed window positioned on a housing surface that is located across a portion of the tape segment. The window allows optical reading from the segment of optical tape. A conductive guide guides the tape segment past the window. To guide the tape segment in this manner, the guide has a portion disposed adjacent the window. The conductive guide is connected to the relatively high voltage supplied by the tape player power supply. The conductive guide maintains the first surface of the tape segment a relatively fixed distance from the window by electrostatically attracting the grounded conductive layer of the tape segment towards the conductive guide.

Optical tape cartridge having improved tape movement mechanism

An optical tape duplicator is disclosed for making multiple copies of recorded optical tape by continuous contact recording. An information-bearing master tape held in intimate contact with an optical tape are passed through a recording zone exposed to a beam of radiant energy for recording information stored by the master tape to the optical tape. The master tape contains transmissive and non-transmissive portions that represent the information stored by the master tape. The optical tape is sensitive to the beam of radiant energy. The beam of radiant energy passes through the transmissive portions of the master tape while making contact with the optical tape in the recording zone, causing information stored by the master tape to be recorded by the optical tape as indicia where the optical tape was exposed to the beam of radiant energy.

Optical tape duplicator

A pick-up device for optical recording and playback includes two linear actuators coupled to an optical module and lying in a plane normal to the surface of an optical recording medium. The actuators are obliquely inclined to the optical axis of the optical module. Proportional differential actuation of the linear actuators moves the optical module bi-axially, i.e., normal or parallel to the recording medium surface, permitting control of both focus and tracking of information bits on the surface. The preferred embodiment employs two bi-directional linear actuators, each comprising a pair of back-to-back uni-directional actuators, each of which includes a flexible tubular housing enclosing a stack of thin, perforated disc-shaped electrodes separated by a dielectric fluid. Conductive elastomeric spacer rods support the disks in a parallel, longitudinally, spaced apart arrangement. Applying a voltage to adjacent pairs of disks via the conductive elastomeric rods causes an electrostatic attraction force between adjacent disks to shorten the stack. Contraction of the stack housing causes an elongated actuator rod disposed longitudinally through the housing and attached to a transverse end cap sealing the housing at one end to be extended further from the opposite end cap of the housing, the free end of the rod thus being able to exert a pushing force.

Shock-resistant, electrostatically actuated pick-up for optical

A novel method and apparatus utilizing conventional photo-reactive and reflective layers of a recording medium for optically recording and reading both digital and variable length, analog pulses of data, in an exacting manner to eliminate excess energy absorption by the medium and for reducing latent recording errors due to defects in the recording medium as well as due to the recording process itself. With this precise recording and reading technique, analog variable-length pulse recording, with its inherent wide bandwidth, as well as coded digital pulse recording, with its inherent narrow bandwidth, can be accommodated. The system monitors the optical transmissivity and reflectivity of the recording medium during the recording process in real time to accurately determine initial and terminal inflection points denoting inception and end of a recorded pulse in an exacting manner and to pinpoint and make allowances for recording defects which may yet yield errors on playback. A residual error reduction technique complements the variable pulse recording process by detecting and temporarily storing data and respective address at which data could not be accurately recorded due to chemical or physical anomalies in the recording medium.

Null inflection detection and pulse expand latch in an optical recording

The invention is a sealed optical tape cassette. Sealed means is employed to pull optical tape across a mobile recording bridge situated behind a transparent window. Bridge is operated upon by a pair of sealed internal/external pins to control tape tilt, focus and tracking of a light beam from a spinning optical head in a recorder/player to a desired point on the optical tape.

Optical tape cartridge

A method for large scale and economical manufacture of a second surface optical recording disk is disclosed. An optically transparent disk cover with tracking grooves and data etched on a mating side thereof is mated and embossed into an optically reactive layer of a first surface optical recording laminate web or sheet having an optically active layer, a reflective layer and a web support layer. The second surface optical recording device thereby created is then cut from the laminate web to yield a very inexpensive second surface optical recording disk.

Method for manufacturing a second surface optical storage device

A process for manufacture of a second surface optically recordable disc having ultraviolet (UV) inhibiting characteristics is disclosed. A reflective lamina of aluminum, superimposed on a glass lamina substratum, is flow process produced by pyrolysis and precipitation of a lamina of aluminum from gasified triisobutyl aluminum onto a lamina web of silicate (amorphous glass) which is concomitantly pyrolized from tetraethoxy silane, with or without alkoxide additives, and precipitated upon a flowing body of molten tin to form a composite lamination sheet. To complete the process, an optically active lamina which is applied over the reflective lamina is embossed with optically transparent ultraviolet (UV) inhibiting polycarbonate, protective covers, the mating surface of which, may be, pregrooved and coded to form second surface optically active media. Covers with bonded lamination are then successively severed from the laminated sheet to yield independent second surface optically recordable media.

Glass based optical disc manufacturing process

A process for manufacture of a second surface optically recordable disk is disclosed. A reflective sheet of aluminum, flow process produced by precipitation of a layer of aluminum from gasified triisobutyl aluminum onto a layer of molten indium, is mated with a polymer substratum sheet. In completion of the process, an optically active layer which is applied over the reflective layer is embossed with an optically transparent polycarbonate, protective cover, the mating surface of which, may be, pregrooved and coded with data relative to address and sector codes. Covers with bonded laminae are then successively severed from the lamina sheet to yield independent second surface optically recordable media.

Optical disk manufacturing process

A system for optically recording information on a recording medium, such as a video disk, by pulse-code modulation (PCM). The medium includes a reflective and radiation-sensitive recordable stratum which changes optically in accordance with the signal being recorded. The signal is recorded on the medium by a slaved coherent light light beam whose intensity is controlled by the recording medium itself. The recording medium controls the recording beam power in a manner to reduce dropouts to a minimum and to assure fidelity in the recorded signal throughout a predetermined range of surface speeds of the medium despite irregularities in the recording stratum.

Optical recording system utilizing proportional real-time feedback

A transparent record disc is provided which may appropriately have video signals optically recorded thereon, the record is composed of a lamination, for example, of pliant transparent plastic on a base of hard transparent plastic. The base provides strength for the record and the pliant plastic permits the video recording to be impressed into the record by simple embossing means, rather than by stamping or molding by which the surface of the record is actually raised above its melting point and caused to flow. An improved process for forming the video recordings on the disc record is also provided.

Disc-shaped member

Video record disc

Process for making a video record disc

A process whereby the reflective coating of a video disc is applied to the disc directly in the press in which the disc is stamped by the use of fluid organometallic compounds.

Growing community of inventors

Culver City, CA, United States of America

David P Gregg