U.S. Philips Corporation

Quantum Corporation

Steven E Stupp

Stephen Rodney Cumpson

Kofi A A Makinwa

Martinus L J M Van De Ven

A rotary magnetic head device for a helical scanning magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus includes a rotary drum, a thin-film magnetic head (,) protruding from the rotary drum in a diametrical direction for coming into contact with a magnetic tape (,), obliquely wound around part of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum, and head control circuit for adjusting the protrusion of the magnetic head (,) in the diametrical direction. The head control circuit includes a feed-forward control arrangement (,) to bring and hold the magnetic head into a protruded position in which the magnetic head exerts a constant normal force on a tape (,) wound around the drum.

Rotary magnetic head device for a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

Apparatus, and an associated method, protects against damage to a magnetoresistive sensor of a disk drive assembly, or other magnetic storage device, responsive to a thermal asperity event. Detection is made of the resistance of the magnetoresistive sensor. If the resistance increases, indicative of a temperature increase occurring as a result of a thermal asperity event, a full-sense current, or current of other appropriate magnitude is applied to the sensor, thereby to prevent alteration by the magnetic field of portions of the magnetoresistive sensor.

Apparatus, and associated method, for protecting a magnetoresistive

A recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a magnetic record carrier such as a tape or disk. The apparatus includes a magnetic recording/reproducing head, a guide for positioning the face of the head relative to a recording surface of the record carrier, and an actuator for moving the head relative to the guide in a direction normal to the recording surface. The actuator is driven by a control unit which receives a control signal from a detector upon detection thereby of frictional contact between the face of the magnetic head and the recording surface. That causes the control unit to cause the actuator to move the head so as to increase the distance between the face thereof and the recording surface.

Magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus with automatic control

A combination is disclosed of a magnetic record carrier and an apparatus for recording a digital information signal in a track on the record carrier. The apparatus includes an input terminal for receiving the digital information signal, an encoding unit for encoding the digital information signal so as to obtain a digital channel signal suitable for recording, and a writing unit for writing the digital channel signal in the track on the record carrier. The writing unit includes at least one write head having a specific gap width. The apparatus is adapted to write the digital channel signal in the record carrier with a bit-length which is smaller than 0.25 .mu.m, and the record carrier has an oblique easy-axis angle between 30.degree. and 42.degree. with regard to the longitudinal direction of the track and in a plane perpendicular to the record carrier.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Steven E Stupp