The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 15, 1986
Filed:
Jun. 15, 1984
Gordon R Schulz, Villa Park, CA (US);
Odetics, Inc., Anaheim, CA (US);
Abstract
An automatic tape tracking system for magnetic recorder/players which samples tape position and adjusts a number of active guide rollers to maintain the tape along a predetermined track. The present system uses only perfectly cylindrical rollers and requires no edge guiding. The guide rollers are adjustable in height and to change the direction of their axes. Both adjustments are effected with the use of linear stepper motors. The tape position is monitored at various locations throughout the recorder/player by cameras which monitor the position of the edge of the tape. Output signals from the cameras are fed to a microprocessor which controls the stepper motors. Height adjustments are made to instantaneously correct tape position and tilt adjustments are made to allow the guide rollers to remain, in height, in a neutral zone.