Signal processing apparatus and method wherein control signals and power signals are superimposed

• US 6,476,993 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Yoji
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, REGINA NEAL
• Application Number:
  US09/595,374
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 360/46, 360/64, 360/316
• US Class Current: 360/64
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/12 Masking of heads; circuits for Selecting or switching of heads between operative and inoperative functions or between different operative functions or for selection between operative heads; Masking of beams, e.g. of light beams track selection by moving the magnetic head G11B5/54
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/0008 Magnetic conditionning of heads, e.g. biasing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/0018 by current biasing control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/0086 using cyclically driven heads providing segmented tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/02 Recording, reproducing, or erasing methods; Read, write or erase circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/00 Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation by modifying optical properties or the physical structure, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power by sensing optical properties; Record carriers therefor G11B11/00, G11B13/00 take precedence

Abstract

A compact rotary transformer is disclosed. In the structure of the rotary transformer, a timing-signal producing unit detects a control signal superimposed on an electric power signal output from a power transmission channel of the rotary transformer to produce a timing signal. A head-switching-signal generating unit uses the timing signal to generate a switching signal for performing switching between reproducing heads so that one of the reproducing heads is selected by a switch. A reproduction channel of the rotary transformer outputs a reproducing signal via the switch.

Claims

1. A signal processing apparatus comprising:

a static unit;

a rotary unit rotating in relation to the static unit;

a plurality of recording/reproducing heads which are disposed on the rotary unit;

a rotary transformer, via which signal reception/transmission is performed between the static unit and the rotary unit;

means for generating an electric power signal supplied to a circuit inside the rotary unit from the static unit;

means for superimposing a control signal on the electric power signal generated by the generating means;

means for generating a reference-level voltage inside the rotary unit;

means for comparing a voltage level of the superimposed electric power signal with the reference-level voltage so as to obtain a switching signal; and

means for controlling the plurality of recording/reproducing heads inside the rotary unit by use of the switching signal.

2. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotary unit comprises two-channel heads used either for recording signals on a recording medium or for reproducing the signals recorded thereon;

the rotary transformer comprises a transmission channel corresponding to the two-channel heads; and

the controlling means performs switching between the two-channel heads according to the switching signal.

3. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recording medium is a magnetic tape, and the two-channel heads are either recording heads for recording signals on the magnetic tape or reproducing heads for reproducing the signals recorded on the magnetic tape.

4. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein at least said two-channel heads used for reproducing are magneto-resistive (MR) heads.

5. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said electric power supplied to the circuit inside the rotary unit is used to apply a bias signal to said MR heads.

6. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rotary transformer comprises two shortrings disposed between a channel for transmitting the electric power and the recording and/or reproducing signal transmission channel.

7. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotary unit comprises first two-channel heads used for recording signals on a recording medium and second two-channel heads used for reproducing the signals recorded thereon;

the rotary transformer comprises a transmission channel corresponding to each of the first and second two-channel heads; and

the controlling means performs switching between the first two-channel heads and switching between the second two-channel heads, respectively, according to the switching signal.

8. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the recording medium is a magnetic tape, and the first and second two-channel heads are recording heads for recording signals on the magnetic tape and reproducing heads for reproducing the signals recorded on the magnetic tape.

9. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotary transformer comprises two shortrings disposed between a channel for transmitting the electric power and the recording and/or reproducing signal transmission channel.

10. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 7 wherein at least said two-channel heads used for reproducing are magneto-resistive (MR) heads.

11. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said electric power supplied to the circuit inside the rotary unit is used to apply a bias signal to said MR heads.

13. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotary unit comprises two-channel heads used either for recording signals on a recording medium or for reproducing the signals recorded thereon;

the rotary transformer comprises a transmission channel corresponding to the two-channel heads; and

the controlling step comprises a step of performing switching between the two-channel heads according to the switching signal.

14. A signal processing method according to claim 13, wherein the recording medium is a magnetic tape, and the two-channel heads are either recording heads for recording signals on the magnetic tape or reproducing heads for reproducing the signals recorded on the magnetic tape.

15. A signal processing method according to claim 13, wherein at least said two-channel heads used for reproducing are magneto-resistive (MR) heads.

16. A signal processing method according to claim 15, wherein said electric power supplied to the circuit inside the rotary unit is used to apply a bias signal to said MR heads.

17. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotary unit comprises first two-channel heads used for recording signals on a recording medium and second two-channel heads used for reproducing the signals recorded thereon;

the rotary transformer comprises a transmission channel corresponding to each of the first and second two-channel heads; and

the controlling step comprises a step of performing switching between the first two-channel heads and switching between the second two-channel heads according to the switching signal.

18. A signal processing method according to claim 17, wherein the recording medium is a magnetic tape, and the first and second two-channel heads are recording heads for recording signals on the magnetic tape and reproducing heads for reproducing the signals recorded on the magnetic tape.

19. A signal processing method according to claim 17, wherein at least said two-channel heads used for reproducing are magneto-resistive (MR) heads.

20. A signal processing method according to claim 19, wherein, said electric power supplied to the circuit inside the rotary unit is used to apply a bias signal to said MR heads.

12. A signal processing method using a signal processing apparatus in which signal reception/transmission is performed between a static unit and a rotary unit rotating in relation to the static unit via a rotary transformer and in which a plurality of recording/reproducing heads are disposed on the rotary unit, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an electric power signal supplied to a circuit inside the rotary unit from the static unit;

superimposing a control signal on the electric power signal generated by the generating step;

generating a reference-level voltage inside the rotary unit;

comparing a voltage level of the superimposed electric power signal with the reference-level voltage so as to obtain a switching signal; and

controlling the plurality of recording/reproducing heads inside the rotary unit by use of the switching signal.