Patent · US Expired

Optical detection of alignment and/or absence of tape cartridge leader pin

US6739536B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
4References
47Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 4, 2002
Grant dateMay 25, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 11, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B23/107
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

To detect alignment and/or absence of a tape leader pin in an opening of a tape cartridge, a light source scans the opening. Detection logic analyzes the detected reflection waveform signal for deviation from a cylindrical surface reflection of the tape leader pin, if any, such as elliptical or conical, representing tilt angle misalignment of the pin. Further, both ends of the pin are scanned for difference in displacement and for difference in amplitude, displacement representing tilt in the direction of scan, and amplitude representing that one end or the other is likely to have been pulled into the cartridge. Low amplitude of both represents absence of the pin.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.