Albert Watson Vinal

Dual track magnetic recording method

A unique dual track recording technique is described in which complementarily magnetically poled regions are simultaneously written in adjacent positions in two parallel tracks. Multi-track recording of magnetic data transitions in oppositely poled matched zones in the separate tracks provides a high flux coupling to a magnetic sensor. The sensor is exposed to the combined flux from both tracks. This also provides a high degree of data redundancy in the event of small physical anomalies in the magnetic medium or writing anomalies in one track or the other. Because a large magnetic field may be coupled, a magnetic sensor may be positioned at some substantial distance above the magnetic medium on which the data is recorded. This overcomes a significant problem in data reading and writing. The present limits of proximity to the magnetic medium of the sensor head or write head have been reached and still higher data density is desired. A high data density recording method is thus described which creates a significant field coupled to a sensor position at a substantial distance above the magnetic storage medium. Reading and writing data at densities upwards of 50,000 flux changes per inch and with channel densities of 4000 per inch may be achieved.