Patent ID: 7023651

Claim:
A method of transitioning from one tape velocity to another tape velocity using a rate-change-backhitch in a tape drive for use with magnetic tapes, the tape drive including a housing for receiving a magnetic tape and a tape head for reading and writing the tracks of the magnetic tape as the tape moves past the tape head at a tape velocity, wherein the tape velocity is transitioned from an initial tape velocity to a final tape velocity using the rate-change-backhitch, the initial tape velocity being the tape velocity going into the rate-change-backhitch, and the final tape velocity being the tape velocity going out of the rate-change-backhitch, the method comprising: decelerating the tape from the initial tape velocity until the tape velocity reaches a peak back velocity having a magnitude that is intermediate between the initial tape velocity and the final tape velocity; and thereafter, accelerating the tape from the peak back velocity to complete the backhitch and reach the final tape velocity, whereby the tape velocity is transitioned from the initial tape velocity to the final tape velocity using a backhitch.