RANDOM ACCESS AUDIO/VIDEO INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

• US 3,609,227 A
• Filed: 09/09/1968
• Issued: 09/28/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maynard J. Kuljian
• Original Assignee: Maynard J. Kuljian
• Inventors: Kuljian, Maynard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Konick, Bernard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goudeau, J. Russell
• Application Number:
  US04/758,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 35/35C,60 178/6.6A 179/1.2MD,1.2E
• US Class Current: 386/285
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/12 different stations being capable of presenting different information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A random access retrieval system particularly adaptable as an instructional resource center, wherein master recording mediums feed audio or audio/video information recorded thereon in the form of selected programs to individual recording mediums, at the request of an individual located at one of a plurality of information request positions. The programs are selected on a time-sharing basis utilizing control logic generally in the form of computer/controller means which integrates all system operations, e.g., commands the operation of all recording mediums and operates the audio/video switching systems. The time-sharing concept allows program requests to be made simultaneously and not be held for more than 30 seconds, with the total waiting time for transfer of a program not exceeding 60 seconds in the particular retrieval system described herein by way of example only. To this end, programs are recorded on the master recording mediums at a selected slow speed, but are transferred to the individual recording mediums at a selected relatively fast speed, to provide the essentially instant information retrieval. The individual recording mediums may have an extra track for the responses or comments of the requestor. Various embodiments and modifications are available in accordance with the invention concepts.

Claims

1. A random access information retrieval system comprising the combination of:

master memory bank means for storing a variety of preselected information;

random access switch means operatively disposed to randomly access and receive information from the master memory bank means in response to commands introduced to the memory bank means and switch means;

information-receiving means operatively coupled to the switch means for receiving therefrom the information at a selected relatively high transfer speed, said information receiving means including individual record/readout means disposed to receive the information from the master memory bank means as selectively introduced via the random access switch means;

said random access switch means including matrix-type switch means having a plurality of input lines corresponding to the variety of preselected information coupled to the master memory bank means, and a lesser plurality of output lines each of which is coupled to a plurality of said individual record/readout means in time sharing relation, said matrix-type switch means providing random selection of specific portions of the stored information for selectively timed transfer thereof via the time-sharing lesser plurality of output lines and at the relatively high transfer speed to the relatively larger number of the record/readout means relative to output lines;

single information-requesting means operatively associated with said information-receiving means for initiating the commands for selection and transfer of the information and for directing the subsequent control of the information-receiving means; and

controller logic means for generating said commands in response to initiation thereof by the single information requesting means and for determining the specific portions of the information to be transferred, wherein the controller logic means includes computer/controller means for generating said commands in response to initiation thereof by the single information-requesting means, and for directing transfer of the specific portions of information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the variety of selected information includes signals defining video and audio information, and said information-receiving means and single information-requesting means define at least one dubber means coupled to the switch means via the lesser plurality of output lines to request in time-shared random access the specific portions of the information and to record thereon the information transferred from the master memory bank means at said relatively high transfer speed.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the dubber means includes record means including a slot for receiving and operating a cassette-type recording medium defining the information-receiving means, and keyboard means defining said single information-requesting means for initiating the commands for video and audio information transfer selectively.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said controller logic means comprises hard-wired control logic means coupled to the keyboard means, to the master memory bank means, and to the lesser plurality of output lines of the random access switch means.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said single information requesting means is adapted in association with the computer/controller means via control signals generated thereby, to assume control of the individual record/readout means upon transfer of the information.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising console means for monitoring the information-requesting means, fOr initiating commands similar to those intitiated by the single information-requesting means, and for logging the specific portions of the information requested and any calls from the information-requesting means;

wherein the console means includes a teletype unit adapted to log the portions of information which were requested by the information-requesting means in chronological order, as well as any calls directed to the console means from the information requesting means.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the single information-requesting means further comprises telephone means operatively coupled to the computer/controller means for initiating the commands and for assuming control of the individual record/readout means upon transfer of the information.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising dedicated video source means for introducing dedicated video information to the single information-requesting means in synchronism with the specific portions of information supplied thereto, wherein the computer/controller means provides synchronization of the information.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the variety of selected information includes signals defining video information, the system further including random access video processing means comprising slow scan converter means coupled to the individual record/readout means to condition the video information transferred from the master memory bank means to the record/readout means, and temporary video storage means operatively coupled to the slow scan converter means and adapted to selectively introduce video information temporarily stored therein to the information-requesting means.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the temporary video storage means comprises a temporary recording medium for storing a succession of frames of video information received from the slow scan converter means, movable record head means coupled to the slow scan converter means and disposed in recording relation to the temporary recording medium, and fixed reproduce head means disposed in readout relation to the temporary recording medium to introduce the succession of frames of video information to the information-requesting means.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein the variety of selected information includes signals defining video and audio information including signals representing video information addresses, the system further including random access video processing means including video address logic means coupled between the information-receiving means and the computer/controller means, video loading means for selectively introducing video information associated with the video information addresses, and temporary video storage means operatively coupled to the computer/controller means and to the video loading means and adapted to selectively introduce the video information to the information-requesting means.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the video loading means includes slide projector means for displaying photographic slides in selected order, television camera means disposed to view the displayed slides and for generating video information corresponding thereto for introduction to the temporary storage means, and loading control means for determining when the slides are displayed and thus when the video information is introduced to the temporary storage means.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the temporary storage means comprises a temporary recording medium for storing a succession of frames of the video information received from the video loading means, movable write head means and read head means coupled to the temporary storage loading means and disposed in recording and readout relation respectively to the temporary recording medium, and fixed reproduce head means disposed in readout relation to the temporary recording medium to selectively introduce the succession of frames of video information to the information requesting means.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein the master memory bank includEs at least one master recording medium having a plurality of tracks for storing the variety of preselected information, a plurality of magnetic heads disposed along respective tracks, and a plurality of electronic circuits coupled to the heads to provide means for readout of the specific portions of the information from at least one track, said electronic circuits including the plurality of input lines for introducing the information to said switch means, wherein the information is selectively introduced with random access to respective recording mediums of said individual record/readout means via the lesser plurality of output lines.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the switch means includes a full matrix audio switching unit adapted to interconnect a master recording medium and at least one of the plurality of individual recording mediums via the lesser plurality of output lines in response to the commands generated by the computer/controller means.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the switch means includes a trunkline switching unit adapted to interconnect a master recording medium with a selected number of the plurality of individual recording mediums via the lesser plurality of output lines in response to the commands generated by the computer/controller means.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the single information-requesting means includes a plurality of request stations operatively coupled to respective individual recording mediums, each Station including headset means and microphone means to allow monitoring the information transferred to the individual recording mediums, for responding thereto, and for monitoring the responses;

and touch keyboard means of selected number of keys for initiating the commands generated by the computer/controller means.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the touch keyboard means includes nonmoving keys and solid-state circuitry for generating request signals when a selected key is touched;

and the computer/controller means first generates commands indicative of identifying numerals of the specific portions of the information to initiate transfer of the information to the individual recording mediums associated with the keyboard means, and secondly upon transfer of the information generates commands in response to the signals from the keyboard, which commands control of the operation of the individual recording medium.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the computer/controller means includes respective interface control logic means coupled to the master memory bank means, to the switch means and to the individual record/readout means to provide logic to control and synchronize the various components;

and further includes a terminal unit coupled to the plurality of request stations to receive the request signals and command signals from the plurality of touch keyboard means.