RECORD CARD SCANNING APPARATUS

• US 3,803,350 A
• Filed: 09/05/1972
• Issued: 04/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US05/286,056
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 178/6,6.8,DIG.22 235/61.11R,61.11D 340/174.1F
• US Class Current: 348/96
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/08 by means detecting the change of an electrostatic or magnetic field, e.g. by detecting change of capacitance between electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6895 Automatic tape changing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/04 using flat record carriers, e.g. disc, card
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/02 Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2104 for one or a few pictures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2175 with local image input

Abstract

An oblong magnetic record strip or card and a transducing device are provided together with control means for effecting recordings on selected record tracks of the card. The card or strip may be used as a storage medium for full frame video signals such as composite picture signals of documents. A plurality of such signals are selectively recorded on a card and selectively reproduced therefrom and utilized to generate images on a monitor of the original documents scanned to generate the video signals. Signals are magnetically recorded longitudinally and, in certain instances, oblique to the longitudinal axis of the card. Means are provided for repeatedly reproducing the same video signal from the recording thereof on the card and applying same to maintain a still image on a monitor screen.

Claims

1. An information storage and retrieval system employing a plurality of record cards, each containing a plurality of recordings of document information, and including means for selectively monitoring said information without directly viewing said card, comprising:

a. a card reading device including a support, b. transducing means supported by said support for generating electrical signals representative of document information scanned by said transducing means, c. said transducing means having an output, d. a monitor means connected to said output of said transducer means, e. means for guiding and driving a card fed to said reading device relative to said transducing means to bring the recordings into operative relationship with said transducing means whereby said transducing means may read selected information recorded on said card, f. first control means for energizing and de-energizing said transducing means whereby signals generated by the latter appear at said output, g. means for generating control signals to predeterminately operate said first control means to energize same after a card has been fed to said reading means, whereby selected document information recorded on a card will be read by said transducing means, h. said monitor means including image generating means responsive to the signals generated by said transducing means in scanning a selected recording of a card for forming an image representative of the selected document information scanned, whereby said selected information may be viewed and monitored, and i. means for successively repeating scanning of said selected recording to sustain a still image at said monitor means over an extended period of time for viewing of said image.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, said cards having a plurality of magnetic recording tracks predeterminately located thereon, a plurality of document image signals recorded on said tracks and means for generating a control signal when a selected magnetic recording track and said transducing means are in operative relationship with each other, whereby an electrical signal of a selected recording on said card will be generated by said transducing means and will be operative to cause the generation of an image On said monitor means representative of the document recording scanned.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2, said support including a housing, said transducing means comprising a plurality of magnetic pick-up heads within said housing and each operative to scan a different record track of a card fed through said housing, and means for selectively energizing one of said pick-up heads as the card is passing through said housing to scan a selected recording on said card and generate a selected information signal and generate a pictorial representation thereof on said monitor means.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3, said plurality of recordings on each card each comprising a composite video picture signal having components for both deflection controlling and intensity modulating the write beam of said cathode ray device.

5. A system in accordance with claim 3, whereby said plurality of recordings on each card each comprise at least one video picture signal derived from a television camera pick-up and generated when the read-beam of said camera has scanned a full frame of information in the scanning field of the camera, said monitor means including a cathode ray device employing a beam to write information on a display screen thereof, said video picture signal being operative to intensity modulate said beam during its sweep of said display screen.

6. A system in accordance with claim 4, in which each of said cards has a track containing recordings of vertical and horizontal sync signals and equalizing signals sufficient to control the beam of said cathode ray device in effecting a full frame scan of its image screen, said plurality of picture signals being predeterminately located on said card with respect to said recordings of vertical and horizontal sync signals, and further transducing means for reproducing said vertical and horizontal sync and equalizing signals during a reading cycle in which a selected picture signal is reproduced from said card and applying said sync and equalizing signals to said cathode ray device.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, whereby said information signals are arranged along a plurality of parallel tracks which are oblique to the longitudinal axis of said record member, said reproduction transducing means being operative to scan selected of said oblique parallel tracks, and means for selectively predeterminately locating said transducing means and a selected of said tracks whereby a selected information signal may be reproduced from said selected track.

8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 7, in which said support includes a movable part to which said transducing means is mounted, means for rotating said part together with said transducing means and means for locating said record member in relation to said part, whereby the rotating transducing means will sweep a selected of said tracks.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, including means for predeterminately wrapping said record member around said drum to effect helical scanning of said record member by said transducing means.

10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8, in which said movable part comprises a drum, said transducing means having a head disposed at the periphery of said drum, including helical guide means for predeterminedly curvedly deforming said record member to conform to the peripheral surface of said drum, whereby said head is pre-positioned with respect to said record member by said drum as it rotates and sweeps the selected track.

11. An apparatus in accordance with claim 10, including means for predeterminately stopping said record member predeterminately located with respect to said drum while retaining said drum rotating, whereby said head sweeps a selected track for a plurality of times so as to maintain a still image on the screen of said visual monitor means.

12. An information storage and retrieval system employing a plurality of record cards, each containing a plurality of information recordings and incluDing means for selectively monitoring said information without directly viewing said card, comprising:

a. a card reading device including a support mounted for rotation about an axis, b. transducing means supported by said support at the periphery thereof for generating electrical signals representative of information recorded on said cards and scanned by said transducing means, c. said transducing means having an output, d. means for guiding and driving a card fed to said reading device relative to said transducing means in a helical path about said axis as a center to bring the recordings into operative relationship with said transducing means whereby said transducing means may read selected information recorded on an oblique track on said card, and e. control means for energizing and de-energizing said transducing means whereby signals generated by the latter appear at said output.

13. An information storage and reproduction system having erasable information recorded as signals on magnetic recording areas of a plurality of magnetic record cards;

a reproduction unit including means for receiving and guiding individual record cards along a predetermined path extending through said unit;

magnetic reproduction transducing means including at least one magnetic pick-up head prepositioned with respect to said card guiding means;

drive means for causing relative movement of a card and said pick-up head such that the pick-up head scans the magnetic recording area of a card when the latter is operatively aligned with the pick-up head, with signals recorded on the magnetic recording areas of the cards operable to modulate said magnetic reproduction transducing means to generate information signals on the output of the transducing means;

monitor means including a visual display unit operatively connected to the output of the transducing means and operative to receive the output signals thereof whereby the display of the visual display unit is modulated in accordance with the characteristics of said output signals and the recorded information which is reproduced from the scanned card is visually displayed for monitoring purposes.

14. In a record system having information recorded on magnetic recording areas of a plurality of record cards with the magnetic recording area of each card containing at least one full-frame video picture signal predeterminately located thereon, the combination comprising a reproduction unit including a housing, magnetic transducing means including a video transducer supported by said housing, guide means for guiding individual record cards past said transducing means whereby the magnetic recording areas of the cards are operatively scanned by the transducer, feed means for moving individual record cards through said housing along said guide means, motor means operative to drive said feed means, means for energizing said transducing means as a card is driven past said transducer to cause a video picture signal recording on said card to modulate the output of said transducing means, a monitor-receiver operatively connected to said video transducer including a viewing screen and image generating means responsive to video picture signals transmitted thereto from said transducing means whereby the received video signals are operative to generate images on said viewing screen which images are representative of the picture signals magnetically recorded on and reproduced from said cards, control means for said feed means operative to cause said feed means to present individual cards to said transducer and to remove cards from said housing after said transducer has reproduced a full-frame video picture signal and the monitor-receiver has generated an image on its viewing screen which image is representative of the information contained in said video signal.