Control apparatus for selectively recording signals

• US 4,430,676 A
• Filed: 04/30/1982
• Issued: 02/07/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael K. Johnson
• Original Assignee: Michael K. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Konick, Bernard
• Assistant Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald
• Application Number:
  US06/373,632
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 360/13, 360/69, 360/71, 360/33.1, 360/74.1, 360/14.1, 360/14.2, 360/14.3, 369/47, 369/50, 369/48, 369/19, 358/908, 358/165, 358/188, 358/335, 358/310, 358/311, 455/230, 455/231, 179/1 MN, 179/1 VC
• US Class Current: 360/13
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/22 Means responsive to presence or absence of recorded information signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/908 Pause control, i.e. "commercial killers"

Abstract

Control apparatus for recording first wanted signals of an input signal having the first signals and second unwanted signals, each of the second signals being of a time duration up to a predetermined maximum and each of the first signals being of any time duration greater than the predetermined maximum, including a circuit, responsive to the input signal, for automatically distinguishing the first signals from the second signals as a function of time duration, and a circuit for producing recorder control signals to record each of the first signals and to prevent recording of the second signals.

Claims

1. A system for processing an audio input signal having wanted first audio signals of any time duration greater than a predetermined duration and having unwanted second audio signals of any time duration up to the predetermined duration, comprising:

(a) a recorder for recording the first signals;

(b) a pause detector for detecting the start of the first and second signals and for generating timing pulses having a duration proportional to the duration of the first and second signals;

(c) timer means, responsive to the timing pulses, for generating first data bits of one level for a time up to the predetermined duration and for generating second data bits of another level after the predetermined duration;

(d) first address counter means, responsive to the timing pulses, for generating first memory addresses;

(e) first means, responsive to the end of the timing pulses or the second data bits, for generating first enabling pulses;

(f) recorder delay means for delaying the input signal having the first and second signals a duration greater than the predetermined duration;

(g) encoder means, responsive to the timing pulses, for adding start signals to the first and second signals being delayed to identify the start of the first and second signals;

(h) decoder means for decoding the start signals added to the first and second signals being delayed;

(i) second address counter means, responsive to the decoded start signals, for generating second memory addresses;

(j) second means, responsive to the decoded start signals, for generating second enabling pulses;

(k) a memory;

(l) master clock means for enabling said memory in response to the first enabling pulses up to the predetermined duration to write the data bits of said timer means into said memory in response to the first addresses, and thereafter the alternately enabling said memory in response to the first enabling pulses and the second enabling pulses to read out the data bits stored in said memory in response to the first addresses and the second addresses; and

(m) switch means, responsive to the data bits read out from said memory, for turning on and off said recorder.

2. Apparatus to control the recording of an input signal on a recorder, the input signal having first signals and second signals, each of the second signals being of a time duration up to a predetermined maximum and each of the first signals being of any time duration greater than the predetermined maximum, comprising:

(a) means, responsive to the input signal, for automatically distinguishing the first signals from the second signals as a function of time duration; and

(b) means, connected to said automatically distinguishing means for producing recorder control signals to activate a recorder in order to record each of the first signals and to deactivate the recorder to prevent recording of the second signal;

said automatically distinguishing means further including timing means responsive to the start of each of the first signals and the second signals for generating one data signal for the predetermined maximum time duration and for generating another data signal after the predetermined maximum time duration lapses and means for storing each one data signal and each other data signal;

said producing means including means for generating marking signals identifying the start of each of the first signals and the second signals and means responsive to the marking signals for controlling said storing means to output the one data signal and the other data signal as recorder control signals.

3. Control apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for generating marking signals comprises:

(a) delay means for delaying the input signal a duration greater than the predetermined maximum duration;

(b) tone encoder means for producing tone signals identifying the start of each of the first signals and second signals and being delayed the duration greater than the predetermined maximum duration; and

(c) tone decoder means, responsive to the delayed tone signals, for producing tone decoded signals as the marking signals.

4. Control apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said means for storing and said means for controlling further comprise master clock means for alternately enabling said storing means to write in the one or the other data signal corresponding to a present first or second signal of the input signal and to read out a stored one or the other data signal corresponding to a previous first or second signal of the input signal.

5. An automatic editor for making a recording on a recorder of wanted first signals from an input signal having the first signals and unwanted second signals, each of the second signals being of a time duration up to a predetermined maximum and each of the first signals being of any time duration greater than the predetermined maximum, comprising:

(a) means for distinguishing the first signals from the second signals as a function of time duration and for generating one data bit identifying the first signals and another data bit identifying the second signals;

(b) means for delaying the input signal having the first and second signals for a predetermined time period and for adding to the start of the first and second signals start signals to provide delayed start signals;

(c) a data bit storage memory;

(d) means for writing the one data bit and the other data bit for each of the first and second signals into said memory;

(e) meams for detecting the delayed start signals;

and

(f) means, responsive to the detected start signals, for reading the stored one data bit and other data bit from said memory to activate a recorder in order to record each of the first signals and to deactivate the recorder to prevent recording of the second signal.

6. An automatic editor according to claim 5 wherein said means for reading comprises:

(a) address counter means for generating addresses to said memory to access the stored data bits corresponding to the delayed first signals or second signals; and

(b) means for enabling said memory.

7. An automatic editor according to claim 5 wherein said means for delaying and for adding comprises a tape recorder having a continuous looped tape for continuously recording and playing back the first and second signals.

8. An automatic editor according to claim 5 wherein said means for distinguishing comprises:

(a) a pause detector for generating a pulse at the start of each of the first and second signals, the pulse having a width proportional to the duration of each of the first and second signals; and

(b) timing means, responsive to the pulse, for counting for the predetermined maximum time duration and having one state corresponding to the one data bit subsequent to the predetermined maximum time duration and another state corresponding to the other data bit prior to the predetermined maximum time duration.

9. An automatic editor according to claim 8 wherein said means for writing comprises means, responsive to the end of the pulse corresponding to the second signals or the change of state of said timing means, for enabling said memory.

10. An automatic editor according to claim 9 wherein said means for writing further comprises address counter means for generating memory addresses to said memory to store each of the one data bit and the other data bit.