Information storage and retrieval
First Claim
1. A recording apparatus for recording optically readable images on a storage member comprising recording material by means of which such images can be recorded on the member, the apparatus comprising processing means for recording said images on the storage member, the processing means having imaging means for imaging data to be recorded onto the storage member, and the apparatus also comprising drive means for producing relative motion between the imaging means and the storage member so that an image can be directed at a desired location of the storage member, and control means for controlling the drive means to enable an image to be recorded at any desired one of a plurality of areas of a two-dimensional array of areas in a first zone of the storage member, the control means comprises means for reading co-ordinate defining positional information conveyed by the storage member in a second zone to ascertain a datum position for a first co-ordinate and for a second co-ordinate of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system in which each of said areas has its own two-dimensional co-ordinate address;
- and said control means comprising measuring means for measuring relative displacements in the two co-ordinate directions to establish co-ordinate addresses relative to the datum positions of the co-ordinates.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for recording information in the form of a two dimensional array of miniature images on a recording material such as electrophotographic, photographic or photochromic material. Means are included for forming those images (by such of the processes of sensitizing, charging, exposing, developing or fixing as are appropriate to the particular material used) from originals or copies of legible size. A facility is provided to form one or more miniature images occupying only part of a storage member on one occasion, and to record a further such image or images on later occasions. Guide means and propulsion means in two dimensions are included for adjusting the relative positions of the storage member and the image forming or image viewing device so that any image space may be presented to the image forming device and any image may be presented to an image viewing device. Two dimensional measuring means are also included which provide information to a control system of the propulsion means so that it can present any chosen image space or image, defined by two numbers which are coordinates, to the image forming device or the image viewing device.
15 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A recording apparatus for recording optically readable images on a storage member comprising recording material by means of which such images can be recorded on the member, the apparatus comprising processing means for recording said images on the storage member, the processing means having imaging means for imaging data to be recorded onto the storage member, and the apparatus also comprising drive means for producing relative motion between the imaging means and the storage member so that an image can be directed at a desired location of the storage member, and control means for controlling the drive means to enable an image to be recorded at any desired one of a plurality of areas of a two-dimensional array of areas in a first zone of the storage member, the control means comprises means for reading co-ordinate defining positional information conveyed by the storage member in a second zone to ascertain a datum position for a first co-ordinate and for a second co-ordinate of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system in which each of said areas has its own two-dimensional co-ordinate address;
- and said control means comprising measuring means for measuring relative displacements in the two co-ordinate directions to establish co-ordinate addresses relative to the datum positions of the co-ordinates.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A recording apparatus for recording optically readable images on a storage member comprising recording material by means of which such images can be recorded on the member, the apparatus comprising processing means for recording said images on the storage member, the processing means having imaging means for imaging data to be recorded onto the storage member, and the apparatus also comprising drive means for producing relative motion between the imaging means and the storage member so that an image can be directed at a desired location of the storage member, and control means for controlling the drive means to enable an image to be recorded at any desired one of a plurality of areas of a two-dimensional array of areas in a first zone of the storage member, the control means comprises means for reading co-ordinate defining positional information conveyed by the storage member in a second zone distinct from the first zone to ascertain a datum position for a first co-ordinate and for a second co-ordinate of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system in which each of said areas has its own two-dimensional co-ordinate address;
- and a fluid-pressure operated bearing for preventing contact between the storage member and the imaging means when the apparatus is in use.
- View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A recording apparatus for recording optically readable images on a storage member comprising recording material by means of which such images can be recorded on the member, the apparatus comprising processing means for recording said images on the storage member, the processing means having imaging means for imaging data to be recorded onto the storage member, and the apparatus also comprising drive means for producing relative motion between the imaging means and the storage member so that an image can be directed at a desired location of the storage member, characterized in that there are control means for controlling the drive means to enable an image to be recorded at any desired one of a plurality of areas of a two-dimensional array of areas in a first zone of the storage member, the control means comprises means for reading co-ordinate defining positional information conveyed by the storage member in a second zone distinct from the first zone to ascertain a datum position for a first co-ordinate and a second co-ordinate of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system in which each of said areas has its own two-dimensional co-ordinate address;
- and said control means including compensation means for compensating for any error between at least one of the two co-ordinates of the storage member and the corresponding co-ordinate as defined by the drive means.
- View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A recording apparatus for recording optically readable images on a storage member comprising recording material by means of which such images can be recorded on the member, the apparatus comprising processing means for recording said images on the storage member, the processing means having imaging means for imaging data to be recorded onto the storage member, and the apparatus also comprising drive means for producing relative motion between the imaging means and the storage member so that an image can be directed at a desired location of the storage member, characterized in that there are control means for controlling the drive means to enable an image to be recorded at any desired one of a plurality of areas of a two-dimensional array of areas in a first zone of the storage member, the control means comprises means for reading positional information conveyed by the storage member in a second zone distinct from the first zone to ascertain a datum position for a first co-ordinate and a second co-ordinate of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system in which each of said areas has its own two-dimensional co-ordinate address;
- and said apparatus including means for reading indexing information conveyed by the storage member in a zone distinct from the first zone to obtain the two-dimensional address of desired data already recorded in the first zone.
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21. A recording apparatus for recording optically readable images on a storage member comprising recording material by means of which such images can be recorded on the member, the apparatus comprising processing means for recording said images on the storage member, the processing means having imaging means for imaging data to be recorded onto the storage member, and the apparatus also comprising drive means for producing relative motion between the imaging means and the storage member so that an image can be directed at a desired location of the storage member, characterized in that there are control means for controlling the drive means to enable an image to be recorded at any desired one of a plurality of areas of a two-dimensional array of areas in a first zone of the storage member, the control means comprises means for reading positional information conveyed by the storage member in a second zone to ascertain a datum position for a first co-ordinate and a second co-ordinate of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system in which each of said areas has its own two-dimensional address;
- and input means for inputting indexing data to the control means, the apparatus being arranged to record in a zone of the storage member distinct from the first zone the indexing data plus the co-ordinate address of the corresponding recorded area in the first zone.
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22. A recording apparatus for recording optically readable multi-bit images on a storage member comprising recording material by means of which such images can be recorded on the member, the apparatus comprising processing means for recording said images on the storage member, the processing means having imaging means for imaging a multi-bit image to be recorded onto the storage member, and the apparatus also comprising drive means for producing relative motion between the imaging means and the storage member so that an image can be directed at a desired location of the storage member, characterized in that there are control means for controlling the drive means to enable an image to be recorded at any desired one of a plurality of areas of a two-dimensional array of areas in a first zone of the storage member, the control means comprises means for reading positional information conveyed by the storage member in a second zone to ascertain a datum position for a first co-ordinate and to a second co-ordinate of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system in which each of said areas has its own two-dimensional co-ordinate address;
- and said apparatus including optical reading means for optically displaying any desired one of the plurality of areas in the first zone of the storage member.
- View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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25. A storage member (1) comprising recording material by means of which optically readable images (8) can be recorded and stored by the member, characterised in that the member comprises a first zone (7) at which said recording material is provided and, distinct from the first zone, means which provide a machine readable datum (5,6) for a first co-ordinate and for a second co-ordinate of a two co-ordinate system providing addressing means for each of a plurality of areas of the first zone (7).
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32. A method of storing information on a disc, which comprises (a) sensitizing a predetermined zone of the disc so that it becomes sensitive to electromagnetic radiation in, or close to, the optical range of wavelengths;
- (b) focussing onto the said predetermined zone, or a part thereof, a reduced image of the information to be recorded;
(c) developing and/or fixing the predetermined zone or said part thereof so as to hold the reduced image in reproducible form within or on the material constituting the predetermined area of said disc; and
(d) providing positional address data on the disc in one or more areas separate from said predetermined zone to enable the information recorded at said zone to be retrieved.
- (b) focussing onto the said predetermined zone, or a part thereof, a reduced image of the information to be recorded;
- 33. A recording apparatus for recording optically readable multi-bit images on a storage member comprising recording material by means of which such multi-bit images can be recorded on the member, the apparatus comprising processing means for recording said images on the storage member, the processing means having imaging means for imaging a multi-bit image, in a single imaging step, onto the storage member, and the apparatus also comprising drive means for producing relative motion between the imaging means and the storage member so that a multi-bit image can be directed at a desired location of the storage member and control means for controlling the drive means to enable a multi-bit image to be recorded at any desired one of a plurality of areas of a two-dimensional array of areas in a first zone of the storage member, the control means comprising means for reading co-ordinate defining information conveyed by the storage member in a second zone separate from the first zone to ascertain a datum position for a first co-ordinate and for a second co-ordinate of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system in which each of said areas has its own two-dimensional co-ordinate address, and means for use in measuring relative displacements of the imaging means and storage member in the two co-ordinate directions to establish co-ordinate addresses relative to the datum positions of the co-ordinates.
Specification