Radiation generation of "signature" for reeled-web

• US 4,565,927 A
• Filed: 10/17/1984
• Issued: 01/21/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Burroughs Incorporated (Terreno Realty Corp.)
• Inventors: Ragle, Herbert U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Application Number:
  US06/661,844
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 250/570, 250/560, 250/561, 73/432, 73/490, 382/1, 356/71, 356/376, 356/348
• US Class Current: 250/559.22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/67 by extracting end of record carrier from container or spool
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/281 by changing the physical properties of the record carrier

Abstract

One embodiment discloses a method and apparatus whereby each time a tape is wound upon a prescribed reel, the winding pattern may be assumed to leave the array of tape edges in a unique "edge profile" represented by the position of each winding edge as viewed from one side of the reel along a radial direction--this "profile" being interpreted as a "winding signature"; the signature may be detected via reflections of an energy beam and recorded in a convenient encoded fashion for possible use in uniquely identifying and documenting each unspooling/rewind sequence to thereby determine whether the tape has been "unspooled".

Claims

1. A method of developing a wrapping profile, or winding signature, for a tape web segment adapted to be wrapped upon a prescribed reel, this method being adapted to enhance computer tape file security so that each time such a web is wound upon a reel, the winding mode, after repeated windings, is assumed to leave the array of wrapped web edges in a unique edge wrap profile represented by the position of each winding edge as sighted radially along one side of the reel, such a profile constituting the "winding signature", this method involving:

providing radiant energy beam means automatically scanning the relative positions of these web-edges and detecting reflections therefrom as a "winding signature", and also providing associated means for electronically representing and storing these position values as a prescribed encoded set of signature-representing signals each time the web is wound;

this means being adapted to automatically make such "signature" representations available for use in monitoring unspooling and respooling operations.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said sets of signals are arranged to be used by arranging for the automatic electronic recordation of web edge positions as encoded signature representations each time a web is so wound;

and also providing means to compare such a recordation with a previously determined wrapping profile of a subject reel.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein such signature-representing signals are generated by providing a winding reel with reflective reference surface means about the array of web edges;

said reference surface means being arranged to establish a reference reflective surface for normalizing detected values and for orienting web position; and

by scanning said beam means across said reference surface means and across the edge of the so-reeled web whereby to provide a set of position-value output signals, indicating the orientation of tape web winding edges relative to a reference locus.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein associated source and receiver means are disposed remote from the tape reel, and operating to determine the relative position of tape edges by detecting reflectance values from exposed tape surfaces.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein laser source and receiver means are used.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein sonic source and receiver means are used.

7. The method of ascertaining whether a given web reel has been unspooled and respooled, this method being means of enhancing tape file security and comprising:

providing energy beam means remote from the reel and adapted to automatically detect the wrapping profile of the tape edges in the form of a prescribed set of "wrapping signature" signals which are electronic representations of the relative position of the spooled edges of the web and/or the extent to which they are offset from one another; and

also providing associated electronic compare means for comparing this set of signature signals with a known "standard".

8. The method as recited in claim 7, involving established reflectance reference surface means;

scanning the wrapped web and detecting the relative protrusion of successive loop edges and their respective reflectance values relative to said reference surface means; and

assigning values to the deviations of each loop edge relative to at least one prescribed reference plane.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein such a wrapping profile is automatically detected for each and every web-spooling sequence by detecting loop-edge position and electronically encoding the successive position readings with the "standard" to generate a unique "fingerprint" characteristic of each wrapping operation, this standard devised as electronic representations of prior reference positions of the edges.

10. Apparatus for developing a "stacking fingerprint", or wrap signature, to uniquely identify each magnetic tape spooling operation, automatically and electronically, as carried out on associated tape reel means, this apparatus comprising:

energy source means disposed remote from said tape reel means and adapted to generate and scan an energy beam radially across the so-wrapped tape to be reflected thereby and present a reflected beam indicating the position of the wrapped edges;

beam detect means to detect the so-reflected beam and responsively generate "signature signals" as an output indication thereof; and

electronic output means adapted to receive and process said "signature signals".

11. The combination as recited in claim 10 as combined with electronic code generating means adapted to automatically convert said signature signals to a "wrapping code" representation.

12. The combination as recited in claim 11, as combined with means for receiving and automatically storing the signature signals each time a tape is spooled, whereby a monitoring sequence is facilitated during which a wrapped taping segment may be rescanned to generate a "present wrapping code" representation for comparison with the so-stored automatic representation of a prior wrapping code, this as a means for checking file security.

13. An improved method of winding recording tape on a prescribed spool means so as to later ascertain whether the tape has been unspooled and respooled, this method comprising:

automatically detecting the wrapping profile of the tape edges after each spooling sequence with remote detect-beam means in the form of a prescribed wrapping "signature" constituting beam reflections from the tape edges as-spooled; and

electrically encoding and storing this "signature" so as to compare it with a known standard.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, including the step of also detecting reflections from a mechanical reference wrapping locus on at least one portion of the spool means whereby to automatically so orient the position of each wrapped tape edge relative to the reference locus.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein tape edge positions are automatically detected by a remote laser beam means and are encoded into a chain of edge-position indicia signals and wherein those indicia signals are automatically stored as a representation of the wrapping signature of the tape each time the tape is spooled.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein, each time said tape is spooled, the wrapping signature signals are developed, representing the edge-wrapping pattern of the spooled tape, and these are stored by electronic storage means adapted to facilitate electronic comparison of the so-developed signals with a standard pattern representing a prior, or other reference wrapping.

17. Segment storage means including cylindrical hub means on which an elongate segment may be spooled and wrapped through many turns;

and, operatively associated therewith, a detect-beam array disposed remote from the hub means and adapted to scan one or several energy beams along at least a portion of the so-spooled segments to be reflected thereby in the form of a wrap-indicating reflected beam, this reflecting beam being detected by associated detect means and converted into a set of "wrap-signature-signals".

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the detect beam array uses laser beam energy.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, as combined with signature detect means comprising scanning laser beam means and associated beam-reflectance detect means, both located remote from the hub means.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein electronic encoding means are provided and adapted to develop a chain of electronic position indicia representing variance of each spooled segment from a reference plane.