Video disc program branching system

• US 4,571,640 A
• Filed: 11/01/1982
• Issued: 02/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanders Associates, INC. (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Baer, Ralph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/438,139
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 358/342, 358/343, 358/142, 369/32, 369/33, 369/41, 369/126, 369/109, 369/111, 434/323, 434/335, 434/336, 434/309
• US Class Current: 386/269
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/005 Programmed access to indexed parts of tracks of operating discs, by guiding the disc
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9205 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A video disc program branching system comprising multiple programs frequency multiplexed on a video disc and co-located substantially in the same portion of the disc wherein branching is achieved by designating specific ones of said multiple programs through frequency band selection.

Claims

1. A video disc program branching system comprising:

a video disc player;

a video disc having recorded thereon a plurality of groups of signals co-located on substantially the same portion of the disc, each group containing different program material recorded at different frequencies; and

means for branching by selecting predetermined ones of said multiple programs.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said groups of programs are co-located in the same groove of the video disc.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said selection means includes tuning apparatus responsive only to predetermined ones of said selected groups of signals.

4. A video disc program branching system, comprising:

a video disc having frequency multiplexed thereon multiple related programs co-located in substantially the same portion of said disc; and

means for branching by selecting specific ones of said multiple programs.

5. A method of effecting rapid branching of multiple programs frequency multiplex recorded on substantially the same portion of a video disc, comprising the steps of:

selecting specific ones of said multiple programs; and

passband filtering the recorded signal to output the selected program.

6. A video recording medium branching system, comprising:

a video playback unit;

a video recording medium having recorded thereon a plurality of programs which are co-located on substantially the same portion of the video recording medium;

means for responding to one of such programs which is displayed; and

means responsive to said responding means to display another of such programs.

7. A method of effecting rapid branching between multiple programs recorded on a video disc, comprising the steps of:

displaying one of such programs;

selecting a response to the information displayed by said one program; and

displaying another of such programs in accordance with such selected response by bandpass filtering the recorded programs to couple only a single program to a display.

8. A video disc program branching system, comprising:

a video disc having recorded thereon a plurality of groups of signals co-located on substantially the same portion of the disc, each group containing different program material and comprising a different band of frequencies;

means for displaying at least one of said programs;

means for electing a particular response to said displayed one program; and

means for displaying another of said programs depending on the elected response.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said means for displaying another of said programs includes a plurality of bandpass filters, one of which is coupled to said video disc in response to said election means.