Recovery recorder system, particularly commercial radio/TV broadcast recovery recorder system

• US 5,345,430 A
• Filed: 07/29/1992
• Issued: 09/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gordon Moe
• Original Assignee: Gordon Moe
• Inventors: Moe, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, TAN X
• Application Number:
  US07/921,183
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 369/7, 369/1, 369/6, 369/84, 369/85, 369/21, 360/7, 360/13, 360/15, 360/14.1, 300/1, 300/5
• US Class Current: 369/7
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• 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 27/029 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3018 used signal is a pilot signal outside the frequency band of the recorded main information signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A recording device and method for recovering a portion of a commercial radio or TV broadcast immediately after listening to it. The device consists of a short term memory media which is used to continuously record the last few minutes of the program being monitored, a control logic module which upon command will cause the material on the short term storage media to be transferred to a long term storage media, and the long term storage media. A timer, or a marker on the short term storage media, is used to terminate the recovery process.

Claims

1. A device for recording the last 3-15 minutes of an audio source:

1) means for continually monitoring said audio source,

2) a plurality of short term memory media,

3) means for continually recording said minutes of said source on one of said short term storage memory media, said plurality of short term storage memory media,

4) long term storage media, and

5) means for terminating recording on one of said short term storage memory media and transferring the contents thereof to said long term storage media upon command, said means for terminating including means for recording a marker signal in said short term memory means, and control logic means for sensing said marker signal and terminating transfer of said contents to said long term storage media.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said minutes is about 5 minutes.

3. A method for recovering the last few minutes of an audio source signals comprising:

1) continually monitoring said audio source signals,

2) providing a first and a second short term memory means,

3) continually storing a sequential predetermined number of minutes of said audio source signals, sequentially on said first and then said second short term storage means, respectively and a marker signal following said predetermined number of minutes,

4) providing a long term storage means,

5) transferring a selected one of said short term memory means contents to said long term storage means upon command,

6) terminating said transfer upon receipt of said marker signal.

4. A recorder system comprising:

means of forming a source of a selected audio one of an audio or video signal,

a short term memory means having a predetermined relatively short recording period,

a long term memory means having a plurality of said predetermined relatively short recording periods arranged in sequence therealong,

means for connecting said short term memory means to said source of a selected one of an audio or video signal to continuously record segments from said source of audio or video signals,

means for disconnecting said short term memory means from said selected one of an audio or video signals and causing a transfer of segments recorded in said short term memory means to said long term memory means for recording on said long term memory means, and including means for setting the duration of transfer of a segment recorded on said short term memory means to said long term memory means and resuming continuously recording of said selected one audio or video segment and wherein said means for setting the duration of transfer includes a means for recording a marker signal on the short term memory means, and control logic means for sensing said marker signal and terminate transfer of one of said segments recorded on said short term memory means to said long term memory means.

5. A device for recording the last 3-15 minutes of an audio source:

1) means for continually monitoring said audio source,

2) means for continually recording said minutes of said source on a short term storage memory media, and

3) recovery means for terminating recording on said short term storage and transferring the contents to a long term storage media upon command, and means for setting the duration of recovery to discontinue recording on said long term storage media and thereafter resuming said continuous recording on said short term storage memory media and wherein sid means for setting the duration of recovery includes means for recording a marker signal on said short term storage memory and control logic means for recognizing said marker signal.

6. Apparatus for recording short segments of a TV broadcast wherein:

a short term continuously recording storage means for recording segments of said TV broadcast,

a long term video recording storage means which is normally inactive,

manual switch means for initiating active operation of said long term recording storage means and playback operation of said short term continuously recording means to selectively transfer the contents of selected segments of said TV broadcast to said long term recording storage means for a predetermined period of time, and

an electronic timer initiated upon operation of said manual switch means for establishing said predetermined time period.

7. A device for recording selections from a radio broadcast audio signal:

1) monitor means for continually monitoring said radio broadcast audio signal and reproducing an analog audio signal corresponding thereto, a loud speaker means connected to said monitor means for reproducing an audio rendition of said radio broadcast audio signal for a listener;

2) analog-to-digital converter connected to said monitor means for converting said analog signal to digital signal;

3) digital delay means for delaying all of said digital signal in a predetermined interval;

4) a cassette tape recorder;

5) microprocessor means for selectively connecting said digital delay means to said tape recorder and transferring the contents thereof to said cassette tape recorder upon command, and selectively disconnecting said digital delay means from said cassette tape recorder, and a manual control member connected to said microprocessor for controlling the connection and disconnection of said digital delay means to said cassette tape recorder;

said monitor means further includes a vehicle radio and said manual control member is located for easy access without distracting the operator'"'"'s attention from operating the vehicle;

said predetermined time interval being of a size as to permit said listener to actuate said manual control member before the sound signal heard earlier by said listener emerges from said digital delay means and be recorded by said cassette tape recorder.

8. The device defined in claim 7 wherein said cassette recorder is an analog recorder and including digital-to-analog converter means connected between said digital delay means and said analog recorder.

9. The device defined in claim 7 wherein said predetermined time interval is from about 15 seconds to about 2 minutes.

10. The device defined in claim 7 wherein said digital delay means includes a dynamic random access memory.

11. The device defined in claim 7 wherein said digital delay means includes a FIFO memory element.