Auto-changer and method with an optical scanner which distinguishes title information from other information

• US 5,689,484 A
• Filed: 07/05/1994
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirasawa, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolff, John H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, DAVID DONALD
• Application Number:
  US08/267,226
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 369/32, 369/33, 369/34, 369/36.38, 369/30, 369/272, 369/273, 360/92-95, 360/97.03, 360/97.04, 360/98.01, 360/98.04, 382/8, 382/46, 382/65, 382/282, 382/305, 382/306, 382/321
• US Class Current: 369/30.3
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/689 Control of the cassette changing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/225 wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/12 by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter end mark
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/913 Digital audio tape [DAT] format
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/24 by sensing features on the record carrier other than the transducing track ; sensing signals or marks recorded by another method than the main recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

An auto-changer stores media such as audio or video discs or tape cassettes in numbered slots in a magazine. For each of the media in the magazine, title information is entered from an input device and stored in a memory. The input device may be a manual device, such as a keyboard, or an automatic device, such as optical character recognition equipment. The titles are sorted in the memory and displayed on a display in, for example, alphabetic order, so that the user can find desired titles easily. When the user selects a title from the display, a changer transfers the corresponding medium from the magazine to a player.

Claims

1. An auto-changer for storing a plurality of recorded media and for selecting and playing one of said media, comprising:

a magazine having a plurality of slots for storing said media;

a changer, mechanically coupled to said magazine and a player, for selecting a slot in said magazine and transferring a medium between said player and the selected slot;

a player for reproducing signals recorded on a medium transferred from a selected slot;

an input means for entering titles of each medium stored in said magazine, the input means including title distinguishing means,

for determining that each medium is correctly oriented so that a plurality of predetermined areas potentially containing title information can be optically scanned;

for optically scanning alphanumeric character information from each of the plurality of predetermined areas potentially containing title information printed on each medium,

for comparing size of the scanned alphanumeric character information from each of the plurality of predetermined areas relative to the size of the scanned alphanumeric character information from each of the other predetermined areas,

for distinguishing title information from other information printed on each medium based on the relative size comparison, and

for subsequently recognizing the scanned alphanumeric character information of the predetermined area containing the distinguished title information, as the title of each medium;

a memory for storing a list of slot numbers with said entered titles of each medium stored in corresponding slots in said magazine;

a sorter for sorting said list in a predetermined manner, based upon said titles;

a display for visually displaying said sorted list of titles of each of the media stored in said magazine;

a control means for selecting one of said titles from said display for subsequent play; and

a system controller, electrically coupled to said magazine, said player, said changer, said input means, said memory, said sorter, said display, and said control means, for receiving said titles from said input means, storing said titles and corresponding slot numbers in a list in said memory, commanding said sorter to sort said list in said predetermined manner, and commanding said changer to select a slot of said magazine corresponding to the title selected by said control means, and transfer a medium stored in the selected slot to said player for subsequent play.

2. The auto-changer of claim 1, wherein said sorter sorts said list by alphabetic order of said titles.

3. The auto-changer of claim 1, wherein said sorter divides said list into two parts including:

a first part comprising N titles of the N most recently entered media stored in said magazine, N being a fixed positive integer; and

a second part comprising remaining titles of remaining media stored in said magazine.

4. The auto-changer of claim 1, wherein said input means further includes a keyboard.

5. The auto-changer of claim 1, further comprising transport means for transporting said media from said optical character recognition device to said magazine.

6. The auto-changer of claim 1, wherein said media are tape cassettes having title information printed in a predetermined position.

7. The auto-changer of claim 1, wherein said media are discs, and said optical character recognition device includes a turning means for rotating said media until said title information is horizontally oriented.

8. The auto-changer of claim 1, wherein the title distinguishing means of the input means rejects scanned alphanumeric character information comprising a logo mark as title information and recognizes other scanned alphanumeric character information as title information based upon relative size of the scanned alphanumeric character information.

34. The auto-changer of claim 1, wherein said title information is human readable character information.

35. The auto-changer of claim 6, wherein said title information is human readable character information.

38. The auto-changer of claim 1, wherein the title distinguishing means of the input means selects the one of the plurality of the predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information which is relatively largest in size as containing title information, to distinguish title information from other information printed on each medium.

39. The auto-changer of claim 38, wherein the title distinguishing means of the input means rejects the selected one of the plurality of predetermined areas, containing scanned alphanumeric character information relatively largest in size, as containing title information, upon a subsequent determination that the scanned alphanumeric character information in the selected one area is a logo mark.

40. The auto-changer of claim 39, wherein the title distinguishing means of the input means then selects a next one of the plurality of predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information next relatively largest in size as containing title information, when distinguishing title information from other information printed on each medium, upon rejecting the selected one of the plurality of predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information relatively largest in size.

9. An automatic storage and play device for storing a plurality of prerecorded media and for selecting and playing each of the media, comprising:

storing means for storing the plurality of media, one in each of a plurality of slots;

input means for inputting titles of each medium stored in said storing means, the input means including, a title distinguishing means,

for determining that each medium is correctly oriented so that a plurality of predetermined areas potentially containing title information can be optically scanned;

for optically scanning alphanumeric character information from each of the plurality of predetermined areas potentially containing title information printed on each medium,

for comparing size of the scanned alphanumeric character information from each of the plurality of predetermined areas relative to size of the scanned alphanumeric character information from each of the other predetermined areas,

for distinguishing title information from other information printed on each medium based on the relative size comparison, and

for subsequently recognizing the scanned alphanumeric character information of the predetermined area containing the distinguished title information, as the title of each medium;

memory for storing each of said input titles and a slot number corresponding to one of said plurality of slots in which each medium is stored;

display means for visually displaying each of said stored input titles to allow a user to select a stored medium for subsequent play based upon said visual display; and

system controller, electrically coupled to each of the storage means, input means, display means and memory for commanding storage of input titles and slot numbers into the memory and controlling the display by the display means.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

sorting means, electrically coupled to the system controller, for arranging said stored input titles in a predetermined manner in response to a command from the system controller;

said display means displaying said input titles arranged in said predetermined manner, subsequent to operation of said sorting means and in response to a command from the system controller, to allow a user to expeditiously select a stored medium for subsequent play.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said predetermined manner includes arranging said stored input titles in alphabetic order.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said media include discs.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said media include cassettes.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said input means further includes a keyboard.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said title distinguish means includes an optical character recognition device for automatically scanning a medium and inputting a title for storage in said memory, upon the medium being stored in a slot of said storing means.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said slot number is transmitted, with the title, to the memory, from the input means.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

sorting means for continuously arranging said stored input titles in a predetermined manner upon storage of each title in said memory;

said display means continuously displaying said input titles arranged in the predetermined manner, to allow a user to expeditiously select a stored medium for subsequent play.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said predetermined manner includes arranging said stored input titles in alphabetic order.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said display means is physically separate from said storing means such that a user can select a stored medium for subsequent play without the need of viewing said medium in storing means.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

control means, electrically coupled to the system controller, for selecting one of the displayed titles;

a changer, mechanically coupled to the storing means and a player and electrically coupled to the system controller, for selecting the slot in the storing means corresponding to the selected title in response to a command from the system controller indicating selection of a title by the control means, and for transferring the medium in the selected slot to the player; and

the player for playing the transferred medium.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said media include discs.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said media include cassettes.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said input means further includes a keyboard.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said title distinguishing means includes an for automatically scanning a medium and inputting a title for storage in said memory, upon the medium being stored in a slot of said storing means.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said slot number is transmitted, with the title, to the memory, from the input means.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

sorting means, electrically coupled to the system controller, for continuously arranging said stored input titles in a predetermined manner upon storage of each title in said memory and upon command from the system controller;

said display means continuously displaying said input titles arranged in a predetermined manner, to allow a user to expeditiously select a stored medium for subsequent play.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said predetermined manner includes arranging said stored input titles in alphabetic order.

28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said display means is physically separate from said storing means such that a user can select a stored medium for subsequent play without the need of viewing said medium in storing means.

36. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said title information is human readable character information.

41. The automatic storage and play device of claim 9, wherein the title distinguishing means of the input means selects the one of the plurality of the predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information relatively largest in size as containing title information, when distinguishing title information from other information printed on each medium.

42. The automatic storage and play device of claim 41, wherein the title distinguishing means of the input means rejects the selected one of the plurality of predetermined areas, containing scanned alphanumeric character information relatively largest in size, as containing title information, upon a subsequent determination that the scanned alphanumeric character information in the selected one area is a logo mark.

43. The automatic storage and play device of claim 42, wherein the title distinguishing means of the input means then selects a next one of the plurality of predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information next relatively largest in size as containing title information, when distinguishing title information from other information printed on each medium, upon rejecting the selected one of the plurality of predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information relatively largest in size.

29. A method for storage and play of a plurality of prerecorded media comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of media, one in each of a plurality of slots of a magazine;

inputting titles of each medium stored in the magazine, said inputting step including the substeps of,

determining that each medium is correctly oriented so that a plurality of predetermined areas potentially containing title information can be optically scanned;

optically scanning alphanumeric character information from each of the plurality of predetermined areas potentially containing title information printed on each medium,

comparing size of the scanned alphanumeric character information from each of the plurality of predetermined areas relative to size of the scanned alphanumeric character information from each of the other predetermined areas,

distinguishing title information from other information printed on each medium based on the relative size comparison, and

subsequently recognizing the scanned alphanumeric character information of the predetermined area containing the distinguished title information, as the title of each medium;

storing, in a memory, each of the titles and a slot number corresponding to one of the plurality of slots in which each medium is stored; and

displaying, visually, each of the stored input titles to allow a user to select a medium for subsequent play based upon the visual display.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

arranging the stored input titles, prior to display, in a predetermined manner, wherein the arranged stored input titles are subsequently displayed in the display step to allow a user to expeditiously select a stored medium for subsequent play.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined manner of arranging includes arranging the stored titles in alphabetic order.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of the displayed titles;

controlling a changer, mechanically coupled to the magazine and a player, to select the slot corresponding to the selected title, and to transfer the medium from the selected slot to the player; and

playing the transferred medium in the player.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the display is physically separated and electrically operatively connected to the player, changer, and magazine such that a user can select a stored medium for subsequent play without the need of viewing the medium in the magazine.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein said title information is human readable character information.

44. The method of claim 29, wherein the inputting step further includes selecting the one of the plurality of the predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information relatively largest in size as containing title information, to distinguish title information from other information printed on each medium.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the inputting step further includes rejecting the selected one of the plurality of predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information relatively largest in size, as containing title information, upon a subsequent determination that the scanned alphanumeric character information in the selected one area is a logo mark.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the inputting step further includes selecting a next one of the plurality of predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information next relatively largest in size as containing title information, when distinguishing title information from other information printed on each medium, upon rejecting the selected one of the plurality of predetermined areas containing scanned alphanumeric character information relatively largest in size.