System for custom recording

• US 5,900,830 A
• Filed: 05/22/1995
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Magic Music Cassette Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Scheffler, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kost, Jason L W
• Application Number:
  US08/446,449
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 341/123, 341/122, 341/144
• US Class Current: 341/123
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content
• 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 27/02 Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/86 Re-recording, i.e. transcribing information from one magnetisable record carrier on to one or more similar or dissimilar record carriers by varying the order of the information G11B27/029, G11B27/036

Abstract

A customized album recording system is under the control of a central microprocessor or mini-computer. A master library or storage medium is filled with a repertoire of recorded information items (such as musical selections) which may originate with any suitable source, such as phonograph records, tapes, sound tracks, compact discs, or the like. Each information item is stored in the library under its own address. On read out, an operator keys in the addresses identifying the selected items which are read out of the library medium and stored in a large capacity memory, usually to provide about forty-five minutes of total listening time. Then, all of the music is read out of that large capacity memory and recorded at a high speed onto a suitable album size medium, such as a tape cassette, for example. The source music and the customized album music are usually recorded in an analog form. The music which is processed within the system is in a digital form. Thus, the various transfers of music from the master storage to the recorded album, may be accomplished at a high speed of digital transmission. In an alternative embodiment, instead of reading out an entire album amount of recorded information items, the central computer successively reads out limited amounts of data on a demand and fetch basis. A computer provides both the analog-to-digital and the digital-to-analog conversions in order to improve fidelity.

Claims

1. A programmable analog-to-digital converter module comprising an input terminal for receiving incoming analog signals, an input amplifier for setting the level of said received analog signals, low pass filter means coupled to said input terminal, sample and hold means operating at a sample rate for transferring stable state voltages representative of said analog signal, means for converting said stable state voltages signals into digital signals, means for altering said sample rate response to an input command signal sent under the control of a microprocessor or minicomputer a source of clock pulse having a given clock rate, means for dividing said clock pulses to produce timing signals having a cyclically recurring rate which is a multiple of said clock rate, means for applying said timing signals to said low pass filter, means for retiming said timing signals produced at said divided clock rate, and means for applying said retimed signals to control said sample and hold circuit and to control said analog-to-digital converter circuit means.