Programmable self-operating compact disk duplication system using stacked spindles

• US 6,208,612 B1
• Filed: 03/13/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Miller
• Original Assignee: David Miller
• Inventors: Miller, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Huber, Paul W.
• Application Number:
  US09/039,539
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 369/24, 369/29, 369/30, 369/32, 369/33, 369/34, 369/36, 369/38, 369/42, 369/58, 369/75.1, 369/75.2, 369/84, 369/178, 369/191, 369/192, 369/196, 369/197, 369/201, 369/202
• US Class Current: 369/30.19
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/08 from consecutive-access magazine of disc records
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/28 Re-recording, i.e. transcribing information from one optical record carrier on to one or more similar or dissimilar record carriers

Abstract

A system for the duplication of binary data onto CD-R disks, the system including a copy unit, a host computer and computer software, the software being installed in the host computer to provide a user interface and to direct the transfer of data from the host computer to the copy unit, the copy unit including a set of multiple stacked recordable disk drives, a set of stacked disk spindles, each spindle affixed to a motorized tray, a transport tower, a printer, and a microprocessor. A robotic disk pickup head on the transport tower is connected to the transport tower with an elevator mechanism for lifting and transporting compact disks. The motorized trays move the disk spindles between a holding location and a transport axis, the transport axis being a vertical line that intersects the center of the robotic disk pickup head. The stacked recordable disk drive trays and printer also receive and eject disks along the transport axis, allowing for the robotic disk pickup head to transport disks from any disk spindle to any stacked recordable disk drive or the printer. The microprocessor concurrently directs the movement of the disk pickup head and the copying of data to the CD-R disks. The system allows for source data to be read from multiple master compact disks inserted in specified stacked recordable disk drive members to provide for random access copying from the multiple master compact disks.

Claims

1. A system for the duplication of binary data onto recordable compact disks, the system comprising:

a vacuum pump; and

a copy unit, comprising;

at least one set of multiple stacked recordable disk drive members;

a transport tower;

a set of horizontal motorized tray members, stacked vertically parallel to the transport tower, each horizontal motorized tray member having a retracted position and an extended position;

a set of disk spindle members, each disk spindle member affixed to the top horizontal face of one of the horizontal motorized tray members, each recordable compact disk horizontally seated on a disk spindle member; and

,

an arm, connected to the transport tower and the vacuum pump, the arm having a disk pickup head that travels vertically along the transport tower, the disk pickup head engaging the upper-most compact disk seated on a selected disk spindle member affixed to one of the horizontal motorized tray members configured in its extended position, the arm transporting the compact disk engaged by the disk pickup head to a selected stacked recordable disk drive member.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of multiple stacked recordable disk drive members may be increased or decreased by the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the disk spindle members may be removed from or re-attached to the copy unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a host computer containing computer software is connected to the copy unit, the computer software providing a user interface for output diagnostic messages of the copy unit through peripherals connected to the host computer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the host computer has a hard disk drive, the hard disk drive containing the binary data to be copied to the recordable compact disks.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a microprocessor located inside the copy unit controls movement of the transport tower and the arm.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the microprocessor is electrically connected to the host computer, the microprocessor sending electrical signals to the host computer and the microprocessor receiving electrical signal commands from the host computer, the computer software providing a user interface for control of the copy unit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the binary data to be copied is located on one or more master compact disks and is transferred to the hard disk drive of the host computer by at least one stacked recordable disk drive member.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer software and the microprocessor provide a user interface for user input copy instructions for the control of each master compact disk during the duplication of the data when each master compact disk is held by a disk spindle member on the copy unit.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the copy unit has a reject disk spindle member, the transport of a defective burned recordable compact disk to the reject disk spindle member controlled by an electrical signal sent to the microprocessor by the stacked recordable disk drive member after the stacked recordable disk drive member attempts to read the burned recordable compact disk.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the copy unit has a print application area, the arm transporting a burned recordable compact disk to the print application area for application of symbols on the upper face of the burned recordable compact disk, the arm then transporting the labeled burned disk to any disk spindle member affixed to one of the horizontal motorized tray members configured in its extended position.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the copy unit has an air filtration unit, the air filtration unit comprising:

a set of electric fan members, the electric fan members drawing air into the inside of the copy unit;

an air filter, the air filter positioned along the inside vertical face of the copy unit and filtering the air drawn into the copy unit by the electric fan members; and

a set of outflow vents located on the copy unit, the outflow vents allowing air drawn through the copy unit by the electric fan members to exit the copy unit.

13. A compact disk recording system for the duplication of binary data onto recordable compact disks, the system comprising:

lifting means for engaging and transporting a recordable compact disk in a vertical direction;

a set of multiple stacked recordable disk drives;

disk stacking means for holding recordable compact disks in at least two stacks; and

horizontal disk transport means for transporting the disk stacking means into the path of travel of the lifting means, thereby allowing the lifting means to engage and transport a recordable compact disk located at the top of one of the stacks to any multiple stacked recordable disk drive member, or allowing the lifting means to transport any recordable compact disk located in one of the multiple stacked recordable disk drives to the top of one of the stacks.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the system has master disk data transfer means for reading master data located on one or more compact disks and then transferring the master data onto any recordable compact disk.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system has user interface means for pre-programming the control of the duplication of data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system has defective recordable compact disk detection means for detecting defective burned recordable compact disks.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the system has labeling means for the application of symbols on the upper face of the burned recordable compact disks and transporting the labeled burned disk to the top of one of the stacks.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the system has air filtration means for circulating filtered air in the closed region surrounding the multiple stacked recordable disk drives.