JPH06215459A - Automatic cassette changer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To take in/out a cassette to/from a storage in a short time and also to automatically check taking in/out to/from the storage in such a manner that a bar code of the cassette subjected to storing in/delivering from the stor age is read out. CONSTITUTION:A cassette 4 to be sent out in opening a door 9 on the front panel by the operator is loaded into an optional cassette housing rack 3 while a cassette 4 that is out of use is taken out of the cassette housing rack 3. After completing taking in/out to/from the storage, the door 9 is closed by the operator. Passage of a cassette 4 between a transmission infrared sensor light emitting part 1 and its sensor light receiving part 2 due to taking in/out to/from the storage of the cassette 4 under the opening state of the door 9 is detected to read a bar code B for the cassette housing rack only in a column detected automatically at the time of closing the door 9 by a control device 8. By this method, cassette positioning information in the cassette housing racks is renewed, and according to a send-out list, sending out a cassette can be carried out.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic cassette changer used for broadcasting commercials and transmitting programs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic cassette changer is used for automation of transmission of commercials, programs and the like by applying a computer and a robot to save labor in a broadcasting station.

The operation of the conventional cassette automatic exchange device will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional cassette automatic exchange device. In FIG. 2, 3 is a cassette storage shelf for storing cassettes, 4 is a cassette for sending out, 5 is a VTR which is housed in a part of the automatic cassette changing device and sends out the cassette, and 6 is a bar code attached to the cassette. A bar code reader, 7 is a robot for moving the cassette, 8 is a control device for controlling the VTR and the robot, 9
Is a door.

In the conventional cassette automatic exchange device, the cassette 4 which the operator sends in advance is loaded into the cassette storage shelf 3 from the front door 9 and the waste cassette 4 is discharged. After the completion, the controller 8 controls the robot according to the instruction of the operator, and the barcode readers 6 attached to the robot 7 read the barcodes of the cassettes on all the shelves to update the information on the shelving positions of the cassettes.
Then, the robot can be controlled to sequentially insert the cassettes according to the transmission list into the VTR and automatically transmit the program or the commercial.

[0005]

In such a cassette automatic exchange device, when the cassette is loaded or unloaded, the barcodes of all the cassette storage shelves are read every time, so that the loading and unloading is checked for a long time. Will be required. Also, since the control device cannot judge whether the door was opened for entering and exiting, or whether the door was opened for maintenance, etc., the operator has no choice but to decide whether to check the entry and exit, It has a problem that human error may occur and it cannot be automated.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems by carrying out the loading and unloading of the cassette in a short time and automatically checking the loading and unloading of the cassette.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sensor for detecting the loading and unloading of cassettes commonly to a group composed of a plurality of cassette storage shelves. Is.

[0008]

With the above means, the automatic cassette changer of the present invention can read the bar code of only the cassette storage shelves of the group in which the cassette was loaded and unloaded, so that the loading and unloading can be completed in a short time. It is a thing.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an automatic cassette changing device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1a to 1c are light-emitting portions of a transmissive infrared sensor for detecting passage of a cassette due to loading and unloading of each row of cassette storage shelves, 2a to 2c are light-receiving portions of the transmissive infrared sensor, and 3 is a cassette. A cassette storage shelf for storing the data, 4 a cassette for sending the cassette, 5 a VTR for sending the cassette, 6 a barcode reader for reading a barcode attached to the cassette, 7 a robot for moving the cassette, 8 a VTR and a robot A control device 9 for controlling is a door provided on the front surface of the cassette storage shelf 3.

The operation of the automatic cassette changer thus constructed will be described below. The operator opens the front door 9 to load the cassette 4 to be sent out into an arbitrary cassette storage shelf 3 and takes out an unnecessary cassette from the cassette storage shelf 3. After the loading / unloading is completed, the operator closes the door 9. By the control command of the control device 8,
A transmissive infrared sensor light emitting unit 1a and a sensor light receiving unit 2 when the cassette 4 is loaded and unloaded while the door 9 is open.
The passage of the cassette 4 during the period a is detected, and when the door 9 is closed, the bar code of the cassette in the cassette storage shelf of the automatically detected row is read. As a result, it is possible to update the cassette position information in the cassette storage shelf and perform the transmission according to the transmission list.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is sufficient to read the bar code of the cassettes only in the cassette storage shelves in the row corresponding to the portion detected by the sensor, so that the cassette loading / unloading process can be performed in a short time. You can Further, by providing the sensors for the rows of the cassette storage shelves, there is an effect that the number of sensors can be reduced as compared with the case where the sensors are provided on the individual cassette storage shelves.

In the above embodiment, the sensor is provided for each column of the cassette storage shelves, but the present invention is effective when it is provided commonly for other groups such as for each row.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is only necessary to read the barcodes of the cassettes of the cassette storage shelves of the group corresponding to the portion detected by the sensor, so that the cassettes can be loaded and unloaded in a short time. You can Also, by providing a sensor for a group of cassette storage shelves,
The effect is that the number of sensors can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic cassette changer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional cassette automatic exchange device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a to 1c Transmission type infrared sensor light emitting part 2a to 2c Transmission type infrared sensor light receiving part 3 Cassette storage shelf 4 Cassette 5 VTR 6 Bar code reader 7 Robot 8 Control device 9 Door

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A magnetic recording / reproducing device for accommodating a plurality of cassette accommodating shelves for accommodating cassettes, a sensor for detecting insertion / removal of the cassette to / from the cassette accommodating shelf, and a magnetic recording / reproducing device for recording / reproducing the cassette. A device storage unit, a robot that moves the cassette between the cassette storage shelf and the magnetic recording / reproducing device, and a barcode reader attached to the robot to read a barcode attached to the cassette, An automatic cassette exchange device comprising control means for controlling the robot and the magnetic recording / reproducing device, wherein the sensor is adapted to commonly detect the insertion / removal of a cassette with respect to a plurality of cassette storage shelves. Automatic cassette changer. 2. The barcode reader according to claim 1, wherein when the cassette is loaded or unloaded, only the barcode attached to the cassette on the cassette storage shelf corresponding to the sensor that detects the loading / unloading of the cassette is read. An automatic cassette changer characterized in that 3. The door according to claim 1, further comprising a door for opening and closing a portion of the cassette storage shelf, and when the door is open, a sensor detects the cassette loading and unloading, and An automatic cassette changing device, wherein a bar code reader reads the bar code when the door is closed.