JPH09259570A - Storage medium cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a storage medium cartridge by which information recorded on a storage medium, its content, its residual capacity and the like are displayed. SOLUTION: A display means 4, a display switch 8 and a connector 9 are installed at a cartridge case 3 in which a storage medium 2 is housed. The display means 4 is composed of a liquid-crystal display device 7, of a display controller 11, of a memory 12 and of a power supply 13. When the display switch 8 is turned on, display information which is stored on the memory 12 is displayed on the liquid-crystal display device 7. In addition, when a cartridge 1 is attached to, and mounted on, an external apparatus, the connector 9 is connected to a connector inside the external apparatus, display information from the external apparatus is input to the display controller 11, and the display information is recorded on the memory 12 or displayed on the liquid-crystal device 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a storage medium cartridge in which a storage medium for recording or reproducing information is housed in a cartridge case.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional storage medium cartridge is constructed so that it can be conveniently loaded by a portable device or an external device (recording / reproducing device) by protecting the storage medium with a cartridge case. Further, the cartridge case is displayed with front and back distinction, loading direction, product name, applied standard name, and other messages and patterns. In addition, this type of storage media cartridge displays the information of the cartridge by writing characters or pictures on the sheet by the user or the manufacturer and attaching it to the cartridge case, or by printing on the case itself or using the uneven shape of the surface. Was.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional storage medium cartridge, the remaining storage capacity of the storage medium and the storage medium itself (which can be named by the user) recorded in the storage medium as information. The name of
There was no means to display messages automatically or updated. Therefore, when it is desired to know the remaining capacity of the storage medium, the storage medium must be reproduced and viewed, and when there are many storage medium cartridges, it is troublesome and time-consuming to check each of them. For example, in the case of a conventional storage medium cartridge such as a floppy disk, the remaining capacity that can be stored unless the storage medium is set in a drive that can reproduce the data and the file name, disk name, contents, etc. recorded in the storage medium are recorded. I could not know. This is true for all cartridge-type storage media such as video tapes, audio tapes, and magneto-optical disks. When actually used, the remaining capacity and contents are determined based on the handwritten label that is not always the latest information and then set in the external device, but the handwritten label information is not always reliable, Sometimes it was confusing which cartridge was which.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to display information recorded in a storage medium, storable remaining capacity, and the like. To provide a storage medium cartridge.

[0005]

To achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a storage medium capable of recording or reproducing information, and a cartridge case for accommodating the storage medium, and display information from an external device is provided in the cartridge case. And a display information transmission unit connected to the external device and transmitting the display information to the display unit. Further, the invention is characterized in that the display means includes a display information storage means for storing display information.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the display means includes a liquid crystal display device.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the display information transmitting means is a connector. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the content displayed by the display means is the remaining capacity of the storage medium. Further, the present invention is characterized in that the content displayed by the display means is the remaining recordable time when the storable remaining capacity of the storage medium is converted into an image. Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the content displayed by the display means is a character message.

According to the present invention, the display means displays the remaining storage capacity of the storage medium, the remaining storage time when the remaining storage capacity is converted into an image, a display message, and the like.
The display transmission means is a connector, which is connected to an external device and allows the display information from the external device to be input to the display device.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a storage medium cartridge according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the same cartridge. In these figures, a storage medium cartridge 1 includes a disc-shaped storage medium 2 capable of recording or reproducing information, a cartridge case 3 for accommodating the storage medium 2 and a display means 4. In this embodiment, a magneto-optical disk is shown as the storage medium 2, but a magnetic tape, a removable magnetic disk or a CD (compact disk) may be used depending on the application.

The cartridge case 3 is formed of a synthetic resin in a thin box shape having a size capable of accommodating the storage medium 2.
A hub hole 5 is formed in the center of the surface, and an opening 6 and a display device 7 of the display means 4 are provided so as to sandwich the hub hole 5. Further, on one side of the display device 7, a display switch 8 for turning on and off the display means 4 and a connector 9 as display information transmitting means are provided. The opening 6 is
It is normally closed by the shutter 10 and is opened when the storage medium cartridge 1 is attached to an external device for recording and reproducing. At this time, the connector 9 is connected to the connector on the external device side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the display means 4 comprises the display device 7, a display controller 11, a memory 12 as display information storage means, and a power supply 13, and is independent of the storage medium 2. Therefore, the cartridge case 3
If the shape of is changed, the storage medium 2 can be a magneto-optical disk, a CD, or a magnetic tape.

The display device 7 comprises a liquid crystal display device,
The display portion is exposed on the surface of the cartridge case 3. As the display device 7, a liquid crystal display device is shown as an example, but a light emitting diode (LED) is not limited to the liquid crystal display.
However, it may be an electrochromic screen or a plasma display. The LED screen has an advantage that the display screen can be confirmed even in a dark place, and the electrochromic screen has low power consumption unless the display screen contents are changed frequently.

The display controller 11 is connected to the display switch 8 and the connector 9. When the display switch 8 is turned on, the display controller 11 causes the memory 12
The display information stored in, for example, the name of the storage medium 2 itself, a message, the storable remaining capacity, the remaining recordable time when this remaining capacity is converted into an image, etc. are output,
It is displayed on the liquid surface screen of the liquid crystal display device 7. In this storage medium cartridge 1, the display information is displayed on the liquid crystal screen only for a certain period after the display switch 8 is pressed, but this setting is because the display switch 8 is a push button type.
Turn this switch 8 on when the solar cell is illuminated.
If so, the display information is always displayed on the liquid crystal screen in a bright place.

Further, the display means 4 obtains, records and displays the display information input from the connector 9 as required. That is, when the storage medium cartridge 1 is attached to an external device capable of recording or reproducing the storage medium 2 and the connector 9 is connected to the connector in the external device, the display information from the external device regarding the storage medium 2 of the cartridge 1 is displayed. The display information is input to the display controller 11 via the connector 9, and the display information thus input is stored in the memory 12 and displayed on the liquid crystal display device 7. At this time, the display controller 11 automatically turns off the display after issuing a display command for an arbitrary time.

The external device in which such a storage medium cartridge 1 is mounted has a structure in which the storage medium can be recorded or reproduced like a general storage medium cartridge, although it depends on the type of the storage medium 2. . The display information input from the external device is the capacity of the storage medium 2,
In addition to the recorded capacity, the recordable capacity, etc., characters, patterns, etc. may be used. For example, if the storage medium 2 mainly records an image, the remaining recordable time of the image may be displayed, or the user may input the outline of the disc as a comment sentence from an external device and display it. May be.

The power source 13 supplies power to the liquid crystal display device 7, the display controller 11 and the memory 12.
Although a dry battery is used as the power supply 13, a rechargeable battery or a solar battery may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the display information is electrically displayed by using the power source 13 as the display means 4. However, the display information is displayed by changing the physical shape or position without using the power source. It may be the display means. The type that uses a power supply has an advantage that it is provided with the memory 12 and can even express characters and illustrations. On the other hand, the type that does not use a power source can reduce the weight and cost of the cartridge 1 compared to the former case.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of display means for displaying display information by physical change without using a power source. This display means uses a rotary counter 20 to display, for example, the remaining capacity that can be stored. The rotary counter 20 is connected to a screw 21 as display information transmitting means, and when the screw 21 is rotated by an external device, the rotation is transmitted to the display wheel. When such a rotary counter 20 is used as a display means, it does not require a power source, and the display information can be continuously displayed even when the storage medium cartridge 1 is taken out from the external device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the display means for displaying the display information by a physical change without using a power source. In this embodiment, a slidable plate 23 is provided as a display means, and this is rotated by a screw 21 so that arrows A and B are provided.
In the direction, and display information scale 2 according to the stop position.
I read it in 4.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but various changes and modifications are possible,
For example, the liquid crystal display device 7, the connector 9, and the screw 21 may be disposed at positions other than those shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. For example, in the case of a disk medium, it may be the side surface. Also, the shape of the storage medium is not a disk type,
Even if the tape is wound (for example, a video tape), it can be placed on the front surface, the back surface, the side surface, or the top and bottom.

[0020]

As described above, the storage medium cartridge according to the present invention comprises a storage medium capable of recording or reproducing information and a cartridge case for accommodating the storage medium, and the cartridge case displays information from an external device. Since the display means for displaying information and the display information transmitting means connected to the external device for transmitting the display information to the display device are provided, the storage medium of the cartridge alone is stored without mounting the cartridge on the external device. Information such as the remaining storage capacity of the medium, the remaining recordable time when the remaining storage capacity of the storage medium is converted into an image, and a text message can be known. Further, since the display means is provided with the display information storage means for storing the display information, it is possible to read the stored display information as needed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a storage medium cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the cartridge.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Storage medium cartridge, 2 ... Storage medium, 3 ... Cartridge case, 4 ... Display means, 6 ... Opening part, 7 ... Liquid crystal display device, 8 ... Display switch, 9 ... Connector, 10 ... Shutter, 11 ... Display controller, 12 ... memory, 13 ...
Power supply, 20 ... rotary counter, 21 ... screw.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A storage medium capable of recording or reproducing information, and a cartridge case accommodating the storage medium, display means for displaying display information from an external device on the cartridge case, and the display device connected to the external device. A storage medium cartridge comprising display information transmitting means for transmitting display information to the display means. 2. The storage medium cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the display means includes display information storage means for storing display information. 3. The storage medium cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the display means comprises a liquid crystal display device. 4. The storage medium cartridge according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the display information transmitting means is a connector. 5. The storage medium cartridge according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the content displayed by the display means is the remaining capacity of the storage medium. 6. The storage medium cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the content displayed by the display means is recordable when the storable remaining capacity of the storage medium is converted into an image. A storage medium cartridge characterized by remaining time. 7. The storage medium cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the content displayed by the display means is a character message.