Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/19—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier
  • G11B27/28—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording
  • G11B27/32—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
  • G11B27/327—Table of contents
  • G11B27/328—Table of contents on a tape [TTOC]
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B15/00—Driving, starting or stopping record carriers of filamentary or web form; Driving both such record carriers and heads; Guiding such record carriers or containers therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function
  • G11B15/005—Programmed access in sequence to indexed parts of tracks of operating tapes, by driving or guiding the tape
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B15/00—Driving, starting or stopping record carriers of filamentary or web form; Driving both such record carriers and heads; Guiding such record carriers or containers therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function
  • G11B15/02—Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
  • G11B15/026—Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing by using processor, e.g. microcomputer
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/11—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information not detectable on the record carrier
  • G11B27/13—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information not detectable on the record carrier the information being derived from movement of the record carrier, e.g. using tachometer
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/19—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier
  • G11B27/28—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording
  • G11B27/32—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
  • G11B27/322—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier used signal is digitally coded

Definitions

• the present invention relates to improvements in a tape transport system and in a method for decoding digital data stored on audio, tape by an audio tape recorder.
• This discloure hereby incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of the patent application of Ellis K. Cave, one of the co-inventors hereof, entitled “Automated Conversation System,” having serial no. and being filed concurrently herewith. .
• One of the features of the "Automated Conversation System” is a processor, controlled system having two tape recorders, one of the tape recorders having prerecorded on one of its tracks a set of vocalizations on the particular subject about which the conversation system is to converse, and on a parallel track having prerecorded thereon digital data corresponding to the vocalizations.
• the Automated Conversation System accesses various vocalizations using the digital track for guidance. After a vocalization (or even during the vocalization) , the second tape recorder records all information from the person carrying on the conversation.. Such information may be in the form of vocalizations or can be data transmitted via a telephone line in the same manner by which a telephone is placed, i.e. by dialing the telephone for example.
• the present invention in one of its aspects relates to a method and apparatus by which the digital data stored on the track of the first tape recorder is decoded for use by a microprocessor.
• Another aspect of the invention relates to achieving a two-way conversation without undue gaps on behalf of the system. Such gaps would be introduced when the system is moving the tape on the fir ⁇ t tape recorder to a selected position at which a- vocalization is to be replayed. Unless the tape recorder can move both quickly and accurately to such a select position, part of the vocalization will be lost or time will be wasted while the tape recorder zeros in on the selected tape position.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved braking system for a tape transport.
• Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a braking system for the tape transport in a relatively low-cost audio tape recorder.
• Figure 1A is a sketch representing a view of means on a portion of a tape transport for generating signals as the tape transport moves;
• Figure IB is a sketch representing a side view of the means of Figure 1 as well as other representative, portions of a tape deck;
• Figure 2 is a. block diagram of a system according to various aspects of the present invention.
• a magnetic recording tape may be prerecorded with digital data on one of two or more parallel tracks. Each digital datum identifies its own position on the tape. On the other track, audio vocalizations may be prerecorded.
• Such prerecording can be done on a tape recorder equipped with means on a tape transport for generating signals based on movement of the transport.
• a tape recorder having a motor 10 with a axle 12 can rotate a flywheel 14 via a . rubber belt 16 to rotate the flywheel about an axis 18.
• the flywheel may include an aperture 20 through which light passes along an optical path 22 from a light source 24 to a photocell 26. Each time aperture 20 passes through the optical path, the electrical signal outputted by photocell 26 changes.
• Such electrical signals will represent the position of the tape in the tape transport. Accordingly, during the prerecording stage, a catalog can be made to associate the number of counts of changes in the electrical signal outputted by photocell 26 with the various vocalizations on one track of the magnetic recording tape. This catalog can be prerecorded along the tape, ⁇ " • advantageously at the beginning. Advantagiously, the digital data is also correlated to the vocalizations. .
• the apparant position of the tape can be monitored by apparatus shown in Figure 2.
• Signals from photocell 26 can increment the count in a storage device such as a memory 28 directly via lines 29 or via control means such as a microprocessor 30 via leads 31.
• the . count in memory 28 represents the number of occasions that optical path 22 has been intercepted, and therefore represents the apparant position of the tape.
• a playback head 32 When the tape moves in a "read" or playback position, a playback head 32 will read the audio vocalizations on one track and the digital signals on the other track. The digital signals will be applied to processor 30 which communicates with memory 28 via a lead or bus 34. Processor 30 updates memory 28 to correctly reflect the actual position tape which will be read directly from the tape without any error tape slippage or the like which could cause a miscorre- lation of the position of the tape transport mechanism with the actual position of the tape.
• a command may be given to move the tape to a particular location.
• a command can be inputted on an input lead 36 from a command authority such as a system user or a central processing unit at a remote, location.
• the command to go to a particular tape location can be generated by processor 30 of its own accord, depending on system organization.
• processsor 30 determines which direction the tape must be moved to reach the selected . position and activates motor 10 accordingly.
• the motor may illustratively be put into a rewind position. Normally the playback head 32 is not engaged with the tape during a rewind operation, so the movement of the tape is monitored by pulses generated by photocell 26.
• This method an . apparatus will result in a more accurate manner than exhibited by prior art devices because memory 28 will have been recently updated with the actual tape position which, it will be recalled, was read directly from the tape by head 32. It is to be understood that the updating can occur at various times and with various frequency, although highly accurate results will be obtained when the updating is done after each digital indication of tape position is read. .
• Another aspect of the present invention relates to the braking of the tape transport when going to a . selected position.
• processor 30 when a command is generated or inputted to move the tape to a selected position, processor 30 activates motor 10 to move the tape toward the selected position.
• Processor 30 monitors the count of memory 28 and when the count, approaches the selected position count, processor 30 activates a brake 38.
• brake 38 may be. activated when the number of counts corresponding to the sensed or determined tape location differs from the number of counts corresponding to the selected tape location by some predetermined number of counts such as twenty.
• processor 30 determines the position of the tape by reading memory 28 or by itself monitoring the number of counts generated by photocell 26. Processor 30 then determines whether the tape is at the .selected tape position, and if not, then the processor calculates the difference between the tape position and the selected tape position and from this difference selects a subsequent tape position. Processor 30 then causes motor 10 to move the tape toward the selected tape position and at the subsequent, tape position again engaging brake 38. After the tape stops, the processor determines whether the tape is at the selected tape position. If it is not, the processor 30 reiterates the tape position adjustment by determining the new difference in position, calculating a new subsequent tape position, restarting motor 10 and rebraking at the new subsequent position.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=22329344

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

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• 1980
  • 1980-12-30 EP EP19810900383 patent/EP0042870A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1980-12-30 WO PCT/US1980/001754 patent/WO1981001902A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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