JPH04275520A - Recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a recording/reproducing device which easily erases completely recorded information. CONSTITUTION:The image formation of optical information as the object of recording is carried out on a photoconductive layer member the electrical resistant value of the photoconductive layer member is changed in corresponding to the optical information as the object of the recording, and the optical information as the object of the recording is converted into the information of the pattern of electric field intensity, to record it on an optical modulating material layer member PML as an information recording medium composed of a dielectric. Then, electrodes E1 and E2 provided so as to sandwich the optical modulating layer part PML is connected with a high frequency power source OSCh, the information recording medium composed of the dielectric is placed in a high frequency electric filed to carry out dielectric heating, and the erasing of the completely recorded information can be quickly and uniformly carried out.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording/reproducing apparatus.

0002

[Prior Art] Video signals obtained by photoelectric conversion of optical information can be easily edited, trimmed, and other image processing in the form of electrical signals, and recording materials have reversibility that can erase previously recorded signals. Since it has the characteristic that recording and playback can be easily performed using In response to the increasing demand for images, new television systems such as so-called EDTV and HDTV have been proposed, and electronic video systems using video signals that can reproduce high-quality and high-resolution images have been proposed. Applications of the system are about to be expanded to areas such as printing and electronic publishing. By the way, typical electronic video systems in the past include: (1) Color video signals generated by a three-tube or single-tube color TV camera are recorded on a recording medium such as a VTR, semiconductor memory, or magnetic disk. (2) The color video signal generated by a three-panel or single-panel color TV camera is recorded on a recording medium such as a VTR, semiconductor memory, or magnetic disk, and then the color video signal is reproduced. (3) A method of obtaining a video signal by using laser telecine from a recorded color image of a color film photographed by a camera; In order to make electronic images usable in the field of printing, etc., electronic images must have a resolution of approximately 4000 x 4000 pixels, but the image pickup tube or solid-state image pickup plate and recording system must have a high resolution. 1 that can be obtained with HDTV due to problems that make it difficult to obtain
The limit is to obtain a resolution of about 000 x 2000 pixels. In other words, color TV cameras, which have been commonly used to generate video signals, condense an optical image of a subject through an imaging lens onto a photoelectric conversion section in an imaging device via a color separation optical system. A configuration in which the optical image of the object is converted into electrical image information corresponding to the optical image of the object by the photoelectric conversion unit of the image sensor, and the electrical image information is output as a serial video signal on the time axis. Various types of image pickup tubes and various solid-state image pickup devices have been conventionally used as the image pickup devices used in the configuration of color TV cameras having the configurations described above.

[0003] In order to obtain high-quality and high-resolution reproduced images, an image sensor that can generate a video signal that can reproduce high-quality and high-resolution reproduced images is required. However, when the image sensor is a camera tube, there is a limit to miniaturization of the electron beam diameter in the camera tube, so high resolution cannot be expected by miniaturizing the electron beam diameter, and the target of the camera tube Since the capacitance increases in proportion to the target area, it is impossible to achieve higher resolution by increasing the target area.For example, in the case of color imaging devices for moving images, it is difficult to achieve higher resolution as the target area increases. The frequency band of the video signal is several tens of MHz
~ Several hundred MHz or more, which poses a problem in terms of S/N, etc. Due to reasons such as high image quality and
It is difficult to generate a video signal that can reproduce a high-resolution reproduced image. As described above, the image sensor used in conventional color TV cameras has a limit of achieving the image resolution of the HDTV system, which has a resolution of about 1000 x 2000 pixels at most, and cannot be used as an electronic image. 4000×40 required
Since it was not possible to generate a video signal capable of reproducing an image with a resolution of approximately 0.00 pixels, the conventional electronic video systems described in (1) to (3) above cannot produce good high-quality images. It was not possible to obtain a video signal that would provide a reproduced image with high resolution. Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present applicant company has previously applied for optical information that is subject to recording, for example, in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-291660 and many other patent applications. We are proposing an imaging, recording and reproducing device that can capture, record, and reproduce images with high resolution by converting the information into electric field strength pattern information.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, as described above, it is difficult to capture and record images with high resolution by converting optical information to be recorded into information on electric field intensity patterns.
In the previously proposed imaging, recording and reproducing device that is capable of performing operations such as reproduction, as an information recording medium that converts the optical information to be recorded into information of an electric field intensity pattern and records it. For example, when using a polymer-liquid crystal composite film that has a structure that allows the recorded information to be erased by heating, erasing the information on the information recording medium when the same information recording medium is used repeatedly However, in the past, it was difficult to perform the above-mentioned erasing operation in a short time, so there was a need for an improvement measure.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention includes at least a photoconductive layer member and an information recording medium made of a dielectric between two electrodes to which a predetermined operating voltage is applied. The optical information to be recorded by the photoelectric conversion operation of the photoconductive layer member is given to an information recording medium made of a dielectric material as information of an electric field intensity pattern, and is to be recorded by the photoconductive layer member. A recording/reproducing device comprising means for recording recorded information corresponding to optical information on an information recording medium made of a dielectric material, and means for erasing the information recorded on the information recording medium made of a dielectric material by dielectric heating. provide.

[0006]

[Operation] A voltage is applied between the two electrodes so that an electric field is applied to the light modulating material layer member that can operate in a scattering mode, and optical information to be recorded is connected to the photoconductive layer member. The photoconductive layer member is imaged to change the electrical resistance value of the photoconductive layer member in accordance with the optical information to be recorded, and the optical information to be recorded is converted to information on the pattern of electric field intensity. Recording is performed on an information recording medium made of dielectric material. Recorded information is erased by dielectrically heating an information recording medium made of a dielectric material on which recorded information is recorded.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The specific contents of the recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are side views showing an example of the configuration of an erasing device used in the recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention. In the recording and reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, O is an object, L is an imaging lens, Et is a transparent electrode, PCL is a photoconductive layer member, and P
ML is a light modulating material layer member, E is an electrode, and Vb is an operating power source, and optical information (optical image) including image information from the object O is focused on the photoconductive layer member PCL by the imaging lens L. Ru. An operating voltage is supplied between the transparent electrode Et and the electrode E from the operating power supply Vb, and the photoconductive layer member PCL and the light modulating material are provided between the transparent electrode Et and the electrode E. The layer member PML is placed in an electric field generated between the transparent electrode Et and the electrode E2 to which voltage is supplied from the above-mentioned operating power supply Vb.

As mentioned above, the impedance of the photoconductive layer member PCL, on which the optical image of the object O is formed by the imaging lens L, is in a state where it changes in correspondence with the optical image of the object O. An electric field is applied to the light modulating material layer member PML, which is provided in series with the photoconductive layer member PCL, with the electric field intensity changing in accordance with the optical image of the object O described above. As a result, the optical state of the light modulating material layer member PML constituting the information recording medium made of dielectric material is brought into a state where the optical properties change in accordance with the electric field intensity applied thereto. become. As the light modulating material layer member PML constituting the information recording medium made of the dielectric material described above, for example, a polymer-liquid crystal composite having a configuration in which nematic liquid crystal or smectic liquid crystal is sealed in a large number of fine holes in a polymer material. When a film is used, the alignment state of the liquid crystal in the large number of fine pores in the polymer-liquid crystal composite film changes in accordance with the optical image of the object O. The polymer-liquid crystal composite film is made in a state where the light transmittance changes in correspondence with the optical image of the object O.

[0009] By maintaining the alignment state of the liquid crystal described above even after the applied electric field is removed, the polymer material has a melting point lower than the melting point of the polymer material as described above. A polymer-liquid crystal memory film composed of dispersed liquid crystals can be used as an information recording medium, and as mentioned above, the alignment state of the liquid crystals in the many fine holes in the polymer-liquid crystal composite film determines the orientation of the object O. The recorded content, which is recorded as a state that changes in accordance with the optical image, is obtained by heating the polymer-liquid crystal composite film to randomly change the alignment state of the liquid crystals in the many fine pores in the polymer-liquid crystal composite film. In the recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the operation of erasing information recorded on an information recording medium made of a dielectric is performed by dielectrically heating the information recording medium made of a dielectric. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the erasing operation by dielectric heating of an information recording medium made of a dielectric material is performed by sandwiching the light modulating material layer member PML that constitutes the information recording medium made of a dielectric material. A high frequency power source OSCh is connected to the electrodes E1 and E2 provided as shown in FIG. A light modulating material layer member PML is placed in a container 1 for electromagnetic shielding,
Microwaves oscillated by a microwave oscillator OSCm using a magnetron, for example, provided in the container 1 are radiated from a radiator 2 to a light modulating material layer member PML constituting an information recording medium made of a dielectric material. This can be done quickly by dielectric heating.

[0010] Here, we will briefly explain the structure of a polymer-liquid crystal composite film as a light modulating material layer member PML constituting an information recording medium made of a dielectric. When used as a light modulating material layer member PML constituting an information recording medium, innumerable minute pores randomly distributed in a porous polymeric material film. It will be explained that information can be recorded by the liquid crystal sealed in the liquid crystal. In the polymer-liquid crystal composite film, the countless minute pores in the polymer material film that exist randomly in a state where the liquid crystal is encapsulated have a diameter that is small enough to realize high-definition recording and playback. The smaller the diameter, the better; for example, it is desirable to have a diameter of about 0.5 microns or less. Furthermore, as the liquid crystal used to construct the above-mentioned polymer-liquid crystal composite film, one that forms a nematic phase or cholesteric phase at room temperature and has a high volume resistivity or a high viscosity is used. , good results can be obtained in reproducing recorded information with a high contrast ratio and improving recording performance.Furthermore, the melting point of the polymer material can be used as a liquid crystal to be used for constructing a polymer-liquid crystal composite film. If a material with a melting point lower than that is used, recorded information can be easily erased.

As described above, the operating power supply Vb is connected to the transparent electrode Et and the electrode E in FIG. 1, and the photoconductive layer member PCL and the light modulating material layer provided between the transparent electrode Et and the electrode E are The member PML is placed in an electric field generated between the transparent electrode Et and the electrode E2 to which a voltage is supplied from the operating power source Vb, and an optical image of the object O is formed on the photoconductive layer member PCL by the imaging lens L. Then, the photoconductive layer member PCL
The impedance changes in accordance with the optical image of the object O, and the electric field intensity distribution between the photoconductive layer member PCL and the electrode E corresponds to the light intensity distribution of the optical image of the object O described above. Become what you are. So photoconductive layer member PC
This is because an electric field exhibiting an intensity distribution corresponding to the optical image of the object O mentioned above is applied to the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PML placed in the electric field between L and the electrode E. In the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PML, the nematic liquid crystal or cholesteric liquid crystal is encapsulated in each of the countless minute pores randomly distributed and formed in the porous polymer material film. The electric field strength is increased so that the transparency of the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PML increases as the electric field strength applied thereto increases. However, the alignment state of the liquid crystal in the pores changed by the electric field applied to the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PML as described above remains unchanged even after the electric field is removed. is maintained.

That is, in the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PML, the nematic liquid crystal or cholesteric liquid crystal is encapsulated in each of the countless minute pores randomly distributed and formed in the porous polymer material film. The liquid crystal is
Before an electric field exceeding a certain threshold is applied to it, the liquid crystal molecules as a whole, including the liquid crystal molecules that are strongly affected by the force on the pore wall surface, are encapsulated in the microscopic pore in a nematic phase state. Therefore, the liquid crystal molecules sealed in the pores are subjected to surface forces of the pore walls, and the closer the liquid crystal molecules are to the pore walls, the greater the force is applied. Therefore, the smaller the diameter of the pore, the greater the influence of the force on the surface of the pore wall exerted on the liquid crystal molecules enclosed in the pore. As mentioned above, when an electric field with an electric field strength of more than a certain threshold is applied to the liquid crystal sealed in the pore while being subjected to the surface force of the pore wall, the pore wall Liquid crystal molecules enclosed in a nematic phase or cholesteric phase in a pore under force from the surface resist the force applied from the surface of the pore wall and change the direction of the electric field. Displaced so that it is oriented to .

[0013]The mode of displacement that occurs in liquid crystal molecules in response to the application of an electric field changes depending on the strength of the applied electric field, and when the electric field applied to the liquid crystal is weak, the displacement occurs from the surface of the pore wall. Liquid crystal molecules to which the force applied is weak, i.e.
Only the liquid crystal molecules located mainly near the center of the pore are displaced in such a way that they are oriented in the direction of the applied electric field, and as the electric field applied to the liquid crystal gradually becomes stronger, they are displaced from the surface of the pore wall. The liquid crystal molecules are displaced in such a manner that the liquid crystal molecules to which the applied force is strong, that is, the liquid crystal molecules located close to the pore walls, are also displaced so that the direction of the molecular axis of the liquid crystal is oriented in the direction of the applied electric field. molecules are oriented. In this way, the liquid crystal molecules are encapsulated in a nematic phase in the countless minute pores that are randomly distributed and formed in the porous polymer material film of the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PML. When an electric field is applied, the molecular axes of the liquid crystal are oriented in the direction of the electric field against the force applied from the surface of the pore wall. The liquid crystal molecules oriented by the electric field applied as described above are oriented by the surface force of the pore wall as described above.
Since the state of the liquid crystal is maintained as it is, the alignment state of the liquid crystal changed by the application of an electric field as described above remains in that state even after the applied electric field is removed. By providing the targeted information in the form of changes in electric field strength, the recorded information is randomly distributed in the porous polymer material film of the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PML. It can be memorized as the state of orientation of liquid crystal molecules sealed in a nematic phase in the countless minute pores formed by the liquid crystals.

[0014] Erasing the recorded information in the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PML in which the information targeted for recording is recorded as described above is carried out in the porous polymer material film in the polymer-liquid crystal composite film PCL. The liquid crystal sealed in countless minute pores randomly distributed in the liquid crystal is heated to a temperature higher than the melting point of the liquid crystal and lower than the melting point of the polymer material. , the liquid crystal molecules are put into an isotropic phase state by active thermal movement that overcomes the force from the surface of the pore walls, and then cooled and returned to the nematic phase or cholesteric phase state, resulting in polymer-liquid crystal formation. The composite film PCL is returned to an opaque state and erased.

In implementing the recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention, it is a desirable embodiment to provide an impedance matching circuit for impedance matching between the heating source and the information recording medium made of a dielectric material. Furthermore, the dielectric heating performed by the above-mentioned erasing operation is not only applied to the information recording medium made of dielectric, but is also applied to parts other than the information recording medium made of dielectric. It's okay. It goes without saying that the shape of the information recording medium may be a film, a card, a disk, a tape, or any other shape.

As is clear from the above detailed explanation, the recording and reproducing apparatus of the present invention applies a voltage between two electrodes so that an electric field is applied to the light modulating material layer member that can operate in a scattering mode. Then, the optical information to be recorded is imaged on the photoconductive layer member, and the electrical resistance value of the photoconductive layer member is changed in accordance with the optical information to be recorded. It is possible to erase the recorded information recorded on an information recording medium made of a dielectric material by converting the optical information that is the object of the Therefore, recorded information can be erased quickly and uniformly, and the above-mentioned conventional problems can be satisfactorily solved by the present invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a configuration example of an erasing device used in the recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a configuration example of an erasing device used in the recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

O...Object, L...Imaging lens, Et...Transparent electrode, PCL
...Photoconductive layer member, PML...Light modulating material layer member, E...Electrode,
Vb...operating power supply,

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A photoconductive device comprising a component including at least a photoconductive layer member and an information recording medium made of a dielectric between two electrodes to which a predetermined operating voltage is applied. Recording that corresponds to the optical information to be recorded by applying the optical information to be recorded by the photoelectric conversion operation of the layer member to an information recording medium made of a dielectric material as information of a pattern of electric field intensity. A recording/reproducing device comprising means for recording information on an information recording medium made of a dielectric material, and means for erasing information recorded on the information recording medium made of a dielectric material by dielectric heating. 2. The recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information recording medium is constructed using a polymer-liquid crystal memory film in which liquid crystal is dispersed in a polymer material.