US2930464A - Credit or information storage apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 1960 n. H. BURNS 2,930,454

CREDIT OR INFORMATION STORAGE APPARATUS Filed Nov. 9, 1953 |618 29 51 53 ATTORNEYS CREDIT GR INFQRMATION STORAGE APPARATUS David H. Burns, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner, by mestre assignments, to Paramount Pictures Corporation, New York, NX., a corporation of New York Application November 9, 1953, Serial No. 391,976

8 Claims. (Cl. 194-t) "The present invention relatesr to novel'means and techniques for storing information and making this information available on demand at a future time. VMore specifically, the present invention relates to a coin-operated mechanism which incorporates means whereby any overpayment of a coin demandis automatically stored as a credit for future use. y v

While the present invention is described in connection with subscription television systems of the character described in the copending patent application of Gottfried, et al., Serial No. 225,651, tiled May l0, 1951, and assigned to the present assignee, now Patent No. 2,769,026, it is clear that VVcertain aspects of the present invention are not necessarily limited to use in such subscription television system, but have broader applicationV in any,`

entinvention, incorporates means whereby any overpayment of the coin demand or debt is automatically stored as a credit, which may be applied to the debt of a second cycle of operation at a later time. Another such system has been described and claimed in an application, Serial No. 389,034, tiled October 29, 1953, by this inventor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means and techniques for accomplishing the above-indicated functions and results.

Another object of the presentinvention is to provide means and techniques whereby any overpayment of a demand may be stored after a cycle' of demand satisfaction operation has been4 completed so that this credit may be applied to the debt of a second cycle of operation at a later time. Y

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the character described capable of incorporation in the translating apparatus of a subscription television system.

The above objects of the invention are accomplished by providing apparatus wherein two members may be displaced relative to each other against a force when the driven one of the two members is impeded. Means are provided for retaining that displacement and of releasing the energy stored by the displacement toreduce that relative displacement in a manner to reduce the displacement of the driven one of the two members relative to a stop position. g 4

The features of the present inventionwhich are believed tobe novel arev set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to Aits organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best 2 v j understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a planview of the invention; j

Figure 2 is a cross section of the invention as shown in Figure 1 along the lines 2 2; and

Figure 3 is a detail of a ratchet spring used in the embodiment of the invention.

Briefly, as described in the above-mentioned copend ing application to Gottfried, et al., now Patent No.` 2,769,026, a subscription television system of the typev with which the subject invention is intended to be used incorporates a television receiver having aA cathode-ray` tube and associated unscrambling or decoding apparatus which is selectively connected tothe receiver through Vla relay switch. Normally, the switch is in a position to decouple the decoding apparatus from the television set. Accordingly, a so-called nonstandard or scrambled transmission results in a so-called scrambled vunintelligible or unavailable picture onthe face of the cathode-ray tube and a normal or standard transmission results in a clear picture on the face of the cathode-ray tube.

ln the case of the so-called nonstandard or scrambled transmission, it is necessary that the`unscrambling Vor decoding-apparatusbe coupled to the television set to cause a clear picture on the'face of the cathode-ray tube. This is accomplished by energizing the relay switch to couple the decoder to the receiver, in which case an output developed `in thereceiver is applied to the`unscrambling or decoding-apparatus, and theroutput'of the apparatus is returned to the receiver to clarify the picture shownV on the cathode-ray tube screen.

For revenue purposes, the -relay winding is not energized and therefore the decoder is .not coupled to the receiver unless -a coin demand has been acknowledged or satisfied. Such coin demand may be established by-V the vprogram transmitting station in a number of ways..v

OneV of these is to transmit pulses which are received. by thev receiver and-applied to a solenoid which vis ener,- gized responsive to each pulse. This succesisve solenoidv energization can be used, inkwell knownmnnefr', to

rotate a Awheel a given amount for each pulse thus Yestab-V lishing aV coin demand as an angle of 'rotation' off-,a wheel, or a bar may be laterally moveda given amount for each solenoid energization Vthus establishing Va Vcoin ,demand as the, lateral distance moved by a bar.f Still another system is to directthewamount and Adirection of rotation of-a motor by the pulses being transmitted.

remote vcontrol fields. However, they/are recited since they-are exemplary of apparatus whichV may be used in conjunction with the present invention. Accordingly, Y

Reference is now made to Figures j1 andr2 of thedrawing for the explanation of the operation andprinciples involved in my invention. j. A V

Two discs 10, 20r orwheelsA are employed, one of which 10 has a smaller diameter than the other 20, The smaller diameterrdisc may be termed ,a creditV indicating disc 10, and the larger diameter disc may Ybe 'termedf'a y demand indicating disc 20. Both discs` have stops 12, 22,

which are positionedsothat they can vabut one another.

The purpose of these abutting stops is torprovide a ntechanical lposition repr'esentative of zero credit.V A torsiorif` ,spring 30 is connected between the twoVK discs Yin aimanner to urge the demand disc 20Vj counterclo'ckwise lw'itlfi- VIn vany jevent, these mechanisms are not partfof .the present 'invention as they are well known `inthe automatic fandrespect to the credit dise 10. In this manner when no driving torques are applied to operate the discs, the torsion spring 30 maintains them with their stops 12, 22 in an abutting position.

The torsion spring 30 is attached to the credit disc 10 through the expedient of a hole 11 into which one end is inserted and bent. A housing 24 Vis fastened to the demand disc 20 and supports it. The housing is rotatably mounted on a bearing 26 on a common shaft 32. The other end of the torsion spring is fastened to the housing also by the expedient of being passed through a hole therein and bent. The torsion spring is also selected to have a length so that when the two dials are mounted adjacent one another on a commonshaft 32 the spring is under compression and therefore exerts a force against the credit dial which would move it outward away from the demand dialwere it not for an opposing force provided by a solenoid 35 which is energized to hold a rod 37 against the credit'disc. The solenoid may be supported from the frame 34. The end of the rod is finished to permit the credit dial to rotate with a minimum of sliding friction. VThe common shaft 32 is rotatably supported in two members of a retaining frame 34.

The demand disc 20 has marked near its outer periphery graduated amounts of coinage 27, starting with a zero or a paid marking. On the outer periphery of the demand disc is mounted a stop 29 which, when the disc is in the paid position with reference to an indicator 31, abuts another fixed indicator stop 38 which supports the indicator 31. This prevents countercloekwise rotation of the demand disc past the paid" position. The over-all width of these two stops 29, 38 must be such as to permit either the blank space or the paid position to come under the indicating window. On the demand disc spaced around a circle are a plurality of apertures 28. (These are shown with dotted lines in Figure l.) These apertures are equal in number to the number of coinage amounts which are marked on the demand disc plus one for the blank space position. The credit disc has attached thereto, as by studs 14, a ratchet spring 16. This consists of a at spring which is bent substantially at a right angle to pass through a single hole 18 in the credit disc. The bent portion is suciently long to engage any one of the apertures 28 in the demand disc 20 when the credit disc is in an engaging position axially relative to the demand disc.

To maintain this engaging position the solenoid 35 is provided as previously indicated. The solenoid 35 is maintained energized from a power source 39 through a closed credit switch 41. The credit disc 10 is relatively non-rotatably mounted on a hub 52 which has a key 54. This key engages a key-way 56 on the main shaft. The key-way 56 is somewhat longer than the key on the hollow shaft, so that, under urging of the spring 30, axial movement of the credit disc awav from the demand disc is made possible when the solenoid 35 isde-energized by opening the credit switch. Such outward motion of the credit disc should be suliicient to permit the ratchet spring 16 to be disengaged from any of the holes on the demand disc. The credit disc outer periphery has ratchet teeth 43 which are engaged by a pawl 45 which is urged to prevent clockwise motion of the dial unless the solenoid 47 is excited to move the pawl 45 away. The pawl 45 of the release solenoid 47 is made broad enough so that it is still in engagement with the ratchet teeth when the credit disc is moved outwardly. A clock spring 49 has one end fastened to the housing 34 and the other end to the housing 24 in a manner to urge the demand dial clockwise to the position where the blank position on the dial is under the indicating aperture 31.

A detail of the end of the ratchet spring 16 with fragmentary portions of the discs to show its relation thereto is shown in Figure 3. The ratchet spring 16 has its end 62 at an angle so that, when the credit disc is moved counterclockwise and the demand disc is maintained stationary, the ratchet spring is enabled to move into and out of the apertures in the demand disc. Such operation occurs by reason of the deection of the camming edge 62 of the ratchet spring, which causes it to slide over the surface of the demand disc.

For an explanation of the operation of the system, let it be assumed that a scrambled program is being transmitted for which it is desired to charge 30 to any subscriber who desires to view the program. The starting position of the apparatus is, as shown in Figure 1, with the blank position on the demand dial under the indicating aperture 31 and the ratchet spring 16 extends into the opening under the paid position on the demand dial. Impulscs are transmitted from the transmitter in a manner which may be found to be described in the above mentioned patent to Gottfried, et al. These are detected at the subscribers receiver and applied to apparatus, which may be termed a coin demand mechanism 64 and may be one of the types previously described, which serves to convert these pulses into the rotational energy required to Vdrive the common shaft in a counterclockwise direction. By reason of the key-way attached to the shaft the credit disc is driven in a counterclockwise direction through an angle. The extent of this angle as determined by the coin demand mechanism, is suicient to establish 30 on the demand disc under the indicating stop. The torsion spring 30 sufficiently couples the credit and demand disc to overcome the force for spring 49 and insure that the rotation in a counterclockwise direction of the credit disc carries therewith the demand disc. Ratchet spring 16 accordingly remains engaging the paid hole in the demand disc when the demand disc has been rotated to the 30p demand position. In setting up the 30p demand, energy is imparted to the clock spring 49. The spring is prevented from returning the discs clockwise to the starting condition by reason of the pawl 45 engaging the ratchet teeth 43.

Accordingly, the two discs are in a relative position so that there is zero credit and 300 is demanded in order to actuate a decoder (not shown) for the scrambled program. The coin demand satisfaction mechanism 66, which is shown in Figure 2, represented by a rectangle, serves to receive the coinage which the subscriber must pay in order to see the program. Upon payment of the required 30, the coin demand satisfaction mechanism, which is coupled to the shaft 32, provides rotational energy to drive the common shaft counterclockwise. This drives thecredit disc, and, in view of the effect of the torsion spring and the ratchet spring, the demand disc is carried therewith. The counterclockwise drive places the demand disc with paid under the indicating stop and the stop 29 on the periphery of the demand disc abuts the indicating stop 38. Coin demand satisfaction mechanism of a suitable type is found described above. It is well within theskill of those versed in the art to cause the actuation of a microswitch (not shown) so that when the apparatus reaches the paid position, after the satisfaction of demand, the switch is closed and the dec oder is made to operate to render the scrambled program being transmitted intelligible to the viewer.

Now let it be assumed that a demand of 30s/f has been established and the subscriber does not have the correct change, but has a 50-cent piece. The subscriber then deposits this amount of money in the coin receptacle of the coin demand satisfaction mechanism. This provides a sufficient drive to the drive shaft to cause counterclockwise rotation of the shaft through an arc which can be considered representative of the deposit of the 50c. The demand disc is carried by the credit disc counterclockwise to its paid position. The demand disc cannot rotate any further in the counterclockwise direction in view of the abutment of the stop at its outer periphery with the indicating stop. The credit disc, however, can continue its motion in a counterclockwise direction with the ratchet spring moving out of the holes in view of its camming edge, until there is a relative angular displacement between credit and demand discs equivalent to 204i on the demand disc. The common shaft is driven with suicient energy by the coin demand mechanism to overcome the opposing force provided by the torsion spring 30. The ratchet spring 16 drops into the hole on the demand disc which is opposite the 20a marker. The demand and credit discs are held in a relative position or angle'with respect to oneanother, which is indicative of an overpayment of the demand by 209?. This relative disposition of the two discs may be considered as a storage position in which the angle is indicative of the overpayment. To an extent, the energy which is stored in the torsion spring by the relative displacement of the two discs may also be considered as a storage of the overpayment.

At the termination of a program, on signal from the transmitting station related electronic equipment momentarily energizes thel solenoid 47, thus withdrawing the pawl 45 and enabling the clock spring 49 to return the demand disc to the position shown in Figure l with the blank spot on the dial under the indicator stop.

The overpayment or credit remains stored, since, in view of the engagement of the ratchet spring 16 with the demand disc aperture, the credit disc is carried with the demand disc in its same relative position still storing the overpayment thereby. When it is desired to establish a new demand for unscrambling another program to be transmitted, again, in the manner as previously described, the coin demand mechanism is actuated to rotate the shaft in a counterclockwise direction till the dial indicator shows the amount to be charged for viewing the program.

By reason of the ratchet spring engaging the 20e aperture of the demand disc, rotation of the credit disc rotates the demand disc. The coin demand mechanism thus rotates both discs still maintained with their relative angular displacement until the amount required or demanded for viewing the program, for example e, comes under the indicating aperture.

If the subscriber wishes to use his credit toward satisfying the established demand, he has but to throw the switch 41 which de-energizes the holding solenoid 35. The combined torsion and compression spring is now free to move the credit disc outwardly away from the demand disc a distance sufficient to permit withdrawal of he ratchet spring from the 20c credit aperture inthe demand disc. When this occurs, the demand disc is driven in a counterclockwise direction by the torsion spring to dissipate the Venergy stored in the torsion spring and to reduce the demand angle by an amount equivalent to 20e.

The demand disc is stopped in this instance by the abutment of its stop with that on the credit disc. This occurs when there is Zero credit established. The credit disc is held so that the demand disc can be rotated by the torsion spring by reason of a mechanical stop -66 which is positioned to engage the ratchet Vteethon the stored in the kmanner previously described, to be credited against a subsequent program and can be used subsequently as desired. By regarding the indicating aperture, the lamount of `coin demand remaining required to view a program is shown. The credit switch is merely exemplary of apparatus which may be used. Y The credit release solenoid may be deenergized by using a microswitch which is operated by deposit of the first coin to satisfy a demand or in any other manner desired. equalize the axial forces applied more than one ratchet spring is used, and, in the embodiment of the invention which was built, three springs disposed at 120 with, reference to each other was found satisfactory.

Accordingly, there has been described and shown here- `or`yieldably biasing said demand-indicating means and said credit-indicating means for maintaining a rst relative position representative of no credit, means for establlshmg a paid-up demand position for rsaid movable demandindicating means,.rst means for holding said Vmovabledemand-indicating means against motion in one direction f at said paid-up demand position, means for moving said credit disc when it is pushed outward by the torsion spring.

This stop also serves the purpose of preventing the credit disc from being driven into a credit position againrby Y reason of the energy with which the demand disc strikesV the stop 12 of the credit disc. A requirement of the torsion spring is that it should be stronger than the clock spring so that the demand disc can be driven against the force of the clock springwhen credit is being used. It should be clear now that if the demand disc reaches its paid position before using up all the credit, the ratchet spring on the credit disc will drop into a hole on the demand disc whenever the two discs stop their relative motion. Otherwise, it drops into the hole under the paid marking on .the disc. Of course, the two discs must be moved in position for the ratchet spring to engage the demand disc. This occurs when the credit switch is closed, permitting the credit release solenoid to become energized again whereby the solenoid rod pushes theA credit disc into its initial position again. Any overpayment of the demand for viewing the second program 1s credit-indicating means in said one direction when said demand-indicating means is held by said means for holding to a second position `relative toV said demand-indicating'` ,v means representative of a credit, second means forholdmg said creditand demand-indicating means in said second relative position, means for positioning said creditand demand-indicating means held in said second relative position at a demand location away from said paid-up demand position, means for inactivating said second means for holding, and third means for holding said creditindicating vmeans at said'detnand location when said second means for holding is inactivated whereby said means for yieldably biasing said demandand credit-indicating means can move 4said Vdemand-indicating means in said one direction to said iirst relative position when said demand-indicating means is not held by said first means for holding. Y Y Y v 2. In a subscription television system of thetype wherein a subscriber receiver has a coinboxrwhich has means to establish a coin demand for viewing a programmearn.l

for receiving coinfor "satisfying said coin demand, and

means for enabling said program to be viewed upon sat-7 isfaction of said coin demand,vv the improvement in lsaid coinbox comprising a movable coin-demand-indicating means, means for moving said coin-demand-indicating means inone direction to reduce an indicated coin demand thereby, :a movable credit-indicating means, means for yieldably biasing said coin demand and credit-indicating means to a relative iirst position representative of no meansfor maintaining said coin-demand audcredit-indicating means in said relative second position, means for rendering inoperative said means for maintaining when a coin demand is subsequently established by said coindemand-indicatingmeans for viewing another program, means for holding said credit-indicating means stationary v when said means for rendering inoperative isV operated whereby said means for yieldably biasing restores said coin-demand andcredit-indicating means v.to Vtheir In order toV aneddoti 7 relative position thereby reducing the coin demand by the amount of the credit stored.

3. In a system for receiving and reproducing program material from a protected transmission of a composite signal and including translating means actuatable upon payment of a demanded cost to render available said program material, the improvement in said translating means comprising means establishing a cost-indicating position, cost-indicating means having a plurality of different program-cost markings followed by a paid marking thereon, means for supporting said cost-indicating means for moving the markings thereon successively past said cost-indicating position, means for preventing further motion of said cost-indicating means in one direction when said paid marking is at said cost-indicating position, an overpayment-indicating means, means yieldably coupling said overpayment-indicating means and said cost-indicating means for maintaining a first relative position, releasable means coupled between said overpayment-indicating means and said cost-indicating means to prevent motion of said overpayment-indicating means in a direction opposite to said one direction relative to said cost-indicating means, means for moving said overpayment-indicating means in said one direction a distance to move therewith said cost-indicating means to position a desired one of said program-cost markings at said cost-indicating position, means for moving said overpayment-indicating means a distance in said one direction representative of a payment whereby upon an overpayment further motion of said cost-indicating means in said one direction is prevented when said paid marking is at said cost-indicating position by said means for preventing further motion and said overpayment-indicating means is moved to a position relative to said cost-indicating means representative of the overpayment, means for moving said costand overpayment-indicating means held in said overpayment relative position in an opposite direction away from said costindicating position, and means for holding said overpayment-indicating means and for releasing said releasable means when a desired one of said program-cost markings is at said cost-indicating position again for enabling said cost-indicating means to be moved by said yieldable means in said one direction to re-establish said first relative position.

4. In a subscription television system of the type wherein a subscriber receiver has a coinbox wherein coins are deposited to meet a coin demand required for viewing a program, an improved coinbox having a demand-indicat ing disc, a credit-indicating disc, a shaft, means mounting said credit-indicating disc for rotation by said shaft, means for rotatably mounting said demand-indicating disc coaxially with said credit-indicating disc, spring means attached to said discs for yieldably biasing them to a relative no-credit position, means for rotating said shaft in one direction responsive to deposit of coins in said coinbox, means establishing an initial angular position for said demand-indicating disc, means for preventing further rotation in one direction of said demand-indicating disc when it is rotated in said one direction through a predetermined angle relative to said initial angular position indicative of attaining a coin-demand-satisfaction position, means for holding said credit-indicating disc in any position to which it is rotated relative to said demand-indicating disc when said demand-indicating disc is at its coindemand-satisfaction position, means for rotating said demandand credit-indicating discs held in said rotated relative position in the direction of its initial angular position, means for releasing said means for holding said credit-indicating disc, and means for holding said creditindicating disc when said means for releasing said means for holding is operative to enable said spring means to rotate said demand-indicating disc in said one direction to thereby reduce the angle between a subsequently established initial angular position and the coin-demand-satisfaction position representative of a reduction in the 8 amount of coin demand for viewing a subsequent program.

5. In a subscription television system of the type wherein a subscriber receiver has a coinbox with means for receiving signals from a transmitter for establishing a coin demand, means for receiving coin for satisfying said coin demand, and means for enabling said program to be viewed upon satisfaction of said coin demand, the improvement in said coinbox comprising a rst disc, a second disc, both said discs being independently mounted for rotation on a common axis, price markings spaced around the outside of said second disc comprising a paid marking followed in a counterclockwise direction by a plurality of successively increasing price markings, a stop on each of said discs positioned to abut one another to prevent respective independent counterclockwise-clockwise rotation of said first and second disc onlyl when in abutting relationship, a torsion and compression spring coupling said two discs and yieldably biasing them to establish their stops in an abutting position and to move apart axially, means for holding said two discs in position axially against the axial force of said torsion and compressing spring, means for establishing a price-viewing position for said second disc, means responsive to signals for rotating said first disc clockwise until a desired price marking on said second disc is positioned at said price-marking position, means responsive to coin being received for rotating said first disc clockwise until said paid marking is at said price-marking position, means for preventing further clockwise rotation of said second disc when said paid marking is at said price-marking position despite continued rotation of said first disc, means for holding said first and second disc in the relative position assumed upon termination of continued clockwise rotation of said first disc after said second disc paid marking is at said price-marking position, means actuatable at the termination of a program to rotate said first and second discs together counterclcckwise until the highest price marking on said second disc has passed said price-viewing position, means operable to inactivate said means for holding said two discs in position axially and said means for holding said first and second disc upon subsequent establishment of said second disc with a desired price marking at said price-marking position, and means for preventing said rst disc from rotating when said means for holding said two discs in position axially and said first and second disc is inactivated to thereby permit said torsion and compression spring to rotate said second disc counterclockwise to reduce the coin demand by the amount of credit stored by said deviation of said first and second discs from their stop abutment position.

6. A subscription television system as recited in claim 5 wherein said means to hold said first and second discs in their respective positions includes a plurality of apertures spaced on the circumference of a circle on said second disc the number of said apertures corresponding to the number of increments of coinage to be represented by deviations of said second disc from said stop position, a ratchet spring fastened at one end to said first disc and bent at an angle from said first disc and extending sufficiently therefrom to engage said second disc at any one of said apertures when said first disc is rotated past the zero stop position of said second disc, and means to maiutain said first and second discs in their relative axial positions during their credit storage deviation.

7. A subscription television system as recited in claim 6 wherein said means to maintain said first and second discs in their relative positions during their credit storage deviation comprises a solenoid and solenoid plunger positioned to urge said first disc in ratchet spring engaging position when said solenoid is excited.

8. A subscription television system as recited in claim 5 wherein said rst disc has ratchet teeth on the periphery thereof, a pawl engaging said ratchet teeth to prevent rotation in one direction, a clock spring coupled to said second disc to urge said credit disc in said clockwise direction, a solenoid operatively connected to said pawl to disengage said pawl from said ratchet teeth when excited, and a stop positioned to engage the ratchet teeth of said rst disc when it is moved axially out of engaging position with said second disev by said torque compression spring.

1,336,628 Hughes Apr. 13, 1920 10 Y t Hornby Iam-14, 1930 Sutherland June 29, 1943 Hokanson Oct. 24, 1950 Zworykin July 31, 1956 Loew Oct. 30, 1956 DelRiccio Oct. 30, 1956

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