US3411848A

US3411848A - Coder-exposer

Info

Publication number: US3411848A
Application number: US557965A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph E Stalder; Alfred M Nelson; Robert L Laurent; George M Stamps; Clark R Miller
Original assignee: Magnavox Co
Current assignee: Magnavox Electronic Systems Co
Priority date: 1966-06-16
Filing date: 1966-06-16
Publication date: 1968-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1985-11-19

Description

Nov. 19, 1968 1 E, STALDER ET AL CODEREXPOSER Filed June 16, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet l NOV- 19, 1958 J. E. STALDER ET AL 3,411,848

coDER-EXPOSER Filed June 1e, 196e 4 Sheets'sheet 2 j? by# @/152 40er/fra fa arde NOV- 19, 1968 J. E. STALDER ET AL 3,41 1,848

CODER-EXPOSER Filed June le, 1966 4 Sheetssheet 3 Nov. 19, 1968 J. E. STALDER ET AL 3,411,848

CODER-EXPOSER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 16, 1966 United States Patent Oihce Patented Nov. 19, 1968 Delaware Filed June 16, 1966, Ser. No. 557,965 12 Claims. (Cl. 355-89) This invention relates to an apparatus for coding information and with a recording of the coded information by the exposure of a photographic film. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus for producing a photographic recording medium having the information recorded on the photographic recording medium in the form of variable transmission characteristics.

' The information recorded on the photographic recording medium of the present invention is generally transferred from information such as digital information which has been recorded on punch cards. The present invention, therefore, pertains to an apparatus for reproducing coded information such as digital information contained on punch cards, converting such reproduced coded information from the punch cards into a more efficient coding system and recording the converted coded information onto a photographic recording medium. The photographic recording medium of the present invention may, in addition, contain information such as analog information and the particular embodiment of the invention described in this application does provide for the recording of additional information such as analog infonmation on the photographic recording medium.

Modern businesses rely to a large extent on the use of systems which store information and which provide for an efficient retrieval of the stored information. One of the commonest types of information retrieval systems now in use stores the information on punch cards. The conventional punch card information retrieval systems have the information recorded by punching out portions of the card in representation of the information and with the particular punched-out portion determined in accordance with a predetermined code. The information is now stored on the punch card and the information may be retrieved by scanning the punch card by any one of a number of conventional scanning systems.

There are rnany problems associated with the use of punch card information retrieval systems. For example, as business techniques rely to a greater extent on information retrieval systems, greater amounts of information must be stored and this in turn produces an increasing storage problem. Conventional punch cards are bulky and inefficient in the use of their storage capacity versus size and it Iis desirable to store information on .a storage medium which is smaller and more efficient in the use of its storage capacity versus size. In addition, equipment for handling conventional punch cards operates at relatively slow speeds since the conventional punch cards are bulky and easily damaged. It is desirable to use a storage rnedium which is capable of being handled at greater speeds. Another problem with conventional punch cards is that the punch cards generally provide for a storage of digital information and cannot store analog information. For example, it may be desirable to provide a storage medium which stores both analog and digital information andwh'erein the digital information provides an identification for and a description of the analog information. The digital information may also be used to provide for the retrieval of the analog information.

Since it is desirable to provide both analog and digital information on a single storage medium it has been proposed that a standard punch card may be improved by providing an area on the punch card for supporting a film chip. An illustration of such an improved punch card, which is referred to as an aperture card, may be found in copending application Ser. No. 427,345, filed Jan. 22, 1965, in the name of Clark R. Miller and assigned to the assignee of the instant application.

The aperture card which is shown Iin the copending application Ser. No. 427,345 contains a punch card portion and an area with a cut-out to receive a film chip. The film chip may contain analog information such as a schematic, charts, drawings, etc. The analog information is recorded photographically on the film chip and the film chip may be used to produce an enlarged copy of the l analog information or the film chip may be used to project the analog information onto a screen. The punch card portion of the aperture card includes digital information which is recorded using a predetermined punch card code. Usually the digital information represents information 'which may provide identification or details of the Ianalog information recorded on the film chip and the digital information is used during the search procedure to provide identification of the aperture card.

The advantages of such an aperture card as described above are apparent in that the aperture card may include the desired analog information but the aperture card is handled using standard punch card handling equipment. Since the standard punch card handling equipement is generally available, the use of the aperture card for storage may be advantageous in that existing equipment can be upgraded to store and retrieve analog and digital information which is recorded on the film chip and punch card portions of the aperture card.

The aperture card is described above, although an improvement over normal punch cards still has many of the Same drawbacks as are found with the normal punch card. For example, the aperture card in common with the normal punch card is bulky, easily damaged and limited in the speed at which it may be handled by the normal punch card handling equipment and techniques. In addition, the film chip portion of the aperture card is easily damaged by the punch card handling equipment. It would be desirable to completely eliminate the disadvantages of the punch card by using a storage medium which is smaller, lighter, and which can be more quickly handled than the normal punch card or aperture card.

One proposed storage medium is a photographic film which may include both analog and digital information. For example, one portion of the photographic film storage medium would correspond to the film chip portion of the aperture card described above. A second portion of the photograph film storage medium would contain information corresponding to the punch card portion of the aperture card `described above. Although the photographic film storage medium would store the same information as the aperture card, the photographic film storage medium is smaller and ligher and, therefore, stores information more efliciently. yIn addition, the photographic film storage medium, being smaller and lighter than the aperture card or punch card, can be processed quicker than the aperture card or punch card.

Since large numbers of aperture cards and punch cards are already being used, it is desirable to provide means for transferring the information from these aperture and punch cards to the photographic film storage medium so that the information can be transferred in an efficient manner. In particular, it is desirable that the means for transferring the information from the aperture and punch cards to the photographic film be automatic and operate at a rapid speed.

As the information is transferred from the aperture card it is necessary to transfer the film chip portion of the aperture card directly to the photographic film storage medium. This is a relatively simple transfer operation since the fihn chip portion of the aperture card is merely disposed adjacent to the photographic film storage medium and a contact print is made.

It is more difiicult, however, to transfer the information contained on the punch card portion of the aperture card to the photographic film storage medium. It is not possible to merely make an optical representation of the punch card information. If such an optical representation were made using a contact print operation, the photographic film storage medium would have to be as large as the aperture card and this, of course, is undesirable. 'If the punch card portion of the aperture card is optically 4reduced for transfer to the photographic film storage medium, this is not successful since the information on the punch card when reduced increases the difficulty of detection. This is because the punchedout areas on the punch card portion of the aperture card are spaced relatively Ifar from each other, and the reduction of the punch card portion of the aperture card produces very tiny spots of information. It is, therefore, desirable to squeeze all the punched-out areas together so as to provide for an optimum storage density. Although this squeezing is impossible with a punch card since there must be material between the punched-out areas, the squeezing is possible with a photographic film storage medium since the photographic representation of the information uses variable light transmission characteristics of a continuous substrate.

The present invention, therefore, includes the reproduction of the information on a punch card or a punch card portion of an aperture card with a subsequent transfer of such information to a photographic film storage medium and with a provision for an optimum storage of the information on the photographic film storage medi-um. Since it is necessary to both reproduce the information from the punch card and to record this information on the photographic lfilm storage medium, it is desirable to use an efficient coding system when recording the information on the film chip. IPunch cards currently in use, use an inefficient coding system, designated as the IHollerith code, which was developed when punch cards were originally introduced. The present invention, therefore, provides for a transfer of information from a punch card to a photographic film with a conversion from the normal punch card code to a more efficient coding system.

Since the apparatus of the present invention is to be used to transfer information from great numbers of punch or aperture cards to photographic film, the transfer apparatus should be relatively simple and foolproof so as to eliminate costly breakdowns in the equipment. It is relatively easy to read the punch card information and to convert such information to a more efficient coding system using standard logic circuits. A major problem is how to transfer the converted information to the photographic film. The simplest Way in which to transfer information to a photographic medium such as the photographic film of the present invention is to expose the photographic film through a contact printing process. For example, the transfer from the film chip portion of the aperture card to the photographic film storage medium is accomplished through a contact print process, as indicated above.

tIn order to provide a contact print of the converted information from the punch card or punch card portion of the aperture card it is necessary to produce a mask in accordance with the converted information for use in making the contact print. Specifically, the mask should have translucent and opaque portions in accordance with the converted information. .It is possible to design a mechanical structure which it itself constitutes a mask and which is controlled in -accordance with the converted information from the punch card or punch card portion of the aperture card. However, such a mechanical structure would be very complex and -difiicult to build.

The present invention provides for a mask for use in making a contact print on the photographic film storage medium wherein the mask is an intermediate transfer medium which receives the converted coded information from the logic circuitry and stores such information as variable transmission characteristics. The photographic film is then placed adjacent the intermediate transfer medium and the photographic film is exposed in accordance with the variable transmission characteristics of the intermediate transfer medium. The intermediate transfer medium is disposed of as Waste after it is used to provide the transfer of the information to the photographic film storage medium.

The intermediate transfer medium is recorded by striking the intermediate transfer medium with a multiple stylus unit which is driven in accordance with the converted information from the logic circuitry. The specific material used for the intermediate transfer medium may be of the type which experiences a reduction in optical density when subjected to pressure. One form of this material which is currently in use is a pressure sensitive coated flexible plastic, such as Mylan which is used in the graphic arts to produce transparencies from letterpress equipment. The intermediate transfer medium also may be a total transfer carbon paper generally of the type used in electric typewriters and wherein a translucent backing material is covered with carbon material. When the carbon paper is struck, the carbon material is substantially completely transferred from the carbon paper to a second surface. Such a total transfer carbon paper would also provide for the reduction in optical density so as to produce the mask used to provide a contact print on the photographic film storage medium.

The present invention, therefore, provides a System for transferring the information recorded on a punch card or the punch card portion of an aperture card to a photographic film storage medium and using an intermediate transfer medium to produce a mask in accordance with the information and with the mask used to make a contact print of the information on the photographic film storage medium. A clearer understanding of the invention will be had with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an illustration of a prior art aperture card including a portion supporting a film chip and a portion for receiving punch card information;

FIGURE 2 is a photographic film storage medium of the present invention including a portion for receiving the same information as the film chip portion of the aperture card of FIGURE 1 and including a portion for receiving information corresponding to the information contained on the punch card portion of the aperture card of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail drawing of the -area of the photographic film storage medium of FIGURE 2 for receiving information corresponding to the information contained on the punch card portion of the aperture card of FIG- URE l;

FIGURE 4a illustrates the Hollerith code currently in use with conventional punch cards;

FIGURE 4b illustrates a modified binary code which may be used in place of the Hollerith code of FIG- URE 4a; 1

FIGURE 5 is a schematic diagram of a system for transferring information from the aperture card of FIG- URE 1 to the photographic film storage medium of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a detail view of the multiple stylus of FIGURE 5 in combination with the intermediate transfer medium of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a detail view of the intermediate transfer medium after it has passed by the multiple stylus of FIG- URES 5 and 6.

In FIGURE 1 an aperture card 10 includes first portion 12 for receiving a film chip 14. The film chip 14 may store either analog or digital information, but the film chip 14 is generally used for the storage of analog information. The analog information may be in the form of schematics, drawings, charts, illustrations, etc. The aperture card also includes a second portion 16 for receiving punch card information. The punch card information includes punched out areas 18 which represent particular digital information. The punch card information is generally arranged along a series of columns 20 and in a normal punch card the number of columns total eighty from one end of the card to the other. Since the aperture lcarril 10 of FIGURE 1 uses the portion 12 of the aperture card 10 for the film chip 14, some of the columns are eliminated. In our particular example the punch card 10 includes in the punch card portion 16 a total of fifty-two columns.

As can be seen in the aperture card 10 of FIGURE 1, the punch card portion 16 stores the punched information 18 in a generally inefficient manner since there must be a space between each punched-out area 18. The material between each punched-out area 18 must be sufficiently great so that the material will not easily rip. It would be desirable to reproduce the information contained on th epunch card portion 16 of the aperture card 10 in a more efficient manner by eliminating the spacing between the punched-out areas 18.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a photographic film storage medium which stores the same information as that stored on the aperture card of FIGURE l. The photographic film storage medium 10 of FIGURE 2 occupies a much smaller space than that of the aperture card 10 of FIGURE l and in particular the photographic film storage medium 30 of FIGURE 2 occupies approximately onefifth the area of the aperture card 10 of FIGURE l. The photographic film 30 includes a first portion 32 which is equal in size to the film chip 14 of the aperture card 10 of FIGURE l. The portion 32 of the photographic film 30 is designed to store the same information as is stored on the film chip portion 14 of the aperture card 10 of FIG- URE 1. The photographic film 30 of FIGURE 2 also includes a second portion 34 which has an area 36 to store information representing the information recorded in the punch card portion 16 of the aperture card 10 of FIG- URE 1. The informational area 36 may also include fiftytwo columns to correspond to the information of FIG- URE l. As an example, the informational area 36 of FIG- URE 2 may be arranged in a pattern as shown in FIG- URE 3.

In FIGURE 3 the informational area 36 is shown broken down into fifty-two'columns. The columns correspond to the fifty-two columns of the punch card information of the apertu-re card 10 of FIGURE l. Each column has eight bits where six bits correspond to the values l, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and where the additional bits represent a clock and a parity. The coding system used for the storage of information in the pattern of FIGURE 3 is generally of a modified binary type. FIGURES 4a and 4b illustrate the conventional punch card Hollerith code and the modified binary code used with the present invention. Since the information is to be transferred from the punch card to the photographic medium, it is desirable to convert to a more efficient coding system when the information is stored on the photographic medium.

FIGURE 4a illustrates the conventional Hollerith code used with punch cards and which is inefficient in that it requires twelve bits to represent the numerals 0` to 9, the alphabet and certain punctuation marks. The shaded portions in FIGURE 4a represent a punched-out area of a conventional punch card. FIGURE 4b illustrates a modied binary code which uses eight bits to not only represent the same information as the twelve bits of the Hollerith code represents but in addition includes a clock pulse and a parity bit. The parity bit is used so that the number of bits exclusive of the clock pulse is always odd so as to provide for a check on errors in the recording of the information. The shaded areas of FIGURE 4b represent a translucent portion of the photographic image included in the information area 36 of the photographic film 30 of FIGURE 2, The conversion of the Hollerith code of FIGURE 4a to the modified binary code of FIGURE 4b may be readily accomplished using conventional logic circuitry.

In FIGURE 5 a block diagram of a system according to the present invention is shown for transferring information from a plurality of aperture cards 10 in a stack 100 to discrete areas along a photographic film storage medium 102. Individual ones of the stack of aperture cards 10 may be transferred to a reading station by any conventional card handling technique. As the aperture card 10 moves into and through the reading station a light source 104, which includes a plurality of twelve individual lamps, produces light energy towards the information arranged in columns on the aperture cards 10. A plurality of -photocells 106 is disposed beneath the aperture cards 10 and the photocells 106 correspond in position to the individual lamps in the light source 104. There is a single photocell for each light source.

The light sources and photocells are arranged along lines corresponding to the twelve bits present in each column of the aperture card. If a punched-out area is present in any particular column, the light penetrates through the card and is received by an individual one of the photocells 106. The photocells 106, therefore, produce on-off signals corresponding to the reception of light energy. The signals from the photocells 106 are applied to logic circuitry 108. The logic circuitry may be of a conventional type so as to provide for a conversion of the Hollerith code shown in FIGURE 4a to a more efficient type of coding system. For example, the logic circuitry 108 may convert the Hollerith code to a modified binary coding system shown in FIGURE 4b. It is to be appreciated that the coding system shown in FIGURE 4b is illustrative only and that other coding systems may be used. If desired, the Hollerith coding system of FIGURE 4a may be used for the storage of information on the photographic film shown in FIGURE 2, but it is to be appreciated that the Hollerith type of coding system is inefficient. It would be desirable, however, even if the Hollerith code were used for the storage of information on the photographic film of FIGURE 2, that the information be compacted so that there is little or no room between adjacent bits of information.

The output from the logic circuitry 108 is applied through a driving amplifier 110 to a multiple stylus 112. The multiple stylus 112 includes a plurality of stylus elements that are controlled to strike a mask material 114. The individual stylus elements are part of an electromagnetic structure which controls the movement of the individual stylus elements in accordance with input electrical signals from the amplifier 110. A clearer understanding of the multiple stylus 112 will be had with reference to FIGURE 6. In addition, a multiple stylus unit as shown in copending application Ser. No. 435,651, filed Feb. 26, 1965, in the name of Glenn A. Reese and Donald H. Westermeier, entitled Multispot Transducer and assigned to the assignee of the instant application, may be used for the multiple stylus 112. The mask material 114 is unreeled from a payout reel 116 and taken up by a takeup reel 118. The mask material 114 is of the type that provides for a reduction in optical density upon an increase in pressure against the mask material. As the multiple stylus produces an increase in pressure against the mask material 114 in accordance with the signals from the logic circuitry 108, particular areas of the mask material 114 experience a reduction in optical density in accordance with the signals from the logic circuitry 108.

FIGURE 6 provides a clearer explanation of the operation of the multiple stylus 112. The multiple stylus 112 includes a plurality of individual stylus elements represented by the end stylus elements 120 and 122. All the individual stylus elements as represented by the end stylus elements 120 and 122 include tip portions as represented by the

tip portions

124 and 126. The representative stylus members 120 and 122 are electromagnetically activated as explained in the copending Reese et al. application so as to control the movement of the stylus members 120 and 122 downward towards the mask material 114. As the

tip portions

124 and 126 of the stylus elements strike the mask material 114 the mask material experiences a reduction in optical density in accordance with the pressure.

The material used for the mask material 114 may be of several types. For example, a material sold under the trademark Cronapress by the Du Pont Company may be used for the :mask material 114 or a material sold under the trademark Thermofax Type 128 by the 3M Company may be used for the mask material 114. Both of these materials have a relatively high ratio of optical density before and after the application of pressure.

For example, the Du Pont Cronapress material has an orig-inal optical density of 70% and experiences a reduction in optical density to 30% after a sufficient impact from the stylus members. The 3M Thermofax Type 128 material experiences a reduction in optical density from 32% to 12% after a sufiicient impact from the stylus members. The 3M Thermofax Type 128 material is heat sensitive in addition to being pressure sensitive and is commonly used to provide transparencies from the 3M Thermofax copying machines. The Du Pont Cronapress -material is generally used in the graphic arts industry so as to provide transparencies from normal letterpress equipment.

In addition to the use of the 3M Thermofax Type 128 and the Du Pont Cronapress materials, it is possible to use a total transfer carpon paper for the mask 114. Such total transfer carbon paper is generally used with electric typewriters to provide a substantially total transfer of the carbon material. It is obvious that a suitable mask material 114 may be constructed by providing a transparent substrate for the total transfer carbon paper.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a detail view of the mask material 114 after being struck by the tip portions represented by the

end tip portions

124 and 126 of the stylus members 120 and 122. As can be seen in FIGURE 7, the areas 128 represent areas of reduced optical density. The areas of reduced optical density 128 of the mask material 114 lie in fifty-two rows with each row containing eight bits as shown in FIGURE 3.

In FIGURE the photographic film storage medium material 102 is contained in a continuous strip and s wound on a payout reel 130. The photographic film material is preferably a diazo film which is sensitive to ultraviolet light. Since the photographic film 102 is sensitive only to ultraviolet light it may be handled using safe lights so as to eliminate the necessity of complete darkness surrounding the apparatus of FIGURE 5. In addition, the diazo film 102 is generally of a type which has very high resolution which is desirable for providing an optium reproduction quality from the photographic film 102.

The photographic film material 102 is exposed at the same time with the information from the film chip portion 14 of the aperture card and from the intermediate transfer mask 114. This may be seen in FIGURE 5 wherein the film chip portion 114 of the aperture card 10 is disposed adjacent one side of the photographic film material 102. The aperture card has been moved successively from the stacked position to the read position and finally to the exposure position. In addition, the mask material 114 has been recorded by the multiple stylus 112 and disposed adjacent the other side of the photographic film 102. 'Ihe aperture card 10, the photographic film material 102 and Cil the mask rmaterial 114 are -then maintained in a fixed position for a period of time necessary to properly expose the photographic film material 102.

The exposure of the photographic film material 102 is accomplished through a pair of

light sources

132 and 134. The

light sources

132 and 134 produce ultraviolet light so as to provide a proper exposure of the photographie film material 102. The photographic film material 102 therefore receives a contact print from the film chip portion 14 of the aperture card 10 when the light source 132 is energized. In addition, the photographic film material 102 receives a contact print of the information recorded on the mask material 114 when the light source 134 is energized. When the

light sources

132 and 134 are deenergized, the photographic film material 102 is advanced to present the rnext portion of the photographic film material for exposure and, in addition, the next aperture card and the next portion of the mask material 114 are both advanced so as to provide for the proper exposure of the photographic film material 102.

The exposed photographic film material 102 is further processed by being developed using normal photographic techniques and may be then cut into a plurality of individual photographic film storage mediums. The aperture cards are returned to a storage area so that they may be used at Some later time. The mask material 114 is disposed of as waste material.

The apparatus of FIGURE 5 may, therefore, be characterized as a coder-exposer since it reproduces information from a punch card or an aperture card, converts the coding of the information from a Hollerith code to a modified binary code Iand records the converted information on an intermediate transfer medium. The apparatus of FIGURE 5 then stores the converted information from the intermediate transfer medium and may also store information from a film chip portion of an aperture card onto a photographic film storage medium. The information is stored on the photographic film storage medium by exposing the photographic film storage medium to produce contact prints from the film chip portion of the aperture card and the intermediate transfer medium. It is to be appreciated that the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment but it is possible to make various modifications and adaptations of the invention. The invention, therefore, is only to be limited by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A system for transferring information recorded on a first storage medium to a photographic film, including first means operatively coupled to the first storage medium for producing an output signal in accordance with the information recorded on the first storage medium,

an intermediate transfer medium having a variable optical density,

second means operatively coupled to the first means and the intermediate transfer medium and responsive to the output signal from the first means for producing changes in the optical density of the intermediate transfer medium in accordance with the output signal, and

third means operatively coupled to the intermediate transfer medium and the photographic film for exposing the photographic film in accordance with the optical density of the intermediate transfer medium.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the information recorded on the first storage medium is digital information recorded using a first particular code, and wherein the first means includes means for replacing the first particular code witha second particular code.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the intermediate transfer means is sensitive to pressure and wherein the second means applies pressure to the intermediate transfer means to produce the changes in optical density.

4. A system for transferring inform-ation recorded in a first predetermined pattern on a first storage medium to a photographic film, including first means operatively coupled to the first storage medium and responsive to the information recorded in the first predetermined pattern for producing an output signal having characteristics in accordance with the information recorded in the first predetermined pattern,

a masking material having variable optical density,

second means operatively coupled to the first means and the masking material and responsive to the output sign-al from the first means for producing v-ariations in optical density in asecond predetermined pattern in the masking material in accordance with characteristics of the output signal, and

third means operatively coupled to the masking material and the photographic film for exposing the photographic film through the masking material for recording the second predetermined pattern on the photographic film.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first and second predetermined patterns are different.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the masking material is sensitive to pressure and wherein the second means applies pressure to the ymasking material to produce the variations in optical density.

7. A system for transferring information recorded in accordance with a punched pattern on a punch card to a photographic film, including readout means operatively coupled to the punch card for producing an output signal in accordance with the punched pattern on the punch card,

an opaque masking material having permanent variations in `optical density in accordance with applied pressure,

a multiple stylus operatively coupled to the readout means and the masking material and responsive to the output signal from the readout means for applying pressure on the masking material in accordance with the output signal to produce a mask having opaque areas and areas of decreased optic-al density, and

means operatively coupled to the mask and to the photographic film for exposing the photographic film through the mask.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the punched pattern on the punch card is recorded in accordance with a Hollerith code and wherein the readout means and the multiple stylus includes means for converting the Hollerith code to a binary code.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the photographic film is sensitive to ultraviolet light and wherein the means for exposing includes a light source for producing ultraviolet light.

10. A system for transferring information from an aperture card including a portion containing a prerecorded film chip and a portion containing a punched pattern to a photographic film, including first means operatively coupled to the punched portion of the aperture card for producing an output signal in accordance with the punched pattern,

an intermediate transfer medium having a variable optical density,

second means operatively coupled to the first means and the intermediate transfer medium and responsive to the output signal from the first means for producing changes in the optical density of the intermediate transfer Amedium in accordance with the output signal to provide a mask,

third means operatively coupled to the aperture card,

the photographic film and the intermediate transfer medium for aligning the film chip portion of the aperture card with a first portion of the photographic film and for aligning the mask portion of the intermediate transfer medium with a second portion of the photographic film, and

fourth means operatively coupled to the third means for exposing the first portion of the photographic film through the film chip portion of the aperture card and for exposing the second portion of the photographic film through the mask portion of the intermediate transfer medium.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the punched pattern on the aperture card is recorded in accordance with a Hollerith code and wherein the first yand second means provide for a conversion of the Hollerith code to a binary code.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the film chip portion of the aperture card and the mask portion of the intermediate transfer medium are aligned on opposite sides of the photographic film.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,202,045 8/ 1965 Arsenault et al. 3,307,463 3/1967 Hayes et al 95-75 3,334,539 8/1967 Kleist et al.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES FUNK, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING INFORMATION RECORDED ON A FIRST STORAGE MEDIUM TO A PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM, INCLUDING FIRST MEANS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO THE FIRST STORAGE MEDIUM FOR PRODUCING AN OUTPUT SIGNAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INFORMATION RECORDED ON THE FIRST STORAGE MEDIUM, AN INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEDIUM HAVING A VARIABLE OPTICAL DENSITY, SECOND MEANS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO THE FIRST MEANS AND THE INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEDIUM AND RESPONSIVE TO THE OUTPUT SIGNAL FROM THE FIRST MEANS FOR PRODUCING CHANGES IN THE OPTICAL DENSITY OF THE INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEDIUM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OUTPUT SIGNAL, AND THIRD MEANS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO THE INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEDIUM AND THE PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM FOR EXPOSING THE PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPTICAL DENSITY OF THE INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEDIUM.