WO1995014994A1 - Structure de cassette video a bande sans fin - Google Patents

Structure de cassette video a bande sans fin Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1995014994A1
WO1995014994A1 PCT/US1994/013600 US9413600W WO9514994A1 WO 1995014994 A1 WO1995014994 A1 WO 1995014994A1 US 9413600 W US9413600 W US 9413600W WO 9514994 A1 WO9514994 A1 WO 9514994A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
tape
cassette
vcr
reel
data units
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1994/013600
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Samuel Ballard
Chris Harrises
Roger Saunders
Original Assignee
Broadcast Information Technologies, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Broadcast Information Technologies, Inc. filed Critical Broadcast Information Technologies, Inc.
Priority to AU12607/95A priority Critical patent/AU1260795A/en
Priority to GB9610671A priority patent/GB2298633A/en
Publication of WO1995014994A1 publication Critical patent/WO1995014994A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N5/00—Details of television systems
    • H04N5/76—Television signal recording
    • H04N5/765—Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B15/00—Driving, starting or stopping record carriers of filamentary or web form; Driving both such record carriers and heads; Guiding such record carriers or containers therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function
    • G11B15/02—Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
    • G11B15/026—Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing by using processor, e.g. microcomputer
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B15/00—Driving, starting or stopping record carriers of filamentary or web form; Driving both such record carriers and heads; Guiding such record carriers or containers therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function
    • G11B15/18—Driving; Starting; Stopping; Arrangements for control or regulation thereof
    • G11B15/1808—Driving of both record carrier and head
    • G11B15/1816—Programmed access in sequence to indexed parts of operating tapes cooperating with rotating heads
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B15/00—Driving, starting or stopping record carriers of filamentary or web form; Driving both such record carriers and heads; Guiding such record carriers or containers therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function
    • G11B15/60—Guiding record carrier
    • G11B15/66—Threading; Loading; Automatic self-loading
    • G11B15/665—Threading; Loading; Automatic self-loading by extracting loop of record carrier from container
    • G11B15/6653—Threading; Loading; Automatic self-loading by extracting loop of record carrier from container to pull the record carrier against drum
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B23/00—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture
    • G11B23/02—Containers; Storing means both adapted to cooperate with the recording or reproducing means
    • G11B23/04—Magazines; Cassettes for webs or filaments
    • G11B23/06—Magazines; Cassettes for webs or filaments for housing endless webs or filaments
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/102—Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers
    • G11B27/107—Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers of operating tapes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B31/00—Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N5/00—Details of television systems
    • H04N5/76—Television signal recording
    • H04N5/765—Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
    • H04N5/775—Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Definitions

  • This invention relates to endless tape videocassettes and more particularly to improved endless tape videocassettes which have longer play time, lower cost and/or higher reliability than existing endless tape videocassettes.
  • the invention also relates to systems for recording on and utilizing the output from such videocassettes for repeated display of short audio/video clips, and for random access to either selected analog or digital data units for display or for other selected functions. Indexed data units received by the system may be stored on the endless tape for later viewing or may be randomly selected for real-time viewing.
  • an endless tape videocassette as the storage medium.
  • An improved, endless tape videocassette which would permit the showing of such clips without rewinding and restarting the tape.
  • the '820 and '976 patents require a special mechanism to deal with electrostatic charge, but it is difficult to remove such charges and the cassettes of these patents are therefore also subject to jamming and have not enjoyed commercial success.
  • the mechanisms of the '820 and '976 patents are also relatively complex and relatively expensive to fabricate.
  • Another problem with at least some of the prior art endless tape cassettes is that they do not apply a controllable tension to the tape and therefore cannot adjust tape tension to accommodate variations in tape paths found in various VCRs. They therefore require a specific tape length for each particular VCR design, something which is not practical in consumer applications and in most commercial applications.
  • the cassette includes a reel having a first plurality of rollers mounted at predetermined positions thereon and a second plurality of rollers mounted at predetermined positions spaced from the first plurality of rollers.
  • the first plurality of rollers are mounted on a supply reel of a tape cassette and a second plurality of rollers are mounted on a take-up reel of such cassette.
  • An endless videotape is threaded in the cassette so as to pass over each of the rollers with the tape passing between the first and second plurality of rollers at two places along the tapes length.
  • the cassette has an operative state when it is in a videocassette recorder (VCR) with a portion of the tape between the first and second plurality of rollers being pulled from the cassette into contact with a read/write head of the VCR and an inoperative state with the tape wholly within the cassette.
  • VCR videocassette recorder
  • At least one of the reels is rotated to take up the tape pulled from the cassette when the cassette is to be returned to its inoperative state.
  • the tape is threaded in the cassette so as to maintain tension on substantially all portions of the tape when the cassette is in at least the operative state, whereby there is substantially no slack section of the tape for the operative state, and is also threaded so as to insure substantially no contact between portions of the tape for the operative state.
  • the tape is threaded so as to maintain some tension on substantially all portions of the tape when the cassette is in both its operative and inoperative states.
  • a tensioner for applying tension to at least one of the reels.
  • the tensioner may include a spring arm for at least one of the reels which biases the reel in a rotational direction so as to maintain tension on the tape.
  • the bias applied to the reel by the spring may also be operative to rotate the reel to take-up tape pulled from the reel when the cassette is to be returned to its inoperative state.
  • the tensioner may include a spring arm for applying rotational bias to each of the reels and at least one of such spring arms may also be operative to perform the tape take-up function. Only one of the reels may be rotatable, and where this is the case, and there is a tensioner, the tensioner would apply tension to this reel.
  • the second plurality of rollers has first and second groups of rollers which groups are spaced from each other, with the tape being wound between corresponding rollers of each group to form a plurality of adjacent, noncontacting tape loops.
  • the endless tape is preferably a seamless tape.
  • a plurality of indexed image frames, fields or other addressable data units are storable on the tape of the cassette for preferred embodiments, with the cassette being usable with a system which includes a cassette computable VCR and a circuit utilizing outputs from the VCR for a selected function.
  • image frames stored on the tape can be successive video frames of an audio/video clip, with the VCR running the tape continuously.
  • a display device would also be provided with the outputs from the VCR being applied to cause the clip to be repetitively displayed on the display device.
  • a means could be provided for randomly accessing data units from the tape which are outputted from the VCR, the VCR running continuously when in this mode without any requirement to operate forward or rewind controls.
  • a computer could be provided, with an indication being outputted from the computer of digital data required, and a means being provided which is responsive to the indication of digital data for randomly accessing the one or more data units containing the required digital data and applying such data units to the computer.
  • the randomly accessed data units can also be indexed video image frames with a display device being provided along with some means for indicating a video image to be displayed.
  • a device could then be provided which is responsive to index markings on the video images and to the indication of a video image to be displayed for randomly selecting the video image to be displayed from the image frames outputted from the VCR.
  • a frame memory is also provided for storing the image frame being displayed, with the selected video image being stored in the frame memory.
  • the image frame stored in the frame memory may then be repetitively read out to control the display on the display device. Burst transmissions of image frames may also be received at the system from a remote source, with the received image frames being applied to the VCR for recording on the tape of the cassette or being passed directly to a decoding device for real-time viewing.
  • FIG. 1 is a top sectional view of a videocassette of a first embodiment of the invention shown in its operative state in a VCR;
  • FIG. 2 is a top sectional view of the cassette of FIG. 1 shown in its inoperative state
  • FIG. 3 is a top sectional view of an endless tape videocassette of a second embodiment of the invention shown in its operative state in a VCR;
  • FIG. 4 is a top sectional view of the endless tape videocassette of FIG. 3 shown in its inoperative state;
  • FIG. 5 is a block schematic diagram of a system in which the endless tape videocassettes of this invention might be utilized.
  • an endless tape videocassette 10 for a first embodiment of the invention is shown in its operative state when mounted in a VCR (only parts of the VCR being shown) and in its inoperative state, respectively.
  • the cassette has a first or supply reel 12 and a second or take-up reel 14 mounted in a housing 16.
  • Reel 12 has rollers A, B and C mounted thereon in a pattern which is triangular for the embodiment shown while reel 14 has rollers A', B' and C mounted thereon.
  • Reels 12 and 14 mounted on their own bearing surfaces, fit over corresponding spindles 18 and 20 of the VCR and rotate free of these spindles.
  • a biasing spring 22 is connected at one end to a pin or hub 24 which is fixed to housing 16 and is attached at its other end to reel 12 through a cam 26.
  • a biasing spring 28 is attached at one end to pin 24 and at its other end to reel 14 through a cam 30.
  • Suitable elastomeric tensioners may be used in lieu of the springs.
  • The. cassette housing 16 has rollers 32, 33, 34, 35 and 38 mounted thereto. Pins may in some cases be substituted for rollers 33 and 34, but rollers are preferable.
  • An endless tape 40 is mounted on the cassette 10 with the cassette in its inoperative state (FIG. 2) so as to pass under roller 32, over roller 33, across the front of the cassette, over roller 34, under roller 35, past roller A' and hub 37 of reel 14, over roller B' and under roller C , past roller 38, around roller C, around roller B, over roller A, and back to roller 32.
  • the path for tape 40 when the cassette is in its operative state shown in FIG. 1 will be described shortly.
  • Tape 40 is preferably a seamless tape loop which is either manufactured as one piece or has the ends of the tape seamlessly joined together using techniques for forming such seamless joints which are known in the art.
  • Spring 22 applies a biasing force to reel 12 which is in the counterclockwise direction and spring 28 applies a biasing force to reel 14 which is in the clockwise direction. The result of these biasing forces is to maintain tension in the tape 40 throughout substantially its entire travel path.
  • FIG. 2 also shows a pair of guide rollers D and E which are part of the VCR, these guide rollers being shown in the position they would normally be in when cassette 10 is first inserted into the VCR.
  • Guide rollers D and E are mounted on tracks in the VCR and engage the tape along the long section thereof between rollers 33 and 34 to pull a portion of the tape from the cassette and into engagement with read/write head 51 of the VCR (FIG. 1).
  • FIG. 2 also shows a pair of guide rollers D and E which are part of the VCR, these guide rollers being shown in the position they would normally be in when cassette 10 is first inserted into the VCR.
  • Guide rollers D and E are mounted on tracks in the VCR and engage the tape along the long section thereof between rollers 33 and 34 to pull a portion of the tape from the cassette and into engagement with read/write head 51 of the VCR (FIG. 1).
  • the path of the tape 40 changes so that, starting again at roller 32, the path of the tape is under roller 32, over roller 33, over pivot arm 54 of the VCR, through rollers 55 and 56, through pinch rollers 58 and 60 (roller 58 being the erase head) around roller D, around read/write head 51, over rollers E and 62, through drive capstan 66 and pivot arm 70, over rollers 34 and 35, over rollers A', B' and C of reel 14, over roller 38 and rollers C, B and A of reel 12 to its starting point at roller 32.
  • one of the rollers generally the smaller one, is raised or lowered to the position shown after the tape has been drawn out to the positions shown.
  • rollers D and E return to the positions shown in FIG. 2. This results in a slack in the section of tape between pins 33 and 34 which slack is taken up by the rotation of reels 12 and 14 in response to the biasing forces applied thereto by springs 22 and 28, respectively, to the positions shown in FIG. 2. From FIGS. 1 and 2, it is seen that reel 12 is rotated approximately the same as reel 14 so that there is essentially the same amount of tape on both reels. The amount of differential will be determined by the length of the tape loop and by the tension applied to each reel by the corresponding spring. The cassette is thus returned to its inoperative state in preparation for ejection from the VCR.
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an endless tape videocassette 10" for an alternative embodiment of the invention.
  • cassettes 10 and 10 ' have been given the same reference numerals/letters.
  • reel 14' has eight rollers F- arranged in two spaced groups of four rollers each, rather than only three rollers, and that reel 14' is stationary rather than being rotatable as for the first embodiment. Since reel 14' is stationary, a biasing spring is not attached to this reel to provide tension on the tape or to facilitate taking up of tape when the cassette is being returned to its inoperative state.
  • the take-up function is performed solely by rotation of supply reel 12 in a counterclockwise direction. Since unlike the first embodiment where some of the take-up function is accomplished by a small clockwise rotation of take-up reel 14, all of the take-up is performed by reel 12 for the second embodiment, a somewhat greater rotation of this reel is required.
  • the rotation of reel 12 in the counterclockwise direction for tape take-up may be accomplished under the action of tensioning spring 22 for the second embodiment in the same way as for the first embodiment.
  • the primary advantage of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is that it permits more tape to be stored in the cassette than for the previous embodiment. While eight rollers are shown on take-up reel 14' for the cassette 10', the actual number of rollers on take-up reel 14' can vary with the length of tape desired. If a significantly greater number of rollers are provided on reel 14', the rollers will have to be made smaller so as to avoid contact between adjacent portions of the tape. Another potential problem is that the tape passing over a large number of rollers, particularly when there are sharp bends in the tape as it passes over the rollers, exerts tension on the tape which resists the tape drive force of the VCR. This tension can be sufficient for the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 so that tensioner spring 22 is generally not required.
  • rollers F-M have a proper vertical alignment with the tape 40 entering cassette 10'.
  • this is accomplished by mounting the rollers to reel 14' with the reel being free to move vertically but not rotate.
  • the cassette is brought down over the drive mechanism with the reel sitting on top of a small housing that assures there is no engagement with the take-up drive spindle 50.
  • the spindle and reel are designed to interact so as to raise reel 14 ' to the proper height for alignment of the rollers.
  • reel 14' since reel 14' does not rotate, the reel can be dispensed with and rollers F-M can each be mounted on a corresponding pin which is fixed to housing 16.
  • the rollers can be spaced from the housing on the pin to achieve substantial alignment and can be mounted for small vertical movement on the corresponding pin to permit self-alignment of the rollers with tape passing thereover.
  • the cassette 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can typically store approximately thirty-six inches of tape which will provide approximately twenty-seven seconds of viewing time on a standard VCR in standard play (SP) mode.
  • the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 can be adapted to store substantially longer lengths of tape, with the embodiment shown being adapted for storing approximately 130 inches of tape. If a tape speed of 1.3 inches per second is assumed, this results in approximately 96 seconds of viewing time. This amount of tape can also be used to store approximately 100 megabytes of data. Since videocassettes are relatively inexpensive to produce, it should be possible to produce such a cassette for a price in the $1.00 range which is roughly 1/50 to 1/100 the cost for similar storage capacity on existing rotating memories such as magnetic hard disk drives.
  • cassette 10, 10' is to be used in a VHS VCR.
  • the techniques of this invention could also be applied to operate in other "M-load” variety machines such as VHS-C and 8MM, or with "U-load” machines such as Beta cassettes.
  • FIG. 5 shows a system in which the cassettes of this invention might be utilized (or in which other endless tape cassettes might also be utilized).
  • a standard VCR 60 is shown, which VCR is of the proper type to play the cassette 10/10' being utilized.
  • Output line 61 from the VCR, which line contains the digital or analog data read from the tape is applied to a decoder/processor 62.
  • the output from the decoder/processor may be applied to cause a display on a standard TV set 64, may cause audio signals stored on the tape to be applied to an audiocassette recorder 65 or may apply such signals to a speaker 66 which speaker may be part of TV set 64 or may be separate.
  • a personal computer 67 may also receive outputs from decoder/processor 62 or such outputs may be applied to a videocassette recorder 68.
  • Computer 67 may include a bulk storage 69 on which material read from the VCR is stored.
  • the computer may also have a display monitor 70 on which video images are displayed in lieu of being displayed on TV set 64 and a keyboard 72 which may be utilized for inputting data requests into the computer.
  • Speaker 66 may be associated with computer 67 or separate speakers may be provided for the computer.
  • VCR 60 may also receive inputs from remote control interface 88 over line 76 to control the functions in the VCR. Such functions may include: starting the recording of information, stopping the recording of information, starting the playing of information, or stopping the playing of information. Control may also include changing channels on a tuner or gating an external signal source 74 so that the signal source is routed to the tape or to decoder 62 for real-time browsing. In particular, rather than recording a selected incoming video frame on the tape of cassette 10, the frame can be routed directly to decoder 62 for storage in VRAM 84, and for display.
  • the code to control the VCR may come from a variety of sources.
  • the operator may program the VCR using the interface provided by the manufacturer. Published codes, such as VCR Plus+, may be used to ease the burden of programming the VCR.
  • VCR Plus+ may be used to ease the burden of programming the VCR.
  • burst transmissions are very short and preferably not repeated a large number of times, it may be difficult to set the timer on the VCR with sufficient precision to receive and record the desired information. It is therefore preferable that the transmitted data be encoded with information to be used by decoder 62 for the purpose of starting and stopping the VCR in record mode.
  • the codes and transmission times would account for the start delays associated with the VCR mechanisms and the varying lengths of the tape loops. Other options for obtaining the requisite time and code information would be apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • the code for the desired data could be provided to a user in a number of ways.
  • a particular channel on the cable network could be dedicated to providing required codes to users, either by displaying such code sequentially or by responding in some manner interactively to a user request.
  • Such codes could also be published in a guide, newspaper or other periodically published document which users of the system would receive. This document would indicate when a particular type of information, for example a particular catalog, is being transmitted and the code for such catalog.
  • a company rather than sending a user a catalog, could send the user a postcard advising as to the time and code for the transmission of the company's catalog or of an update to the company's catalog.
  • Other options for obtaining the requisite time and code information would be apparent to those skilled in the art.
  • Decoder processor 62 contains an analog signal conditioning circuit 81 to which the signal on line 61 is initially applied. This circuit provides termination, clamping, filtering and amplification of the input analog video signal. Termination circuitry is, for example, provided to prevent reflections from the end of a cable signal. Since the direct current offset of a video signal may vary, clamping circuitry is provided which assures that the sync pulses do not exceed zero volts. Filtering circuitry is incorporated to remove unwanted noise frequencies and the processed signal is then amplified by an automatic gain control circuit. These are all standard functions which do not form part of the present invention, and the functions performed by signal conditioning circuit 81 will vary depending on the nature of the outputs on line 61. For example, if digital outputs appear on line 61, different signal conditioning functions will be required.
  • the output from circuit 81 is applied to a frame address decoder 82 and also to a video capture-A/D conversion circuit 83.
  • Each frame or other identifiable data unit is stored on cassette 10 with a suitable index marking.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,517,598 to Van Valkenburg, et al. teaches one way in which index markings may be placed on the visible portion of video frames stored on videotape to permit subsequent retrieval.
  • Standard biphase coding of the type now used on video disks may also be used for encoding the frames.
  • biphase coding is used on horizontal lines 17 and 18 of each video frame, which lines are not normally displayed.
  • the analog video signal being applied to decoder 82 may be applied to a standard video detector and sync separator (such as an LM 1881 manufactured by National Semiconductor) .
  • a standard video detector and sync separator such as an LM 1881 manufactured by National Semiconductor
  • Such circuit determines where the frame number exists by using internal timing and the vertical and horizontal sync pulses from the analog video signal.
  • a flash analog to digital converter converts the analog video signal into digital data which are stored into a RAM.
  • a standard software algorithm is then used to process the data bytes into a frame number which frame number may be encoded using a variety of known schemes. For example, 24-bit biphase encoding such as that used on laser disks may be utilized. Standard SMPTE time code may also be utilized.
  • the start of the frame address is determined by circuitry which counts the horizontal sync pulses to determine correct line location.
  • Standard software may be used for controlling the flow of data.
  • the frame (or other data unit) which is desired for display or other use is inputted into decoder 82 from a central processing unit 85 which is preferably a microprocessor such as an Intel 80186.
  • the frame decoder compares the inputted frame address against the received frame numbers until a match is found. Since the tape being read is an endless tape, there is never a problem of the tape being past the desired address or information and the access time for a particular frame will be no greater than the length of the tape. For example, for a tape length providing 100 seconds of storage, the maximum time to randomly access a given frame would be 100 seconds, and the average time would be 50 seconds, or less than one minute.
  • Circuit 83 is a data acquisition system which, for analog inputs, continuously converts the analog NTSC, PAL, or SECAM signal into a digital format. Existing circuits are utilized to determine where the data begins by using internal timing and the vertical and horizontal sync pulses of the analog video signal.
  • an analog to digital converter converts the analog signal into digital data bits which for video signals may be applied to and stored in a standard video random access memory (VRAM) 84.
  • VRAM video random access memory
  • VRAM 84 functions as a frame buffer and other memories capable of performing the frame buffer functions may be utilized.
  • a VRAM is particularly suited for this function, being a very fast access time random access memory which permits analog video signals to be stored digitally in real time.
  • a number of memories of this type are commercially available.
  • VRAM 84 also includes circuitry to clock data directly into the VRAM from the video capture circuit 83. Where the data being read from the cassette is not video data, a suitable memory may be substituted for VRAM 84 or the data may not be stored in decoder 62 at all, being applied directly for, for example, computer 67 or bulk store 69.
  • CPU 85 also has access to the VRAM and may modify the information received from the videocassette as desired. It may, for example, add information to be displayed with a video frame or may reformat the data for display in a variety of known ways. The specific processing which is done on the data does not form part of the present invention.
  • CPU 85 also has its own system RAM 86 and a ROM 88 for storing the system program or operating code. These are standard components and are used in a standard way by the CPU for performing its various functions and for controlling the operation of the decoder/processor 62.
  • a remote control interface 88 decodes a parallel or serial data stream from a suitable remote control unit into user commands which are applied to CPU 85.
  • the decoding may be performed in hardware or via software algorithms and translation tables.
  • the remote control may for example be an infrared remote control producing a pulse code modulated serial stream of infrared data which is translated into user keystrokes through a software algorithm running on an 8051 microprocessor.
  • Such remote control interfaces are known in the art.
  • the remote control itself may be a standard VCR remote control, may be one of a variety of generic controllers which can be programmed to operate with a variety of devices or could be some other type of controller such as a joystick, mouse or other controller such as that used with Photo CDs which provide interactive video access and the ability to move a cursor.
  • the exact nature of the remote control does not form part of the present invention, and any one of a variety of such controllers, whether currently existing or subsequently developed, may be used for this function, depending on application. The manner in which the controller may be utilized to select a desired video display will be discussed later.
  • CPU 85 may also provide inputs to a character generator digital overlay circuit 89 which allows text and graphics to be superimposed upon the user's screen (whether TV set 64 or computer monitor 70).
  • Character generator 89 may be a separate device which controls type fonts, graphic characters, and other special effects to be displayed, or these functions may be programmed into CPU 85. Again, hardware and software for performing these functions are known in the art and existing devices can be used for performing this function.
  • VRAM frame buffer 84 and character generator 89 are applied as inputs to a standard video generator 90 which converts the digital video data into an NTSC, PAL, SECAM, or other suitable analog video signal.
  • Standard video generators known in the art may be utilized to perform the necessary D/A conversions and the timing and synchronization functions.
  • the signal may be RF modulated and then sent to TV set 64 and/or VCR 68.
  • VRAM 84 is repetitively read out at a rate so as to permit refresh of the display on TV set 64.
  • Decoder/processor 62 also includes a power supply 91 for providing proper positive and negative DC voltages to the various components of decoder/processor 62, an expansion port 92 and an audio generator 93.
  • the expansion port provides an interface to a variety of peripheral devices, and in particular provides a bidirectional path between CPU 85 and personal computer 67.
  • Expansion port 92 may also provide information directly to bulk store 69 or the provision of information to this store may be through personal computer 67.
  • Home/industrial appliance control systems, security systems, and any of a number of other custom devices may also be connected to receive video or digital data from VCR 60 through decoder/processor 62, or to provide inputs to the decoder/processor to, for example, randomly select a video frame for display.
  • Audio generator 93 converts digital audio data into analog sound signals. This is a standard device which performs the D/A conversion and amplification to produce a signal suitable for output to produce audio for TV set 64, audiocassette recorder 65 or, through expansion port 92 to personal computer 67 or other devices connected to the expansion port.
  • VCR 60 is being used to repetitively run a short audio/visual clip
  • the VCR can be connected to TV set 64 in standard fashion.
  • a variety of techniques could be utilized to generate the frame addresses applied by CPU 85 to decoder 82.
  • One option is to have interactive video access such as currently used with Photo CDs.
  • a separate card or other document is provided with the cassette which either includes a reduced image of each frame or some other identification fcr the frame, along with a number which the user can input if the user decides to view such frame.
  • the cassette would also contain a decoder frame correlating the user input codes with corresponding frame addresses. The user would then input a suitable two or three digit number, depending on the number of frames on the cassette, which number would be converted into a frame address either in CPU 85 or decoder 82, depending on where the decoder table is stored.
  • a second option is to use a multi level menu to perform frame selection.
  • a cassette when initially loaded into the VCR, it causes a screen sign-on display which is a first level menu.
  • the user can make selections from this menu either by inputting an appropriate number from a controller, or by moving a curser where a controller having this capability is provided.
  • the selection from the first level menu may result in a frame having a second level menu from which a further selection can be made. This process may be repeated for successive menu levels until the desired frame to be displayed is reached.
  • Other techniques for selecting a particular data frame known in the art may also be utilized.
  • a cassette where the information stored on a cassette is digital data rather than video data, such data would be randomly accessed by utilizing suitable decoder techniques, such as a decoder table, preferably carried by the cassette itself, which can be loaded into decoder 62 into CPU 85 or into personal computer 67 and could be utilized to convert data access requests from the computer into frame addresses (or addresses for other addressable data units) being outputted for the tape cassette from VCR 60.
  • suitable decoder techniques such as a decoder table, preferably carried by the cassette itself, which can be loaded into decoder 62 into CPU 85 or into personal computer 67 and could be utilized to convert data access requests from the computer into frame addresses (or addresses for other addressable data units) being outputted for the tape cassette from VCR 60.
  • a system which can very inexpensively store video images or other data in either analog or digital form and can permit such data to be either sequentially or randomly accessed with a response time which is reasonable for many applications. It also provides a relatively inexpensive way to send large amounts of data to users for various multimedia applications, including sophisticated computer games, for service manuals, catalogs, and the like. Further, in the discussion so far, it has been assumed that the data, whether video frames or other, are received and stored in the form in which they are to be displayed and/or otherwise used. However, various techniques are available for increasing the amount of information which may be stored on a given endless tape cassette. First, video data, particularly color images, typically require 8 or more bits per pixel to achieve optimum quantization.
  • various compression techniques known in the art may be utilized to further reduce the amount of information required to be displayed for each image frame and to thus significantly increase the number of image frames which may be stored on a given length of endless video tape.
  • MPEG compression techniques may be utilized.
  • appropriate compression techniques such as run length encoding, Huffman encoding, and/or Lempel Zev encoding may be utilized to achieve significant levels of compression.
  • an additional decompression unit may be provided between circuit 83 and VRAM 84 to decompress an incoming frame before it is stored in the VRAM.
  • the information may be initially stored in VRAM 84 in compressed form and this data may then be processed in CPU 85 to be converted to its clear or decompressed form. It may thus be possible to store quantities of data on an endless loop videocassette which are one to two to orders of magnitude greater than those previously discussed.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Television Signal Processing For Recording (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne une cassette vidéo (10) à bande sans fin. Cette cassette est relativement bon marché à fabriquer. Elle comporte une longueur de bande (40) sinueuse (A, B, C, A', B', C') relativement longue. Elle conserve suffisamment de tension (22, 24, 28) sur pratiquement toute la longueur de la bande lorsque la cassette est en utilisation ou en reproduction, mais de préférence aussi lorsque la cassette n'est pas en utilisation. Cette cassette garantit qu'il n'y a pratiquement aucun contact interbande et sensiblement aucun contact entre la bande et les surfaces statiques lors du défilement de la bande. L'invention concerne également des dispositifs (64-69) permettant d'utiliser une cassette vidéo à bande sans fin (10) pour la reproduction en continu de séquences audiovisuelles et/ou pour l'accès direct à des vues vidéo ou à d'autres unités de données stockées sur la bande (40), ou pour la recherche en temps réel de vues vidéo.
PCT/US1994/013600 1993-11-22 1994-11-22 Structure de cassette video a bande sans fin WO1995014994A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU12607/95A AU1260795A (en) 1993-11-22 1994-11-22 Endless tape videocassette structure
GB9610671A GB2298633A (en) 1993-11-22 1994-11-22 Endless tape videocassette structure

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9323960.6 1993-11-22
GB939323960A GB9323960D0 (en) 1993-11-22 1993-11-22 Interactive video access system

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1995014994A1 true WO1995014994A1 (fr) 1995-06-01

Family

ID=10745490

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1994/013600 WO1995014994A1 (fr) 1993-11-22 1994-11-22 Structure de cassette video a bande sans fin

Country Status (4)

Country Link
AU (1) AU1260795A (fr)
CA (1) CA2177156A1 (fr)
GB (2) GB9323960D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1995014994A1 (fr)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3925820A (en) * 1972-08-24 1975-12-09 Sony Corp Endless loop tape cartridge for use with tape extraction systems
US4357638A (en) * 1979-10-23 1982-11-02 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Index information recording method for picture information filing system
US4454087A (en) * 1981-05-18 1984-06-12 Sekisui Plastics Method and apparatus for preparing thermoplastic resin foam
US4462553A (en) * 1981-06-04 1984-07-31 Hashimoto Corporation Endless cassette tape for video tape recorder

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3925820A (en) * 1972-08-24 1975-12-09 Sony Corp Endless loop tape cartridge for use with tape extraction systems
US4357638A (en) * 1979-10-23 1982-11-02 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Index information recording method for picture information filing system
US4454087A (en) * 1981-05-18 1984-06-12 Sekisui Plastics Method and apparatus for preparing thermoplastic resin foam
US4462553A (en) * 1981-06-04 1984-07-31 Hashimoto Corporation Endless cassette tape for video tape recorder

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU1260795A (en) 1995-06-13
CA2177156A1 (fr) 1995-06-01
GB2298633A8 (en) 1996-09-23
GB2298633A (en) 1996-09-11
GB9323960D0 (en) 1994-01-12
GB9610671D0 (en) 1996-07-31

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