Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Credit or identification card systems
Patent
1986-09-22
1987-05-19
Pitts, Harold I.
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Credit or identification card systems
255379, 255487, 255492, G06K 500
Patent
active
046670882
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a data processing and storage system, and more particularly to such a system which is constructed so that information in analogue form can be stored in a memory in digital form and can be retrieved as desired and reproduced again in analogue form. The system is particularly intended for the storage of music.
The currently used units for recording music or gramophone records or tape cassettes. We have devised a new method of recording which uses smaller memory units, which are more reliable and robust and for which no moving parts are needed for reproduction, and which units may readily be reprogrammed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The background to the invention is as follows.
The systems of the present invention are portable, most conveniently of the credit card size, wherein data is recorded in magnetic form; systems of this type with magnetic bubble memories are known, e.g. as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,445 and European Published Patent Applications Nos. 13191 and 13192. The card shown in EPA 13191 contains a pair of memories and two controlling units. Such cards and systems are used purely with digital information, corresponding to numerical codes, such as is required for banking or identification purposes, the input being by means of a key-board, and there has been no prior suggestion of using them for recording analogue information. Cards of such type have the memories arranged so as to allow immediate recall of the data in any portion of the memory.
It is known to store audio information in an electric memory system, but not hitherto in a convenient portable and non-volatile memory unit. U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,189 described a memory based on a ferroelectric capacitor or saturable ferromagnetic reactor of a non-uniform cross-section, but playback from such a memory is destructive of information thereon.
Equipment for the conversion of speech signals to digital form is now well known, and some of this equipment (wave form coders) is suitable for converting music to digital form.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,664 describes sound reproduction apparatus in which a decoder converts digital pitch memory elements into analogue form; the memory has eight outputs and the apparatus is not simple and portable as with the system of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In summary, we have devised a simple and convenient data storage system which is used in conjunction with a digital-to analogue decoder in such a way that a digitally encoded signal can be transmitted to the unit and retrieved in analogue form.
According to the present invention we provide a portable data processing and storage system, which comprises: (a) a memory for the storage serially of digital data, (b) means, connected in circuit to the memory, for converting output data from the memory to analogue form, and (c) controlling means for controlling the input and output of data from the memory which means scans all data from the memory, is responsive to control data present in the input or output data stream, and instructs said memory to be ready to receive and store incoming data, and controls the input of analogue data into the memory; (a), (b) and (c) being mounted on a portable card, and on the housing of the card one or two connectors by which the system can be connected to an input of digital data and/or to an output for receipt of the digital or analog data, and one or two connectors to a power supply for the system.
The method of recording data using this system or card comprises feeding into the card an analogue signal which has been encoded into digital form, together with appropriate control data to control the recording and replay steps.
The invention also includes said card when appropriately programmed ready for recording and replay of a specified type of data; and the card containing stored digital data.
A recording system can comprise a plurality of the cards and a single data input source of digital data corresponding to encoded analogue signal, e.g. of music. A replay system is described whic
Campbell James S.
Kramer Kane N.
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