Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Information location or remote operator actuated control – Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-22
2001-07-03
Dinh, Tan (Department: 2651)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Information location or remote operator actuated control
Selective addressing of storage medium
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256269
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium reproduction apparatus capable of housing a plurality of recording mediums.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recording medium reproduction apparatus capable of housing a plurality of recording mediums will now be described while an in-car recording medium reproduction apparatus capable of housing a plurality of disks is taken as an example, with reference to a structural diagram shown in
FIG. 10
, a block diagram shown in
FIG. 11
, a representation which is shown in FIG.
12
and illustrates the structure of data stored in a memory, and a front view shown in FIG.
13
.
A storage-position transport section
4
has a mechanism capable of moving a disk in direction “x” in order to insert a disk
1
into a storage section
5
from outside of a housing
13
by way of an insertion port
13
a
or to eject the disk
1
from the storage section
5
to the outside of the housing
13
. The disk storage section
5
has a plurality of disk storage trays
5
a
, each capable of housing a single disk, and is provided within a housing
13
by way of a storage elevation section
6
for raising or lowering the disk storage section
5
. The storage elevation section
6
moves the storage section
5
in direction “y”, to thereby control the positions of the disk storage trays
5
a
housed in the storage section
5
. As a result, a desired one is selected from the plurality of disk storage trays
5
a
housed in the storage section
5
, and the thus-selected disk is placed in a predetermined position, thus enabling various operations, such as insertion or reproduction of the disk, as will be described later.
A reproduction-position transport section
7
is fixed to a reproduction section
8
and has a mechanism capable of moving the disk
1
between the storage section
5
and the reproduction section
8
. The reproduction section
8
reads the data recorded on the disk
1
by means of rotating the disk
1
and is disposed within the housing
13
by way of a reproduction elevation section
9
which performs raising and lowering operations. The reproduction elevation section
9
moves, in direction “y”, the reproduction position transport section
7
and the reproduction section
8
in an integrated manner, thus matching the reproduction transport section
7
and the reproduction section
8
in position with the storage section
5
. In a case where a desired disk is to be selected and reproduced, the reproduction elevation section
9
and the storage elevation section
6
are actuated, thus rendering the reproduction section
8
level in direction “y” with the disk storage tray
5
a
having a desired disk stored therein. The reproduction-position transport section
7
that can be raised or lowered integrally with the reproduction section
8
takes the desired disk out of the disk storage tray
5
a
and transports the thus-selected disk to the reproduction section
8
.
The storage elevation section
6
and the reproduction elevation section
9
are actuated in opposite directions so that the selected disk storage tray
5
a
and the reproduction section
8
come close to each other, thereby shortening access time required for selecting a disk as compared with that required in a case where only one of the storage elevator section
6
and the reproduction elevation section
9
is actuated.
Disk presence/absence detection SWs
10
are provided for the respective disk storage trays
5
a
and detect information about presence or absence of a disk in each of the disk storage trays
5
a
(hereinafter referred to as “disk presence/absence information”) and transmits the information to a control section
12
The control section
12
stores the disk presence/absence information in a storage section
11
such that the disk presence/absence information corresponds to an absolute storage position number representing the physical position where the disk is stored (i.e., an absolute storage position). The absolute storage position number is assigned to each of the storage trays
5
a
, and the absolute storage position numbers are determined according to the heights of the respective storage trays
5
a
. For instance, provided that the absolute storage position number assigned to the storage tray
5
a
located at the highest position in the storage section
5
assumes the value 1, the values 2, 3, 4, . . . are assigned to the remaining storage trays
5
a
in accordance with the order in which the storage trays
5
a
are arranged.
FIG. 12
shows an example structure of the data stored in the storage section
11
.
On the basis of the previously-described disk presence/absence information, a disk presence/absence lamp
2
a
shown in
FIG. 13
indicates the state of storage of the disk
1
in each of the absolute storage positions. As shown in
FIG. 13
, an operation section
3
has disk selection buttons
3
a
and a disk eject button
3
b
, the disk selection buttons
3
a
being equal in number to the number of disks. Each of the disk selection buttons
3
a
is labeled with an absolute storage position number and is arranged so as to correspond to the disk presence/absence information lamp
2
a
. Designation of an absolute storage position of a disk to be inserted, designation of a disk to be reproduced, or designation of a disk to be ejected is carried out by actuation of the corresponding one of the disk selection buttons
3
a
. Further, the disk eject button
3
b
instructs ejection of a designated disk.
The operation of the in-car recording medium reproduction apparatus required at the time of insertion of the disk
1
will now be described. First, an operator actuates any one of the disk selection buttons
3
a
assigned the absolute position numbers corresponding to the disk presence/absence information lamps
2
a
that indicate absence of a disk, thereby selecting the storage tray
5
a
assigned a desired absolute storage position. The control section
12
controls the storage elevation section
6
, thus moving the thus-selected disk storage tray
5
a
to a position where a disk can be inserted into the tray (hereinafter referred to simply as a “disk-insertable position”). The insertion port
13
a
is now released from a locked state, thus enabling insertion of a disk. Subsequently, the storage-position transport section
4
holds the disk, which has been inserted by way of the insertion port
13
a
, and transports the disk to a disk storage tray
5
a
which in the previous operation had been arranged in the disk-insertable position. At this time, the disk presence/absence detection SW
10
provided for the disk storage tray
5
a
detects storage of a disk and transmits information about presence of a disk (hereinafter referred to simply as “disk-presence information”) to the control section
12
. As shown in
FIG. 12
, the control section
12
stores the disk-presence information into the storage section
11
so as to correspond to an absolute storage position number. Further, the control section
12
switches, from a dark state to an illuminated state, the disk presence/absence information lamp
2
a
corresponding to the absolute position number assigned to the disk storage tray
5
a
in which the disk has been inserted, in order to indicate insertion of the disk. Insertion of a disk is completed by way of the foregoing operations.
At the time of reproduction of the disk
1
, the operator presses the appropriate one of the disk selection buttons
3
a
assigned the absolute position numbers corresponding to the disk presence/absence lamps
2
a
which indicate presence of a disk, to thereby designate the disk desired to be reproduced. The thus-designated disk is transported to the reproduction section
8
after lapse of a predetermined period of time, and the disk is reproduced by the reproduction section
8
. A disk is ejected by actuation of the corresponding disk selection button
3
a
assigned the absolute storage position numbers corresponding to the disk presence/absence information lamps
2
a
whi
Dinh Tan
Pioneer Corporation
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
LandOfFree
Recording and reproducing apparatus capable of displaying... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Recording and reproducing apparatus capable of displaying..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Recording and reproducing apparatus capable of displaying... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2545292