Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Document filing and retrieval system
Patent
1989-05-31
1992-04-28
Coles, Sr., Edward L.
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Document filing and retrieval system
358102, 358479, H04N 100
Patent
active
051092875
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for updating, from a remote location, data stored on an optical data storage device.
2. Description of Related Art
In a number of industries, such as the automobile and aircraft industries, extensive technical manuals containing graphical and/or alphanumeric data are kept at a number of widely-spread locations. As an example, one can consider the spare parts departments of the many dealers supplying the vehicles of an automobile manufacturer. Each spare parts department will be provided with a batch of microfiches carrying exploded views of particular sections of each vehicle, together with the corresponding part numbers. It is essential that the microfiches be updated every time the manufacturer makes a significant change to the spare parts data.
At present, even if only a small proportion of the information stored on a microfiche is to be changed, a whole new microfiche must be sent to every dealer. A further problem then exists, in that the manufacturer has no way of checking that each dealer has received the updated information, and that the old microfiche has been destroyed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system in which optical data storage devices can be updated from a remote location.
According to the invention, an information storage system comprises transmitting means to be located at a first location; receiver means to be located at a second location; and an optical data storage device on which data can be updated at said second location by operation of a signal transmitted from the transmitter means to the receiver means.
The term "optical data storage device" herein is intended to relate to a sheet-like device which carries visual data in a substantially permanent form. It does not include electronic devices, such as visual display units, or other devices wherein data are stored electronically.
Preferably, the optical data storage device comprises a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) device which stores information by virtue of alignment of the molecules of the polymer material, and preferably the transmitted signal operates a laser at the receiver for writing data on the LCP device .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section of one form of updatable liquid crystal polymer optical data storage device suitable for use in a system in accordance with the invention,
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross section of a second form of such updatable optical data storage device, and
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an updating system in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
One form of liquid crystal polymer device suitable for use, for example in microfiche format, in the present system is shown in FIG. 1. This device forms the subject of our copending British Patent Application No: 8723394. The structure of the device comprises a substrate 1 of a flexible optical quality plastics material which is suitable for film-based micrographic technology. The substrate may, for example, be a 100 .mu.m thick layer of polyester, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or the non-birefringent polyethersulphate (PES). An optically transparent electrode 2 formed of, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO), of say 200-300 .ANG. thickness is sputtered directly on to the plastics substrate or on to a barrier layer (not shown) of, for example, silicon dioxide deposited on the substrate. A photoconductive (PC) layer 3 is deposited over the electrode 2. The PC layer may be of organic or inorganic material. A light-blocking layer 4 is shown in FIG. 1. This layer may be required in some applications, but may otherwise be omitted. If present in the structure, the layer 4 prevents the washing-out of the written image which can occur if a field is present during the readout process. The layer may be pr
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Imose et al., "Communication Control for Electronic Library", The New World of Information Society, Oct. 2/Nov. 2, 1984.
Coles Sr. Edward L.
The General Electric Company p.l.c.
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