Storage system for electric signals

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTING SYSTEM, IN COMBINATION, AT LEAST ONE POLARIZABLE STORAGE ELEMENT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR HYSTERESIS CHARACTERISTIC; MESSAGE-RECORDING MEANS FOR POLARIZING SAID ELEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH A MESSAGE, THEREBY RECORDING SAID MESSAGE IN SAID ELEMENT, SAID RECORDING MEANS INCLUDING FIRST MEANS FOR IMPRESSING AN ALTERNATING ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD ON SAID ELEMENT OF A CONSTANT MAXIMUM AMPLITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO REVERSE A PREVIOUSLY POLARIZED STATE THEREOF, AND SECOND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPRESSING A DIRECT ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD OF VARIABLE MAGNITUDE ON SAID ELEMENT IN A DIRECTION CHARACTERISTIC OF A FIRST ASPECT OF SAID MESSAGE AND AN INTENSITY CHARACTERISTIC OF A SECOND ASPECT OF SAID MESSAGE, THEREBY POLARIZING SAID ELEMENT IN A SENSE CORRESPONDING TO SAID FIRST ASPECT OF SAID MESSAGE WITH A MAGNITUDE OF POLARIZATION CORRESPONDING TO SAID SECOND ASPECT OF SAID MESSAGE, THE AMPLITUDE OF SAID DIRECT FIELD EXCEEDING IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID MAXIMUM AMPLITUDE OF SAID ALTERNATING FIELD THAT NECESSARY TO REVERSE SAID STATE; AND READ-OUT MEANS FOR DERIVING A SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF SAID MESSAGE FROM SAID ELEMENT, SAID READ-OUT MEANS INCLUDING ENERGIZING MEANS FOR IMPRESSING AT LEAST ONE ALTERNATING ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD OF A MAXIMUM AMPLITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO DESTROY RESIDUAL POLARIZATION OF SAID ELEMENT ON THE LATTER, AND OUTPUT MEANS INCLUDING PHASEDISCRIMINATOR MEANS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID ELEMENT FOR RECEIVING AN ALTERNATING-CURRENT SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF SAID MESSAGE UPON ACTIVATION OF SAID ELEMENT BY SAID ENERGIZING MEANS, THE PHASE OF SAID ALTERNATING-CURRENT SIGNAL BEING INDICATIVE OF THE DIRECTION OF POLARIZATION OF SAID ELEMENT AND THE AMPLITUDE OF SAID ALTERNATING-CURRENT SIGNAL BEING PROPORTIONAL TO THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID CONSTANT ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD, SAID OUTPUT MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO SAID AMPLITUDE OF SAID ALTERNATING-CURRENT SIGNAL.