Automatic publications systems and method

Claim 2

In an automated publication system of the class comprising a high-precision cathode-ray tube device for forming and displaying a high-definition image of a page means for photographing to provide a hard-copy reproduction of said image, computer means for supplying said tube with deflection and intensity-controlling signals to form said image on said tube, and terminal means remote from said tube for supplying electrical signals to said computer means to cause it to effect formation of said image in accordance with information contained in said electrical signals, the improvement comprising: scan converter means remote from said terminal means and responsive to said electrical signals for producing at an output terminal thereof output signals representing a lowerdefinition version of said image, and proof-display means adjacent said terminal means responsive to said output signals for providing a proof display of said lower-definition version of said image.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which said scan converter means comprises a cathode-ray tube scan converter and in which said electrical signals are applied to said cathode-ray tube scan converter to form and store therein a version of said high-definition image, said scan converter means comprising means for scanning said stored version of said image.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, in which said means for scanning produces a facsimile type of scanning of said stored version of said image and in which said formation of said high-definition image is effected by a type of scanning other than the facsimile type.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which said scan converter means is located adjacent said high-precision cathode-ray tube device.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, comprising electrical switching means controllable from said remote terminal means alternatively to operate said camera means when said high-definition image is to be photographed or to operate said scan converter means without operating said camera means when a proof display is to be provided at said terminal means.

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which said proof display means comprises proof-display cathode-ray tube means supplied with said output signals.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, in which said proof-display cathode-ray tube means comprises a cathode-ray tube having a display screen with a persistence of at least severAl minutes.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which said high-precision cathode-ray tube device, said camera means, said computer means and said scan converter means are located together at a common central station, and said remote terminal and said proof-display means are located together at a station remote from said common location, said apparatus comprising a communication link interconnecting said remote station and said central station for supplying information input and commands from said remote station to said central station and for supplying said output signals from said central station to said remote station.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 8, comprising signal processing means at said central station for processing said output signals prior to their passage through said communications link to reduce the frequency bandwidth required for their transmission.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9, in which said processing means comprises means for encoding said output signals in binary form.

Claim 12

Apparatus in accordance with claim 10, in which said processing means comprises information compressing means for compressing the information in said output signals.

Claim 13

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9, in which said processing means comprises means for temporarily storing said output signals and for reading them out at a slow rate to said communication link.

Claim 14

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which said electrical signals cause said computer means to develop deflection and intensity-controlling signals representative of a completely composed graphic-arts page, and said output signals are representative of a lower-definition version of said completely-composed page.

Claim 15

Apparatus in accordance with claim 13, in which said graphic-arts page includes composed text of more than one type-face and more than one type-size and illustrations interspersed with said text.

Claim 18

In an automated publication system of the class comprising a high-precision cathode-ray tube device for forming and displaying an image of a page to be printed, camera means for photographing said image to provide a hard-copy photograph of said image, computer means for supplying said tube with deflection and intensity-controlling signals to form said image on said tube, and terminal means remote from said tube for supplying electrical signals to said computer means to cause it to effect formation of said image in accordance with information contained in said electrical signals, the improvement comprising: cathode-ray tube scan converter means remote from said terminal means, means for applying deflection and intensity-controlling signals to said scan converter means to record saiD image thereon and to produce from an output terminal of said converter means output signals representing a lower-definition version of said image, and proof-display cathode-ray tube means adjacent said terminal means responsive to said output signals for providing a proof display of said lower-definition version of said image.

Claim 19

In an automated publication system of the class comprising a high-precision cathode-ray tube device for forming and displaying an image of a page to be printed, camera means for photographing said image to provide a hard-copy photograph of said image, computer means for supplying said tube with deflection and intensity-controlling signals to form said image on said tube, and terminal means remote from said tube for supplying electrical signals to said computer means to cause it to effect formation of said image in accordance with information contained in said electrical signals, the improvement comprising: cathode-ray tube scan converter means remote from said terminal means, means for applying deflection and intensity-controlling signals to said scan converter means to record saiD image thereon and to produce from an output terminal of said converter means output signals representing a lower-definition version of said image, and proof-display cathode-ray tube means adjacent said terminal means responsive to said output signals for providing a proof display of said lower-definition version of said image.

Claim 20

Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, in which said computer means for supplying said high-precision cathode-ray tube device with deflection and intensity-controlling signals and said means for applying deflection and intensity-controlling signals to said scan converter comprises a source of said deflection and intensity-controlling signals and electrical switching means for applying said deflection and intensity-controlling signals from said source alternatively to said high-precision cathode-ray tube device and to said scan converter means.

Claim 21

Apparatus in accordance with claim 17, comprising control means at said terminal means for controlling said switching means.

Claim 22

Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, comprising a digital data communications link connecting said computer means and said output terminal of said scan converter means with said remote terminal means, and digital encoding means for digitally encoding said output signals of said scan converter means prior to their passage through said communications link, said proof-display cathode-ray tube means comprising a proof-display CRT and decoder means for decoding said output signal and for supplying said decoded output signals to said proof-display CRT.

Claim 23

Apparatus in accordance with claim 19, in which said system also comprises data compression means for compressing the information in said digitally encoded output signals prior to their application to said communications link, said proof-display cathode-ray tube means comprising data expansion means for expanding the information in said output signal applied thereto prior to its application to said proof-display CRT.

Claim 24

Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, in which said terminal means comprises control means for causing said scan converter means to supply said output signals momentarily to said proof-display means, said proof-display means comprising a proof-display cathode-ray tube having a long-persistence image-forming screen whereby the image formed on said proof-display cathode-ray tube persists for at least several minutes after said output signals cease to be supplied to said proof-display means.

Claim 25

Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, in which said terminal means comprises a plurality of stations remote from each other, each of said stations including means for controlling said computer means to cause it to effect formation of a different corresponding image on said high-precision cathode-ray tube means, each of said stations comprising proof-display means responsive to said output signals to provide a proof-display.

Claim 26

An automated publications system, comprising: a central station; a plurality of data-input stations; an electrical communications link connecting said data-input stations with said central station; each of said data-input stations comprising a text input terminal and at least one illustration input terminal; each of said text input terminals comprising means for electrically encoding textual alphanumeric characters, correction instructions, and text composition instructions to produce text-representing signals; each of said illustration input terminals comprising means for electrically encoding illustration data and correction instructions representative of illustration to be printed, to produce illustration-representing signals; at least one of said terminals at each of said data-input stations comprising means for electrically encoding page composition data and correction instructions, to produce composition-representing signals; means for transmitting said text-representing signals, said illustration-representing signals and said comPosition-representing signals through said communication link to said central station; said central station comprising computer means; signal storage means for receiving, storing and reading out said illustration-representing signals, said text-representing signals and said composition-representing signals, and format instruction signals; program control means; means for forming a high-definition image of each page to be printed, in response to said text-representing signals, said illustration-representing signals, said composition-representing signals and said format-representing signals stored in said signal storage means; and means for photographing said image in response to a print command from the terminal producing said image; scan-converter means at said central station responsive to signals stored in said signal storage means for temporarily forming and storing said image and for scanning it in facsimile fashion to produce output signals of facsimile form, representative of a version of said image having lower definition than said high-definition image, in response to a proof-command signal from one of said terminals; means for encoding said output signals in binary form and for subjecting them to information compression prior to applying them to said communication link; proof-display means at each of said terminals connected to said communication link to receive said output signals produced in response to a proof command therefrom; each said proof-display means comprising a display cathode-ray tube having a screen persistence of at least several minutes, means for encoding and expanding the information in said output signal supplied thereto, and means for forming a proof-display of a composed page in response to said decoded, information-expanded output signal supplied thereto.

Claim 27

An automated publications system, comprising: a central station; a plurality of data-input stations; an electrical communications link connecting said data-input stations with said central station; each of said data-input stations comprising a text input terminal and at least one illustration input terminal; each of said text input terminals comprising means for electrically encoding textual alphanumeric characters, correction instructions, and text composition instructions to produce text-representing signals; each of said illustration input terminals comprising means for electrically encoding illustration data and correction instructions representative of illustration to be printed, to produce illustration-representing signals; at least one of said terminals at each of said data-input stations comprising means for electrically encoding page composition data and correction instructions, to produce composition-representing signals; means for transmitting said text-representing signals, said illustration-representing signals and said comPosition-representing signals through said communication link to said central station; said central station comprising computer means; signal storage means for receiving, storing and reading out said illustration-representing signals, said text-representing signals and said composition-representing signals, and format instruction signals; program control means; means for forming a high-definition image of each page to be printed, in response to said text-representing signals, said illustration-representing signals, said composition-representing signals and said format-representing signals stored in said signal storage means; and means for photographing said image in response to a print command from the terminal producing said image; scan-converter means at said central station responsive to signals stored in said signal storage means for temporarily forming and storing said image and for scanning it in facsimile fashion to produce output signals of facsimile form, representative of a version of said image having lower definition than said high-definition image, in response to a proof-command signal from one of said terminals; means for encoding said output signals in binary form and for subjecting them to information compression prior to applying them to said communication link; proof-display means at each of said terminals connected to said communication link to receive said output signals produced in response to a proof command therefrom; each said proof-display means comprising a display cathode-ray tube having a screen persistence of at least several minutes, means for encoding and expanding the information in said output signal supplied thereto, and means for forming a proof-display of a composed page in response to said decoded, information-expanded output signal supplied thereto.