Method and apparatus for deriving a velocity signal from continuously moving information bearing media

Claim 2

Apparatus for deriving the velocity of strip material bearing spaced indicia and continuously moving in a path of travel, Said apparatus comprising: a. means including first and second indicia detecting means physically displaced apart a distance Delta D in the direction of continuous movement of the strip material for detecting the indicia on the strip material moving in said path of travel with respect to the first and second indicia detecting means and for producing corresponding first and second time spaced signals in response to the detection of each such indicia; and b. means responsive to the first and second time-spaced signals for producing a velocity signal having a value which is representative of the velocity of the detected indicia between the first and second indicia detecting means, said velocity signal producing means further comprising: 1. means for providing a reference signal having a constant value representative of the physical distance Delta D; 2. means responsive (i) to the velocity signal for producing a third signal having a time varying value and (ii) to the first signal for resetting the time varying value of said third signal to a reference level; 3. means responsive to the reference signal and the third signal for producing a fourth signal having a time varying value which is a function of the instantaneous relationship between the constant value of the reference signal and the time varying value of the third signal; and 4. means responsive to the second signal and the fourth signal for producing the velocity signal as a function of the time varying value of the fourth signal, the velocity signal having a value representative of the velocity of the strip material and independent of the spacing of successive indicia on the strip material.

Claim 3

producing a third signal having a time varying value which is a function of the velocity signal and resetting the time varying value of the third signal to a reference level in response to the first signal;

Claim 4

producing a third signal having a time varying value which is a function of the velocity signal and resetting the time varying value of the third signal to a reference level in response to the first signal;

Claim 5

first integrator means (i) responsive to the velocity signal for producing a ramp signal having a time varying level and (ii) responsive to the reset signal for resetting the ramp signal level to a reference level during the reset period of the reset signal;

Claim 6

first integrator means (i) responsive to the velocity signal for producing a ramp signal having a time varying level and (ii) responsive to the reset signal for resetting the ramp signal level to a reference level during the reset period of the reset signal;

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for producing the third signal comprises first integrator means responsive to the velocity signal for producing a ram signal having a period dependent upon the period of recurrence of the first signal, and the means for producing the velocity signal comprises second integrator means responsive to the fourth signal for producing the velocity signal and switch means responsive to the second signal for applying the fourth signal to the second integrator means whereby the second integrator means is responsive to the fourth signal during the occurrence of the second signal to produce said velocity signal.

Claim 8

means responsive (i) to the velocity signal for producing a third signal having a time varying value and (ii) to the first signal for resetting the time varying value of said third signal to a reference level;

Claim 9

means responsive (i) to the velocity signal for producing a third signal having a time varying value and (ii) to the first signal for resetting the time varying value of said third signal to a reference level;

Claim 10

integrating the value of the velocity signal over the period between successive occurrences of the first signal produced in response to the detection of successive indicia to produce a third signal having a time varying value and resetting the time varying value of the third signal to a reference level at each occurrence of the first signal;

Claim 11

integrating the value of the velocity signal over the period between successive occurrences of the first signal produced in response to the detection of successive indicia to produce a third signal having a time varying value and resetting the time varying value of the third signal to a reference level at each occurrence of the first signal;

Claim 12

comparing the constant value of the reference signal with the time varying value of the third signal to produce a fourth signal having a time varying value which is a function of the instantaneous relationship between the values of the reference signal and the third signal; and

Claim 13

comparing the constant value of the reference signal with the time varying value of the third signal to produce a fourth signal having a time varying value which is a function of the instantaneous relationship between the values of the reference signal and the third signal; and

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the strip material comprises pictorial information bearing media in image frames referenced in position on said information bearing media to successive indicia on the media.

Claim 15

means responsive to the reference signal and the third signal for producing a fourth signal having a time varying value which is a function of the instantaneous relationship between the constant value of the reference signal and the time varying value of the third signal; and

Claim 16

means responsive to the reference signal and the third signal for producing a fourth signal having a time varying value which is a function of the instantaneous relationship between the constant value of the reference signal and the time varying value of the third signal; and

Claim 17

difference means responsive to the reference signal and the ramp signal for producing a difference signal having a time varying level which is a function of the instantaneous difference between the constant level of the reference signal and the time varying level of the ramp signal;

Claim 18

difference means responsive to the reference signal and the ramp signal for producing a difference signal having a time varying level which is a function of the instantaneous difference between the constant level of the reference signal and the time varying level of the ramp signal;

Claim 19

producing a fourth signal having a time varying value which is a function of the instantaneous relationship between the constant value of the reference signal and the time varying value of the third signal; and

Claim 20

producing a fourth signal having a time varying value which is a function of the instantaneous relationship between the constant value of the reference signal and the time varying value of the third signal; and

Claim 21

producing the velocity signal as a function of the time varying value of the fourth signal sampled during the instantaneous occurrence of the second signal.

Claim 22

producing the velocity signal as a function of the time varying value of the fourth signal sampled during the instantaneous occurrence of the second signal.

Claim 23

means responsive to the second signal and the fourth signal for producing the velocity signal as a function of the time varying value of the fourth signal, the velocity signal having a value representative of the velocity of the strip material and independent of the spacing of successive indicia on the strip material.

Claim 24

means responsive to the second signal and the fourth signal for producing the velocity signal as a function of the time varying value of the fourth signal, the velocity signal having a value representative of the velocity of the strip material and independent of the spacing of successive indicia on the strip material.

Claim 25

In apparatus for deriving from pictorial information in image frames on information bearing media continuously moving at a predetermined velocity in a path of travel, electrical signals suitable to the production of a visual display of the pictorial information recurring at a predetermined rate differing from the predetermined velocity under the control of means for synchronizing the velocity rate of recurrence of the visual display with the velocity of continuous movement of the information bearing media, wherein successive image frames on the information bearing media are non-uniformly spaced with respect to each other in the direction of movement of the information bearing media, apparatus for producing a velocity signal for application to the synchronizing means, said velocity signal producing apparatus comprising: a. means including first and scond image frame detecting means physically displaced apart a distance Delta D in the direction of continuous movement of the information bearing media for detecting the image frames continuously moving in said path of travel with respect to the first and second image frame detecting means and for producing time-spaced reset and sampling signals, respectively, having reset and sampling time periods, respectively, in response to the detection of each such image frame; and b. means responsive to the time-spaced reset and sampling signals for producing a velociTy signal having a value representative of the velocity of the detected image frames between the first and second image frame detecting means, said velocity signal producing means further comprising:

Claim 26

In apparatus for deriving from pictorial information in image frames on information bearing media continuously moving at a predetermined velocity in a path of travel, electrical signals suitable to the production of a visual display of the pictorial information recurring at a predetermined rate differing from the predetermined velocity under the control of means for synchronizing the velocity rate of recurrence of the visual display with the velocity of continuous movement of the information bearing media, wherein successive image frames on the information bearing media are non-uniformly spaced with respect to each other in the direction of movement of the information bearing media, apparatus for producing a velocity signal for application to the synchronizing means, said velocity signal producing apparatus comprising: a. means including first and scond image frame detecting means physically displaced apart a distance Delta D in the direction of continuous movement of the information bearing media for detecting the image frames continuously moving in said path of travel with respect to the first and second image frame detecting means and for producing time-spaced reset and sampling signals, respectively, having reset and sampling time periods, respectively, in response to the detection of each such image frame; and b. means responsive to the time-spaced reset and sampling signals for producing a velociTy signal having a value representative of the velocity of the detected image frames between the first and second image frame detecting means, said velocity signal producing means further comprising:

Claim 27

second integrator means responsive to the difference signal for producing the velocity signal; and

Claim 28

second integrator means responsive to the difference signal for producing the velocity signal; and

Claim 29

integrating the instantaneous value of the time varying value of the fourth signal at each occurrence of the second signal to produce the velocity signal having a value representative of the velocity of the strip material and independent of the spacing of successive indicia on the strip material.

Claim 30

integrating the instantaneous value of the time varying value of the fourth signal at each occurrence of the second signal to produce the velocity signal having a value representative of the velocity of the strip material and independent of the spacing of successive indicia on the strip material.

Claim 31

switch means responsive to the sampling signal for conducting the difference signal to the second integrator means for the sampling period of the sampling signal, whereby the second integrator means is responsive to the sampled difference signal to control the level of the velocity signal as a function of the sampled level of the difference signal and representative of the first predetermined rate of movement of the information bearing media and independent of non-uniform spacing of successive detected image frames.

Claim 32

switch means responsive to the sampling signal for conducting the difference signal to the second integrator means for the sampling period of the sampling signal, whereby the second integrator means is responsive to the sampled difference signal to control the level of the velocity signal as a function of the sampled level of the difference signal and representative of the first predetermined rate of movement of the information bearing media and independent of non-uniform spacing of successive detected image frames.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said synchronizing means is responsive to the rate of recurrence of the visual display and the ramp signal produced by the first integrator means for synchronizing the rate of recurrence of the visual display with the velocity of continuous movement of the information bearing media.

Claim 34

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the information bearing media comprises color motion picture film and further comprising a color television receiver for producing the visual display of pictorial information on color motion picture film recurring at the television field rate.

Claim 35

In optical-to-electrical signal transducer apparatus including means for scanning in a raster pattern repeating at a first frequency the image frames of motion picture film continuously moved through a film scanning zone at a predetermined velocity corresponding to a second frequency differing from the first frequency and for deriving video television field signals from the scanned image frames in combination with first and second image frame detecting means physically displaced apart a distance Delta D in the direction of continuous movement of the motion picture film for detecting the movement of the image frames with respect to the first and second image frame detecting means and for producing corresponding reset and sampling time-spaced signals having reset and sampling time periods, respectively, and a frequency equal to the first frequency; vertical scan modification means responsive to the reset signal and a velocity signal representative of the velocity of the moving motion picture film for producing first and second double ramp signals representative of the position and velocity of successive image frames moving through said film scanning zone; and double ramp switching logic means responsive to the first frequency of the scanning raster pattern and the first signal for applying alternate periods of the double ramp signals to said scanning means for deflecting the raster pattern over the moving image frames to scan corresponding successive image frames of the motion picture film moving through said film scanning zone; the improvement in means for deriving a velocity signal representative of the velocity of the motion picture film and independently of spacing variations between successive image frames comprising: a. means for providing a reference signal having a constant level representative of the physical distance Delta D between said firsT and second film frame detecting means; b. difference means responsive to the reference signal and the first and second double ramp signals for producing corresponding first and second difference signals each having a time varying level which is a function of the instantaneous difference between the constant level of the reference signal and the time varying levels of the double ramp signals; c. integrator means responsive to the first and second difference signals for producing the velocity signals having a value related to the first frequency; and d. switch means responsive to the sampling signal for alternately applying the first and second difference signals to the integrator means for the sampling period of the sampling signal, whereby the integrator means is responsive to the first and second difference signals during the sampling period of the sampling signal to produce the velocity signal having a value representative of the first frequency and rate of movement of the motion picture film and independent of non-uniform spacing of successive image frames.

Claim 36

In optical-to-electrical signal transducer apparatus including means for scanning in a raster pattern repeating at a first frequency the image frames of motion picture film continuously moved through a film scanning zone at a predetermined velocity corresponding to a second frequency differing from the first frequency and for deriving video television field signals from the scanned image frames in combination with first and second image frame detecting means physically displaced apart a distance Delta D in the direction of continuous movement of the motion picture film for detecting the movement of the image frames with respect to the first and second image frame detecting means and for producing corresponding reset and sampling time-spaced signals having reset and sampling time periods, respectively, and a frequency equal to the first frequency; vertical scan modification means responsive to the reset signal and a velocity signal representative of the velocity of the moving motion picture film for producing first and second double ramp signals representative of the position and velocity of successive image frames moving through said film scanning zone; and double ramp switching logic means responsive to the first frequency of the scanning raster pattern and the first signal for applying alternate periods of the double ramp signals to said scanning means for deflecting the raster pattern over the moving image frames to scan corresponding successive image frames of the motion picture film moving through said film scanning zone; the improvement in means for deriving a velocity signal representative of the velocity of the motion picture film and independently of spacing variations between successive image frames comprising: a. means for providing a reference signal having a constant level representative of the physical distance Delta D between said firsT and second film frame detecting means; b. difference means responsive to the reference signal and the first and second double ramp signals for producing corresponding first and second difference signals each having a time varying level which is a function of the instantaneous difference between the constant level of the reference signal and the time varying levels of the double ramp signals; c. integrator means responsive to the first and second difference signals for producing the velocity signals having a value related to the first frequency; and d. switch means responsive to the sampling signal for alternately applying the first and second difference signals to the integrator means for the sampling period of the sampling signal, whereby the integrator means is responsive to the first and second difference signals during the sampling period of the sampling signal to produce the velocity signal having a value representative of the first frequency and rate of movement of the motion picture film and independent of non-uniform spacing of successive image frames.

Claim 39

The method of claim 8 wherein the first signal has a predetermined reset period and the second signal has a predetermined sample period, the time varying value of the third signal is reset to the reference level during the reset period of the first signal and the time varying value of the fourth signal is sampled during the sampling period of the second signal to produce the velocity signal.

Claim 42

The method of claim 10 wherein the strip material comprises motion picture film and said spaced indicia comprise image frames on the motion picture film.

Claim 43

The method of claim 10 wherein the first signal has a predetermined reset period and the second signal has a predetermined sample period, the time varying value of the third signal is reset to the reference level during the reset period of the first signal and the time varying value of the fourth signal is sampled during the sampling period of the second signal to produce the velocity signal.