Programmable control circuit for cassette changer

Claim 2

In a magnetic tape player having a changer mechanism which upon being succesively actuated sequentially presents at a single play position a spatially ordered sequence of tape recordings stocked in the changer where they may be individually played, a control for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a program such that the player plays in order only preselected ones of said ordered sequence of recordings, comprising: means for preselecting which of the ordered sequence of recordings is to be played; means responsive to actuation of said changer mechanism for indicating which recording is being presented; means connected with said indicating means and said preselecting means for determining whether the presented recording as indicated by said indicating means has been preselected to be played; and means connected with said determining means for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a determination made by said determining means including means responsive to indication by said indicating means of presentation at the play position of a nonpreselected recording for actuating said changer mechanism to present at the play position the next recording of said ordered sequence before the nonpreselected presented recording can be played, said indicatinG means including an electronic memory for assuming a unique state indicative of the recording being presented in response to actuation of the cassette changer mechanism.

Claim 3

The tape changer control of claim 1 wherein said electronic memory comprises a binary counter responsive to said actuating means for advancing by one count as each recording is presented.

Claim 4

The tape changer control of claim 1 including means for generating an end-of-tape signal in response to completion of the presented tape recording being played, said actuating means actuating said changer mechanism to present the next recording in response to generation thereof.

Claim 5

The tape changer control of claim 3 wherein said indicating means is activated in response to said end-of-tape signal to indicate presentment of said next recording.

Claim 6

The tape changer control of claim 1 including means for resetting said indicating means to indicate presentment of a predetermined recording of the sequence.

Claim 7

The tape changer control of claim 5 wherein said resetting means resets said indicating means in response to application of power thereto.

Claim 8

The tape changer control of claim 1 in which said controlling means includes means for generating an alternating signal when enabled, said actuating means actuating said changer mechanism to sequentially present at the ply position said recordings at a rate determined by the frequency of said alternating signal.

Claim 9

The tape changer control of claim 7 wherein said determining means includes means for generating a skip signal in response to presentation at the play position of a non-preselected recording, said alternating signal generating means being enabled by said skip signal to generate said alternating signal.

Claim 10

In a magnetic tape player having a changer mechanism which upon being successively actuated sequentially presents at a single play position a spatially ordered sequence of tape recordings stocked in the changer where they may be individually played, a control for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a program such that the player plays in order only preselected ones of said ordered sequence of recordings, comprising: means for preselecting which of the ordered sequence of recordings is to be played; means responsive to actuation of said changer mechanism for indicating which recording is being presented; means connected with said indicating means and said preselecting means for determining whether the presented recording as indicated by said indicating means has been preselected to be played; and means connected with said determining means for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a determination made by said determining means including means responsive to indication by said indicating means of presentation at the play position of a nonpreselected recording for actuating said changer mechanism to present at the play position the next recording of said ordered sequence before the nonpreselected presented recording can be played, said indicating means comprising a ring counter having an output for each one of the sequence of recordings, each output normally in a first state and assuming a second state only when the recording corresponding thereto is being presented.

Claim 11

In a magnetic tape player having a changer mechanism which upon being successively actuated sequentially presents at a single play position a spatially ordered sequence of tape recordings stocked in the changer where they may be individually played, a control for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a program such that the player plays in order only preselected ones of said ordered sequence of recordings, comprising: means for preselecting which of the ordered sequence of recordings is to be played; means responsive to actuation of said changer mechanism for indicating which recording is being presented; means connected with said indicating means and said preselecting means for determining whether the presented recording as indicated by said indicating means has been preselected to be played; and means connected with said determining means for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a determination made by said determining means including means responsive to indication by said indicating means of presentation at the play position of a nonpreselected recording for actuating said changer mechanism to present at the play position the next recording of said ordered sequence before the nonpreselected presented recording can be played, said indicating means comprising a ring counter having an output for each one of the sequence of recordings, each output normally in a first state and assuming a second state only when the recording corresponding thereto is being presented.

Claim 12

In a magnetic tape player having a changer mechanism which upon being successively actuated sequentially presents at a single play position a spatially ordered sequence of tape recordings stocked in the changer where they may be individually played, a control for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a program such that the player plays in order only preselected ones of said ordered sequence of recordings, comprising: means for preselecting which of the ordered sequence of recordings is to be played; means responsive to actuation of said changer mechanism for indicating which recording is being presented; means connected with said indicating means and said preselecting means for determining whether the presented recordiNg as indicated by said indicating means has been preselected to be played, and means connected with said determining means for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a determination made by said determining means including means responsive to indication by said indicating means of presentation at the play position of a nonpreselected recording for actuating said changer mechanism to present at the play position the next recording of said ordered sequence before the nonpreselected presented recording can be played, said preselecting means including a selector for each recording of said sequence, each selector having a skip state with those recordings corresponding to a selector in said skip state not being preselected to be played.

Claim 13

In a magnetic tape player having a changer mechanism which upon being successively actuated sequentially presents at a single play position a spatially ordered sequence of tape recordings stocked in the changer where they may be individually played, a control for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a program such that the player plays in order only preselected ones of said ordered sequence of recordings, comprising: means for preselecting which of the ordered sequence of recordings is to be played; means responsive to actuation of said changer mechanism for indicating which recording is being presented; means connected with said indicating means and said preselecting means for determining whether the presented recordiNg as indicated by said indicating means has been preselected to be played, and means connected with said determining means for controlling said changer mechanism in accordance with a determination made by said determining means including means responsive to indication by said indicating means of presentation at the play position of a nonpreselected recording for actuating said changer mechanism to present at the play position the next recording of said ordered sequence before the nonpreselected presented recording can be played, said preselecting means including a selector for each recording of said sequence, each selector having a skip state with those recordings corresponding to a selector in said skip state not being preselected to be played.

Claim 14

The tape changer control of claim 10 in which said determining means includes means for generating a skip signal in response to presentment of a recording having its selector in the skip state, said actuating means actuating said changer in response to generation thereof.