Title and index generator for a microfiche

Claim 2

Apparatus for generating eye readable characters on a microfiche in a system for producing microfiche, said system producing characters comprised of predetermined elements, comprising: first means for storing said characters which are to be eye readable; second storage means, said second storage means being provided with a predetermined number of character element storage locations for each of a predetermined number of characters; character generator means responsive to a said predetermined number of characters in siad first storage means for providing the elements of said predetermined number of characters for storage in said storage means; means for reading out of said second storage means each element of each character a first predetermined number of times as the system traverses the microfiche in a first direction and a second predetermined number of times as the system traverses the microfiche in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction; and means for generating a predetermined character on the microfiche each time an element is read out of said second storage means.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said eye readable characters comprise a title on said microfiche.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including means for extracting said characters comprising said title from a data train and storing said extracted characters in said first storage means.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said data train is the output of a tape transport.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein said extracting means includes means for selecting the starting point for extraction of said characters comprising said title and means for selecting the field length of said title.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for generating a microfiche having means for receiving a data input train and a character pattern means for producing constituent elements of each character in the data input train, apparatus for generating a predetermined number of eye readable characters on said microfiche, comprising: means for extracting said predetermined number of characters from said data input train; means for reading the constituent elements of each of said extracted characters from said character pattern means; means for storing the constituent elements, read out of said character pattern means, of each of said extracted characters in locations determined by address signals generated by said character pattern means; means for reading out of said storage means each constituent element of each said characters stored in said storage means a first predetermined number of times as the microfiche is traversed in a horizontal direction and a second predetermined number of times as the microfiche is traversed in a vertical direction; and means for generating a character on the microfiche in response to each time a constituent element is read out of said storage means.

Claim 8

In an apparatus for generating a microfiche having means for receiving a data input train and a character pattern means for producing constituent elements of each character in the data input train, apparatus for generating a predetermined number of eye readable characters on said microfiche, comprising: means for extracting said predetermined number of characters from said data input train; means for reading the constituent elements of each of said extracted characters from said character pattern means; means for storing the constituent elements, read out of said character pattern means, of each of said extracted characters in locations determined by address signals generated by said character pattern means; means for reading out of said storage means each constituent element of each said characters stored in said storage means a first predetermined number of times as the microfiche is traversed in a horizontal direction and a second predetermined number of times as the microfiche is traversed in a vertical direction; and means for generating a character on the microfiche in response to each time a constituent element is read out of said storage means.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 including a reversible data storage device for supplying the data input train and an index page generator, said index page generator comprising means for causing said reversible data storage device to return to its starting position at the beginning of the generation of the microfiche, means for extracting a predetermined number of characters from the data input train at a position corresponding to a preselected position within each page of the microfiche, means for adding index information to the extracted characters and means for generating said extracted characters and index information on an index page of said microfiche.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said extracting means includes means for selecting the starting point for extraction of said characters from said data input train and means for selecting the number of characters to be extracted.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for generating a microfiche having means for receiving a digital data input and means for producing a character pattern for each character of digital data input for display on an imaging device, said character pattern including elements located at predetermined address positions, said microfiche having a first predetermined number of columns and a second predetermined number of rows, apparatus for generating a third predetermined number of eye readable characters above one or more of the columns of pages on said microfiche, comprising: means for extracting a fourth predetermined number of characters from said digital data input during the generation of the first column of said first predetermined number of columns of said microfiche; first means for storing said fourth predetermined number of digital characters extracted from said digital data input; means responsive to the detection of the generation of the last page of a column for causing the readout of a said third predeteRmined number of digital characters stored in said first storage means for addressing said character pattern means; second storage means for storing the character pattern of said third predetermined number of digital characters read out of said first storage means; means for reading out of said second storage means each element of each character pattern a fifth predetermined number of times as the microfiche is traversed in a horizontal direction and a sixth predetermined number of times as the microfiche is traversed in a vertical direction; and means for generating a character on the microfiche each time a constituent element is read out of said second storage means.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for generating a microfiche having means for receiving a digital data input and means for producing a character pattern for each character of digital data input for display on an imaging device, said character pattern including elements located at predetermined address positions, said microfiche having a first predetermined number of columns and a second predetermined number of rows, apparatus for generating a third predetermined number of eye readable characters above one or more of the columns of pages on said microfiche, comprising: means for extracting a fourth predetermined number of characters from said digital data input during the generation of the first column of said first predetermined number of columns of said microfiche; first means for storing said fourth predetermined number of digital characters extracted from said digital data input; means responsive to the detection of the generation of the last page of a column for causing the readout of a said third predeteRmined number of digital characters stored in said first storage means for addressing said character pattern means; second storage means for storing the character pattern of said third predetermined number of digital characters read out of said first storage means; means for reading out of said second storage means each element of each character pattern a fifth predetermined number of times as the microfiche is traversed in a horizontal direction and a sixth predetermined number of times as the microfiche is traversed in a vertical direction; and means for generating a character on the microfiche each time a constituent element is read out of said second storage means.

Claim 13

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein said first predetermined number is 16, said second predetermined number is 13, said third predetermined number is 2, said fourth predetermined number is a preselected number less than 30, said fifth predetermined number is 8 and said sixth predetermined number is 7.

Claim 14

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 including a reversible data storage device for supplying the digital data input and an index page generator, said index page generator comprising means for causing said reversible data storage device to return to its starting position at the beginning of the generation of the microfiche, means for extracting a predetermined number of characters from the data input train at a position corresponding to a preselected position within each page of the microfiche, means for adding index information to the extracted characters and means for generating said extracted characters and index information on an index page of said microfiche.

Claim 15

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein said extracting means includes means for selecting the starting point for extraction of said characters from said digital data input and means for selecting the number of characters to be extracted.

Claim 16

Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein said eye readable characters comprise a title on said microfiche.