Multimode search and retrieval tape system

Claim 2

A data retrieval system comprising: mass storage means for storing data in a plurality of data blocks with each block having a fixed capacity for storage of said data and having associated therewith a unique address code; means for sensing and reading data contained in said blocks and also the address codes associated with said blocks and for providing electrical data and address signals corresponding to said data and said address codes; said mass storage means and said reading means being disposed for relative movement in either of two opposite directions so that said reading means can scan said blocks and their associated address codes in sequence; transport means for effecting said relative movement in either of said directions; transport control means for selectively operating said transport means so as to effect said relative movement selectively in one or the other of said directions; display means adapted to provide a display indicative of the address of a data block; first display control means for operating said display means so as to change said display by one increment each time an address code is scanned by said reading means during relative movement in one of said directions; and second display control means responsive to said electrical address signals for setting said display means to a predetermined display established responsively to each of said electrical address signals as the latter are provided in accordance with the scan of said address codes by said reading means during relative movement in the other of said directions.

Claim 3

A data retrieval system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transport means is adapted to effect relative movement in said one direction at either of two different speeds, and further wherein said transport control means comprises means for operating said transport means so as to selectively effect said one direction movement at one or the other of said two different speeds.

Claim 4

A data retrieval system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transport control means includes first means for terminating said relative movement in said one direction and for thereafter automatically initiating relative movement in said other direction, and second means responsive to said first means for continuing said other direction movement long enough for a single address code and all of the data in the data block associated with said single address code to be read by said reading means and for terminating said other direction movement immediately after the last of the data in the block associated with said single address code has been read by said reading means.

Claim 5

A data retrieval system as defined in claim 3 wherein said data blocks are arranged in a fixed sequence and data is stored in said blocks in serial fashion.

Claim 6

A data retrieval system as defined in claim 4 wherein said reading means is presented with said data blocks and said address codes only alternatively for conversion to said electrical signals.

Claim 7

A data retrieval system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second display control means comprises a presettable counter adapted to change its count incremently responsively to application thereto of an input pulse, and further including means for applying an input pulse to said counter each time an address code is scanned by said reading means during relative movement in said one direction, and means responsive to electrical address sIgnals produced by said reading means during relative movement in said other direction for presetting said counter to accord with each of said electrical address signals.

Claim 8

A data retrieval system according to claim 6 wherein input pulses are applied to said counter only during relative movement in said one direction.

Claim 9

A data retrieval system for searching an elongate mass storage means bidirectionally at high and low speeds comprising: an elongate mass storage means for storing data in a plurality of data storage blocks each having a fixed maximum capacity for storage of data and each having associated therewith a unique stored address code; reading means for sensing and reading the data and address codes stored in said mass storage means and for producing electrical data and address signals corresponding to said stored data and address codes; bidirectionally operable transport means for transporting said mass storage means past said reading means; transport control means comprising first selectively operable means for operating said transport means in a first mode whereby said mass storage means is transported in a first direction at a relatively high speed, second selectively operable means for operating said transport means in a second mode whereby said mass storage means is transported in said first direction at a relatively slow speed, third selectively operable means for operating said transport means in a third mode whereby said mass storage means is transported in a second opposite direction at a relatively high speed, and fourth selectively operable means for operating said transport means in a fourth mode whereby said mass storage means is transported in said second direction at a relatively slow speed; and means operable when operation of said transport means in any of said first, second or third modes is terminated for automatically initiating operation of said transport means in said fourth mode and for terminating operation in said fourth mode after a single address code and the data stored in the data storage block associated with said single address code have been read by said reading means.

Claim 10

A data retrieval system for searching an elongate mass storage means bidirectionally at high and low speeds comprising: an elongate mass storage means for storing data in a plurality of data storage blocks each having a fixed maximum capacity for storage of data and each having associated therewith a unique stored address code; reading means for sensing and reading the data and address codes stored in said mass storage means and for producing electrical data and address signals corresponding to said stored data and address codes; bidirectionally operable transport means for transporting said mass storage means past said reading means; transport control means comprising first selectively operable means for operating said transport means in a first mode whereby said mass storage means is transported in a first direction at a relatively high speed, second selectively operable means for operating said transport means in a second mode whereby said mass storage means is transported in said first direction at a relatively slow speed, third selectively operable means for operating said transport means in a third mode whereby said mass storage means is transported in a second opposite direction at a relatively high speed, and fourth selectively operable means for operating said transport means in a fourth mode whereby said mass storage means is transported in said second direction at a relatively slow speed; and means operable when operation of said transport means in any of said first, second or third modes is terminated for automatically initiating operation of said transport means in said fourth mode and for terminating operation in said fourth mode after a single address code and the data stored in the data storage block associated with said single address code have been read by said reading means.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 8 wherein said transport control means comprises manually operable switch means for operating said four selectively operable means for operating said transport means.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 8 wherein the data and address codes stored in said mass storage means are decipherable by said reading means only when said mass storage means is being transported according to said fourth mode.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 8 further including display means responsive to said reading means for providing a visual display indicative of the address of the data block being scanned by said reading means.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 11 wherein said address codes represent numerical addresses and said display means provides a decimal display.

Claim 15

A system according to claim 12 including a counter for controlling said display means, means for decrementing said counter by a count of one each time an address code is sensed by said reading means when operating in either of said first and second modes and for incrementing said counter by a count of one each time an address code is sensed by said reading means when operating in said third mode, and means coupling said counter and display means for changing said decimal display according to the change in count by said counter.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 13 further including means responsive to said reading means when operating in said fourth mode for setting said counter directly to a count corresponding to the particular numerical address read by said reading means.

Claim 17

Apparatus for storing and retrieving data comprising: a magnetic tape mass storage means having a series of unique address codes recorded thereon; read/write means for (a) recording data onto and reading data from said mass storage means and (b) rEading said unique address codes; transport means for bidirectionally transporting said mass storage means past said read/write means; means for selectively operating said read/write means when said mass storage means is being transported in a first direction so as to record data thereon in discrete blocks with each block having one of said unique address codes associated therewith; means for selectively operating said read/write means when said mass storage means is being transported in said first direction so as to read said blocks of data and said unique address codes; first selectively operable transport control means for operating said transport means so that it transports said mass storage means in said first direction past said read/write means; second selectively operable transport control means for operating said transport means so that it transports said mass storage means in a second opposite direction past said read/write means; and means responsive to termination of operation of said second transport control means for automatically operating said transport means so that it transports said mass storage means in said first direction and for automatically terminating operation of said transport means after said mass storage means has travelled far enough in said first direction for one address code and all of the data in the data block associated with said one address code to be read by said read/write means.

Claim 18

Apparatus for storing and retrieving data comprising: a magnetic tape mass storage means having a series of unique address codes recorded thereon; read/write means for (a) recording data onto and reading data from said mass storage means and (b) rEading said unique address codes; transport means for bidirectionally transporting said mass storage means past said read/write means; means for selectively operating said read/write means when said mass storage means is being transported in a first direction so as to record data thereon in discrete blocks with each block having one of said unique address codes associated therewith; means for selectively operating said read/write means when said mass storage means is being transported in said first direction so as to read said blocks of data and said unique address codes; first selectively operable transport control means for operating said transport means so that it transports said mass storage means in said first direction past said read/write means; second selectively operable transport control means for operating said transport means so that it transports said mass storage means in a second opposite direction past said read/write means; and means responsive to termination of operation of said second transport control means for automatically operating said transport means so that it transports said mass storage means in said first direction and for automatically terminating operation of said transport means after said mass storage means has travelled far enough in said first direction for one address code and all of the data in the data block associated with said one address code to be read by said read/write means.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 15 further including means responsive to said read/write means for displaying the address associated with each data block as said each data block is being read by said read/write means.

Claim 20

A data retrieval system adapted to search a mass data storage means bidirectionally to locate recorded data and to retrieve located data, said system comprising: a mass storage means for storing serially phase-encoded data in a plurality of data storage blocks each having a fixed data storage capacity and arranged in a fixed sequence, each of said data blocks having associated therewith a unique serially phase-encoded address; reading means for reading the data stored in said blocks and the address associated with said blocks and for converting said data and addresses to corresponding serially phase-encoded electrical data and address signals; bidirectionally operable transport means for moving said mass storage means past said reading means; selectively operable transport control means for selectively operating said transport means so as to selectively move said mass storage means in a first direction or a second opposite direction past said reading means; phase decoder means for phase decoding the electrical signals produced by said reading means; demultiplexer means for converting the phase decoded electrical signals produced by said phase decoder means to parallel coded electrical signals; means for applying said parallel coded electrical signals to an output terminal device; means operative only when said mass storage means is moving in said first direction for enabling said demultiplexer to convert phase decoded electrical signals to parallel coded electrical signals; and additional means operative when said transport control means is operated to cause said transport means to terminate movement of said mass storage means in said second direction for automatically causing said transport means to move said mass storage means in said first direction and to terminate the movement in said first direction after said reading means has read a single address and all of the data in the data block associated with said single address.

Claim 21

A data retrieval system adapted to search a mass data storage means bidirectionally to locate recorded data and to retrieve located data, said system comprising: a mass storage means for storing serially phase-encoded data in a plurality of data storage blocks each having a fixed data storage capacity and arranged in a fixed sequence, each of said data blocks having associated therewith a unique serially phase-encoded address; reading means for reading the data stored in said blocks and the address associated with said blocks and for converting said data and addresses to corresponding serially phase-encoded electrical data and address signals; bidirectionally operable transport means for moving said mass storage means past said reading means; selectively operable transport control means for selectively operating said transport means so as to selectively move said mass storage means in a first direction or a second opposite direction past said reading means; phase decoder means for phase decoding the electrical signals produced by said reading means; demultiplexer means for converting the phase decoded electrical signals produced by said phase decoder means to parallel coded electrical signals; means for applying said parallel coded electrical signals to an output terminal device; means operative only when said mass storage means is moving in said first direction for enabling said demultiplexer to convert phase decoded electrical signals to parallel coded electrical signals; and additional means operative when said transport control means is operated to cause said transport means to terminate movement of said mass storage means in said second direction for automatically causing said transport means to move said mass storage means in said first direction and to terminate the movement in said first direction after said reading means has read a single address and all of the data in the data block associated with said single address.

Claim 22

A data retrieval system according to claim 17 further including: a presettable bidirectional counter; means for displaying the count stored in said counter; means responsive to said reading means for generating a control pulse each time an address is read by said reading means; means for incrementing or decreMenting said counter according to the direction of movement of said mass storage means each time a control pulse is generated; means coupled to said demultiplexer for setting said counter responsively to parallel coded electrical signals produced by said demultiplexer; and means for enabling said counter to respond to the output of said demultiplexer only when said output is derived from electrical address signals produced by said reading means during movement of said mass storage means in said first direction.

Claim 23

A data retrieval system according to claim 17 wherein: said transport means is capable of moving said mass storage means in each of said directions at a relatively fast or a relatively slow speed; said transport control means includes means for selectively operating said transport means at either of said speeds in each of said directions; and said additional means is operative, when said transport control means is operated to cause said transport means to terminate relatively fast speed movement of said storage means in said first direction, for automatically causing said transport means to move said mass storage means at said relatively slow speed in said first direction and to terminate such movement in said first direction after said reading means has read a single address and all of the data in the data block asssociated with said single address.

Claim 24

A data retrieval system according to claim 19 further including: a presettable bidirectional counter; means for displaying the counts stored in said counter; means responsive to said reading means for generating a control pulse each time an address is read by said reading means; means for incrementing said counter each time a control pulse is generated during movement of said mass storage means in said first direction at said relatively fast speed; means for decrementing said counter each time a control pulse is generated during movement of said mass storage means in said second direction at either said relatively fast or said relatively slow speed; means coupled to said demultiplexer for setting said counter responsively to parallel coded electrical signals produced by said demultiplexer; and means for enabling said counter to respond to the output of said demultiplexer only when said output is derived from electrical address signals produced by said reading means during movement of said mass storage means in said first direction at said relatively slow speed.

Claim 25

A data retrieval system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transport means is adapted to effect relative movement in said other direction at either of two different speeds, said transport control means includes means for operating said transport means so as to selectively effect said movement in said other direction at either one or another of said two different speeds, said display control means comprises a presettable counter adapted to change its count incrementally responsively to application thereto of an input pulse, said display control means also includes means for applying an input pulse to said counter each time an address code is scanned by said reading means during relative movement at the faster of said speeds in said other direction, and means for producing said electrical address signals by said reading means during relative movement in said other direction at the slower of said speeds and for applying said address signals so as to preset said counter in accordance therewith.