Apparatus, system and method of storing a static image displayed on a television tube

Claim 1

A device for storing for subsequent visual display a static image displayed on the image surface of a television tube receiving static information from the head end of a cable television network, said image surface facing in a given direction along a general line of sight, said device comprising: a movable housing selectively movable between a first position wherein said image surface can be viewed along said line of sight and a second position wherein said housing defines an enclosed chamber exposed to said image surface and extending outwardly from said image surface along said line of sight; a generally flat plate carried by said housing and formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image and means formed with said layer for selectively creating said electro-magnetic field; means for allowing removal of said flat plate from said housing after said displayable image has been created therein, whereby said displayable image may be viewed remotely of said housing; means in said housing for shifting said plate between a remote storage position out of said line of sight when said housing is in said first position whereby said image surface can be viewed with said housing in said first position and a position aligned with and generally parallel to said image surface when said housing is in said second position; a lens; means in said housing for selectively positioning said lens between a location with said lens outside said line of sight and a location in said line of sight between said image surface and said plate to focus said static image onto said flat plate when said plate is in said aligned position; and, power means for energizing said field creating means while said image is focused onto said layer whereby said static image is stored in said flat plate.

Claim 2

A device for storing for subsequent visual display a static image displayed on the image surface of a television tube receiving static information from the head end of a cable television network, said image surface facing in a given direction along a general line of sight, said device comprising: a movable housing selectively movable between a first position wherein said image surface can be viewed along said line of sight and a second position wherein said housing defines an enclosed chamber exposed to said image surface and extending outwardly from said image surface along said line of sight; a generally flat plate carried by said housing and formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image and means formed with said layer for selectively creating said electro-magnetic field; means for allowing removal of said flat plate from said housing after said displayable image has been created therein, whereby said displayable image may be viewed remotely of said housing; means in said housing for shifting said plate between a remote storage position out of said line of sight when said housing is in said first position whereby said image surface can be viewed with said housing in said first position and a position aligned with and generally parallel to said image surface when said housing is in said second position; a lens; means in said housing for selectively positioning said lens between a location with said lens outside said line of sight and a location in said line of sight between said image surface and said plate to focus said static image onto said flat plate when said plate is in said aligned position; and, power means for energizing said field creating means while said image is focused onto said layer whereby said static image is stored in said flat plate.

Claim 8

A device for storing for subsequent visual display a static image displayed on the image surface of a television tube receiving static information from a cable television networK, said image surface facing in a given direction along a general line of sight, said device comprising a housing defining a chamber exposed to said image surface; a generally flat plate carried by said housing and formed from a layer of PLZT ceramic, a coterminous photoconductive layer and at least one generally flat electrode; means in said housing for shifting said plate from a remote storage position out of said line of sight to a position in said line of sight and aligned with said image surface; a lens; means in said housing for selectively positioning said lens between a location with said lens outside said line of sight and a location in said line of sight and between said image surface and said plate to focus said static image onto said photoconductive layer; means for applying a biasing voltage to said electrode whereby said static image is stored in said ceramic layer and, means for allowing removal of said flat plate from said housing after said static image has been stored therein, whereby said static image may be viewed remotely of said housing.

Claim 9

A device for storing for subsequent visual display a static image displayed on the image surface of a television tube receiving static information from a cable television networK, said image surface facing in a given direction along a general line of sight, said device comprising a housing defining a chamber exposed to said image surface; a generally flat plate carried by said housing and formed from a layer of PLZT ceramic, a coterminous photoconductive layer and at least one generally flat electrode; means in said housing for shifting said plate from a remote storage position out of said line of sight to a position in said line of sight and aligned with said image surface; a lens; means in said housing for selectively positioning said lens between a location with said lens outside said line of sight and a location in said line of sight and between said image surface and said plate to focus said static image onto said photoconductive layer; means for applying a biasing voltage to said electrode whereby said static image is stored in said ceramic layer and, means for allowing removal of said flat plate from said housing after said static image has been stored therein, whereby said static image may be viewed remotely of said housing.

Claim 18

A system for storing for subsequent visual display a static image onto a generally flat plate formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image, said system comprising: a. means for positioning said plate in a position exposed to the image surface of a television tube; b. means for exposing said flat plate to a generally uniform light source while concurrently subjected to an electro-magnetic field; c. a cable television network including a head end and means at said head end for creating a selected image on said image surface for at least a given time; d. means for subjecting said flat plate to an electro-magnetic field while exposed to said selected image; e. means for creating a customer code and a requested information code; f. means for communicating said customer and requested information codes to said head end; g. means at said head end for decoding said codes; h. means at said head end for transmitting said requested information and a customer code to a position adjacent said television tube; i. decoding means for decoding said customer code; j. means associated with said television tube to provide a code corresponding to said tube; k. control means for directing said requested information to said television code when said customer code matches said tube corresponding code; and, l. means for allowing removal of said plate from its exposed position whereby said selected image may be viewed independent of said television tube.

Claim 19

A system for storing for subsequent visual display a static image onto a generally flat plate formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image, said system comprising: a. means for positioning said plate in a position exposed to the image surface of a television tube; b. means for exposing said flat plate to a generally uniform light source while concurrently subjected to an electro-magnetic field; c. a cable television network including a head end and means at said head end for creating a selected image on said image surface for at least a given time; d. means for subjecting said flat plate to an electro-magnetic field while exposed to said selected image; e. means for creating a customer code and a requested information code; f. means for communicating said customer and requested information codes to said head end; g. means at said head end for decoding said codes; h. means at said head end for transmitting said requested information and a customer code to a position adjacent said television tube; i. decoding means for decoding said customer code; j. means associated with said television tube to provide a code corresponding to said tube; k. control means for directing said requested information to said television code when said customer code matches said tube corresponding code; and, l. means for allowing removal of said plate from its exposed position whereby said selected image may be viewed independent of said television tube.

Claim 20

A method for storing for subsequent visual display a static image onto a generally flat plate formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image, said method comprising the steps of: a. positioning said plate in a position exposed to the image surface of a television tube connected by a cable to the head end of a cable television system; b. exposing said flat plate to a generally uniform light source while concurrently subjected to an electro-magnetic field; c. creating a selected image on said image surface for at least a given time and from said head end of a cable television network; d. subjecting said flat plate to an electro-magnetic field while exposed to said selected image; e. controlling the minimum time said flat plate is concurrently exposed to said uniform light source and said electro-magnetic field; and, f. removing said flat plate from said exposed position for subsequent viewing independent of said television tube.

Claim 21

A method for storing for subsequent visual display a static image onto a generally flat plate formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image, said method comprising the steps of: a. positioning said plate in a position exposed to the image surface of a television tube connected by a cable to the head end of a cable television system; b. exposing said flat plate to a generally uniform light source while concurrently subjected to an electro-magnetic field; c. creating a selected image on said image surface for at least a given time and from said head end of a cable television network; d. subjecting said flat plate to an electro-magnetic field while exposed to said selected image; e. controlling the minimum time said flat plate is concurrently exposed to said uniform light source and said electro-magnetic field; and, f. removing said flat plate from said exposed position for subsequent viewing independent of said television tube.

Claim 22

A method for storing for subsequent visual display a static image onto a generally flat plate formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image, said method comprising the steps of: a. positioning said plate in a position exposed to the image surface of a television tube connected by cable to the head end of a cablE television network; b. exposing said flat plate to a generally uniform light source while concurrently subjected to an electro-mgnetic field; c. creating a selected image on said image surface for at least a given time and from said head end of a cable television network; d. subjecting said flat plate to an electro-magnetic field while exposed to said selected image; e. controlling the minimum time said flat plate is subjected concurrently to said selected image and an electro-magnetic field; and, f. removing said flat plate from said exposed position for subsequent viewing independent of said television tube.

Claim 23

A method for storing for subsequent visual display a static image onto a generally flat plate formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image, said method comprising the steps of: a. positioning said plate in a position exposed to the image surface of a television tube connected by cable to the head end of a cablE television network; b. exposing said flat plate to a generally uniform light source while concurrently subjected to an electro-mgnetic field; c. creating a selected image on said image surface for at least a given time and from said head end of a cable television network; d. subjecting said flat plate to an electro-magnetic field while exposed to said selected image; e. controlling the minimum time said flat plate is subjected concurrently to said selected image and an electro-magnetic field; and, f. removing said flat plate from said exposed position for subsequent viewing independent of said television tube.

Claim 24

A method for storing for subsequent visual display a static image onto a generally flat plate formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image, said method comprising the steps of: a. positioning said plate in a position exposed to the image surface of a television tube connected by a cable to the head end of a cable television system; b. exposing said flat plate to a generally uniform light source while concurrently subjected to an electro-magnetic field; c. creating a selected image on said image surface for at least a given time and from said head end of a television network; d. subjecting said flat plate to an electro-magnetic field while exposed to said selected image; e. creating adjacent said television tube a customer code and a requested information code; f. communicating said customer and requested information codes to said head end; g. decoding said codes at said head end; h. transmitting said requested information and a customer code from said head end to a position adjacent said television tube; i. decoding means adjacent said television tube for decoding said customer code; j. means for providing a code at said television tube corresponding to said tube; k. directing said requested information to said television code when said customer code matches said tube corresponding code; and, l. removing said flat plate from said exposed position for subsequent viewing independent of said television tube.

Claim 25

A method for storing for subsequent visual display a static image onto a generally flat plate formed from a layer of ceramic material capable of forming a visually displayable image when concurrently exposed to an electro-magnetic field and a light image, said method comprising the steps of: a. positioning said plate in a position exposed to the image surface of a television tube connected by a cable to the head end of a cable television system; b. exposing said flat plate to a generally uniform light source while concurrently subjected to an electro-magnetic field; c. creating a selected image on said image surface for at least a given time and from said head end of a television network; d. subjecting said flat plate to an electro-magnetic field while exposed to said selected image; e. creating adjacent said television tube a customer code and a requested information code; f. communicating said customer and requested information codes to said head end; g. decoding said codes at said head end; h. transmitting said requested information and a customer code from said head end to a position adjacent said television tube; i. decoding means adjacent said television tube for decoding said customer code; j. means for providing a code at said television tube corresponding to said tube; k. directing said requested information to said television code when said customer code matches said tube corresponding code; and, l. removing said flat plate from said exposed position for subsequent viewing independent of said television tube.