Analog information storage and retrieval system

Claim 2

Apparatus for compensating the information component of a composite signal in which an information signal that has been recorded and reproduced simultaneously with a reference signal are combined, comprising filter means responsive to said composite signal for producing a timing signal at the frequency of said reproduced reference signal, a storage register having the capacity to store a plurality of samples of a signal, means controlled by the timing signal for storing samples of the composite signal in said register at a rate equal to the frequency of the timing signal and in fixed phase relation to the timing signal, an output terminal, and means for applying samples stored in said register to said output terminal at a second rate in the sequence in which they were stored.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for removing each sample from the memory as the next sample in the storage sequence is applied to said output terminal, and means for discarding a sample when to store a new sample would exceed the capacity of said register.

Claim 4

A wideband compensator for removing frequency shifts from an analog signal superposed on a reference signal having analogous frequency shifts from an initially periodic waveform to form a compOsite signal, comprising filter means responsive to said composite signal to reproduce said reference signal, a storage register, first means for gating samples of said composite signal into said register at the frequency of said reproduced reference signal, an output terminal, and second means for applying samples stored in said register to said output terminal at a predetermined rate and in the order in which they were stored to produce an output signal on said terminal.

Claim 5

A wideband compensator for removing frequency shifts from an analog signal superposed on a reference signal having analogous frequency shifts from an initially periodic waveform to form a compOsite signal, comprising filter means responsive to said composite signal to reproduce said reference signal, a storage register, first means for gating samples of said composite signal into said register at the frequency of said reproduced reference signal, an output terminal, and second means for applying samples stored in said register to said output terminal at a predetermined rate and in the order in which they were stored to produce an output signal on said terminal.

Claim 6

the apparatus of claim 3, further comprising means for inhibiting the operation of said first means when said register is full.

Claim 7

Apparatus for compensating an information signal recorded on a record in superposition with a periodic reference signal as a composite signal, comprising means for reproducing said composite signal, filter means responsive to said composite signal for reproducing said reference signal, signal genereating means for producing a periodic gating signal having a period equal to the period of said referencesignal when recorded, a storage register having a predetermined capacity for the storage of samples of a signal, first means controlled by said reproducing means and said filter means for gating samples of said reproduced composite signal into said register at a rate inversely proportional to the instantaneous period of said reproduced reference signal, an output terminal, second means controlled by said signal generating means and responsive to said gating signal for gating samples stored in said register to said output terminal in the order in which they were stored at a rate inversely proportional to the period of said gating signal, and inhibiting means for inhibiting the gating of a sample into said register when the number of samples gated into said register exceeds the number of samples gated to said output terminal by a number determined by the capacity of said register.

Claim 8

Apparatus for compensating an information signal recorded on a record in superposition with a periodic reference signal as a composite signal, comprising means for reproducing said composite signal, filter means responsive to said composite signal for reproducing said reference signal, signal genereating means for producing a periodic gating signal having a period equal to the period of said referencesignal when recorded, a storage register having a predetermined capacity for the storage of samples of a signal, first means controlled by said reproducing means and said filter means for gating samples of said reproduced composite signal into said register at a rate inversely proportional to the instantaneous period of said reproduced reference signal, an output terminal, second means controlled by said signal generating means and responsive to said gating signal for gating samples stored in said register to said output terminal in the order in which they were stored at a rate inversely proportional to the period of said gating signal, and inhibiting means for inhibiting the gating of a sample into said register when the number of samples gated into said register exceeds the number of samples gated to said output terminal by a number determined by the capacity of said register.

Claim 9

Apparatus for reproducing an information signal recorded on a record in superposition with a simultaneously recorded constant frequency pilot signal, comprising transducer means, drive means for receiving the record and moving the record relative to said transducer means to reproduce a composite signal having said information signal and said pilot signal as components, a band pass filter connected to said transducer means to produce a timing signal at the frequency of the pilot signal component of said reproduced composite signal, memory means, sampling means responsive to said transducer means and controlled by said timing signal for storing a sample of said composite signal in said memory means once for each cycle of said timing signal at the same point in each cycle, a low pass filter, means for producing an output timing signal at the constant frequency at which said pilot signal was recorded, and means responsive to said output timing signals for supplying a sample from said memory means to said low pass filter once for each cycle of said output timing signal.

Claim 10

Apparatus for reproducing an information signal recorded on a record in superposition with a simultaneously recorded constant frequency pilot signal, comprising transducer means, drive means for receiving the record and moving the record relative to said transducer means to reproduce a composite signal having said information signal and said pilot signal as components, a band pass filter connected to said transducer means to produce a timing signal at the frequency of the pilot signal component of said reproduced composite signal, memory means, sampling means responsive to said transducer means and controlled by said timing signal for storing a sample of said composite signal in said memory means once for each cycle of said timing signal at the same point in each cycle, a low pass filter, means for producing an output timing signal at the constant frequency at which said pilot signal was recorded, and means responsive to said output timing signals for supplying a sample from said memory means to said low pass filter once for each cycle of said output timing signal.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means responsive to the frequency difference between said timing signals for controlling said drive means to reduce said difference.

Claim 12

Apparatus for extracting an information signal from a composite signal comprising the sum of said information signal and a reference signal while compensating said information signal for frequency shifts analogous to frequency shifts that the reference signal has experienced from an initially constant frequency, comprising a low pass filter adapted to receive said composite signal and produce a first control signal at the frequency of said reference signal in said composite signal, storage means responsive to said first control signal for storing samples of said composite signal at the rate of one for each cycle of said first control signal, means for producing a second control signal at said initial constant frequency, a low pass filter, and means responsive to said second control signal for extracting samples from said storage means and applying them to said low pass filter once for each cycle of said second control signal.

Claim 13

Apparatus for extracting an information signal from a composite signal comprising the sum of said information signal and a reference signal while compensating said information signal for frequency shifts analogous to frequency shifts that the reference signal has experienced from an initially constant frequency, comprising a low pass filter adapted to receive said composite signal and produce a first control signal at the frequency of said reference signal in said composite signal, storage means responsive to said first control signal for storing samples of said composite signal at the rate of one for each cycle of said first control signal, means for producing a second control signal at said initial constant frequency, a low pass filter, and means responsive to said second control signal for extracting samples from said storage means and applying them to said low pass filter once for each cycle of said second control signal.