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US3962688A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Optical mass data memory

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-04-02
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Granted: 1976-06-08
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Expires: 1995-04-02
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Abstract

Abstract An optical memory for storing large amounts of information with a great packing density having writing and reading cycles controlled by a computer. A laser beam provides writing and reading of information on and from, respectively, a rotating memory disk in response to acousto-optical modulation of the beam. This modulation provides fine adjustment of the beam in the radial direction of the disk while coarse adjustment of the beam takes place mechanically. An acousto-optical modulator is arranged in the path of the laser beam, for both amplitude and frequency modulating the beam, so that it is fine adjusted for deflection, or for providing different intensities, while a mechanical coarse adjusting unit stepwise displaces the beam in the radial direction of the disk.

Inventors

  • 👤 Erik Gerhard Natanael Westerberg

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 21:01
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/24; G11B7/2407; G11B7/24085; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/11; G11B17/00; G11B17/005; G11B7/08; G11B7/09; G11B7/0901; G11C; G11C13/00; G11C13/04

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 131 words
An optical memory for storing large amounts of information with a great packing density having recording and reading cycles controlled by a computer, there being a laser beam to provide recording and reading of information respectively on and from a memory disk rotating in operation, in response to acousto-optical modulation of the beam, this modulation providing fine adjustment of the beam in the radial direction of the disk while coarse adjustment of the beam takes place mechanically, characterized by an acousto-optical modulator arranged in the path of the laser beam for both amplitude and frequency modulating the beam, so that it is fine adjusted by deflection, or for providing different intensities, and by a mechanical coarse adjusting unit for stepwise displacement of the beam in the radial direction of the disk.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 131 words
An optical memory for storing large amounts of information with a great packing density having recording and reading cycles controlled by a computer, there being a laser beam to provide recording and reading of information respectively on and from a memory disk rotating in operation, in response to acousto-optical modulation of the beam, this modulation providing fine adjustment of the beam in the radial direction of the disk while coarse adjustment of the beam takes place mechanically, characterized by an acousto-optical modulator arranged in the path of the laser beam for both amplitude and frequency modulating the beam, so that it is fine adjusted by deflection, or for providing different intensities, and by a mechanical coarse adjusting unit for stepwise displacement of the beam in the radial direction of the disk.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 49 words
A memory as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the coarse adjusting unit comprises a step motor, which in response to signals from the computer displaces a lens system introduced into the path of the beam for directing the laser beam to definite points on the memory disk.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 75 words
A memory as claimed in claim 1 with a buffer memory for storing the information to be recorded or read from the memory disk in binary form, characterized in that the buffer memory is a shift register with a capacity for storing the same number of bits as are kept on one circular track on the disk, the bits being fed to and from and are shifted in the register synchronously with turning the disk.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 105 words
An optical memory system for storing large quantities of data with a large packing density on a disk memory including means for generating a laser beam for recording and reading information on said disk, and a computer for controlling the recording and reading cycles of said memory, the improvement comprising an acousto-optical means for amplitude and frequency modulating said laser beam, said modulation of said beam varying the intensity of said beam and adjusting the radial position of the beam with respect to said disk, and a mechanical coarse adjusting means for step-wise displacing said beam in the radial direction with respect to said disk.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 105 words
An optical memory system for storing large quantities of data with a large packing density on a disk memory including means for generating a laser beam for recording and reading information on said disk, and a computer for controlling the recording and reading cycles of said memory, the improvement comprising an acousto-optical means for amplitude and frequency modulating said laser beam, said modulation of said beam varying the intensity of said beam and adjusting the radial position of the beam with respect to said disk, and a mechanical coarse adjusting means for step-wise displacing said beam in the radial direction with respect to said disk.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 65 words
The optical memory system of claim 4 further comprising a buffer memory for storing information to be recorded or read from the memory disk in binary form, said buffer memory including a shift register having the same bit storage capacity as one circular track on said disk, said bits being fed into and out of said shift register synchronously with the rotation of said disk.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 30 words
The optical memory system of claim 5 further comprising means for synchronizing the transmittal of information with respect to said shift register in accordance with the rotation of said disk.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 24 words
The optical memory system of claim 6 further comprising tracking means for directing said laser beam onto a predetermined track of said disk memory.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 46 words
The optical memory system of claim 7 wherein said coarse adjusting means comprises a step motor, and a lens means responsive to said step motor for directing said laser beam to a predetermined radial location on said disk, said step motor being controlled by said computer.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3696344A Cited
US3744039A Cited
US3898629A Cited
US3720924A Cited
US3774172A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1979-06-08 1979-12-08 1980-06-08 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1983-06-08 1983-12-08 1984-06-08 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1987-06-08 1987-12-08 1988-06-08 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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