Information retrieval system for providing retrievable updateable display of a permanent microfilm record

Claim 1

An information retrieval system for providing a retrievable updateable display of a permanent microfilm record comprising a gas panel display means capable of providing a composite visual display and having a gas panel portion, said gas panel display means having a front and a rear and a display control means for said gas panel portion thereof; microfilm record projection means capable of retrievably providing a static optical image of a selected permanent microfilm record to the rear of said gas panel display means from a plurality of such permanent microfilm records for selectably providing a projected visual display thereof visible through the front of said gas panel display means; updateable memory means capable of selectably retrievably providing both variable cursor position information and updateable stored information corresponding to selectable portions of said selectable permanent records, said memory means being operatively connected to said display control means, said display control means selectably providing an electronically produced gas panel visual display image on said gas panel display means of said corresponding retrievable updateable stored information provided from said memory means in a variable operation selected position in said display dependent on said provided cursor position information said display control means including means for selectably superimposing said electronically produced gas panel visual display image over any portion of said static optical image; keyboard selection means operatively connected to said memory means for enabling both operator updating of the corresponding stored information content of said selectable portions of said selectable permanent records in said composite visual display and operator retrievable selection of said updated information content; and condition responsive process controller means operatively connected to said update and selection means, to said microfilm record projection means, to said display control means and to said memory means for controllably providing a selected retrievable updated composite visual display in response to a single operator selection of said permanent record on said selection means, said process controller means controllably providing said composite visual display in response to said single operator selection and including means for enabling a projection of said selected retrievable permanent microfilm record static optical image by said microfilm record projection means while substantially simultaneously enabling an electronically produced gas panel superimposable image of said corresponding updated stored information by said gas panel display means with said electronically produced gas panel display image visually supplanting said selectable portions of said selectably retrieved projected permanent microfilm record in said controllably provided composite visual display, whereby any portion of a display of a microfilm record, whether free from or formatted, may be visually altered.