Information retrieval system equipped with video disk

Claim 1

An information retrieval system for use as an electronic dictionary comprising: information disk means for recording information related to words to be defined or translated, said disk means having a plurality of concentric information tracks, said information including picture information and audio information related to each said word, said picture information and audio information being stored on separate information tracks of said disk means; input means for entering an entry word to be defined or translated; memory means for storing each said word to be defined or translated having related information stored on said video disk means as well as track numbers of the information tracks of said disk means having said picture information and audio information stored therein; means, responsive to said entered word, for searching said memory means to locate and recall said track numbers on said disk means where said picture and audio information related to said entry word can be located; first buffer means, responsive to said means for searching, for temporarily storing the track number where said picture information is located; second buffer means, responsive to said means for searching, for temporarily storing the track number where said audio information is located; third buffer means, operatively connected to said means for reading, for temporarily storing a said track number to be read from said video disk means; means, responsive to entry of a said track number stored in said third buffer means, for reading the selected said track of said video disk means to read out the information recorded therein; voice memory means, operatively connected to said means for reading, for temporarily storing audio information read from said video disk means in response to selection of a said track having audio information thereon; means, responsive to said audio information stored in said voice memory means, for developing audible voice information related to said entry word; gate means, operatively interconnected between said third buffer means and said first and second buffer means, for selectively transferring the contents of said first buffer means or said second buffer means to said third buffer means; means for controlling the operation of said gate means to first transfer the contents of said second buffer means to said third buffer means to facilitate temporary storage of said audio information related to said entry word in said voice memory means and subsequently transfer the contents of said first buffer means to said third buffer means to read out picture information therefrom, means, responsive to said means for reading, for displaying said picture information; said control means further enabling said means for developing audible voice information simultaneously to display of said picture information by said means for displaying.