High speed tape duplicating machine

Claim 2

A duplicating recorder/reproducer system for duplicating pre-recorded material on magnetic tape having a first side A and a second side B, side A and side B being recorded so that sides A and B can later be played back by moving the magnetic tape in opposite directions, comprising, (a) means for supplying audio source signals in a digital form, (b) means responsive to said electronically stored source signals for making a single master library recording of said digital source signals, said master library recording containing information for both sides A and B, (c) means for generating master library signals from said master library recording by playing back at least a portion of said master library recording, said signal generating means having a single playback apparatus, (d) storage means responsive to said playback of at least a portion of said master library recording for electronically storing selected digital signals from said master library recording which include both side A and side B, (e) said storage means having a unitary large scale electronic memory which stores all of said selected master library signals in volatile memory, and (f) duplicating means responsive to said electronically stored master library signals for making a plurality of duplicate recordings without requiring any further playback of said master library recording while said signals remain in said storage means, said duplicating means simultaneously reproducing sides A and B so that both side A and side B can be recorded in opposite directions on the magnetic tape by a slave recorder in a single pass, whereby a plurality of duplicate tape recordings having two sides of material recorded for playback in opposite directions may be made from signals in said storage means, without requiring any mechanical moving parts in said storage means.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein said means for making said master library recording comprises means for recording said digital signals in said electronically stored source signals on a video tape cassette.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 wherein said duplicating means comprises an digital to analog converter for making the duplicate recordings in an analog format.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 comprising the step of recording said digital signals in said electronically stored source signals on a video tape cassette.

Claim 8

The system of claim 4 comprising the steps of converting the stored digital signals into analog signals and making the duplicate recordings in an analog format.

Claim 9

A duplicating recorder/reproducer system comprising means for supplying source signals in a digital form, said means for supplying source signals including an analog-to-digital converter and a digital translator with switch means for selecting between said converter and said translator, a time sequencing means for controlling said analog-to-digital converter, said sequencing means cyclically operating through the steps of: (a) converting said source signals into the form of successive data words; (b) latching a current source signal data word into a last data word latch circuit for use in connection with the next received source signal data word; (c) outputting a signal which is a combination of said current source signal data word and a stored last previous source signal data word; (d) continuously checking the signals to determine whether said source signals continue to be received by said analog-to-digital converter; and (e) resetting at least part of said analog-to-digital converter to an idle condition in response to a finding in step (d) that said source signals are not being received by said analog-to-digital converter, means responsive to said digital source signals for electronically storing said digital source signals, means responsive to said electronically stored source signals for making a master library recording of said digital signals, said means for making said master library recording including means for recording said digital signals in said electronically stored source signals on a video tape cassette, means responsive to a playback of said master library recording for electronically storing the digital signals played back from said master library recording, said electronic storage means having an array of large scale memory chips, each of said chips being capable of storing at least 1 Mbit of information, each of said chips having an input port and an output port, all of said input ports being connected in parallel and all of said output ports being connected in parallel, and means responsive to addresses transmitted into said array on an address bus common to all of said chips for selecting between said input ports and said output ports, so that the entire array of memory chips behaves as a single and unitary large scale electronic memory, and means responsive to said electronically stored master library signals played back from said master recording for making duplicate recordings, whereby a plurality of duplicate recordings may be made from signals in said electronic storage without requiring any mechanical moving parts or any further playback of said master library recording while said signals remain in said electronic storage.

Claim 10

A duplicating recorder/reproducer system comprising means for supplying source signals in a digital form, said means for supplying source signals including an analog-to-digital converter and a digital translator with switch means for selecting between said converter and said translator, a time sequencing means for controlling said analog-to-digital converter, said sequencing means cyclically operating through the steps of: (a) converting said source signals into the form of successive data words; (b) latching a current source signal data word into a last data word latch circuit for use in connection with the next received source signal data word; (c) outputting a signal which is a combination of said current source signal data word and a stored last previous source signal data word; (d) continuously checking the signals to determine whether said source signals continue to be received by said analog-to-digital converter; and (e) resetting at least part of said analog-to-digital converter to an idle condition in response to a finding in step (d) that said source signals are not being received by said analog-to-digital converter, means responsive to said digital source signals for electronically storing said digital source signals, means responsive to said electronically stored source signals for making a master library recording of said digital signals, said means for making said master library recording including means for recording said digital signals in said electronically stored source signals on a video tape cassette, means responsive to a playback of said master library recording for electronically storing the digital signals played back from said master library recording, said electronic storage means having an array of large scale memory chips, each of said chips being capable of storing at least 1 Mbit of information, each of said chips having an input port and an output port, all of said input ports being connected in parallel and all of said output ports being connected in parallel, and means responsive to addresses transmitted into said array on an address bus common to all of said chips for selecting between said input ports and said output ports, so that the entire array of memory chips behaves as a single and unitary large scale electronic memory, and means responsive to said electronically stored master library signals played back from said master recording for making duplicate recordings, whereby a plurality of duplicate recordings may be made from signals in said electronic storage without requiring any mechanical moving parts or any further playback of said master library recording while said signals remain in said electronic storage.

Claim 11

The system of claim 7 wherein said time sequencing means introduces a delay between steps (b) and (c) which is long enough for said analog-to-digital converter to process said combination of said current and said last data words.

Claim 12

A duplicating recorder/reproducer system comprising means for supplying source signals in a digital form, said means for supplying source signals including an analog-to-digital converter and a digital translator with switch means for selecting between said converter and said translator, a timing sequencing means for controlling said analog-to-digital converter, said sequencing means cyclically operating through the steps of: (a) converting said source signals into the form of successive data words; (b) outputting a signal which is a combination of a current source signal data word and a stored last preceding data word; (c) latching said output signal into a last data word latch circuit for use with the next succeeding current source signal data word; (d) continuously checking the signals received in step (a) to determine whether said source signals continue to be received by said analog-to-digital converter; and (e) resetting at least part of said analog-to-digital converter to an idle condition in response to a finding in step (d) that said source signals are not being received by said analog-to-digital converter, means responsive to said digital source signals for electronically storing said digital source signals, means responsive to said electronically stored source signals for making a master library recording of said digital signals, said means for making said master library recording including means for recording said digital signals in said electronically stored source signals on a video tape cassette, means responsive to a playback of said master library recording for electronically storing the digital signals played back from said master library recording, said electronic storage means having an array of large scale memory chips, each of said chips being capable of storing at least 1 Mbit of information, each of said chips having an input port and an output port, all of said input ports being connected in parallel and all of said output ports being connected in parallel, and means responsive to addresses transmitted into said array on an address bus common to all of said chips for selecting between said input ports and said output ports, so that the entire array of memory chips behaves as a single and unitary large scale electronic memory, and means responsive to said electronically stored master library signals played back from said master recording for making duplicate recordings, whereby a plurality of duplicate recordings may be made from signals in said electronic storage without requiring any mechanical moving parts or any further playback of said master library recording while said signals remain in said electronic storage.

Claim 13

A duplicating recorder/reproducer system comprising means for supplying source signals in a digital form, said means for supplying source signals including an analog-to-digital converter and a digital translator with switch means for selecting between said converter and said translator, a timing sequencing means for controlling said analog-to-digital converter, said sequencing means cyclically operating through the steps of: (a) converting said source signals into the form of successive data words; (b) outputting a signal which is a combination of a current source signal data word and a stored last preceding data word; (c) latching said output signal into a last data word latch circuit for use with the next succeeding current source signal data word; (d) continuously checking the signals received in step (a) to determine whether said source signals continue to be received by said analog-to-digital converter; and (e) resetting at least part of said analog-to-digital converter to an idle condition in response to a finding in step (d) that said source signals are not being received by said analog-to-digital converter, means responsive to said digital source signals for electronically storing said digital source signals, means responsive to said electronically stored source signals for making a master library recording of said digital signals, said means for making said master library recording including means for recording said digital signals in said electronically stored source signals on a video tape cassette, means responsive to a playback of said master library recording for electronically storing the digital signals played back from said master library recording, said electronic storage means having an array of large scale memory chips, each of said chips being capable of storing at least 1 Mbit of information, each of said chips having an input port and an output port, all of said input ports being connected in parallel and all of said output ports being connected in parallel, and means responsive to addresses transmitted into said array on an address bus common to all of said chips for selecting between said input ports and said output ports, so that the entire array of memory chips behaves as a single and unitary large scale electronic memory, and means responsive to said electronically stored master library signals played back from said master recording for making duplicate recordings, whereby a plurality of duplicate recordings may be made from signals in said electronic storage without requiring any mechanical moving parts or any further playback of said master library recording while said signals remain in said electronic storage.