Method and apparatus for generating, storing, reproducing, and displaying image information

Claim 1

A method for recording information in a record member and transducing selective portions of said information to form monitorable still images, said method comprising the steps of generating a first group of information signals, recording said first group of information signals on a first portion of said record member, generating and predeterminately recording a first code on said record member for locating and identifying the recording of said first group of information signals, repeating the preceding steps to generate and record a plurality of additional groups of information signals and respective codes, each of which code identifies and defines the location of a respective one of said additional groups of information signals, and when it is desired to monitor the information contained in a selected one of said recorded groups of information signals, selectively reproducing an address signal representative of the first code which identifies and locates the selected group of information signals, and employing said first code to effect the selective reproduction of said information signals from said record member and the application of said information signals to a display means operable for generating images, and generating an image derived from said selectively reproduced information signals on said display, means and wherein a plurality of different characteristic codes are recorded, each of which defines a characteristic of the information contained in one of said recorded groups of information signals, and wherein each of the plurality of different characteristic codes differs from the others and is related to a different characteristic other than location of the group of information signals defined thereby.

Claim 2

A method for recording information in a record member and transducing selective portions of said information to form monitorable still images, said method comprising the steps of generating a first group of information signals, recording said first group of information signals on a first portion of said record member, generating and predeterminately recording a first code on said record member for locating and identifying the recording of said first group of information signals, repeating the preceding steps to generate and record a plurality of additional groups of information signals and respective codes, each of which code identifies and defines the location of a respective one of said additional groups of information signals, and when it is desired to monitor the information contained in a selected one of said recorded groups of information signals, selectively reproducing an address signal representative of the first code which identifies and locates the selected group of information signals, and employing said first code to effect the selective reproduction of said information signals from said record member and the application of said information signals to a display means operable for generating images, and generating an image derived from said selectively reproduced information signals on said display, means and wherein a plurality of different characteristic codes are recorded, each of which defines a characteristic of the information contained in one of said recorded groups of information signals, and wherein each of the plurality of different characteristic codes differs from the others and is related to a different characteristic other than location of the group of information signals defined thereby.

Claim 24

A method of addressing information stored on a record member comprising the steps of: recording first codes on code-recording portions of a record member, recording discrete groups of information signals adjacent said code-recording portions of said record member, effecting relative movement between said record member and a transducing device which records and reads codes, generating feedback signals by reading said first codes recorded on said code-recording portions of said record member, comparing said feedback signals with a select address code, generating a control signal when the feedback signals match said select address code, and using said control signal to generate and record a further code on a selected area of said record member.

Claim 25

A method of addressing information stored on a record member comprising the steps of: recording first codes on code-recording portions of a record member, recording discrete groups of information signals adjacent said code-recording portions of said record member, effecting relative movement between said record member and a transducing device which records and reads codes, generating feedback signals by reading said first codes recorded on said code-recording portions of said record member, comparing said feedback signals with a select address code, generating a control signal when the feedback signals match said select address code, and using said control signal to generate and record a further code on a selected area of said record member.

Claim 38

An apparatus for storing, reproducing and displaying information comprising: first means for storing a plurality of discrete groups of signals defining frames of visual information, second means for reproducing from said first means select ones of said discrete groups of signals and for generating electrical signals representative of the frame of visual information defined by said reproduced group, third means including a display having a viewing screen with a short persistence image generating means requiring restorative information signal scanning at a fixed rate to maintain an image on said viewing screen to permit said image to be visually monitored by a person viewing said screen, fourth means connected to said display for receiving and storing said electrical signals generated by said second means, fifth means for reproducing said electrical signals stored by said fourth means at a fixed frequency equal to the restorative information signal scanning rate required to maintain an image on said viewing screen of said display, sixth means for applying said electrical signals reproduced from said fifth means to said display to effect the generation and retention of images on its viewing screen for a sufficient period of time to permit a person viewing said screen to visually monitor the information defined by the discrete group selectively reproduced from said first means, and seventh means for controlling the operation of said fifth means to cause it to erase electrical signals recorded in said fourth means permitting new discrete groups of signals defining at least one frame of visual information to be selectively reproduced from said first means by said second means and applied to said fourth means and to be reproduced therefrom and employed to effect the generation of respective images on said display screen.

Claim 39

An apparatus for storing, reproducing and displaying information comprising: first means for storing a plurality of discrete groups of signals defining frames of visual information, second means for reproducing from said first means select ones of said discrete groups of signals and for generating electrical signals representative of the frame of visual information defined by said reproduced group, third means including a display having a viewing screen with a short persistence image generating means requiring restorative information signal scanning at a fixed rate to maintain an image on said viewing screen to permit said image to be visually monitored by a person viewing said screen, fourth means connected to said display for receiving and storing said electrical signals generated by said second means, fifth means for reproducing said electrical signals stored by said fourth means at a fixed frequency equal to the restorative information signal scanning rate required to maintain an image on said viewing screen of said display, sixth means for applying said electrical signals reproduced from said fifth means to said display to effect the generation and retention of images on its viewing screen for a sufficient period of time to permit a person viewing said screen to visually monitor the information defined by the discrete group selectively reproduced from said first means, and seventh means for controlling the operation of said fifth means to cause it to erase electrical signals recorded in said fourth means permitting new discrete groups of signals defining at least one frame of visual information to be selectively reproduced from said first means by said second means and applied to said fourth means and to be reproduced therefrom and employed to effect the generation of respective images on said display screen.

Claim 57

A method of storing, reproducing and displaying information comprising: storing information at a plurality of select storage locations of a storage means, and when it is desired to visually monitor the information stored at a select location of said storage means, selectively reproducing the information stored at said select location and generating electrical signals representative of such recording, passing said generated electrical signals to a further signal storage means and storing a representation of the information defined by said electrical signals in said further signal storage means, thereafter employing said electrical signals stored in said further signal storage means to generate further electrical signals representative of the selectively reproduced information and repeatedly reproducing at a fixed frequency said further electrical signals, and applying said repeatedly reproduced further electrical signals to a display having a viewing screen defined by a short persistence image generating means wherein the frequency at which said further electrical signals are generated and repeated is such as to effect the retention of an image on the viewing screen of said display by the repeated scanning of a phosphor image generating means thereof, which image is a visual representation of the information contained in the recording reproduced from the select storage location of said storage means.

Claim 58

A method of storing, reproducing and displaying information comprising: storing information at a plurality of select storage locations of a storage means, and when it is desired to visually monitor the information stored at a select location of said storage means, selectively reproducing the information stored at said select location and generating electrical signals representative of such recording, passing said generated electrical signals to a further signal storage means and storing a representation of the information defined by said electrical signals in said further signal storage means, thereafter employing said electrical signals stored in said further signal storage means to generate further electrical signals representative of the selectively reproduced information and repeatedly reproducing at a fixed frequency said further electrical signals, and applying said repeatedly reproduced further electrical signals to a display having a viewing screen defined by a short persistence image generating means wherein the frequency at which said further electrical signals are generated and repeated is such as to effect the retention of an image on the viewing screen of said display by the repeated scanning of a phosphor image generating means thereof, which image is a visual representation of the information contained in the recording reproduced from the select storage location of said storage means.

Claim 69

A method for recording, reproducing and utilizing information signals comprising: (a) sequentially generating a series of groups of information signals, wherein each group of said signals comprises picture elements and code signal elements and wherein said code signal elements define respective locations of the recordings of respective of said picture elements, (b) recording said picture elements of each group as discrete frame-defining recordings along first select areas of a primary information recording portion of a magnetic recording member, (c) recording said code signal elements along select areas of a code recording portion of said magnetic recording member, (d) when it is required to reproduce and utilize selected of said picture elements, scanning said code recording portion of said magnetic recording member with a reproduction transducing means and generating coded electrical signals on the output of said transducing means, said coded electrical signals being derived from said code signal elements, (e) applying said coded electrical signals to a code matching electronic circuit, (f) selecting and generating an address code defining the location of said selected picture elements and applying said address code to said code matching electronic circuit, (g) when a match occurs at said code matching electronic circuit between said address code and one of said coded electrical signals generated by said transducing means, generating a control signal and applying same to control the reproduction of said selected picture elements from said recording thereof along said select portion of said magnetic recording member, and (h) applying the reproduced picture elements to a video display means to cause a display screen thereof to display the information defined by said select picture elements.

Claim 70

A method for recording, reproducing and utilizing information signals comprising: (a) sequentially generating a series of groups of information signals, wherein each group of said signals comprises picture elements and code signal elements and wherein said code signal elements define respective locations of the recordings of respective of said picture elements, (b) recording said picture elements of each group as discrete frame-defining recordings along first select areas of a primary information recording portion of a magnetic recording member, (c) recording said code signal elements along select areas of a code recording portion of said magnetic recording member, (d) when it is required to reproduce and utilize selected of said picture elements, scanning said code recording portion of said magnetic recording member with a reproduction transducing means and generating coded electrical signals on the output of said transducing means, said coded electrical signals being derived from said code signal elements, (e) applying said coded electrical signals to a code matching electronic circuit, (f) selecting and generating an address code defining the location of said selected picture elements and applying said address code to said code matching electronic circuit, (g) when a match occurs at said code matching electronic circuit between said address code and one of said coded electrical signals generated by said transducing means, generating a control signal and applying same to control the reproduction of said selected picture elements from said recording thereof along said select portion of said magnetic recording member, and (h) applying the reproduced picture elements to a video display means to cause a display screen thereof to display the information defined by said select picture elements.

Claim 76

A method for recording, reproducing and monitoring visual information comprising: (a) recording a plurality of discrete groups of information signals at a plurality of select recording locations of a record member; (b) when it is desired to generate and display information defined by a select one of said discrete groups of information signals, generating an address code to selectively reproduce said selected discrete group of information signals from its respective recording location of said record member; (c) employing said information signals to generate corresponding electrical signals; (d) recording said corresponding electrical signals in an erasable buffer memory; (e) automatically reproducing the recordings of said electrical signals in said erasable buffer memory at a predetermined fixed frequency as further electrical display signals defining image information; (f) applying said electrical display signals as they are generated to control the operation of a display means requiring restorative information signal scanning of a fixed rate in order to maintain on said display an image to be visually monitored.

Claim 77

A method for recording, reproducing and monitoring visual information comprising: (a) recording a plurality of discrete groups of information signals at a plurality of select recording locations of a record member; (b) when it is desired to generate and display information defined by a select one of said discrete groups of information signals, generating an address code to selectively reproduce said selected discrete group of information signals from its respective recording location of said record member; (c) employing said information signals to generate corresponding electrical signals; (d) recording said corresponding electrical signals in an erasable buffer memory; (e) automatically reproducing the recordings of said electrical signals in said erasable buffer memory at a predetermined fixed frequency as further electrical display signals defining image information; (f) applying said electrical display signals as they are generated to control the operation of a display means requiring restorative information signal scanning of a fixed rate in order to maintain on said display an image to be visually monitored.