US5253234A — Disk storage/select player

Claim 1

Independent Claim 261 words

A disk storage/select player having means for containing a plurality of disks, and means for playing back a selected item recorded on one of the disks, the player comprising: a plurality of rotatable menu boards each of which has a polyhedron shape, and each side surface of said menu boards containing information relating to the items recorded on the disks; drive means for rotating one of said plurality of menu boards; transfer means, coupled to said drive means, for transferring the rotation of said one menu board to the remaining at least one menu board so that all of said menu boards rotate in synchronism with each other; a plurality of magazine-type disk players, each of said disk players having a plurality of magazines, each of said magazines containing a plurality of disks, and the plurality of disks contained in each of magazines having items recorded thereon which correspond to the item information contained on said rotatable menu boards; controller means for enabling that one of said plurality of magazine-type disk players which contains the disk having the selected item recorded thereon; and an input device for inputting information representing the selected item, and wherein said controller means includes: a converter for converting the information inputted by said input device into numerical data representing a magazine number, a disk number and a disk track number; and a selector for selecting, in accordance with the numerical data, a disk contained in one of said cartridges of one of said disk players for playback of the item recorded at the disk track number.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 261 words

A disk storage/select player having means for containing a plurality of disks, and means for playing back a selected item recorded on one of the disks, the player comprising: a plurality of rotatable menu boards each of which has a polyhedron shape, and each side surface of said menu boards containing information relating to the items recorded on the disks; drive means for rotating one of said plurality of menu boards; transfer means, coupled to said drive means, for transferring the rotation of said one menu board to the remaining at least one menu board so that all of said menu boards rotate in synchronism with each other; a plurality of magazine-type disk players, each of said disk players having a plurality of magazines, each of said magazines containing a plurality of disks, and the plurality of disks contained in each of magazines having items recorded thereon which correspond to the item information contained on said rotatable menu boards; controller means for enabling that one of said plurality of magazine-type disk players which contains the disk having the selected item recorded thereon; and an input device for inputting information representing the selected item, and wherein said controller means includes: a converter for converting the information inputted by said input device into numerical data representing a magazine number, a disk number and a disk track number; and a selector for selecting, in accordance with the numerical data, a disk contained in one of said cartridges of one of said disk players for playback of the item recorded at the disk track number.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 21 words

The player as defined in claim 1, wherein each menu board has three side surfaces, and top and bottom triangular surfaces.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 13 words

The player as defined in claim 2, wherein said side surfaces are rectangles.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 24 words

The player as defined in claim 2, wherein each of the side surfaces includes horizontal guide members for supporting a plurality of disk jackets.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

The player as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said menu boards includes a shaft, and said menu boards are rotatable about their respective shafts.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 38 words

The player as defined in claim 5, wherein said drive means comprises a motor, a first gear means coupled to the shaft of said one menu board, and means for coupling said motor to said first gear means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

The player as defined in claim 6, wherein said means for coupling said motor to said first gear means comprises a worm gear.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 34 words

The player as defined in claim 7, wherein said first gear means is a circular gear, said circular gear having three stick-like members disposed at 120° interval from one another along a circumference thereof.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 17 words

The player as defined in claim 8, further comprising photo sensor means for sensing said stick-like members.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 86 words

The player as defined in claim 9, wherein said circular gear is a spur gear, and wherein said player further comprises means for driving said motor so as to rotate said spur gear and said one menu board, said photo sensor means outputting a motor drive inhibit signal to disable said motor drive means upon sensing one of said stick-like members so that said motor drive means can only enable said motor to rotate said spur gear and said one menu board in 120° rotational increments.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 63 words

The player as defined in claim 6, wherein said drive means further comprises first and second pulleys, and a first belt wound around said first and second pulleys, and wherein said motor includes a rotatable shaft, said first pulley being coupled to said motor shaft, and said second pulley being coupled to said means for coupling said motor to said first gear means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 39 words

The player as defined in claim 8, further comprising input means for inputting a motor drive enable signal, and a controller for receiving said inputted motor drive enable signal and for enabling said motor drive means in response thereto.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 37 words

The player as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means rotates said one menu board in 120° rotational increments, and wherein said transfer means rotates, said at least one remaining menu boards in 120° rotational increments.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

The player as defined in claim 1, wherein there are three magazine-type disk players each of which contains three magazines, and wherein each of said three magazines contains six disks.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 214 words

A disk storage/select player having means for containing a plurality of disks, and means for playing back a selected item recorded on one of the disks, the player comprising: a plurality of rotatable menu boards each of which has a polyhedron shape, and each side surface of said menu boards containing information relating to the items recorded on the disks; drive means for rotating one of said plurality of menu boards; transfer means, coupled to said drive means, for transferring the rotation of said one menu board to the remaining at least one menu board so that all of said menu boards rotate in synchronism with each other; a plurality of magazine-type disk players, each of said disk players having a plurality of magazines, each of said magazines containing a plurality of disks, and the plurality of disks contained in each of magazines having items recorded thereon which correspond to the item information contained on said rotatable menu boards; and controller means for enabling that one of said plurality of magazine-type disk players which contains the disk having the selected item recorded thereon; wherein said each of said menu boards includes a shaft, said menu boards being rotatable about their respective shaft, and wherein said transfer means comprises a plurality of pulleys and belts.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 214 words

A disk storage/select player having means for containing a plurality of disks, and means for playing back a selected item recorded on one of the disks, the player comprising: a plurality of rotatable menu boards each of which has a polyhedron shape, and each side surface of said menu boards containing information relating to the items recorded on the disks; drive means for rotating one of said plurality of menu boards; transfer means, coupled to said drive means, for transferring the rotation of said one menu board to the remaining at least one menu board so that all of said menu boards rotate in synchronism with each other; a plurality of magazine-type disk players, each of said disk players having a plurality of magazines, each of said magazines containing a plurality of disks, and the plurality of disks contained in each of magazines having items recorded thereon which correspond to the item information contained on said rotatable menu boards; and controller means for enabling that one of said plurality of magazine-type disk players which contains the disk having the selected item recorded thereon; wherein said each of said menu boards includes a shaft, said menu boards being rotatable about their respective shaft, and wherein said transfer means comprises a plurality of pulleys and belts.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 50 words

The player as defined in claim 15, wherein said drive means comprises gear means coupled to the shaft of said one menu board, and motor means for rotating said gear means and wherein the plurality of pulleys of said transfer means are coupled to said gear means through said belts.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 38 words

The player as defined in claim 16, wherein there are at least three menu boards, said one menu board being termed a first menu board, and said remaining menu boards being termed second and third menu boards, respectively.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 84 words

The player as defined in claim 17, wherein said plurality of pulleys of said transfer means comprises a first pulley coupled to the shaft of said second menu board, a second pulley coupled to said gear means, a third pulley coupled to said gear means, and a fourth pulley coupled to the shaft of said third menu board, and wherein said belts comprise a first belt wound around said first and second pulleys, and a second belt wound around said third and fourth pulleys.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-10-11	1997-04-12	1997-10-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-10-11	2001-04-12	2001-10-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-10-11	2005-04-12	2005-10-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Disk storage/select player

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