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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for playing selected
recordings and more particularly to apparatus of this kind which a
customer may operate to play and/or record on his own magnetic tape
cartridge or cassette selected audio and/or video recordings stored in the
apparatus.
2. Prior Art
The stereophonic magnetic tape cartridge player is now widely used in the
home and in automobiles. The owners of cartridge magnetic tape players
seem inclined to favor a particular recording or group of recordings for
only a relatively short time. To continually replace these recordings has
two non-advantageous aspects where the owner is not a collector of the
recorded music on magnetic tape cartridges. One is the expanding storage
requirements for these no longer used tapes and the other is the current
relatively high cost of pre-recorded cartridges.
It is therefore desirable that when one has tired of the numbers on a
particular cartridge, they be replaceable at low cost and with music of
the owner's choice.
One way in which this can be accomplished relatively inexpensively is to
pre-record the cartridges with the new material, erasing the old recording
in the process.
To accomplish this ordinarily would require a relatively costly array of
apparatus for the average consumer. But if he could make such recordings
at low cost, say fifty cents (50.sqroot.) or twenty-five cents
(25.sqroot.) per number recorded, he would be inclined to make many
substitutions replacing old with more recent recordings on his own
cartridge, thus obtaining what he wants and being able to eliminate
unwanted numbers.
Up to the present time, the above recording problem has existed only in the
field of audio, i.e., musical, recordings. However, the introduction of
magnetic video tape cassette or cartridge viewing systems for home use
promises to create a similar problem, except, of course, for the much
higher cost of video recording equipment. This high cost makes it even
more impractical than with audio recording for the individual consumer to
own the necessary recording equipment to make video recordings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a coin operated recording apparatus which an
individual may operate upon insertion of the appropriate coins in much the
same manner as a conventional juke box to play and record on his audio or
video magnetic tape cartridge any selected audio or video recording stored
in the apparatus. To this end, the apparatus embodies a coin operated
playback machine containing a number of audio and/or video recordings or
records, record selection means such as push buttons, which the customer
may actuate to select each record he wishes to record, a receptacle into
which the customer may insert his magnetic cartridge, and playback -
recording means for playing each selected recording and simultaneously
reproducing the recording on the customer's magnetic tape cartridge. It is
significant to note here that in the present disclosure, the term "record"
is used as a generic descreptor covering all types of audio and video
recording media which may be handled and played in a coin operated
playback machine of the class described, such as audio disc records, audio
tape cartridges, and video tape cartridges.
A problem which must be considered with a coin-operated device to be used
by the consumer-public for recordings of this nature is the protection of
the copyright owner of the music being recorded and also of the rights of
artists whose performances are being thus used for business profit. They
might be deprived of royalties unless each play is tabulated. According to
an important and unique feature of the invention, this royalty information
is tabulated or recorded automatically in the playback machine each time a
record is played and recorded. To this end, each audio and video record
bears data representing royalty information, such as the title of the
recording, the names of the copyright owner and recording artist, the
amount of the royalty, etc. The playback machine includes means for
reading and tabulating the royalty data on each record as it is being
played to permit periodic payment of the accrued royalties.
According to another important feature of the invention, the present
recording apparatus may comprise a "juke box" like unit for installation
in public facilties, such as hotels, restaurants, bars and the like, or a
playback machine to be situated at a convenient central location and
remote recording stations located at various public facilities. In its
"juke box" form, the recording apparatus will have a console containing
all of the components of the apparatus including the records to be played,
the coin mechanism, record selection means, receptacle for the customer's
tape cartridge, and the record playback and recording means. In its remote
recording form, the recording apparatus will have a play back machine
containing only means for selecting the records to be played. Each remote
recording station will include a coin mechanism, record selection means, a
receptacle for the customer's magnetic tape cartridge, and recording
means. Each remote recording station is connected to the central playback
machine by telephone lines or other electrical transmission means, whereby
electrical signals may be transmitted between the machine and remote
station for actuation of the machine from the station and reproduction of
a recording being played in the machine on the customer's magnetic tape at
the station. In this regard, it will appear from the ensuing description
that operation of the recording apparatus requires transmission of control
signals from each remote recording station to the central playback machine
for actuating the machine to playback selected records and transmission of
other control signals from the playback machine to the remote stations to
actuate the recording means at the stations. According to the preferred
practice of the invention, these control signals comprise multi frequency
tone signals like those used in modern telephone dialing systems. The
playback machine and remote recording stations are equipped with suitable
decoders for detecting these tone signals.
In both forms of the apparatus, a speaker and/or video screen may be
provided to permit each customer to listen to and/or watch each recording
as it is being reproduced on the customer's tape cartridge. In
arrangements where recording is not desired, the customer can merely
listen and/or watch without recording.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an overall view of an audio recording apparatus according to this
invention showing some of the internal details of the apparatus in dashed
line;
FIG. 2 shows details of the audio pickup and royalty-metering pickup arms
and, in block diagram form, some of the associated apparatus to produce
the copy recording and meter the operation;
FIG. 3 is an overall block diagram of the apparatus;
FIG. 4 is a detail of the royalty metering pickup means and certain royalty
data markings on records to which the metering pickup responds;
FIG. 5 is a detail similar to FIG. 4 showing an optical means for the
royalty metering pickup system;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the stop-start and metering system of the
cartridge tape recording mechanism of the invention;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a royalty-metering decoder system embodied in
the apparatus;
FIG. 8 is a video recording system according to the invention; and
FIG. 9 is a recording system according to the invention wherein the records
are played at a central transmitting station and recording occurs at one
or more remote recording stations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The audio recording apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 is embodied in a
juke-box-like console unit 10. Mounted on this unit are a push-button
actuating and selection panel 11 which includes a list 12 of the
recordings available for playing and recording and push buttons 13 for
selecting the recordings. In this case, the records bearing the audio
recordings are conventional phonograph discs.
In general for the purpose of this invention, certain modifications will be
necessary in the usual juke box type of automatic coin-operated phonograph
record disc player. These changes will be in the amplifier output
connections to a magnetic tape cartridge recorder, in a number of
switching connections relating to the stopping and starting of the tape
cartridge recorder, and in the inclusion of a pickup means in addition to
the standard phonograph pickup. The added pickup means, while physically
similar to the phonograph record pickup, will differ in that its cartridge
will be either a magnetic sensor or a photoelectric sensor with an
appropriate light source. Further, all of the records for use with the
recording means of this invention will have to be modified to include
either magnetic indicia printed on the label or a set of indicia markings
printed in ordinary light and dark gradations. The new pickup will sense
these indicia markings.
Shown in dashed lines within the unit 10 is the record playing selection
and magazine mechanism 20 including a conventional turntable 14 and a
conventional tone pickup arm 15. The magazine 14 stores the records. The
mechanism which selects the records and delivers them, upon pressing
buttons on panel 11, to the turntable, is within the housing in the
dashed-line assembly 20. An electronic audio equipment assembly 18
includes the conventional reproducing amplifiers for a juke box. The
amplifier is modified to have an output 19 which passes through a metering
electronics package 21 to the recording amplifier and electronics package
22 via a connection 23. A cable connection 24 extends from the turntable
assembly to the metering electronics box 21 to bring signals from a
metering pickup 25, further described below, to the metering electronics
box 21. Another cable connection shown at 26 brings the signals from the
tone arm pickup 15 to the reproducing amplifier 18.
A coin-receiving slot 28 and associated collection box 29 with an
associated coin-return slot 31 are shown in the unit 10. The cabinet of
the unit has two recorder and magnetic tape cartridge-receiving
compartments 27 and 30. The cover 33 of compartment 30 is shown open with
a cartridge-receiving slot 37. A typical magnetic tape cartridge is shown
at 35 removed from the slot 37 over the path shown by arrow 38.
In FIG. 2, the components are shown semi-schematically and in block form
since many of these components are conventional. The pickup 15 includes a
pickup cartridge 40 with a stylus 41 that rides in the grooves of a record
42 on turntable 14 in the conventional fashion. The signals derived from
the disc record are entirely conventional and are applied to the
reproducing amplifier electronics package 18 in the well known manner.
On the label 43 of the record 42 appear markings 44 which may be printed or
embossed light and dark areas of pre-arranged shapes or marks in various
positions, or they may be magnetic markings of appropriate configurational
or digital patterns or density variations. The markings are coded to
provide royalty data representing the record 42 being played. The data
markings can occupy a single revolution on the disc label, or several
revolutions, or may for particular purposes encompass an entire disc.
As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the markings 44a and 44b will produce
signals when in proximity to metering pickup device 25. If FIG. 4 is
considered, the markings 44a are of magnetic configuration. If FIG. 5 is
considered, the markings 44b are light and dark imprints or embossings or
the like.
To pick off the magnetic markings, a magnetic pickup or sensor 45 is
provided in arm 25 with leads 47 that are connected to package 21 of FIG.
3. Similarly, if FIG. 5 is considered, the arm 25 has an optical light
source 46 directed at markings 44b and a photoelectric pickup 49 which
senses the light and dark areas of the markings 44b to produce a signal
applied on leads 47a to package 21. It should be understood that the
magnetic and photoelectric techniques are alternative methods of obtaining
the coded signal information from the code markings 44, 44a or 44b to
identify the record being played. The coded signals are applied to the
metering electronics and storage package 21 (FIG. 2) either from the
magnetic head 45 or photoelectric pickup 49.
The tape cartridge 35 to be recorded (as shown in FIG. 2) is illustrated as
a continuous loop cartridge, like the unit identified by the trade style
FIDELIPAC. Reel-to-reel cartridges may be used as well. In any case, the
mechanism which does the recording and accepts the cartridges will operate
in conventional fashion, but will be subject to controls responsive to the
coin-operated mechanism and appropriate means to start the capstan drive
(as indicated at 51 in FIG. 2).
The customer's cartridge 35 is placed in slot 37. The cover 33 is closed
over the cartridge slot and this activates a solenoid lock, to be
discussed below, which prevents the cover from being opened during the
recording interval so that the customer may leave the area while his
cartridge is being dubbed.
After the appropriate coins have been inserted in coin slot 28, electrical
contacts are made which effect placement of the selected record 42 on the
turntable 14. Thereafter, the metering device pickup arm 25 is moved over
the markings 44 (or 44a or 44b) on label 43 so that sensor 45 (or 49) may
respond to the markings on the label 43 during the first revolution of the
record 42 on turntable 14. The phonograph pickup arm 15 is moved into
place on the record 42 at the same time to begin playing the record while
the magnetic tape cartridge recorder capstan is started to complete the
recording of the disc 42 to the tape cartridge 35.
When the recording is completed, the cover latching mechanism is released
to permit opening the cover to remove the now recorded cartridge.
It should be clearly understood that the recordings can be either
monophonic or stereophonic, but it is conventional that the cartridges to
be recorded will be of the stereo type. It should be further understood
that either 8-track or 4-track cartridges can be recorded by the system of
this invention. For this reason, the usual arrangement of the
coin-operated system of this invention will include pre-selection means
for two, three, four, or more stereophonic records to be recorded in
sequence on the tape. However, there is no reason why a system according
to the invention cannot also include three more turntable assemblies such
as 14, each being supplied by the same storage mechanism 16.
Since records have two sides and there is the possibility of one desiring
to record each side of the same record, the selection means 11 is equipped
to cause the system to play the desired numbers sequence. The record is
turned over after the first side selected is played. Some of the juke box
devices are capable of playing either side on selection. In these
machines, the disc is upright and there are pickups on either side to
operate for playing the selected record.
Referring now to FIG. 3 which presents an overall block diagram of the
system of this invention, it can be seen that the coin-operated selection
and control system 60 can be used to set the system in motion by operating
the record stack distribution and selection system of the juke box to
place the selected record on the turntable 14. The operation of the
dropping of the phonograph playback arm 15 and metering device arm 25 can
be arranged to be delayed by the stop-start circuit 78 until the consumer
has placed his cartridge 35 into the slot 37 of FIG. 1, and the cover 33
of the cartridge receptacle area has been closed and latched by latching
relay system 62. When all these events have occurred, the stop-start
switch 78 can be release the playback and metering device arm 15, 25 onto
the record 42 and the recording can begin. At some point during the
revolution of the turntable 14, a gate 64 will be enabled so that the
output of pickup 25 now reading the markings on label 43 and always
present in amplifier 65 may be transmitted through gate 64 to a digital
decoder 66 which will enter the appropriate signals into the royalty
report storage means 67 which can be a memory bank of cores or pre-set
flip-flops which will respond to the series of digital signals to generate
control signals for a printout device 68 which will in turn print a
royalty record identifying the record played and the organization or
individual to whom royalties are due, and how much. A tone signal on the
label 43 (in the markings 44) may be used as an enabling pulse for gate
64. It is sensed by pickup 25. The printout can also be adapted to provide
an adhesive label, as at 69, for the cartridge identifying the title,
artist and source, and indicating that a royalty has been paid, along with
a date and such other significant data as may be desired, or necessary, or
legally required.
It should be clear that information retrieval such as described above is
possible from entirely magnetically or optically recorded discs sensed by
pickups such as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
Much of the printout data and label-generating information can be in the
form of coded characters or symbols, as where record manufacturer source
is to be identifed and so forth.
When the turntable pickup 15 for the phonograph record 42 reaches the sound
recorded portion of the record, the juke box amplifier 70 reproduces the
signal via loud speakers 71, 72, and at the same time applies a
proportionate signal to the tape cartridge record amplifier 73 which
drives the tape cartridge transport and tape head system 74 to make a
recording on the magnetic tape in the cartridge 35 within the compartment
74. Means can be provided to switch the speakers off, if so desired. At
the conclusion of the selected record, the stop-start switching system 78
disengages gate 64 to await a newly selected recording placed on the
turntable.
It should be clearly understood that items 25, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 may
have many applications outside of the specific royalty record use
hereinabove described because in many areas, a record of an event, or a
series of events, maybe encoded, recorded and reported in a similar
fashion. These events may be derived from the passage of a magnetically
read or optically read card through a slot, as may be employed in an
inventory control system or in any pre-paid operation or credit system.
The card could even be impressed with a new coded signal train after each
use to signify its useability for a subsequent event, or cancel the
precedent code recording when it has been used, as in a pre-paid meal
ticket such as used by college or other food commissaries. The record of
uses of the cards and amounts charged can be read out or printed out as
described above, or below in later portions of this specification.
Referring now to FIG. 6, a block diagram is shown of one way in which the
recording of data may be accomplished for the royalty reporting feature of
this invention.
It will be assumed that a tape cartridge recorder 75 with a cartridge 76
inserted is provided on which to keep a record of the disc recordings
which have been dubbed and pair for.
A device comparable to a tape pickup head 45 is provided in the arm 25 as
suggested in FIG. 4.
A gate circuit 77 responds to a characteristic code indicia 44a on the
label 43 pickup by tape head 45 which also is associated with the recorder
stop-start circuit (see also FIG. 3) and starts the royalty record
recorder 75 going to record the indicia information on tape 76 about the
disc record to be duplicated onto a cartridge 35 or any other information
to be recorded.
On a later occasion, the tape cartridge 76 can be played back into a
decoder system as shown in FIG. 7, to perform the operation of printout of
the information regarding royalties as previously described, to provide a
printed copy of the royalty information. The tape cartridge 76 can be
replaced by a magnetically recorded disc similar to the label portion 43
of disc 42. The cartridge 45 in arm 25 can be modified in known fashion to
make it record on a magnetic surface from date sources externally
provided.
In FIG. 7, the tape cartridge of the decoder system would be inserted in a
decoding tape player 80 which would apply signals to a digital converter
81 to operate automatic printer 82 so that a printed copy 83 of the
royalty report could be produced.
There has been described hereinabove a system for duplicating onto magnetic
tape cartridges the disc recordings found on juke box records in a
coin-operated automatic record player.
The new system includes means to receive a cartridge of magnetic tape and
to record thereon the music or performance on one of the phonograph
records selected by the owner of the cartridge to be recorded thereon.
The system includes means for sensing and recording the fact of this
duplication of the performance so that an accounting can be made on the
royalties due the artist, the manufacturer of the record, and/or the
copyright owner of the music or material being performed.
An aspect of the operation of the system of this invention is its use as an
information retrieval system. An information retrieval system encompasses
a source of data which is recorded on a medium (punched tape, magnetic
tape, magnetically recorded discs, or in any other form), a means for
detecting the recorded data, and an electronic circuit assembly of some
kind to process the data detected so as to collect the recorded
information on a pre-selected basis and utilize the collected data.
As used in this invention, the medium is a label such as 43 containing
indicia 44 as indicating in FIGS. 2 and 3.
However, the entire record may be a magnetically recorded information or
data stream from which the user can select material to be recorded onto a
tape cartridge. In such an instance, pickup 15 will be an appropriate
sensor to detect the magnetic recording on the disc.
An example of such a use is in a legal office where the storage bank of
data might be of various volumes of law reports and court reporter data
with superimposed digital information signals such that particular
portions of the report may be selected and recorded for use by a secretary
in preparing a brief.
FIG. 8 illustrates, in block diagram fashion, a video recording apparatus
100 according to the invention. As is readily evident from a comparison to
FIGS. 3 and 8, the video recording apparatus is identical to the audio
recording apparatus except for replacement of the disc record playback
mechanism of the audio apparatus by a video play back mechanism 102. This
video playback mechanism includes a number, in this instance three, video
playback units 104 containing different video recordings on magnetic tape.
The video units are connected to the record selection means 106 and
switching means 108 for initiation of operation of a selected unit by
depression of the corresponding button or buttons of the selection means.
The audio and video outputs from the audio and video pickup heads in the
units are fed to an audio-video amplifier 110, the output of which feeds a
video tube 112 and loud speaker 114 for reproducing the recorded video
picture and sound and a tape cartridge record amplifier 116. Amplifier 116
feeds the amplified audio and video signals to the record heads of the
tape cartridge record mechanisms 118, which, in this case, is an
audio-video record mechanism for receiving a conventional video tape
cartridge. In this video system, the royalty information or data is
recorded on the magnetic tape in each video unit and is read out by an
appropriate pickup head and fed to a royalty signal amplifier 120 during
replay of the respective tape. The remainder of the video recording system
is essentially the same as the earlier described audio recording system.
Operation of the video recording system is essentially the same as the
audio recording system and hence need not be repeated in elaborate detail.
Suffice it to say that insertion of the proper coin or coins into the coin
slot and depression of a selected button of the record selection means 106
actuates the corresponding video playback unit 104. The audio and video
signals from the unit are fed to the video playback unit 112, loud speaker
114 and recording means 118 to present to the customer the audio-video
recording being played and simultaneously reproduce the recording on the
customer's magnetic tape. The royalty information on the video recording
is tabulated while the recording is being played. It will be readily
appreciated that the selected fiscal or audio presentation may be loaned
to and/or watched at the remote location without recording, if desired.
FIG. 9 illustrates a modified recording apparatus 200 according to the
invention having a transmitting station 202 where the audio and/or video
records are stored and played and remote recording stations 204 (only one
shown) where the recordings are actually reproduced on customers' magnetic
tapes. The transmitting station may be situated at any convenient central
location, and the recording stations may be located in selected public
facilities, private houses, and the like. The transmitting and recording
stations are linked by telephone lines or other signal transmission means
for transmitting electrical signals representing a recording being played
to the recording stations where the signals are applied to the record
heads of the cartridge recording means. The recording apparatus of FIG. 9
is basically similar to those of FIGS. 1-8 except for the widely separated
locations of the record storage and playback means and the cartridge
recording means the the inclusion, in the recording apparatus of FIG. 9,
of certain additional tone encoding and decoding functions which are
necessary to permit selection of records and actuation of the record
playback means from the recording stations and actuation of the cartridge
recording means from the transmitting station. Accordingly, it is
unnecessary to describe the apparatus 200 in complete detail. With regard
to the separated locations of the transmitting and recording stations, it
is significant to note that the various components of the record playback
means at the transmitting station and cartridge recording means at the
recording station are shown as being linked by separate electrical
transmission lines 206 in order to more clearly illustrate the operation
of the recording apparatus. In actual practice, however, the transmitting
and recording station will be linked by a telephone or other line which
will carry all of the electrical signals that occur during operation of
the apparatus. These signals are amplified by one or more line amplifiers
208, as necessary.
With the foregoing discussion in mind, it will be observed that aside from
the separated locations of the transmitting and recording stations 202,
204, the recording apparatus 200 is identical to that of FIG. 8 except for
the addition of a tone generator 212, tone encoders 214, 216, and tone
decoders 218, 220, 222. Such tone encoders and decoders are well known in
the art and thus need not be explained. Suffice it to say that tone
encoder 214 is a record selection tone encoder which is actuated by
operation of the record selection means 224 to select a record to be
played and produces a tone or a combination of tones representing the
selected record. This tone signal is fed to the tone decoders 218, each of
which is responsive only to the tone signal representing its respective
record. The responsive decoder 218 actuates its respective playback unit
226 and the playback start-stop switch means 228 to play the recording
stored in the unit.
Tone generator 212 is a subaudible tone generator which feeds to the
playback units 226 a subaudible fixed frequency tone that is impressed on
the output of the units during their playback operation. This subaudible
tone continues during the entire length of each recording and is detected
by the tone decoder 220 at the recording station 204. Decoder 220 actuates
the recording station start-stop switch means 230 in response to the
subaudible tone to effect operation of the tape cartridge recording means
232 for reproducing on a customer's magnetic tape cartridge the recording
being played at the transmitting station 202. The subaudible tone closes
at the conclusion of the recording to terminate operation of the cartridge
recording means 232.
The tone encoder 216 is a location tone encoder which is actuated by
operation of the record selection means 224 to select a record to be
played and produces a tone or combination of tones representing or
identifying the recording station. This tone signal is fed to the decoder
222 at the transmitting station. Decoder 222 actuates a display 234 which
registers the location of the recording station at which the tape
cartridge is being recorded.
It will now be understood that the recording apparatus 200 operates in
essentially the same manner as that of FIG. 8 except that a customer
inserts his tape cartridge into the apparatus and selects a record at one
of the recording stations 204, while actual playback of the recording
occurs at the transmitting station 202. In this regard, it will be
recalled that the recording apparatus 200 may have a number of recording
stations serviced by one central transmitting station. The recording
stations, for example, may be located in homes and other dwellings, such
that the occupants may record new programs any time they wish to simply by
inserting the appropriate coins into the apparatus. It should again be
noted that the selected program paid for by the user is not necessarily
recorded but can be only listened to and/or watch without recording.
In the particular recording apparatus shown, all of the cartridge recorder
covers are latched closed during operation of the apparatus so that
customers may have to wait to record. Each recording station 204 has a
signal light 236 to indicate that the system is in operation. It is
obvious, of course, that the system could be modified to permit recording
at any recording station at any time, regardless of whether or not a
recording was being made at another recording station.
It will also be obvious that the playback units 226 may be audio and/or
video playback units of any type.
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