Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for synchronizing the readout of a sequential media device with a separate clocked device

US5291468A · kind A · utility

28Cited by
7References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 16, 1991
Grant dateMar 1, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 16, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B2020/10814
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the readout rate of information from a sequential storage medium, such as a CD-ROM, to maintain synchronism between the device containing the medium and an independent receiver receiving the information. Information is loaded from the media into a buffer at a rate controlled by pulses from a device clock. Information is unloaded from the buffer for utilization by the receiver independently of the loading of the buffer. The amount of free space available in the buffer is measured as information is loaded into the buffer. The rate of the clock is dynamically adjusted in response to the amount of free buffer space to maintain the full state of the buffer within predetermined limits. In this manner, the buffer never empties or fills in response to the unloading by the independent receiver.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.