Patent · US Expired

Input/output communication between autochanger and drive

US5428587A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
6References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 1, 1994
Grant dateJun 27, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 1, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B33/10
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed is an optical disk handling system, called an autochanger, having two control systems to provide the six motions necessary to move optical disk cartridges from storage holding cells to an optical drive. The system uses shaft encoders on two motors of the two control systems, and current or voltage feedback from the motors, for all positioning, and for detecting the location of the mechanisms during, and at the end of, moves. An optical drive interface connects the electronics of the autochanger and the optical drive, and includes electrical signals to emulate an eject pushbutton on the optical drive and an indicator lamp on the optical drive. The autochanger monitors the on and off state of the lamp signal as well as the duration of the on and off cycles to determine which operation is being performed by the optical drive. The autochanger uses the lamp signal and the eject signal to control all operations with the optical drive.

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