Laser recording system using drum mounted record strips

Claim 2

A data processing system and laser recording unit of the type wherein an energy absorbing information storage medium is selectively ablated by a modulated laser beam during data recording and wherein light received from the medium is sensed during readout of data comprising a drum having a cylindrical periphery, and means for rotating said drum, a plurality of removable and replaceable drum interfaces each in the form of a strip of an energy-absorbing data storage medium suitable for mounting around the cylindrical periphery of the drum, means for loading and retaining a selected strip around the cylindrical periphery of said drum, and for unloading the strip from the drum; an optical record/read head for directing light onto a loaded strip, and for receiving light from said strip, said record/read head mounted on a movable carriage; carriage positioning servo means for translating said carriage and record/read head across the cylindrical periphery of the drum in a direction transverse to the direction of rotation of the drum; optical tracking servo means for directing light onto the strip in a predetermined track configuration during translation of said carriage and rotation of said drum; and drum rotation speed control means comprising master frequency reference means for generating a reference clocking signal, optical tachometer means co-axially mounted rigidly to said drum for generating a signal corresponding to the rotation speed of the drum, and servo control means for comparing the reference clocking signal and tachometer signal and for synchronizing the drum rotation speed to the reference clocking signal.

Claim 3

A data processing system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said optical tracking servo means includes an optical element in the optical path of light directed through the record/read head and means for deflecting said optical element.

Claim 4

A data processing system as set forth in claim 1 wherein logic control means is provided wherein during readout of stored data said carriage position servo means is controlled to position the record/read head in the vicinity of a particular track address on a loaded strip and wherein said optical tracking servo means is controlled to select the exact track from data encoded in the track.

Claim 5

A data processing system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strip of energy absorbing material is formed in a loop adapted to be loaded over the drum and wherein said drum is expandable and retractable in radial dimension for loading and retaining the loop strip thereon.

Claim 6

A data processing system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carriage position servo means is adapted to translate said carriage and record/read head at a uniform velocity across the cylindrical periphery of the recording drum; said optical tracking servo means includes an optical element in the optical path of light transmitted through the record/read head and means for deflecting said optical element to produce a sawtooth waveform motion; and logic control means is provided to synchronize the slope and frequency of the sawtooth waveform motion of the optical element, the speed of rotation of the drum, and translation of the carriage so that light directed through the record/read head scans the information strip in separate parallel substantially circular lines.

Claim 7

A data processing system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said strip of energy absorbing material is a flat elongate strip having data stored therein in parallel lines, said strip suitable for wrapping around the cylindrical periphery of the drum with respective ends of the strip substantially abutting, and wherein during the read mode said logic control means controls and adjusts the slope of the sawtooth waveform motion imparted by said deflecting means according to data encoded in said parallel lines of stored data so that upon crossing the abutting ends of the strip the scanning light beam acquires the appropriate track in the event of nonalignment of the ends of the strip.

Claim 8

A data processing system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strip of energy absorbing material is a flat elongate strip suitable for wrapping arouNd the cylindrical periphery of the drum with respective ends substantially abutting.

Claim 9

A data processing system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said strip loading and retaining means comprises a pair of pawls mounted at the sides of the periphery of the drum for receiving a record strip fed to the drum and wherein said strips are formed with a pair of retaining holes at one end of each strip in positions complementary to said pawls, means for feeding a record strip toward the drum with said holes at the forward end of the strip, and vacuum means for applying a vacuum at the surface of the drum for retaining the strip at a location on the drum.

Claim 10

A data processing system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said drum is formed with a flat groove around the cylindrical periphery of the drum wherein the record strip is retained, one edge of said groove being a substantially perpendicular index edge, the opposite edge of said groove being inclined at an angle away from the groove.

Claim 11

A data processing system and laser recording unit of the type wherein a modulated laser beam selectively ablates an energy absorbing information storage medium during recording comprising; a drum having a cylindrical periphery, and means for rotating said drum; a removable and replaceable drum interface in the form of a strip of energy absorbing material suitable for mounting around the cylindrical periphery of the drum said strip formed with a set of retaining holes at least at one end; means for positioning the strip for loading onto the drum and receiving the strip after unloading from said drum; means for loading and retaining the strip around the cylindrical periphery of said drum, and for unloading the strip from the drum, said strip loading and retaining means comprises a set of pawls mounted at the sides of the periphery of the drum for receiving a record strip fed to the drum and engaging the retaining holes at an end of each strip, means for feeding a record strip toward the drum with said holes at the forward end of the strip, and vacuum means for applying a vacuum at the surface of the drum for retaining the strip at a location of the drum, said drum formed with a grid of channels around the surface thereof and at least one passageway within said drum communicating with the surface thereof for applying a vacuum to said grid of channels whereby a vacuum is sequentially applied to the under surface of a record strip as it is pulled around the periphery of the drum by said pair of pawls engaging the retaining holes at the end of the record strip; a record/read head for directing light onto the loaded strip, and for receiving light reflected from said strip, said record/read head mounted on a movable carriage; carriage positioning means for translating said carriage and record/read head across the cylindrical periphery of the drum in a direction transverse to the direction of rotation of the drum; and optical tracking means for directing light onto the strip in a predetermined track configuration during translation of said carriage and rotation of said drum.

Claim 12

A data processing system and laser recording unit of the type wherein a modulated laser beam selectively ablates an energy absorbing information storage medium during recording comprising; a drum having a cylindrical periphery, and means for rotating said drum; a removable and replaceable drum interface in the form of a strip of energy absorbing material suitable for mounting around the cylindrical periphery of the drum said strip formed with a set of retaining holes at least at one end; means for positioning the strip for loading onto the drum and receiving the strip after unloading from said drum; means for loading and retaining the strip around the cylindrical periphery of said drum, and for unloading the strip from the drum, said strip loading and retaining means comprises a set of pawls mounted at the sides of the periphery of the drum for receiving a record strip fed to the drum and engaging the retaining holes at an end of each strip, means for feeding a record strip toward the drum with said holes at the forward end of the strip, and vacuum means for applying a vacuum at the surface of the drum for retaining the strip at a location of the drum, said drum formed with a grid of channels around the surface thereof and at least one passageway within said drum communicating with the surface thereof for applying a vacuum to said grid of channels whereby a vacuum is sequentially applied to the under surface of a record strip as it is pulled around the periphery of the drum by said pair of pawls engaging the retaining holes at the end of the record strip; a record/read head for directing light onto the loaded strip, and for receiving light reflected from said strip, said record/read head mounted on a movable carriage; carriage positioning means for translating said carriage and record/read head across the cylindrical periphery of the drum in a direction transverse to the direction of rotation of the drum; and optical tracking means for directing light onto the strip in a predetermined track configuration during translation of said carriage and rotation of said drum.

Claim 13

A data processing system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said drum is formed with a flat groove around the cylindrical periphery of the drum in which the record strip is retained, one edge of said groove being a substantially perpendicular index edge, the opposite edge of said groove being inclined at an angle away from the groove whereby said record strip is urged against the index edge by said vacuum applied at the surface of the drum.

Claim 14

A data processing system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said carriage position servo means is adapted to translate said carriage and record/read head at a uniform velocity across the cylindrical periphery of the recording drum; said optical tracking servo means includes an optical element in the optical path of light transmitted through the record/read head and means for deflecting said optical element to produce a sawtooth waveform motion; and logic control means is proviDed to synchronize the slope and frequency of the sawtooth waveform motion of the optical element, the speed of rotation of the drum, and translation of the carriage so that light directed through the record/read head scans the information strip in separate parallel substantially circular lines.

Claim 15

A data processing system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said deflected optical element comprises a galvanometer mirror.

Claim 16

A recording drum for receiving and retaining a record strip in a laser recording unit comprising: a drum having a cylindrical periphery formed with a flat groove around the periphery in which the record strip is retained, one edge of said groove being a substantially perpendicular index edge, the opposite edge of said groove being inclined at an angle away from the groove, said drum having a grid of channels formed in the surface of the cylindrical periphery thereof and at least one passageway through said drum communicating with the surface for applying a vacuum to said grid of channels.

Claim 17

A recording drum for receiving and retaining a record strip in a laser recording unit comprising: a drum having a cylindrical periphery formed with a flat groove around the periphery in which the record strip is retained, one edge of said groove being a substantially perpendicular index edge, the opposite edge of said groove being inclined at an angle away from the groove, said drum having a grid of channels formed in the surface of the cylindrical periphery thereof and at least one passageway through said drum communicating with the surface for applying a vacuum to said grid of channels.

Claim 18

A drum as set forth in claim 14 wherein is provided a set of pawls mounted at the sides of the periphery of the drum for receiving a record strip; means for rotating said drum; and vacuum means for applying a vacuum to the grid of channels whereby a vacuum is sequentially applied to the under surface of a record strip pulled around the periphery of the drum by said pawls.

Claim 19

A data processing system and laser recording unit of the type wherein a modulated laser beam selectively ablates an energy absorbing information storage medium during recording comprising a drum having a cylindrical periphery, and means for rotating said drum, said drum having a grid of channels formed in the surface of the cylindrical periphery thereof and at least one passageway in said drum communicating with the surface for applying a vacuum to said grid of channels; a plurality of removable and replaceable drum interfaces each in the form of a strip of energy absorbing material suitable for mounting around the cylindrical periphery of the drum; an index file for storing said strips; strip selector means for selecting a specified strip from said index file and positioning the strip for loading onto the drum and for returning the strip to the index file; means for loading and retaining the selected strip around the cylindrical periphery of said drum, and for unloading the strip from the drum, said means for loading and retaining said strip comprising a set of pawls mounted at the sides of the periphery of the drum for receiving a record strip positioned for loading onto the drum, said strips formed with a set of retaining holes at one end of each strip complementary to said pawls, and vacuum means for applying a vacuum to the grid of channels whereby a vacuum is sequentially applied to the under surface of a record strip as it is pulled around the periphery of the drum by said pawls; a record/read head for directing light onto a loaded strip, and for receiving light from said strip, said record/read head mounted on a movable carriage; carriage positioning means for translating said carriage and record/read head across the cylindrical periphery of the drum in a direction transverse to the direction of rotation of the drum.

Claim 20

A data processing system and laser recording unit of the type wherein a modulated laser beam selectively ablates an energy absorbing information storage medium during recording comprising a drum having a cylindrical periphery, and means for rotating said drum, said drum having a grid of channels formed in the surface of the cylindrical periphery thereof and at least one passageway in said drum communicating with the surface for applying a vacuum to said grid of channels; a plurality of removable and replaceable drum interfaces each in the form of a strip of energy absorbing material suitable for mounting around the cylindrical periphery of the drum; an index file for storing said strips; strip selector means for selecting a specified strip from said index file and positioning the strip for loading onto the drum and for returning the strip to the index file; means for loading and retaining the selected strip around the cylindrical periphery of said drum, and for unloading the strip from the drum, said means for loading and retaining said strip comprising a set of pawls mounted at the sides of the periphery of the drum for receiving a record strip positioned for loading onto the drum, said strips formed with a set of retaining holes at one end of each strip complementary to said pawls, and vacuum means for applying a vacuum to the grid of channels whereby a vacuum is sequentially applied to the under surface of a record strip as it is pulled around the periphery of the drum by said pawls; a record/read head for directing light onto a loaded strip, and for receiving light from said strip, said record/read head mounted on a movable carriage; carriage positioning means for translating said carriage and record/read head across the cylindrical periphery of the drum in a direction transverse to the direction of rotation of the drum.