GB2109144A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

A recording arrangement, which uses a conventional multi-track magnetic tape, is provided for the recording of short voice messages. Each such message is tagged with an address identification, keyed in via user interface (11). This includes a visual display so that the address of all messages recorded can be displayed to the user. When a message is to be replayed, the user keys in the identification thereof, whereupon the control unit (10) causes a search to be made from that message's address identification. When it is found the message is read out. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Recording device This invention relates to a tape recorder arrangement for making relatively short recordings, and the arrangement is hereinafter referred to as a voice notebook.

According to the invention there is provided a recording arrangement for voice messages, in which a recording medium is provided on which short spoken messages are recorded, each such message being tagged with an address identification in which to replay a message its address identification is signalled-in to the arrangement, in which in response to said signalling-in the control circuitry of the arrangement searches for the message to which the signalled-in address identification relates, and in which when the wanted message has been found it is played out.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows schematically how the tracks on a four-track magnetic tape are used in the so-called voice notebook.

Figure 2 is a simplified block diagram of a voice notebook when used as a "stand alone" unit.

Figure 3 is a simplified block diagram of a voice notebook when used as an "add-on" unit to existing equipment.

Figure 4 is a tape control arrangement for use in a system such as Figure 1 or Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a block diagram of another voice notebook used as an add-on unit to an existing business machine.

The arrangements to be described herein each provide for the recording and playback of relatively brief spoken notes. Notes of, say, 30 seconds duration are recorded on magnetic tape and filed against a reference noted on a data display device.

The use of such a device, e.g. a cathode ray tube display or a liquid crystal display, allows a large number of brief notes to be filed against a reference list for later retrieval. The retrieval of any individual note should be fast, ideally instantaneous, but at worst less than 10 seconds. Each of the notes is tagged with a digitally coded reference number, and this number is used to search for and retrieve the note.

The system is implemented by the use of a relatively inexpensive and readily available tape cassette fitted into a digitally controlled cassette mechanism. Standard music cassettes have space for four tracks of magnetically recorded information, usually arranged with the two upper tracks recorded left to right and the two lower tracks similarly recorded when the cassette is turned over. However, in the present system, all four tracks are recorded in the same direction with the top track a digitally encoded synchronisation and reference track. The other three tracks are then available for analogue recordings.

Figure 1 shows the track and head arrangement schematically. Here we have the tape 1 with the four tracks indicated by the arrows shown. There are three head units, units 2 and 3 representing the record and replay head units, of which unit 2 contains the replay heads for all tracks and unit 3 the record heads for all tracks. Unit 4 contains the erase heads, which in standard devices have two erase heads each of which deals with two tracks. However, this can be replaced by an erase head unit with four heads, one per track.

The digital synchronisation information recorded on the uppermost track is also shown on the display device and is used to reference the voice recordings.

We now refer to the block diagram of Figure 2. In this system a conventional Philips cassette tape is used, with voice messages recorded along the tracks, of which there are four on a tape 81' wide. The messages are recorded in serial manner, i.e. separate messages (entries) are placed on the tracks with a few seconds of silent interval between consecutive entries. Position searching takes place at high speed either by using a reel counter, or a simple serial pulse stream recorded on and replayed from the tape at high speed. This latter is referred to as the cue/review mode a facility is provided for position correction at normal speed to take care of inaccuracies due to high speed search counts.

The position pulses are counted either by firmware in a microprocessor controller or by dedicated hardware. Due to speed limitation in microprocessor count procedures, the pulse format is kept as simple as possible. When dedicated hardware is used, simplicity is also desirable, although more complex search formats can be used.

In Figure 2, we have a control unit 10, which includes a microprocessor, and is under the control of the user interface 11. This includes the manually operable keys used to control recordings and also to key into the control unit 10 the address code for a wanted note to be replayed. It also includes a visual display for the address identification for the messages. If desired this can provide for replay of the recording with or without erasure.

The contriol unit outputs extend to a mechanism interface 12 via which the unit 10 controls the recording machine's mechanism 13, this latter including the tape drive and stopping arrangements. A connection from the block 13 to the control unit 10 provides the latter with information as to the current position of the tape. This connection may extend via a position sensing unit if such a hardware unit separate from the processor is preferred.

The other output from the control unit 10 is to a block 14 which contains the record and replay amplifiers and the switches therefor, which are controlled to allow of recording on or replay from the desired track, plus erasure as needed. This includes the switching means needed to route the pulses from the address/sync. track to the control unit 10. This block 14 is connected to the heads 15 and to the audio output 16.

The control is such that when a voice not is recorded on one of the tracks, the control unit determines which track is used, and what position on that track is used. It then passes, that information, plus the message's number, to the user interface 11 for display to the user. The message number can be provided by the user himself, in which case it is keyed into the interface unit by him, or by the control unit 10.

The audio output from the block 16 is to a loudspeaker or via a telephone instrument.

The arrangement of Figure 3 is for use as an add-on unit to an existing business machine which already includes a microprocessor, and is generally similarto Figure 2, except for the use of a peripheral unit 20 between the microprocessor's bus lines 21 and the mechanism interface 12 and the amplifier block 14. As in the case of Figure 2, there may be position sensing hardware between blocks 13 and 20 if desired. The only alteration needed to the existing business machine, which is assumed to include display means, is that the processor will need some additional software (orfirmware).

In the arrangements of Figures 2 and 3, the microphone is connected as shown to the amplifier block 14.

The control of the tape for track and position selecting is based on a comparator arrangement, and one example of such an arrangement is shown in Figure 4. The input data from the microcomputer arrives via the connection 25 and is applied via gating 26 to a set of four latches in the block 27. The command decoder 28 receives inputs from the various tape machine controls, i.e REW (Rewind), FF (Fast run forward), RUN (Normal speed run), STOP and REC (Record). The outputs from the latches go to a set of four binary coded decimal counters in a block 29, these contain the address of a track on which recording is to be made or from which playback is wanted. This block is also fed from the block 30, tape counter pulse shaper and doubler, whose input 31 is from the tape counter. This "tells" the block 29 the current position of the tape with respect to its heads.

The block 32 containsfourfour-bit comparators which are so controlled as to look for and select the wanted address from the contents of the counters and from the tape position information. The result of this comparison is used to enable recording at or replay from the desired tape location. This is done via the data output 33 to the microcomputers.

The block 34 is optional: it gives a display of the count referred to above. The block includes an analogue switch 35, a binary coded decimal to "display" converter 36, a display 37 and a display sequencer 38. The sequencer 38 has a digit select output.

Figure 5 shows a so-called "voice notebook" used as an add-on unit for an existing business machine.

In view of the foregoing description it is felt that no detailed description of this Figure is needed.

Note that the read-out of the message can be destructive, i.e. the message is erased, or nondestructive, as desired.

Claims (6)

1. A recording arrangement for voice messages, in which a recording medium is provided on which short spoken messages are recorded, each such message being tagged with an address identification, in which to replay a message its address identification is signalled-in to the arrangement, in which in response to said signalling-in the control circuitry of the arrangement searches for the message to which the signalled-in address identification relates, and in which when the wanted message has been found it is played out.

2. A recording arrangement for voice messages, in which a recording medium is provided on which short spoken messages are recorded, each such message being tagged with an address identification, in which the address identification of the recorded messages are also displayed by a visual display device, in which to replay a message its address identification is signalled-in to the arrangement, in which in response to said signalling-in the control circuitry to the arrangement searches for the message to which the signalled-in address identification relates, and in which when the wanted message has been found it is played out.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the recording medium is a magnetic tape cassette the tape of which can accommodate a number of parallel tracks, and in which one of said tracks is used to record synchronising and clock information.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, and in which the searching for a wanted address identification is effected on the basis of a count of pulses read from the synchronising/clock track, under the control of a microprocessor in said control circuitry.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, in which the microprocessor and the visual display device are parts of an office machine used in conjunction with the arrangement.

6. A recording arrangement for voice messages, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1, 2,3,4 or 5 of the accompanying drawings.