The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 16, 1988
Filed:
Dec. 12, 1986
Hans-Peter Baumeister, Churchville, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
A video cassette recorder (VCR) erase protection system which is responsive to the standard anti-erase switch on a video cassette, is capable of 'filling-in' unused portions of an erase-protected video cassette without disturbing previously recorded material on the cassette and without requiring the user to turn off the anti-erase switch on the cassette. By eliminating the need to turn off the anti-erase switch before recording additional material, the possibility of forgetting to later rearm the switch is eliminated. A microprocessor, responding to the anti-erase switch position and to the video signal sensed during an initial fast winding of the tape, intelligently positions the tape prior to recording so that recording takes place in unused tape portions only, without requiring any further action by the user. The microprocessor commands the video cassette recorder to fast wind the tape past previously recorded material, before permitting the recording operation to begin, whenever it senses that the cassette has an anti-erase switch in the ON position.