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:
Mar. 14, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 12, 1998
Tadashi Ozue, Kanagawa, JP;
Takao Hiramoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, , JP;
Abstract
An autochanger incorporates a storage unit that includes a plurality of storage sections for storing recording medium cartridges. The recording medium cartridges have a recording medium installed, and a first memory for storing data informative of the recording medium. Connection terminals allocated to the storage sections are provided for accessing the first memory of a desired recording medium cartridge. A loading/unloading unit is provided for loading and unloading the cartridges, and accessing a data signal on the recording medium of the cartridges. A carrier conveys the recording medium cartridges between the storage unit and the loading/unloading unit, and a control memory saves the informative data. A system controller controls the storage of the cartridges by reading the informative data from the first memory on the cartridges, saving the informative data to the control memory, and updating the informative data in both the first and control memories according to a response of the loading/unloading unit to accessing data on the recording mediums.