Abstract: An apparatus and a method of reducing a program selection time in an optical disc multi-changer by determining whether a disc is mounted on a disc mounting unit before it is determined whether the disc is chucked and a type of the disc is discriminated. The method of operating the optical disc multi-changer having a tray with disc mounting units, includes receiving a signal to determine whether a disc is mounted on a current disc mounting unit of the disc mounting units, outputting a command signal to move to a next disc mounting unit of the disc mounting units where the received signal indicates that no disc is mounted on the current disc mounting unit, and receiving a program selection signal where the received signal is received from all disc mounting units. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce a program selection time by determining whether the disc is mounted on the disc mounting unit before the disc chucking and discrimination of the type of the disc are performed.

Abstract: The invention provides a disk changer wherein a disk can be replaced between different accommodation portions of a rotatable tray. The disk changer includes a rotatable tray having a plurality of annularly arranged accommodation portions, a tray rotating mechanism, a detection section for detecting an address of each accommodation portion and presence or absence of a disk in each accommodation portion, a recording/reproduction section for recording and/or reproducing an information signal onto and/or from a disk, and a disk takeout mechanism for taking out and transporting a disk from an accommodation portion to the recording/reproduction section and for taking out and transporting the disk from the recording/reproduction section to an accommodation portion.

Abstract: A portable, fully enclosed compact disc storage apparatus or unit is provided which stores a multiplicity of discs, without risk of damage to their written surfaces. The storage unit comprises a two-part toroidal shaped housing, a circular magazine for supporting the discs, engaged on their unwritten edges by pairs of raised projections limited in height to that of the unwritten portion of a disc. A user-actuated lever engages the bottom of the discs and lift them from the magazine and out of the housing through an access slot. An indexing knob and notches means aligns a disc with the access slot and prevents unwanted rotation of the magazine relative to the housing between disc access and removal. A series of numbers are formed on the outer circumferential flanged edge of the magazine to aid in cataloging and identifying the magazine's contents.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a stand alone printing optical disc player/recorder for use in connection with CD's, DVD's, and Mini-Discs. In a particular embodiment the printing player/recorder has a combined player/recorder unit and an inkjet printer. Using a platter transport the printer player/recorder is capable of reading or writing information to a provided optical disc and then printing a label upon the optical disc without removing the disc from the system. The label printed may also be generated from the information read from or written to the optical disc itself thereby insuring a match between the label and the information encoded upon the optical disc. Associated methods of use are also provided.

Abstract: A carousel type changer includes a disk reproducing section (a pickup 62 and so on) which is provided on a tray 21 and adapted to clamp a disk held on a disk holding part 34b and to reproduce the clamped disk, and a disk recording section (a pickup 52 and so on) which is provided separately from the tray 21, and adapted to clamp a disk held on a disk holding part 34a when the tray is in a storing position and to record, on the clamped disk, signals reproduced by the disk reproducing section. In a state where the disk recording section have clamped the disk 15, a rotary table 31 is allowed to rotate.

Abstract: An apparatus and system for handling and storing a plurality of data storage discs includes a toroidal configuration of storage locations for the discs, a plurality of disc drives mounted above the storage locations in a generally annular arrangement, a means for moving any disc into and out of each selected drive on demand, and a control means for directing operation of the means for moving the discs and controlling selection of operation of the disc drives. The apparatus also has another plurality of data storage discs in a secondary module comprising another torodial configuration of storage locations for the discs mounted below the first plurality, a means for moving any disc between the two pluralities of storage locations, and a control means for directing the movement of the discs. The apparatus also has a supplies module mounted beneath the secondary module and houses the power supplies and environmental control equipment necessary for the system.

Abstract: A carousel type changer includes disk reproducing section (a pickup 62 and so on) which are provided on a tray 21 and adapted to clamp a disk held on a disk holding part 34b and to reproduce the clamped disk, and disk recording section (a pickup 52 and so on) which are provided separately from the tray 21, and adapted to clamp a disk held on a disk holding part 34a when the tray is in a storing position and to record, on the clamped disk, signals reproduced by the disk reproducing section. In a state where the disk recording section have clamped the disk 15, a rotary table 31 is allowed to rotate.

Abstract: Trays including disc mounting portions for mounting discs are divided into seven trays for each disc. Portions of the discs except for the disc positioned at a reproduction state overlap with adjacent discs. Accordingly, seven discs can be held despite that a diameter of an entire assembly including all seven trays rotatively moving around a central shaft is equal to that of a large tray of a conventional disc reproduction device of a carrousel type capable of holding five discs. The constitution also includes an interlocking mechanism of the discs, a sliding mechanism where the trays rotatively move around the central shaft horizontally and upward/downward obliquely while maintaining parallelism, and driver for providing a period of time in which trays at a middle stage in the beginning of one stroke and trays reaching the middle stage are still during a time period for one stroke.