Programmable phonograph device

Abstract

The present invention comprises an improvement in programmable phonograph record players which provide automatic sound track selection of the recorded portions of a record. The improvements comprise the provision of an optical scanner mounted on the tone arm including an incandescent light source for directing visible light onto the record surface and a photodetector for receiving light reflected by the record surface. In an alternate embodiment, a differential sensor system includes a light emitting diode and a pair of photodetectors for detecting the presence of a highly reflective, unrecorded land area between two successive recorded sound track portions of the record. In another embodiment, the scanner includes a pair of alternately illuminated light emitting diodes and a single photodetector for receiving the light energy, directed by the light emitting diodes onto the record surface, reflected toward the photodetector. An auxiliary tone arm lift and sweep mechanism is controlled by a digital logic system connected to the scanner to move the tone arm in a position to play a preselected number of sound track bands as dictated by a programmable memory.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.