Optical storage and retrieval device

A mechanism for manipulating video disk cartridges, comprising:

• a frame containing a plurality of slots into which a cartridge can be removably inserted, said slots containing at least one of said cartridges, said cartridges having an aperture in said cartridge;
• a carriage which can be controllably rotated about an axis of rotation;
• a positioning mechanism controllably positioning said carriage in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis of rotation;
• an engaging member controllably engaging and disengaging said aperture in said cartridges to engage and disengage one of said cartridges;
• a retraction and extension mechanism on said carriage controllably extending and retracting said engaging member in order to remove and insert said engaged cartridge from one of said slots, said retraction and extension mechanism comprising:
• a first engaging member, retractably extendable from said carriage to releasably engage said aperture in said cartridge to engage said cartridge;
• a second engaging member, retractably extendable from said carriage to releasably engage said aperture in said cartridge, said first and second engaging members not engaging the same cartridge simultaneously;
• and
• a first and second retraction and extension mechanisms extending said first and second engaging members, respectively, a predetermined distance from said carriage, and for retracting said first and second engaging members a predetermined distance into said carriage, said first and second engaging members being independently retracted and extended by said first and second retraction and extension mechanisms, respectively, in order to allow independent engagement and retraction of said cartridges;
• a computer to control the timing, execution, and sequence of manipulating said cartridges, and to controllably extend and retract said engaging member;
• a plurality of alignment targets on said frame;
• an alignment sensor on said carriage sensing said alignment targets, said computer cooperating with said alignment sensor to controllably position said carriage relative to the location of said alignment targets so as to position said engaging member relative to said engaged cartridge;
• and
• extension and retraction sensors on said first and second extension and retraction mechanisms sensing the position of said extension and retraction mechanisms when they are extended or retracted, said computer cooperating with said extension and retraction sensors to control the amount of extension and retraction of said extension and retraction mechanisms in order to position said first and second engaging members, and any engaged cartridges, at a desired position.

A method of moving video disk cartridges, said cartridges having an engaging aperture in said cartridges, and one of said cartridge being placed in a first slot, of a plurality of slots supported in a frame, said slots being adapted to removably receive a cartridge, comprising:

• locating at least one reference location placed on said frame;
• determining the location of said slots relative to said reference location and storing information representative of said locations in a computer;
• extending one of two independently operable engaging members from a rotatable transport carriage;
• engaging said aperture with said extended engaging member in order to engage said cartridge in said slot;
• slidably pulling said engaged cartridge out of said slot and into said rotatable transport carriage, said rotatable transport carriage supporting said cartridge during transportation and rotation of said rotatable transport carriage;
• transporting and rotating said rotatable transport carriage and said cartridge to position and align said cartridge with a second slot, said transportation being in a plane defined by two mutally perpendicular axes, said rotation being about an axis substantially perpendicular to said plane;
• slidably shoving said cartridge from said rotatable transport carriage into said second slot;
• sensing said reference location after an interval of time by a sensor on said rotatable transport so that said slot locations can be redetermined and information representative of the locations can be restored in said computer;
• and
• controlling the timing, execution, and sequence of moving said cartridges by using said computer, including using said computer to control the steps of extending said engaging members to engage and pull said cartridge into said rotatable transport carriage, controllably transporting and rotating said cartridge to the location of said second slot as stored in said computer, and controllably shoving said cartridge from said carriage.

A mechanism for manipulating video disk cartridges comprising:

• a frame supporting a first and second slot into which a cartridge can be removably inserted;
• at least one reference location on said frame;
• a computer containing information representative of the locations of said first and second slots with respect to said reference location;
• a planar positioning mechanism for selectively transporting said carriage from said first slot to said second slot;
• a rotatable carriage for holding said cartridge during transportation, and for orienting said cartridge to align with the orientation of said first and second slots by rotating said cartridge about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane in which said cartridge is transported, the timing, execution and sequence of said transportation and orientation being controlled by said computer;
• at least one position sensor on said carriage, cooperating with said reference location so that said computer can determine the position of said carriage with respect to said reference location on said frame when said position sensor detects said reference locations, said computer updating the information representative of said stored locations of said first and second slots relative to said reference location, at intervals of time, said computer using the information representative of said above relative locations to correctly position said cartridge at said slots;
• and
• a first and second extension and retraction mechanism in said carriage, the first extension and retraction mechanism functioning independently of the second extension and retraction mechanism, said computer controlling the timing, sequence and operation of said extension and retraction mechanisms, each extension and retraction mechanism comprising:
• an engaging member, retractably extendable from said carriage to releasably engage an aperture in said cartridge when said cartridge is in said first slot in order to slidably retract said cartridge into said carriage;
• a retractably extendable pushing portion to slidably push said cartridge from said carriage into one of said slots when said carriage is aligned with the position and orientation of the slot into which said cartridge is to be pushed.