US 5,222,033 AGranted

Method of retrieving frames on a microfiche using arbitrarily designated frames

AssigneeFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

InventorMasaru Ono

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Abstract

When a microfiche is automatically retrieved by a microfiche retrieval device, and the data of a target frame is input from the keyboard, the microfiche is conveyed to automatically retrieve the frame at the position relevant to the input data, and the largest frame is projected on a reader screen. The positional data for retrieving frames corresponding to the frame addresses other than that of the target frame and the fiche-mode data necessary for retrieving and outputting the imaged frames is stored in memory prior to retrieval of a frame. The stored data is read out so that the correct frame can be retrieved. Even if frames are not positionally aligned with the feeding direction of a particular microfiche or even if the reference frame or the maximum address frame is not exposed on a microfiche, frames can automatically be positioned at a high speed simply by designating a plurality arbitrary frames which are actually exposed with images.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An automatic retrieval method in which a plurality of microfiches are sequentially and automatically retrieved, each of said microfiches having a plurality of frames which have been exposed with images and each of said plurality of frames having a different address, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting one microfiche from said plurality of microfiches;
(b) selecting a frame of said selected microfiche;
(c) calculating positioning data for aligning said selected frame based on the orientation of said selected frame on a retrieval device;
(d) storing said calculated positioning data in a memory;
(e) storing, in said memory, fiche-mode data defining at least one characteristic format of said selected microfiche;
(f) performing steps (b)-(e) for each one of said plurality of frames on said selected microfiche;
(g) performing steps (a)-(f) for each one of said plurality of microfiches;
(h) reading out said calculated positioning data and said fiche-mode data from said memory when one of said plurality of microfiches is subsequently selected for retrieval;
(i) positioning the subsequently selected frame in accordance with said read out data so that said subsequently selected frame is aligned on said retrieval device;
and
(j) repeating steps (h) and (i) for other frames to be retrieved.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.