Disk selection control device for multidisk player

A disk selection control device operating in a multidisk player, wherein said multidisk player houses a plurality of disks in a magazine, each of said plurality of disks having a lead-in area where indexing information is recorded, said indexing information including identification of a disk type, said device for selectively playing any one of said disks, the disk selection control device comprising:

• retrieving means for retrieving each of said disks from a holding position in said magazine;
• reading/storing means for reading and storing the indexing information of each of said plurality of disks;
• disk position means for determining and storing disk holding position information indicative of said holding position of each of said disks in association with disk content identifying information and indexing information for the corresponding same one of said disks;
• means for determining each of the plurality of disks as either a memory disk or a music disk based on the identification of a disk type in association with the disk holding position information;
• storing means for storing the disk content identifying information indicative of disk content of the memory disk determined by said means for determining;
• returning means for returning said disks to said holding position in said magazine;
• means for receiving, in response to use input, a disk content selection command indicative of the content of a particular one of said disks, said receiving means selecting said particular one of said disks having content corresponding to said disk content selection command;
• and
• means for determining which disk content identifying information of a particular disk corresponds to said disk content selection command, and for determining which particular disk holding position information is associated with said disk content identifying information of said particular one of disks, thereby selecting for playback the particular one of disks held at a disk holding position corresponding to said particular disk holding position information.

A multidisk player for housing a plurality of disks of varying format in a holding position wherein each of said disks contains indexing information, said indexing information including identification of a disk type, said player comprising:

• player means for playing a designated disk in response to disk designating information;
• first storage means for reading from a recorded information lead-in area of the disks and for storing said indexing information and disk content identifying information;
• first means for determining a holding position of each of said plurality of disks;
• second storage means for storing said indexing information and a holding position information representing a holding position in a corresponding relationship;
• second means for determining each of the plurality of disks as either a memory disk or a music disk based on the identification of a disk type in association with the holding position information;
• third storage means for storing disk content identifying information indicative of disk content of the memory disk determined by said second means for determining;
• means for inputting the disk content identifying information;
• and
• means for selecting the designated disk in response to the disk designating information based upon a particular holding position information that corresponds to said disk content identifying information.