Control system for compact disc phonograph

A method for detecting at least one skip of a compact disc in an automatic phonograph having a compact disc player adapted to read encoded information from the compact disc as to the starting time and elapsed playing time of each selection of the compact disc, comprising:

• generating a measured elapsed time signal in response to the starting of a selection on the compact disc;
• reading from said compact disc an apparent elapsed time signal;
• comparing said measured elapsed time signal to said apparent elapsed time signal;
• recording a skip when a difference between said measured elapsed time signal and said apparent elapsed time signal is greater than a predetermined time.

A skip detector for detecting skips in an automatic phonograph that plays compact discs having encoded information as to the starting time and apparent elapsed playing time of each selection on the disc comprising:

• a decoder adapted to read said apparent elapsed playing time from the compact disc;
• a clock adapted to generate a measured elapsed playing time synchronized with said apparent elapsed playing time at the start of a selection;
• and
• a processor operably coupled with said decoder and said clock, said processor comparing said measured elapsed time with said apparent elapsed time;
• wherein a skip is detected when the difference between said measured elapsed time and said apparent elapsed time is greater than a predetermined amount.

A money-operated jukebox that plays compact discs having encoded information as to the apparent elapsed playing time of selections recorded on the discs, said jukebox comprising:

• a compact disc player;
• a money acceptor for accepting money from a user wherein a compact disc can be played wit said compact disc player upon receipt of an amount of money;
• a decoder that reads the apparent elapsed playing time from the compact disc of a particular selection;
• and
• a processor that analyzes said apparent elapsed playing time read from said decoder to determine if a skip occurs and that records any skip that occurs.

In a jukebox having a compact disc player for selectively playing a plurality of compact discs and a money acceptor tat allows said discs to be played upon receipt of an amount of money, a method for determining that an error has occurred in the playback of a compact disc by said jukebox comprising;

• reading an apparent elapsed time signal from a selected one of said compact discs as a selection on said selected disc is played by said disc player;
• measuring an amount of time that said selection on said selected disc has been playing;
• comparing said apparent elapsed time signal to said measured amount of time;
• and
• determining that an error has occurred in the playback of the selection if a discrepancy exists between said measured amount of time and said apparent elapsed time that exceeds a preselected amount.

A jukebox comprising;

• a compact disc player adapted to play compact discs stored in said jukebox;
• a title display unit that visually displays selections on said compact disc that are available for playing on said compact disc player;
• an input mechanism that allows a user to select a selection to be played from one of said compact discs;
• a skip detector that detects any skips that occur when said selection is played on said compact disc player;
• and
• a processor that records the number of skips that are detected by said skip detector for a selection, as well as the identity of the selections said processor adapted to record said number of skips and said identity of the selection on a memory readable by said processor.