# Patent

## Title
Tape guide for guiding magnetic tape in a videotape cassette

## Abstract

Although the invention has been described above with reference to examples and to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that the invention may be embodied in other forms or carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The above description is therefore to be considered in all respects, illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency are intended to be embraced therein.

## Background
## Claims

1. Apparatus for providing an electronic read-out of information stored in a portable video cassette housing for housing a movable record member for recording or playing back recorded information, said apparatus comprising, in combination, means for movably supporting said record member in said housing, encoding means in said housing for encoding said information into a coded form consisting of electrical signals for producing corresponding coded optical signals, said housing having access means to permit detection of said optical signals from outside of said housing by an optical code detection device.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said optical means comprises means for changing the reflectivity of a surface in response to said electrical signals.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 including a micro-controller programmed for use as said encoding means.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which said information stored in said housing identifies the record housed therein.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which said info ration indicates the amount said record has been played.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which said housing is a tape cassette.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which said housing is adapted to be inserted into a recording or playback unit to bring said record into recording or playback position in said unit.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which said encoding means is adapted to encode said optical signals to simulate the scanning of a bar code with said detection device.

9. Apparatus as in claim 1 including a storage battery in said housing for powering said apparatus, and externally operable switching means in said housing for enabling said optical means, and in which said optical means is adapted to be operable only in response to the operation of said externally operable switching means.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9, including positioning means engageable by said optical code detection device for positioning said detection device to receive said optical signals, said switching means being operably coupled to said positioning means.

11. Apparatus for providing an electronic read-out of information stored in a record housing, said apparatus comprising, in combination, encoding means in said housing for encoding said information into a coded form consisting of electrical signals; optical means responsive to said electrical signals for producing corresponding coded optical signals, said housing having access means to permit detection of said optical signals from outside of said housing by an optical code detection device, in which said housing is a video tape cassette which contains video tape and at least one tape reel to wind said video tape on, detecting means for detecting each time when the tape has been placed for substantially one full play of a program recorded on said tape and creating a corresponding output signal, means in said cassette for counting and storing said output signals over a period of time, and delivering a signal representing the total count to said encoding means.

12. Apparatus as in claim 11 in which said detecting means includes at least one sensor having a radiation emitter and at least one radiation-responsive detector mounted within said tape reel to detect filling or emptying of the tape reel to a predetermined point, said radiation emitter and said detector being relatively flat, thin, planar devices mounted side-by-side in one of the flanges of said tape reel, whereby said detector detects light reflected from the other flange of said tape reel when it is not covered by a tape roll.

13. Apparatus as in claim 11 including a battery in said housing for energizing said detecting means and means for periodically connecting said detecting means to said battery for only relatively short time intervals, with relatively long time periods between said intervals.

14. Apparatus as in claim 11 including a battery and means for intermittently connecting said counting means to be energized by said battery, said storing means comprising non-volatile memory means.

15. Apparatus for providing an electronic read-out of information stored in a record housing, said apparatus comprising, in combination, encoding means in said housing for encoding said information into a coded form consisting of electrical signals; optical means responsive to said electrical signals for producing corresponding coded optical signals, said housing having access means to permit detection of said optical signals from outside of said housing by an optical code detection device, in which said housing is a tape cassette with a tape reel having a drive hub with a drive socket, in which said optical means is located at the center of said hub, said access means being located in said drive socket so as to be accessible to a code-reading probe from outside of said cassette.

16. Apparatus for providing an electronic read-out of information stored in a record housing, said apparatus comprising, in combination, encoding means in said housing for encoding said information into a coded form consisting of electrical signals; optical means responsive to said electrical signals for producing corresponding coded optical signals, said housing having access means to permit detection of said optical signals from outside of said housing by an optical code detection device, in which said electrical signals are formed into a series of pulses, said optical means being adapted to produce pulses of optical radiation from a single source and simulate a bar-code when read by a bar-code scanner, and said optical code detection device is a bar-code scanner.

17. Apparatus as in claim 16 in which said source is a LED lamp, and said bar-code scanner is connected to a computer.

18. Apparatus for providing an electronic read-out of information stored in a record housing, said apparatus comprising, in combination, encoding means in said housing for encoding said information into a coded form consisting of electrical signals; optical means responsive to said electrical signals for producing corresponding coded optical signals, said housing having access means to permit detection of said optical signals from outside of said housing by an optical code detection device, in which said optical means comprises means for changing the reflectivity of a surface in response to said electrical signals, in which said optical means comprises a liquid crystal display device adapted to produce a display selected from the group consisting of an array comprising a bar code capable of being scanned by a bar-code scanner, and a single spot capable of changing its reflectivity in response to a series of times signals so as to simulate a bar code to a stationary bar-code scanner.