GARY MICHAEL GIDDINGS
Pilots at Linda Vis Dr, Laguna Beach, CA

4727532, Feb 23, 1988

Jun 27, 1986

6/879761

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

G11B 2110, H04N 578, H04N 576

369 43

A system for recovering information from a videodisc and performing special functions which enhance the operational character of the system. To increase the reliability of landing at or near a target track, provisions are made to search for a track adjacent a target track whose track identifier has been obliterated. Further, a method and means for stepping forward or reverse one field at a time is disclosed. Another aspect of the invention concerns a capability to respond to a random command instruction resulting in subsequent functioning of the system in a random manner. Yet a further aspect of the invention is related to controlled jumping of one or more tracks during vertical blanking time to produce unique forward or backward motions; multiples of playing speed, both forward and reverse, and visual special effects can be realized using the multiple track jumping feature. Finally, a method and means are described which permit synchronous transmission of video from a videodisc to an external using device.

4445144, Apr 24, 1984

Dec 21, 1981

6/333237

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

A04N 585, G11B 2110

358342

A method for detecting and measuring eccentricity in a video disc and a video disc player, in which a video signal representing a special eccentricity test pattern is recorded on a prescribed set of adjacent recording tracks on the disc. Each frame of the video signal is recorded on a separate track, and the successive frames exhibit a prescribed movement. During an eccentricity test, the player scans the disc at a fixed radius, so that eccentricity in either the disc or the player causes it to scan cyclically across a plurality of tracks during each disc revolution. The playback signal therefore includes segments of the signal recorded on each of the scanned tracks, the shape of the displayed test pattern indicates the magnitude of combined eccentricity of the disc and player.

4536863, Aug 20, 1985

Apr 15, 1982

6/368792

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

G11B 2108

369 43

A system for recovering information from a videodisc and performing special functions which enhance the operational character of the system. To increase the reliability of landing at or near a target track, provisions are made to search for a track adjacent a target track whose track identifier has been obliterated. Further, a method and means for stepping forward or reverse one field at a time is disclosed. Another aspect of the invention concerns a capability to respond to a random command instruction resulting in subsequent functioning of the system in a random manner. Yet a further aspect of the invention is related to controlled jumping of one or more tracks during vertical blanking time to produce unique forward or backward motions; multiples of playing speed, both forward and reverse, and visual special effects can be realized using the multiple track jumping feature. Finally, a method and means are described which permit synchronous transmission of video from a videodisc to an external using device.

4701898, Oct 20, 1987

Mar 25, 1985

6/715852

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

G11B 1722, H04N 576

369 32

A method and apparatus for rapidly moving a reading beam of light radially relative to a rotating record disc, to impinge on a selected target track on the disc and recover information recorded on it. The apparatus first radially translates an optical system that directs the beam onto the disc at a relatively high speed until it is within a prescribed radial distance of the target track. Thereafter, an element of the optical system is controllably deflected such that the beam moves incrementally across a prescribed plurality of tracks during each disc revolution, until reaching the target track. The information recorded on each track includes a unique addres signal, and movement of the beam relative to the disc is controlled according to the difference between the respective addresses of the track currently being scanned and the target track. If the apparatus fails to properly recover a track address signal, it estimates the address of the track currently being scanned, and updates its control of the beam's radial movement based on that estimate.

4796098, Jan 3, 1989

Dec 4, 1981

6/327321

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

H04N 585, G11B 7007

358342

An information carrier having a surface upon which the information is stored. The surface having a first series of lineal regions and at least a second series of lineal regions with the second series being spaced from the first series of lineal regions. The first and second series of lineal regions are used to provide duplication of the stored information at two locations on the carrier so that even if a defect occurs in one region the information can still be read from another region. When stored on a disc, the different series of lineal regions can be arranged in a banded structure, whereby each series is separated from the next by a prescribed radial spacing. Alternatively the separate series of lineal regions can be arranged in interleaved fashion progressing radially on the disc. In either the banded or interleaved embodiments, the information contained in each series may be comprised of a plurality of progressing concentric circular segments or, alternatively, a plurality of substantially circular segments arranged along a spiral path on the disc.

4751692, Jun 14, 1988

Dec 26, 1985

6/813754

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

G11B 1722

369 32

A system for recovering information from a videodisc and performing special functions which enhance the operational character of the system. To increase the reliability of landing at or near a target track, provisions are made to search for a track adjacent a target track whose track identifier has been obliterated. Further, a method and means for stepping forward or reverse one field at a time is disclosed. Another aspect of the invention concerns a capability to respond to a random command instruction resulting in subsequent functioning of the system in a random manner. Yet a further aspect of the invention is related to controlled jumping of one or more tracks during vertical blanking time to produce unique forward or backward motions; multiples of playing speed, both forward and reverse, and visual special effects can be realized using the multiple track jumping feature. Finally, a method and means are described which permit synchronous transmission of video from a videodisc to an external using device. This is a division, of application Ser. No.

4706133, Nov 10, 1987

Dec 26, 1985

6/813341

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

H04N 576, G11B 2100

358342

A system for recovering information from a videodisc and performing special functions which enhance the operational character of the system. To increase the reliability of landing at or near a target track, provisions are made to search for a track adjacent a target track whose track identifier has been obliterated. Further, a method and means for stepping forward or reverse one field at a time is disclosed. Another aspect of the invention concerns a capability to respond to a random command instruction resulting in subsequent functioning of the system in a random manner. Yet a further aspect of the invention is related to controlled jumping of one or more tracks during vertical blanking time to produce unique forward or backward motions; multiples of playing speed, both forward and reverse, and visual special effects can be realized using the multiple track jumping feature. Finally, a method and means are described which permit synchronous transmission of video from a videodisc to an external using device.

4845697, Jul 4, 1989

Nov 27, 1987

7/125891

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

G11B 1722

369 32

A system for recovering information from a videodisc and performing special functions which enhance the operational character of the system. To increase the reliability of landing at or near a target track, provisions are made to search for a track adjacent a target track whose track identifier has been obliterated. Further, a method and means for stepping forward or reverse one field at a time is disclosed. Another aspect of the invention concerns a capability to respond to a random command instruction resulting in subsequent functioning of the system in a random manner. Yet a further aspect of the invention is related to controlled jumping of one or more tracks during vertical blanking time to produce unique forward or backward motions; multiples of playing speed, both forward and reverse, and visual special effects can be realized using the multiple track jumping feature. Finally, a method and means are described which permit synchronous transmission of video from a videodisc to an external using device.

4519004, May 21, 1985

Jun 1, 1982

6/384140

Richard L. Wilkinson - El Toro CA
Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

H04N 576

358342

An extended play videodisc and a method and apparatus for playing it. The disc carries every m th segment of a video program and the segments are repeated m times to approximate the original program. Prior art extended play discs have contained every other frame or every third frame of video, but the repeating of an entire frame results in poor motion reproduction and flickering scene transitions. The present invention preferably includes the repeating of a field of video an odd number of times. The fields are preferably arranged in order on the disc with n fields per revolution, the disc being rotated such that a new field is read every one and 1/n th revolution of the disc. The new segment is preferably read during the final repeating of the previous segment.

4797752, Jan 10, 1989

Feb 13, 1984

6/579618

Gary M. Giddings - Laguna Hills CA

Discovision Associates - Costa Mesa CA

H04N 585, G11B 7007

358342

An information storage member has a surface upon which information is stored in at least first and second series of lineal regions arranged on the surface of the member and defining a program of information having a first subprogram part and a second subprogram part each containing information representative of a block of program information and being accompanied by an associated identifying number unique from every other identifying number present on the recording surface of the information storage member.