Method for recording and reproducing information, apparatus therefor and recording medium

Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for recording and reproducing input information.

Heretofore, silver salt photography is known as a high sensitivity photographing technology, in which a taken image is recorded on a film or the like material through developing process, and then reproduced by using a silver salt emulsion on a photographic paper or by optical scanning the developed film to display it on a cathode ray tube (hereinafter referred to as CRT).

Also known is an electrophotography in which a photoconductive layer which is deposited together with an electrode is fully charged by corona electric charging at a dark place, after which the photoconductive layer is exposed to intense light to thereby make exposed portions conductive. Charges of the exposed portions are leaked for removal to optically form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive layer, and then toner which has electric charges opposite in polarity to (or the same as ) the remaining charges is adhered to the latter for development.

Although this technology is mainly used in photocopying, it cannot be generally used for photographing because of low sensitivity, and in photocopying the toner developing is carried out at once after an electrostatic latent image is formed since charge holding time is short.

In television photography, picture image is obtained by a camera tube, which provides electric signals of the picture image by means of photosemiconductor for outputting to CRT or for video recording by magnetic recording or the like to output the image on CRT as desired.

Silver salt photography is excellent for storing taken object image, but it needs developing to form a silver salt image and further complicated optical, electrical and chemical processing for reproducing the image in a hard copy or a soft copy (CRT output).

Although electrophotography is easier and quicker in developing electrostatic latent image than silver salt photography, the former is inferior to the latter in storing period of latent image, resolution of the developer and picture quality.

Television photography requires linear scanning for obtaining and recording electric picture signals provided by a camera tube. Linear scanning is carried out by an electron beam in the camera tube and by a magnetic head in video recording. Resolution of the television photography depends on the number of scanning lines and hence it is considerably inferior to planar analog recording such as silver salt photography.

Television photography using solid-state image device such a CCD is essentially the same in resolution as the above-described television photography.

In these technologies, there are disadvantages such that high quality and high resolution picture image recording requires complicated processing while simpler processing of picture images results in lack of storing function or degradation of picture quality. Gramophone records, cassette tapes or the like media are used for recording aural information, and video tapes, compact discs, optical discs are used for recording picture image information and aural information. Although records and cassette tapes are very convenient media for recording voice, they have too small memory capacity to record picture image information. Video tapes require linear scanning, and is quite inferior in resolution to planar analog recording such as silver salt photograph. Compact discs and optical discs are essentially the same in poor resolution as video tapes.

In the field of printing, image processing system includes an original scanning unit, computer and exposure recording. The original read is subjected to picture image processing, such as color correction and sharpness processing, and a scanner is used for recording the image on a film. When a color scanner is used, in the original scanning unit a color original is photoelectrically scanned to provide unadjusted three-color (red R, green G and blue B) separation signals, which are stored in a magnetic disc or a magnetic tape. The computer reads data stored for applying various processing, such as color adjustment, tone adjustment and picture image composition, and then provides adjusted four color separation signals. In the exposure recording unit, a film is exposed to scanning exposure in synchronism with the original soanning according to the four-color separation signals to output an adjusted four-color separation picture image.

Picture image data, read from the original, are enormous and hence they are according to the prior art scanner system, temporarily stored in a magnetic disc or a magnetic tape, and are read as desired. However, the scanner system needs much time to record picture image data on and read them from a magnetic disk or a magnetic tape and furthermore requires a large space for storing a large number of magnetic discs or tape to store enormous image data, say tens MB of data. In addition, there is a disadvantage that data stored in a magnetic tape may be damaged during long term of storing.

In printing, positioning of an original is necessary for setting it on a reading cylinder; it is hard to set the original on the reading cylinder with accurate rotation angle for rotating it a predetermined angle. In addition, various kinds of processing, such as color adjustment, masking and sharpness processing, are performed by computer operation, which involves a great amount of processing. This requires a large computer, resulting in an expensive large-scaled system.

Usually in the printing process, the projecting department makes as the first step thereof instructions concerning an enlargement ratio of a lantern slide original and trimming as to what portion thereof to be printed. For example, in trimming indication a tracing paper is placed on a 35 mm film original for transferring the pattern thereof by pencil to make the indication, with a description of the enlargement ratio. The trimming indication is put on a bag containing the original by an adhesive tape and sent to a printing step together with a schedule sheet. During transportation of this documents, the tracing paper can separate from the original or can be spoiled.

In the conventional scanner, an original is applied to the drum and hence there are disadvantages such that finger prints may be placed on the original, and such that the original may be broken in separation from the drum. For small enlargement ratio, an original is directly applied to the drum by spraying a powder to it to avoid Newton ring due to partial difference in adhesiveness between the original and the drum. For high enlargement ratio, after dipped in paraffin, an original is applied around the drum by means of transparent polyester film for preventing image of the powder from appearing in the printed picture image. Thus, the scanner involves a problem of the original being spoiled due to spraying of the powder and dipping of the original in paraffin. In addition, these operations require time consuming preparation which reduces productivity.

In the conventional photocopying machine, a photoconductive layer which is deposited together with an electrode is fully charges by corona electric charging at a dark place, after which the photoconductive layer is exposed to intense light to thereby make exposed portions conductive. Charges of the exposed portions are leaked for removal to optically form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive layer, and then toner which has electric charges opposite in polarity to (or the same as ) the remaining charges.

The exposure process according to the prior art copying machine requires high voltage and large electric power since electrostatic latent images are formed by exposing intense light after corona charging is fully carried out at high voltage. Although electrostatic latent images obtained can be promptly developed by a toner with ease. However, the toner development must be carried out at once after formation of the electrostatic latent imnage since the charge holding time is very short. Thus, it is not possible to perform toner developing the latent image in a considerable period of time.

There is also known, see US-A-2,825,814, an information recording and reproducing method comprising the steps of: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>arranging one face of a photosensitive member in opposition to a face of an information carrying medium;</li><li>applying an imaging voltage between said member and said medium and exposing portions of said photosensitive medium to light in accordance with imagewise information whereby said member becomes conductive in said exposed portions and charge is transferred to corresponding portions of said information carrying medium to form an electrostatic latent image on said information carrying medium. In such a process the information carrying medium can store the electrostatic latent image for subsequent use. However, when the information carrying medium is required to be re-used repeatedly, there is a need for an easy and positive process for removing the latent electrostatic image and it is an object of the invention to provide such a process. This object is achieved by the characterising features of the appended claims.</li></ul>

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the principle of a first stage of an information recording and reproducing method according to the present invention;</li><li>Figure 2 is a view illustrating a direct current amplification type potential reading method capable of use in conjunction with the present invention;</li><li>Figures 3(a) to 3(c) illustrate an information recording and reproducing method of the present invention for erasing a latent image;</li><li>Figures 4(a) and 4(b) illustrate another embodiment of the present invention for erasing a latent image by uniform exposure;</li><li>Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention in which latent image erasure is carried out by uniform charging by corona discharging;</li><li>Figure 6 is an illustration of how to erase a latent image by infrared heating according to the present invention;</li><li>Figure 7 is an illustration of another embodiment of the present invention in which latent image erasing is performed by resistance heating by applying voltage across the electrode of the information carrying medium;</li><li>Figure 8 is an illustration of how to erase a latent image by microwave heating;</li><li>Figure 9 is an illustration of another embodiment of the present invention, in which a latent image is erased by a thermal head;</li><li>Figure 10 is an illustration of another embodiment of the present invention, in which a latent image is erased by irradiating ultraviolet light;</li><li>Figure 11 is an illustration of another embodiment of the present invention, in which a latent image is erased by leaking charges with a power collector; and</li><li>Figure 12 is an illustration of another embodiment of the present invention, in which a latent image is erased by spraying steam.</li></ul>

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

How to record information according to the information recording and reproducing method of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1,in which reference numeral 1 designates a photosensitive member, 3 an information carrying medium, 5 a photoconductive layer backing member, 7 an electrode, 9 a photoconductive layer, 11 an insulation layer, 13 an electrode, 15 an insulation layer backing member and 17 a power source.

In the mode of the invention in FIGS.(a) to (h), exposure is performed from the side of the photosensitive member 1, which comprises a photoconductive layer backing member 5 made of 1 mm thick glass, a transparent photosensitive eleotrode 7 of 1000 Å thick ITO coated on the photoconductive layer backing member 5, and an about 10 µm thick photoconductive layer 9 disposed on the electrode 7. Spaced from the photosensitive member 1 with a gap of about 10 µm is an information carrying medium 3 which includes an insulation layer backing member 15 made of a 1 mm thick glass, a 1000 Å thick Al electrode 13 vapor deposited on the backing member 15, and a 10 µm thick insulating layer 11 coated on the electrode 13. The information carrying medium 3 is spaced about 10 µm apart from the photosensitive member 1 as shown in FIG. 1(a). A voltage from the D.C. power source 17 is applied across the electrodes 7 and 13 as in FIG. 1(b). In this state, no change occurs between the electrodes in a dark place since the photoconductive layer 9 is a high resistant material. When the photosensitive member 1 is exposed to a ray of light, portions of the photoconductive layer 9, to which the ray is applied, becomes conductive, and hence discharging occurs between the layer 9 and the insulation layer 11 to thereby store charges in the insulation layer 11.

After the exposure, the voltage is removed by making the switch off as shown in FIG. 1(c). Then, an electrostatic latent image is formed by taking out the information carrying medium 3 as in FIG. 1(d).

It is to be noted that the photosensitive member 1 and the information carrying medium 3 may be arranged in contact with each other, in which case positive or negative charges are injected from the photosensitive electrode 7 into the exposed portions of the photoconductive layer 9. These charges are attracted by the electrode 13 of the information carrying medium 3 and are transferred through the photoconduotive layer 9 to the surface of the insulation layer 11 where the charge transfer is stopped to store the injected charges. Then, the photosensitive member 1 and the information carrying medium 3 are separated with charges stored in the insulation layer 11.

When the mode of recording in FIGS. 1(a)-(d) is applied to planar analog recording, a high resolution is obtained as in silver salt photography and surface charges on the insulation layer 11 can be stored for a fairly long period without discharging in light place or dark place due to excellent insulation performance of the atmosphere although they are exposed to the latter.

The time of holding charges on the insulation layer 11 depends on the physical nature of the layer, specifically the charge trapping characteristic thereof, other than the insulation of the air. Injected charges may be stored on the surface of the insulation layer 11 and may be microscopically migrated into the inside of the insulation layer near the surface thereof, in which inside electrons and holes are trapped. Thus, injected charges can be stored for a fairly long period of time. To store the information carrying medium 3, the insulation layer 11 may be covered with an insulation film or the like material for preventing physical damage to the information carrying medium and discharging in case of high humidity.

Materials used for the photosensitive member and the information carrying medium according to the present invention will be explained below.

There is no specific limitation of the material and thickness of the photoconductive layer backing member 5 although it must have a rigidity sufficient to support the photosensitive member 1 and for a case in which information is recorded by applying rays of right from the side of the photosensitive member 1, it must be transparent to the light. Use may be made of a flexible plastic film, metallic foil, paper, glass, plastic sheet, metallic plate (which may be served as an electrode) or the like rigid body. When the apparatus is used as a camera in which natural light is incident on it from the photosensitive member, about 1 mm thick transparent glass plate or plastic film or sheet is used for the photoconductive layer backing member 5.

The electrode 7 is formed on the photoconductive electrode backing member 5 except that the latter is made of a metal. The electrode 7 has no specific limitation in material if its specific resistance is 10⁶ Ω.cm or less and may be an inorganic metallic conductive film, inorganic metallic oxide conductive film or the like film. Such a electrode 7 is formed on the photoconductive layer backing member 5 by vapor deposition, sputtering, CVD, coating, plating, dipping, electrolytic polymerization or the like processing. The thickness of the electrode 7 depends on the electrical characteristic of the material thereof and voltage applied in recording of information. Specifically, the electrode 7 made of aluminum may have a thickness of about 100-3000 Å. When the photosensitive member electrode 7 is exposed to rays of light as well as the photoconductive layer backing member 5, it must have optical characteristics as described in connection with the backing member 5. Specifically, for visible light (400-700 nm) as the information light, the photosensitive member electrode 7 may be a transparent electrode, translucent electrode or transparent organic electrode. The transparent electrode may be formed by sputtering or vapor depositing ITO (In₂O₃-SnO₂, SnO₂) or the like compound or by coating a mixture of a fine powder of such a material and a binder. The semitransparent electrode may be produced by vapor depositing or sputtering Au, Pt, Al, Ag, Ni, Cr or the like material. The transparent organic electrode may be formed by coating tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), polyacetylene or the like substance.

Also, for infrared light (having a wave length larger than 700 nm) as the information light, the electrode materials above named may be used in the present invention. A colored visible light absorbing electrode may be used as the photosensitive member electrode 7 for cut off visible light.

The electrode materials above named may be generally used for ultraviolet light, having a wave length 400 nm or shorter, as the information light, but it is not preferable to use materials, such as an organic polymer, soda glass or the like material, which absorb ultraviolet light. It is preferable to use a material, such as silica glass, which allow ultraviolet light to pass through.

When exposed to light, the exposed portion of the photo conductive layer 9 generates photocarriers (electrons and holes) which moves thicknesswise through it. This effect is large particularly when electric field exists. The photoconductive layer 9 may be made of the following organic photoconductive materials, inorganic photoconductive materials and organic-inorganic composite photoconductive materials.

(A) Inorganic photoconductive or photosensitive material

As the inorganic photosensitive material, use may be made of amorphous silicon, amorphous selenium, cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide or the like substance.

(i) amorphous silicon photosensitive member

The amorphous silicon photosensitive member may include (1)amorphous silicon hydride (a-Si:H) and (2)amorphous silicon fluoride (a-Si:F).

These materials may be doped with no impurity, doped with B, Al, Ga ,In, Tl or the like element to be a p-type (or hole carrier type), or doped with P, Ag, Sb, Bi or the like element to be a n-type (or electron carrier type).

The photosensitive or photoconductive layer may be formed in such a manner that silane gas and an impurity gas are introduced into a low vacuum atmosphere (10^-2 - 1 Torr) together with hydrogen gas, and then deposited by a glow discharge on an electrode substrate, heated or not heated, to form a film. They may be formed by thermochemically reacting such gases on a heated electrode substrate. Alternatively, the photosensitive layer may be formed in a single film layer or laminated film layers by vapor depositing or sputtering a solid material thereof. The thickness of the photosensitive layer may be 1 to 50 µm.

A charge injection barrier layer may be provided on the surface of the photosensitive member electrode 7 for preventing the layer 9 from being charged due to injection of charges from the transparent electrode 7 when the layer 9 is not subjected to light. It is preferable to form by glow discharging, vapor deposition or sputtering, an insulation layer, such as a-SiN, a-SiC,SiO₂ or Al₂ O₃ layer,as such a charge injection barrier layer on at least one of the electrode substrate or the uppermost layer (surface layer ) of the photosensitive member. If the insulation layer has an excessive thickness, it does not allow current to flow when exposed, and hence the thickness should be 1000 Å or smaller. Preferably, the thickness is about 400 - 500 Å for ease of fabrication.

It is preferable to provide a charge carrier layer, as a charge injection barrier layer, on the electrode substrate, the charge carrier layer having a charge carrier capacity of a polarity, opposite to the polarity of the electrode substrate, using rectification effect. A hole carrier layer and an electron carrier layer may be provided for the electrode of negative and positive polarities, respectively. For example, silicon doped with boron, a-Si:H (n⁺) provides a rectification effect with improved carrier characteristics of hole and a layer, made of such a material, serves as a charge injection barrier layer.

(ii) amorphous selenium photosensitive material includes (1) amorphous selenium (a-Se), (2) amorphous selenium tellurium (a-Se-Te), (3) amorphous arsenic selenium compound (a-As

2

Se

3

), (4) amorphous arsenic selenium compound + Te.

A photoconductive layer of these compounds may be formed by vapor deposition or sputtering and the charge injection barrier layer, such as SiO₂ , Al₂ O₃ , SiC and SiN layer may be formed on the electrode substrate by vapor depositing, sputtering and glow discharging. The photoconductive layer may include laminated layers of compounds (1) - (4). The photoconductive member layer may be equal in thickness to the amorphous silicon photoconductive member.

(iii) cadmium sulfide (CdS)

The photoconductive layer of this photosensitive material may be formed by coating, vapor depositing and sputtering. In case of vapor deposition, a solid particle of CdS, placed on a tungsten board, is vapor deposited by resistance heating or by electron beam (EB) vapor depositing. In sputtering, CdS is deposited on a substrate in the atmosphere of argon plasma. In this case, CdS is usually deposited in an amorphous state but a crystalline oriented film oriented thicknesswise is obtained by selecting sputtering conditions. In coating, CdS particles with grain size 1 to 100 µm may be dispersed into a binder to form a mixture, to which is dissolved into a solvent and then coated over a substrate.

(iv) zinc oxide (ZnO)

The photoconductive or photosensitive layer may be formed by coating or chem!cal vapor deposition (CVD) of this material. For coating, ZnS particles having particle size 1 to 100 µm are dispersed into a binder to prepare a mixture, which is dissolved into a solvent and then coated on a substrate. According to CVD, an organic metal, such as diethylzinc and dimethylzinc, and oxygen gas are mixed in a low vacuum (10^-2 -1 Torr) and then chemically reacted upon to each other on a heated electrode substrate (150 - 400°C) to deposit on it as a zinc oxide film, which is oriented thicknesswise.

(B) Organic photoconductive or photosensitive layer

The organic photoconductive or photosensitive layer may include a single layer photosensitive layer and a function separation photosensitive member.

(i) Monolayer photosensitive member

Monolayer photosensitive layer may include a mixture of a charge generating substance and a charge transfer substance.

Charge generating substance

The charge generating substance is a substance which easily generates charges and may, according to the present invention, include, for example, an azo pigment, bis-azo pigment, tris-azo pigment, phthalocyanine pigment, pyrylium salt dye, porylene dye and methyne dye.

Charge transfer substance

The charge transfer substance has an excellent charge transfer characteristic and may include a hydrazone, pyrazoline, polyvinylcarbazole, carbazole, stylbene, anthracene, naphthalene, tridiphenylmethane, azine, amine and aromataic amine.

A complex may be formed by the charge generating substance and the charge transfer substance to use as a charge transfer complex.

Generally, a photosensitive layer has a photosensitive characteristic which depends on the light absorption characteristic of the charge generating substance, but a complex, made by mixing the charge generating substance and the charge transfer substance, changes, in photoabsorption characteristic. For example, polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) is sensitive in ultraviolet region, trinitrofluorenone (TNF) near the wave length of 400 nm and PVK - TNF complex to 650 nm wave length region. The thickness of such a single layer photosensitive layer is preferably 10 - 50 µm.

(ii) Function separation photosensitive member

Charge generating substances have a nature to easily absorb light and traps charges while charge transfer substances are excellent in charge transfer but have a poor photoabsorption characteristic. For these reasons, the function separation photosensitive member separates these substances to fully exhibit their characteristics and has a charge generating layer and charge carrier layer laminated to each other.

Charge generating layer

Substances which constitute the charge generating layer may include, according to the present invention, azo, tris-azo, phthalocyanine, acid xanthene dye, cyanine, styril pigment, pyrylium, perylene, methine, a-Se, a-Si, azulenium salt and squalium salt.

Charge transfer layer

Substances which constitute the charge transfer layer may according to the present invention contain, for example, a hydrazone, pyrazoline, PVK, carbazole, oxazole, triazole, aromatic amine, amine, triphenylmethane and polycyclic aromatic compound.

To fabricate the function separation photosensitive member, a charge generating substance is applied over the electrode together with a binder resin to form a charge generation layer, and then a charge carrier material, dissolved into a solvent with a binder resin is applied over the charge generation layer to form a charge carrier layer. The charge generation layer and the charge carrier layer are preferably 0.1 - 10 µm and 10 - 50 µm in thickness, respectively.

Both the single layer photosensitive member and the function separation photosensitive member, may according to the present invention include, as the binder, for example a silicone resin, stylene-butadien copolymer. The binder may be added at an amount of 0.1 - 10 parts by weight per 1 part by weight of each of the charge generation substance and the charge transfer substance. Coating of the photosensitive layer may include dipping, vapor deposition, sputtering or the like processing.

The charge injection barrier layer is formed on at least one of opposite faces of the photoconduotive layer 9 so as to prevent dark current (charge injection from the electrode), that is, a phenomenon of charges in the photosensitive layer as if the layer were exposed rays of light when voltage is applied across it.

Current hardly flows to the photoconductive layer or the surface of the insulation layer in the presence of the charge injection barrier layer by application of voltage. However, upon exposure of light, portions of the charge injection barrier layer which correspond to the exposed portions of the photoconductive layer is subjected to high electric field since charges (electrons or holes) generated from the photoconductive layer occur. Thus, current flows through the charge injection barrier layer. Such a charge injection barrier layer may include an inorganic insulative film, organic insulative polymer film, insulative monomolecular film, and a laminated film of these monolayers. The inorganic insulative layer may be formed by glow discharging, vapor depositing or sputtering, for example, As₂ O₃, B₂O₃, Bi₂ O₃, CdS, CaO, CeO₂, Cr₂O₃, CoO, GeO₂, HfO₂, Fe₂O₃ , La₂O₃, MgO, MnO₂, Nd₂O₃, Nb₂O₅, PbO, Sb₂O₃, SiO₂, SeO₂, Ta₂ O₅, TiO₂, WO₃, V₂O₅, Y₂ O₅, Y₂O₃, ZrO₂, BaTiO₃, Al₂O₃, Bi₂TiO₅ ,CaO-SrO, CaO-Y₂ O₃, Cr-SiO, LiTaO₃, PbTiO₃, PbZrO₃, ZrO₂-Co, ZrO₂-SiO₂, AlN, BN, NbN, Si₃N₄, TaN, TiN, VN, ZrN, SiC, TiC, WC and Al₄C₃. The thickness of the inorganic insulative layer depends on the material thereof in view of insulation to prevent injection of charges. The charge injection barrier layer, using the rectification effect, is provided with a charge carrier layer which is capable of transporting charges of polarity, opposite to the polarity of the electrode substrate, by the rectification effect. Such a charge injection barrier layer may include an inorganic photoconductive layer, organic photoconductive layer and organic-inorganic composite photoconductive layer and the thickness thereof may be 0.1 - 10 µm. Specifically, when the electrode is negative, there may be provided an amorphous silicon photoconductor layer, doped with B, Al, Ga, In or the like element or an organic photoconductive layer formed by dispersing into a resin an amorphous selenium, oxadiazole, pyrazoline, polyvinylcarbazole, stylbene, anthracene, naphthalene, tridiphenylmethane, triphenylmethane, azine, amine and aromatic amine. When the electrode is positive, an amorphous silicon photoconductor, doped with P, As, Sb, Bi or the like element, or a ZnO photoconductive layer may be formed. Such layers may be formed by glow discharging, vapor deposition, sputtering, CVD, coating or the like processing.

Materials of the information carrying medium and how to fabricate the information carrying medium will be described below.

The information carrying medium 3 is used together with the photosensitive member 1 for record information as a distribution of electrostatic charges on the surface or the inside of the insulation layer 11 which is a component of the information carrying medium 3, and thus the information carrying medium itself is used as a recording medium. The charge carrying medium may have various shapes according to information to be recorded or how to record information. For example, when the present invention is applied to an electrostatic camera, the informatlon carrying medium may be in the shape of a usual film (single frame or continuous frame) or a disc. For recording digital information or analog information by laser, it may have a tape shape, disc shape or a card shape. The insulation layer backing member 15 serves to reinforce the information carrying medium 3. The backing member 15 may be generally made of the same material as the photoconductive layer backing member 5 and may be required to have light transmissibility. Specifically, as the backing member, a flexible plastic film is used for the information carrying medium 3 made of a flexible film, tape or a disc. When rigidity is required, an inorganic material, such as a rigid sheet and glass, is used as the backing member.

The information carrying medium 3 in the shape of a flexible film, tape and disc will be described below. FIG.1(e) illustrates a preferred mode of the medium of which resin layer 11 is continuous. The medium has backing member 15, provided with an electrode layer, and resin layer 11 coated over the upper face of the backing member to expose opposite lateral peripheries thereof as shown or coated over the whole surface of the upper face. The information carrying medium has a length twice or more as great as that of one picture, that is, that of one frame of a film of a camera or the track width of a digital information recording medium. A plurality of information carrying medium may be longitudinally jointed together. In this case, there may be a small slit or gap between two adjacent resin layers 11.

FIG.1(f) show an information carrying medium of which resin layer 11 is longitudinally discontinuous. This resin layer 11 is formed on backing layer, such as a plastic film, discontinuously in the longitudinal direction to uncover the opposite lateral peripheries of the backing layer as shown or to cover the whole surface thereof. The resin layer 11 consists of a plurality of sections aligned longitudinally. Although the size of each section depends on the exposure method of an input device of a picture or other type of information, it should be 36mm X 24mm for a 35mm camera or be equal to the track width of digital information recording for spot input such as laser beam. The resin lack portions or the slits, formed between adjacent resin sections, may be used as tracking bands in input and output of information for digital information recording. The present invention may use a plurality of information carrying medium of this type longitudinally jointed together, in which case a resin lack portion or a slit may be resin layers of two adjacent mediums.

The resin layer 11 may be discontinuous widthwise as illustrated in FIG. 1(g), in which the resin layer is formed transversely discontinuously on the backing member 15, made of a plastic film or the like material and having an electrode layer (not shown) formed thereon. The resin layer 11 is coated over the backing layer 15 to uncover the opposite lateral peripheries thereof as shown or to cover the whole surface thereof. The resin layer includes a plurality, three in this modification, of resin strips. The width of each strip may be equal to or integer times as large as the track width of digital information to be recorded. A resin lack portion or gap formed between two adjacent strips may be used as a tracking band for input and output of information.

FIG.1 (h) illustrates a disc shaped information carrying medium, which is fabricated by providing a special resin layer 11 on one face of a backing member 15 having electrode (not shown) formed on it. The resin layer 11 may be provided to cover the whole upper face of the backing member 15, and may have an circular central opening for drive by an input and output unit. The spiral resin lack portion or spiral groove 12 may be utilized as a tracking band for digital information recording.

The information carrying medium electrode 13 may be generally of the same material as the photosensitive member electrode 7 above described and is formed on the insulation layer backing member 15 in the same process as in the photosensitive member electrode 7.

The insulation layer 11 records information as a distribution of electrostatic charges on the surface or in the inside thereof, and it is required to have a high insulation, say 10¹⁴Ω.cm or more in specific resistance, for suppressing movement of charges. Such an insulation layer 11 may be formed by dissolving a resin or a rubber into a solvent and subsequently by coating, dipping, vapor depositing or sputtering of the backing member 15, having the electrode 13, with the dissolved resin.

The resin material of the insulation layer 11 may included, according to the present invention, a polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl resin, styrol resin, acryl resin, nylon 66, nylon 6, polycarbonate, acetal-homopolymer, fluorine resin, cellulose resin, phenol resin, urea resin, polyester resin, epoxy resin, flexible epoxy resin, melamine resin, silicon resin, phenoxy resin, aromatic polyimide, PPO, and polysulfone. The rubber may include, for example, polyisoprene, polybuthadiene, polychloroprene, isobuthyrene, nitrile rubber, polyacryl rubber, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, ethylene-propylene rubber, fluorine-contained rubber, silicone rubber, polysulfide synthetic rubber, urethane rubber and mixture thereof.

The insulation layer 11 may be formed by sticking one of the following films on the information carrying medium electrode 13 through an adhesive or the like material: a silicone film, polyester film, polyimide film, fluorine-contained film, polyethylene film, polypropylene film, polyparabanic acid film, polycarbonate film and polyamide film. Alternatively, the insulation layer 11 may be formed by coating the electrode 13 with or by dipping it in a plastic material, such as a thermoplastic resin, thermosetting resin, electron beam setting resin and rubber, the plastic material having a curing agent, solvent or the like necessary material added to it for the processing.

As the insulation layer 11, use may be made of a mono layer or build-up layers formed by Langmuir-Blodgett's technique.

A charge retaining layer may be provided between the insulation layer 11 and the electrode 13 or on the outer face of the insulation layer 11. The charge retaining layer is a layer into which charges are injected when strong electric field ( 10⁴ V/cm or larger ) is applied to it while charges are not injected in low electric field ( less than 10⁴ V/cm).

As the charge retaining layer, use may be according to the present invention, for example, of SiO₂, Al₂ O₃, SiC and SiN. An organic film, such as a vapor-deposited polyethylene film and vapor-deposited polyparaxylylene film, may be used for the charge retaining layer of the present invention.

It is according to the present invention preferable to add an electron donative material (electron donor) or electron acceptive meterial (electron acceptor) to the insulation layer 11 for holding electrostatic charges more steadily. The donor material may include, for example, a styrene, pyrene, naphthalene, anthracene, pyridine and azine compound. Specifically, use may be made of tetrathiofulvalene, polyvinyl-pyrididne, polyvinyl-naphthalene, polyvinyl-anthracene, polyazine, polyvinyl-pyrene, polystyrene, and mixture thereof. The acceptor material may include a halide, cyanide, nitrocompound and the like compound. Specifically, tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), trinitrofluorenone and their mixture may be used as the acceptor material. The donor material and the acceptor material may be added at about 0.001 - 10 % of the resin of the insulating layer 11. Fine particles may be according to the present invention added to the information carrying medium for steadily holding charges. They may be a finely divided powder of an element of the following groups in the periodic table: IA group ( alkaline metals), IB group (copper group), IIA group (alkaline earth metals), IIB group (zinc group), IIIA group (aluminum group), IIIB group (rare earth metals), IVB group (titanium group), VB group (vanadium group), VIB (chromium group), VIIB group (manganese group), VIII group (iron group and platinum group), IVA group (carbon group), VA group (nitrogen group) and VIA group (oxygen group). The IVA group contains carbon, silicon, germanium, tin and lead, VA group antimony and bismuth, and VIA group sulfur, selenium and tellurium. A finely divided powder of the above-named elements may be also used for steadily holding charges. Metal elements of the above-named substances may be used in the form of metallic ion, finely divided alloy, organic metal and complex. They may be used also in the form of an oxide, phosphate, sulfonated compounds and halogenated compounds. These additives may be added at a trace amount to the information carrying medium made of the above-resins and rubbers. They may be added in an amount of about 0.01 - 10 % by weight of the information carrying medium. The insulating layer 11 must have a thickness 1000 Å (0.1 µm) or larger in view of insulation and preferably has a thickness 100 µm or smaller when flexibility is required.

The insulation layer 11 thus formed may be provided on its one face with a protecting film for preventing damage or discharging of information charges on the one face. As the protecting film, a film of adhesive rubber, such as silicone rubber, or a film of a resin, such as a polyterpene resin stuck to the surface of the insulating layer 11. Also, a plastic film may be stuck to the insulating layer 11 by means of an adhesive material such as a silicone oil. Preferably, the protecting film has a specific resistance 10¹⁴Ω.cm or more and a thickness about 0.5-30 µm. A thinner protecting film is preferable for a higher resolution of information of the insulating layer 11. Information in the insulation layer 11 may be reproduced over the protecting layer, or it may be performed in a condition that the protecting layer is separated from the insulation layer.

To hold electrostatic charges, an electret may be used other than the so-called free charge holding method in which surface charges are stored as described above.

Fig. 2 shows an example of the potential reading method for the information recording and reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, and the reference number represents the same content as in Fig. 1. In this figure, 51 refers to a potential reading unit, 53 a detection electrode, 55 a guard electrode, 57 a condenser, and 59 a voltmeter.

When the potential reading unit 51 is placed face-to-face to the charge accumulated surface of the information carrying medium 3, the electric field generated by the electric charge accumulated on the insulating layer 11 of the information carrying medium 3 exerts action on the detection electrode 53, and the electric charge equivalent to the charge on the information carrying medium is induced on the surface of the detection electrode. Since the condenser 57 is charged with the electric charge equivalent to but having the polarity opposite to the induced charge, and the potential difference is generated between the electrodes of the condenser. By reading this value on voltmeter 59, the potential on the information carrying medium can be obtained. By scanning the surface of the information carrying medium with the potential reading unit 51, electrostatic latent image can be outputted as electric signal. When only the detection electrode 53 is used, the resolution may be reduced by the action of electric field (electric line of force) by electric charge in wider range than the region opposite to the detection electrode of the information carrying medium. Thus, the guard electrode 55 grounded on the surrounding of the detection electrode may be allocated. Then, the electric line of force will be directed to the direction perpendicular to the surface, and electric line of force of only the region facing toward the detection electrode 53 will exert action. This makes it possible to read the potential at the region with approximately the same area as that of detection electrode. Because the accuracy and resolution of the potential reading greatly differ according the shape, size of the detection electrode and the guard electrode and to the distance from the information carrying medium, it is essential to design with the optimal conditions to suit the specified performance characteristics.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the information recording and reproducing apparatus.

As shown in Fig. 3 (a), the predetermined voltage is applied between the photosensitive member 1 and the information carrying medium 3 by power unit 17, and exposure is performed under this condition. Then, negative electric charge is trapped on the insulating layer 11 of the information carrying medium 3, and latent image is formed. To erase this latent image, the polarity of the power source 17 is reversed as shown in Fig. 3 (b), and exposure is performed in the same exposure patterns as in Fig. 3 (a). The electric charge of the polarity opposite to that of Fig. 3 (a) is recorded on the insulating layer 11 or the information carrying medium 3, and the latent image formed by the exposure of Fig. 3 (a) is cancelled. Thus, the potential on the insulating layer 11 is turned to 0, and the latent image is erased.

As shown in Fig. 3 (c), when the voltage of the same polarity as that of exposure in Fig. 3 (a) is applied and exposure is performed in the pattern reverse to that of Fig. 3 (a), negative electric charge is uniformly recorded on the insulating layer 11, and the latent image is erased. In case of Fig. 3 (c), the insulating layer 11 is maintained at the predetermined constant potential. Accordingly, if exposure is performed by reversing the polarity of supply voltage, recording can be repeated.

Fig. 4 gives a further embodiment of this invention. By performing uniform exposure to the information carrying medium, on which the latent image is formed, the latent image can be erased.

In Fig. 4 (a), an example is illustrated, in which uniform exposure is performed by applying the voltage of the same polarity as that of the exposure under voltage application. Since the portion with latent image is loaded with more charges at the exposure, it is quickly saturated if exposure is continued. Also, on the portion, where latent image was not formed, it will be saturated when exposure is continued. By performing exposure for a certain period of time, the saturated voltage is reached on the surface of the insulating layer 11, and the latent image is erased. If exposure is performed under this condition by reversing the polarity of supply voltage, re-writing can be attained.

Fig. 4 (b) gives an example, in which uniform exposure is performed by applying the voltage of the polarity reverse to that of the exposure of Fig. 4 (a). In this case, the portion not exposed in Fig. 3 (a) is first saturated with the positive charge. The exposed portion with latent image is then saturated, leading to total uniform charging, and the latent image is erased. In this case, it is possible to achieve re-writing by reversing the polarity of voltage.

In Fig. 4 (c), an example of latent image erasing by voltage application only is illustrated. When light is not irradiated, the photosensitive body has higher resistance and the erasing speed is slow, while this method eliminates uniform lighting. Also, it is possible to increase the erasing speed by employing an electrode instead of photosensitive member. In the figure, the voltage with the polarity different from that of the recording is applied, whereas it is naturally allowed to apply the voltage of the same polarity.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment, in which latent image is erased by uniform charging through corona discharge.

In this embodiment, for example, AC corona discharge is performed, and uniform charging is performed by positive or negative charge on the insulating layer 11, and latent image is erased. It is naturally possible to perform discharge not in AC but in DC.

The methods to erase the latent image by heating are illustrated in Figs. 6 - 12.

Fig. 6 shows a method to erase the latent image by infrared heating. By irradiating infrared ray on the information carrying medium where latent image is formed, the insulating layer 11 is heated. As the result, the conductivity of the insulating layer 11 is increased, and the charge forming the latent image is leaked, thus erasing the latent image.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment, in which electric current is connected to the electrode of the information carrying medium, and the latent image is erased by resistance heating. The electrode of the information carrying medium consists of the substance having resistance of 10⁶ Ω·cm or lower. Since it is provided with the predetermined resistance, it is heated up when power is connected. Because the information carrying medium itself is very thin and has small heat capacity, it is heated up within short time. Thus, the charge forming the latent image is leaked, and latent image is erased.

Fig. 8 shows the erasing of latent image by microwave heating. The insulating layer itself is heated up by dielectric loss of the insulating layer 11. As temperature and conductivity are increased, the charge is leaked, and latent image is erased.

Fig. 9 represents an example, in which the surface of the insulating layer 11 of the information carrying medium is heated up and the latent image is erased. When thermal head 401 is heated and the insulating layer 11 is heated on contact or non-contact basis, the charge forming the latent image is leaked, and the latent image is erased.

In Fig. 10, an embodiment is illustrated, in which latent image is erased by irradiating ultraviolet ray.

Fig. 10 (a) shows the irradiation of ultraviolet light of the same pattern as the exposure pattern, by which latent image was formed. By irradiation of ultraviolet ray, the carrier for electron and hole is generated in the insulating layer 11. Because an electric field is generated by electric charge, which forms latent image, on the portion with latent image, the carrier of the polarity opposite to that of electric charge is pulled and neutralized, and electric charge with opposite polarity goes toward the earth. As the result, electric charge forming the latent image is neutralized, and latent image is erased.

Fig. 10 (b) shows an example, in which ultraviolet ray is uniformly irradiated on the information carrying medium. Since the electric charge is neutralized in the same way as in Fig. 10 (a) on the portion with latent image and no electric field is generated on the other portions, the generated carriers are bonded together immediately and disappear. Thus, electric charge is not accumulated as a whole on the insulating layer 11, and latent image can be erased.

Fig. 11 represents an embodiment, in which the electric charge on the insulating layer 11 is leaked by power collecting material. In the figure, 403 is a conductive material having a brush 405. By scanning on the surface of the information carrying medium with brush 405, electric charge is leaked and latent image can be erased.

Fig. 12 shows an example, in which steam is blown on the information carrying medium and electric charge is leaked by giving conductivity to it. Through the conductive gas, electric charge is leaked, and latent image can be erased.

As described above, the latent image with high insulating property and difficult to erase on the information carrying medium can be easily and positively erased. Therefore, it is possible to repeatedly use the information carrying medium.