Materials for optical medium copy-protection transiently reacting to a reader beam

• US 20040004922A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verification Technologies, Inc. (Sun Chemical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verification Technologies, Inc. (Sun Chemical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Turner, Tomeko, Li, Junzhong, Cook, Ewell, Vig, Rakesh, Selinfreund, Richard H., Goyette, Donald R., Colandreo, Michael, Gerger, Scott
• Application Number:
  US10/418,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20040004922A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/53.21
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 279/18 [b, e]-condensed with two six-membered rings
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 279/36 [b, e]-condensed, at least one with a further condensed benzene ring
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 23/145 the ethylene chain carrying an heterocyclic residue, e.g. heterocycle-CH=CH-C6H5
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 57/00 Other synthetic dyes of known constitution
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00608 wherein the material that the record carrier is made of is altered, e.g. adding reactive dyes that alter the optical properties of a disc after prolonged exposure to light or air
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00927 wherein said defects or errors are generated on purpose, e.g. intended scratches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/281 by changing the physical properties of the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/00736 Auxiliary data, e.g. lead-in, lead-out, Power Calibration Area [PCA], Burst Cutting Area [BCA], control information sector headers or adresses in prepits G11B7/00745; address data in track wobble G11B7/24082
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2403 Layers; Shape, structure or physical properties thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/24085 Pits
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/244 comprising organic materials only
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/252 of layers other than recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2534 polycarbonates [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/258 of reflective layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/26 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of record carriers

Abstract

A method and system for providing copy-protected optical medium using transient optical state change security materials capable of changing optical state and software code to detect such change in optical state.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating an optical medium readable by an optical reader, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) molding a substrate so as to have a first major surface with information pits and information lands thereon and a second major surface that is relatively planar;

(b) applying a transient optical state change security material capable of converting from a first optical state to a second optical state upon exposure to the laser of said optical reader to at least a position of said first major surface;

(c) applying a reflective material over the first major surface so as to cover said information pits and information lands;

wherein the transient optical state change security material is selected from the group consisting of;

phenothiazine, anthrancene, spyroxoxazine, and 1,2-dihydroquinoline compounds.

2. An optical disc readable by an optical reader generating a reading beam comprising:

a substrate having first major surface with one or more information pits and lands thereon, and a second major surface that is relatively planar, said information pits and lands convertible into digital data bits when read through the second major surface by said reading reading beam of said optical reader;

a transient optical state change security material dispersed throughout said substrate, said transient optical state change security material capable of existing in a first unactivated state and a second activated state; and

a reflective layer positioned over said information pits and lands;

wherein in at least two or more of said pits flanking a land are of sufficient depth to form a light-reflecting interferometer when the transient optical state material is in its first state but not in its second state, upon interface with said reading beam.

3. An optical disc readable by an optical reader generating a reading beam comprising:

a substrate having first major surface with one or more information pits and lands thereon, and a second major surface that is relatively planar, said information pits and lands convertible into digital data bits when read through the second major surface by said reading reading beam of said optical reader;

a transient optical state change security material capable of existing in a first unactivated state and a second activated state selectively applied along the first major surface so as to provide a valid digital data bit read when the transient state change security material is in its first unactivated state and its second activated state.

4. An optical disc readable by an optical reader generating a reading beam comprising:

a substrate having first major surface with one or more information pits and lands thereon, and a second major surface that is relatively planar, said information pits and lands convertible into digital data bits when read through the second major surface by said reading reading beam of said optical reader;

a transient optical state change security material capable of existing in a first unactivated state and a second activated state selectively applied along the first major surface so as to provide an erroneous digital data bit read when the transient state change security material is in its first unactivated state and a valid data bit read when it is in its second activated state.

5. An optical disc readable by an optical reader generating a reading beam comprising:

a substrate having first major surface with one or more information pits and lands thereon, and a second major surface that is relatively planar, said information pits and lands convertible into digital data bits when read through the second major surface by said reading reading beam of said optical reader;

a transient optical state change security material capable of existing in a first unactivated state and a second activated state selectively applied along the first major surface so as to provide an erroneous digital data bit read when the transient state change security material is in its first unactivated state and its second activated state.

6. An optical storage medium comprising:

an optical disc having a lead-in area, a data area, and a lead-out area;

a transient optical state change security material applied at least at one position in the lead-out area of said optical disc.

7. The optical storage medium of claim 6 wherein said transient optical state change security material is opaque in its first optical state and translucent in its second optical state.

8. The optical storage medium of claim 6 wherein said transient optical state change security material is translucent in its first optical state and opaque in its second optical state.

9. An optical medium comprising a compound of the following structure:

10. The optical medium of claim 9 wherein said compound is detectable on said optical medium by an optical reader producing a wavelength of from about 640 nm to 840 nm.

11. The optical medium of claim 9 wherein said compound is detectable on said optical medium by an optical reader producing a wavelength of from about 770 nm to 830 nm.

12. The optical medium of claim 9 wherein the compound is associated with an optical data deformation in a manner such that the read of the optical data deformation is different when the compound is in its initial optical state and its second optical state.

13. A method for authenticating an optical medium having a number of data deformations thereon, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) providing for a complementary data state onto a portion of said optical medium;

(2) detecting said complementary data state on said portion of said optical medium.

(3) authenticating said optical medium upon detection of said complementary data state on said pottion of said optical medium.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said complementary data state entails a change from one valid data state to a different valid data state.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said complementary data state entails a change from one erroneous data state to a different erroneous data state.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said complementary data state entails a change from a valid data state to an erroneous data state.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said complementary data state entails a change from an erroneous data state to a valid data state.