Media drive with a luminescence detector and methods of detecting an authentic article

• US 20060041898A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Potyrailo, Radislav, Wisnudel, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 720/658
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/1205 Testing spectral properties
• 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 23/281 by changing the physical properties of the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0053 Reproducing non-user data, e.g. wobbled address, prepits, BCA

Abstract

A media drive is disclosed. In one embodiment, a media drive can comprise: a disk holder, a drive laser, a disk reader, and a luminescence detector. The disk holder can be capable of applying a rotational force to a media disk. The drive laser is disposed so that light from the laser will be incident on the media disk when it is disposed in the disk holder. The disk reader is disposed to receive data from the media disk. A method for authenticating a media disk is also disclosed. The method can comprises: disposing the article in a reader, illuminating at least a portion of the article with the information reader, monitoring a luminescence emission of the illuminated article, and determining if the luminescence emission is consistent with an authentic article. If a luminescent material is present, the information reader excites the luminescent material to create a luminescence emission.

Claims

1. A media drive, comprising:

a disk holder capable of applying a rotational force to a media disk;

a drive laser disposed so that light from the laser will be incident on the media disk when it is disposed in the disk holder, wherein the light is capable of being used for recording on the media disk, playback of information on the media disk, or both;

a disk reader disposed to receive data from the media disk; and

a luminescence detector.

2. The media drive of claim 1, wherein the luminescence detector is disposed adjacent to the disk reader.

3. The media drive of claim 1, wherein the drive laser is capable of causing a luminescence emission from a luminescent material in an authentic medium.

4. The media drive of claim 1, wherein the luminescence detector is attached to the disk reader.

5. The media drive of claim 1, wherein the luminescence detector comprises an optical fiber.

6. The media drive of claim 1, comprising an additional drive laser.

7. The media drive of claim 1, further comprising a comparator in operable communication with the luminescence detector.

8. The media drive of claim 1, wherein the luminescence detector comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a photo multiplier tube, a charge-transfer device, an optical probe, a light guiding element, and a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

9. A method for authenticating a media disk, comprising:

disposing the media disk in a media drive, wherein the media drive comprises a disk holder, a drive laser, a disk reader, and a luminescence detector;

rotating the disk;

illuminating at least a portion of the disk with the drive laser, wherein, if a luminescent material is present, the drive laser excites the luminescent material to create a luminescence emission;

monitoring the luminescence emission of the illuminated media disk over time; and

determining if the luminescence emission is consistent with an authentic disk.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising creating relative radial motion between the drive laser and the media disk such that the light is incident upon portions of the media disk having different radial locations.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein creating relative motion comprises manually moving the article.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein, if the luminescence emission is not consistent with the authentic disk, further comprising performing an action selected from the group consisting of preventing reading of the media disk, preventing writing to the media disk, ejecting the media disk, locking the media drive to prevent removal of the media disk, reconfirming that the media disk is not authentic, marking the media disk to inhibit future use of the media disk, shutting off the media drive, displaying a warning, sending a message to the authentic media manufacturer, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the luminescent material is a fluorescent material.

14. A method for authenticating an article, comprising:

disposing the article in a reader, wherein the reader comprises an article holder, an information reader, and a luminescence detector;

illuminating at least a portion of the article with the information reader, wherein, if a luminescent material is present, the information reader excites the luminescent material to create a luminescence emission;

monitoring a luminescence emission of the illuminated article over time; and

determining if the luminescence emission is consistent with an authentic article.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the article is a medium selected from the group consisting of a credit card/debit card, a passport, a casino chip, and personal identification.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, if the luminescence emission is not consistent with the authentic article, further comprising performing an action selected from the group consisting of preventing reading of the article, preventing writing to the article, ejecting the article, locking the reader to prevent removal of the article, reconfirming that the article is not authentic, marking the article to inhibit future use of the article, shutting off the reader, displaying a warning, sending a message to the authentic article manufacturer, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the luminescent material is a fluorescent material.