Multiple system disk

• US 4,562,495 A
• Filed: 07/02/1984
• Issued: 12/31/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verbatim Corporation (Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Verbatim Corporation (Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bond, Charles R., Sturtevant-Stuart, Ronald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stellar, George G.
• Application Number:
  US06/627,238
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 360/60, 360/69, 360/78, 360/133, 360/135, 364/191, 369/28, 369/47
• US Class Current: 360/78.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device

Abstract

A multiple system data storage disk adapted for use with more than one type of computer. The disk is specially formatted to include software for each computer. The disk includes four discrete recognition headers, one for each target computer, placed at locations on the disk where each computer expects to being its data loading operation. Each header further includes software directing the computer to step out to a discrete group of data tracks located elsewhere on the disk. Each data track group contains an identical program, written in each target computer'"'"'s language. The disk is suited to video games for multiple computers. An alternative embodiment of the disk includes a header or headers containing a magnetic signature for copy protection. A disk can be produced with twenty-four such headers, one for each type of computer on the market, which can be mass produced to provide low-cost copy protection for all machines.

Claims

1. A magnetic information storage system comprising

a flexible disk storage medium including a base film substrate and at least one magnetic recording layer suitable for recording a plurality of separate tracks;

a plurality of headers on at least one of said tracks, each of the headers occupying a discrete angular portion of the disk and carrying an encoded sequence readable by only one of a plurality of target computers, said sequence comprising directions to the computer to load the encoded information and further to step out and to process a plurality of data tracks located elsewhere on the disk.

2. The magnetic information storage system of claim 1 wherein

three headers are located on an outermost track, and a fourth header is located on an intermediate track;

and

a plurality of tracks comprise data tracks for containing information to be utilized by each of said target computers, said data tracks being divided into a plurality of approximately equal blocks whereby each computer may access its own individual data block.

3. The information storage system of claim 1 including

twenty-four headers, angularly disposed about the disk with one header for each possible combination of 128, 256, 512 and 1024 byte-length sectors, with FM, MFM, and GCR coding formats, and with 48 and 96 TPI track densities, each header having magnetically encoded information constituting a signature whereby a computer reading the disk may be instructed to not load the information contained thereon unless the signature is present.

4. A flexible disk storage medium adapted to be read by more than one type of computer comprising

a base film substrate;

at least one magnetic recording layer deposited on said substrate and adapted for recording information in a plurality of concentrically-arrayed and angularly sectored tracks with a zero track located near the outer perimeter of the disk;

a plurality of headers placed at discrete angular intervals about said tracks, each header having a specific code format; and

a plurality of data track groups, equal in number to the number of headers and each containing data encoded in the same code format as the header.

5. The disk medium of claim 4 including

four angularly disposed data sectors and headers, three of said headers being disposed about a zero track and a fourth being disposed about an intermediate track, and a plurality of data tracks apportioned approximately equally into four geometrically discrete sets thereof, each set of data tracks being informationally linked with a header.

6. The disk medium of claim 5 wherein

the specific code formats include FM, MFM and GCR.

7. In a flexible disk magnetic recording medium including a base film substrate layer and a magnetic recording layer having a plurality of concentrically arrayed data tracks, the improvement comprising:

at least two angularly disposed data sectors each containing a header comprising a unique series of encoded signals capable of being recognized by a specific type of computer, each of said headers further including a series of encoded signals comprising an instruction directing said computer to a set of data tracks located elsewhere on the disk, whereby said disk may be read by at least two computers each recognizing its own unique header and data tracks.

8. The disk medium of claim 7 including

four angularly disposed data sectors and headers, three of said headers being disposed about an outermost track and a fourth being disposed on an intermediate track, said remaining tracks comprising data tracks and apportioned approximately equally into four geometrically discrete sets thereof, one set for each of four target computers.

9. A process for making a flexible magnetic storage medium adapted for use with a plurality of target computers, comprising

(a) assigning a set of data tracks for each of a plurality of target computers, said data tracks comprising discrete concentric portions of the disk;

(b) constructing a boot program for each of said target computers, directing said computer to its own assigned set of data tracks;

(c) partitioning a boot track for each of said target computers, said boot track containing the boot program, each of said target computers having a discrete portion of the boot track;

(d) writing the boot track onto the disk;

(e) writing the desired program onto the data portion of the disk, each of said target computers having its own data portion written in said computer'"'"'s particular code format; and

(f) duplicating the disk.

10. The process according to claim 9 wherein

the particular code formats include FM, MFM and GCR.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein

there are four target computers;

and

a first boot track for three of said target computers is located about a zero track of said disk, and a second boot track for said fourth computer being located about an intermediate data track.

12. The process of claim 9 wherein

said partitioning of the first boot track is done by using a first code system as a template, formatting the entire boot track with said system, and subsequently writing the other systems'"'"' codes in the unused portion of said first code'"'"'s boundaries.

13. The process of claim 9 wherein

said partitioning of the first boot track is done by encrypting code information of a first code system into a second code system whereby said second code system can be utilized for two computer systems, said second code system being utilized to write said boot program for two of said three computer systems in one write pass, said third system being written on said boot track on a subsequent write pass.

14. The process of claim 9 wherein

said partitioning of the first boot track is done by encrypting code information of a first and second code system into a third code system whereby said third code system can be utilized to write all three boot programs contained in said first track.