Multiple system disk
First Claim
1. A magnetic information storage system comprisinga 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.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
14 Claims
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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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. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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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. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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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. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification