Storage media for an optical information system having an identification code embedded therein

• US 5,430,281 A
• Filed: 02/28/1994
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cushman, Thomas R., Lentz, Joseph P., Kline, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US08/203,842
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 369/33, 250/566, 235/375, 235/487
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• 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 20/00268 said barcode being recorded in a burst cutting area [BCA]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00876 wherein physical copy protection means are attached to the medium, e.g. holograms, sensors, or additional semiconductor circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00927 wherein said defects or errors are generated on purpose, e.g. intended scratches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/284 on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/38 Visual features other than those contained in record tracks or represented by sprocket holes the visual signals being auxiliary signals
• 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 7/24 Record carriers characterised by shape, structure or physical properties, or by the selection of the material characterised by the arrangement of information on the carrier G11B7/007
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/26 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of record carriers

Abstract

A optical storage disc for use in an optical storage system includes a storage layer which is capable of being disrupted when a laser beam of sufficient intensity is focused thereon. The optical storage disc has a transparent substrate layer on one side of the storage layer and a lacquer layer on the other side of the storage layer. The disruptions provided by the laser beam are selected to provide human readable and/or machine readable patterns. To reduce the damage to portions of the optical disc other than the storage layer, the storage layer is exposed to the laser beam prior to curing, or prior to applying and curing the lacquer layer. The optical disc can be of the type with data written thereon during fabrication, or the disc can be of the type in which data can be impressed thereon after fabrication of the optical disc. The patterns on the optical disc can be in the form of optical bar codes. In one application of the present invention involving the type of disc on which data can be written after fabrication, the pattern resulting from application of the laser beam to the disc is read by an optical reading device and transferred to the disc in the data format.

Claims

1. An optical storage disc capable of having identifiable and indelible markings stored thereon, said markings resulting from an interaction of a laser beam with said optical storage disc, said optical storage disc comprising:

support substrate layer;

a storage layer proximate said support substrate layer and capable of having data stored thereon, said storage layer having a preselected pattern of disruptions in a selected region resulting from irradiation by said laser beam;

a protective layer covering said storage layer, wherein said protective layer is required to be cured in order to protect said storage layer, said protective layer is applied prior to fabrication of said preselected pattern of disruptions, and said protective layer is cured after fabrication of said preselected pattern of disruptions.

2. A method of permanently marking an optical storage disc, said method comprising the steps of:

assembling an optical disc having a storage layer and a polycarbonate layer;

applying a pattern of disruptions on a selected region of said storage layer with a laser beam; and

protecting said selected region of said storage layer with a lacquer layer, wherein said protecting step includes the steps of covering said selected region with a lacquer overcoat prior to said applying step and curing said lacquer overcoat after said applying step.

3. An optical disk of a type having a polycarbonate substrate layer and a storage layer, said storage layer having a pattern of disruptions providing identifying markings, wherein the improvement is characterized by:

protecting said pattern of disruptions in a selected region by a protective layer consisting of a material requiring a curing operation, wherein said curing operation is performed on said protective layer after said pattern of disruptions has been applied to said storage layer;

wherein said optical disc is further characterized by applying said protective layer to said selected region prior to providing said identifying markings.