CD-ROM with machine-readable i.d. code

• US 5,513,169 A
• Filed: 11/29/1994
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digital Audio Disc Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Audio Disc Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Michael L., Kunz, Russ A., Brannon, Clifford R., Fite, Barry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN
• Application Number:
  US08/346,423
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 369/275.2, 369/275.5, 369/283, 369/272, 369/52, 369/53, 369/54, 369/286, 369/292, 369/273, 380/3, 380/4, 235/484
• US Class Current: 720/718
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/126 by photographic or thermographic registration recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• 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 20/00115 wherein the record carrier stores a unique medium identifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00123 the record carrier being identified by recognising some of its unique characteristics, e.g. a unique defect pattern serving as a physical signature of the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00246 wherein the key is obtained from a local device, e.g. device key initially stored by the player or by the recorder
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0026 the key being stored as a barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00326 the key being embossed on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00557 wherein further management data is encrypted, e.g. sector headers, TOC or the lead-in or lead-out areas
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00695 said measures preventing that data are read from the recording medium
• 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 23/281 by changing the physical properties of the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/284 on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/36 Signals on record carriers or on containers and recorded by the same method as the main recording
• 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 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/24 by sensing features on the record carrier other than the transducing track ; sensing signals or marks recorded by another method than the main recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 : with discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/005 : Reproducing G11B7/0065 takes precedence
• 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 machine-readable serial number is formed on a CD-ROM by using a laser to selectively remove a reflective layer from the CD-ROM, Removal of the reflective layer creates defects in addressable information storage locations on the CD-ROM, The serial number is read by detecting the defects, The serial number is used in a software distribution system in which many different software programs are distributed on a single CD-ROM and an access code based on the desired software program and the serial number of a particular CD-ROM is used to "unlock" the desired program on the particular CD-ROM,

Claims

1. A method of applying a human-readable serial number to an optical information storage disk having a machine-readable code formed thereon, comprising the steps of:

reading said machine-readable code formed on said disk;

performing an encryption algorithm with respect to said read machine-readable code to obtain an encrypted code; and

applying said encrypted code to said disk in human-readable form.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said applying step includes engraving characters on a surface of said disk.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said engraving is performed with a laser.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said applying step includes forming characters in ink on a surface of said disk.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

said disk has a plurality of addressable information storage locations;

said machine-readable code was formed by creating defects in selected ones of said information storage locations; and

said reading step includes examining predetermined ones of said plurality of addressable information locations to detect defects in said predetermined ones of said information locations.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reading step comprises illuminating a surface of said disk with a laser beam so that said beam is reflected from said surface and detecting variations in said reflected beam.

7. A method of forming a machine-readable code on an optical information storage disk comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of addressable information storage locations in tracks on said disk, the tracks including storage location addressing information for the addressable information storage locations, at least some of said addressable information storage locations containing program information readable by an optical disk reading apparatus using the storage location addressing information; and

creating defects in ones of said addressable information storage locations in a predetermined pattern to form a machine-readable code such that the machine-readable code is readable by the optical disk reading apparatus by accessing the machine-readable code using the storage location addressing information.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said disk is a compact disk formed of a molded substrate and a reflective coating on said substrate, said substrate storing said program information in the form of pits molded in said substrate, and said step of creating defects includes removing said reflective coating from said substrate at said ones of said information storage locations.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said removing includes vaporizing said reflective coating with a focused laser beam.

10. A method of providing access to a selected one of a plurality of software programs stored in a CD-ROM, comprising the steps of:

inserting said CD-ROM into a CD-ROM drive interfaced to a personal computer;

entering into said personal computer an access code for providing access to said selected one of said plurality of software programs stored in said CD-ROM;

examining a plurality of information storage locations on said CD-ROM to detect defects in said information storage locations;

establishing a disk identification code on the basis of results of said examining step; and

verifying said entered access code on the basis of said established disk identification code.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said examining step includes attempting to read said plurality of information storage locations.

12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of generating said access code on the basis of a human-readable serial number attached to said CD-ROM and information which identifies said selected one of said plurality of software programs.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein said disk identification code includes at least 8 bits.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said disk identification code consists of 16 bits.