Information storage medium and electronic device using the same

• US 6,102,800 A
• Filed: 06/05/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Owaki, Hidetaka, Kitahara, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/869,596
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/44, 463/43, 273/148 B, 369/47, 369/48, 369/54, 369/275.3, 369/275.4, 369/275.5
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• 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 20/00166 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• 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 23/283 Security features, e.g. digital codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/40 Identifying or analogous means applied to or incorporated in the record carrier and not intended for visual display simultaneously with the playing-back of the record carrier, e.g. label, leader, photograph
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

Security is ensured by judging agreement with a specific indication, such as a trademark, whose identity is socially recognizable to effectively expel counterfeits from the market. A game machine in which a CD-ROM 17 is mounted on a game machine 10 to play a game based on program information stored in the CD-ROM 17 comprises a recognition sensor 22 reading a trademark indication region 20 on the exterior surface of the CD-ROM 17, and a judging unit judging whether a specific trademark ™ is displayed in a trademark indication region, the game based on the program information being prevented from starting or if started stopped when the specific trademark ™ is not displayed.

Claims

1. An optically readable disk shaped ROM medium for use with a game control unit having an optical image detecting sensor, said disk shaped medium comprising an area for storing a game program which is operable on said game control unit, a predetermined area of a substantially flat plane positioned to correspond with said optical image detecting sensor, and a proprietary image indication formed in said predetermined area so as to be visually recognizable as the proprietary image indication to the human eye as well as optically readable by said optical image detecting sensor to provide data indicative of the proprietary image indication.

2. An electronic device comprising:

a medium mounting unit on which an optically readable disk shaped information storage medium stored with digital information is to be mounted;

an optical detection unit which optically detects said disk shaped medium to read said digital information and a predetermined region positioned at a portion of said disk shaped medium other than the region which is stored with said digital information;

a storage unit which stores reference data indicative of an authentication indication; and

a judging unit which compares a detected signal, which is generated by detecting said predetermined region of said disk shaped medium by said optical detection unit, with said reference data stored in said storing unit,

wherein when said medium mounting unit is mounted with a disk shaped information storage medium which is formed with said authentication indication on the predetermined region so as to be visually recognizable as the authentication indication to the human eye as well as optically readable by said optical detection unit to provide data indicative of said authentication indication, said optical detection unit detects said predetermined region and said electronic device prepares for operation based on said digital information when the detected data from said predetermined region matches with said reference data.

3. An optically readable disk shaped information storage medium for use with an electronic device comprising:

a first region in which digital information is stored so as to be optically detectable by an optical detection unit of said electronic device; and

a second region which is formed with an authentication indication so as to be visually recognizable as the authentication indication to the human eye as well as detectable by said optical detection unit to provide data indicative of the authentication indication to be compared with reference data stored in the electronic device when said medium is mounted on said electronic device.

4. An optically readable disk shaped information storage medium for use with an electronic device comprising:

a first region in which a game program is stored so as to be optically detectable by an optical detection unit of said electronic device; and

a second region formed with an authentication indication so as to be visually recognizable as the authentication indication to the human eye as well as detectable by said optical detection unit to provide data indicative of the authentication indication to be compared with reference data stored in the electronic device when said medium is mounted on said electronic device.