Copy-protected optical media and method of manufacture thereof

• US 6,638,593 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2001
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verification Technologies, Inc. (Sun Chemical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verification Technologies, Inc. (Sun Chemical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goyette, Donald R., Vig, Rakesh, Drew, Jeffrey M., Selinfreund, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULVANEY, ELIZABETH EVANS
• Application Number:
  US09/879,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20020197510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 428/64.1, 428/64.4, 428/64.5, 428/64.8, 428/913, 430/270.11, 430/495.1, 430/945, 369/283, 369/288
• US Class Current: 428/64.1
• 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 19/12 by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter end mark
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/122 involving the detection of an identification or authentication mark record carriers indicating unauthorised or prior use G11B23/28
• 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 20/00586 said format change concerning the physical format of the recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00608 wherein the material that the record carrier is made of is altered, e.g. adding reactive dyes that alter the optical properties of a disc after prolonged exposure to light or air
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00768 wherein copy control information is used, e.g. for indicating whether a content may be copied freely, no more, once, or never, by setting CGMS, SCMS, or CCI flags
• 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 2007/24312 group 14 elements (e.g. Si, Ge, Sn)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/24314 group 15 elements (e.g. Sb, Bi)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/24316 group 16 elements (i.e. chalcogenides, Se, Te)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/2571 containing group 14 elements except carbon (Si, Ge, Sn, Pb)
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/28 Indicating or preventing prior or unauthorised use, e.g. cassettes with sealing or locking means, write-protect devices for discs write-protect devices for tapes G11B23/042, G11B23/08714; dummy cassettes for locking in the drive G11B33/005
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/281 by changing the physical properties of the record carrier
• 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 7/0079 Zoned data area, e.g. having different data structures or formats for the user data within data layer, Zone Constant Linear Velocity [ZCLV], Zone Constant Angular Velocity [ZCAV], carriers with RAM and ROM areas
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/013 for discrete information, i.e. where each information unit is stored in a distinct discrete location , e.g. digital information formats within a data block or sector
• 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 7/243 comprising inorganic materials only, e.g. ablative layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2433 : Metals or elements of Groups 13, 14, 15 or 16 of the Periodic Table, e.g. B, Si, Ge, As, Sb, Bi, Se or Te
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/244 : comprising organic materials only
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/246 : containing dyes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2472 : cyanine
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/252 : of layers other than recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2534 : polycarbonates [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/257 : of layers having properties involved in recording or reproduction, e.g. optical interference layers or sensitising layers or dielectric layers, which are protecting the recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2572 : consisting essentially of organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2578 : consisting essentially of inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/26 : Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/261 : Preparing a master, e.g. exposing photoresist, electroforming
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/266 : Sputtering or spin-coating layers sputtering in general C23C14/24; spin-coating in general B05D1/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/21 : Circular sheet or circular blank
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 : Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 : Of polycarbonate

Abstract

A method for fabricating read-only copy protected optical medium comprising a light-sensitive material at positions capable of altering the data read during copying of the optical medium but permitting read of the underlying data in the reading of the optical medium.

Claims

1. A multi-layer optical medium comprising:

a substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface, said first major surface having information pits and lands thereon;

a metal reflector layer, said metal reflector layer being disposed along the information pits and lands;

a polymeric film positioned over said metal reflector layer, said polymeric film comprising light-changeable material;

wherein said metal reflector layer has a plurality punctuate discontinuities therein that permit laser light directed through said second major surface to impinge on the light-changeable material polymeric film;

wherein said light-changeable material is a material capable of existing in at least a first optical state and a second optical state, the first optical state being converted in the second optical state upon exposure to an input signal, and the second optical state being spontaneously convertible after a period of time to the first a optical state.

2. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises polycarbonate.

3. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 1 wherein the light-changeable material is an organic material.

4. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 1 wherein the light-changeable material is a inorganic material.

5. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 3 wherein the organic light-changeable material is capable of light emission.

6. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 4 wherein the inorganic light-changeable material is capable of light emission.

7. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 3 wherein the organic light-changeable material comprises a cyanine compound.

8. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 3 wherein the organic light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting light at a wavelength between about 770 nm to about 830 nm.

9. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 3 wherein the organic light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting at a wavelength between about 630 nm to about 650 nm.

10. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 6 wherein the inorganic light-emissive light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting light at a wavelength between about 770 nm to about 830 nm.

11. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 6 wherein the inorganic light-emissive light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting light at a wavelength between about 630 nm to about 650 nm.

12. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 6 wherein the inorganic light-changeable material is a material capable of undergoing a phase change from an amorphous state to a crystalline state by absorption of energy from one or more wavelengths of light.

13. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 6 wherein the inorganic light-changeable material is selected from the group consisting of:

GeSbTe, InSbTe, InSe, AsTeGe, TeO_x—

GeSn, TeSeSn, SbSeBi, BiSeGe and AgInSbTe.

14. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 1 wherein the light-changeable material is adapted to emit a wavelength length of about 530 nm.

15. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 1 wherein light-changeable material is adapted to emit a wavelength in the range of about 400 nm to about 900 nm.

16. The multi-layer optical medium of claim 1 wherein the light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting at a wavelength about 780 nm and a light source emitting light at a wavelength about 530 nm.

17. A method for fabricating an optical medium, said method comprising:

obtaining a substrata having a first major surface and a second major surface, said first major surface having information pits and lands thereon;

metalizing said first major surface so as to form a metalized layer along said information pits and lands;

placing a polymeric layer comprising light-changeable material over said metalized layer;

forming a plurality of holes in said metalized layer;

wherein said light-changeable material is a material capable of existing in at least a first optical state and a second optical state, the first optical state being converted to the second optical state upon exposure to an input signal, and the second optical state being spontaneoulsy convertible after a period of time to the first optical state.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said substrate comprises polycarbonate.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the light-changeable material is an organic material.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the light-changeable material is an inorganic material.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the organic light-changeable material is capable of light emisssion.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the organic light-changeable material comprises a cyanine compound.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the organic light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting light at a wavelength between about 770 nm to about 830 nm.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the organic light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting at a wavelength between about 630 nm to about 650 nm.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the inorganic light-changeable material is capable of light emission.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the inorganic light-emissive light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting light at a wavelength between about 770 nm to about 830 nm.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the inorganic light-emissive light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting light at a wavelength between about 630 nm to about 650 nm.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein the inorganic light-changeable material is a material capable of undergoing a phase change from an amorphous state to a crystalline state by absorption of energy from one or more wavelengths of light.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein the inorganic phase-change light-changeable material is selected from the group consisting of:

GeSbTe, InSbTe, InSe, AsTeGe, TeO_x—

GeSn, TeSeSn, SbSeBi, BiSeGe and AgInSbTe.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein the light-changeable material is adapted to emit a wavelength length of about 530 nm.

31. The method of claim 17 wherein the light-changeable material is adpated to emit a wavelength in the range of about 400 nm to about 900 nm.

32. The method of claim 17 wherein the light-changeable material is excitable by a light source emitting at a wavelength about 780 nm and a light source emitting light at a wavelength about 530 nm.

33. A method for authenticating an optical storage medium having an optical data structure representative of a plurality of hits, the method comprising:

(a) reading the optical storage medium at a locus to obtain unambiguous standard data code lot the optical storage medium being read that is true to the series of bits represented by the optical data structure at such locus;

(b) re-reading the optical storage medium at the locus to determine it the data code obtained varies by one or more bits in the series of bits represented by the optical data structure at such locus; and

(c) authenticating the optical storage medium it the data obtained in step (b) differs from the data obtained in step (a).

34. A method fox authenticating an optical storage medium having an optical data structure representative of a codes of bits, the method comprising:

(a) reading the optical storage medium at a locus to obtain data true to the serves of hits represented by the optical data structure at such locus, said optical data structure at said locus conforming to applicable specifications for the optical storage medium;

(b) re-reading the optical storage medium at the locus to determine if the data obtained varies by one or more bits in the series of bits represented by thc optical data structure at such locus; and

(c) authenticating the optical storage medium if the data obtained in step (b) differs from the data obtained in step (a).

35. A method for dissuading the illicit copying of data stored on an optical data storage medium stored as a plurality of optical deformations readable by an optical reader as unambiguous data code, said method comprising the steps of:

introducing one or more physical changes into or on said optical data storage medium at select positions on or within said optical data storage medium;

mapping the positions of said physical changes;

incorporating into the data stored on said optical data storage medium or in said reader, or a device coupled to said reader, a program instruction set for detecting said physical changes in said optical data storage medium at said mapped positions and for effectuating read of said data stored on said optical data storage medium when said physical changes are determined to be present at said select positions on or within said optical data storage medium.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said physical change comprises a light-sensitive compound placed on or in said optical data storage medium.