Data protection on an optical disk

• US 6,747,930 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HIDE & SEEK Technologies Incorporated, One28 Marketing Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: HIDE & SEEK Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Mark, Merry, J. Bradford, Weldon, James, Schneck, Jr., Karl R., Lackritz, Hilary S., Smith, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): EDUN, MUHAMMAD N
• Application Number:
  US09/163,087
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 369/47.1, 369/47.12, 369/47.13, 369/47.14, 369/47.15, 369/53.1, 369/53.11, 369/53.2, 369/53.21, 369/53.22, 369/53.41, 369/53.45, 369/59.1, 369/59.23, 369/84, 369/85, 369/93, 369/275.1, 369/275.5, 369/32
• US Class Current: 369/53.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/044 comprising galvanic contacts for contacting an integrated circuit chip thereon
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/12 by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter end mark
• 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 7/0037 with discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/252 of layers other than recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/2534 polycarbonates [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/254 of protective topcoat layers

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for purposefully modifying the accessibility of information encoded upon an optical medium for indicating a state or history of the optical medium and/or a state or history of an item associated therewith. In one embodiment, the optical medium is purposefully damaged when the information is initially accessed so that upon subsequent access attempts of the information on the optical medium, a previous access of the information is detected by the purposefully induced errors. Thus, there is provided an effective technique for limiting illegal duplication and/or use of, e.g., software, movies, and music on compact disks and digital versatile disks. The present invention provides verification of persons and/or financial transaction cards during financial transactions. In another embodiment, a compact data storage device is disclosed having the approximate dimensions of a credit card that is capable of storing large amounts of data (e.g., 50-100 Megabytes). The device may encode data in both a linear strip fashion for reading by typical card swipe data reading devices (e.g., magnetic card swipe devices) as well as by optical disc readers that read tracks of spirally encoded optical data.

Claims

1. An identification card, comprising:

a magnetic strip for encoding data thereon, wherein said strip is capable of being read when said card is swiped through a magnetic strip reader, said strip detectable from a first surface of said card;

an optical data storage portion for encoding data thereon, wherein said optical data storage portion is capable of being read from one of;

said first surface, and a second surface of said card, when an optical disc reader rotates said card about a hole in said card.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said card is approximately 2¼

inches by 3⅜

inches.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical data storage portion includes data readable by one of a compact disc reader, and a DVD reader.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including visually detectable information on one of said first and second surfaces.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a name identifying a person that can provide access to the data encoded on the card is provided on one of said first and second surfaces.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical data storage portion is recessed from at least a raised boundary area surrounding said optical data storage area.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said card includes a protective covering for said optical data storage portion.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said protective covering is foldable so that said protective covering is capable of folding adjacent to said first side in a first configuration, and adjacent to said second side in a second configuration.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said optical data storage portion is provided on said protective covering.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second optical data storage portion is included on one of said first and said second sides not having said optical data storage portion.

11. A method for limiting the use of information stored on an optical medium, comprising:

providing the optical medium to an optical reader, wherein said optical medium has information thereon, and a portion of the information is for performing, via a computational device in communication with the optical reader, an action desired by a user;

determining, using the optical reader, whether there is a result that is indicative of an instance of an expected profile on the optical medium;

performing, when an instance of said expected profile is not detected, substeps (a) and (b) as follows;

(a) requesting the user to create an instance of said expected profile on the optical medium, wherein during creation of said instance, data at one or more locations on said optical medium is changed without determining an address for at least some of the locations; and

(b) encoding data related to said instance with data identifying one of;

(i) the computational device and (ii) the user for obtaining a substantially unique identifier;

obtaining a second identifier from the user;

activating the desired action using the information from the optical medium when a comparison of said unique identifier and said second identifier result in a first predetermined value; and

prohibiting said step of activating when said comparison of said unique identifier and said second identifier result in a second predetermined value.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein one or more of (a)-(d) following:

(a) said step of performing includes creating, by the user, said instance of said expected profile as a substantially irreversible change on said optical medium;

(b) said step of determining includes detecting said instance as one or more of;

(i) an error, (ii) an absence of an error, (iii) a distinctive pattern of errors, and (iv) a distinctive pattern of an absence of errors; and

(c) said step of determining includes attempting to access a portion of the information residing within a predetermined part of the optical medium where said instance is expected to reside, wherein said predetermined part includes a minority of a total storage capacity of the optical medium; and

(d) said step of encoding includes using, as at least part of said data, data indicative of an identity of one or more components of said computational device.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, further including one or more of:

(a) a step of damaging said optical medium by a mechanical activity for changing a reflective characteristic of the optical medium by one of;

tearing and etching a layer of the optical medium;

(b) a step of encoding one of a damaged and undamaged portion of the optical medium for identifying a financial transaction card having said optical medium, after said step of damaging is performed;

(c) a step of removing an item attached to the optical medium; and

(d) a step of changing a reflective characteristic of the optical medium by one of;

exposing the optical medium to a reactive chemical, rupturing a chemical container attached to the optical medium, and exposing a predetermined part of the optical medium having a light sensitivity to an effective amount of light for changing the reflective characteristics of the optical medium.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, further including a step of creating access errors as an instance of said expected profile prior to performing said step of providing.

15. A method of limiting the use of information stored with an optical medium, comprising:

providing, to an optical reader, the optical medium having information thereon, and wherein said information includes first information useful for performing a desired action;

determining whether an expected profile of a purposefully induced change in the access of the information is detected;

performing the desired action using the first information when said expected profile is detected; and

prohibiting said step of performing when said expected profile is not detected;

wherein said step of determining includes substeps (a) and (b) following;

(a) sampling locations on the optical medium for detecting data access errors, thereby obtaining location data related to the detection of the data access errors; and

(b) comparing the expected profile with the location data for thereby detecting said change in the access of the information.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein one or more of:

(a) said step of comparing includes evaluating a function dependent on one of;

a number of errors detected on said optical medium, a relative number of errors detected on said optical medium, a pattern of errors on said optical medium, a density of errors detected on said optical medium and a location of errors detected on said optical medium;

(b) said step of comparing includes comparing a result of said function with a value obtained using at least one of;

a minimum threshold in the number of errors expected, a minimum threshold density in the number of errors expected, a maximum threshold in the number of errors expected, and a maximum threshold density in the number of errors is expected; and

(c) said step of sampling includes detecting a set of data access errors severe enough to that error correction modules identify said errors differently from less severe errors.

17. A method of limiting the use of information stored with an optical medium, comprising:

providing, to an optical reader, the optical medium having information for performing a desired action;

determining whether an expected profile of a purposefully induced change in the access of the information is detected;

performing the desired action using the information when said expected profile is detected; and

prohibiting said step of performing when said expected profile is not detected;

wherein said step of performing includes a step of correcting data access errors detected as part of said expected profile;

wherein said step of correcting is performed during said performing of the desired action.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein one or more of:

(a) at least some of said access errors are induced by microdots, and

(b) said microdots each have a size of approximately less than 1000 microns.

19. A method of limiting the use of information stored with an optical medium, comprising:

providing, to an optical reader, the optical medium having information for performing a desired action;

determining whether an expected profile of a purposefully induced change in the access of the information is detected;

performing the desired action using the information when said expected profile is detected;

prohibiting said step of performing when said expected profile is not detected; and

reducing access errors for obtaining said expected profile.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, including one or more of:

(a) a further step of changing a reflective characteristic of the optical medium for obtaining said expected profile; and

(b) a further step of removing an attached layer from the optical medium for obtaining said expected profile.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

(a) said step of performing includes conducting a financial transaction, wherein said optical medium is included on a card for conducting the financial transaction; and

(b) said step of determining includes reading identifying data on said card for identifying a previously stored representation of said expected profile.

22. A method of limiting the use of information stored with an optical medium, comprising:

providing, to an optical reader, the optical medium having information for performing a desired action;

deactivating at least a portion of an error correction module of the optical reader;

determining whether an expected profile of a purposefully induced change in the access of the information is detected;

reactivating said portion of the error correction module of the optical reader;

performing the desired action using the information when said expected profile is detected; and

prohibiting said step of performing when said expected profile is not detected.

23. A method of limiting the use of information stored on an optical medium, comprising:

providing, to an optical reader, the optical medium having information thereon, including first information for performing a desired action;

determining whether an instance of an expected profile of a purposefully induced change in the access of the information on said optical medium is detected, wherein said purposefully induced change is capable of being instanced on said optical medium by changing a result of an access to the information at one or more data locations on said optical medium without determining an address for each of said data locations;

when said instance of said expected profile is detected, the steps (a) through (c) following are performed;

(a) encoding said instance;

(b) outputting said encoded instance to a user of the optical medium during an installation of said first information onto a computational device upon which the desired action is at least partially performed;

(c) performing the desired action using the first information; and

prohibiting said step of performing when an instance of said expected profile is not detected.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein one or more of:

(a) said step of encoding includes encrypting said detected instance together with identification data related to at least one of;

an identity of the user, and an identity of at least one component of a device used for processing the first information on the optical medium.

25. A method of limiting the use of information stored with an optical medium, comprising:

providing, to an optical reader, the optical medium having information thereon, including first information for performing a desired action;

determining whether an instance of an expected profile of a purposefully induced change in the access of the information on said optical medium is detected;

activating the desired action using the first information when said instance is detected; and

prohibiting said step of activating when an instance of said expected profile is not detected until the steps (i)-(iii) following are performed;

(i) removing, by the user, the optical medium from the optical reader prior to an operative access of said first information by a computational device in operative communication with the optical reader;

(ii) altering an optical characteristic of the optical medium while the optical medium is removed form the optical reader to provide an instance of said purposefully induced change; and

(iii) providing, again, said optical medium to the optical reader for completing the operative access.

26. A method of limiting the use of information stored with an optical medium, comprising:

providing, to an optical reader, the optical medium having information, including first information for performing a desired action;

purposefully inducing a change in access errors at each of one or more locations of the optical medium for instantiating an expected profile of an image of a body part on a touch sensitive portion of said optical medium;

determining whether said expected profile of the purposefully induced change in the access of the information is detected;

performing the desired action using the first information when said expected profile is detected; and

prohibiting said step of performing when said expected profile is not detected.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, including one or more of:

(a) a further step of comparing a representation of said provided image with a previously stored representation of a body part image for determining a consistency between said provided image representation and said previously stored image representation;

(b) a further step of transmitting said representation of the provided image on a communications network for performing electronic commerce; and

(c) said step of providing including a step of providing said touch sensitive portion with a compound reactive to one of heat, pressure, and a bodily produced substance.

28. A method for limiting the use of information stored on an optical medium, comprising:

creating an instance of an expected profile of access errors provided at a plurality of addressable locations on said optical medium, wherein for at least one said addressable location, there is an access error change without identifying said addressable location during said access error change;

detecting said instance of an expected profile of said access errors on said optical medium;

encrypting together a representation of said instance and identification data related to at least one of;

an identity of the user, and an identity of a device for accessing the information on the optical medium, wherein a result of said step of encrypting yields an identifying code;

comparing said identifying code with a user input;

performing the user desired action using the information when said identifying code provides a favorable comparison with the user input; and

prohibiting a performing of the desired action when said encoding provides an unfavorable comparison with the user input.

29. An apparatus for limiting the use of information stored with an optical medium, comprising:

an optical medium having stored information, wherein said information is used in performing an action desired by a user;

means for producing a change in the errors encountered when an optical reader accesses said information on said optical medium, wherein said means for producing is used for creating an instance of an expected profile of access errors provided at a plurality of addressable locations on said optical medium, wherein for at least one of said addressable locations, said means for producing is used for producing a corresponding access error change without identifying said addressable location;

means for detecting first data representative of said instance;

a first module for deactivating, when said means for detecting is active for detecting said instance, an error correction module of the optical reader so that the error correction module is not capable of attempting a correction of at least one of the errors that the correction module would otherwise attempt to correct;

an encoder for encoding said first data together with second data indicative of one or more of;

(i) an identity of one or more components of a computational system in operative communication with the optical reader for performing the desired action; and

(ii) user data identifying the user;

a second module for comparing an input by the user with an encoded identifier resulting from activating said encoder, wherein a result from said comparing determines whether the information can be used to perform the desired action.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein said means for producing includes one of:

(i) a layer on said optical medium that is reactive to one of;

light and oxygen;

(ii) pointed device for etching said optical medium for producing said instance;

(iii) a compound chemically reactive with said optical medium for purposefully applying thereto for creating said instance;

(iv) an attachment to said optical medium that when purposefully detached from said optical medium produces said instance;

(v) an instrument detachable from said optical medium, wherein said instrument changes an external surface of said optical medium when applied to the optical medium, said instrument includes one of;

means for scoring, and means for removing a layer of said optical medium;

(vi) a data mask attached to the optical medium;

(b) said means for producing creates one of;

(i) a reduced number of said access errors; and

(ii) an increased number of said access errors;

(c) said means for producing creates a substantially irreversible change to said optical medium.

31. A method of limiting access to stored data on an optical medium comprising:

inserting the optical medium into an optical medium access device for accessing information in at least one of a predetermined first storage portion and a predetermined second storage portion of the optical medium;

activating an instance of a desired computer application, wherein said application has program instructions stored in said predetermined second storage portion;

purposefully inducing a change in the first storage portion after said step of activating, wherein said change is irreversible;

obtaining a response indicative of whether the purposefully induced change exists; and

determining whether said instance is allowed to continue access the program instructions in said predetermined second storage portion by accessing said response indicating the existence of said change.

32. A method of limiting access to stored data on a storage medium, comprising:

inserting the storage medium into a storage access device for accessing information in at least one of a predetermined first storage portion and a predetermined second storage portion of the storage medium;

activating a desired computer application, wherein to perform said application, information in said predetermined second storage portion must be used;

purposefully inducing a change in the first storage portion;

determining a target density of location samples in the first storage portion that is effective for detecting said change;

selecting a sampling of a plurality of the storage medium locations, wherein the locations of the sampling are selected so that at least some of said locations selected are dependent upon said density of samples within the first storage portion;

detecting said change by accessing the locations of the sampling;

obtaining a response indicative of whether the purposefully induced change exists; and

determining whether to use the information in said predetermined second storage by accessing said response indicating the existence of said change.

33. A method of limiting the use of information stored with an optical medium, comprising:

providing, to an optical reader of a particular computing system, a particular optical medium having information for performing a desired action;

first accessing the information on said particular optical medium to determine an instance of an expected configuration of results from accessing the information;

second accessing one or more identifiers for identifying at least part of said particular computing system;

generating authentication data for identifying said particular computing system and said particular optical medium, wherein said authentication data is dependent on both said instance and said one or more identifiers;

receiving identification data from a user for identifying a computing system and an optical medium;

first determining a first value when said authentication data and said identification data identify a substantially similar computing system, and said particular optical medium;

second determining a second value when said authentication data and said identification data do not identify at least one of;

a substantially similar computing system, and said particular optical medium;

performing the desired action using the information when said first value is determined; and

prohibiting said step of performing when said second value is determined.

34. A method for creating physical defects on an optical disc for identifying said optical disk, comprising;

receiving source signals of data to be encoded onto said optical disc;

purposefully combining a representation of said source signals with one or more defective codes to obtain a different representation;

encoding said different representation having said defective codes onto said optical disc so that the sites of said optical disc having encodings of said defective codes are capable of generating one or more errors when said optical disc is read by an optical reader;

determining an authenticity of said optical disc by detecting said one or more errors.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said step of encoding includes encoding said combination of said representation and said one or more defective codes onto a master disc.

36. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said step of combining includes distributing said defective codes within said representation so that a plurality of non-contiguous sites on said optical disc each have an encoding of one of said defective codes.

37. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said step of combining includes replacing one or more portions of said representation with said defective codes.

38. A method, as claimed in claim 34, wherein said defective codes include at least one code for one of:

a continuous data pit along an optical disc track, and a continuous data land along an optical disc track.

39. A method, as claimed in claim 34, wherein said defective codes include a code for a defect that is of multi-track width in a radial direction of said optical disc.

40. A method for creating physical defects on an optical disc for authenticating said optical disc, comprising:

receiving a source signal of data to be encoded onto said optical disc;

encoding a representation of said source signals onto a master optical disc;

purposefully damaging said master optical disc at a plurality of addressable locations for providing one or more defective data areas;

wherein for at least a first of said addressable locations, there is an error in said encoding of the representation at said first location, and said error is obtained without identifying an address of said first addressable location during said purposefully damaging step;

transferring data from said master disc to said optical disc so that said optical disc includes one or more corresponding data areas corresponding to said one or more defective data areas of said master optical disc, wherein when said corresponding data areas are read by an optical reader, one or more errors are generated, said errors capable of being used for identifying said optical disc.

41. A method, as claimed in claim 40, wherein said step of purposefully damaging said master optical disc includes etching said defective data areas into said master disc.

42. A method for creating physical defects on an optical disc for use in identifying said optical disc, comprising:

transferring data from a master optical disc to said optical disc;

determining one or more areas of said optical disc having data thereon;

purposefully damaging said one or more areas so that when said areas are read by an optical reader, read errors are generated, said errors capable of being detected for identifying said optical disc;

encrypting together a representation of said one or more areas and identification data related to at least one of;

an identity of a user and an identity of a device for accessing information on said optical disc, wherein a result of said step of encrypting yields an identifying code.

43. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein said step of purposefully damaging said optical disc includes predetermining said one or more areas.

44. A method as claimed in claim 42, wherein said step of determining includes determining a relative position of each of said areas with respect to an identifiable location on said optical disc.

45. A method for creating physical defects on an optical disc for identifying said optical disc, comprising:

receiving a source signal of data to be encoded onto a master optical disc;

encoding a representation of said source signals onto the master optical disc;

creating a metal part or a series of metal parts from the master optical disc;

purposefully damaging said metal part at a plurality of addressable locations for providing one or more defective data areas;

wherein for at least a first of said addressable locations, there is an error in said encoding of the representation at said first location, and said error is obtained without identifying an address of said first addressable location during said purposefully damaging step;

transferring data from said metal part to said optical disc, said optical disc including one or more corresponding data areas corresponding to said one or more defective areas of said master optical disc, wherein when said corresponding data areas are read by an optical reader, one or more errors are detected for identifying said optical disc.

46. A method, as claimed in claim 45, wherein said step of purposefully damaging said metal part includes etching said defective data areas into said metal part.

47. A method, as claimed in claim 45, wherein said step of purposefully damaging said metal part includes determining an area for purposefully damaging according to a spacing of said area from another area for damaging.

48. A method, as claimed in claim 45, wherein said step of purposefully damaging includes locating a particular one of said areas to be damaged by determining a relative position of the particular one area with respect to an identifiable location on said optical disc.

49. An apparatus for creating physical defects on an optical disc, comprising:

means for receiving source signals of data to be encoded onto said optical disc;

means for purposefully combining a representation of said source signal with one or more defective codes;

wherein said defective codes are intended to change at least a portion of said representation;

means for encoding said representation having said defective codes onto said optical disc so that sites of said optical disc having encodings of said defective codes are capable of generating one or more errors when said optical disc is read by an optical reader, wherein said one or more errors are capable of identifying said optical disc.

50. An apparatus for creating physical defects on an optical disc, comprising:

means for receiving a source signal of data to be encoded onto said optical disc;

means for encoding a representation of said source signals onto a master optical disc;

means for purposefully damaging said master optical disc at a plurality of addressable locations for providing one or more defective data areas;

wherein for at least a first of said addressable locations, there is a corresponding error in said encoding of the representation obtained via said means for purposefully damaging, wherein said corresponding error is obtained without identifying an address of said first location;

means for transferring data from said master disc to said optical disc, said optical disc including one or more corresponding data areas corresponding to said one or more defective data areas of said master optical disc, wherein when said corresponding data areas are read by an optical reader, one or more errors are detected for identifying said optical disc.

51. An apparatus for creating physical defects on an optical disc, comprising:

means for transferring data from a master optical disc to said optical disc;

means for determining one or more areas of said optical disc having data thereon;

means for purposefully damaging said one or more areas so that when said areas are read by an optical reader, read errors are detected that are capable of identifying said optical disc.

52. An apparatus for creating physical defects on an optical disc, comprising:

means for receiving a source signal of data to be encoded onto said optical disc;

means for encoding a representation of said source signals onto a master optical disc;

means for creating a metal part or a series of metal parts from the master optical disc;

means for purposefully damaging said metal part at a plurality of addressable locations for providing one or more defective data areas;

wherein for at least a first of said addressable locations, there is a corresponding error in said encoding of the representation obtained via said means for purposefully damaging, wherein said corresponding error is obtained without identifying an address of said first location;

means for transferring data from said metal part to said optical disc, said optical disc including one or more corresponding data areas corresponding to said one or more defective areas of said master optical disc, wherein said corresponding data areas are read by an optical reader, one or more errors are detected for identifying said optical disc.