Deterring theft of optical media

• US 7,892,618 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eklund, Don Charles II
• Primary Examiner(s): MULVANEY, ELIZABETH EVANS
• Application Number:
  US11/228,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 428/64.1, 428/64.4, 430/270.11
• US Class Current: 428/64.1
• 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 20/00608 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 23/281 by changing the physical properties of the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/00454 involving phase-change effects
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/268 Post-production operations, e.g. initialising phase-change recording layers, checking for defects investigating the presence of flaws or contamination in optical discs G01N21/9506
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/21 Circular sheet or circular blank

Abstract

An optical media disk is treated with a light-sensitive material that impedes the ability of a optical media player from reading data stored on the disk. This light-sensitive material is a material changes phase upon exposure to one or more wavelengths of light. During the initial phase, the light-sensitive material will render the disk unreadable. After activation, however, the disk becomes readable by conventional optical media players. In this fashion, theft of yet-to-be-activated optical media is deterred.

Claims

1. An optical media disk comprising a substrate surface having data encoded thereon, said substrate surface being treated with a light-sensitive material that is initially in a first phase, wherein said light-sensitive material deters theft of said optical media disk by causing said encoded data to be unreadable while said light-sensitive material is in the first phase, and wherein said light-sensitive material is to be changed from said first phase to a second phase, prior to a point of sale of said optical media disk, when exposed to a light source having a predetermined wavelength, said encoded data to be readable when said light-sensitive material is in the second phase, and wherein said light-sensitive material is to permanently remain in said second phase after being exposed to said light source.

2. The optical media disk of claim 1, wherein said light-sensitive material is placed within said substrate surface.

3. The optical media disk of claim 1, wherein said light-sensitive material is inserted in a film that covers at least a portion of said substrate surface.

4. The optical media disk of claim 1, wherein said light-sensitive material is inserted between said substrate surface and a second substrate.

5. The optical media disk of claim 1, wherein said optical media is unreadable by a convention optical media player while in said first state, and readable by the convention optical media player while in said second state.

6. The optical media disk of claim 1, further comprising a label affixed to at least one of said optical media disk and a case enclosing said optical media disk, wherein said label is to indicate that the optical media disk is unreadable until activated.

7. The optical media disk of claim 1, wherein said light-sensitive material is exposed to said light source until the light-sensitive material changes from said first phase to said second phase by absorption of energy from one or more wavelengths of light.

8. The optical media disk of claim 7 wherein said first phase is an amorphous state and said second phase is a crystalline state.

9. A method of deterring theft comprising:

encoding data on an optical media;

treating a substrate surface of said optical media with a light-sensitive material that is initially in a first phase, wherein said light-sensitive material deters theft of said optical media by causing said encoded data to be unreadable while in said first phase;

activating, prior to a point of sale of said optical media, said light-sensitive material using a light source having a predetermined wavelength, wherein said activating causes said light-sensitive material to change from said first phase to a second phase, wherein said encoded data is readable when said light-sensitive material is in the second phase, and wherein said light-sensitive material is to permanently remain in said second phase after said activating.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein treating comprises placing said light-sensitive material within said substrate surface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein treating comprises inserting said light-sensitive material in a film to cover at least a portion of said substrate surface.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein treating comprises inserting said light-sensitive material between said substrate surface and a second substrate.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said activating occurs through a translucent or transparent case in which said optical media is encased.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said optical media is unreadable by a convention optical media player while in said first state, and readable by the convention optical media player while in said second state.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said light source is a mercury-based light source.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising labeling said optical media to indicate that it is unreadable until activated.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein activating comprises exposing said substrate surface to said light source until said light-sensitive material changes from said first phase to said second phase by absorption of energy from one or more wavelengths of light.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first phase is an amorphous state and said second phase is a crystalline state.