Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Control structure on storage medium sensed by other than...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2002-04-16
Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Control structure on storage medium sensed by other than...
C369S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06373799
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical disk and a recording/reproduction apparatus which uses this optical disk. Particularly, the invention relates to the structure of an optical disk having in its partial area a memory provided separately from the recording medium of the disk, and to a recording/reproduction apparatus which uses this optical disk.
A variety of electronic systems using recording mediums of optical disks which are easy for large-scale production and reliable in operation have been developed and put on the market recently. These optical disks are represented, for example, by the compact disk (CD) used for storing music, the digital video disk (DVD) used for storing pictures inclusive of the movies, and the CD-ROM and DVD-ROM used for storing computer application programs, game programs and various information.
Optical disks for the CD, CD-ROM and DVD-ROM are made of plastics, which enables the low-cost large-scale production of disks, with information being pre-recorded thereon. These reproduction-only disks, however, do not allow the additional data recording, and therefore it is not possible to record the result of process of data which has been read out of the disk or record the number of times of reproducing operation of the disk, for example. Therefore, it is unstable to be used for a information management system or the like with the capability of storing the results of games, restricting the access to computer application programs or limiting the number of times of playback of audio/video records.
Although there is known an optical disk which allows the additional data recording, it is expensive due to the complex fabricating process and does not enable the low-cost large-scale production. Moreover, it is necessary to pre-record the main information on each disk individually, and record additional data with a high-power optical recording head, resulting in an expensive recording/reproduction apparatus as compared with the simple reproduction apparatus.
There is known a scheme of recording control information on a medium which is provided separately from the medium of the main information. Specifically, a magnetic tape cartridge has the attachment of a semiconductor memory used for the management of the main information on the magnetic tape. The semiconductor memory is accessed for data input/output in a direct contact manner. Although this scheme may be applied also to the optical disk, it imposes the difficulty of data transmission to/from the semiconductor memory which is turning together with the disk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a reproduction-only optical disk which is intended for the CD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc., made of plastics for the low-cost, large-scale and high-yield manufacturing and pre-recording, and provided in its partial area with a memory which writes and reads out simply and reliably additional control information for the management of the main information on the disk so that the disk is useful for a information management system or the like which offers game programs, computer application programs or audio/video records with the capability of storing the results of games, restricting the access to computer application programs or limiting the number of times of playback of audio/video records, for example, and also to provide an inexpensive recording/reproduction apparatus which uses this optical disk.
In order to achieve the above objective, the inventive optical disk and recording/reproduction apparatus includes inside the disk a memory, which is built in the form of a semiconductor IC chip for example, used for the management of the main information of a game program, computer application program or audio/video record, in addition to the recording medium which stores the main information.
The memory incorporates a signal processor for transforming the control information into recording data for storing, a memory for storing the control information, and a controller for controlling the writing and read-out of the memory and treating the main information based on the analysis of control information, e.g., the number of times of reproduction of the main information or the restriction of reproduction of the main information.
For receiving power in the form of a signal to be supplied to the circuitries of semiconductor IC chip, an electromagnetic coupling means, i.e., a receiver means, such as an antenna is built in or disposed beside the IC chip. Alternatively, it is disposed in an annular or one or multi-turn spiral form on the disk.
The IC chip further incorporates a rectifier for converting the signal received by the receiver means into power. Similarly, for the communication of control information between the optical disk and the recording/reproduction apparatus, another electromagnetic coupling means, i.e., a transmitter-receiver means, such as an antenna is built in or disposed beside the IC chip. Alternatively, it is disposed in an annular or one or multi-turn spiral form on the disk.
The signals sent to the electromagnetic coupling means for control information transfer and power supply have their transmission band set outside of the main information recording band or the reproduction band in the case of the multiple-speed playback of the main information so that the signals do not affect the recording and reproduction of the main information. Accordingly, one of the following two kinds of means are required depending on the band of the signals transmitted to the electromagnetic coupling means for control information transfer and power supply.
(1) In the case of setting a lower transmission band, it is necessary for the electromagnetic coupling means to have a larger inductance in order to raise the coupling coefficient (transmission efficiency) for coping with the lower frequency. For the achievement of this inductance, at least the electromagnetic coupling means for control information transfer and power supply among the devices associated with the memory are located at positions outer than the outer bound of the recording medium on the disk, and they are disposed in an annular or one or multi-turn spiral form on the disk. For ensuring a large inductance of the electromagnetic coupling means, they are each formed of a conductor coil and a soft magnetic core. However, this arrangement is disadvantageous in regard to the recording capacity of the disk due to the disposition of the memory in the disk outer section which could provide a large recording area.
(2) In the case of setting a higher transmission band, it is possible for the electromagnetic coupling means to have a sufficiently large coupling coefficient (transmission efficiency) without the need of a large inductance in dealing with the higher frequency. It is even desirable to lower the electromagnetic coupling in order to minimize the influence of stray capacitance. In this case, the memory has its shape and location determined with respect to the following affairs.
(2-1) The memory is provided by being built therein or disposed thereby with electromagnetic coupling means. At least the electromagnetic coupling means for control information transfer and power supply among the devices associated with the memory are located at positions within the range of radius on the disk where the recording medium is formed and on the side of the disk opposite to the side on which recording and reproduction take place between the recording medium and the disk medium record/reproduce circuit of the recording/reproduction apparatus.
Based on this arrangement, the recording medium which is generally formed of a metallic film works as a reflector for the electromagnetic coupling means, which thus transmit the signals efficiently. This arrangement is applicable obviously only to the case where, at least, the main information is recorded and reproduced only on one side of the disk.
(2-2) At least the electromagnetic coupling means for control information transfer and power supply among the devices associated w
Higuchi Shigemitsu
Ono Hiroaki
Sano Kenji
Chen Tianjie
Klimowicz William
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