Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Condition indicating – monitoring – or testing – Including radiation storage or retrieval
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-11
2004-12-21
Nguyen, Hoa T. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Condition indicating, monitoring, or testing
Including radiation storage or retrieval
C369S053240, C369S053370
Reexamination Certificate
active
06834034
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for erasing data from an optical disk.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A CD-R disk is a typical write-once optical disk, and a user can write data on the CD-R disk only once. However, when the data on the CD-R disk becomes unnecessary, it is not easy to erase the written data from the CD-R disk. Therefore, the CD-R disk is rendered unplayable by using a disposal method, such as artificially applying a stress to the disk (folding, breaking, or damaging the disk) or changing the media characteristics under high temperature condition, whereby secret information recorded on the disk is prevented from leaking.
However, the conventional data erasing method relating to the write-once optical disk has the following drawbacks.
1) Reliability is insufficient, that is, it is uncertain whether the disk is completely unplayable or not.
2) The cost is high.
3) Erasing of data limited to a specific recording area cannot be carried out.
4) Substances detrimental to the environment are released.
It is expected that the CD-R disk market will become widespread in the future and, therefore, development of a simple and low-cost method and apparatus for completely erasing recorded data from the CD-R disk has been desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made to solve the above-described problems and has for its object to provide an apparatus and a method for completely erasing recorded data from write-once optical disks.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description that follows. The detailed description and specific embodiments described are provided only for illustration since various additions and modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the detailed description.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical disk data erasing apparatus which is an optical disk recording apparatus for writing or reading data in/from a recordable optical disk by irradiating the optical disk with a laser beam, the optical disk recording apparatus being connected to a host computer through an interface bus. The optical disk data erasing apparatus comprises: a judgement means for judging as to whether a loaded optical disk is a write-once optical disk or not; an instruction recognition means for recognizing an instruction from the host computer; and an erasing means for executing a data erasing process on the basis of the instruction; wherein the erasing means overwrites the optical disk which is judged as a write-once optical disk by the judgement means, by irradiating the optical disk with a laser beam having the same recording power as that at recording, thereby erasing data recorded on the optical disk. Therefore, an optical disk data erasing apparatus which is able to completely erase data on an optical disk is easily realized at low cost, without having to use a special apparatus, and without generating substances detrimental to environment, whereby leakage of secret information can be prevented when the optical disk is discarded.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical disk data erasing apparatus which is an optical disk recording apparatus for writing or reading data in/from a recordable optical disk by irradiating the optical disk with a laser beam, the optical disk recording apparatus being connected to a host computer through an interface bus. The optical disk data erasing apparatus comprises: a judgement means for making a judgement as to whether a loaded optical disk is a write-once optical disk or not; an instruction recognition means for recognizing an instruction from the host computer; and an erasing means for executing a data erasing process on the basis of the instruction; wherein the erasing means overwrites the optical disk which is judged as a write-once optical disk by the judgement means, by irradiating the optical disk with a laser beam having a recording power higher than that at recording, thereby erasing data recorded on the optical disk. Therefore, an optical disk data erasing apparatus which is able to completely erase data on an optical disk is easily realized at low cost, without having to use a special apparatus, without generating substances detrimental to environment, whereby leakage of secret information can be prevented when the optical disk is discarded.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the optical disk data erasing apparatus according to the first or second aspect further comprises a disk recording information acquisition means for acquiring disk recording information relating to a data-recorded area or a data-unrecorded area of the write-once optical disk, on the basis of a disk recording information acquisition instruction which is issued by the host computer; wherein the erasing means erases data recorded in the data-recorded area. Therefore, the data erasing process can be performed on only the data-recorded area, while the data-unrecorded area, which needs not be erased, is outside the target of the erasing process, whereby the time required for the erasing process is reduced.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the optical disk data erasing apparatus according to the third aspect further comprises a determination means for determining whether data are recorded on the write-once optical disk or not, on the basis of the disk recording information which is obtained by the disk recording information acquisition means; wherein, when data are recorded on the write-once optical disk, the erasing means executes the recorded-data erasing process; and when no data are recorded on the optical disk, the determination means returns an error signal to the host computer to notify the user that the data erasing process is not going to be executed. Therefore, when no data are recorded on the optical disk, the user can know that there is no need to execute the data erasing process on the disk, whereby the user can perform the erasing process on only a data-recorded optical disk, without performing an unnecessary erasing process.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the optical disk data erasing apparatus according to the third aspect further comprises: a notification means for notifying the user of the disk recording information which is obtained by the disk recording information acquisition means, through the host computer; and an erasing area detection means for detecting, when an instruction which specifies a data erasing area is issued from the user through the host computer on the basis of the disk recording information, an area corresponding to the specified data erasing area on the basis of the instruction; wherein the erasing means erases the data recorded in the erasing area which is detected by the erasing area detection means. Therefore, the user can know the erasable data area in the loaded optical disk and, as the result, the user can specify a desired area to be erased.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the optical disk data erasing apparatus according to the first or second aspect further comprises: a setting means with which the user sets, through the host computer, whether the interface bus is to be occupied or not during execution of the data erasing process; and a monitor means for monitoring the data erasing state on the basis of a state monitoring instruction which is periodically issued from the host computer, when it is set that the interface bus is not to be occupied; wherein the host computer is able to execute another process during execution of the data erasing process, when it is set that the interface bus is not to be occupied. Therefore, when the user sets that the interface bus is not to be occupied, the host computer can execute another process while the optical disk data erasing apparatus executes the data erasing process. Further, when the interface bus is to be occupied, the host computer can speedi
Agustin Peter Vincent
Nguyen Hoa T.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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