Optical reader/player preventing the unauthorized reading of information-carrying substrates
OwnerJerry L. Hahnfeld, Walter C. Buzanowski +4inventors
InventorsJerry L. Hahnfeld, Walter C. Buzanowski, Mary A. Leugers, Marianne L. McKelvy, Henri-Luc Martin, Thomas J. Wainerdi
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Abstract
An optical reader/player for reading and reproducing signals stored in an optical recording medium (CD, DVD, HD-DVD) possessing specific physical characteristics. If the measured characteristics of the polymer of the optical medium do not coincide with those of polymers authorized to be used to make optical recording media for the reader/player, the optical medium will not be read or played.
Claims69
An improved optical recording medium reader/player, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a detector for detecting a physical characteristic of a polymer of an optical recording medium;
- a control system coupled to said detector which activates or deactivates said reader/player based upon an output of said detector.
An improved method of reading/playing an optical recording medium using a reader/player apparatus, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of:
- detecting a physical characteristic of a polymer of an optical recording medium;
- and
- activating or deactivating said reader/player apparatus based upon the detected physical characteristic.
An improved optical recording medium reader/player, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a light source for reading an optical recording medium, the light source having a wavelength of about 248 nanometers.
An improved method of reading/playing an optical recording medium using a reader/player apparatus, wherein the improvement comprises the step of:
- reading an optical recording medium at a wavelength of about 248 nanometers.
An improved optical recording medium reader/player, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a detector for detecting a physical characteristic of a material added to a polymer of an optical recording medium;
- and
- a control system coupled to said detector which deactivates said reader/player if said detector detects said material.
An improved method for reading/playing an optical recording medium using a reader/player apparatus, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of:
- detecting a physical characteristic of a material added to a polymer of an optical recording medium;
- and
- deactivating said reader/player apparatus if said material is detected.
A method for hindering the use of amorphous saturated hydrocarbon thermoplastic to produce an optical recording medium, comprising the step of:
- blending a material with the amorphous saturated hydrocarbon thermoplastic to produce a blend, the blend having a detectably different physical characteristic than the amorphous saturated hydrocarbon thermoplastic so that if the blend is used to produce an optical recording medium, then a detector incorporated into a reader/player apparatus for reading/playing the optical recording medium can be used to detect the different physical characteristic and deactivate the reader/player apparatus.
A method for hindering the use of amorphous saturated hydrocarbon thermoplastic to produce an optical recording medium, the optical recording medium to be read using a reader/player apparatus having a light source for reading the optical recording medium at about 248 nanometers, comprising the step of:
- blending an ultraviolet absorbing material with the amorphous saturated hydrocarbon thermoplastic to produce a blend, the blend absorbing sufficient light at about 248 nanometers so that if the blend is used to produce an optical recording medium, the optical recording medium can not be read by the reader/player apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.