# US 2014/0192130 A1 · Laser reactive media and apparatus and method for writing an image onto such media > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192130 A1 - Document ID: US20140192130A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/932,589 - Filed: 2013-07-01 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-24 - Assignees: Fortium Technologies, Ltd. - Applicants: Fortium Technologies Ltd. - Inventors: Anthony Miles; Robert Glyn Miles - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192130A1 ## CPC - B41J 2/442: {using lasers} - B41J 2/455: using laser arrays {, the laser array being smaller than the medium to be recorded} - B41J 2/525: Arrangement for multi-colour printing, not covered by group B41J2/21, e.g. applicable to two or more kinds of printing or marking process - G11B 7/0037: with discs - G11B 7/24094: Indication parts or information parts for identification - G11B 23/40: Identifying or analogous means applied to or incorporated in the record carrier and not intended for visual display simultaneously with the playing-back of the record carrier, e.g. label, leader, photograph - G11B 7/00736: {Auxiliary data, e.g. lead-in, lead-out, Power Calibration Area [PCA], Burst Cutting Area [BCA], control information (sector headers or adresses in prepits G11B7/00745; address data in track wobble G11B7/24082)} - G11B 7/0938: {servo format, e.g. guide tracks, pilot signals} - G11B 7/24: Record carriers characterised by shape, structure or physical properties, or by the selection of the material (characterised by the arrangement of information on the carrier G11B7/007) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract An optical disk label writing method for writing a label on an optical disc uses a similar writing operation to that used to write data to the disc. The disc has a label side including a laser reactive material for forming the label image, and a tracking format that can be tracked by a writing laser in a similar way to a writing operation. A computer program is provided for converting a label image to a disk image file for writing to the label side. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for writing an image to a laser reactive image medium, wherein the reaction of said laser reactive image medium is dependent on a frequency of laser light received, the apparatus being arranged to apply to said medium a laser beam having a selected one of a plurality of discrete frequencies, and to generate at least one of said plurality of discrete frequencies by heterodyning two others of said discrete frequencies. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first laser, operable to output a first laser beam having a first frequency; a second laser, operable to output a second laser beam having a second frequency different to the first frequency; means to direct the respective output beams of the first and second lasers at a coincident position; so as to generate a third frequency corresponding to the sum of the first and second frequencies, and a fourth frequency corresponding to the difference between the first and second frequencies; and means for selectively applying one or more of said first to fourth frequencies to said medium. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means to direct the respective output beams of the first and second lasers at a coincident position comprises a first means operable to focus the output beam of the first laser at a first position and second means operable to focus the output beam of the second laser at a coincident position to the first position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for monitoring the reaction of the laser reactive image medium being illuminated by the laser light. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first and/or second laser is operable to be deactivated in response to the reaction monitoring means detecting a predetermined reaction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reaction of the laser reactive image medium is a colour change reaction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: means arranged to receive one or more data files incorporating the image, wherein said apparatus is responsive to said one or more data files to write said image to said laser reactive image medium. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said laser reactive image medium comprises an optical disc. ### Claim 10 A laser reactive image medium comprising laser reactive material able to change colour in reaction to being illuminated with laser light, and wherein the colour change so effected is dependent on the frequency of laser light illuminating the laser reactive material, wherein the laser reactive material is able to react by changing to: a first colour if illuminated by laser light of a first frequency; a second colour if illuminated by laser light of a second frequency; and a third colour if illuminated by laser light having a frequency corresponding to the sum of the first and second frequencies. ### Claim 11 (canceled) ### Claim 12 (canceled) ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The laser reactive image medium of claim 10, wherein the laser reactive material is able to react by changing to: a fourth colour if illuminated by laser light having a frequency corresponding to difference between the first and second frequencies. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The laser reactive image medium of claim 10, wherein said laser reactive image medium comprises an optical disc. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The optical disc of claim 14, comprising a label side on which a visible image is writable by a laser of an optical disc drive, the label side having a format recognisable as a data writable side by the optical disc drive, wherein the label side comprises a layer of said laser reactive material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the label side includes a track for tracking by data writing means. ### Claim 17 A method of writing an image to a laser reactive image medium, wherein the reaction of said medium is dependent on a frequency of laser light received, comprising: applying to said medium a laser beam having a selected one of a plurality of discrete frequencies; and generating at least one of said plurality of discrete frequencies by heterodyning two others of said discrete frequencies. ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: directing the respective output beams of a first laser, having a first frequency, and a second laser, having a second frequency, at a coincident position so as to generate a third frequency corresponding to the sum of the first and second frequencies and a fourth frequency corresponding to the difference between the first and second frequencies; and selectively applying one or more of said first to fourth frequencies to said medium. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: monitoring the reaction of a portion of the laser reactive image medium illuminated by the applied laser light. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising: de-energising the first laser and/or the second laser when a predetermined reaction is detected. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said laser reactive medium reacts to the applied laser light by changing to a different colour, where the colour change effected is dependent on the frequency of the applied laser light. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving one or more data files incorporating the image, and writing the image to said laser reactive image medium in response to said receiving said one or more data files. ### Claim 24 An apparatus for writing an image to a laser reactive image medium, comprising: a laser generating device operable to selectively illuminate and vaporise at least one portion of said laser reactive image medium with a laser beam. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising: means arranged to receive one or more data files incorporating the image; wherein said apparatus is responsive to said one or more data files to write said image to said laser reactive image medium. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising: means for monitoring a reaction of the at least one portion of the laser reactive image medium. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the laser generating device is operable to be activated in response to said reaction monitoring means detecting a first predetermined reaction and deactivated in response to the reaction monitoring means detecting a second predetermined reaction. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said reaction of the at least one portion of the laser reactive image medium is a colour change reaction. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said laser reactive image medium comprises an optical disc. ### Claim at position 30 30-72. (canceled) ### Claim 73 An optical drive for writing a label to an optical disc, comprising: first writing means operable to write a visible image to said optical disc; and a second writing means operable to write data to said optical disc; wherein said first writing means comprises a print head operable to emit simultaneously at least two beams of laser light. ### Claim 74 (depends on 73) The optical drive of claim 73 wherein said print head comprises an array of laser generating devices operable to emit simultaneously said at least two beams of laser light. ### Claim 75 (depends on 73) The optical drive of claim 73 wherein said print head comprises a single laser generating device coupled to two or more optical fibres, wherein the ends of the two or more optical fibres that are not attached to said laser generating device are arranged to form an array and to emit simultaneously said at least two beams of laser light. ### Claim 76 (depends on 73) The optical drive of claim 73, wherein the first writing means is controllable so as to vary the frequency and/or intensity of said at least two beams of laser light. ### Claim at position 35 77-82. (canceled) ### Claim 83 A laser reactive image medium comprising a continuous layer of a laser reactive material able to change colour in reaction to being illuminated with laser light, wherein the colour change so effected is dependent on the frequency of laser light illuminating the laser reactive material, and wherein the laser reactive material is able to react by changing to: a first colour if illuminated by laser light of a first frequency; a second colour if illuminated by laser light of a second frequency; and a third colour if illuminated by laser light having a frequency corresponding to the sum of the first and second frequencies. ### Claim 84 A laser reactive image medium comprising a continuous layer of a laser reactive material able to change colour in reaction to being illuminated with laser light, wherein the colour change so effected is dependent on the frequency of laser light illuminating the laser reactive material, and wherein the laser reactive material is able to react by changing to: a first colour if illuminated by laser light of a first frequency; a second colour if illuminated by laser light of a second frequency; and a fourth colour if illuminated by laser light having a frequency corresponding to the difference between the first and second frequencies.