Patents by Inventor John Matthew Town

John Matthew Town has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10121509
    Abstract: Authentication of discs occurs by the use of interferometric authentication data. Such authentication data of a data disc is generated based on an interference pattern associated with thickness variations of a material layer on the disc. The interference pattern represents a unique fingerprint that can be used for authentication of individual discs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Alan Bruce Hamersley, John Matthew Town, Holger Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20170148480
    Abstract: Authentication of discs occurs by the use of interferometric authentication data. Such authentication data of a data disc is generated based on an interference pattern associated with thickness variations of a material layer on the disc. The interference pattern represents a unique fingerprint that can be used for authentication of individual discs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Alan Bruce HAMERSLEY, John Matthew TOWN, Holger HOFMANN
  • Publication number: 20160055877
    Abstract: A Blu-ray ray optical disc comprises a base substrate of recycled polycarbonate molded without a data layer on a first surface. The disc further includes a first transmission stack having (a) a data region layer having a first surface adjoining the first surface of the base substrate and a second, opposite surface embossed with data, and (b) a layer of metallization overlying the second surface of the data layer. Lastly, a protective layer overlies the region of metallization of the first transmission stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventor: John Matthew TOWN
  • Patent number: 9117487
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for disc authentication are disclosed. The authentication method includes measuring at least one physical property of a data disc, which includes at least one of an angle and an eccentricity parameter associated with two data layers of a data disc, and authenticating the disc by determining whether a match exists between the measured property and encoded information on data layer the data disc relating to the physical property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Holger Hofmann, Alan Bruce Hamersley
  • Patent number: 9076483
    Abstract: A system and method for replicating protected content on media includes a controller for enabling replicating of media content from partial encoded content received at a location of the controller. A media recorder is coupled to the controller and including a modulation process (104) to complete encoding of the partial encoded content to record media content on media readable by a device other than the media recorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing LLC
    Inventors: Alan Bruce Hamersley, Holger Hofmann, John Matthew Town
  • Patent number: 9025426
    Abstract: An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Alan Bruce Hamersley, Holger Hofmann
  • Patent number: 9019807
    Abstract: An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Alan Bruce Hamersley, Holger Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20140347968
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for disc authentication are disclosed. The authentication method includes measuring at least one physical property of a data disc, which includes at least one of an angle and an eccentricity parameter associated with two data layers of a data disc, and authenticating the disc by determining whether a match exists between the measured property and encoded information on data layer the data disc relating to the physical property.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Holger Hofmann, Alan Bruce Hamersley
  • Patent number: 8792321
    Abstract: An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Alan Bruce Hamersley, Holger Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20140153374
    Abstract: An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Alan Bruce Hamersley, Holger Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20140146656
    Abstract: An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Alan Bruce Hamersley, Holger Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20140146655
    Abstract: An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: THOMSON LICENSING
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Alan Bruce Hamersley, Holger Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8722168
    Abstract: A data disc, method and apparatus for forming the disc are disclosed. The data disc includes a first substrate structure bonded to a second substrate structure, with two curable material layers disposed on different sides of at least one of the two substrate structures, and at least one groove formed on a surface of one of the two curable material layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Patrick J. Byrne, Thomas Hartmann, Alan Bruce Hamersley
  • Patent number: 8675466
    Abstract: An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Alan Bruce Hamersley, Holger Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8673421
    Abstract: A data disc, method and apparatus for forming the disc are disclosed. The data disc includes a first substrate structure bonded to a second substrate structure, with two curable material layers disposed on different sides of at least one of the two substrate structures, and at least one groove formed on a surface of one of the two curable material layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Patrick J. Byrne, Thomas Hartmann, Alan Bruce Hamersley
  • Patent number: 8623486
    Abstract: A hybrid data disc, method and system of forming the disc are disclosed. The hybrid disc includes a first substrate structure bonded to a second substrate structure, and at least two data layers of different formats for access from different sides of the disc. One example provides the second substrate structure with a second substrate that has at least one curable material layer on each side of the second substrate, and the curable material has a property that results in shrinkage associated with curing of the material. Other examples provide a data disc with different stacking ring configurations, a thinner substrate and substrate structures of opposite curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Patrick J. Byrne, Alan Bruce Hamersley
  • Publication number: 20130312121
    Abstract: An optical disc undergoes authentication by reading a designated area on the optical disc containing authentication data. Following authentication, the designated area undergoes irradiation by the laser beam that reads the optical disc to erase recordable sectors in the designated area when the optical disc comprises a recordable disc to render unreadable data contained in the designated area for disc authentication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventor: John Matthew Town
  • Patent number: 8379501
    Abstract: The present principles provide a way to place a multilevel grayscale image, visible with the bare eye in the data area of an optical disc. This feature can be used to authenticate a legitimate disc, since the image features are lost when copying a disc either with a PC recording drive or by a pirate creating a data set to be used on a laser beam recorder to produce forged ROM discs. The modulation rules are selectively varied during disc writing in a way to change the distribution of pit/land lengths, so that the at least three (3) different diffraction properties are generated, and therefore produce at least three (3) distinct looks to the bare eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Holger Hofmann, Alan Bruce Hamersley, John Matthew Town
  • Patent number: 8339928
    Abstract: An optical disc structure for playback by a read-out device is described. The optical disc structure includes a first layer with first content recorded thereon. A second layer is coupled to the first layer. The second layer has first content and second content recorded thereon. The disc of the present principles makes use of the fact that a less than full capacity DVD9 disc leaves available recording space after the end of program area and required lead-out area on the second of the two data layers of a DVD9 disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignees: Thomson Licensing, OPSEC Security Group, Inc.
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Mark Timothy Turnage
  • Publication number: 20120141718
    Abstract: A data disc, method and apparatus for forming the disc are disclosed. The data disc includes a first substrate structure bonded to a second substrate structure, with two curable material layers disposed on different sides of at least one of the two substrate structures, and at least one groove formed on a surface of one of the two curable material layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: John Matthew Town, Patrick J. Byrne, Thomas Hartmann, Alan Bruce Hamersley