Patents Assigned to SpectraDisc Corporation
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Patent number: 6531262Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable media unreadable and tamper-resistant. A method has steps of (a) providing the media with a readout surface layer that is non-flat (i.e., textured in some way, such as by embossing, scratching, depositing a non-planar layer or regions, such as droplets) and that inhibits optical readout of the media; (b) applying a coating layer to the non-flat surface layer to smooth the non-flat surface and to enable optical readout of the media; and, after an initiation of a readout period, (c) removing the coating layer so as to expose the non-flat readout surface layer, thereby inhibiting optical readout of the media. Preferably, the coating layer is substantially index matched to the readout surface layer.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2000Date of Patent: March 11, 2003Assignee: SpectraDisc CorporationInventors: Nabil M. Lawandy, Charles M. Zepp, Andrei Smuk, Marianne Krieg-Kowald
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Publication number: 20030021941Abstract: A method is disclosed for making an optically readable media (20) unreadable. The method includes steps of providing the media having a readout layer (22, 23) having features that encode information; forming over the readout layer a reactive layer (302) that inhibits a readout device from reading the information; and forming over the reactive layer a reaction inhibiting layer (304) comprising a volatile substance that inhibits transport through the reaction inhibiting layer until the volatile substance is lost to the environment. The reactive layer may contain a solvent and a dye and may be a color-forming layer that is responsive to a loss of the solvent. The solvent of the color-forming layer may comprise 1,5-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidinone (DMP), or it may comprise N-methyl-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The reaction inhibiting layer may also contain a solvent, such as any transparent, non-absorbing solvent. Glycerol is one suitable example.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2002Publication date: January 30, 2003Applicant: SpectraDisc Corporation, Rhode IslandInventor: Nabil M. Lawandy
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Patent number: 6434109Abstract: An optical disc having machine-readable, information-encoding features is provided with a barrier layer secured to the disc. This barrier layer is configured to prevent machine-reading of the features. A reading-inhibit agent, included in the disc and activated by removal of the barrier layer, is operative, once activated, to alter the disc to inhibit reading of the disc. Alternately, the barrier layer can be eliminated, and the reading-inhibit agent can be activated by initial reading of the disc, as for example by exposure to optical radiation associated with reading of the disc, or rotation of the disc.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2001Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignee: SpectraDisc CorporationInventors: Philip E. Rollhaus, John R. Powell, Eric J. Carlson, Daniel J. Ehntholt, Irwin C. Winkler, Christopher J. Marmo, James R. Valentine
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Publication number: 20020076647Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable media unreadable. The method includes steps of (a) providing the media with an optically activated mechanism that degrades the reflectivity of a surface wherein information is encoded; (b) exposing the media to optical radiation for reading out the information; and, during the step of exposing, (c) initiating the operation of the optically activated mechanism. In this embodiment the step of initiating includes steps of (d) generating singlet oxygen in a layer disposed on the media; and (e) reacting the singlet oxygen with a metal-containing layer for oxidizing the surface of the metal-containing layer, thereby degrading the reflectivity of the surface. In a further aspect the optically activated mechanism causes a defocusing of a readout beam, thereby degrading reflection of the readout beam from a surface wherein information is encoded.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2001Publication date: June 20, 2002Applicant: SpectraDisc CorporationInventors: Nabil M. Lawandy, Charles M. Zepp, Kenneth S. Norland
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Patent number: 6338933Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable media unreadable. The method includes steps of (a) providing the media with an optically activated mechanism that degrades the reflectivity of a surface wherein information is encoded; (b) exposing the media to optical radiation for reading out the information; and, during the step of exposing, (c) initiating the operation of the optically activated mechanism. In this embodiment the step of initiating includes steps of (d) generating singlet oxygen in a layer disposed on the media; and (e) reacting the singlet oxygen with a metal-containing layer for oxidizing the surface of the metal-containing layer, thereby degrading the reflectivity of the surface. In a further aspect the optically activated mechanism causes a defocusing of a readout beam, thereby degrading reflection of the readout beam from a surface wherein information is encoded.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1999Date of Patent: January 15, 2002Assignee: SpectraDisc CorporationInventors: Nabil M. Lawandy, Charles M. Zepp, Kenneth S. Norland
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Publication number: 20010046204Abstract: An optical disc having machine-readable, information-encoding features is provided with a barrier layer secured to the disc. This barrier layer is configured to prevent machine-reading of the features. A reading-inhibit agent, included in the disc and activated by removal of the barrier layer, is operative, once activated, to alter the disc to inhibit reading of the disc Alternately, the barrier layer can be eliminated, and the reading-inhibit agent can be activated by initial reading of the disc, as for example by exposure to optical radiation associated with reading of the disc, or rotation of the disc.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2001Publication date: November 29, 2001Applicant: SpectraDisc CorporationInventors: Philip E. Rollhaus, John R. Powell, Eric J. Carlson, Daniel J. Ehntholt, Irwin C. Winkler, Christopher J. Marmo, James R. Valentine
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Patent number: 6011772Abstract: An optical disc having machine-readable, information-encoding features is provided with a barrier layer secured to the disc. This barrier layer is configured to prevent machine-reading of the features. A reading-inhibit agent, included in the disc and activated by removal of the barrier layer, is operative, once activated, to alter the disc to inhibit reading of the disc. Alternately, the barrier layer can be eliminated, and the reading-inhibit agent can be activated by initial reading of the disc, as for example by exposure to optical radiation associated with reading of the disc, or rotation of the disc.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1997Date of Patent: January 4, 2000Assignee: SpectraDisc CorporationInventors: Philip E. Rollhaus, John R. Powell, Eric J. Carlson, Daniel J. Ehntholt, Irwin C. Winkler, Christopher J. Marmo, James R. Valentine