Abstract: Expiration information stored on an optical medium is applied to determine an expiration date of the optical medium that provides a predetermined reliability of information archived on the optical medium, such as a predetermined acceptable defect level of the information at the expiration date. An expiration engine associated with an information handling system or optical disc drive determines the expiration date from one or more factors, such as the manufacture date of read-only optical media, the initialization date of recordable optical media, a quality rating associated with a defect growth rate over time of the optical media, and a desired reliability. In one embodiment, the expiration engine writes expiration information to the optical media, such as a date stamp at initialization of a recordable optical medium. Alternatively, an expiration date is stored on an information handling system to provide expiration warnings a predetermined time before the expiration date.

Abstract: Expiration information stored on an optical medium is applied to determine an expiration date of the optical medium that provides a predetermined reliability of information archived on the optical medium, such as a predetermined acceptable defect level of the information at the expiration date. An expiration engine associated with an information handling system or optical disc drive determines the expiration date from one or more factors, such as the manufacture date of read-only optical media, the initialization date of recordable optical media, a quality rating associated with a defect growth rate over time of the optical media, and a desired reliability. In one embodiment, the expiration engine writes expiration information to the optical media, such as a date stamp at initialization of a recordable optical medium. Alternatively, an expiration date is stored on an information handling system to provide expiration warnings a predetermined time before the expiration date.

Abstract: An optical medium storage device improves the usable life of re-writable optical storage mediums, such CD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM disks, by adjusting write parameters to compensate for time between an initial write on the optical storage medium and the current time, with adjusted write parameters fine-tuning signal-to-noise ratios and improving the number of reliable overwrites for the optical storage medium.

Abstract: An optical medium storage device improves the usable life of re-writable optical storage mediums, such CD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM disks, by adjusting write parameters to compensate for time between an initial write on the optical storage medium and the current time, with adjusted write parameters fine-tuning signal-to-noise ratios and improving the number of reliable overwrites for the optical storage medium.

Abstract: An optical medium storage device improves the usable life of re-writable optical storage mediums, such CD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM disks, by adjusting write parameters to compensate for time between an initial write on the optical storage medium and the current time, with adjusted write parameters fine-tuning signal-to-noise ratios and improving the number of reliable overwrites for the optical storage medium.

Abstract: An optical medium stores enabling information readable by a blue laser that enables the reading of content from the optical medium by a red laser. For instance, the enabling information is content protection information needed to decode the content, optical medium disc type information used to set the read parameters of the red laser or a key needed to read content. The enabling information is disposed in the optical medium to be readable by illumination of a blue laser but indistinguishable through illumination by the red laser. For instance, the enabling information is placed at the outer surface of an optical medium at which the focus point of the blue laser allows reading of marks while the red laser has insufficient precision to focus on individual marks. The marks may also be inked on the outer surface with a material that is reflective of blue light but that has inhibited reflectivity of red light.

Abstract: An optical medium storage device improves the usable life of re-writable optical storage mediums, such CD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM disks, by adjusting write parameters to compensate for time between an initial write on the optical storage medium and the current time, with adjusted write parameters fine-tuning signal-to-noise ratios and improving the number of reliable overwrites for the optical storage medium. A time compensator determines the time delta between an initial write on the optical storage medium, such as formatting of the medium, and the current time, and then applies the time delta to determine a time compensation factor that adjust the write parameters of a focused laser beam that writes information to the optical storage medium.

Abstract: A system (and associated method) comprises a storage drive and a central processing unit (“CPU”). The storage drive is adapted to accommodate a removable storage medium. The CPU is configured to cause the CPU to write data and a time value to each of a plurality of addressable units of the storage medium in which data is written. The time value is indicative of the time at which each addressable unit was written with data.

Abstract: An optical storage update module extends the life of re-writable optical medium, such as DVD+RW optical storage disks, by identifying data units having and lacking updates for information writes to commonly used portions of the optical medium and then writing the information by writing data units having updates and restricting the writing of at least some of the data units lacking updates. For instance, a stored file system structure of an optical medium, such as a UDF random writable file system, is read from the optical medium and compared with an updated file system structure to identify and write to the optical medium substantially only those data units changed by the updated file system structure. In one embodiment, file structure updates are written to the optical storage medium with Read Modify Write operations.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing errors when storing data on a marginal optical storage media. Write parameters for writing information to the optical storage media are adjusted to compensate in the quality of the storage media. In one embodiment of the invention, the drive uses a scan-before-burn routine to scan the optical storage media prior to writing to it, thereby determining whether or not the media has defects. This scan information is then used to determine how slow or fast the drive is capable of writing to the media. The scan can be triggered by the user at any time or may be triggered by the optical storage device if the media is not recognized by the firmware used to control the drive. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the scan-before-burn routine is implemented only after a write failure. In this embodiment of the invention, the drive control software records the optical storage media type by media ID start code when a write error is detected.

Abstract: A system, and associated methods, comprises a storage drive adapted to accommodate a removable storage medium and a central processing unit (“CPU”) configured to execute code. The code causes the storage drive to record audit information onto the storage medium. The audit information may comprise an identifying value identifying the storage drive and a time value indicative of when data was recorded to the storage medium.

Abstract: Expiration information stored on an optical medium is applied to determine an expiration date of the optical medium that provides a predetermined reliability of information archived on the optical medium, such as a predetermined acceptable defect level of the information at the expiration date. An expiration engine associated with an information handling system or optical disc drive determines the expiration date from one or more factors, such as the manufacture date of read-only optical media, the initialization date of recordable optical media, a quality rating associated with a defect growth rate over time of the optical media, and a desired reliability. In one embodiment, the expiration engine writes expiration information to the optical media, such as a date stamp at initialization of a recordable optical medium. Alternatively, an expiration date is stored on an information handling system to provide expiration warnings a predetermined time before the expiration date.

Abstract: Compatibility information embedded in an optical medium modifies actions allowed by predetermined non-compatible optical disc drives on the optical medium, such as optical disc drives that may suffer damage if certain actions are performed on the optical medium. For instance, a compatibility engine of the optical disc drive applies compatibility information read from an optical medium to determine restrictions to impose on the use of the optical medium, such as restricting the optical disc drive from writing to the optical medium, reading from the optical medium or performing any operations until an update to the optical disc drive firmware is performed either automatically or by display of a compatibility user interface at an information handling system associated with the optical disc drive. In one embodiment, the compatibility information identifies incompatible optical disc drives and firmware versions by unique identifiers.

Abstract: An optical medium storage device improves the usable life of re-writable optical storage mediums, such CD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM disks, by adjusting write parameters to compensate for time between an initial write on the optical storage medium and the current time, with adjusted write parameters fine-tuning signal-to-noise ratios and improving the number of reliable overwrites for the optical storage medium.

Abstract: A drive refuses to transfer information from a first surface on an optical medium unless required information is present on a second surface of the medium. Optionally, information on the first surface may indicate that information on the second surface is required. For example, a drive may refuse to transfer data from a data surface unless a serial number is readable on an exterior surface.

Abstract: An optical medium storage device improves the usable life of re-writable optical storage mediums, such CD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM disks, by adjusting write parameters to compensate for time between an initial write on the optical storage medium and the current time, with adjusted write parameters fine-tuning signal-to-noise ratios and improving the number of reliable overwrites for the optical storage medium.

Abstract: Separate sets of optical medium identification information are embedded in separate aligned layers of the optical medium to allow an optical drive to initiate use of the optical medium with information from both layers. For instance, a first set of identification information is embedded in the data layer of the optical medium and a second set of identification information is embedded on the protective surface layer of the optical medium. The first and second sets of information align so that a mixed signal is provided when the optical medium is initially inserted in the optical drive with the optical drive reading the separate sets of information while the read head is at a single location.

Abstract: An optical medium associated with a first type of optical drive laser, such as a blue laser, embeds identification information readable by a second type of optical drive laser, such as a red laser associated with DVD media or an IR laser associated with CD media, in order to reduce the time used by the optical drive to recognize media. An attempt to read the embedded identification information by the second laser that succeeds provides the optical drive with the information to proceed with use of the optical medium using the first laser. An attempt to read the embedded identification information that fails provides the optical drive with the opportunity to detect whether the optical medium is associated with the second laser so that a single spindle kick of the optical medium by the optical drive determines whether the optical medium is associated with either of two types of lasers.

Abstract: Optical medium identification codes, such as the ATIP start codes used for CD-R optical media, are preassigned by optical medium manufacturer for association with planned optical media of the manufacturer. Optical disc drive manufacturers build optical disc drives having the preassigned optical medium identification codes in write strategy tables even though the optical disc drives are manufactured and sold before release and development of write strategies for the planned optical media. General write strategies associated with the preassigned optical medium identification codes provide more rapid write speeds for optical media having preassigned codes than for optical media having unknown identification codes by basing the preassigned write strategies on planned optical media design parameters, such as similarities with existing optical media of the manufacturer.

Abstract: An optical storage update module extends the life of re-writable optical medium, such as DVD+RW optical storage disks, by identifying data units having and lacking updates for information writes to commonly used portions of the optical medium and then writing the information by writing data units having updates and restricting the writing of at least some of the data units lacking updates. For instance, a stored file system structure of an optical medium, such as a UDF random writable file system, is read from the optical medium and compared with an updated file system structure to identify and write to the optical medium substantially only those data units changed by the updated file system structure. In one embodiment, file structure updates are written to the optical storage medium with Read Modify Write operations.