EP0762407A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Two-sided, light-readable information recording disc stacks and methods of making same
Assignee: Wea Manufacturing Inc
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Filing: 1996-09-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-09-02
Abstract
Abstract Recording media made up of two discs bonded together back to back have one disc on which programming information is recorded in light-readable form (generally similar to conventional CDs or CD-ROMs) and a second disc bearing visible indicia regarding the recording media. At least some of the visible indicia on the second disc are generic (i.e., are not specific to the particular programming on the other disc). These generic visible indicia are preferably formed on the second disc prior to the bonding of the two discs together. Additional visible indicia that are specific to the particular programming on the other disc may be added to the second disc. The visible indicia may be provided in several ways such as by "pit art", thermal branding, laser scribing, printing, labelling, etc. The second disc may also contain some recorded, generic, light-readable information such as "Wrong side -- turn disc over."
Inventors
- 👤 Richard C. Marquardt, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 08:28
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/24; G11B23/00; G11B23/38; G11B23/40; G11B7/24094; G11B7/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
An information recording medium comprising: a first substantially transparent plastic disc having a first substantially planar surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, said second surface having information recorded on it by means of local changes in the distance of said second surface from said first surface; a first light reflecting coating on said second surface for reflecting light passed through said first disc back through said first disc, said first coating conforming to said local changes of said second surface so that said light is reflected back through said first disc in accordance with the information recorded by means of said local changes; a second plastic disc of approximately the same thickness as said first disc, said second disc having opposite, substantially planar, third and fourth surfaces, said second disc being stacked on and secured to said first disc so that said third surface faces toward said second surface; and indicia on said second disc that are visible by viewing said fourth surface for visibly providing to a user of said recording medium with identifying information related to the recording medium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
16 words
The recording medium defined in claim 1 wherein said indicia are printing on said fourth surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The recording medium defined in claim 1 wherein said indicia comprise: a label secured to said fourth surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The recording medium defined in claim 3 wherein said label comprises a paper sheet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The recording medium defined in claim 4 wherein said label further comprises printing on said paper sheet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The recording medium defined in claim 1 wherein said indicia comprise local modifications of said fourth surface so that the distance of said fourth surface from said third surface is different in said local modifications than elsewhere.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The recording medium defined in claim 6 wherein said local modifications are thermally produced depressions in said fourth surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The recording medium defined in claim 6 wherein said local modifications are laser produced depressions in said fourth surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The recording medium defined in claim 1 wherein said second disc is substantially transparent, and wherein said indicia comprise local modifications of said third surface so that the distance of said third surface from said fourth surface is different in said local modifications than elsewhere.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
The recording medium defined in claim 9 further comprising: a second visible light reflecting coating on said third surface for reflecting visible light passed through said second disc back through said second disc, said second coating conforming to said local modifications of said third surface so that said visible light is reflected back through said second disc in accordance with said local modifications.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The recording medium defined in claim 10 wherein said local modifications additionally comprise recording of additional information readable by the same means that said information recorded by means of said local changes is readable by.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The recording medium defined in claim 11 wherein said additional information indicates that said second disc is not the disc that contains said information recorded by means of said local changes.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
299 words
The method of making recording media, at least some of which have respectively different first and second recorded program information, said method comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of first substantially transparent plastic discs, each of which has a first substantially planar surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface on which said first program information is recorded by means of local changes in the distance of said second surface from said first surface; coating said second surface of each of said first discs with a light reflecting coating which reflects light passed through said first disc back through said first disc, said coating conforming to said local changes of said second surface so that said light is reflected back through said first disc in accordance with the information recorded by said local changes; repeating said forming and coating steps to produce a plurality of second discs which are substantially similar to said first discs except that said second program information rather than said first program information is recorded on each of said second discs; forming a plurality of third substantially planar plastic discs, each of which has approximately the same thickness as one of said first or second discs, and each of which has indicia that are common to all of said third discs, said indicia being visible to a user of said recording media for visibly providing the user with identifying information about the recording media; and bonding a respective one of said third discs to each of said first and second discs so that the bonded discs form a permanent two-disc stack with the third disc being adjacent to said second surface of the associated first or second disc and with the indicia on said third disc being still visible in said stack.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method defined in claim 13 wherein said step of forming a plurality of third discs comprises the step of: printing said indicia on a substantially planar surface of each of said third discs.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method defined in claim 13 wherein said step of forming a plurality of third discs comprises the step of: securing a label containing said indicia to a substantially planar surface of each of said third discs.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method defined in claim 13 wherein said step of forming a plurality of third discs comprises the step of: securing a paper label printed with said indicia to a substantially planar surface of each of said third discs.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method defined in claim 13 wherein said step of forming a plurality of third discs comprises the step of: modifying a substantially planar surface of each of said third discs to represent said indicia.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method defined in claim 17 wherein said modifying step comprises the step of: changing the thickness of each of said third discs where said substantially planar surface of said disc is modified to represent said indicia.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method defined in claim 18 wherein said changing step comprises the step of: thermally depressing portions of said substantially planar surface of each of said third discs.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method defined in claim 18 wherein said changing step comprises the step of: using a laser to depress portions of said substantially planar surface of each of said third discs.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
101 words
The method defined in claim 17 wherein each of said third discs is substantially transparent, and wherein said step of forming a plurality of third discs further comprises the step of: after said modifying step, coating said substantially planar surface of each of said third discs with a visible light reflecting coating which reflects visible light passed through said third disc back through said third disc, said coating on said third disc conforming to modifications of said substantially planar surface so that said visible light is reflected back through said third disc in accordance with the indicia represented by said modifications.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method defined in claim 21 wherein said bonding step comprises the preliminary step of: orienting each of said third discs so that said coating on said third disc will be adjacent to said second surface of said first or second disc in the stack that includes said third disc.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method defined in claim 22 wherein said step of forming said plurality of third discs comprises the step of: additionally modifying said substantially planar surface of each of said third discs to record on said third disc additional information that is readable by the same means that said first and second program information recorded on said first and second discs is readable by.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method defined in claim 23 wherein said additional information indicates that said third disc is not a disc that contains information of the type of said first or second program information.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method defined in claim 13 further comprising the step of: after said bonding step, applying additional indicia to the third disc of each of said stacks, said additional indicia being visible to said user for providing said user with additional information which indicates whether said stack includes one of said first discs containing said first program information or one of said second discs containing said second program information.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method defined in claim 25 wherein said step of applying additional indicia comprises the step of: printing said additional indicia on an exposed, substantially planar surface of said third disc in said stack.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method defined in claim 25 wherein said step of applying additional indicia comprises the step of: securing a label containing said additional indicia to an exposed, substantially planar surface of said third disc in said stack.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method defined in claim 25 wherein said step of applying additional indicia comprises the step of: securing a paper label printed with said additional indicia to an exposed, substantially planar surface of said third disc in said stack.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method defined in claim 25 wherein said step of applying additional indicia comprises the step of: modifying an exposed, substantially planar surface of said third disc in said stack to represent said additional indicia.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method defined in claim 29 wherein said modifying step comprises the step of: changing the thickness of said third disc in said stack where said exposed, substantially planar surface of said third disc is modified to represent said additional indicia.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method defined in claim 30 wherein said changing step comprises the step of: thermally depressing portions of said exposed, substantially planar surface of said third disc in said stack.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method defined in claim 30 wherein said changing step comprises the step of: using a laser to depress portions of said exposed, substantially planar surface of said third disc in said stack.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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