US3626386A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Information storage systems
Assignee: Energy Conversion Devices Inc
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Filing: 1970-03-05
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Granted: 1971-12-07
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Expires: 1990-03-05
Abstract
Abstract The information storage system disclosed herein employs an amorphous semiconductor thin film sandwiched between two transparent substrates. A beam of laser energy is focused on the thin film by a lens having a sufficiently short focal length compared to the thickness of the substrates so that dust particles on the outer surfaces of the substrates are in a plane which is essentially out of focus of the lens. Accordingly, these particles do not affect the storage and retrieval of data bits stored in the amorphous film as discrete spots of crystalline or more ordered structure.
Inventors
- 👤 Julius Feinleib
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:38
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C13/00; G11C13/0002; G11C13/0004; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/004; G11B7/0045; G11B7/00454; G11C13/04; G11C13/048
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
In an information storage system the combination of: radiation means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy having a certain cross-sectional area; lens means for focusing said beam into a spot on a certain memory plane, the area of said spot being substantially smaller than the cross-sectional area of said beam prior to focusing; recording media located in a position including said memory plane, said recording media capable of having its electromagnetic properties altered at discrete spots in said memory plane to store information therein; material transparent to said beam joined to and integral with said recording media and having an outer surface separated sufficiently from said memory plane so that the cross-sectional area of said beam of energy at said surface is substantially larger than the area of said beam focused into a spot on said memory plane, whereby distorting elements on said surface produce insufficient changes in said beam to affect the operation of said information storage system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
In an information storage system the combination of: radiation means for generating a beam of electromagnetic energy having a certain cross-sectional area; lens means for focusing said beam into a spot on a certain memory plane, the area of said spot being substantially smaller than the cross-sectional area of said beam prior to focusing; recording media located in a position including said memory plane, said recording media capable of having its electromagnetic properties altered at discrete spots in said memory plane to store information therein; material transparent to said beam joined to and integral with said recording media and having an outer surface separated sufficiently from said memory plane so that the cross-sectional area of said beam of energy at said surface is substantially larger than the area of said beam focused into a spot on said memory plane, whereby distorting elements on said surface produce insufficient changes in said beam to affect the operation of said information storage system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said lens means includes a lens having a focal plane coincident with said memory plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system as defined in claim 2 further characterized by the addition of means for focusing said electromagnetic energy at different spots on said memory plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system as defined in claim 3 further characterized by the addition of modulator means located in the path of said beam for modulating the energy produced by said beam at said focused spots.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system as defined in claim 4 wherein said radiation means includes a laser means for generating coherent and parallel rays of electromagnetic energy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said recording media is composed of an amorphous semiconducting material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system as defined in claim 6 wherein said amorphous semiconducting material is switched between a generally amorphous or disordered state to a crystalline or more ordered state in response to electromagnetic energy.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
74 words
The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said recording media is sandwiched between said material and said material has two outer surfaces, one on either side of said media and each said surface being separated sufficiently from said memory plane so that the cross-sectional area of said beam of energy at both of said outer surfaces is substantially larger than the area of said beam focused into a spot on said memory plane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system as defined in claim 8 further characterized by the addition of: an output lens means for collecting said beam of energy after passing through said material and media; and a detector for generating a signal in response to the amount of energy collected by said output lens means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3382781A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-12-06 | 1975-06-07 | 1975-12-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-12-06 | 1979-06-07 | 1979-12-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-12-06 | 1983-06-07 | 1983-12-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |