Optical data storage

Claim 2

An optical data storage apparatus comprising: a planar data storage member having at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data, at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member, and means on said storage member spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing positional data in the other coordinate direction relative to said pages of information, at least one additional zone on said data storage member including means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member and including indexing information indicating the location of particular pages of optically readable data; means for directing non-coherent light at a specific selected page of said stored information on said storage member; drive means for producing relative motion between the light directing means and the storage member; input means for selecting information desired by an operator to be displayed; reading means for reading said indexing information and said positional data; means for controlling the drive means in dependence upon the data read by the reading means and the signals supplied by said input means to cause the light-directing means and storage member to be positioned relatively to one another to cause light to be directed onto the selected page; and means for displaying the alphanumeric or graphical data on the selected page.

Claim 3

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said storage medium is a disk and wherein said position data is located in circumferential and radial zones on said disk.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 1 and including at least one machine readable digital data track additional to the means for defining absolute positional data.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1 wherein the pages are in concentric rings.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 1 wherein the pages are arranged along a spiral path.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1 wherein each of a plurality of said pages comprises an analog representation of information.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 1 wherein the data in said pages is represented by amplitude modulation of the relief height of a pattern of surface relief variations.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 1 wherein the optically readable data includes at least one regular diffraction grating.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 8 wherein the diffraction grating has a substantially sinusoidal profile.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 8 wherein the grating has a substantially square profile.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 1 wherein the second data zone has data elements stored as amplitude modulation of the relief height of a pattern of surface relief variations of the storage member which are optically readable in at least one diffraction order.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 11 wherein said elements are stored as data bits each comprising a substantially flat area (100% modulated) surrounded by unmodulated relief variations.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 12 wherein said elements are stored as data bits each comprising an area of relief variations surrounded by a substantially flat (100% modulated) area.

Claim 15

A system according to claim 1 wherein said storage member is of thermoplastic material.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 1 wherein the second zone or zones defines a polar coordinate system of addressing.

Claim 17

A planar data storage member comprising: at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data; at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member; means on said storage member spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing incremental positional data in two coordinate directions relative to said pages of information; at least one additional zone on said data storage member including digital track means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member, said additional zone including means for storing information relating to the location of a plurality of said pages in said two coordinate directions; and said storage member being in the form of a disk and wherein the storage on the disk is in the form of a pattern of surface relief variations on the surface of said disk.

Claim 18

A planar data storage member comprising: at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data; at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member; means on said storage member spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing incremental positional data in two coordinate directions relative to said pages of information; at least one additional zone on said data storage member including digital track means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member, said additional zone including means for storing information relating to the location of a plurality of said pages in said two coordinate directions; and said storage member being in the form of a disk and wherein the storage on the disk is in the form of a pattern of surface relief variations on the surface of said disk.

Claim 19

A member according to claim 16 wherein the digital data track or tracks includes an indexing track comprising indexing data providing addresses of corresponding positions within the page storage zone.

Claim 20

A member according to claim 16 wherein the pages are in concentric rings.

Claim 21

A member according to claim 16 wherein the pages are arranged along a spiral path.

Claim 22

A member according to claim 16 wherein each of a plurality of said pages comprises an analog representation of information.

Claim 23

A member according to claim 16 wherein the data in said pages is represented by amplitude modulation of the relief height of a pattern of surface relief variations.

Claim 24

A member according to claim 16 wherein the optically readable data includes at least one regular diffraction grating.

Claim 25

A member according to claim 22 wherein the diffraction grating has a substantially sinusoidal profile.

Claim 26

A member according to claim 22 wherein the grating has a substantially square profile.

Claim 27

A storage member according to claim 16 and comprising an indexing, digital data, track separate from the page storage zone and containing indexing data, relating to information in said pages, and associated numeric addresses for said pages in the two coordinate addressing system.

Claim 28

A member according to claim 16 wherein the second data zone has data elements stored as amplitude modulation of the relief height of a pattern of surface relief variations of the storage member which are optically readable in at least one diffraction order.

Claim 29

A member according to claim 26 wherein said elements are stored as data bits each comprising a substantially flat area (100% modulated) surrounded by unmodulated relief variations.

Claim 30

A member according to claim 26 wherein said elements are stored as data bits each comprising an area of relief variations surrounded by a substantially flat (100% modulated) area.

Claim 31

A member according to claim 16 wherein said storage member is of thermoplastic material.

Claim 32

A member according to claim 16 wherein the second zone or zones define a polar coordinate system of addressing.

Claim 33

A data storage member as defined in claim 16 further including peripheral ring means for use in determining concentricity or eccentricity of said disks, whereby any needed address correction may be provided.

Claim 34

An optical data storage system comprising: a planar data storage member having at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data, at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in optical or magnetic form in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member, and means on said storage member spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing positional data in the other coordinate direction relative to said pages of information, at least one additional zone on said data storage member including means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member; means for directing non-coherent light at a specific selected page of said stored information on said storage member; drive means for producing relative motion between the light-directing means and the storage member; input means for inputting data defining a desired page of said first zone; optical or magnetic reading means for reading said positional data and for reading the information from said additional zone; a microprocessor, with random access memory, operable in accordance with said information read from said additional zone and arranged to control the drive means in dependence upon the additional data read by the reading means and the desired page defining data to cause the light-directing means and storage member to be positioned relative to one another to cause light to be directed onto the selected page; and means for displaying the selected page.

Claim 35

An optical data storage system comprising: a planar data storage member having at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data, at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in optical or magnetic form in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member, and means on said storage member spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing positional data in the other coordinate direction relative to said pages of information, at least one additional zone on said data storage member including means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member; means for directing non-coherent light at a specific selected page of said stored information on said storage member; drive means for producing relative motion between the light-directing means and the storage member; input means for inputting data defining a desired page of said first zone; optical or magnetic reading means for reading said positional data and for reading the information from said additional zone; a microprocessor, with random access memory, operable in accordance with said information read from said additional zone and arranged to control the drive means in dependence upon the additional data read by the reading means and the desired page defining data to cause the light-directing means and storage member to be positioned relative to one another to cause light to be directed onto the selected page; and means for displaying the selected page.

Claim 36

An optical data storage system as defined in claim 32 wherein page indexing binary information is stored in said additional zone on said data storage member.

Claim 37

An optical data storage system as defined in claim 32 wherein said system includes means for reading and processing the binary information stored in said additional zone.

Claim 38

A system according to claim 32 wherein the pages are in concentric rings.

Claim 39

A system according to claim 32 wherein the pages are arranged along a spiral path.

Claim 40

A system according to claim 32 wherein each of a plurality of said pages comprises an analog representation of information.

Claim 41

A system according to claim 32 wherein the data in said pages is represented by amplitude modulation of the relief height of a pattern of surface relief variations.

Claim 42

A system according to claim 32 wherein the optically readable data includes at least one regular diffraction grating.

Claim 43

A system according to claim 39, wherein the diffraction grating has a substantially sinusoidal profile.

Claim 44

A system according to claim 39, wherein the grating has a substantially square profile.

Claim 45

A storage system according to claim 32 and including an indexing digital data track separate from the page storage zone and containing indexing data, relating to information in said pages, and associated numeric addresses for said pages in the two coordinate addressing system.

Claim 46

A system according to claim 32 wherein the second data zone has data elements stored as amplitude modulation of the relief height of a pattern of surface relief variations of the storage member which are optically readable in at least one diffraction order.

Claim 47

A system according to claim 43, wherein said elements are stored as data bits each comprising a substantially flat area (100% modulated) surrounded by unmodulated relief variations.

Claim 48

A system according to claim 43, wherein said elements are stored as data bits each comprising an area of relief variations surrounded by a substantially flat (100% modulated) area.

Claim 49

A system according to claim 32 wherein said storage member is of thermoplastic material.

Claim 50

A system according to claim 32, wherein the second zone or zones defines a polar coordinate system of addressing.

Claim 51

A system as defined in claim 32 wherein said storage medium is a disk and wherein said position data is located in circumferential and radial zones on said disk.

Claim 52

A planar data storage member comprising: at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data; said pages being stored in accordance with a two coordinate addressing system; at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in optical or magnetic form in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member; means on said storage member spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing incremental positional data in said one coordinate direction relative to said pages of information; and at least one additional zone on said data storage member including digital track means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member, said additional zone including means for storing information relating to the location of a plurality of said pages in said two coordinate addressing systems.

Claim 53

A planar data storage member comprising: at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data; said pages being stored in accordance with a two coordinate addressing system; at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in optical or magnetic form in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member; means on said storage member spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing incremental positional data in said one coordinate direction relative to said pages of information; and at least one additional zone on said data storage member including digital track means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member, said additional zone including means for storing information relating to the location of a plurality of said pages in said two coordinate addressing systems.

Claim 54

A data storage member as defined in claim 48 wherein said storage member is disk shaped, and further including peripheral ring means for use in determining concentricity or eccentricity of said disks, whereby any needed address correction may be provided.

Claim 55

An optical data storage system comprising: a planar data storage member having at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data, at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in optical or magnetic form in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member, and means included in said system and spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing positional data in the other coordinate direction relative to said pages of information, at least one additional zone on said data storage member including means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member; means for directing non-coherent light at a specific selected page area of said storage member; drive means for producing relative motion between the light-directing means and the storage member; input means for inputting data defining a desired page area of said first zone; optical or magnetic reading means for reading said positional data and for reading the information from said additional zone; a microprocessor, with random access memory, operable in accordance with said information read from said additional zone and arranged to control the drive means in dependence upon the additional data read by the reading means and the desired page defining data to cause the light-directing means and storage member to be positioned relative to one another to cause light to be directed onto the selected page area; and means for forming an image relative to the selected page.

Claim 56

An optical data storage system comprising: a planar data storage member having at least one first zone including means for storing pages of alphanumeric or graphical optically readable data, at least one second zone including means spaced from the bulk of the pages included in said first zone for defining absolute positional data in optical or magnetic form in at least one coordinate direction on said storage member, and means included in said system and spaced from the bulk of said pages included in said first zone for providing positional data in the other coordinate direction relative to said pages of information, at least one additional zone on said data storage member including means for storing binary digital information of a significantly different type than the other information stored on said member; means for directing non-coherent light at a specific selected page area of said storage member; drive means for producing relative motion between the light-directing means and the storage member; input means for inputting data defining a desired page area of said first zone; optical or magnetic reading means for reading said positional data and for reading the information from said additional zone; a microprocessor, with random access memory, operable in accordance with said information read from said additional zone and arranged to control the drive means in dependence upon the additional data read by the reading means and the desired page defining data to cause the light-directing means and storage member to be positioned relative to one another to cause light to be directed onto the selected page area; and means for forming an image relative to the selected page.