FR2788160A1 - Card with optical data disc and adaptor allowing writing to or reading from the card in conventional CD reader/writer - Google Patents

Abstract

The optical disc has a flat thin rectangular substrate (1) the same size as a conventional credit card, with a circular optical storage area (2) toward one end. An adaptor (5), with the same outer dimensions as a conventional CD, has a recess (6) on the top surface to accept the card, positioning the card so that the optical storage area has its center immediately above the CD drive spindle.

Description

-1 - Optical disc card and adapter allowing its reading or its

engraving on a

  player or on recorder.

  The present invention relates to an optical disc card of the card type.

  visit, credit card, bank card, phone card, health card or other.

  Such cards including an optical data storage medium are known, for example from document CH-688996 A5 which describes a business card constituted by a rectangular card comprising a circular optical storage area, the axis thereof being positioned precisely in the center of the map. This card uses the CD-ROM storage technique. It is intended for use without accessories in CD-ROM drives accepting compact 80 mm diameter discs. In order to be used without accessories, this card had to be equipped with 4 protruding pins, allowing it to be correctly positioned in the housing of the reader intended for 80 mm discs. However, a card of this kind has several drawbacks or inadequacies: - the centered position of the storage area does not allow the simultaneous integration of a chip according to ISO 7816 standard, the connectors being superimposed on the storage area ; - this position does not provide an optimum communication area; - The pins make the card unsuitable for complementary uses requiring introduction into another device, such as, for example, an automatic cash dispenser or a telephone booth. In addition, the protruding pins arranged on the card to keep it in the reader, are troublesome for

  its storage in a plastic case the size of usual cards.

  A first object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks or inadequacies. This objective is achieved, according to the invention, thanks to an optical disc card comprising a thin and rectangular card, executed in a conventional material (such as, for example, any rigid, semi-rigid or flexible plastic material, suitable for the use of the card) on which is integrated (by inlaying, pasting, printing, pressing or other), a circular optical data storage medium, this card being remarkable in that said optical data storage medium occupies

  an eccentric position on the map.

  The eccentricity of the circular storage area on the card has the particular advantages of: - freeing up the space necessary for the possible implantation of the connectors of a smart card;

  - to free up a larger homogeneous visual communication space.

  This eccentric optical disc card can be read or burned in standard readers or recorders, such as, for example, those usually used for listening to audio discs or reading and recording CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs computer, or, by any reader or reader

  recorder suitable for the substrate or the technology used for the optical disc.

  However, the eccentricity of the optical disc on the rectangular surface of the card is likely to generate reading problems, originating from the

gyratory movement of the map.

  To eliminate this drawback, the invention also relates to a thin adapter of circular shape comprising a housing dimensioned to receive an eccentric optical disc card, this housing being arranged so that when an eccentric optical disc card it is suitably positioned there, the center of said eccentric optical disc coincides with the center of said adapter. Thanks to this adapter, the eccentric optical disc card can be read, in the best possible conditions, in standard players or recorders, commonly used for listening to audio discs or reading and

  recording of computer CD-ROMs, or in any card-suitable readers

disc considered.

  The above goals, features and benefits, and more,

  will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and from the appended drawings, in which:

  - Figure 1 shows a first advantageous embodiment of the eccentric optical disc card according to the invention; - Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of such a card, cut from

  larger optical media such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

  - Figure 3 is a plan view showing an eccentric optical disc card, positioned in an adapter according to the invention; - Figure 4 is an enlarged view in section along line 4-4 of Figure 3; - Figure 5 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of this adapter in which is positioned an eccentric optical disc card; -4- - Figure 6 is an enlarged view in section along line 6-6 of the

figure 5.

  Reference is made to said drawings to describe examples of interesting, although in no way limiting, embodiments of the eccentric optical disc card and of the adapter according to the invention. The eccentric optical disc card comprises a flat or thin support or substrate 1, having a rectangular shape and the dimensions of which can be those of standardized smart cards, ie 55 x 84 mm. The thickness of this support or substrate 1 may vary depending on its nature or on the technique used for its

  manufacturing; it can, for example, be of the order of 0.76 to 1.00 mm.

  The support or substrate 1 can be executed in any material suitable for the destination of the card (cardboard, plasticized cardboard, or, very advantageously, in

  plastic), this support can be opaque or transparent.

  According to the invention, an optical data storage medium 2 is integrated into the support 1, by inlaying, pasting, printing, pressing or otherwise, and this optical data storage medium 2 occupies an eccentric position on the card or

support 1 (Figures 1 and 2).

  The optical data storage medium is preferably produced in the form of a small optical disc or small CD with a diameter which fits into the format or dimension of the card and, for example, an outside diameter of the order 55 mm. he

has a central opening 2a.

  -5- As indicated above, the eccentricity of the optical disc frees up a relatively large homogeneous visual communication space. Depending on the destination of the optical disc card, this space which concerns the two faces of the card can receive, in addition to various texts and drawings, various desirable elements such as, for example, any other storage or identification system. , such as barcode, magnetic strip, chip, etc. FIG. 1 shows a card provided with a chip 4 placed in its standardized location, according to a preferred embodiment, outside the zone occupied by the

optical disc 2.

  As necessary, the card can be provided with one or more small lights 3 or other means promoting correct positioning and maintaining

this in an adapter.

  The eccentric optical disc card according to the invention allows the storage of all digital data, whether they come from audio, video, computer or combined sources. The multimedia nature of the medium, its versatility, its level of storage (currently 10 to 20 megabytes), the attractiveness of the "card format" and the use of current technology readers opens the use of this optical disc card to a multitude of sectors. By way of nonlimiting examples, literary, musical and artistic publishing, advertising, telephony, computers, software publishing, monitoring

  medical, security, identity, archiving.

  As already pointed out, the reading of the eccentric optical disc card of the invention on a standard reader or recorder makes it greatly desirable to use an adapter, which also comes within the scope of the

this Patent Application.

  According to the invention, this adapter 5 comprises a housing 6 dimensioned to receive an eccentric optical disc card 1-2, this housing being arranged so that when an eccentric optical disc card is suitably positioned there, the center of said eccentric optical disk 2, coincides with the center of said adapter. The adapter having the characteristic features above, may have

various configurations.

  According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the adapter 5 consists of a flat disc of small thickness which can be executed in any suitable rigid or semi-rigid plastic material or other material, and it has an opening central 7 for discovering the optical disc 2 of the eccentric optical disc card, when such a card is suitably positioned in the adapter, this central opening having, for example, a diameter of the order of 56 to 60 mm . The opening 7 constitutes a reading window allowing the reading or the writing of the data on the optical disc of the disc card positioned in the

  housing 6, the face comprising the optical disc being oriented downwards.

  This disc has a diameter equal to or substantially equal to that of the discs usually used in suitable players (12 cm for audio players and

current CD-ROM drives).

  In one of its faces, the disc has a cavity 6 communicating with the opening 7. This cavity constituting the housing for an optical disk card -7- offset 1-2 according to the invention, has dimensions corresponding substantially to those of eccentric optical disc cards on reception of which the adapter is intended. For example, the cavity or housing 6 can have dimensions

  corresponding to those of standard smart cards.

  The adapter 5 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 can be described as being formed of two superimposed discs, either: - a first disc or "lower" disc 8 of small thickness, for example of the order of 0.20 mm at 0.40 mm, in order to keep the assembly a certain flexibility and a reduced weight, this disc being provided with the central opening 7, and; - A second disc or "upper" disc 9 of greater thickness (for example of the order of 1 mm to 1.20 mm) in which the housing 6 is produced

the disk card.

  The opening or reading window 7 opens into the housing 6 which, according to this embodiment, consists of a large notch extending in one direction to the periphery of the adapter, so as to present a 6c opening for

  the introduction of a disk card 1-2.

  In this case, the housing 6 is delimited by: the upper face of the disk 8, the lateral edges 6a and the bottom 6b of the notch formed in the disk 9. The housing thus opens onto the periphery of the adapter and its longitudinal edges 6a can

  have a bevelled profile to create card retaining fins-

  disc positioned in said housing. In this way, the disc card can be engaged

  by sliding in the housing 6 via the opening 6c and similarly removed.

  -8- According to the two embodiments described above, when an eccentric optical disc card 1-2 is correctly positioned in the housing 6 of the disc-shaped adapter 5, the center of the optical disc 2 coincides with the

  center of disc 5, and the center of opening 7 of the latter.

  The adapter 5 may advantageously include, at its periphery, depressions or zones of lesser thickness 10, distributed around the housing 6, in order to balance the adapter 5 / card-disk 1-2 assembly, this balancing eliminating the

vibrations during playback.

-9-

Claims (10)

  1.- Optical disc card comprising: on the one hand, a flat and thin support or substrate (1), of rectangular shape, for example made of cardboard, plasticized cardboard, or plastic, and constituting the card itself , and, on the other hand, an optical data storage medium (2) integrated into said card, for example by inlaying, pasting, printing, pressing, characterized in that the optical data storage medium (2) occupies a position offset on the map (1).   2.- optical disc card according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a chip (4) disposed outside the area occupied by the support of optical data storage (2).   3.- optical disc card according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in   that it is provided with one or more small lights (3) or other means   favoring its correct positioning and its retention in an adapter.   4. Optical disc card according to any one of claims 1 to 3,   characterized in that it is provided with data storage means or   identification such as, for example, barcode or magnetic stripe.   5.- Adapter allowing the positioning of an eccentric optical disc card   according to any one of claims 1 to 4, for reading on a   reader or its engraving on a recording player such as, for example, those usually used for listening to audio discs or for reading and recording computer CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs, characterized in that it comprises a housing (6) sized to receive this optical disc card, this housing (6) being arranged so that when an eccentric optical disc card (1-2) is suitably positioned there, the center of said disc eccentric optic (2) cdfo coincides with the center of the adapter which has a central opening (7) communicating with the housing (6), this central opening (7) being dimensioned so as to allow the optical disc (2) of the eccentric optical disc card (1- 2), when this   the latter is housed in said adapter.   6. An adapter according to claim 5, characterized in that it takes the form of a flat disc and of small thickness having a diameter equal or substantially equal to that of the discs usually used in readers or readers   known recorders, for example of the order of 12 cm.   7.- Adapter according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the   housing (6) consists of a cavity having dimensions substantially corresponding to those of the eccentric optical disc cards (1-2) for receiving which the adapter is intended, this cavity or housing (6) having, for example, dimensions corresponding to those of smart cards standardized.   8.- Adapter according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that   that it can be considered to be formed of two superimposed discs, either: - a first disc or lower disc (8) of small thickness, provided with the central opening (7), and; - a second disc or upper disc (9) of greater thickness, in which the housing (6) is produced for the eccentric optical disc card - 11 -   (1-2), this housing (6) communicating with the central opening (7) and being constituted by a wide notch which extends to the periphery of the adapter, to form an introduction opening (6c ), the lower disc (8) having, for example, a thickness of the order of 0.20 mm to 0.40 mm, and the upper disc (9) having a thickness of the order of 1 mm to 1.20 mm. 9. An adapter according to claim 8, characterized in that the edges   longitudinal (6a) of the housing (6) have card retaining fins   disc (1-2) positioned in said housing, in which the latter can be engaged by sliding.   10.- Adapter according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that   that it comprises, at its periphery, depressions (10) allowing the balancing of   the adapter (5) / disk-board (1-2) assembly.