GB2371400A - Optical disc with non-circular aperture - Google Patents
Optical disc with non-circular aperture Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2371400A GB2371400A GB0024618A GB0024618A GB2371400A GB 2371400 A GB2371400 A GB 2371400A GB 0024618 A GB0024618 A GB 0024618A GB 0024618 A GB0024618 A GB 0024618A GB 2371400 A GB2371400 A GB 2371400A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- data
- aperture
- carrying portion
- data carrying
- medium
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 title 1
- 238000013500 data storage Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000135 prohibitive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B23/00—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture
- G11B23/0014—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form
- G11B23/0021—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form discs
- G11B23/0028—Details
- G11B23/0035—Details means incorporated in the disc, e.g. hub, to enable its guiding, loading or driving
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
- G11B7/00—Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation by modifying optical properties or the physical structure, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power by sensing optical properties; Record carriers therefor
- G11B7/24—Record carriers characterised by shape, structure or physical properties, or by the selection of the material
Landscapes
- Optical Record Carriers And Manufacture Thereof (AREA)
- Signal Processing For Digital Recording And Reproducing (AREA)
Abstract
A data storage device 10 has a rotatable data carrying medium 12, such as a compact disc or DVD, which has an optically readable data carrying portion 14 and a non-data carrying portion 16. The non-data carrying portion 16 has a non-circular first aperture 18 and a circular second aperture 20 cut therein. When a data storage device 10 is inserted into a suitable data reading device, such as a games console, a plunger of the data reading apparatus engages second aperture 20. This causes actuation of a microswitch connected to the plunger which allows the operation of suitable data reading means.
Description
DATA STORAGE DEVICE
The present invention relates to data storage devices, and particularly, but not exclusively, to data storage devices which make the copying or pirating of software for games consoles more difficult.
The worldwide market for software for games consoles (computer based devices designed almost exclusively for playing games) is extremely large. Such software is presently distributed on
CD-ROM and it is expected that digital versatile disc (DVD) will be used in the future. As a result of this large market there is also an extensive market for pirated copies of the relevant software and this has become particularly the case because devices capable of producing CD-ROMs, known as CDwriters, have become readily available, and because the cost of the media used by these devices, known as writeable CD-ROMs, has also significantly decreased. In addition to the problem of pirating of software for direct commercial gain, the availability of CD-writers in home computers has significantly increased the occurrence of home copying allowing the games console user to avoid purchasing software at the full market price by copying from games borrowed from friends or from games which are available for hire.
Existing measures for preventing the copying of software generally incorporate software solutions to the problem.
However, such solutions can often be circumvented by the introduction of further software which may be specific to a particular piece of software or game to be copied, or may overcome a particular type of software protection.
Furthermore, with the increasing use of the Internet, the distribution of this type of software is becoming increasingly easy.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above described disadvantages of the prior art.
According to the present invention there is provided a data storage device comprising a data carrying medium adapted to be rotated in a data reading apparatus and having at least one optically readable data carrying portion and at least one nondata carrying portion located adjacent the axis of rotation of the medium, wherein said non-data carrying portion has engaging means comprising at least one aperture adapted to engage respective support means of the data reading apparatus, and wherein said engaging means cannot be engaged by a support means of circular cross section greater than a predetermined diameter.
By providing a standard data storage device, such as a CD-ROM or DVD, having an engaging means having at least one nonstandard central aperture, the advantage is provided that in order to copy software, a device specifically adapted to engage the non-standard aperture is required. The presently available CD-writers which are generally attached to or form part of personal computers would not be able to read or write onto a data storage device having such an engaging means. The effect of the implementation of the present invention would therefore be to make it almost impossible for home copying of this type of software, since specifically designed or adapted writing apparatus and writeable media would have to be supplied. Furthermore, because such engaging means are not used in standard CD-ROMs for use with personal computers, members of the public would have no reason (other than the-intention to produce home copies of such games console software) to own such apparatus, and those engaging in the larger scale commercial pirating of software would only require such adapted equipment and adapted media if they were also engaged in the legitimate production of software. In addition, because the market for apparatus adapted to write to such adapted media would be limited, the cost of obtaining such equipment would be prohibitive to many members of the public, which would in turn reduce the cost benefit of copying software over purchasing original software. The further advantage is provided that because a nearly standard medium can be used, the setup costs for those legitimately producing software are not significantly increased.
At least one said aperture is preferably non-circular.
In a preferred embodiment, at least one said aperture has at least one substantially straight edge.
Said engaging means may comprise a plurality of substantially circular apertures.
In a preferred embodiment, said non-data carrying portion has at least one further aperture for actuating security means of the data reading apparatus.
This provides the advantage that unauthorised copying of software can be made more difficult by equipping data reading apparatus for use with the data carrier of the invention with security means, for example preventing scanning of the data carrier by the data reading apparatus.
The medium may be a compact disc.
Alternatively, the medium may be a digital versatile disc DVD).
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is a plan view of a data storage device embodying the present invention; and
Figure 2 shows six examples of alternative arrangements of the non-data carrying portion of the device of Figure 1.
Referring to Figure 1, a data storage device 10 comprises a rotatable data carrying medium 12, such as a compact disc or
DVD, which has an optically readable data carrying portion 14 and a non-data carrying portion 16. The non-data carrying portion 16 has a non-circular first aperture 18 and a circular second aperture 20 cut therein. For the purposes of illustration, dotted line 22 indicates where the conventional circular aperture on a compact disc or DVD of the prior art is located. It can be seen that the data storage device 10 cannot be located in a conventional data reading apparatus in such a way that the apparatus would function correctly.
When a data storage device 10 is inserted into a suitable data reading device such as a games console, a plunger of the data reading apparatus engages second aperture 20. This causes actuation of a microswitch connected to the plunger which can operate suitable means in the data reading apparatus to prevent the apparatus from copying the software on the disk. The device 10 can then be rotated and the data on the data carrying portion 14 read by the data reading apparatus.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, instead of the engaging means comprising a single non-circular aperture, the engaging means may comprise a plurality of apertures (circular or otherwise), arranged in such a way that the circular spindle of a conventional CD writer cannot engage the device 10 of the invention.
Claims (8)
- Claims 1. A data storage device comprising a data carrying medium adapted to be rotated in a data reading apparatus and having at least one optically readable data carrying portion and at least one non-data carrying portion located adjacent the axis of rotation of the medium, wherein said non-data carrying portion has engaging means comprising at least one aperture adapted to engage respective support means of the data reading apparatus, and wherein said engaging means cannot be engaged by a support means of circular cross section greater than a predetermined diameter.
- 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one said aperture is non-circular.
- 3. A device according to claim 2, wherein at least one said aperture has at least one substantially straight edge.
- 4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said engaging means comprises a plurality of substantially circular apertures.
- 5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said non-data carrying portion has at least one further aperture for actuating security means of the data reading apparatus.
- 6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said medium is a compact disc.
- 7. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said medium is a digital versatile disc (DVD).
- 8. A data storage device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0024618A GB2371400A (en) | 2000-10-07 | 2000-10-07 | Optical disc with non-circular aperture |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0024618A GB2371400A (en) | 2000-10-07 | 2000-10-07 | Optical disc with non-circular aperture |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0024618D0 GB0024618D0 (en) | 2000-11-22 |
| GB2371400A true GB2371400A (en) | 2002-07-24 |
Family
ID=9900868
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0024618A Withdrawn GB2371400A (en) | 2000-10-07 | 2000-10-07 | Optical disc with non-circular aperture |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2371400A (en) |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS60139673A (en) * | 1983-12-08 | 1985-07-24 | チバ‐ガイギー アクチエンゲゼルシャフト | 1-diazolyl- or 1-triazolyl-2,3-diphenylpropan- 2,3-diol, manufacture and composition |
| EP0265274A2 (en) * | 1986-10-23 | 1988-04-27 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Card including rotatory system optical recording medium |
| JPS6459684A (en) * | 1987-08-31 | 1989-03-07 | Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd | Optical disk substrate |
| GB2315908A (en) * | 1996-08-02 | 1998-02-11 | Kenneth James Bates | Vibration damping |
| GB2343784A (en) * | 1998-11-16 | 2000-05-17 | Leung Ching Yuen | Optical disc |
| WO2001003133A1 (en) * | 1999-07-01 | 2001-01-11 | Ka Ho Tsun | Improvements relating to compact discs |
-
2000
- 2000-10-07 GB GB0024618A patent/GB2371400A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS60139673A (en) * | 1983-12-08 | 1985-07-24 | チバ‐ガイギー アクチエンゲゼルシャフト | 1-diazolyl- or 1-triazolyl-2,3-diphenylpropan- 2,3-diol, manufacture and composition |
| EP0265274A2 (en) * | 1986-10-23 | 1988-04-27 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Card including rotatory system optical recording medium |
| JPS6459684A (en) * | 1987-08-31 | 1989-03-07 | Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd | Optical disk substrate |
| GB2315908A (en) * | 1996-08-02 | 1998-02-11 | Kenneth James Bates | Vibration damping |
| GB2343784A (en) * | 1998-11-16 | 2000-05-17 | Leung Ching Yuen | Optical disc |
| WO2001003133A1 (en) * | 1999-07-01 | 2001-01-11 | Ka Ho Tsun | Improvements relating to compact discs |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB0024618D0 (en) | 2000-11-22 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |