JP2002230931A - Optically readable carrier and adapter therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a new noncircular optical read medium form which can be conveniently stored and carried. SOLUTION: The optically readable carrier 10 includes, in its main body, a first region of a first thickness extending from one end to the inside, and a second region of a second thickness extending from the other end to the inside. An optical read part is prepared as a first information carrier in either of the first and second regions, and a smart card element is prepared as a second information carrier in the other region. Moreover, an adapter for dealing with such carrier with a reader, etc., is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a CD, a CD-RO
M, DVD and other optical discs (hereinafter "optical reading media")
That. ) And its adapters,
The present invention relates to an adapter to which a non-circular optical reading medium is attached, which is used in a reading device such as D, CD-ROM, DVD, and optical disk, a writing device, and other optical reading medium handling devices. The invention also relates to a smart card comprising an optically readable medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an optical reading medium has a circular shape. Typically, the diameter of the optically readable medium is about 120 mm or about 80 mm. For example, a CD player or a CO-ROM on which a CD or a CD-ROM is arranged
Drive trays are often provided with receptacles or slots, such as depressions, ridges or grooves, that provide locations for receiving optically readable media. Normally, these receptacles are roughly circular and they are 120 mm
The shape and volume are designed to be suitable for placing either CDs (common CDs) or 80mm CDs (known as mini CDs or CD singles).

[0003] However, in recent years, CDs having a shape other than a circular shape have been produced for the purpose of, for example, introducing advertisements. The teaching of an early version of such a CD can be found in German Patent Application No. DE 196 07 565. The submitted document first discloses a circular CD. On the other hand, a non-circular CD is cut out in a fan shape. In order to rotate the non-circular CD with the drive tray, at least three points on the outer circumference of the CD are kept at the ends of a normal circular CD, and the drive tray is either 120 mm or 80 mm in diameter. The CD is accommodated in the receiving portion of the CD. This prevents the CD from easily jumping out of the receiving section. FIG. 1 shows such a medium.

FIG. 2 shows a second example of this type of CD, where the CD is rectangular. As can be seen at the corners of this rectangular CD, there are four short arcs formed on the circumference and the sides are cut straight. This CD has an appropriately set diagonal dimension, so that the CD is placed at the correct position in the tray receiving section (the diagonal dimension of the CD is
It is about 120 mm. ).

[0005]

A problem with media of this type is that they produce noise when used in high-speed drives because they are non-circular (circular discs rotate slowly). However, noise is generated when the rod is rotated.) Also,
An unbalanced CD can damage the drive and its laser head if rotated at high speed.

[0006] A second type of advertising CD is described in Hong Kong Short-term Patent No. HK100469. The Hong Kong short-term patent discloses the use of a knob (or protrusion) on the underside of the CD (see FIG. 3). These knobs are located corresponding to the slots in the drive tray and serve as positioning means to fit the 80 mm slot in the tray. FIG. 4 shows another promotional CD of this type, the CD
The corners (and the two ends) are thinned, leaving an arcuate U-shaped end for installation in the slot.

[0007] Another problem with the two types of media is that they are inconvenient to store and carry. The first two are not typical shapes. Storage in a CD box is usually required. Both of the latter two cases cannot be stacked due to the knob or are easily scratched. Also, the weakened corner can be easily broken.

Accordingly, optically readable media of shapes other than circular have appropriately positioned corners, suitable diagonal dimensions, or knobs and / or arcuate U-shaped ends as required by the prior art. It is desirable to provide an alternative means for enabling the media to be rotated in a CD drive or the like, without being limited to. It would also be desirable to provide a new media form that can be conveniently stored and carried.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adapter for a non-circular optically readable medium, the adapter comprising a main part configured to receive the readable medium. The reading medium is held in the installation position on most of the structure in use.

[0010] A non-circular functional surface may be provided for contacting an edge or portion thereof of the optically readable medium. The functional structure can be designed to hold the optically readable medium by means of a mating engagement. The adapter may include one or more holding means for holding the optically readable medium on the major structure. The holding means is preferably at least one elastic clamping means, for example an elastic clip.

[0011] The adapter preferably comprises a flat member having an edge thickness and an outer diameter corresponding to a typical circular optical reading medium. However, the adapter may have other shapes. For example, the adapter may be non-circular, but have any of the appropriately positioned corners, suitable diagonal dimensions or knob / arc U-shaped ends as described above.

[0012] The adapter is preferably for a rectangular optical reading medium. Most preferably, the adapter is for an optically readable medium in the form of a credit card. The adapter is preferably for optically readable media of two or more different sizes and / or shapes.

[0013] The adapter preferably comprises two or more sets of holding means, the first set adapted to hold one size of optically readable medium and the other set. Is adapted to hold a second size optically readable medium. For the two separate sets of retaining means, a major structure associated with each can be provided.

[0014] The adapter can be provided with a receiving portion for accommodating the optical reading medium. The receiving part is preferably substantially cross-shaped, this cross being formed by two orthogonally arranged and overlapping rectangles of different sizes and / or shapes. The receiver provides a means for transporting one of two optically readable media of different sizes and / or shapes.

[0015] The major structure may be offset from the center of the adapter such that a medium having a non-centered optical reading surface is held centered on the adapter during use. . The adapter may be provided with a balancing means such that its center of mass is located away from its center of rotation. This allows the optical reading medium having a center of mass that is located away from the center of the optical reading portion of the medium to have the combined center of mass (when the adapter and the medium are combined) positioned at the center of rotation of the adapter and the medium in use. In this state, it is possible to hold the adapter on the adapter.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-circular and substantially flat optical reading medium. Both sides of the medium are grooved, except for the spindle hole and the clamp,
Knobs and other things should be eliminated and smooth enough. The corners or sides may be circular, but are not formed by compound arcs, for example, arcs that form different parts on the circumference of the same circle.

Optical reading surface (including the case where both surfaces are used)
Preferably extends substantially to at least two ends of the medium. The media preferably also has a portion on the surface suitable for engaging a slot in the drive tray to stabilize the media inside the tray during use.
In addition, the size is not provided at the end. The optical reading medium is
Preferably, the shape is rectangular.

The medium is preferably in the form of a credit card or has dimensions, for example a thickness of about 1.2 m.
m, the length is about 85.6 mm, and the width is about 54 m
m. Alternatively, the media can be in the form of a vertical credit card, preferably having a thickness of about 1.2 mm, a length of about 95 mm, and a width of about 54 mm. It is not necessary to increase the length, but it provides ample space for engaging the smart card chip with the card. Holes and clamps (preferably at the center of the card), such as those found on typical CDs (with respect to the spindle of the CD player), are commonly used with conventional credit cards for smart card chip applications. Makes up the majority of cards used.

The clamp can be offset from the center of the medium. Thus, the center of mass of the medium can be positioned away from the center of the optical reading unit. A balancing means can be provided inside or on the medium, and the center of mass of the medium can be rearranged in relation to the center of the optical reading unit. Also, the medium is preferably a credit card or a debit card.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optically readable medium coupled with non-optical means for interacting with another device. The non-optical means is preferably an embedded magnetic strip or smart card chip, or both. The smart card chip may be either a contact type or a non-contact type.

The medium may have an optical reading area having a first thickness and a smart card area having a second thickness, and the smart card area may have a contact inside or on the top. Install a smart card chip. The smart card area is approximately 0.8 mm thick for compatibility with smart card readers. The thickness of the optical reading area is 1.2 mm or 1.4 mm, respectively, for use in a CD or DVD reader.

Incidentally, the medium according to the third embodiment of the present invention can be based on the second embodiment of the present invention. A medium according to the third aspect of the present invention may be configured to include any suitable and additional features according to the second aspect of the present invention, and vice versa. The medium according to the second or third aspect of the invention is preferably compatible with the adapter according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0023]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. Referring first to the prior art, a non-circular shape of an optically readable medium (hereinafter “medium”) 10 is shown. Figure 1
In the example shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to break or cut off the fan-shaped end portion 12. However, at least the three outermost corners 14 are retained to retain their position on the outer circumference 16 of the medium 10. CD information is stored in medium 1
The recording information (18) of the medium 10 is not affected by folding or cutting off the fan-shaped end portion 12, which is recorded on the central annular portion 18 of the medium.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the rectangular medium 10
Is shown here, for example, in the shape of a circular medium with four sides cut away. The diagonal dimensions of this medium 10 correspond to the diameter of a typical (circular) CD.
The four corners 14 form four arcs on the outer circumference of one circle (see FIG. 1). Referring to FIG. 3, the medium 10
Has an irregular shape. The information is again recorded in the central or central annular portion 18 of the medium 10. 2
One knob 20 is provided at an appropriate position, and the medium 10
Two positioning means are provided for positioning the drive tray on the drive tray. Typically, knobs 20 are spaced apart from one another and their outermost ends are set approximately 80 mm apart. It is more common for more than two knobs 20 to be provided. The clamp portion 19 is set radially inward with respect to the information recorded in the central portion 18 and has a central hole 21 for a spindle (not shown) of a CD player.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a medium 10 about the size of a credit card. The medium 10 also has recorded information (18). Corner 2 of medium 10
The two and two sides 24 are thinned to form an arcuate U-shaped end 26 for positioning in a slot of the drive tray. The diameter of this arc is about 80 mm. CD
According to the prior art, information is imprinted on spiral tracks of depressions (ie pits) in a highly reflective surface inside the medium. Further details, requirements, and specifications for optically readable media have been published by Philips in a number of CD standard specifications, including Sony,
It has also been developed by Kodak, JVC and Matsushita.

Details regarding the DVD specifications can be obtained from any of the following. HITACHI, LTD MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUS
TRIAL CO., LTD MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPO
RATITION PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
(Eindhoven: The Netherlands) PIONEER ELECTRONICS CORPO
RATITION SONY CORPORATION THOMSON MULTIMEDIA (Paris: France) TIME WARNER INC. (New York: USA) TOSHIBA CORPORATION VICTOR COMPANY OF JAPAN, L
TD. Here, referring to FIG. 7, a first example of the adapter 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The adapter 30 includes a substantially circular flat main body 32. A hole 34 is formed in the center of the main body 32.
This hole 34 allows a center spindle (not shown) or the like commonly used in CD players to extend through the adapter and an optical reading medium (not shown) mounted on the adapter. The hole 34
Thus, the weight of the adapter 30 is reduced. However, the primary purpose of providing holes 34 is to allow the optical reading surface of the medium to be read from either side of adapter 30.

In a preferred embodiment, the adapter 30
Are manufactured using plastic materials. Body 3
2 is provided with four medium holding means (hereinafter referred to as “holding means”) 36. Since the body material is required to have elasticity, the holding means 36 can be bent without being damaged. Each of the holding means 36 is
This is a mode of a holding member attached to two spring arms 38. However, more spring arms 38 may be provided. The medium 10 mounted on the adapter 30 will engage at least two of these holding members. At this time, a bias for holding the medium 10 on or in the adapter 30 is formed on the medium 10 by the elasticity of the spring arm 38.

The holding means 36 are provided as diametrically opposed pairs. The four holding means 36 form two such pairs as shown. The two pairs are now 9
Although they are offset by 0 °, other arrangements are possible. The first pair is located at a first radius and the second pair is located at a second radius. Since the two pairs are installed at two different radial positions, for example, it is possible to hold the rectangular medium 10 having two different sizes in the adapter 30 (however, only one medium can be held at one time). Only one). Also, the holding means 3
6 are arranged symmetrically, so that the adapter 30 is balanced. However, other methods of constructing a balanced adapter and media coupling assembly are described below.

As shown in FIG. 7, the holding means 36 is formed by cutting a part of the main body 32 in the flat main body 32 to leave a shape for the spring arm 38 and the holding member. However, other aspects of the holding means,
For example, a rotary clip or a detachable snap-type holding means can be used instead. Referring to FIGS. 8-14, a second example adapter 30 according to the first aspect of the present invention
It is shown. Although this is largely similar to that shown in FIG. 7, various features are clearly shown in these figures. Further, the present embodiment has the holding means 36 of another design.

A recess 40 is formed in the main body 32 of the adapter 30 as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, it has a substantially cross shape. A holding means 36 is provided at the tip of each cross arm. The cross shape is formed from two rectangles that are orthogonally arranged and overlap and correspond to the size of the medium 10 mounted on the adapter 30.

The concave portion 40 is formed by the adapter 30 so that it can be discriminated from the side view of FIG.
Corresponds to the ridge 42 on the rear surface. Due to the provision of the ridge 42, the recess 4
An effect equivalent to pushing 0 outward is obtained. The ridges 42 are, when used, with the medium 10 mounted inside the adapter 30 so that its light reading surface is at the correct reading position on the drive tray, for example, at the correct height relative to the reading (writing) head. It is set to be placed. The ridge 42 is rounded at the periphery (see FIG. 10) and forms the bottom of the adapter 30 which is indicated by the dotted line 44 in FIG.

The four holding means 36 according to the preferred embodiment are also formed integrally with the main body 32 and comprise a holding member 48 and a spring arm 38.
Here, an additional spring arm 46 is also provided. The pair of first spring arms 38 has a meandering shape. Such an arm 38 allows the fitting of the holding member 48 in all planes, including the longitudinal plane (in this case it expands and contracts). Due to the arm 38, the holding member 48 is kept flat even when a stress deviating from the plane of the main body is applied. Spring arm 4
Numeral 6 indicates a pair of arms connected to each other, and provides the holding means 36 with stability against circumferential displacement. Further, the holding means 36 is provided by the second holding arm 46.
(Especially, the portion attached to the main body 32) is reinforced, and a restoring force is formed with respect to the radial displacement of the holding member 48 with respect to the main body 32.

To facilitate the radial displacement of the holding member 48, grip ribs 50 are provided on both sides of the holding member 48. These ribs 50 are clearly shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows one rib 50. The holding member 48 is additionally provided with a ledge 52 at its front edge, that is, at the end adjacent to the recess 40. The ledge 52 provides a catch that engages the outer surface of the media 10 in use, thereby providing the media 10
Are supported from both sides and are prevented from falling off from the adapter 30. The outer surface of the medium 10 is generally the side containing the read information (18). The reason for this is that the shelf-like projection 52 has a short distance on the cross-shaped recess 40, for example, 0.1 mm.
This is because only 5 mm protrudes.

As shown in FIG. 10, the shelf-like projection 52 is just like a ridge 42, and is located at a position shifted outward from the surface of the main body 32. The shelf-like projection 52
Is similar to the molding on the retaining member 48, as shown in FIGS. Preferred Adapter 30
Are shown in FIGS. 9-14 with the preferred tolerances. However, for media 10 sizes other than those shown here and below, other dimensions for those adapters may be required.

Further, in addition to the outer peripheral shape of the adapter 30 having a circular shape with a diameter of about 120 mm, the adapter can be a stabilizing means for the medium 10 described above with reference to the prior art, that is, the above-mentioned DE19607565. (For example, those having straight ends)
Alternatively, it may be applied only to the one described in the above-mentioned HK1004696 (for example, one having an appropriately arranged knob).

Next, referring to FIGS. 15 to 26, there is shown a third example of the adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The adapter is designed to carry a single medium and has offset clamps. Suitable media are shown in FIGS. 27, 28, 30, 39 and 40. The components and features of this third example largely correspond to those of the embodiment shown in FIG. Accordingly, a detailed description of all features will not be required. Here, the holding member 4 installed with elasticity is used.
8 are provided only three. One holding member 48 is provided for each of the long sides of the concave portion 40, while only one is provided for one of the short sides.

Each holding member 48 is provided with a shelf-like projection 52 as described above. However, the medium is
The shelves 70 and 72 for being placed inside are separately formed at intervals. One of these shelves 72 is a third
Is adjacent to the holding member 48. This holding member 48 is
In use, it is arranged to engage the short edge of the medium.

The shelves 70 and 72 are formed by planes extending parallel to the plane of the adapter body. First shelf 7
The radially innermost end 74 of the two (with respect to the adapter body) is arcuate and has a radial center that coincides with the center C of the adapter (see FIG. 15). This allows
The largest reading area 18 in the medium held in the adapter is secured and read by a reading device (not shown).

The second shelf 70 is formed with a fourth shelf-like projection 5 fixedly engaged with the second short side end of the medium.
2 are disposed adjacent to each other. The shelf-like projection 52 does not require the holding member 48 to be installed with elasticity. It is also possible to omit one of the long side holding members 48 and replace it with a fixed shelf-like projection. As described with respect to the previous embodiment, other holding means may be substituted.

Similar to FIGS. 9-14, some of FIGS. 15-26 show preferred dimensions of the adapter. All these dimensions are in millimeters. However, for media of different sizes and shapes,
It is necessary to appropriately set the shape of the concave portion 40, the position and the shape of the holding member 48, and to match the medium held by the adapter.

Referring to FIG. 25, two shelves 70, 7
It is shown that the thicknesses of the two are not the same. For media having an offset clamp, the center of mass will not coincide with the center of the clamp. As such, some form of balancing means or counterweight may be added to the media or adapter to minimize any vibrations resulting from the imbalance under high speed rotation such as occurs in high speed CD or DVD drives. Need to be Varying the thickness of the two shelves 70, 72 can provide weight for balancing.
Those skilled in the art will be able to determine the thickness of these shelves 70, 72 appropriately without any difficulty for the media design in question. Also, those skilled in the art will be able to determine without any difficulty the counterweight to be provided on the smart card itself. Another alternative is to provide a counterweight inside the adapter.

Referring now to FIGS. 51-61, there is shown a fourth example of an adapter according to the first aspect of the present invention. The adapter according to the present embodiment largely coincides with that of the third embodiment shown in FIGS. Here, the shelves 70 and 72 are changed in shape, and holes 200 for balancing are provided. By providing holes 200, the weight for the balancing action has been removed from the adapter. The holes 200 can be located anywhere on the adapter, and can be redesigned in size, depending on the magnitude and location of the imbalance that needs to be adjusted.

In the third example (shown in FIGS. 15-25), the difference in thickness (0.9 mm or 0.5 mm for shelves 70 and 72, respectively) provides a balancing action. In addition to this, it also contributes to compensating for the medium having a two-step thickness (see the description regarding FIGS. 26 and 27, etc.). This medium is 0.4 mm
Step. Therefore, a difference of 0.4 mm is provided between the two shelves 70 and 72 in thickness. If the media is held on the adapter with the reading surface side (ie, the side having the thickness step) facing the shelves 70, 72, the step secures the media away from the adapter surface. Can be avoided. However, in the fourth example, the thickness of the two shelves 70 and 72 is equal to 0.5 mm.
It is. Balancing means is provided, for example, by the shape of these shelves. The shelves 70 and 72 are preferably formed so as not to interfere with the data pickup from the optical reading surface. It goes without saying that other balancing actions can also be obtained by the holes 200.

In the fourth example, although the thicknesses of the shelves 70 and 72 are the same, the medium may be used with the reading surface side of the medium facing the shelves. This is because if the difference in the thickness of the smart card medium is small, the difference (0.4 mm) will not cause any serious problem. In order to enlarge the optical readout area through the opening 34, the two notches 20 on the long sides of the concave portion 40 have arc-shaped notches 20.
2 are formed.

Here, experiments have shown that the medium is preferably held on the adapter with the non-reading side facing the shelves 70, 72. Such a configuration is preferred because the laser head may be damaged in other configurations (i.e., with the read side facing the shelves 70, 72). The adapter contacts the laser head because the ledge 52 necessarily forces the bottom of the adapter closer to the laser head than the media.

Referring to FIGS. 62 to 72, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
A fifth example of an adapter by configuration is shown. This embodiment also includes many features in common with the above-described embodiment, and thus need not be described in detail. This adapter is substantially circular,
Conveying media having two parallel straight ends and two opposing arced ends (preferably 80 mm in diameter) due to the partial fan-out at the opposite end. Designed to be able to.

Therefore, the adapter of the fifth example is 120
Adapter adapted to small optical reading media (preferably not stable in the drive tray itself) for playback in players with mm diameter trays. Thereby, for example, 120
Such a small medium can be reproduced in a slot loading device that cannot handle a disk having a diameter other than mm.

The adapter according to the present invention is not limited to the one exemplified here, but can be configured to convey optical reading media of many other shapes such as irregular shapes. C
Make components manufactured by one manufacturer compatible with other devices manufactured by other manufacturers due to tolerances imposed by licensors in the field of D, DVD and smart card technology As such, it should be noted that appropriate component sizes are predetermined. Accordingly, the figures only show specific dimensional requirements and tolerances for them. As technology advances,
Different dimensions may be appropriate.

Here, reference will be made to the second and third embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 5 and 6 show first and second examples of a medium according to these. First, referring to FIG.
0 is about the shape and size of a credit card, about 1.2 mm thick and about 85.6 mm long
And the width is about 54 mm.

Referring to FIG. 6, the medium 10 is slightly longer than that of FIG. 5 and is 95 mm. In both of these examples, both sides are flattened to the edge except the outer edge, and the outer edge is slightly rounded and dull (these media are often handled by the user. is there.). The medium 10 has a central hole 54 through which the drive spindle extends during use. A space portion (including a clamp portion) 56 is provided around the hole. The annular portion 58 corresponds to an annular portion found in a general CD, and may include etch lighting (not shown) which is often copyright information. Outside the area, an area 18 for storing optically read information is provided. Current technology imprints this information with a spiroid track. Therefore, the information area 18 is practically limited to a ring.

The read surface of the medium 10 can be either one side or both sides. The metal or magnetic strip can be located in or on the media. This strip is for storing non-optical read data. For example, a magnetic strip can be used to hold credit card details. A smart card chip can also (or alternatively) be embedded in media 10 or placed on media 10 for use.

In the medium 10 shown in FIG. 6, since the length is extended (although this is not an essential requirement for constituting the medium according to the present invention), the smart card chip is connected to the information area (annular part) 18 More room is provided for attachment to the medium 10 without interference. The hole 54 and space 56 (eg, clamp 19) in the center of the medium 10 occupy portions of the medium 10 that were conventionally used for attaching smart card chips in credit cards. By making the media longer, the media 10 according to the present invention allows chips to be mounted at the same distance from the edge of the media without rearranging the clamping area on the card. Thus, reading from the chip on the medium 10 according to the present invention can be performed using an existing smart card reading device. By the way, there are non-contact smart cards, but these include a chip that communicates using electromagnetic waves and an antenna incorporated in the chip. In such a non-contact smart card, the chip does not need to be arranged at any specific position other than a position that does not interfere with the optical reading unit and the clamp unit 19.

Further information about smart cards is
Various international standards for contact smart cards, such as ISO / IEC 7810 and ISO / IEC 781
6 Magnetic strips and / or smart card chips are well known in the credit card art, and those skilled in the art will have no difficulty embedding those items in the medium 10 according to the present invention. .

The medium 10 according to the present invention is sized to fit the adapter 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the medium 10 is a non-circular medium 1 according to the prior art.
It is possible to design without the restriction of zero. That is, it is no longer necessary to have the knob 20, the U-shaped end 26 and the like. Also, there is no dimensional requirement on the media 10 such that it has a portion on either the surface or the edge to stabilize the media in the tray in use, matching the drive tray slot.

The present invention is directed to a medium that can be read optically by a computer using optically readable information, or otherwise (eg, using a magnetic strip or smart card chip). 1
Provide 0. This allows various methods of electronic treatment,
For example, it can be used with one card for e-commerce, electronic money transfer or payment.

The elimination of the knob in the conventional apparatus is also important in that the medium 10 can be used as a normal credit card and can be easily carried in a wallet. Embedding a magnetic strip or smart card chip in the medium 10 according to the present invention can be accomplished by conventional methods known to those skilled in the art. Here, FIG.
6 to 50 are various smart card CD or DVD
And various methods developed to produce them.

In these figures, there are many in which dimensions are also shown. These dimensions are provided so that CDs or DVDs are manufactured which meet the requirements of certain standards for both smart cards and CDs or DVDs, respectively. Any type of smart card chip (i.e., with and without contact) may be provided on or within CDs and DVDs. The present invention relates firstly to a contact smart card chip having gold contacts for engaging sprung contacts provided on the smart card reader side. Therefore, the location of the smart card chip on the CD or DVD is important for the chip to be properly placed in the smart card reader in use.

On the other hand, it should be noted that if a non-contact smart card chip is used, the position of the smart card chip on the CD or DVD is less important. The smart card chip can be located anywhere as long as it does not interfere with the portion of the CD or DVD used to record the optically read data. This is because data is read from the non-contact smart card using an electromagnetic signal (for example, valid in a range of about 0.5 m).

International standards for smart cards with contact are set out at least in ISO / IEC 7810 (identification card) and ISO / IEC 7816 (contact IC card). These standards define standard dimensions for smart cards, for example, a thickness of 0.76 mm
± 0.08 mm. The standard arrangement of contacts extending from the smart card microcontroller is also
O / IEC7816. These dimensions are
It is not required, as it is only preferred for compatibility with devices from other manufacturers.

[0060] Smart cards can be used in many applications. A common application is electronic payment, in which a predetermined amount of money is deducted from a card by digitally transferring a predetermined transaction volume. For example, for payment over the Internet, instead of transmitting account and / or password information over the Internet, only the transaction volume needs to be transmitted. As a result, account information can be kept confidential, so that the security related to payment is improved.

When a smart card issuer issues a smart card, it is common for the person to want to distribute advertising and / or advertising material. For example, a video introducing a new product or service may be desired, and software for accessing certain information may be required. In theory, such material and software could be stored on a smart card controller. However, such a situation is not preferable because there are various restrictions such as cost. Thus, by combining both current CD and / or DVD technology and smart card technology into one unit, without having that much information,
Costs can be reduced. It should be noted that smart cards microcontrollers can handle information that changes, whereas CDs often only write (ROM). If only static information that is not updated is stored, CD technology is ideal for constructing such a recording device.

The dimensional requirements for the CD or DVD read area are indicated by a licensor such as Philips. CD and DVD technology is basically technology licensed from them. For this reason,
Although not required, it is generally important that CDs be manufactured according to the following design specifications. 1) Readout device: Track shape: 1 spiral; no track obstruction in the information area 2) Diameter of central hole: 15 ± 0.1 mm 3) Thickness of information area: 1.2-0.1 mm to 1.2+
0.3 mm 4) Clamp: 26 mm <D <33 mm 5) Clamp thickness: 1.2 + 0.3 / -0.1 mm 6) Recording area: a) Start position diameter of program area: 50 + 0 / -0.
4 mm b) Maximum start position diameter of the lead-in area: 46 mm c) Minimum outer diameter of the lead-out area: outer diameter of the program area +1 mm; more preferably, d) maximum diameter of the program area: 52.4 mm Referring to 26, a smart card according to the present invention includes a main body having two different thicknesses. The first area is the CD area 200, and about 1.
It has a thickness of 2 m. This satisfies the standard requirements for CDs. On the other hand, the second area is the smart card area 202 and has a thickness of 0.8 mm. This meets the standard requirements for smart cards. A straight line 76 represents these two regions 200, 20
The boundary between the two is shown.

FIG. 27 shows another example of the smart card according to the present invention. In this example, two areas 2
The straight line 76 that forms the boundary between 00 and 202 is curved. In both of these two embodiments, the smart card 78 is shown with contacts 77. I
According to SO / IEC 7816, eight contacts should be provided.

Referring to FIG. 28, a prior art smart card is shown. As can be seen, the smart card chip 78 is located at approximately the same location as in the smart card according to the present invention. However, here, the thickness of the card is uniform. Nevertheless, a smart card reader can read from a smart card according to the present invention. This is because the thickness of the leading end of the smart card is accurate and it is not necessary to completely insert the card into the reader.

Referring to FIG. 29, there is shown a credit card sized medium 100 that satisfies the design specifications given by Philips for a compact disc. The medium 100 includes a clamp unit 102, a lead-in and a content table (Table of con
(Tent) unit 104, a program unit 106, and a lead-out unit 108. Clamp section 10
2 has a minimum diameter of 33 mm. The lead-in and content table unit 104 has a length of 46 mm to 49.
It has an outer diameter of 6 mm. The program unit 106
It has an outer diameter of 9.6 mm to 52.4 mm. The lead-out portion has an outer diameter of 52.4 mm to 53.4 mm. The length and width of this card are each about 8
5.6 mm and about 54 mm. A central hole 21 for the spindle of the compact disc player is provided inside the clamping part 102. As seen in FIG. 30, the thickness of this compact disc is about 1.2 mm.
It is. These dimensions meet, for example, the standard requirements of Philips.

Referring to FIG. 38, a credit card-sized DVD according to international standards is shown. As shown, the dimensions largely correspond to those for a compact disc. However, this card is composed of two layers. Further, the lead-in and content table section 104 has an outer diameter of 45.2 mm to 48 mm. The program unit 106 has a length of 48.0 mm
It has an outer diameter of 52.4 mm. In addition, the clamp portion 102 on the DVD is uniformly enlarged. This means that the maximum inner diameter of the clamp part 102 is 22 mm instead of 26 mm.
Has been achieved. The thickness of this DVD is about 1.4 mm. 1.2 + 0.3 / -0.06
Since the thickness in the range of mm satisfies the standard requirement, the smart-DV according to the present invention is based on the above dimensions.
D-cards correspond to smart-CD cards dimensioned according to international standards.

Referring to FIGS. 30 to 33, there is shown a stamper and mold assembly for forming a molding medium according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 26, wherein a molded product has a smart card on the optical reading surface side. Receiving region is formed. The thin part 110 is formed on the optical reading surface for the smart card part. Thus, it will have two levels of thickness. By forming the two-step thickness in one molding step, a card having high strength is formed. However, the thin portion 110 may be formed by cutting out a sheet having a single thickness.

The molding process is known, except for the above points. As seen in FIG. 31, the thin portion 110 may be further recessed to form a nest 112 for mounting a smart card chip. Referring to FIG. 34, another method for forming a medium according to the present invention is shown. In this way, an approximate assembly of a stamper and a mold is provided. However, no nest 112 for smart card chips is provided. In this embodiment, the smart card chip is preferably located on the opposite side of the card from the previous example.
For this purpose, a nest for the smart card chip is formed on the disk opposite to the reading surface, for example, by additional milling. This nest is not shown. It goes without saying that this nest can be formed on any surface.

Referring to FIG. 39, a DVD smart card device is shown. DVD smart card 120
Is configured to include two layers 122 and 124. These layers are shown separately in FIGS. 40 and 42, respectively. The first layer 122 is configured to include an optical reading unit of a DVD medium. The mode is typical, but the outer diameter is as small as 54 mm. The second layer 124 has a shape substantially equal to a credit card. Its thickness is 0.8 mm, consistent with the required thickness for smart cards. The smart card chip 126 is installed at a position required by international standards. By combining the DVD layer 122 and the credit card layer 124, the DVD medium has the same thickness as before.

As seen in FIG. 40, the first layer 122
Is bonded to the second layer 124 via the bond layer 125. The use of bonding elements in such a dual layer DVD structure is common in the art. It is possible to form two separate layers using a molding method similar to that described above.

FIGS. 42-50 show stamper and mold assemblies for various components. As shown in FIGS. 42 to 44, forming the first layer 122 including the read layer of the DVD includes:
Pressing the stamper against the mold cavity as described above is included. Thus, a disk is formed. The mold cavity is shown in FIG. 42 (and FIG. 43).
In a partially enlarged view of FIG.

For the second layer 124, it is formed in two ways. The first option (a), shown in FIGS. 45, 46 and 49, involves pressing the layer 124 with the nest 130 for the smart card chip. The second option (b) shown in FIGS. 47, 48 and 50 does not have a nest for smart card chips. If a smart card chip needs to be added to this second layer 124, it can be provided in a conventional manner, such as by cutting out the nest 130 in an additional step. According to this method, nests can be provided on either side of the layer. The mold shown in FIGS. 45 and 46 is configured to include a block 136 having a circular outer shape, and the block 136 includes a mold cavity 13.
8 are formed. Also, the mold cavity 138
Has an upwardly extending portion 140 for forming the nest 130.
Is provided. A hole 142 is provided in which a central hole for a completed smart card CD / DVD medium can be formed. That is, for example, by punching the layer through holes in the stamper 144 (shown in FIG. 49) during the mold / stamp process.

In the above, the present invention has been disclosed by way of example only. Note that minor modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. In particular, the above disclosure is not limited to adapters that fit two media sizes. The scope of the present invention also includes adapters that fit more than two media sizes. The adapter can also have an outer diameter of 80 mm to stabilize smaller media.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a non-circular CD according to the prior art as disclosed in German Patent Application DE 196 07 565.

FIG. 2 shows another conventional example of a CD of the type shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art non-circular CD disclosed in Hong Kong Short-term Patent Application No. HK100469.

FIG. 4 shows another conventional example of the CD of FIG.

FIG. 5 shows an example of an optical reading medium according to the second and third embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows another optical reading medium according to the second and third embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a first example of an adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second example of the adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an orthographic view of the adapter of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of FIG. 9B;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the adapter of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 11A.

13 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a top view of a third example of the adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the same.

FIG. 17 is an orthographic view of the adapter shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of part A of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of a part shown in FIG. 17B.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of a part C in FIG. 17;

21 is a sectional view taken along the line HH in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged view of a part D in FIG. 17;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of a portion E in FIG. 17;

24 is a sectional view taken along line GG of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the adapter of FIG. 15;

FIG. 26 illustrates a C in which a smart card is combined on the optical reading surface side.
Example of optical reading medium of D aspect

FIG. 27: Another optical reading medium in a CD form combined with a smart card

FIG. 28 shows a conventional smart card manufactured according to dimensions required by international standards.

FIG. 29: Credit card size CD with offset clamps

FIG. 30 illustrates an example of a stamper and mold assembly used in a first pass to form a medium according to a third aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a plan view of the mold.

FIG. 32 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 is an enlarged view of FIG. 32A;

FIG. 34 illustrates another stamper and mold assembly used in a first pass to form a medium according to a third aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a plan view of a mold of another assembly.

36 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is an enlarged view of a part A in FIG. 36;

FIG. 38: DVD having an offset clamp portion

FIG. 39 shows a smart card DV according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
D

40 is a first example of the method of manufacturing the smart card DVD of FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 One step in a second method of manufacturing another smart card DVD

42 is a plan view of a mold for forming a DVD disk layer of the DVD of FIG. 39.

43 is an enlarged view of an AA cross section of FIG. 42;

44 is a stamper and a mold for forming a DVD disk layer of the DVD of FIG. 39.

FIG. 45 is a plan view of a mold for forming a smart card layer of the DVD of FIG. 39;

46 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 45.

FIG. 47 shows a mold for forming a smart card layer of the smart card DVD of FIG. 41 according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

48 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 47.

FIG. 49 shows a stamper and a mold for forming a smart card layer of the DVD of FIG. 39.

50 shows a stamper and a mold for forming a smart card layer of the DVD of FIG. 41.

FIG. 51 is a fourth example of an adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 52

FIG. 53

FIG. 54 is an enlarged view of a portion shown in FIG. 53A.

FIG. 55 is an enlarged view of a portion shown in FIG. 53B.

FIG. 56 is an enlarged view of a portion C in FIG. 53;

FIG. 57 is a sectional view taken along line HH of FIG. 56;

FIG. 58 is an enlarged view of a part D in FIG. 53;

FIG. 59 is an enlarged view of FIG. 53E part;

60 is a sectional view taken along line GG of FIG. 59.

FIG. 61 is a perspective view of the adapter of FIG. 51.

FIG. 62 is a fifth example of the adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 63

FIG. 64 is an enlarged view of a part D in FIG. 62;

65 is a sectional view taken along line HH of FIG. 64;

FIG. 66 is a sectional view taken along line KK of FIG. 64;

FIG. 67 is an enlarged view of a portion C in FIG. 62;

68 is a sectional view taken along line FF of FIG. 67.

FIG. 69 is a sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. 67;

FIG. 70 is a partially enlarged view of the adapter of FIG. 62;

FIG. 71: the adapter of FIG. 62

FIG. 72

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Optical reading medium 18 ... Information recording part 19 ... Clamp part 21 ... Center hole (spindle insertion hole) 30 ... Adapter 32 ... Adapter main body 36 ... Holding means

Continuation of the front page F term (reference) 2C005 JA01 JA11 NB34 RA15 TA21 TA22 5B035 AA00 BA03 BB04 BB09 BB11 BB12 BC00 CA23

Claims (60)

[Claims] An adapter for an optically readable medium having a shape other than a circle, the adapter including a major structure configured to mount the medium, wherein the medium is placed on the major structure when used. An adapter that is held in an installation position. 2. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein a non-circular functional surface for contacting an end of the medium or a portion thereof is formed. 3. The adapter of claim 2, wherein said functional surface is sized to hold said medium by mating engagement. 4. The adapter according to claim 1, further comprising one or more holding means for holding said medium on said major structure. 5. The holding means has at least one elastic member.
5. The adapter of claim 4, wherein the adapter comprises one clamp. 6. The adapter according to claim 4, wherein said holding means is an elastic clip. 7. The adapter of claim 1 comprising a flat member having a typical circular optical reading media end thickness and outer diameter. 8. An adapter having a non-circular shape and a CD
At least one locator is provided for positioning the adapter in a tray of the player, the locator being formed by a corner or diameter dimension designed for the tray, or a knob or an arcuate U-shaped end. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured to include a part. 9. The medium of claim 1, wherein said medium is substantially rectangular.
The adapter as described in. 10. The adapter according to claim 9, wherein said medium is in the form of a credit card. 11. The adapter according to claim 1, wherein said major structure is shaped to receive optical reading media of different sizes and shapes. 12. A system comprising at least two sets of holding means, wherein a first set holds optical reading media of one size, while another set holds optical reading media of a second size. The adapter according to claim 11, wherein 13. The adapter according to claim 11, comprising a major structure associated with each of the two separate sets of holding means. 14. The adapter according to claim 1, further comprising a recess for receiving the medium. 15. The recess according to claim 14, wherein said recess is substantially cross-shaped, said cross-shaped being formed by two orthogonally arranged and overlapping rectangles of different sizes and / or shapes.
The adapter as described in. 16. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the majority structure is offset from a center of the adapter. 17. The adapter according to claim 16, further comprising a balancing structure. 18. A substantially flat optical reading medium having a shape other than a circle. 19. An optically readable medium combined with non-optical means for interacting with another device. 20. The optically readable medium according to claim 19, wherein said non-optical means is a magnetic strip. 21. The optical reading medium according to claim 19, wherein said non-optical means is a smart card chip. 22. The optical reading medium according to claim 18, wherein the corners are rounded but formed by curves on different arcs. 23. Both surfaces are optically readable.
23. The optical reading medium according to any one of 8 to 22. 24. The medium according to claim 18, wherein the optical reading surface extends substantially to at least two ends of the medium.
An optical reading medium according to any one of the preceding claims. 25. A device according to claim 18, wherein the surface or the end has a portion adapted to the slot of the tray for stabilizing the optical reading medium in the drive tray at the time of use. An optical reading medium according to one of the preceding claims. 26. The optical reading medium according to claim 18, which is substantially rectangular. 27. The method of claim 1 wherein said thickness, length and width are each about 1.
27. The optically readable medium of claim 26, which is 2,85.6 and 54 mm. 28. The method of claim 1 wherein said thickness, length and width are each about 1.
27. The optically readable medium of claim 26, which is 2,95 and 54 mm. 29. The optical reading medium according to claim 18, which is a credit card or a debit card. 30. The optical reading medium according to claim 19, further comprising a clamp portion offset from the center. 31. An apparatus according to claim 19, comprising a balancing means.
31. The optically readable medium according to any one of items 30 to 30. 32. The optical reading medium according to claim 18, wherein the optical reading medium is substantially smooth without grooves and knobs on both sides except for a spindle hole and a clamp portion. 33. An optical reading unit having a first thickness, and a smart card unit having a second thickness, wherein a contact type smart card chip is attached to or embedded in the smart card unit. Claims 18-32
The optical reading medium according to any one of the above. 34. The optical reading medium according to claim 18, which is attached to the adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 17. 35. An optical reading medium according to claim 18, wherein said optical reading medium is configured to hold the optical reading medium.
18. The adapter according to any one of 17. 36. An adapter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 37. An optically readable medium substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 38. A credit or debit card substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 39. A smart card substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 40. A body having a plurality of connected ends, a first region of the body having a first thickness extending inward from one of the plurality of ends, and another end. A second region of the body having a second thickness different from the first thickness, extending inward from a portion, and the first and second regions extending between two of the plurality of ends. A first information medium provided in one of the first and second areas; and a second information medium provided in the other of the areas. Information media composed of 41. The information medium according to claim 40, wherein said first information medium is an optical reading medium. 42. The optical reading medium is a CD, CD-RO
42. The information medium according to claim 41, which is selected from the group consisting of M, DVD, and optical disk. 43. The information medium according to claim 41, wherein said main body has at least three ends as said plurality of ends. 44. The information medium according to claim 43, wherein said main body has a rounded end. 45. The information medium according to claim 41, wherein said optical reading medium has surfaces facing each other, and optical reading is performed on each of these surfaces. 46. The optical reading medium according to claim 1, wherein the optical reading medium conforms to a standard requirement for an optically readable information medium.
42. The information medium according to claim 41, having a thickness of 1.5 mm. 47. The information medium of claim 40, wherein said body has a length between 85.6 and 95 mm and a width of about 54 mm. 48. The information medium according to claim 40, wherein said main body and said first information medium are integral elements. 49. The information medium according to claim 40, wherein said main body and said first information medium are laminated structures. 50. The body extends in a plane,
41. The information of claim 40, having a central axis perpendicular to the plane, wherein the first information medium has an axis symmetrically parallel to the central axis and spaced from the central axis. Medium. 51. The information medium according to claim 50, wherein said main body has a balancing structure configured to balance said main body with respect to said central axis. 52. The boundary part is linear.
Information medium described in. 53. The interface according to claim 40, wherein the boundary is curved.
Information medium described in. 54. The information medium according to claim 40, wherein said second area is thinner than said first area and has a thickness in the range of 0.68 to 0.84 mm. 55. The information medium of claim 40, wherein the second information medium is not optical and comprises a smart card element selected from the group consisting of a magnetic strip and a chip. 56. The information medium according to claim 55, wherein said chip has gold contacts for external engagement. 57. The information medium according to claim 40, wherein said second area has a nest for receiving said second information medium. 58. The information medium according to claim 40, wherein said first and second information media are adjacent to each other. 59. An information medium according to claim 40, wherein said first and second information mediums are arranged at an interval from each other. 60. An optical information medium having a thickness of 1.1 to 1.5 mm provided in the first and second regions and the first region, and an optical information medium provided in the second region. 68-0.8
A non-optical information medium having a thickness of 4 mm.