JPH06176219A - Optical information recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the sufficient capacity of information without limiting recording capacity by providing the display of general information on a plane where an optical recording part exists. CONSTITUTION:An optical card 1 is provided with an optical recording medium 2, which can record/reproduce information with any optical means, and protected by being covered with a transparent protection layer 3. Under the optical recording medium 2, a front side printing layer 5 is provided through an adhesive layer 4 and on this front side printing layer 5, a bar code 9 is formed as a symbol containing general information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical information recording medium which optically records and reproduces information, and more particularly to an optical information recording medium which records general information together with recorded information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an optical information recording medium, for example, an optical card capable of recording a large amount of information having a size comparable to that of a conventionally known magnetic card has been put into practical use.

The optical card is an optical information recording medium for recording / reproducing information by a light beam, and its type is a read only memory (ROM type) or a write once type (WORM type: Write Once). Read Meny) and rewritable type.

As an example of a method of recording information on a medium, a method of forming pits by irradiating an optical recording medium with a laser beam, or a change in reflectance due to thermal deformation or phase change is used. Information is recorded by using the magneto-optical effect, and information is recorded by the magneto-optical recording using the magneto-optical effect. At present, as write-once and rewritable recording media, commercialization of media using magneto-optical recording and phase-change media is progressing.

Further, in recent years, there has been a demand for an optical card which has not only improved quality and performance as an original recording medium of an optical card but also improved added value and excellent design.

Here, a typical configuration example of the optical card is shown in FIG.
Shown in. 9, (a) is a front view of one surface (front surface) of the optical card, (b) is a front view of the other surface (back surface), and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the optical card.

The optical card 51 is a rectangular card-shaped recording medium having chamfered four corners, and its size is 54 × 86 × 0.76 mm, which is the same as a normal credit card. An optical recording unit 52 having an optical recording medium is provided on one surface of the optical card 51. Also, optical card 51
Fixed information such as the product name of the optical card, the personal information of the user, and the issuer's name is printed on the other surface of the card, and the bar code 53 including the card information indicating the attribute of the card is provided. .

The structure of the optical card 51 is as shown in FIG. 9 (c). A front printing layer 55 and a back printing layer 56 are provided on both sides of the card substrate 54, and the front printing layer 55 is provided.
An optical recording medium 58 is arranged on the side with an adhesive layer 57 interposed therebetween. A transparent protective layer 59 is provided on the outer side of the optical recording medium 58 and the outer side of the back side printing layer 56, respectively.
The print layer and the optical recording medium are covered and protected.

In the optical card 51 shown in FIG. 9, the vertical size of the optical recording section 52 on the card is 30 mm, and the recording capacity is about 3 Mbytes.

Since the recording capacity of an optical card increases as the width of the optical recording area increases, in recent years, an optical recording section 52 as shown in FIG. An optical card provided on almost the entire surface has been proposed as a standard.

On the other hand, such an optical card has a great feature of portability like an ordinary credit card. That is, since it is carried around by an individual, fashionability, designability, and more information display and additional functions are required. In particular,
As an additional function of the optical card, it is required to automate various operations in various recording / reproducing devices when the card is inserted, and like the optical card 51 shown in FIG. 9, a card showing card attributes and the like. It has been proposed that a bar code is added as information to an optical card to read the card information when the card is inserted and control is performed according to the type of the optical card.

[0012]

However, in the optical card, the area for displaying the card information as described above is mainly provided on the surface (back surface) opposite to the optical recording section, and the optical recording section is provided. The area that can be arranged is limited by.

Further, in the optical card having a large capacity as shown in FIG. 10, the optical recording portion has one surface (front surface) of the card.
It is almost impossible to provide a card information display area on the surface on which the optical recording portion is provided because it is provided on almost the entire surface.

Therefore, since the area in which the card information can be arranged is limited by the recording information area such as the optical recording section, the card information display area is concentrated on the back surface, and the front surface is also provided. When the card information is provided on the surface, increasing the recording capacity may limit the capacity of the card information to be added. Further, since the back surface of the card is mainly targeted, there is a problem in that the display of the card information such as a bar code on the back surface becomes an obstacle to the design.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and the display of general information can be provided on the surface where the optical recording section is present, and the information of sufficient capacity can be provided without being limited by the recording capacity. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical information recording medium which can be added and which can eliminate a hindrance factor concerning the design of the medium.

[0016]

An optical information recording medium according to the present invention comprises an optical recording section capable of optically recording and / or reproducing information and a symbol containing general information. The symbol is formed so that at least a part of the symbol overlaps at least a part of the optical recording portion.

[0017]

By forming at least a part of the symbol containing general information so as to overlap with at least a part of the optical recording part, the symbol is restricted by the optical recording part for recording / reproducing information. It is arranged without.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a structure of an optical card as an optical information recording medium, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an irradiation of a light beam at the time of recording / reproducing information on / from the optical card. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing a state, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an example of a reading operation when reading the bar code information recorded on the optical card, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing the reading operation state of FIG. 3 in a cross section. is there.

This embodiment shows the structure of an optical card which is a card-shaped recording medium as an example of an optical information recording medium.

In FIG. 1, (a) is a front view of the optical card,
(B) is a sectional view of the optical card. The optical card 1 has an optical recording medium 2 as an optical recording unit capable of recording / reproducing information by optical means, and the optical recording medium 2 can emit a recording / reproducing light beam or the like. For example, optical card 1
It is arranged so as to be optically exposed on one surface.

The optical recording medium 2 is made of a material capable of optically recording and / or reproducing information, and may be a read-only type medium, a write-once type medium or a rewritable type medium. The type of material used for the optical recording medium 2 may be any material such as a pit forming type, a thermal deformation type, a phase change type, and a punching type. Further, a magneto-optical material utilizing the magneto-optical effect, an organic dye material, or the like can also be used as the optical recording medium 2.

The material usable for such an optical recording medium 2 may be a generally known optical recording material. Specifically, low-melting metals such as Te, Bi, Al, Se, Sn, and In, or alloys containing these metals as main components, such as TeGeSb, TeSeSn, TbFeCo, and the like can be mentioned. Further, dye-based recording materials such as cyanine-based, polymethine-based, azaannulene-based, and naphthoquinone-based can also be used. The optical recording medium 2 is, for example, an LED.
It is made of a material that is transparent to a light source and the like.

The optical card 1 is provided with a transparent protective layer 3 made of a transparent member on the upper side of the optical recording medium 2 (here, the front side of the card is the upper side) to cover the optical recording medium 2. A front printing layer 5 is provided below the optical recording medium 2 via an adhesive layer 4. The transparent protective layer 3, the optical recording medium 2, the adhesive layer 4, and the front printing layer 5 are formed on the card base material 6 in a state in which a plurality of layers are superposed.
A back side printing layer 7 is formed below the card substrate 6, and a back side printing protection layer 8 made of a transparent member is provided below the back side printing layer 7 to cover the back side printing layer 7. .

The front side printing layer 5 is provided with a bar code 9 as a symbol including card information indicating card attributes and the like. In this embodiment, the barcode 9 is arranged vertically or horizontally with respect to the longitudinal direction of the card.

Since the front side printing layer 5 is seen through the optical recording medium 2, the reading accuracy of the printing layer 5 is not limited to the color of the optical recording medium 2 and the drawing and color condition of printing on the printing layer 5. The light transmittance of the optical recording medium 2 is an important point. When the front printing layer 5 is viewed from the front surface of the optical card 1, the printing contrast depends on the light transmittance of the optical recording medium 2. Therefore, as long as the recording / reproducing characteristics are not affected, visible light or bar code reading is performed. It is desirable that the transmittance of the optical recording medium 2 with respect to the wavelength of light is high.

The transparent protective layer 3 may be made of any material transparent to the wavelengths of visible light and bar code reading light and the wavelengths of recording / reproducing light beams. In particular,
Examples thereof include polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, glass and the like. Also,
The transparent protective layer 3 is preferably made of a material having high transparency and low birefringence. In addition, the guide groove (guide track) provided in the optical recording portion may be formed in the transparent protective layer 3 or may be formed in another layer near the transparent protective layer 3.

It is necessary to select the adhesive layer 4 that has a high adhesive strength, is transparent to the wavelength of visible light or the barcode reading light, and has little influence on the recording / reproducing light beam. . Specifically, epoxy-based,
Urethane and acrylic adhesives are used.

In order to provide the bar code on the surface on which the optical recording section exists, it is necessary to dispose the bar code above the optical recording medium on the front surface of the optical card, which is the original purpose of the optical card. It is arranged directly in the optical path of the recording / reproducing optical system, which may adversely affect this optical system. Therefore, it is conceivable to specify the wavelength of the recording / reproducing light beam and form the bar code with a material that is transparent at this wavelength. Considering the case of increasing, the optical information recording / reproducing characteristics are deteriorated.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to avoid the deterioration of the optical information recording / reproducing characteristics, the bar code 9 is provided under the optical recording medium 2 in a portion which does not affect the original optical information recording / reproducing of the optical card. To form.

When performing recording / reproduction on the optical card 1 having the above-described structure, as shown in FIG. 2, a light beam 11 emitted from a laser light source or the like (not shown) is projected onto the optical card 1 by an objective lens 12. To form a light spot on the optical recording medium 2 of the optical card 1. Then, the light beam 11 is focused on and tracked with respect to the optical recording medium 2, and the light beam 11 and the optical card 1 are relatively moved to record and reproduce information.

At this time, the recording / reproducing light beam 11
Is transmitted through the transparent protective layer 3 and is incident on the optical recording medium 2 for recording and reproduction, but the front side printing layer 5 and the like provided below the optical recording medium 2 affect the light beam 11. Absent.
That is, providing the bar code 9 indicating the card information on the front print layer 5 below the optical recording medium 2 does not affect the optical information recording / reproducing which is the original purpose of the optical card.

Next, an example of a procedure for reading the bar code 9 formed on the front print layer 5 of the optical card 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the recording / reproducing apparatus using the optical card 1 of this embodiment, the bar code 9 of the optical card 1 is read at the time of inserting the optical card to obtain card information such as attributes of each card. , Set operation parameters according to each card and automate various operations. At this time, the barcode 9 is read by the barcode detector 13 as shown in FIGS.

The bar code detector 13 includes an LED light source 14 for irradiating the optical card 1 with bar code reading light, a reflection mirror 15 for changing the direction of reflected light of the bar code reading light reflected by the optical card 1, and a reflection mirror 15. An image forming lens 16 that forms an image of a light beam from the mirror 15 and a photodetector 17 that receives the barcode reading light formed by the image forming lens 16 are provided. The wavelength of the barcode reading light emitted from the LED light source 14 is, for example, 670 nm.

The bar code reading light applied to the optical card 1 is partially transmitted through the optical recording medium 2 and reaches the front side printing layer 5. Then, the barcode reading light is scattered by the barcode 9 provided on the front side printing layer 5, and a part of the scattered light is guided to the photodetector 17 in the barcode detector 13. Here, although a part of the bar code reading light is reflected on the optical recording medium 2, it is reflected as shown by the broken line in FIG. 4, so the reflected light on the optical recording medium 2 is the bar code detector 13. Does not affect Although not shown here, the influence of pits on the optical recording medium 2 forming the optical recording information may be considered in reading the bar code.
Since the size of the pit is smaller than the size of the barcode 9, it has almost no effect.

A part of the bar code reading light from the optical card 1 again passes through the optical recording medium 2, is guided to the bar code detector 13, and is detected by the photo detector 17. Then, the card information included in the barcode 9 is read based on the output of the photodetector 17. Here, assuming that the transmittance of the optical recording medium 2 is 40%, the amount of light returning to the barcode detector 13 is approximately the same as in the case of a normal barcode in which the optical recording medium 2 is not provided above. Although it decreases to 16%, it can be sufficiently detected by increasing the sensitivity of the photodetector 17.

The contents of the card information included in the bar code 9 are not particularly limited,
For example, 1) optical card product name, 2) card type, 3)
Fixed information such as the issuer, 4) date of card production, and 5) date of card validity can be considered. The above description also applies to the following embodiments. Such card information is read to set operation parameters according to each card and automate various operations.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the bar code containing the card information and the like was not provided on the back surface of the optical card, but could not be used conventionally on the front surface provided with the optical recording medium. By arranging the optical recording unit so as to overlap with the lower portion of the optical recording medium, it is possible to increase the type and amount of card information held by the optical card regardless of the recording capacity of the card. Further, even if the recording capacity of the card is increased, the type and amount of card information are not limited.

That is, by forming the bar code below the optical recording medium on the front surface of the optical card, it is possible to avoid forming the bar code on the back surface of the optical card, and relax the restrictions on the back side design and display information. By moving the bar code provided on the back surface of the conventional card to the front surface, a wide area on the front surface can be used as the bar code area, and the capacity of the bar code information can be increased.

Further, by using the bar code area together with the optical recording area, the bar code does not become an obstacle to the card design, and an optical card having good design and function can be constructed. It will be possible.

5 and 6 relate to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the structure of an optical card as an optical information recording medium, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the irradiation state of the light beam at the time of reading code information.

The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, in which the card base of the optical card 21 is composed of a transparent card base 22 as shown in FIG.

On the upper side of the transparent card substrate 22, an adhesive layer 4, an optical recording medium 2, and a transparent protective layer 3 are provided so as to overlap each other. A front side printing layer 5, a back side printing layer 7, and a back side printing protection layer 8 are provided under the transparent card substrate 22 in an overlapping manner. That is, the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the front printed layer 5 is provided below the transparent card substrate 22.

Information recording / reproduction and reading of bar code information in the case of using the optical card 21 thus constructed will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 6, (a) shows the state of the light beam at the time of recording / reproducing the optical information. The light beam 11 emitted from a laser light source or the like (not shown) is reflected by the objective lens 12 on the optical recording medium 2 of the optical card 1. To form a light spot. Then, the light beam 11 is focused and tracked with respect to the optical recording medium 2, and the light beam 1
Information is recorded and reproduced by moving 1 and the optical card 1 relative to each other. At this time, since the bar code 9 is provided on the front side printing layer 5 below the optical recording medium 2, the bar code does not affect the optical information recording / reproducing characteristics of the optical card as in the first embodiment. .

On the other hand, when reading a bar code,
As shown in (b), the focal position of the optical system including the objective lens 12 is lowered and the light beam 11 is focused on the front side printing layer 5 provided with the barcode 9. And barcode 9
By moving the light beam 11 and the optical card 21 relative to each other in the direction in which the bar code extends, the bar code information is read and the card information is read.

As described above, by using the optical pickup means for recording / reproducing information by moving the focal position of the optical system, it can be used for reading the bar code information.

According to such a bar code reading method, it is not necessary to prepare a detector for reading the bar code, and one optical system is used for both the original optical information recording / reproducing and the bar code reading. Is possible. This barcode reading method is not limited to this embodiment, and can be applied to barcodes of other embodiments.

The direction in which the bar code is provided is not limited, and the optical system may be relatively moved in a predetermined direction determined by the card.

Further, the reading of the bar code in the present embodiment is not limited to this method, and ordinary methods including the method shown in the first embodiment can be applied.

As described above, even when the card is made of the transparent base material, the display of the card information can be provided on the optical recording medium side as in the first embodiment, and the recording capacity is increased. It is possible to add a sufficient amount of card information, and it is also possible to eliminate obstructive factors regarding the design of the medium.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the structure of an optical card as an optical information recording medium according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

The third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, in which a two-dimensional bar code 32 is arranged on the print layer of the optical card 31 as shown in FIG. Others are the same as those in the first embodiment.

While the two-dimensional bar code has a large amount of information,
Since it requires a wide area in the vertical and horizontal directions for displaying, it has been difficult in the past to provide it on the printing surface on the back side of the optical card on which the user information and the like are written. However, by making it possible to dispose the barcode on the optical recording medium side as in this embodiment,
It becomes possible to add a two-dimensional bar code having a larger amount of information than a general bar code to the front side printing layer, and it is possible to add a sufficient amount of card information without being limited by the recording capacity of the card. .

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of an optical card as an optical information recording medium according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

The fourth embodiment is a modification of the first and third embodiments, in which an invisible bar code is provided as a symbol containing card information. In FIG. 8, (a) is a front view of the optical card, and (b) is a sectional view of the optical card.

On the upper side of the front printed layer 5 of the optical card 41,
An invisible two-dimensional bar code 42 is provided. That is, the invisible two-dimensional bar code 42 is arranged so as to overlap the normal character information formed on the front side printing layer 5.

The invisible two-dimensional bar code 42 has a function of emitting light of a wavelength different from the specific wavelength by irradiating with the light of the specific wavelength.
By detecting the light from the dimensional barcode 42 with a detector, the presence of the barcode and its contents can be detected. Further, as another invisible bar code, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-14260, infrared light is used as the measurement light, and it is transparent in the visible light but has an absorption characteristic at the wavelength of the measurement light. An invisible bar code composed of an infrared light absorbing paint having a can be used.

Since the invisible two-dimensional bar code 42 is invisible to the naked eye, normal character information can be provided in the entire printing layer on both sides of the card. Further, when reading the bar code information, the invisible two-dimensional bar code 42 is read by a bar code detector that emits light of a specific wavelength to detect the bar code information, and the card information is read.

If the printing of the character information formed on the front side printing layer 5 is made of a material that is transparent to the light of the specific wavelength, the invisible two-dimensional bar code 42 is formed under the front side printing layer 5. It is also possible to provide.

By thus providing the invisible two-dimensional bar code, it is possible to have a sufficient amount of card information without being restricted by the character information of the front side printing layer. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to add two kinds of information, that is, character information and bar code information, to the optical recording portion in addition to the optical recording information, thereby constructing an optical card in which the type and capacity of information are increased. it can.

The present invention is not limited to the optical card in the above embodiment, but a compact disc (C
D), optical disc, laser disc, magneto-optical disc,
The same embodiment and modified example can be configured in an optical recording medium such as an optical tape.

[0063]

As described above, according to the present invention, the display of general information can be provided on the surface where the optical recording portion is present, and the information having a sufficient capacity can be added without being limited by the recording capacity. At the same time, there is an effect that it is possible to eliminate a hindrance factor regarding the design of the medium.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 4 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an optical card as an optical information recording medium.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a light beam irradiation state during information recording / reproduction of an optical card.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reading operation when reading barcode information recorded on an optical card.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing the reading operation state of FIG. 3 in cross section.

5 and 6 relate to a second embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an optical card as an optical information recording medium.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a light beam irradiation state at the time of recording / reproducing information on an optical card and reading barcode information.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the configuration of an optical card as an optical information recording medium according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an optical card as an optical information recording medium according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional optical card.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an optical card having a large capacity.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical card 2 ... Optical recording medium 3 ... Transparent protective layer 5 ... Front printed layer 6 ... Card base material 7 ... Back printed layer 8 ... Print protective layer 9 ... Bar code

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An optical information recording medium comprising an optical recording section capable of optically recording and / or reproducing information, and a symbol containing general information, wherein at least a part of the symbol is An optical information recording medium, wherein the symbol is formed so as to overlap at least a part of the optical recording portion. 2. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the symbols are two-dimensionally arranged symbols. 3. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the symbol is an invisible symbol.