Ast Research, Inc.

Tandy Corporation

Michael B Martin

Bryan K Clark

Robert F Ray

A system and method for recording on optical and electromagnetic disk media utilize a control disk for formatting and providing speed control of the recorded information. Optionally, the control disk may provide operating, diagnostic, and a wide variety of other information to the recording system or user. A recording disk and the control disk are rotated synchronously with each other while the control disk is scanned by a read head which derives formatting, speed control, and other information. A write head on the recording disk is then manipulated in a pattern determined by the formatting and speed control information. Typically, the read head and write head are mechanically coupled so that the write head is positioned as the read head follows a tracking information on a read surface of the control disk to write a tracking pattern to a write surface of the recording disk in a recordable region between a start-of-disk pattern and an end-of-disk pattern.

Control and information disk for disk recording system

The entire data content of a thermally erasable optical memory medium is erased simultaneously by irradiating the entire signal-retaining layer of the medium with light in such a manner that the signal-retaining layer is preferentially heated over other layers in the medium, particularly other thermo-optically active layers if any are present. The irradiation is most effectively achieved with a flash of light at high intensity and short duration.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Michael B Martin