Flexplay Technologies, Inc.

Thermal Wave Molding Corporation

General Electric Company

Robert F Thompson

Yannis Bakos

Arthur R LeBlanc, Iii

Richard A Minns

Joseph W Paulus

Larry Takiff

Frank J Baresich

Neil Exter

Daniel R Olson

Marc Brian Wisnudel

Marc Schaepkens

Edward Lindholm

Joe Paulus

Louis Cincotta

Apparatuses, products, devices and methods of manufacture consistent with the invention include optically readable media with at least one mechanism, chemical, agent, and/or process for limiting the time period that at least a portion of encoded information can be read and/or accessed by an optical beam and/or reader capable of reading the encoded information.

Optical media, read inhibiting agents and methods of making and using same

Limited play optical discs (LPOD's) are optical discs readable by a reading device for a limited period of time. After removal from it's packaging, an LPOD becomes unusable after a relatively short period of time. LPOD's can be provided with a limited shelf life by storing the LPOD's in a special package. The packaging includes a portion that controls the environment inside the package until a preset period of time passes, at which point reading-inhibit action of a material in the optical disc is allowed to go forward, which causes the disc to become unreadable. Hence, once the product exceeds its shelf life, it becomes unusable regardless of whether or not the package has been opened.

Controlled-environment package for limited-play optical disc

A data storage device comprises a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein at least the first substrate has defined thereon a plurality of pits and lands covered by a reflective material; and a bonding layer between the first and second substrates including a reactive agent that interferes with the passage of light in response to predetermined stimulus. In another embodiment, an optically-readable storage media, comprises a substrate having encoded data stored thereon, a reactive agent that, in response to predetermined stimulus, interferes with the passage of light of a predetermined frequency range, and a second reactive agent that, in response to predetermined stimulus, degrades the readability of the encoded data.

Limited play optical devices with interstitial reactive layer and methods of making same

An injection mold and process are arranged to produce very thin articles, such as data discs. Molten plastic is injected into mold parts forming a thin cavity (), in a cyclic molding process wherein the mold parts are subjected to a substantially constant temperature stimulus and rise and fall in temperature during injection and cooling of the molten plastic. Temperature boosting thermal insulation layers () are placed along at least certain parts of the molding cavity surface. This elevates the temperature of the molted melt material for a time during injection. According to a calculated relationship, this thermal insulation is sized to permit the thin mold cavity to fill before heat transfer to the mold parts solidifies the molding material and blocks further flow. The temperature boosters can be contoured in thickness.

Mold and process for making a very thin wall article

The present disclosure relates to a limited play optical storage media and a method for limiting access to data thereon. This storage media includes a first substrate; a reflective layer; a data storage layer disposed between said first substrate and said reflective layer; a reactive layer comprising at least one reactive material disposed on said at least one reflective layer; an optically transparent second substrate disposed between the reactive layer and a laser incident surface of the optical storage media; and an oxygen permeable barrier layer disposed between the reactive layer and a laser incident surface of the optical storage media, said reactive layer having an initial percent reflectivity of about 50% or greater and a percent reflectivity of about 45% or less after exposure to oxygen.

Limited play optical media device with barrier layers

A nozzle for injection molding is made of at thermally conductive metal material but is thermally conductively blocked or interrupted. An abrupt reduction in wall thickness and/or a gap in the continuity of thermally conductive material occur along the nozzle material passageway. This provides a localized restriction to thermal conduction, causing a reduction in heat flow from the mold to the material supply while cooling the melt material near the end of the nozzle. This material, which is relatively cooled to near the mold temperature, becomes the last injected material when filling of the mold is completed, occupying the area of the sprue. As a result, the sprue is relatively cool, thus reducing stringing and shortening mold cycle time.

Injection molding nozzle structured for cooling at extreme tip

Methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable storage media in which the reading beam passes through a bonding layer configured with a reactive material that transforms from an optically transparent state to an optically opaque state after exposure to a predefined stimulus, thereby inhibiting access to the data encoded on the optically readable storage media. The method includes steps of synthesizing a blocked dye combining the blocked dye with a carrier material curing the resultant combination deblocking the dye to produce a reduced dye in the resultant bonding layer exposing the optically readable storage media with the reactive material in its bonding layer to a predetermined stimulus. In a further aspect of the present invention methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable storage media wherein the reading light passes through the bonding layer and the data encoded information is encoded on the Lsubstrate. In yet another aspect of the present invention methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable storage media with at least two mechanisms for limiting access to the encoded data of the optically readable storage media.

Methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable storage media in which the reading beam passes through a bonding layer configured with a reactive material that transforms from an optically transparent state to an optically opaque state after exposure to a predefined stimulus, thereby inhibiting access to the data encoded on the optically readable storage media. The method includes steps of synthesizing a blocked dye combining the blocked dye with a carrier material curing the resultant combination deblocking the dye to produce a reduced dye in the resultant bonding layer exposing the optically readable storage media with the reactive material in its bonding layer to a predetermined stimulus. In a further aspect of the present invention methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable storage media wherein the reading light passes through the bonding layer and the data encoded information is encoded on the L1 substrate. In yet another aspect of the present invention methods and apparatus are provided for making an optically readable storage media with at least two mechanisms for limiting access to the encoded data of the optically readable storage media.

Growing community of inventors

Kennebunk, ME, United States of America

Robert F Thompson