This invention relates to information recording media in the form of light-readable discs, and more particularly to such media which are made up of two such discs secured to one another back to back to form a two-sided stack.
Light-readable information recording media in the form of discs are well known as shown, for example, by Kramer U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,846. Commercially available compact discs (xe2x80x9cCDsxe2x80x9d) and compact disc read-only memories (xe2x80x9cCD-ROMsxe2x80x9d) are examples of recording media of this general type.
More recently, digital versatile discs (xe2x80x9cDVDsxe2x80x9d) have emerged wherein light-readable information technology is employed to record movies and other similar real-time audio/visual programming (hereinafter xe2x80x9cprogram informationxe2x80x9d) on discs. To increase program information storage capacity, DVDs are formed from two discs (similar in appearance to conventional audio CDs) bonded back to back (see, for example, Marquardt U.S. Pat. 5,729,533, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference). Because relatively long audio/visual programs will not fit on one disc of conventional audio CD size, the xe2x80x9cbacksidexe2x80x9d disc (i.e., the second disc bonded to the back of the xe2x80x9cfrontsidexe2x80x9d or first disc) of a DVD may often contain xe2x80x9cspilloverxe2x80x9d audio/visual program information (i.e., information which would not fit on the frontside of the DVD).
DVDs come in two forms: (1) DVDs wherein frontside program information is read by shining a laser beam on the frontside disc and wherein spillover program information is read by shining a laser beam on the backside disc (i.e., two-side-readable DVDs); and (2) DVDs wherein both frontside program information and spillover program information are read by shining a laser beam on the frontside disc (i.e., single-side-readable DVDs). The placement of graphical image data on and the formation of two-side-readable DVDs are described in previously incorporated Marquardt U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,533.
A two-side-readable DVD according to the Marquardt patent is shown in FIG. 1a. It comprises first and second discs 120 and 140 bonded to one another back to back to form a stack. Disc 120 typically includes a transparent plastic substrate 122, the upper surface of which is patterned as shown at 124 to record programming information. The patterned surface 124 is covered with a layer 126 of highly reflective material, such as aluminum. To protect the reflective layer 126, a resin layer 128 is deposited on the side of layer 126 which faces away from the pattern 124. Disc 140 is bonded to the exposed surface of layer 128, for example, by means of a hot melt glue layer 130.
Modifying a surface of disc 140 to provide visible indicia on that disc is also shown in FIG. 1a. In this embodiment technology similar to that used to record programming on disc 120 is used to provide visible indicia on disc 140. Thus in this embodiment disc 140 includes a transparent plastic disc 142 with a pattern 144 of surface modifications on one side. Pattern 144 is covered by a layer 146 of highly reflective material such as aluminum. Layer 146 is protected by a layer of lacquer 148. Pattern 144 includes at least two kinds of regions 144a and 144b. In regions 144a pattern 144 includes many small features. In regions 144b, however, pattern 144 is smooth over relatively large areas. Light passing into disc 142 is reflected back through the disc visibly very differently depending on whether the reflection is from a region 144a or a region 144b. Regions 144a tend to scatter the light and therefore appear frosted, while regions 144b have a more mirror-like appearance. These visibly contrasting regions can be used to provide any desired visible indicia. For example, line work for lettering or to outline graphics can be provided by lines done like regions 144b against a background like regions 144a. Or lines done like regions 144a can be against a background done like regions 144b. Figures can be done with large areas like regions 144a against a background like regions 144b. Or a figure can be done with large areas like regions 144b against a background like regions 144a. Halftone-type shading can be provided by alternating regions like 144a and 144b. Visible indicia produced in this way are sometimes referred to herein as xe2x80x9cpit artxe2x80x9d because of the use of xe2x80x9cpitsxe2x80x9d like those in pattern 124 to produce some of the features of the indicia. Constructing two-disc stack 110c as shown in FIG. 1(a) has the additional advantage that a portion of pattern 144 can be used to record some generic information that is light-readable for playback in the same way that the programming information can be played back from pattern 124.
During the formation of a single-side-readable DVD, a substantially transparent, first, frontside plastic disc (i.e., transparent enough to allow a light beam to remain detectable following round trip travel through the plastic disc) with a substantially planar first surface (i.e., planar enough to allow a light source to differentiate topographical features disposed on a surface of the plastic disc as the disc rotates) is provided. Opposite the first surface is a second surface having program information recorded on it by means of local changes in the distance of the second surface from the first surface. A semi-reflective coating (e.g., silicon carbonate with a reflectivity between approximately 20% and 40% for light with a wavelength of approximately 635 to 650 nanometers) is then deposited over the second surface. Because the coating is semi-reflective and conforms to the local changes of the second surface, when a light beam (e.g., a laser beam) is transmitted through the first surface toward the second surface, a first portion of the light beam is reflected back through the first disc in accordance with the program information recorded by means of the local changes, and a second portion of the light beam is transmitted through the semi-reflective coating.
The formation of the single-side-readable DVD is completed by bonding a second, backside program information disc to the first, frontside program information disc. The second disc is similar to the first disc, having third and fourth surfaces opposite one another and having spillover program information recorded on it by means of local changes in the distance of the fourth surface from the third surface. The single-side-readable DVD is formed by bonding the first and second discs back to back so that the fourth surface of the second, backside disc faces the second surface of the first, frontside disc.
Unlike the frontside disc, only a portion of the backside disc contains program information (e.g., only the portion required to record the spillover program information). Furthermore, the fourth surface of the backside disc is coated with a reflective coating (e.g., greater than 70% reflective for a wavelength of approximately 635 to 650 nanometers) rather than a semi-reflective coating. The reflective coating allows the second portion of the light beam (transmitted through the semi-reflective coating of the frontside disc) to reflect toward and re-transmit through the semi-reflective coating and the frontside disc.
Accordingly, to read program information from the second surface of the frontside disc, a laser beam is focused on the second surface and the light reflected therefrom is detected and interpreted. Program information is similarly read from the fourth surface of the backside disc by focusing a laser beam through the frontside disc and on the fourth surface and detecting and interpreting the light reflected therefrom.
Because in a single-side-readable DVD program information stored on the backside disc is read through the frontside disc rather than through the backside disc, the third surface of the backside disc is unused by a DVD player. Graphical information (e.g., textual instructions, artwork, etc.), therefore, may be stored on the third surface of the backside disc without affecting the DVD""s playability. Conventionally, graphical information is placed only on the third surface of the backside disc, and as such, graphical information is not viewable from the frontside of the DVD. This ensures that the program information stored on the second surface of the frontside disc and on the fourth surface of the backside disc remains readable.
Nonetheless, it is desirable to have graphical information viewable from the frontside of a single-side-readable DVD so as to provide textual instructions, artwork, and the like. However, such graphical information must not affect the playability of the DVD.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide methods for transferring or translating graphical information to a single-side-readable DVD so that the graphical information is viewable from the frontside disc of the DVD and so that the playability of the DVD is unaffected.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the invention by providing methods for transferring or translating graphical information to a single-side-readable DVD so that the graphical information is viewable from the frontside disc of the DVD and so that the playability the DVD is unaffected. A first, frontside disc having a first and a second surface and having program information recorded on it by means of local changes in the distance of the second surface from the first surface is provided. A semi-reflective coating is then deposited over the second surface.
A second, backside disc having a third and a fourth surface and having spillover program information recorded on a first portion of it by means of local changes in the distance of the fourth surface from the third surface is also provided. Unlike the backside disc of conventional single-side-readable DVDs, graphical information is also placed on a second portion of the fourth surface of the second disc. The graphical information may comprise textual information, holographic artwork, pit art (see, for example, previously incorporated Marquardt U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,533), enhanced pit art (see, for example, Van Hoof U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,651), generic or specific artwork (see, for example, Parette U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,495), labels, and the like. Preferably, the second portion of the fourth surface is separate from the first portion of the fourth surface.
To complete DVD formation, a reflective coating is deposited over the fourth surface, and the first and second discs are bonded together so that the second surface of the first, frontside disc faces the fourth surface of the second, backside disc. Because the coating on the second surface of the frontside disc is semi-reflective, the graphical information is viewable through the frontside disc. Furthermore, such placement of the graphical information does not affect the playability of the DVD.
Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages, will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.