Claims
- 1. A data storage device comprising:
a data storage mechanism; and, a surface used for labeling, the surface being covered, at least in part, with a laser imageable coating; wherein blocking material is placed over a portion of the laser imageable coating, the blocking material blocking laser imaging on the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed.
- 2. A data storage device as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes an image that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 3. A data storage device as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes a blank area that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 4. A data storage device as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes a portrait of a celebrity that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 5. A data storage device as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes a game image that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 6. A data storage device as in claim 1 wherein the blocking material is composed of material that is transparent in visible light but opaque in a set of wavelengths of light used by an imaging laser to place an image on the laser imageable coating.
- 7. A data storage device as in claim 1 wherein the blocking material is composed of material that is transparent in visible light but reflective in a set of wavelengths of light used by an imaging laser to place an image on the laser imageable coating.
- 8. A data storage device as in claim 1 wherein the data storage device is one of the following:
a compact disk read only memory storage device; a compact disk recordable storage device; a digital versatile disk read/write storage device; a digital versatile disk read only memory storage device; a digital versatile disk recordable storage device; a digital versatile disk read/write storage device.
- 9. A medium produced by a method comprising:
(a) covering at least a portion of a surface of the medium with a laser imageable coating; and, (b) placing blocking material over a portion of the laser imageable coating, the blocking material being selected to prevent an imaging laser from placing any additional image on the portion of the laser imageable coating covered by the blocking material.
- 10. A medium as in claim 9 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes a blank area that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 11. A medium as in claim 9 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes a portrait of a celebrity that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 12. A medium as in claim 9 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes a game image that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 13. A medium as in claim 9 wherein the blocking material is composed of material that is transparent in visible light but opaque in a set of wavelengths of light used by an imaging laser to place an image on the laser imageable coating.
- 14. A medium as in claim 9 wherein the blocking material is composed of material that is transparent in visible light but reflective in a set of wavelengths of light used by an imaging laser to place an image on the laser imageable coating.
- 15. A medium as in claim 9 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes an image that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 16. A medium as in claim 9 wherein the medium is one of the following:
a compact disk read only memory storage device; a compact disk recordable storage device; a digital versatile disk read/write storage device; a digital versatile disk read only memory storage device; a digital versatile disk recordable storage device; a digital versatile disk read/write storage device.
- 17. A method of producing a medium comprising the following steps:
(a) covering at least a portion of a surface of the medium with a laser imageable coating; and, (b) placing blocking material over a portion of the laser imageable coating, the blocking material being selected to prevent an imaging laser from placing any additional image on the portion of the laser imageable coating covered by the blocking material.
- 18. A medium as in claim 17 wherein the blocking material is composed of material that is transparent in visible light but opaque in a set of wavelengths of light used by an imaging laser to place an image on the laser imageable coating.
- 19. A medium as in claim 17 wherein the blocking material is composed of material that is transparent in visible light but reflective in a set of wavelengths of light used by an imaging laser to place an image on the laser imageable coating.
- 20. A medium as in claim 17 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes an image that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 21. A medium as in claim 17 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes a blank area that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 22. A method of producing a data storage device comprising the following steps:
(a) placing an image in a region, of a surface of the data storage device; and, (b) covering at least a portion of a surface of the data storage device with a transparent laser imageable coating, including covering the region in which is placed the image.
- 23. A method as in claim 22 additionally comprising the following step:
(c) placing blocking material over a portion of the transparent laser imageable coating, the blocking material being selected to prevent an imaging laser from placing any additional image on the portion of the transparent laser imageable coating covered by the blocking material.
- 24. A data storage device as in claim 22 wherein the image includes a portrait of a celebrity that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 25. A data storage device as in claim 22 wherein the image includes a color background.
- 26. A method for labeling a data storage device, comprising the following steps:
(a) using a laser to place a labeling image on a laser imageable coating covering at least a portion of a label surface of the data storage device, including the following substep:
(a.1) being blocked from placing any portion of the labeling image on blocking material placed over a portion of the laser imageable coating, the blocking material being selected to prevent an imaging laser from placing any additional image on the portion of the laser imageable coating covered by the blocking material.
- 27. A method as in claim 26 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes an image that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 28. A method as in claim 26 wherein the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed includes a blank area that is protected from overwriting by the blocking material.
- 29. A method as in claim 26 wherein the data storage device is one of the following:
a compact disk read only memory storage device; a compact disk recordable storage device; a digital versatile disk read/write storage device; a digital versatile disk read only memory storage device; a digital versatile disk recordable storage device; a digital versatile disk read/write storage device.
- 30. A data storage device comprising:
surface means for containing labeling information; laser imageable coating means for being imageable by a laser, the laser imageable coating means covering at least a portion of the surface means; and, blocking means for blocking laser imaging, the blocking means being placed over a portion of the laser imageable coating means.
- 31. A data storage device as in claim 30 wherein the blocking means is composed of material that is transparent in visible light but opaque in a set of wavelengths of light used by an imaging laser to place an image on the laser imageable coating means.
- 32. A data storage device as in claim 30 wherein the blocking means is composed of material that is transparent in visible light but reflective in a set of wavelengths of light used by an imaging laser to place an image on the laser imageable coating means.
- 33. A method of increasing user desirability of a data storage device comprising the following steps:
(a) covering at least a portion of a label surface of the data storage device with a laser imageable coating; (b) using a laser to write a consumer desirable image over some but not all of the laser imageable coating; and, (c) placing blocking material over the consumer desirable image, but not over remaining portions of the laser imageable coating.
- 34. A method as in claim 33 wherein the consumer desirable image includes a portrait of a celebrity.
- 35. A method as in claim 33 wherein the consumer desirable image includes a game image.
- 36. A method as in claim 33 wherein the consumer desirable image includes at least one of the following:
an advertisement for a product; an advertisement for a service; a company logo; a team logo; a trademark.
- 37. A method of increasing user desirability of a data storage device comprising the following steps:
(a) placing a consumer desirable image in a region, of a surface of the data storage device; (b) covering at least a portion of a surface of the data storage device with a transparent laser imageable coating, including covering the region in which is placed the image.
- 38. A method as in claim 37 additionally comprising the following step:
(c) placing blocking material over a portion of the transparent laser imageable coating, the blocking material being selected to prevent an imaging laser from placing any additional image on the portion of the transparent laser imageable coating covered by the blocking material.
- 39. A method as in claim 37 wherein the consumer desirable image includes a portrait of a celebrity.
- 40. A method as in claim 37 wherein the consumer desirable image includes a game image.
- 41. A method as in claim 37 wherein the consumer desirable image includes a color background.
- 42. A method as in claim 37 wherein the consumer desirable image includes at least one of the following:
an advertisement for a product; an advertisement for a service; a company logo; a team logo; a trademark.
- 43. A method performed by a kiosk, the method being performed in response to user selections and including the following steps:
placing user selected data within a data storage device; and, labeling the data storage device, including the following substeps:
using a laser to place a labeling image on a laser imageable coating placed on a surface of the data storage device, the labeling image including a description of the user selected data.
- 44. A method as in claim 43 wherein the labeling step additionally comprises the following substep:
placing blocking material over at least a portion of the laser imageable coating, the blocking material being selected to prevent an imaging laser from placing any additional image on the portion of the laser imageable coating covered by the blocking material.
- 45. A method as in claim 43 wherein the user selected data includes digital recordings.
- 46. A method as in claim 43 wherein the labeling image includes a consumer desirable image.
- 47. A method as in claim 43 wherein the labeling image includes a picture of a celebrity.
- 48. A method performed by a kiosk, the method being performed in response to user selections and including the following steps:
placing user selected data within a data storage device; and, labeling the data storage device, including the following substeps:
using a laser to place a labeling image on a laser imageable coating placed on a surface of the data storage device, the labeling image including a consumer desirable image.
- 49. A method as in claim 48 wherein the labeling step additionally comprises the following substep:
placing blocking material over at least a portion of the laser imageable coating, the blocking material being selected to prevent an imaging laser from placing any additional image on the portion of the laser imageable coating covered by the blocking material.
- 50. A method as in claim 48 wherein the consumer desirable image includes a picture of a celebrity.
- 51. A method to increase sales of recording equipment, comprising:
distributing media that can be labeled by the recording equipment; absorbing cost of the media by incorporating prepaid content on a portion of each label of the media; and preventing the prepaid content on each label from being overwritten by the recording equipment.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The subject matter of the present patent application is related to the subject matter set out in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/976,877 filed Oct. 11, 2001, entitled INTEGRATED CD/DVD RECORDING AND LABELING which is herein incorporated by reference.