Patent Application
20060280049
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical disc label printing and, more particularly, to a system and the method thereof for recording an image onto a label layer of an optical disc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the recordable optical discs, such as a CD-R (compact disk recordable) and a CD-RW (compact disk rewritable), have been extensively used for recording a large amount of information, the accompanying issue is the management of optical discs that have already recorded data. Methods for labeling the non-data side of such optical discs with text and figures, for example, have continued to develop as consumers desire more convenient ways to identify the data they've burned onto their own CDs. Generally, methods for labeling an optical disc include physically writing on the non-data side with a permanent marker (e.g. a sharpie marker) or printing out a paper sticker label and sticking it onto the non-data side of the disc. Other physical marking methods developed for implementation in conventional CD drives include ink-jet printing, thermal wax transfer, and thermal dye transfer methods.
The main difficulty for automatically labeling an optical disc is that no tracks or reference marks are provided on the label side (non-data side) for automatically determining a radial position, making optical disc labeling a non-trivial task. In contrast, the data reading/writing strategy in the art of recordable optical discs is usually to form a pregroove on the data layer of the optical discs. Predetermined address codes, such as absolute time in pregroove codes (ATIP codes), are marked on the pregroove; the ATIP codes provide a tracking basis to aid an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus (such as CD-RW drive) to perform data reading/writing. Typically, the predetermined address codes are represented in terms of time. To summarize, when an optical drive is instructed to perform data reading and writing, the ATIP codes are retrieved to seek a particular section, thus simplifying the task of addressing on the data layer of an optical disc.
In recent years, there has been a proposed technology, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,864,907, in which a label layer that changes its color in response to heat or light is integrally provided with an optical disc; the label layer is provided on a label face opposite to the recording face to draw images in order to indicate the contents recorded on the optical disc. The label face is set to face an optical pickup, and a laser beam is radiated by the optical pickup to cause the label layer to change its color, so as to form a visible image. A group of alignment marks are pre-printed on the label layer in order to position the images to be printed. Before printing images onto the label layer, the optical disc has to be flipped in order to have the label layer face the optical pickup.
Referring to
Accordingly, one objective of the present invention is to provide a system and the method for recording data, such as images, onto a label layer of an optical disc. In addition, the system and method, according to the invention, are able to locate a specific position where the image is to be recorded on the label layer by taking advantage of the predetermined address codes on the data layer. Particularly, a multi-focal lens module is utilized to focus a laser beam on the data layer and the label layer of the optical disc respectively, thereby accomplishing the addressing and printing of the image on the optical disc in one step.
According to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided for recording an image onto a label layer of an optical disc. The optical disc also includes a data layer, on which a plurality of predetermined address codes is marked. The recording system, according to the invention, includes a processor, an optical pick-up unit, a multi-focal lens module, and a controller.
The processor is used for receiving data related to a first position which is defined on the data layer, and the optical pick-up unit is used for emitting a laser beam. The multi-focal lens module is capable of dividing the laser beam emitted by the optical pick-up unit into a first beam portion and a second beam portion. The controller, which is operated by the processor, is used for controlling the optical pick-up unit to focus the first beam portion on the data layer to retrieve the predetermined address codes, such that the optical pick-up unit is positioned at the first position, and the optical pick-up unit is also being controlled to focus the second beam portion at a second position on the label layer opposite to the first position, so as to record the image on the label layer.
According to a third preferred embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for recording an image onto a label layer of an optical disc. The optical disc also includes a data layer, on which a plurality of predetermined address codes is marked. The recording method, according to the invention, first receives data related to a first position, which is defined on the data layer. Next, an optical pick-up unit is controlled to emit a laser beam, and the laser beam is divided into a first beam portion and a second beam portion. Afterwards, the optical pick-up unit is controlled to focus the first beam portion on the data layer to retrieve the predetermined address codes, such that the optical pick-up unit is positioned at the first position. Finally, the optical pick-up unit is controlled to focus the second beam portion at a second position on the label layer opposite to the first position, so as to record the image on the label layer.
The advantage and spirit of the invention may be understood by the following recitations together with the appended drawings.
The recording system, according to the invention, can function like an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus, such as an optical disc drive. More particularly, the recording system may also be used for recording an image onto a label layer of an optical disc.
Referring to
Referring to
The processor 32 is used for receiving data related to a first position 240 which is defined on the data layer 24. More specifically, the data received by the processor 32 is referred to a specific ATIP code marked on the data layer 24. The optical pick-up unit 36 is used for emitting a laser beam. The optical pick-up unit 36 is disposed in a way so as to face the bottom surface 28 of the optical disc 2 when the optical disc 2 is installed in the recording system 3. The multi-focal lens module 38 is capable of dividing the laser beam emitted by the optical pick-up unit 36 into a first beam portion and a second beam portion. The controller 34, which is operated by the processor 32, is used for controlling the optical pick-up unit 36 to focus the first beam portion on the data layer 24 to retrieve the predetermined address codes, such that the optical pick-up unit 36 is positioned at the first position 240; the optical pick-up unit 36 is also being controlled to focus the second beam portion at a second position 220 on the label layer 22 opposite to the first position 240, so as to record the image on the label layer 22.
Typically, the laser beam emitted by the optical pick-up unit 36 is focused on the data layer 24 to retrieve the ATIP codes, such that the recording system 3 can perform data reading/writing on the optical disc 2. The optical pick-up unit 36 is assumed to be operated at a first power when performing data reading/writing on the optical disc 2. By utilizing the multi-focal lens module 38, the laser beam emitted by the optical pick-up unit 36 is divided into the first beam portion and the second beam portion. Moreover, the first beam portion and the second beam portion are respectively focused on the data layer 24 and the label layer 22. In practical applications, the chemical coating deposited on the label layer 22 needs to absorb a certain amount of energy in order for it to change its color in response to the irradiation of the laser beam. Therefore, the multi-focal lens module 38 is designed to distribute most of the energy of the laser beam to the second beam portion. Besides, when performing label printing, the controller 34 controls the optical pick-up unit 36 to operate at a second power that is higher than the first power. Alternately, the controller 34 adjusts the irradiation time of the second beam portion on the second position 220 such that the thermal or light energy irradiated on the label layer 22 by the second beam portion is higher than the threshold. In other words, when performing label printing, the controller 34 can modulate the operating power of the optical pick-up unit 36 and/or the irradiation time of the second beam portion to irradiate a required amount of thermal or light energy on the second position 220 to form the image on the label layer 22. In one embodiment, the controller 34 modulates the irradiation time of the second beam portion by varying the velocity that the optical pick-up unit 36 moves against the label layer 22 of the optical disc 2.
The focusing control of the recording system 3 according to the invention will now be explained in more detail hereinafter. When data reading/writing is being performed on the optical disc 2, the focal positions of the first beam portion and the second beam portion may be adjusted by moving the multi-focal lens module 38 perpendicularly to the optical disc 2. As shown in
Referring to
The descriptions regarding to the construction of the optical disc are the same as the first preferred embodiment and will be omitted here. The optical pick-up unit is disposed in a way, so as to face the bottom surface of the optical disc. The label layer is configured to form the image in response to thermal or light energy, which is irradiated by the second beam portion, higher than a threshold. In one embodiment, the power of the optical pick-up unit or the irradiation time of the second beam portion may be adjusted, such that the thermal or light energy irradiated on the label layer by the second beam portion is higher than the threshold.
With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 094117666 | May 2005 | TW | national |
