Patent ID: 6318633
Filing Date: 2001-11-20
Classification: G06K,G11C,H01L

Abstract:
A method of creating digital data pixels readable with photodetector arrays from laser-written, microscopic data spots on the optical memory stripe of a smart/optical card comprising,generating an optical beam capable of recording microscopic data spots on an optical data storage medium affixed to a smart/optical card containing an embedded microchip microprocessor, the spots having a characteristic width,providing a DRAW (direct-read-after-write) optical data storage medium capable of being laser-recorded with said microscopic data spots,pre-formatting said medium with tracks for recording said data spots where the track has a characteristic width sufficient to accommodate two to six of said data spots if they were arranged in close proximity to one another in a column across said track width,optically recording a row of said data spots along and within a first track in a manner so as to form a first laser-recorded data bar which has the width of said data spots and a length of approximately one to two times the track width,laser recording one to five more data bars parallel and adjacent to said first data bar within the width of the same track and having a length similar to that of the first data bar, andidentifying each data pixel among many data pixels as a region whose smallest dimension is at least seven microns on said optical storage medium and which encompasses two to six of said data bars and that portion of said track that contains said data bars, andutilizing information represented by said data pixels and read by a photodetector array for transmission to one or more parties involved in transactions or data transfers that utilize said microchip microprocessor.