Patent Abstract:
An optical-disc player having a reader and a controller. The reader derives out-of-band information from surface marks of an optical disc, where the controller controls operations of the reader based on the derived information. The controlled operations may involve the reading and rendering of embedded data of the optical disc. For example, a person writes the words “Spanish” and “widescreen” on the surface of a DVD with a marker and inserts the DVD in a DVD player. The DVD player scans the surface of the DVD and sends the resulting image data to an optical character recognition (OCR) module. The OCR module outputs a text file containing the words “Spanish” and “widescreen” to a controller (e.g., Microsoft HDi runtime). In response, the controller sets the playback language to Spanish and the screen format to widescreen.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 61/174,568 filed on May 1, 2009, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     The subject matter of this application is related to the subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/500,060, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to the writing of information to, and the reading of information from optical discs. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Pre-recorded, read-only optical discs, such as the compact disc (CD) and digital versatile disc (DVD), are a popular medium for the storage and distribution of digital information, e.g., digitally encoded movies. The typical movie DVD offers the user multiple playback options, e.g., different dialogue languages (French, Spanish, etc.), different audio options (5.1 surround sound, stereo, etc.), different screen formats (widescreen, fullscreen), commentary on or off, subtitles on or off, etc. The typical process for changing a playback option is for the user to navigate through one or more on-screen menus using the player&#39;s controls or a remote control, a potentially tedious process. Typically, this process is performed when a disc is played on a particular player for the first time. Furthermore, for those players that cannot remember settings for a particular disc, the user might have to repeat the playback-option setting process every time the disc is inserted in the player. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment, the invention is a player-implemented method for controlling operation of an optical-disc player having an optical-disc reader. The method derives out-of-band information from surface marks of an optical disc and uses the derived out-of-band information to control the operation of the optical-disc reader. 
     In another embodiment, the invention is an optical-disc player comprising (i) an optical-disc reader adapted to derive out-of-band information from surface marks of an optical disc and (ii) a controller adapted to control operation of the optical-disc reader based on the derived out-of-band information. 
     In yet another embodiment, the invention is a user-implemented method of using an optical-disc player to playback an optical disc. The user applies, to the optical disc, surface marks corresponding to one or more selected playback options. The user then operates the optical-disc player to enable the optical-disc player to (i) derive, from the surface marks, out-of-band information corresponding to the one or more selected playback options and (ii) control the rendering of embedded data of the optical disc based on the out-of-band information to implement the one or more selected playback options. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements. 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-section of a typical read-only optical disc  100 . 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of disc player  200  according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a functional flowchart of a disc player  200  of  FIG. 2  according to various embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart describing one possible use of a disc player  200  of  FIG. 2  according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an example of the surface marks a user might make on optical disc  100  of  FIG. 1  according to certain embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a depiction of lens assembly  600  reading surface mark  500  on disc  100 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a cross-section of a typical read-only optical disc  100 . Optical disc  100  is a flat, circular disc comprising several layers. Bottom-most layer  102  is clear polycarbonate plastic. The bottom surface  104  of layer  102  (i.e., the bottom surface of disc  100 ) is smooth. Data is typically stored as a single, continuous, spiral track of pits  106  and lands  108  etched on the top surface of layer  102 . Data stored in this manner is referred to as the embedded data. The dimensions of the pits and lands depend on the specific optical-disc format. On a CD, pits are 100 nanometers deep, 500 nanometers wide, and a minimum of 850 nanometers long. On a DVD, pits are 120 nanometers deep, 320 nanometers wide, and a minimum of 400 nanometers long. 
     Layer  110  is a reflective material, typically aluminum. Layer  112  is an acrylic layer that protects reflective layer  110 . Optional layer  114  is a label or printing. 
     A disc player is a system for reading and outputting the information stored on an optical disc. A disc player can be a self-contained device, e.g., a standalone DVD player, or it can be a subsystem of a larger system, e.g., the CD reader and associated software within a personal or laptop computer. A disc player can include the components necessary to render in-band data, e.g., a DVD player with a built-in monitor, or it cannot, e.g., a standalone DVD player. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of disc player  200  according to one embodiment of the present invention. Disc player  200  comprises disc reader  202  and controller  204 . Disc reader  202  comprises disc drive  206  and signal processor  208 . Signal processor  208  contains an optical character recognition (OCR) module  222 . 
     The data flows of disc player  200  are typically either in-band data or out-of-band data. In-band data refers to data that is outputted by the disc player, e.g., a movie displayed on a screen or music played over speakers. In  FIG. 2 , disc drive  206  reads the embedded data on an optical disc and outputs in-band data  210  to processor  208 . Processor  208  performs one or more processing operations (e.g., error-detection/correction, decoding, digital-to-analog conversion) on in-band data  210  and outputs processed in-band data  212 . 
     Out-of-band data refers to data that controls the operation of the disc player. Out-of-band data, e.g., data  214 ,  216 , or  218 , might be generated by any of controller  204 , disc drive  206 , or processor  208 , respectively. Alternatively or in addition, out-of-band data, e.g., data  220 , might be received from a source outside disc player  200 . 
     Controller  204  controls the operations of both disc drive  206  and processor  208 . For example, controller  204  might be an executable program that receives out-of-band data  220  from an infrared remote-control device and displays various playback options on a screen. A user uses the remote control to select playback options. The controller converts the selected playback options into out-of-band data  214  to disc drive  206  and out-of-band data  216  to processor  208 . 
     Disc drive  206  is an electromechanical assembly comprising three major components (not shown): the drive motor, the tracking mechanism, and the lens assembly. The drive motor rotates the disc. The tracking mechanism moves the lens assembly along the spiral track of embedded data, and adjusts the distance between the disc surface and the lens assembly, e.g., to focus the lens assembly. The lens assembly comprises (i) one or more light sources (e.g., lasers), (ii) one or more lenses, and (iii) one or more optical sensors (e.g., photodiodes). 
     Disc drive  206  is adapted to read the embedded data of an optical disc and executes a read process to read the embedded data. The drive motor spins the optical disc, and keeps the disc spinning for the duration of the read process. The tracking mechanism moves the lens assembly to the correct location adjacent to the optical disc for reading the data. The tracking mechanism focuses the lens assembly on the pits and lands embedded within the disc. The laser(s) in the lens assembly shoot light upwards at reflective layer  110  through clear polycarbonate  102 . The reflective layer reflects the light back to the lens assembly. Pits  106  and lands  108  alter the reflected light. The photodiodes within the lens assembly detect the alterations in the reflected light and output a corresponding electrical signal. 
     The area of an optical disc which the lens assembly can read is known as the readable area of the optical disc. The readable area is not necessarily the same as the area that contains embedded data, i.e., there might be areas on an optical disc to which embedded data cannot be or typically is not written, but which can nevertheless be read by the lens assembly. 
     Although a typical lens assembly is specifically adapted to read the nanometer-scale pits and lands of the embedded data of an optical disc, the lens assembly is not physically limited to read only the embedded data. The lens assembly also might be able to read surface marks made on the top or bottom surface of an optical disc that are within the readable area of the disc. For example, a word written in black ink on the bottom surface of an optical disc and within the readable area will most likely result in variations in the reflected light detected by the photodiodes of the typical lens assembly. 
     Embodiments of the present invention are methods and apparatuses, e.g., optical-disc players, for deriving out-of-band data from surface marks of an optical disc, and using the derived out-of-band data to control the operation of the disc player. 
     The surface marks may be any mark which can be detected, either by the typical lens assembly of a disc drive or by an additional/other detector system. The surface marks may be made in any manner, e.g., written by hand, printed, applied in the form of a sticker, etched, etc. The surface marks might be applied to either or both surfaces of the optical disc. 
     In certain embodiments of the present invention, surface marks are read using the same lens assembly that is used to read embedded data. In other embodiments of the present invention, other components, e.g., lasers, lenses, photodiodes, are added to the lens assembly for the specific purpose of reading surface marks. In yet other embodiments of the present invention, a mechanism for detecting surface-marks is added to the disc player separate from the lens assembly. 
     In those embodiments of the present invention where the lens assembly is used to read both embedded data and surface marks, the focus settings used by the lens assembly to read surface marks are the same as the focus settings used to read embedded data. In other embodiments of the present invention, the two focus settings are different. Specifically, when reading surface marks, the lens assembly is defocused, lowering the resolution of the lens assembly, but also reducing the time required to scan the entire disc. Since surface marks are typically significantly larger than the pits and lands typically read by the lens assembly, the loss of resolution does not affect the accuracy of the scanning of the surface marks. 
       FIG. 3  is a functional flowchart of a disc player  200  of  FIG. 2  according to various embodiments of the present invention. Processing begins at step  302  and proceeds to step  304  where out-of-band information is derived from the surface marks of an optical disc. Next, at step  306 , the derived out-of-band information is used to control the operation of a disc player. Processing then terminates at step  308 . 
     Disc drive  206  is adapted to read surface marks, either with the same mechanism used to read embedded data or with a separate mechanism. Second, out-of-band signals  218  and/or  214  outputted by disc drive  206  might be derived from surface marks. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart describing one possible use of a disc player  200  of  FIG. 2  according to one embodiment of the present invention. Processing begins at step  402  and proceeds to step  404  where surface marks are made on an optical disc. Next, at step  406 , the optical disc is inserted in disc player  200 . Next, at step  408 , the disc player reads the surface marks and sends the resulting image data (e.g., a bitmap) as out-of-band data  218  to processor  208  of  FIG. 2 , which processor comprises an optical character recognition (OCR) module  222 . Next, at step  410 , OCR module  222  converts the received bitmap to text and sends that text as out-of-band information  216  to controller  204 . Next, at step  412 , the controller parses the received text file, sets various controller parameters, e.g., playback options, and transmits those parameters to disc drive  206  (as out-of-band data  214 ) and/or processor  208  (as out-of-band data  216 ). Processing then terminates at step  414 . 
       FIG. 5  is an example of the surface marks a user might make on optical disc  100  of  FIG. 1  according to certain embodiments of the present invention. The user makes three surface marks  500 , “French,” “Dolby 5.1,” and “No cursor” on the bottom surface  104  of optical disc  100 . The viewer inserts the disc into a standalone DVD player (the disc-player system) and presses PLAY. 
       FIG. 6  is a depiction of the reading of surface mark  500  on disc  100 . The reading can be performed by a conventional lens assembly  600 . When reading the embedded data of an optical disc, lens assembly  600  emits focused light  606  at pits  106  and lands  108 . When reading surface marks, lens assembly  600  emits defocused light  602  at bottom surface  104  of disc  100 , which surface contains surface mark  500 . Alternatively, the disc reader might contain a separate imaging device  608  adapted to read only surface marks. Imaging device  608 , too, emits defocused light  602  at bottom surface  104  of disc  100 , which surface contains surface mark  500 . 
     Lens assembly  600  or imaging device  608  detect variations in reflected light  604  and send the resulting bitmap as out-of-band data  218  to processor  208 , which processor comprises an OCR module  222 . The OCR module converts the bitmap into a text file and sends the text file as out-of-band data  216  to controller  204 , e.g., Microsoft&#39;s HDi runtime program. The HDi runtime program parses the text file and (i) sets the dialogue language to French, (ii) sets audio to Dolby 5.1, and (iii) turns off the cursor. 
     In another example, the optical disc is an installation CD for a software program. A user writes a special unlock code on the surface of the installation CD and inserts the CD into disc drive  206 , e.g., a CD player on the user&#39;s personal computer (PC). The CD player reads the surface marks, and OCR module  222  in processor  208  OCRs the bitmap and sends the unlock code to controller  204 . Here, the controller is an executable installation program running on the PC. The installation program verifies the unlock code. If the verification succeeds, then installation proceeds. Otherwise, installation is halted. 
     The present invention can be embodied in the form of methods and apparatuses for practicing those methods. The present invention can also be embodied in the form of program code embodied in tangible media, such as magnetic recording media, optical recording media, solid state memory, floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. The present invention can also be embodied in the form of program code, for example, whether stored in a storage medium or loaded into and/or executed by a machine, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code segments combine with the processor to provide a unique device that operates analogously to specific logic circuits. 
     Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as being approximate as if the word “about” or “approximately” preceded the value of the value or range. 
     It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims. 
     The use of figure numbers and/or figure reference labels in the claims is intended to identify one or more possible embodiments of the claimed subject matter in order to facilitate the interpretation of the claims. Such use is not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of those claims to the embodiments shown in the corresponding figures. 
     It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present invention. 
     Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence. 
     Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term “implementation.”

Technology Classification (CPC): 6