High Capacity Digital Data Storage By Transmission of Radiant Energy Through Arrays of Small Diameter Holes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reading a storage medium is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of emitters configured to emit a radiant energy at a predetermined optical wavelength, a plurality of detectors configured to detect the radiant energy at the predetermined optical wavelength, and a storage medium holder configured to hold the storage medium between the plurality of emitters and the plurality of detectors. A first detector is configured to detect radiant energy which is emitted by a first emitter through data holes of a first track of the storage medium, and a second detector is configured to detect radiant energy which is emitted by a second emitter through data holes of a second track of the storage medium.

1 . An apparatus for reading a storage medium, comprising:
 a plurality of emitters configured to emit a radiant energy at a predetermined optical wavelength;   a plurality of detectors configured to detect the radiant energy at the predetermined optical wavelength; and   a storage medium holder configured to hold the storage medium between the plurality of emitters and the plurality of detectors;   wherein a first emitter of the plurality of emitters is configured to emit the radiant energy toward data holes of a first track of the storage medium, and a first detector of the plurality of detectors is configured to detect the radiant energy from the first emitter which passes through the data holes of the first track of the storage medium; and   wherein a second emitter of the plurality of emitters is configured to emit the radiant energy toward data holes of a second track of the storage medium, and a second detector of the plurality of detectors is configured to detect the radiant energy from the second emitter which passes through the data holes of the second track of the storage medium.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the storage medium holder is configured to hold a storage medium comprising an opaque layer having a pattern of data holes, wherein at least one of the data holes has a largest dimension which is greater than the predetermined optical wavelength of a radiant energy, and the data is stored as a presence or an absence of a data hole in the pattern, wherein the radiant energy is configured to pass through the data holes at substantially the same predetermined optical wavelength. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of emitters and the plurality of detectors are configured to simultaneously detect the radiant energy from the first emitter which passes through the data holes of the first track and the radiant energy from the second emitter which passes through the data holes of the second track. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of detectors is configured to detect radiant energy passing through data holes of each of ten tracks of the storage medium. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the detection of the plurality of detectors is further configured to simultaneously detect the radiant energy passing through the data holes of each of the ten tracks 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data holes of the storage medium are arranged in a helical pattern on the storage medium. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the holder is configured to rotate the storage medium at a rate between about 5 rotations per minute to about 30 rotations per minute during the detection of the radiant energy by the plurality of detectors. 
   
   
       8 . A method for reading multiple tracks of a storage medium comprising an opaque layer having a pattern of data holes, wherein at least one of the data holes has a largest dimension which is greater than a predetermined optical wavelength of a radiant energy, and the data is stored as a presence or an absence of a data hole in the pattern, wherein the radiant energy is configured to pass through the data holes at substantially the same predetermined optical wavelength, the method comprising:
 holding the storage medium between a plurality of emitters and a plurality of detectors, wherein the plurality of emitters comprises a first emitter and a second emitter, and the plurality of detectors comprises a first detector and a second detector;   directing the radiant energy at the predetermined wavelength from the first emitter toward the data holes of a first track of the storage medium;   detecting, by the first detector, the radiant energy which passes through the data holes of the first track;   directing radiant energy at the predetermined wavelength from the second emitter toward the data holes of a second track of the storage medium;   detecting, by the second detector, the radiant energy which passes through the data holes of the first track.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the detecting by the first detector and the detecting by the second detector occur at least partially simultaneously. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the plurality of detectors, radiant energy which passes through data holes of each of ten tracks of the storage medium.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the detecting radiant energy which passes through data holes of each of ten tracks occurs at least partially simultaneously. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the data holes of the storage medium are arranged in a helical pattern on the storage medium. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising rotating the storage medium at a rate between about 5 rotations per minute to about 30 rotations per minute during the detection of the radiant energy by the plurality of detectors. 
   
   
       14 . An apparatus for reading a storage medium, comprising:
 a means for emitting radiant energy at a predetermined optical wavelength;   a means for detecting radiant energy at the predetermined optical wavelength;   a means for holding the storage medium between the means for emitting and the means for detecting;   wherein the means for emitting is configured to emit the radiant energy toward data holes of a first track of the storage medium, and the means for detecting is configured to detect the radiant energy which passes through the data holes of the first track of the storage medium;   wherein the means for emitting is further configured to emit the radiant energy toward data holes of a second track of the storage medium, and the means for detecting is further configured to detect the radiant energy which passes through the data holes of the second track of the storage medium.   
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the means for holding a storage medium comprises means for holding a storage medium comprising an opaque layer having a pattern of data holes, wherein at least one of the data holes has a largest dimension which is greater than the predetermined optical wavelength of a radiant energy, and the data is stored as a presence or an absence of a data hole in the pattern, wherein the radiant energy is configured to pass through the data holes at substantially the same predetermined optical wavelength, the apparatus. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the means for detecting is configured to simultaneously detect the radiant energy which passes through the data holes of the first track and the radiant energy which passes through the data holes of the second track. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the means for detecting is configured to detect radiant energy passing through data holes of each of ten tracks of the storage medium. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the means for detecting is further configured to simultaneously detect the radiant energy passing through the data holes of each of the ten tracks. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the data holes of the storage medium are arranged in a helical pattern on the storage medium. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the means for holding is configured to rotate the storage medium at a rate between about 5 rotations per minute to about 30 rotations per minute during the detection of the radiant energy by the means for detecting.