Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed at data storage devices capable of storing, reading and writing data to storage areas of nanometer dimensions. Certain embodiments are directed at devices wherein a fluid medium and particles are provided between a storage medium and an energy-emitting tip to channel energy from the tip to the storage medium. Certain embodiments are directed at devices wherein conductor molecules are attached to the surface of the storage medium and channel energy to the storage medium from an energy-emitting tip. Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed at methods of reading and writing to a storage medium by making use of intermediate particles and/or molecules to channel beams from a tip to a storage medium where data is stored.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from an optical information recording medium or for recording information onto an optical information recording medium, is provided with a first light source for emitting first light flux having a first wavelength; a second light source for emitting second light flux having a second wavelength, the first wavelength being different from the second wavelength; a converging optical system having an optical axis and a diffractive portion, and a photo detector; wherein in case that the first light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux, and in case that the second light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the second light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted

Abstract: An optical system for an optical head of an optical disc drive is capable of using first and second discs, protective layer of the second disc being thicker than that of the first disc, a data density of the second disc being lower than that of the first disc. A light source selectively emits first and second laser beams having first and second wavelengths, respectively. An objective lens converges the first and second beams on the first and second discs, respectively. The second beam is incident on the objective lens as diverging light, and the first beam is incident on the objective lens as a beam of which degree of divergence is smaller. A diffraction lens structure is formed in the high NA exclusive area, which compensates for aberrations of a portion of the first laser beam, and causes aberrations to a portion of the second laser beam passed therethrough.

Abstract: An optical recording medium having a read-only storage area and a writable storage area and a recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefor. The optical recording medium is a hybrid disc having both the read-only storage area, which is suitable for mass production of information having the same contents, and the writable storage area on which data can be recorded, updated or added at a user's option.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from an optical information recording medium or for recording information onto an optical information recording medium, is provided with a first light source for emitting first light flux having a first wavelength; a second light source for emitting second light flux having a second wavelength, the first wavelength being different from the second wavelength; a converging optical system having an optical axis and a diffractive portion, and a photo detector; wherein in case that the first light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux, and in case that the second light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the second light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted

Abstract: A data recorder for recording data that records data in a continuous manner regardless of interruptions. An encoder encodes data that is to be written to a recording medium. A synchronizing circuit synchronizes the data read from the recording medium with the encoded data when the writing of data to the recording medium is interrupted. A first retry determination circuit determines whether an address of the data read from the recording medium and an address of the data provided to the encoder match. A second retry determination circuit determines whether the timing for reading data from recording medium and the timing for encoding data match. A restart circuit restarts the writing of data to the recording medium based on the determinations of the first and second retry determination circuits.

Abstract: A controller for a data recorder for recording data that records data in a continuous manner regardless of interruptions. An encoder encodes data that is to be written to a recording medium. A synchronizing circuit synchronizes the data read from the recording medium with the encoded data when the writing of data to the recording medium is interrupted. A first retry determination circuit determines whether an address of the data read from the recording medium and an address of the data provided to the encoder match. A second retry determination circuit determines whether the timing for reading data from recording medium and the timing for encoding data match. A restart circuit restarts the writing of data to the recording medium based on the determinations of the first and second retry determination circuits.

Abstract: A re-recordable data storage medium is disclosed. One embodiment of the medium includes a dielectric material and a filler material. The dielectric material is organized in columnar channels over which memory cells are logically distributed. The filler material is within the columnar channels to realize the memory cells. The filler material of each memory cell has at least a first configuration and a second configuration. The first configuration corresponds to a first storable logical value, and the second configuration corresponds to a second storable logical value.

Abstract: A tilt control apparatus includes an orthogonal shift detector (9) which detects an orthogonal shift by comparing a pair of a plurality of tap coefficients (C1, . . . , C7) of a FIR filter and generates an orthogonal shift signal, and an actuator varies the inclination of the optical axis of the light beam to correct the orthogonal shift, and a tilt controller (10) controls the drive of the actuator in accordance with the orhogonal shift signal to minimize the orthogonal shift. In the information recording operation, the orthogonal shift obtained based on a recording track is previously stored in a temporary storage portion and the stored orthogonal shift is used to conduct the tilt control.

Abstract: A data storage apparatus, which can format a recording medium in the background, that verifies data written in a designated region of the recording medium if the designated region has not yet been certified in the background, and writes the data in an alterative region of the recording medium if the designated region is found defective. Since the data storage apparatus either certifies the designated region of the recording medium or verifies the data written in the designated region, the data storage apparatus can enhance the reliability of the data written in the recording medium, but the data storage apparatus does not waste time by verifying the designated region of the recording medium two times or more.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus in which the inclination of an optical axis of laser light relative to an optical disc is adjusted. When data is recorded, laser light is irradiated at recording power in mark periods and irradiated at reproducing power or erasing power in space periods. Immediately after the beginning of the mark periods, no pits are ye formed even though recording power is applied and the amount of reflected light has a level corresponding to the inclination of the optical axis of laser light relative to the optical disc without influence exerted by the pits. Also in the space period, the amount of reflected light has a level corresponding to the inclination of the optical axis of laser light relative to the optical disc. By sampling the reflected light signal at the instant following to the beginning of the mark period or space periods, the inclination is adjusted so as to maximize the sampled signal level.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a light beam is radiated to an area between recording tracks while the intensity of a magnetic field from the outside to a magneto-optical recording medium is suppressed to 50 Oe or less, whereby magnetic anisotropy formed between the recording tracks is set to be lower than that of the magnetic layer on the recording tracks, and micro-domains, for example, having a diameter smaller than a half-width of a light beam for reproduction in a film surface direction are formed on recording tracks. Because of this method, the influence of a leakage magnetic field in the magneto-optical recording medium adopting a DWDD reproducing system is alleviated.

Abstract: A wobble signal detecting circuit for optical disc system includes at least a sample-and-hold circuit for carrying out sample-holding steps on each of first and second photoelectric signals, and a high range frequency limiting circuit for removing frequency components equal to, or higher than, a predetermined cut-off frequency from the first and second photoelectric signals. By selectively enabling either the sample-and-hold circuit or high range frequency limiting circuit, depending on recording conditions during the period of recording information into an optical information recording medium, noise components which may unduly affect wobble signals can be removed efficiently, irrespective of recording conditions.

Abstract: An optical pickup capable of effectively reducing chromatic aberration that includes a collimating lens, which includes a diverging lens with diverging power and a focusing lens with focusing power, arranged on the optical path between a light source and an objective lens, wherein assuming that the total focal length of the collimating lens is f and the focal length of the diverging lens is fn, the collimating lens satisfies the relationship ?1.5>f/fn. The optical pickup is compatible with both existing digital versatile disks (DVDs), and high-definition (HD)-DVDs, which will not yet standardized, need a blue light source near 405 nm and an objective lens having an numerical aperture of 0.6 or more.

Abstract: A method of adjusting the write speed of a CD drive includes writing data from a CD drive to a disk at a first speed during a first preset time. If, at the end of the first preset time, the data error rate at the first speed is larger than the error allowance upper limit for the first preset time, then writing of the data will be completed at the first speed. However, if at the end of the first preset time, the data error rate at the first speed is smaller than the error allowance upper limit for the first preset time, then the writing speed will be adjusted to a second higher speed. The same process can be repeated for the second higher speed.

Abstract: In an optical disc apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on an optical disc, a lens holder for holding an objective lens is dynamically moved not only in a direction perpendicular to a data recording face of an optical disc but also in a direction parallel to the data recording face and crossing substantially at right angle with data recording tracks on the data recording face when the optical disc is loaded on the optical disc apparatus so as to remove the sticking of the movement of the objective lens due to adhesion of dust, break or deformation of the components.

Abstract: A method of recording drive information on an optical disc and an optical disc having drive information recorded using the method. The method of recording drive information comprises including a plurality of physical clusters in a drive region where disc drive information is recorded, recording the drive information in a set of a plurality of consecutive and available physical clusters, and recording an address of a reliable physical cluster, which is the first physical cluster of the plurality of consecutive and available physical clusters, in a separate region other than the drive region.

Abstract: An apparatus for reading and/or writing data markings of an optical recording medium having data markings arranged along a track and header markings arranged laterally offset with respect to the center of the track, the apparatus having a header identification unit. According to the present invention an intermediate track signal is formed, which enables direction identification during the traversal of tracks. The present invention comprises an apparatus having a header sequence detector, a track crossing detector and an intermediate track detector, wherein the intermediate track detector is connected to outputs of the header identification unit, the track crossing detector and the header sequence detector, and generates an intermediate track signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical pickup apparatus enabling to reproduce/record data of different kinds of disks in different thicknesses, using one single optical pickup. The optical pickup apparatus includes two objective lens, in which one objective lens has an incident plane and an outgoing plant formed of a flat plane at a designated radius domain from an optical axis, thereby preventing spherical aberration caused by the difference of the thickness between different kinds of disks.

Abstract: A compact disc processing system allows for more efficient processing of compact discs. The system included a transporter mechanism that can grip and transport more than one compact disc at a time. As such, a second disc can be gripped while a first disc is being processed. This eliminates the need to wait for processing operations, such as recording or printing, to be completed prior to transporting the second disc. The system includes a gripping head with at least two vacuum controlled mechanisms for selectively gripping the discs. A disc organizer can be provided which includes trays that can be used to store discs for selective retrieval. The organizer eliminates the difficulty encountered in locating a processed disc from a large stack of discs.