Abstract: There are provided an optical disc device and its recording/reproducing method for managing the management information about plural optical discs efficiently. In the present invention, the management information about the plural optical discs is stored in a memory. Moreover, the management information about part or all of the optical discs stored in the memory is recorded in the optical disc.

Abstract: Address information that has been error correction encoded is recorded on a second version of a recording medium after being transformed such that such that the address decoding cannot be performed by a playback device that is not compatible with the second version of the recording medium. The address decoding for the second version of the recording medium cannot be performed by the incompatible playback device (for example, a playback device that was manufactured to be compatible only with a first version of the recording medium). In other words, in the playback device that is not compatible with the second version of the recording medium, a state is created in which address errors cannot be corrected, so access is impossible (recording and playback are impossible).

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for handling of switching errors include, in at least one aspect, a method including: switching between a first mode and a second mode; obtaining a first error value associated with switching from the first mode to the second mode; obtaining a second error value associated with switching from the second mode to the first mode; determining a total error value based on the first error value and the second error value; and determining an adjustment value based on the total error value and a value of an associated resolution gain.

Abstract: Address information that has been error correction encoded is recorded on a second version of a recording medium after being transformed such that such that the address decoding cannot be performed by a playback device that is not compatible with the second version of the recording medium. The address decoding for the second version of the recording medium cannot be performed by the incompatible playback device (for example, a playback device that was manufactured to be compatible only with a first version of the recording medium). In other words, in the playback device that is not compatible with the second version of the recording medium, a state is created in which address errors cannot be corrected, so access is impossible (recording and playback are impossible).

Abstract: A recording device includes: a recording and reproducing unit that records or reproduces data stored on a recording medium; and a control unit that interrupts recording during recording performed by the recording and reproducing unit, acquires an evaluation value of a recording quality of a recorded portion, changes recording speed based on the evaluation value, and resuming the recording.

Abstract: Address information that has been error correction encoded is recorded on a second version of a recording medium after being transformed such that such that the address decoding cannot be performed by a playback device that is not compatible with the second version of the recording medium. The address decoding for the second version of the recording medium cannot be performed by the incompatible playback device (for example, a playback device that was manufactured to be compatible only with a first version of the recording medium). In other words, in the playback device that is not compatible with the second version of the recording medium, a state is created in which address errors cannot be corrected, so access is impossible (recording and playback are impossible).

Abstract: When using an optical disc medium that includes pit trains having their widths narrower than a diffraction limit, it is difficult to detect a tracking error signal and take a tracking-servo control while increasing pit density in a direction orthogonal to a pit-train extension direction. Information pit trains are arranged spirally or concentrically and formed in a structure in which their depths are changed periodically at a pitch radially along the optical disc medium, so that the tracking error signal can be obtained by push-pull detection of diffraction light from the structure.

Abstract: In a case of performing recording/playing with an information recording layer with a first light irradiation, and controlling the recording/playing positions on the information recording layer by a second light irradiating as to a position control information recording layer provided separately from the information recording layer, corrections to shifts in recording positions and playing positions that occurs as a result of shifts in the optical axes of the first and second lights. A disc-shaped recording medium has multiple pit row phases wherein, the pit rows having a spacing between one round of pit formable positions that is limited to a predetermined first spacing are formed in a spiral shape or concentrically, and with pit rows arrayed in the radius direction, the spacing in the pit row forming direction of the pit formable positions is set to positions shifted by a predetermined second spacing.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed including a rotatable disk having a user area including a first sector, and a spare area including a second sector, and configured to store a relocation list. The disk drive also includes a controller configured to receive a write command to write first data to the first sector, determine that the first data includes an amount of data less than a storage capacity of the first sector, read second data in the first sector, determine that there is a read error when reading the second data in the first sector, temporarily relocate the first sector to the second sector, maintain the second data in the first sector, and perform a test on the first sector to determine whether to copy the first data to the first sector, or permanently relocate the first sector to the second sector.

Abstract: An apparatus for accessing an information carrier for holding user information includes access information for accessing the user information, the access information being stored in a pre-determined first region on the information carrier. The information carrier further includes at least one further region different from the first region, the further region comprising dummy information.

Abstract: The operability of an optical disc device for reading or writing data from/to a disc having a data layer and a servo layer is improved by increasing the resistance to control disturbances. An optical disc device in accordance with the present invention includes an objective lens, a relay lens, a blue-violet laser detector, a red laser detector, an objective lens focus actuator, an objective lens tracking actuator, a relay lens actuator, a pair of focus error signal generating units, a pair of focus control signal generating units, a switching unit for selecting a focus control signal, a pair of tracking error signal generating units, a pair of tracking control signal generating units, a switching unit for selecting a tracking control signal, a focus error conversion unit and a tracking error conversion unit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a pickup head includes a plurality of light sources, a first objective lens, second objective lens, a driving unit, a first control unit, a second control unit, light receiving units. The first objective lens focuses a first light beam at a first recording layer. The second objective lens focuses a second light beam at a second recording layer. The driving unit moves the first objective lens and the second objective lens in a first direction and a second direction. The first control unit corrects displacement from target track along the first direction. The second control unit controls a moving direction of a position of the second light spot in the second direction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are aspects of optical tape technology, tape manufacturing, and tape usage. Methods and systems of tape technology disclose optical tape media including: configurations, formulations, markings, and structure; optical tape manufacturing methods, systems, and apparatus methods and systems including: curing processes, coating methods, embossing, drums, testing, tracking alignment stamper strip; optical tape methods and systems including: pick up head adapted for the disclosed optical tape; and optical tape uses including optical storage media devices for multimedia applications.

Abstract: The invention solves the problem that data cannot be recorded on a disc because the number of registered Defect Lists (DFLs) has reached a limit and the problem that the access performance is reduced at recording data reproduction time. A cluster, which is normally reproduced during verification processing and is preceded and followed by one or more defective blocks, is also treated as a defective block and, together with the preceding and following defective clusters, recorded in an spare area for extending the range in which clusters are registered as Contiguous Re-allocated Defect (CRD) entries. This reduces the number of DFLs to solve the problem that data cannot be recorded on the disc and, in addition, reduces the number of seek operations to prevent the access performance from being reduced at reproduction time.

Abstract: An optical pickup device is provided which is compatible with at least two types of optical disc standards having different NAs and which controls an effective NA when a light beam for an optical disc standard having a relatively small NA is converged, thereby forming a desired spot. An inner part 131B and an outer part 131F of an objective lens element 143 are provided with diffraction structures different from each other. A condition (1), DO11×DO12>0, and a condition (2), DO21×DO22<0, are satisfied (DO11 (DO21) is the diffraction order of the diffracted light beam having the highest diffraction efficiency among light beams of the wavelength ?1 (?2) diffracted by the diffraction structure on the inner part; and DO12 (DO22) is the diffraction order of the diffracted light beam having the highest diffraction efficiency among light beams of the wavelength ?1 (?2) diffracted by the diffraction structure on the outer part).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an optical disc drive, a data processing module which executes data processing using the optical disc drive, and a power supply management module which manages supply of power to the optical disc drive. The data processing module interrogates the power supply management module about the optical disc drive at the time of activation, and waits until an operating system recognizes the optical disc drive when an instruction is received from the power supply management module in response to an interrogation. The instruction instructs to wait until the operating system recognizes the optical disc drive. The power supply management module shifts the optical disc drive to a power supply on state and returns the instruction to the data processing module, if the optical disc drive is in a power supply off state when the interrogation is received.

Abstract: Focus control is performed for an optical disc having at least two data layers. One data layer is located closer than the other to a beam-incident surface of the disc. Maximum levels in positive and negative sides on a characteristic curve of a focus error signal obtained from the disc are obtained for both data layers. First and second focus balance values are obtained based on the maximum levels for the data layers, respectively. It is determined whether a difference between the first and second focus balance values satisfies at least either a first requirement or a second requirement. The first requirement requires that the difference exceed a predetermined threshold value. The second requirement requires that the second focus balance value be smaller than a predetermined threshold value. A focus balance value is selected depending on a result of the determination, for focus control.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing device includes a radiation light source 1 such as a semiconductor laser, a spatial modulation element 6 that splits laser light 2 emitted from the radiation light source 1 into a large number of diffracted light rays, and an objective lens 7 that converges the large number of diffracted light rays onto different points. The laser light 2 emitted from the radiation light source 1 is split into a large number of diffracted light rays by the spatial modulation element 6, the large number of diffracted light rays are converged onto different points in the photosensitive layer 8b of the information recording medium 8 by the objective lens 7, and information is recorded in the photosensitive layer 8b of the information recording medium 8, using an assembly of these converging points. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an information recording device capable of realizing high-contrast recording in which stray light or diffraction has no influence during signal recording.

Abstract: A tape storage device includes a head assembly having plural access head elements to access data on respective data tracks on a storage tape. A controller, responsive to information contained in at least one of the data tracks, is provided to individually adjust a lateral position of at least one of the access head elements independently of at least one other head element.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for data recording of an optical disk drive. First, raw data is encoded to obtain a plurality of recording units of encoded data to be stored in a memory. The encoded data stored in the memory is then recorded to an optical disk. A predetermined number of recording units of the encoded data is then reserved in the memory as reserved data without being recorded onto the optical disk. The recorded data read from the optical disk is then compared to the corresponding encoded data stored in the memory to verify correctness of the recorded data. The reserved data is then recorded to the optical disk after correctness verification of the recorded data is completed. Finally, the aforementioned steps are repeated until there is no more raw data left as a source for encoding.