Abstract: A device with an optical disk drive with a digital servo system for controlling tracking or focus in an optical disk driver is presented. A servo system according to the present invention includes an optical pick-up with detectors providing optical signals, an analog processor receiving the optical signals and providing a digital signal, and digital processors receiving the digital signal and providing a control signal that controls the position of the optical pick-up unit. The digital processor executes an algorithm that calculates an error signal, provides amplification and biasing to the error signal, provides filtering for the error signal, and computes the control signal. The error signal can be the focus error signal or the tracking error signal. The device can be any device.

Abstract: A digital servo system for controlling tracking or focus in an optical disk driver is presented. A servo system according to the present invention includes an optical pick-up with detectors providing optical signals, an analog processor receiving the optical signals and providing a digital signal, and digital processors receiving the digital signal and providing a control signal that controls the position of the optical pick-up unit. The digital processor executes an algorithm that calculates an error signal, provides amplification and biasing to the error signal, provides filtering for the error signal, and computes the control signal. The error signal can be the focus error signal or the tracking error signal.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for coordinating tasks in a control system for an optical disc drive for optical media with a pitted premastered area that cannot be overwritten and a grooved user-writeable area that can be overwritten. The optical disc drive includes a first processor operable to communicate with a second processor, wherein the first processor includes instructions for performing non-time-critical tasks, and the second processor includes instructions for performing time-critical tasks, such as reading from and writing to optical media in the disc drive. The first processor monitors the status of the time critical tasks in the second processor and transmits commands to perform operations in the second processor. The first processor also controls power mode, manages recovery from errors, controls focus, tracking/seeking, spin, physical sector address (PSA), a laser, adjusts gains, and monitor cartridge load/eject.

Abstract: An image processing method includes the steps of wavefront coding a wavefront that forms an optical image, converting the optical image to a data stream, and processing the data stream with a filter kernel to reverse effects of wavefront coding and generate a final image. By example, the filter set kernel may be a reduced filter set kernel, or a color-specific kernel. Methods and systems are also disclosed for processing color images, such as by separating color and spatial information into separate channels. Methods and systems herein are for example useful in forming electronic devices with reduced opto-mechanical, opto-electronic and processing complexity or cost.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for coordinating tasks in a control system for an optical disc drive for optical media with a pitted premastered area that cannot be overwritten and a grooved user-writeable area that can be overwritten. The optical disc drive includes a first processor operable to communicate with a second processor, wherein the first processor includes instructions for performing non-time-critical tasks, and the second processor includes instructions for performing time-critical tasks, such as reading from and writing to optical media in the disc drive. The first processor monitors the status of the time critical tasks in the second processor and transmits commands to perform operations in the second processor. The first processor also controls power mode, manages recovery from errors, controls focus, tracking/seeking, spin, physical sector address (PSA), a laser, adjusts gains, and monitor cartridge load/eject.

Abstract: A calibration of a loop gain in a digital servo system is presented. The loop gain can be calibrated measuring the response in a control signal generated by the digital servo system when the control signal is replaced by a sum of the control signal and a sinusoidal disturbance. The loop gain can be set to provide a desired gain, for example unity, between the control signal and the sinusoidal disturbance at a cross-over frequency.

Abstract: A focus error signal offset calibration is presented. The focus error signal offset can be calibrated by varying the focus error signal offset to optimize an operating characteristic of the optical disk drive. In some embodiments, the operating characteristic can be a servo function. In some embodiments, the operating characteristics can be a read function.

Abstract: A servo system that calibrates a cross-talk gain parameter in a tracking error signal to focus error signal crosstalk correction is provided. The cross-talk gain parameter can be optimized such that the effects of a perturbation applied to the tracking servo loop on an adjusted focus error signal, i.e. a focus error signal that has been corrected for crosstalk, is minimized. The optimized cross-talk gain, then, can be set to the cross-talk gain of a set of cross-talk gains that results in the lowest value of a frequency component of the adjusted focus error signal while a perturbation at the frequency is being applied to the tracking servo loop.

Abstract: A calibration method for an optical disk drive is presented. The operating parameters of an optical disk drive are initially calibrated when the disk drive is produced or during a repair step. The disk drive is then field calibrated during normal operation. Operating parameters can be field calibrated during power up. Further, operating parameters can be field calibrated when a new optical media is inserted into the optical disk drive. Additionally, operating parameters can be field calibrated during error recovery.

Abstract: A multi-zone calibration system is disclosed. The multi-zone calibration system calibrates the operating parameters of an optical disk drive over a plurality of zones over an optical media. The optical media, in addition, can have writeable and premastered portions. The operating parameters can be calibrated for each of the media types in each of the zones. Additionally, the operating parameters can be calibrated for each type of operation (e.g., read or write in each zone.

Abstract: A system and method for handling events issued as a result of error conditions in the operation of an optical disc drive include suspending processing of commanded operations in the disc drive while attempting to recover from the error condition. The recovery attempt can include increasing levels of recovery effort, such as dynamically recalibrating various components in the disc drive. The system can also determine whether a previous notice was received for the same error condition. If so, the system can determine whether excessive recovery attempts have been initiated based criteria such as the time between the notices, and/or the number of notices, for the same error condition. The recovery attempts are aborted when they become excessive. If the recovery attempt is successful, the interrupted operation is resumed at the point where the processing was suspended, such as during a write or read command.

Abstract: A calibration for a tracking error signal offset in a tracking servo system of an optical disk drive is presented. In some embodiments, the tracking error signal offset is adjusted for best servo function by, for example, adjusting the center of a tracking error signal when the tracking servo system is open to zero. In some embodiments, the tracking error signal offset is adjusted for best read function by, for example, adjusting the tracking error signal offset until the data jitter is minimized. Data jitter can be determined by reading data from the optical media and measuring the data error rate.

Abstract: A head load algorithm for an optical disk drive is presented. On startup, the optical media can be spun up. Then an optical pick-up unit can be positioned at an extreme position, for example at the inner diameter, and focus can be closed. The optical pick-up unit then can be incrementally moved away from the extreme position while the tracking error signal is monitored to locate an area of the optical media with tracks. Once the area is located, a tracking servo system can close on one of the tracks.

Abstract: A device with an optical disk drive with a digital servo system for controlling tracking or focus in an optical disk driver is presented. A servo system according to the present invention includes an optical pick-up with detectors providing optical signals, an analog processor receiving the optical signals and providing a digital signal, and digital processors receiving the digital signal and providing a control signal that controls the position of the optical pick-up unit. The digital processor executes an algorithm that calculates an error signal, provides amplification and biasing to the error signal, provides filtering for the error signal, and computes the control signal. The error signal can be the focus error signal or the tracking error signal. The device can be any device.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically re-calibrating an optical disc drive during operation is provided. The optical media includes a pitted premastered area that cannot be overwritten and a grooved user-writeable area that can be overwritten. The system can attempt several increasing levels of effort to recalibrate the disc drive until the disc drive reaches a desired level of performance, or the recalibration effort levels are exhausted. During each level of recalibration effort, various calibration values are determined for the optical media and the servo actuator, along with a notch frequency for a notch filter; a focus actuator offset; a tracking actuator offset; a focus control loop gain; and a tracking control loop gain. The optical media disc is divided into zones, and zone calibration tables for each of the zones are generated. Each zone is recalibrated using the corresponding zone calibration table.

Abstract: A system which calibrates notch filters in a digital servo system is presented. A notch filter can be calibrated by obtaining a frequency response curve of the digital servo system in a range of frequencies, searching the frequency response curve for at least one peak frequency, and adjusting parameters of the notch filter to filter out signals at the at least one peak frequency. The digital servo system, for example, can be a tracking servo system or a focus servo system of an optical disk drive.

Abstract: A calibration of a focus error signal gain in a focus servo system of an optical disk drive is presented. The focus error signal gain can be calibrated by oscillating an optical pick-up unit in a focus direction through a focus point and determining a focus sum threshold. The optical pick-up unit can then be oscillated around a focus control effort that results in a sum signal equal to the focus sum threshold and the peak-to-peak value of a focus error signal can be measured. The focus error signal gain can be determined from the peak-to-peak value of the focus error signal.

Abstract: A method of storing calibrated optical parameters is presented. In some embodiments, calibrated optical parameters are stored in place of stored parameters. In some embodiments, averages between the calibrated operating parameters and stored optical parameters are stored. In other embodiments, the stored optical parameters are allowed to vary only by a maximum amount. In some embodiments, if the calibrated parameters vary by more than threshold values, then the calibrated parameters are not stored.

Abstract: A digital servo system of an optical disk drive with a calibrated inverse non-linearity function is disclosed. A look-up table is determined, for example, with a focus error signal gain corresponding with a focus error signal offset so that the response of the focus servo system is substantially linear. Additionally, the look-up table can include tracking error signal gain, tracking error signal offset, or tracking loop gain parameters corresponding with the focus error signal offset.

Abstract: A digital servo system for controlling tracking or focus in an optical disk driver is presented. A servo system according to the present invention includes an optical pick-up with detectors providing optical signals, an analog processor receiving the optical signals and providing a digital signal, and digital processors receiving the digital signal and providing a control signal that controls the position of the optical pick-up unit. The digital processor executes an algorithm that calculates an error signal, provides amplification and biasing to the error signal, provides filtering for the error signal, and computes the control signal. The error signal can be the focus error signal or the tracking error signal.