Abstract: An optical recording medium having three or more information recording layers reduces crosstalk caused by multi-reflected beams and improves signal quality. In the optical recording medium having three or more information recording layers, the refractive index of a plurality of intermediate layers disposed between adjacent information recording layers is greater than the refractive index of a cover layer disposed between a light incident surface and an information recording layer being the closest from the light incident surface.

Abstract: An air conditioner managing apparatus includes a storage unit configured to accumulate operation data about numerous indoor units, a first screen generating unit, a second screen generating unit and a display switching unit. The first screen generating unit is configured to generate a first screen on which a plurality of the numerous indoor units with a problem can be visually verified based on the operation data. The second screen generating unit is configured to generate a second screen on which the operation data related to a specific one of the plurality of indoor units can be visually verified. The display switching unit is configured to switch to the second screen relating to the specific one of the plurality of indoor units when the specific one of the plurality of indoor units displayed on the first screen is selected and an input of a prescribed button is accepted.

Abstract: An optical recording medium including three or more recording layers is provided. The optical recording medium includes an L0 layer, an L1 layer, an L2 layer, and an L3 layer as the recording layers and first to third light transmitting spacer layers respectively arranged between the recording layers. A refractive index n3 of the third light transmitting spacer layer is set to satisfy n3<n1 with respect to a refractive index n1 of the first and second light transmitting spacer layers. Thus, an effect of crosstalk light during reproduction can be reduced.

Abstract: A method for setting recording power of recording light, capable of an appropriate setting for a multilayer optical recording medium. The recording power of the recording light for an information recording layer of the multilayer optical recording medium to be irradiated with, is set by: evaluating an information recording layer to be evaluated for recording power when all the information recording layer(s) lying closer to a light incident surface than the information recording layer to be evaluated does is/are in a low transmittance state; evaluating the information recording layer to be evaluated for recording power when all the information recording layer(s) lying closer to the light incident surface than the information recording layer to be evaluated does is/are in a high transmittance state; and determining ground information for setting recording power, based on these values of the recording power.

Abstract: A multilayer optical recording medium having three or more information recording layers is irradiated with a laser beam, and a first signal obtained from the reflected laser beam is subjected to a frequency filter. A second signal obtained by filtration through a high-pass filter is used to evaluate the characteristics of the multilayer optical recording medium. In this manner, even in a multilayer optical recording medium having three or more information recording layers, the influence of the variation of the thickness and material of the information recording layers and the influence of the variation of the thickness of a spacer layer can be clearly determined and evaluated.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a plurality of information layers which are placed between a substrate and an optically transparent cover layer with optically transparent spacer layers interposed between the information layers. From among the plurality of information layers, the information layer excluding the information layer arranged closest to the substrate and the information layer adjacent to the information layer closest to the substrate has asymmetrical reflection characteristics in which reflectance on the substrate side when light incident from the substrate side is reflected on the information layer toward the substrate side is lower than the reflectance on the cover layer side when light incident from the cover layer side is reflected on the information layer toward the cover layer side.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a five-layer structure including five recording layers, namely an L0 layer, an L1 layer, an L2 layer, an L3 layer, and an L4 layer in this order from a side farthest away from a laser light incident surface. The materials of the respective recording layers are selected so that the rate of change in transmittance Tb/Ta as taken from the laser light incident surface satisfies 0.93<Tb/Ta<1.07 when recording on the L0 layer among the recording layers, where: Ta is transmittance of laser light to reach the L0 layer when the L0 layer is irradiated with the laser light of optimum recording power after recording marks are formed on all the recording layers closer to the laser light incident surface (being the L1 to L4 layers); and Tb is transmittance of laser light to reach the L0 layer when the L0 layer is irradiated with the laser light of optimum recording power with no recording mark formed on any of the recording layers closer to the laser light incident surface.

Abstract: In a multi-layer optical disc, having three (3) or more recording layers thereof, for enabling an easy focus lead-in operation onto a desired recording layer, reflectivity of respective recording layers are so determined that a ratio between the reflectivity of the desired recording layer and the reflectivity of other recording layers is equal or greater than a predetermined value, upon basis of the reflectivity of the other recording layers.

Abstract: A plating apparatus securely carries out a flattening plating of a substrate to form a plated film having a flat surface without using a costly mechanism, and without applying an extra plating to the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder; a cathode section having a seal member for watertightly sealing a peripheral portion of the substrate, and a cathode electrode for supplying an electric current to the substrate; an anode disposed in a position facing the surface of the substrate; a porous member disposed between the anode and the surface of the substrate; a constant-voltage control section for controlling a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and the anode at a constant value; and a current monitor section for monitoring an electric current flowing between the cathode electrode and the anode, and feeding back a detection signal to the constant-voltage control section.

Abstract: When there is a defect area in a specific recording layer, recording of information is continued and reduction in a recording rate is restrained. In an optical recording method for recording information on a multilayer optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers by irradiating the recording layer with a beam spot, any recording layer is set as an escape recording layer. When a defect area is detected while information is recorded on another recording layer except for the escape recording layer, the beam spot moves to the escape recording layer to continue recording the information.

Abstract: A plating apparatus securely carries out a flattening plating of a substrate to form a plated film having a flat surface without using a costly mechanism, and without applying an extra plating to the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder; a cathode section having a seal member for watertightly sealing a peripheral portion of the substrate, and a cathode electrode for supplying an electric current to the substrate; an anode disposed in a position facing the surface of the substrate; a porous member disposed between the anode and the surface of the substrate; a constant-voltage control section for controlling a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and the anode at a constant value; and a current monitor section for monitoring an electric current flowing between the cathode electrode and the anode, and feeding back a detection signal to the constant-voltage control section.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an optical recording medium and a method for producing an optical recording medium that enable to improve the quality of a servo signal and a reproduction signal. The optical recording medium satisfies: t3?t4?1 ?m, t4?t2?1 ?m, t2?10 ?m, and t1?(t2+t3+t4)?1 ?m, where t1 is a thickness between a surface of the optical recording medium, and the first information recording surface, t2 is a thickness between the first optical recording surface and the second information recording surface, t3 is a thickness between the second optical recording surface and the third information recording surface, and t4 is a thickness between the third optical recording surface and the fourth information recording surface.

Abstract: An optical head device (optical head) for a multi-layered optical recording medium has a focus control mechanism that makes use of astigmatism. The focus control mechanism has a sensor lens that includes a cylindrical lens. The focus control mechanism causes a light beam having passed through the sensor lens to have astigmatism, thereby being focused linearly in the Y direction on a front focal line located closer to the sensor lens and focused linearly in the X direction at a rear focal line located farther therefrom. The optical head also includes a photodetector which is disposed between the front focal line and the rear focal line to detect a focal position from the shape of a light beam. At the position of the front focal line, a shield plate with a window portion is disposed. The window portion has a size so as to allow the focal line to pass therethrough and shield stray light reflected from an unfocused recording layer.

Abstract: An information recording method for a multi-layered optical recording medium that can form information recording layers in 3 layers or more. When all the information recording layers are blank, the information recording layer that is the closest to the light incident surface is irradiated with a laser beam to start recording. High quality information recording is thus implemented in consideration of adherence of foreign matters and occurrence of scratches.

Abstract: A multilayer optical recording medium enabled to retain an ideal signal regenerating property in spite of accidental adhesion of finger mark or alien substance is provided. The multilayer optical recording medium 1 is provided with a plurality of information-recording layers 20, 22, 24, and 26 capable of reading information with a reading light irradiated through a light incidence surface 38A on one side and is so adapted that the light incidence side information-recording layer 26 approximating most closely to the light incidence surface 38A may be set at a small recording capacity as compared with the recording capacities of at least one of the other information-recording layers.

Abstract: An optical recording medium which includes three or more information layers and has a higher stack density of information layers than before in the direction of thickness while reducing crosstalk during reproduction, and a method for reading the optical recording medium are provided. The optical recording medium has a three-layer structure which includes a substrate, a first information layer, a first spacer layer, a second information layer, a second spacer layer, a third information layer, and a cover layer thinner than the substrate, with these layers being stacked in that order over the substrate, wherein the following Equation (I) is satisfied: (R2×R3×R2)/R1?0.0032 ??Equation (I) where R1 is the reflectivity of the first information layer, R2 is the reflectivity of the second information layer, and R3 is the reflectivity of the third information layer, and the first spacer layer and the second spacer layer are equal to each other in thickness.

Abstract: A multilayer optical recording medium comprises four recording layers including an L0 layer, an L1 layer, an L2 layer, and L3 layer laminated between a substrate and an optically transparent cover layer and optically transparent spacer layers each provided between the recording layers. The L2 layer has the negative dependence of the reflectance on the incident angle of a laser light beam for reproduction. Crosstalk can be effectively reduced by the relation between the configuration of the respective recording layers and the crosstalk.

Abstract: A recording method for irradiating a multi-layered optical recording medium with a laser beam to record information thereon. The optical recording medium can form a first information recording layer that is the farthest from a light incident surface, a second information recording layer that is the second farthest from the light incident surface, and at least one third information recording layer that is located closer to the light incident surface than the second information recording layer is. The method is to record information on the second information recording layer when all the information recording layers other than the second information recording layer are either blank or have been completely recorded. This allows for realizing high-quality information recording in consideration of adherence of foreign matters or occurrence of scratches.

Abstract: Information is recorded on a multi-layered optical recording medium by irradiating it with a laser beam. The recording medium can form a first information recording layer that is the farthest from a light incident surface, a second information recording layer that is the second farthest from the light incident surface, and at least one third information recording layer that is located closer to the light incident surface than the second information recording layer is. At this time, if all the information recording layers other than the first information recording layer are either blank or have been completely recorded, then information is recorded on the first information recording layer. This allows for stabilizing the energy of a recording laser beam during recording and thereby providing improved recording quality.

Abstract: A multi-layer optical recording medium in which an effect of an interlayer crosstalk can be accurately measured and a method for evaluating a recording system using the same are provided. The multi-layer optical recording medium has a signal intensity measuring region formed in advance such that each recording layer having an identical address is allowed to have a different reflectivity. A signal intensity variation occurring when data recorded on the signal intensity measuring region is reproduced is measured to obtain signal intensity variation information. The method calculates a coherence parameter m describing the coherence of a recording system from the signal intensity variation information and reflectivity information obtained at each of the recording layers without interference from the other recording layers.