Abstract: The plastic polarized lens (10) of the present invention contains a polarized film (12) and layers (resin layers) (14a and 14b) comprising a thiourethane-based resin stacked over both surfaces of the polarized film (12), and the polarized film contains an organic coloring compound represented by the following general formula (1).

Abstract: An optical information reproduction device includes a light source (14) configured to emit reproduction light, a plasmon resonance element (9) including a resonance section (22) arranged adjacent to a recording region (4) of a recording layer (2), the resonance section (22) causing plasmon resonance between the recording region (4) and the resonance section (22), a photodetector (17a) configured to detect reflected light or transmitted light from the plasmon resonance element (9) on which the reproduction light is irradiated, and a reproduction unit (24) configured to determine, on the basis of a detection signal from the photodetector (17a), whether the recording region (4) is in a recorded state or an unrecorded state, and reproduce information recorded in the recording region (4).

Abstract: The plastic polarized lens (10) of the present invention contains a polarized film (12) and layers (resin layers) (14a and 14b) comprising a thiourethane-based resin stacked over both surfaces of the polarized film (12), and the polarized film contains an organic coloring compound represented by the following general formula (1).

Abstract: An optical information reproduction device includes a light source (14) configured to emit reproduction light, a plasmon resonance element (9) including a resonance section (22) arranged adjacent to a recording region (4) of a recording layer (2), the resonance section (22) causing plasmon resonance between the recording region (4) and the resonance section (22), a photodetector (17a) configured to detect reflected light or transmitted light from the plasmon resonance element (9) on which the reproduction light is irradiated, and a reproduction unit (24) configured to determine, on the basis of a detection signal from the photodetector (17a), whether the recording region (4) is in a recorded state or an unrecorded state, and reproduce information recorded in the recording region (4).

Abstract: The present invention contributes to getting a reproduction/recording operation done with stability on an information recording medium by utilizing an absorption edge shifting phenomenon. An apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes: a light source 20 for emitting a laser beam; a lens 6 for condensing the beam onto an information recording medium 21; and a photodetector 19 for detecting light reflected from the medium 21, of which a recording layer includes a material that absorbs the beam at an increasing absorptance as the absorption edge of a light absorption spectrum shifts, with a rise in temperature, toward a longer wavelength range as a result of a band-to-band transition of electrons.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical disk apparatus and an optical disk that are applicable to a multilayer optical disk, and enable tilt detection with a high precision. The optical disk has a transparent planar disk base member, a recording layer formed on the disk base member, and a reflecting layer in a certain positional relation to the recording layer. The optical disk apparatus includes a laser pointer 61 for irradiating a laser beam onto the recording layer of the optical disk by way of the disk base member to form a focusing spot on the recording layer, a photo-sensor array 6G for receiving a reflected beam from the reflecting layer, and an aberration mode detecting circuit 6H for detecting tilt of the optical disk by using an output from the photo-sensor array 6G.

Abstract: The present invention contributes to getting a reproduction/recording operation done with stability on an information recording medium by utilizing an absorption edge shifting phenomenon. An apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes: a light source 20 for emitting a laser beam; a lens 6 for condensing the beam onto an information recording medium 21; and a photodetector 19 for detecting light reflected from the medium 21, of which a recording layer includes a material that absorbs the beam at an increasing absorptance as the absorption edge of a light absorption spectrum shifts, with a rise in temperature, toward a longer wavelength range as a result of a band-to-band transition of electrons.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to increase a transfer rate in data recording or data reproduction. A beam spot 10 is cyclically moved in a track set with a predetermined pattern. The track set is constituted of adjacent tracks of a predetermined number. In recording, the power of a laser beam is impulsively controlled with a predetermined intensity when the beam spot 10 crosses the middle of each of tracks 11, 12, and 13 to record data in the track set constituted of the tracks 11, 12, and 13. In reproduction, the data recorded in the track set constituted of the tracks 11, 12, and 13 is reproduced by sampling a reproduction signal to be generated in receiving reflected light of the light beam when the beam spot 10 crosses the middle of each of the tracks 11, 12, and 13.

Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention includes a write compensation section, which generates a write signal to write information on an information storage medium, and a writing section for irradiating the information storage medium with a pulsed beam based on the write signal generated by the write compensation section. The information storage medium includes a recording layer, which has an optical constant that changes continuously with the total quantity of light received. The writing section radiates and condenses multiple pulsed beams on the recording layer at an interval that is shorter than the diameter of the pulsed beams on the recording layer. The write compensation section generates the write signal such that the each sum of variations in the optical constant at each irradiated spot of the pulsed beam on the recording layer through the end of a write operation forms a predetermined variation pattern.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes an objective lens for focusing light on an optical disc with five or more stacked data storage layers and a tilt control mechanism for controlling a tilt angle defined between the optical axis of the light and a normal to the storage layers. The drive reads and/or writes data from/on a selected one of the storage layers by focusing the light on the selected layer. The numerical aperture NA of the objective lens is defined so as to fall within the range of 1.3009×D3?2.9315×D2+2.3133×D?0.0502 to 1.3009×D3?2.9315×D2+2.3133×D+0.2028, where D is a distance (mm) from a light incident side of the disc to the deepest one of the storage layers, which is located most distant from the light incident side.

Abstract: The disk medium 200 of the present invention includes a sector group 3 including a plurality of positionally continuous sectors 2 in which address information including at least address data and parity data is dispersedly provided in the plurality of sectors of the sector group in a prescribed unit. The address information includes an information sequence described by a combination of at least “0”, “1” and an identification mark 4, the identification mark is provided at the head of the sector group, the address data includes data bits, and the parity data includes parity bits. With this structure, it is possible to realize small address redundancy and high reliability of address reproduction.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical disk apparatus and an optical disk that are applicable to a multilayer optical disk, and enable to realize tilt detection with a high precision. The optical disk has a transparent planar disk base member, a recording layer formed on the disk base member, and a reflecting layer in a certain positional relation to the recording layer. The optical disk apparatus includes a laser pointer 61 for irradiating a laser beam onto the recording layer of the optical disk by way of the disk base member to form a focusing spot on the recording layer, a photo-sensor array 6G for receiving a reflected beam from the reflecting layer, and an aberration mode detecting circuit 6H for detecting tilt of the optical disk by using an output from the photo-sensor array 6G.

Abstract: Flash emission is required when image data have a low luminance value and when it is determined that flash emission is not prohibited, the built-in flash is used for autofocus (AF). An AF evaluation value is obtained under the flash emission, and the lens is driven based on this value. This operation is repeated until it is determined that the lens is focused, and accurate AF is executed even in dark conditions.

Abstract: An optical disc medium, including a plurality of sector groups each being made up of multiple contiguous sectors on a track, is provided. In this optical disc medium, the location information of each of those sector groups is divided into a predetermined number of information pieces and distributed to associated sectors on the same track.

Abstract: An optical recording medium comprises a plurality of identifiers in association with address information, wherein: each identifier is provided on the optical recording medium; and each identifier comprises at least one of: a first pattern provided on the optical recording medium and representing a first code expressed by one bit; a second pattern provided on the optical recording medium and representing a second code expressed by one bit; and a third pattern provided on the optical recording medium and representing a third code expressed by one bit.

Abstract: In an actuator, coils are kept from being displaced along a y-axis direction as projections of coil bobbins are sandwiched between first and second iron cores along the y-axis direction. Also, the coils are kept from being displaced excessively along x- and z-axis directions due to shocks, for instance, because they are fitted in groovelike channels fitted in the first and second iron cores. Since two bearings are sandwiched and fixed between third and fourth iron cores along the x-axis direction, the bearings can be easily set on a common axis with high accuracy. It is therefore possible to prevent displacement of the coils during operation of the actuator. Slidable support plates ensure smooth movements of an armature and thereby provide improved reliability, even when the distance between the support plates and the first to fourth iron cores is reduced.

Abstract: An optical disc is provided having marks for dispersed addresses that can be easily detected with high precision. A dispersed address includes synchronization marks, positive marks, and negative marks. The synchronization marks, positive marks, and negative marks are formed along a groove as partial discontinuities or partial modifications in the wobbled groove.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes an objective lens for focusing light on an optical disc with five or more stacked data storage layers and a tilt control mechanism for controlling a tilt angle defined between the optical axis of the light and a normal to the storage layers. The drive reads and/or writes data from/on a selected one of the storage layers by focusing the light on the selected layer. The numerical aperture NA of the objective lens is defined so as to fall within the range of 1.3009×D3−2.9315×D2+2.3133×D−0.0502 to 1.3009×D3−2.9315×D2+2.3133×D+0.2028, where D is a distance (mm) from a light incident side of the disc to the deepest one of the storage layers, which is located most distant from the light incident side.

Abstract: A code conversion method and apparatus is provided for scrambling and modulating data. The method and apparatus includes scrambling an input main data unit based on any of plural types of pseudo-random number sequences, and modulating the scrambled main data unit based on any of plural types of modulation data. An output main data unit is produced from the modulated main data unit, and a calculated value representing a difference between a number of 0 bits and a number of 1 bits included in the output main data unit is obtained. Any of the modulation data is then selected dependent upon the calculated value.

Abstract: An optical disc having marks for dispersed addresses that can be easily detected with high precision. A dispersed address comprises synchronization marks, positive marks, and negative marks. Synchronization marks, positive marks, and negative marks are formed along a groove as partial discontinuities or partial modifications in the wobbled groove.