Abstract: An electronic device which is capable of being bent in a first direction and includes a plurality of light-emitting units and a plurality of conductive patterns overlapping with at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting units and extending in a second direction. The first direction and the second direction have an angle ? of not greater than 30 degrees.

Abstract: A method for accessing data in an optical disk with a drive. The drive has a memory. The optical disk has data blocks for recording data, and spare blocks for replacing defect data blocks. The method includes reading a predetermined number of spare blocks into the memory, and while reading a defect data block, checking whether a corresponding replacing spare block is stored in the memory. If so, suspending further reading of the spare block. Otherwise, reading the spare block with a predetermined number of other spare blocks into the memory to reduce further reading of spare blocks.

Abstract: A system includes a first device; an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) bus; and a data storage device having a first task file register, the data storage device being coupled to the first device via the IDE bus for storing data within the data storage device as received from the first device via the IDE bus, or for passing the data stored within the data storage device to the first device via the IDE bus according to commands passed from the first device via the IDE bus. The data storage device is further for controlling predetermined operations of the first device by storing different values within the first task file register, and the first device is for reading the first task file register of the data storage device via the IDE bus and performing the predetermined operations according to the different values.

Abstract: A method for managing an external memory of a microprocessor so that the external memory only contains one copy of a common area. By providing an address translator, mapping the page and the address of the common area of the page pointed by a microprocessor to the physical address of the common area of the external memory, using the address translator to translate a page and an address pointed by a microprocessor to a physical address of the external memory, and using the microprocessor to access data stored at the physical address of the external memory; the memory can be more efficiently used.

Abstract: A method for accessing data in an optical disk with a drive. The drive has a memory. The optical disk has data blocks for recording data, and spare blocks for replacing defect data blocks. The method includes reading a predetermined number of spare blocks into the memory, and while reading a defect data block, checking whether a corresponding replacing spare block is stored in the memory. If so, suspending further reading of the spare block. Otherwise, reading the spare block with a predetermined number of other spare blocks into the memory to reduce further reading of spare blocks.

Abstract: A method for duplicating a second data recorded in a source storage medium to a target optical storage medium, wherein a first area of the target optical storage medium is recorded with a first data, the method includes: identifying the target optical storage medium as a blank optical storage medium and directly copying the second data recorded in the source storage medium to a second area of the target optical storage medium; and writing at least one of a start location, an end location, and a total length of the second data recorded on the target optical storage medium into the target optical storage medium.

Abstract: A data managing method and optical disc drive capable of handling decoding errors of readback data retrieved from an optical disc. The data managing method includes providing a buffering pointer and a decoding pointer; utilizing the buffering pointer to indicate an address utilized for storing an un-decoded readback data; controlling the decoding pointer to indicate a starting address of a data block currently being decoded; and when a decoding error occurs during decoding a specific data sector in the data block, updating the buffering pointer to indicate that the address of the storage device utilized for storing the un-decoded readback data corresponds to the staring address indicated by the decoding pointer for re-retrieving an un-decoded readback data corresponding to the data block.

Abstract: A method for accessing data in an optical disk with a drive. The drive has a memory. The optical disk has data blocks for recording data, and spare blocks for replacing defect data blocks. The method includes reading a predetermined number of spare blocks into the memory,and while reading a defect data block, checking whether a corresponding replacing spare block is stored in the memory. If so, suspending further reading of the spare block. Otherwise, reading the spare block with a predetermined number of other spare blocks into the memory to reduce further reading of spare blocks.

Abstract: A system includes a first device; an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) bus; and a data storage device having a first task file register, the data storage device being coupled to the first device via the IDE bus for storing data within the data storage device as received from the first device via the IDE bus, or for passing the data stored within the data storage device to the first device via the IDE bus according to commands passed from the first device via the IDE bus. The data storage device is further for controlling predetermined operations of the first device by storing different values within the first task file register, and the first device is for reading the first task file register of the data storage device via the IDE bus and performing the predetermined operations according to the different values.

Abstract: A method comprises utilizing an optical disk drive to manage defects on an optical disk. When a targeted block is defective, the method writes all data in an original packet to an alternative packet without temporarily storing the data in a memory of the optical disk drive, thereby saving memory resources.

Abstract: A bridge system having at least one bridge chip to control the operations of the bridge. Each bridge chip uniquely connects to a bus interface allowing communications between a host system and the bridge chip when that bus interface is to be utilized. Each bridge chip also connects to another bus interface connecting the bridge with a device. Each bridge chip includes an activation circuit that automatically disables that bridge chip after a power-on or a hardware reset occurs. When the activation circuit receives a protocol initialization signal, the activation circuit causes only the associated bridge chip to become enabled. Once enabled, the bridge chip drives all of the pins in the bus interface connecting the bridge with the device and remains in control of that bus interface until a power-off, a hardware reset occurs, or the bridge chip has been physically disconnected from the host.

Abstract: A method for accessing data on an optical disk by a drive. The optical disk includes spare packets and data blocks. Each data block is for recording data written to the optical disk, and each spare packet has spare blocks for replacing defect blocks to record data. The drive has a memory allocated with buffers, and each buffer is for recording data of a spare packet. When writing data of a first buffer to a packet of the optical disk, if a plurality of first spare blocks are found defective, then searching a second spare packet which has spare blocks for replacing the first blocks. If the second spare packet is not read in a buffer, reading the second spare packet into a releasable buffer. After copying data written to the first spare blocks from the first buffer to the second buffer, making the first buffer releasable.

Abstract: A method for identifying the track capacity of a track on an optical disk, the method includes utilizing an optical disk drive to determine if any link block exists in any track of a session having a target track; determining the write mode of the target track; and calculating the track capacity of the target track according to its write mode. If the write mode of the target track is disk-at-once, session-at-once, or RAW mode, the pre-gap is excluded from the track capacity of the target track. If the write mode is track-at-once or variable packet write mode, the pre-gap and link blocks in track end is excluded from the track capacity of the target track. If the write mode is in fixed packet write mode, the pre-gap and link blocks among all packets within the target track is excluded from the track capacity of the target track.

Abstract: A bridge system having at least one bridge chip to control the operations of the bridge. Each bridge chip uniquely connects to a bus interface allowing communications between a host system and the bridge chip when that bus interface is to be utilized. Each bridge chip also connects to another bus interface connecting the bridge with a device. Each bridge chip includes an activation circuit that automatically disables that bridge chip after a power-on or a hardware reset occurs. When the activation circuit receives a protocol initialization signal, the activation circuit causes only the associated bridge chip to become enabled. Once enabled, the bridge chip drives all of the pins in the bus interface connecting the bridge with the device and remains in control of that bus interface until a power-off, a hardware reset occurs, or the bridge chip has been physically disconnected from the host.

Abstract: A method for accessing a memory to protect a memory section from being accessed or changed incorrectly when accessing the memory, the method includes (a) generating a first logic address data, (b) selectively outputting the first logic address data or a second logic address data as physical address data by using an address translator according to a control signal, and (c) accessing the memory according to the physical address data, wherein the second logic address data is a result obtained after operating the first logic address data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for an IDE device to control a second device through an IDE bus. The IDE device includes firmware, a microprocessor, and a plurality of registers. The IDE device can read specific registers in the second device by storing a value indicating the request in a register of the IDE device and issuing an Interrupt signal (INTRQ). An implementation circuit in the second device then makes the contents of the specific register available to be read by the IDE device and clears the INTRQ. Similarly, the IDE device can write to a specific register of the second device by storing the request and the data to be written into predetermined registers in the IDE device and issuing an INTRQ signal. The implementation circuit then causes the data to be written into the specific register of the second device indicated by the request and clears the INTRQ.

Abstract: A method for reading a table of content (TOC) of a multi-session optical medium is provided. This method includes providing a memory for storing the TOCs of sessions having stored said digital information therein, reading TOC stored in the memory out as the change of the digital information state is adding another session, and combining the stored TOCs with the TOC of the newly-added session together, and changing the digital information state of the latest-stored session at first, and then storing the changed digital information state of the latest-stored session into the memory as the change of the digital information state is not adding another session.

Abstract: A method for managing an external memory of a microprocessor so that the external memory only contains one copy of a common area. By providing an address translator, mapping the page and the address of the common area of the page pointed by a microprocessor to the physical address of the common area of the external memory, using the address translator to translate a page and an address pointed by a microprocessor to a physical address of the external memory, and using the microprocessor to access data stored at the physical address of the external memory; the memory can be more efficiently used.

Abstract: A method and related apparatus used for updating the firmware of an electronic system. The electronic system includes a host device and a peripheral device. The device has a control circuit and a flash memory for storing a first firmware code. The control circuit executes the first firmware code to control the device according to the control commands from the host. The method includes a checking step to check if the content of the second firmware code matches a predetermined content to ensure compatibility of the second firmware code before replacing/updating the first firmware code with a second firmware code. The checking step could be performed by the host and/or by the control circuit. The checking step is performed to check if values/strings of constants defined in the second firmware code match predetermined values/strings, and/or to check whether commands/information in predetermined addresses of the second firmware code match predetermined commands/information.

Abstract: This invention provides a method to background format an optical recording medium. The optical recording medium comprises defect management areas (DMAs). Each DMA comprises a data area (DA) and a spare area (SA). Each DA and each SA comprise packets to record digital data. Each packet comprises blocks. Each block has a corresponding address for distinguishing the blocks. The background formatting method is to establish a format recording table with recording units to record whether the packets in the DMAs have recorded digital data. Store the format recording table in a memory. When format a certain packet in the optical recording medium, inspect the corresponding recording unit in the format recording table. If the corresponding unit indicates that there is no digital data in the current packet, start formatting. Otherwise, skip the current packet and format the next packet.