Abstract: A method is useable for determining a thickness of a cover slip or object carrier in a microscope, which has an objective facing toward a sample chamber. Two optical media border two opposing surfaces of the cover slip or object carrier and form two partially reflective interfaces, which are arranged at different distances from the objective. The method includes: deflecting a measurement light beam by the objective with oblique incidence on the cover slip or object carrier; generating two reflection light beams spatially separated from one another by the measurement light beam being partially reflected on each of the two interfaces; receiving the two reflection light beams by the objective and conducting them onto a position-sensitive detector; registering the incidence locations on the position-sensitive detector; and determining the thickness of the cover slip or object carrier based on the registered incidence locations.

Abstract: A drawing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes, when performing drawing on a thermal recording medium that includes a light-transmitting member above a recording layer, obtaining information regarding the light-transmitting member, predicting an optical axis deviation of a laser beam in the recording layer from the information regarding the light-transmitting member, and calculating a correction amount from a result of the prediction of the optical axis deviation.

Abstract: Generating a composite interpolated phase-error signal for clock phase adjustment of a local oscillator by forming a summation of weighted phase-error signals generated using a matrix of partial phase comparators, each of which compare a phase of the local oscillator with a corresponding phase of a reference clock.

Abstract: Airflow cooling is provided in an IHS (Information Handling System), where the airflow cooling may be adapted to reduce noise generated by the airflow cooling system and to provide cooling that is particularized to specific users. The operation of a software application by a user is detected. A workload profile associated with that application is determined and used to provide airflow cooling. The workload profile specifies parameters for providing cooling during use of applications associated with a first type of resource utilization. Upon detecting use of a different application, a different workload profile associated with applications of a second type of resource utilization may be determined and used to provide cooling. The user may provide noise feedback inputs specifying noise level preferences that are used in adapting the cooling provided by workload profiles. The workload profiles may be further adapted to reduce noise generated by the cooling system while still providing adequate cooling.

Abstract: Methods for obtaining a shallow depth of field effect (DOF) and improved signal-to-noise (SNR) in an image through synthetically increase the camera aperture of a compact camera using at least one actuator included in such a camera for other known purposes, for example for providing optical image stabilization (OIS). The synthetically enlarged camera aperture enables to take a plurality of images at different aperture positions. The plurality of images is processed into an image with shallow DOF and improved SNR.

Abstract: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes first generating circuitry and second generating circuitry. The first generating circuitry interpolates a first data string of digital data including envelope information of a radio frequency (RF) pulse to be output, thereby generating a second data string in which a variation amount of digital data adjacent to each other in the first data string is smaller than an upper limit value. The second generating circuitry generates a signal of the RF pulse by combining the second data string generated by the first generating circuitry and information relating to a carrier wave of the RF pulse, and outputs the signal to an RF amplifier.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and media for ambient background noise modification are provided. In some implementations, the method comprises: identifying at least one noise present in an environment of a user having a user device, an activity the user is currently engaged in, and a physical or emotional state of the user; determining a target ambient noise to be produced in the environment based at least in part on the identified noise, the activity the user is currently engaged in, and the physical or emotional state of the user; identifying at least one device associated with the user device to be used to produce the target ambient noise; determining sound outputs corresponding to each of the one or more identified devices, wherein a combination of the sound outputs produces an approximation of one or more characteristics of the target ambient noise; and causing the one or more identified devices to produce the determined sound outputs.

Abstract: A wireless device is disclosed. The wireless device includes an antenna configured to transmit and receive data over a first frequency band having a first transmit frequency band and a first receive frequency band and a second frequency band having a second transmit frequency band and a second receive frequency band, a plurality of band filters including a first band filter, wherein the first band filter corresponds to the first transmit frequency band and the second receive frequency band, wherein at least a portion of the first transmit frequency band overlaps the second receive frequency band, and a switch including a first switch configured to bifurcate a signal path of the first band filter into a signal path of the first transmit frequency band and a signal path of the second receive frequency band.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over the disk. A first notch filter is calibrated at a first temperature, and a second notch filter is computed for a second temperature based on the first notch filter and a first delta temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature. The second notch filter is computed by transforming a continuous-time transfer function of the first notch filter adjusted by the first delta temperature into a discrete-time transfer function of the second notch filter.

Abstract: A lens driving module for holding and moving a lens is provided, including a lens holder having an accommodating space, a driving coil, a plurality of first magnetic members having a longitudinal structure, a virtual plane, and a plurality of second magnetic members, wherein the lens is disposed in the accommodating space. The lens holder is disposed between the first magnetic members and between the second magnetic members. The driving coil is disposed on the lens holder and surrounds the accommodating space. The virtual plane is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the longitudinal structure. The projections of the driving coil and the first magnetic members on the virtual plane along the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal structure overlap each other. When a first current flows through the driving coil, the lens holder moves relative to the first and second magnetic members along a first direction.

Abstract: A data processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first definer configured to define a transfer function of a process which is a control target on the basis of an output value from the process and a manipulated variable of the process, an analyzer configured to analyze frequency characteristics of the output value from the process, a second definer configured to define a target sensitivity function on the basis of a sensitivity function, a first frequency band included in the frequency characteristics, and a predetermined attenuation factor, the sensitivity function being defined based on the transfer function of the process and at least one control parameter of a controller for controlling the process, and an adjuster configured to adjust the at least one control parameter to decrease a difference between the sensitivity function and the target sensitivity function.

Abstract: Provided are a device and a method which are capable of performing crosstalk-removed high-quality data reproduction from a high-density recording type optical disc. The device includes a photo detector that outputs a readout signal from a reproduction track of an information recording disc, an adjacent track reproduction binary signal supply unit that outputs a binary signal (binary data) which is a reproduction signal of an adjacent track of the reproduction track, a multi-input adaptive equalizer that includes an equalizer unit that receives the readout signal from the reproduction track and an adjacent track reproduction binary signal and outputs an equalization signal by an adaptive equalization process based on an input signal, and a binarization processing unit that executes a binarization process based on the equalization signal and generates a reproduction signal of the reproduction track.

Abstract: An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optoelectronic assembly includes attaching an optical die, a first lens, a second lens, and an optical fiber to a sub-mount. The sub-mount includes a plurality of passive alignment features which aid in the passive alignment of the optical die, the first lens, and the optical fiber for attachment. The second lens is actively aligned between the first lens and the optical fiber, based on a coupling efficiency with which an optical signal emitted by the optical die is coupled into the optical fiber through the first and second lenses. The active alignment of the second lens includes calibration of at least one of a position and a degree of tilt of the second lens.

Abstract: There is provided an optical medium reproduction device that optically reproduces an optical medium in which a plurality of tracks are provided, the optical medium reproduction device including: a detection unit configured to divide a cross-section of a beam returning from the optical medium into at least one channel corresponding to an outer region in a radial direction, at least one channel corresponding to a region that is different in position in a tangential direction, and a channel corresponding to the other region, and form detection signals of the channels; a multi-input equalizer unit including a plurality of equalizer units to which the detection signals of the plurality of channels are supplied, respectively, the multi-input equalizer unit being configured to calculate outputs of the plurality of equalizer units and output the outputs as an equalized signal in a manner that a phase difference between two of the regions is set to be a predetermined phase difference; and a binarization unit configure

Abstract: An apparatus includes a storage medium operable to store a number of data tracks, a read channel circuit operable to process the data tracks read from the storage medium, and a track quality classifier circuit operable to determine a track quality metric for the data tracks read from the storage medium. The track quality metric indicates whether a corresponding one of the data tracks that has failed to successfully process in the read channel circuit can be reprocessed within a track gap period.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider of a magnetic recording transducer comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads. A component is coupled to a pair of the electrical bond pads. A sensor is coupled to the pair of the electrical bond pads in parallel with the component. The sensor is configured to sense for one or more of thermal asperities of a magnetic recording medium, voids of the medium, spacing changes between the slider and the medium, and contact between the slider and the medium. The sensor is configured to be rendered non-functional in response to the sensor receiving a predetermined signal. The component is configured to remain operable after the sensor is rendered non-functional.

Abstract: Systems and approaches are provided for presenting incoming notifications to a computing device based on a determined context of the computing device. Various sensors of the device can be used to determine the context of the device with respect to a user, the state of the device itself, or the context of the device with respect to the environment in which the device is situated. The user can then be informed of received notifications in a manner likely to get the user's attention while not being overly obtrusive to the user or others within the vicinity of the user.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical disc apparatus capable of reading out information stored in an optical disc medium, the optical disc apparatus including: a light emitting device radiating light; an object lens converging light radiated by the light emitting device on the optical disc medium; and a control section carrying out control to shift the center position of the object lens with respect to the optical-axis position of light radiated by the light emitting device in an operation to read out information from the optical disc medium.

Abstract: A tracking control device includes a signal detector that detects a tracking error signal, and a crossing direction, a crossing period and a crossing velocity of an objective lens from a detection signal of an optical detector, a tracking drive signal generator that generates a tracking drive signal on the basis of the tracking error signal, a velocity-reduction drive signal generator that generates a velocity reduction drive signal for converging the crossing velocity into a vicinity of zero on the basis of the crossing direction and the crossing period, a loop switch, and a system controller that causes to executes velocity reduction driving for driving the objective lens actuator on the basis of the velocity reduction drive signal and that controls each of the members so as to switch from the velocity reduction driving to driving for driving the objective lens actuator on the basis of the tracking drive signal.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk in which servo patterns with different writing frequencies are recorded and divided into a plurality of zones in a cross-track direction; a magnetic head that is provided for the magnetic disk; and a controller to determine whether the magnetic head cross a zone boundary between the zones of the servo patterns, according to a predicted position of the magnetic head that is corrected with reference to a phase shift time between the zones of the servo patterns.

Abstract: In a servo apparatus which comprises a motor, a shaft angle detecting unit and a controlling unit, and performs standard control of an angle position by a torque controlling method, it enables to perform driving control corresponding to a fraction multiple of a predetermined angular unit.

Abstract: An optical disc device that reads information recorded in an optical disc medium includes an objective lens that focuses light on the optical disc medium, a spherical aberration correction mechanism that changes an amount of spherical aberration of the objective lens according to a setting value of a predetermined parameter, and an evaluation value measurement section that measures an evaluation value indicating the accuracy of reading of information from the optical disc medium. The optical disc device further includes a control section that executes adjustment processing in which the control section carries out plural times of measurement of the evaluation value by the evaluation value measurement section concurrently with changing the amount of spherical aberration of the objective lens by the spherical aberration correction mechanism and calculates an optimum setting value of the parameter based on plural evaluation values obtained by the plural times of measurement.

Abstract: An optical disk information device includes a laser light source that emits a luminous flux with a wavelength ?, an objective lens having a numerical aperture NA, a splitting element, a photodetector, a central portion amplifier, at least two end portion amplifiers, an adder, a control signal processing section having a tracking switcher that inverts a polarity of a tracking control signal depending on whether a track scanned by a condensing spot corresponds to a land portion or a groove portion, and a gain controller that, when the polarity of the tracking control signal is inverted, switches gains of the central portion amplifier and the end portion amplifiers and sets the gain of the central portion amplifier substantially lower than the gain of at least one of the end portion amplifiers so as to reduce crosstalk from adjacent tracks in the optical disk.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for coordinating audio data processing and network communication processing in a communication device by using time scaling for either inbound or outbound audio data processing, or both, in an communication device. In particular, time scaling of audio data is used to adapt timing for audio data processing to timing for modem processing, by dynamically adjusting a collection of audio samples to fit the container size required by the modem. Speech quality can be preserved while recovering and/or maintaining correct synchronizing between audio processing and communication processing circuits. In an example method, it is determined that a completion time for processing a first audio data frame falls outside a pre-determined timing window. Responsive to this determination, a subsequent audio data frame is time-scaled to control the completion time for processing the subsequent audio data frame.

Abstract: A lens driving device includes a lens holder that holds a lens, a driving portion that drives the lens holder through a magnetic force produced using a coil and a magnet, and a guide shaft that supports the lens holder movably. When moving the lens holder to a target position, an AC voltage is applied to the coil over a specific interval from a beginning of movement of the lens holder. Further, an amplitude of the AC voltage is reduced stepwise with the passage of time.

Abstract: The optical disc device has a circuit which forms a focus error signal for focus servo control based on reflection light from an optical disc exposed to laser light. Also, the device has a data processing unit which can control by feedback a position to which an objective lens is moved by a focusing actuator based on a focus error signal. In label printing, the data processing unit controls, by feedforward, a position to which the objective lens is moved by the focusing actuator based on control data for label printing. The operation resolution of the focusing actuator in feedforward control is made higher than that in feedback control. Thus, an intended position control accuracy is achieved in feedforward control. For instance, in feedforward control, the gain of the driver circuit for the focusing actuator is switched to a smaller one in comparison to that in feedback control.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a timing loop configured to generate a clock synchronized to a rotation of a disk and a servo loop configured to control an actuator to actuate a head over the disk. A timing signal generated by the timing loop is filtered with a pre-compensation filter (PCF) comprising an inverse transfer function from a delta in a rotation velocity of the disk (??) due to a vibration affecting the disk drive to the timing signal, and the actuator is controlled to actuate the head over the disk based on an output of the PCF.

Abstract: The power input to the light source of a microscope is varied as necessary to maintain a constant degree of detector saturation as the objective is moved toward a best-focus position. Focus is found by tracking the source's intensity necessary to maintain the detector irradiance at a constant level. The in-focus position is reached when the power input (and correspondingly the intensity of the light emitted by the source) reaches a minimum. The concept can be applied in a similar manner to minimize or eliminate tilt in a sample.

Abstract: The optical disc device includes an optical pickup, a focus-error-signal generation section for generating a focus error signal of the differential astigmatic method by using a parameter and an electric signal outputted from a photodetector in the optical pickup, a control section for controlling the optical pickup to make a focus jump operation, and a parameter value changing section for temporarily changing a value of the parameter to be used to generate a focus error signal of the differential astigmatic method by the focus-error-signal generation section when the focus jump operation is performed by using the focus error signal of the differential astigmatic method.

Abstract: In an optical disk device, a technique for AC tilt correction with stability and following capability is provided in which, during an operation of a tracking servo mechanism, a lens shift amount obtained from a tracking control signal or a lens position error signal is measured for each of predetermined angles of rotation of an optical disk, and the measured values are averaged in a radial direction of the optical disk, and a tilt controller corrects an AC tilt based on the resulting average value.

Abstract: A system and method for adjusting the radial tilt, tangential tilt, or a combination of radial and tangential tilt of an optical detection unit in an optical disc reading system can include applying different weighting factors to different signal components depending on which detection area detects the component, measuring a value of a signal characteristic, such as signal-to-noise ratio, of two signals with different sets of weighting factors, and determining an adjustment factor to the radial tilt as a function of the of the measured signal characteristic values.

Abstract: Provided is an optical disc device including: an optical pickup which includes an objective lens and a receiver unit which receives light reflected off an optical disc; a signal processing unit which generates a main push-pull signal and sub push-pull signals from signals from the receiver unit, and obtains a signal obtained by subtracting the main push-pull signal from the sub push-pull signal multiplied K times, to generate a tracking-error signal; and a control unit which performs a midpoint servo process, an offset process of adding an offset value to a lens-error signal indicating displacement of the objective lens, a stabilization awaiting process of waiting for oscillation of the optical disc to stabilize, a measurement process of measuring the tracking-error signal, and a K value adjusting process of adjusting a value of K in response to a result of the measurement process.

Abstract: Devices and methods capable of controlling disc read operations are disclosed. For example, an electronic circuit can include an error-severity determining circuit configured to determine a severity of read error that occurs for a block of data read from a disc, and a re-read decision-making circuit that determines whether to re-read the block of data based on the severity of read error.

Abstract: An objective lens capable of converging light of a used wavelength with a satisfactory aberration on a recording medium is provided. An objective lens for converging light of a predetermined wavelength ? on a recording medium satisfies the following condition: |CML|+|CMF|<0.03?, where CML is an amount of a generated third-order coma aberration per 1 degree of tilt of the objective lens, and CMF is an amount of a generated third-order coma aberration per 1 degree of tilt of off-axis light.

Abstract: A ratio Xm of an information item recorded on an adjacent track relative to an information item recorded on a main track included in a first signal obtained from a first light flux having passed through a center region (6c) is different from ratios Xs1 and Xs2 of the information items recorded on the adjacent track relative to the information items recorded on the main track included in second and third signals obtained from second and third light fluxes having passed through first and second end regions (6r, 6l), and a ratio of respective gains of a first waveform equalizer (80c), a second waveform equalizer (80r), and a third waveform equalizer (80l) is determined so as to cancel the information item recorded on the adjacent track in each of frequency components of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal.

Abstract: There is provided a skew detection method including supplying reproduction signals, which are respectively reproduced approximately simultaneously from at least two tracks including a first adjacent track and a second adjacent track located on both sides of a main track, to first and second filters, causing a combining unit to combine output signals of the first and second filters with a reproduction signal which is reproduced from the main track approximately simultaneously with the first adjacent track and the second adjacent track so as to cancel crosstalk, causing a coefficient control unit to obtain an error with a target value of the output signal of the combining unit and control coefficients of the first and second filters so as to reduce the error, and detecting a skew of an optical disc from values of coefficients of predetermined taps of the first and second filters.

Abstract: A data phase locked loop circuit includes a phase locked loop circuit, a judging circuit, a detecting circuit and a control circuit. The phase locked loop circuit outputs a reference signal according to a data signal, which is generated by an optical drive reading an optical disk. When the judging circuit judges that a jitter signal is smaller than a threshold value, the control circuit stores a frequency of the reference signal. When the detecting circuit detects a defect zone of the optical disk read by the optical drive, the phase locked loop circuit fixes the frequency of the reference signal to a latest stored one.

Abstract: An optical drive apparatus that reproduces an optical disk having a land and a groove, the optical drive apparatus including a first tracking-error-signal generating unit that generates a first tracking error signal by using a DPD method, a second tracking-error-signal generating unit that generates a second tracking error signal by using a DPP method, a tracking servo unit that controls the optical system, and a determining unit that determines that an irradiation point of an optical beam is in a non-recorded area. The tracking servo unit switches over to a control based on the second tracking error signal in response to a result of determination by the determining unit during performing a control based on the first tracking error signal.

Abstract: A method comprising recording data related to a start-up procedure on at least one of a plurality of recording layers disposed on an optical record carrier for reading back the recorded data during subsequent start-ups, the selection of the at least one recording layer based on properties of the at least one recording layer is disclosed. The technique reduces the optical record carrier start-up time and is useful for DVD, HD-DVD and BD recorders and/or players.

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: Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for operating a disc drive system, the method comprising based at least in part on a first injector signal, oscillating a focusing apparatus of the disc drive system; while oscillating the focusing apparatus of the disc drive system and rotating a disc placed within the disc drive system, estimating an amplitude of a track crossing speed signal; generating a second injector signal having a frequency that is substantially the same as a frequency of the first injector signal; and based at least in part on the estimated amplitude of the track crossing speed signal and the second injector signal, estimating a sign of the track crossing speed signal.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a lens, an alignment feature positioned adjacent to a surface of the lens, a detector for producing an alignment signal in response to a portion of incident light reflected by the alignment feature and a portion of the incident light reflected by the surface adjacent to the alignment feature, and an actuator for controlling alignment of the incident light in response to the alignment signal. A method of controlling alignment of the beam of incident light is also provided.

Abstract: An optical disc device includes an optical pickup and a controller. The optical pickup is configured to emit light to an optical disc and detect the light reflected on the optical disc. The controller is configured to perform adjustment of at least one of spherical aberration, focus balance and lens tilt of the optical pickup based on a reproduction signal corresponding to the light detected by the optical pickup. The controller is further configured to perform the adjustment based on a level of the reproduction signal of adjustment-use recording. The controller is further configured to perform re-adjustment after performing subsequent adjustment-use recording in response to the level of the reproduction signal of the adjustment-use recording being at or below a specific threshold after the adjustment.

Abstract: An optical disk device includes an optical pickup, and a controller. The optical pickup emits light on an optical disk, and detects return light from the optical disk. The controller performs a focus control based on a focus error signal corresponding to the return light detected by the optical pickup, and performs a tracking control based on a tracking error signal corresponding to the return light detected by the optical pickup. The controller finds a relation of an amount of deviation in a tracking balance of the tracking error signal relative to a change in a focus balance of the focus error signal while the tracking control is stopped prior to reproduction of the optical disk. The controller corrects the deviation in the tracking balance attributable to the change in the focus balance based on the relation while the focus balance is adjusted.

Abstract: A data storage device comprising a non-volatile media including a plurality of segments, and configured to store a defect list, and a controller configured to perform a defect management process. The defect management process can include testing the plurality of segments for defects, detecting a defect in a first segment of the plurality of segments, updating the defect list to include the first segment, determining a defective space amount based on the segments in the updated defect list, determining whether the defective space amount indicates a storage capacity error, transmitting a storage capacity error signal to the test system when the defective space amount indicates the storage capacity error, and when the defective space amount does not indicate the storage capacity error, continuing to test the plurality of segments for defects until the defective space amount indicates the storage capacity error or all the segments have been tested.

Abstract: Devices, methods, and other embodiments associated with adjusting a defect threshold are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes defect detection logic and threshold adjustment logic. The defect detection logic determines, by using a defect threshold, if a read channel has read data from a defective portion of an optical disc. The threshold adjustment logic adjusts the defect threshold based, at least in part, on a gain value of a gain loop associated with the read channel.

Abstract: The amplitude deviation of a tracking error signal in an optical disk apparatus is reliably corrected by processing signals at low costs. A servo signal generator generates a tracking error signal and a lens error signal from a photodetected signal. A lens error deviation signal memory circuit stores the lens error signal generated at the servo signal generator, and reproduces the one-turn deviation of the lens error signal. A tracking error signal corrector learns an amplitude correcting value for the tracking error signal from the tracking error signal detected in reproducing the one-turn deviation of the lens error signal, and stores the amplitude correcting value in a correcting signal generator.

Abstract: New and useful methods and systems for reading optical discs, such as multi-layer Blu-ray discs are disclosed. For example, in an embodiment a device for reading two-layered optical discs includes a laser diode capable of emitting light, a set of optics including a fixed collimator, the set of optics providing a numerical aperture (NA) of substantially less than 0.85, and a detector for detecting laser light focused on a two-layer optical disc to produce a stream of detected bits.

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.