Abstract: The disk recording apparatus and method are arranged to specify a recording address and a recording position on an optical disk with a wobble PM (phase modulation) format through the use of a wobble reproduced signal and a track reproduced signal. The recording apparatus operates to detect address information and a synchronous signal on the optical disk that correspond with the wobble reproduced signal and the track reproduced signal sent from the optical disk respectively. Then, the address information required for specifying a disk recording track and the synchronizing timing required for specifying a linking position are selected from the detected states.

Abstract: In the reproducing apparatus of the present invention, only such audio data which is recorded on a first recording area among audio data recorded on a recording medium is reproduced, linked to recording data recorded on a second recording area.

Abstract: An optical disc is manufactured under a uniform condition by forming grooves and lands on the entire surface of the disc. The optical disc is configured to obtain a reliable reproduction signal, and the grooves and lands are formed on a lead-in area, a user data area and a lead-out area of the optical disc. Since the same manufacturing condition can be adopted in mastering discs, the yield can be enhanced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Abstract: Provided are an information recording medium, and an information recording/reproducing method and apparatus, which are capable of allowing an equalizer (EQ) value to be automatically set or to be rapidly set by the recording/reproducing apparatus. The information recording medium has recorded thereon EQ gain information appropriate or specific to the information recording medium for optimized reproduction of data from the information recording medium.

Abstract: An optical disk medium includes a track groove thereon. On the optical disk medium, information is recorded along the track groove on a block unit basis. The block unit has a predetermined length. The block unit having the predetermined length includes a number of sub-blocks that are arranged along the groove. A sub-block mark is provided within each of the sub-blocks and used to identify the sub-block.

Abstract: To improve the sync code detection reliability while simplifying the sync code position detection process, when a first pattern as a combination of three successive sync codes is compared with a second pattern in which the allocation of sync codes is shifted by one code from the first pattern, two or more sync codes are changed.

Abstract: A method and device for recording information signals on a partly recorded writable record carrier (11), e.g., an optical disc. An information signal represents at least one information unit. The record carrier has a recording track which includes preformed track position information indicative of locations for recording the information units. From the information signal, a modulated signal is generated having successive frames, each frame including a synchronizing signal. The modulated signal is recorded at a one of the locations, while maintaining a fixed relationship between the track position information and the synchronizing signals. In the event that the location is after and adjacent to an already recorded location, the recording is started at a link position (31) before the end of a last frame of the earlier recorded information signal, at a predefined distance before a first synchronizing signal (30) of the modulated signal.

Abstract: A detector for detecting information carried by a signal having a sawtooth-like shape. The detector includes a low-pass filter for receiving the wobble signal and filtering the wobble signal to generate a filtered signal, a comparator for comparing the wobble signal with the filtered signal and generating a compared signal, and a detecting unit for receiving the compared signal and generating a bit signal according to the duty cycle of the compared signal. The bit signal is a first value when the duty cycle of the compared signal is greater than a predetermined value, and the bit signal is a second value when the duty cycle of the compared signal is smaller than the predetermined value.

Abstract: An information storage medium according to an aspect of this invention has an information storage area for storing information, and a wobbled track which is used to guide a light beam on the information storage area, and is wobbled in correspondence with a frequency, a phase of which is modulated at predetermined timings to reflect predetermined information. The wobbled track is formed so that an evaluation result based on the frequency characteristics of a squared reproduction signal obtained by squaring a reproduction signal corresponding to the wobbled track, obtained from the reflected light of a light beam with which the wobbled track is irradiated, meets a predetermined evaluation measure.

Abstract: An information storage medium includes an area in which updated disc-related information and recording-related information updated with a change in at least one of a disc version number and a recording speed is recorded along with existing disc-related information and recording-related information. The existing disc-related information and recording-related information are recorded, and the updated disc-related information and recording-related information is recorded in an area in which the existing disc-related information and recording-related information is recorded. Accordingly, data can be recorded/reproduced on/from a new version of information storage medium even using an existing drive.

Abstract: There are provided a wobble signal reading unit configured to read a signal corresponding to a wobble formed at a predetermined track from an optical disk on which address information is recorded by applying phase modulation to the wobble formed at the track, an address information reproducing unit configured to reproduce the address information by applying phase detecting processing to the wobble signal read at the wobble signal reading unit, and binarizing an amplitude of an obtained phase detection signal by being compared with a predetermined threshold value, and a correcting unit configured to correct asymmetry of the amplitude generated in the phase detection signal obtained by the address information reproducing unit with respect to the predetermined threshold value at the time of reading the wobble signal from the predetermined track by the wobble signal reading unit.

Abstract: A sync finder module for an optical medium playback device that generates a bit stream including sync patterns and data blocks comprises a pulse jitter detect module that receives the sync pattern, which includes a plurality of transitions each having a desired position in the sync pattern, that selects actual N-bit segments of the sync pattern at the desired positions and that compares the actual N-bit segments to at least one expected N-bit segment. A pulse verifying module communicates with the pulse jitter detect module and generates a verified signal if the expected N-bit segments match the actual N-bit segments.

Abstract: An information storage medium, and a method and apparatus for recording data on and/or reading data from the same. In the information storage medium, reproduction-dedicated data is recorded as a wobble in a lead-in area, a user data area, or a lead-out area, or any combination thereof, and the reproduction-dedicated data is copied and recorded in the lead-in area and/or the lead-out area.

Abstract: A method for generating a wobble clock signal. When the wobble signal becomes deformed or a defect on the optical disc is found, the present invention provides a stable wobble clock signal, which is used to maintain a stable rotation speed when the optical disc is processed. In addition, the present invention also determines whether the wobble signal is deformed according to the result of comparing the width of the wobble signal at different status with the average of the half cycle width of the wobble signal.

Abstract: A recording method includes the steps of reading a management table for managing whether data are recorded on a recording medium in units of a first recording segment; detecting whether the first recording segment is associated with a second recording segment smaller than the first recording segment according to a designation of data recording in units of the second recording segment into the recording medium; discriminating from data in the management table whether it is possible to read data of the first recording segment; reading the data in units of the first recording segment and temporarily recording the data to a memory when in the discriminating step it is determined that it is possible to read data in units of the first recording segment; recording data to a part of the first recording segment recorded in the memory in units of the second recording segment; and recording data of the first recording segment that was temporarily recorded in the memory to the storage medium.

Abstract: A PLL circuit includes a wobbling detector for detecting a wobbling signal based on reflection light of an optical disk having a wobbled track, and a VCO that an oscillation frequency of its output varies according to its input. The PLL circuit controls the VCO based on a phase error between the output of the wobbling signal and the output of the VCO. In the PLL circuit, the phase error is detected by executing an arithmetic operation to the delta-sigma modulated wobbling signal at a predetermined clock and the output of the VCO.

Abstract: A DVD reproducing apparatus includes a pickup to read data from a disk having a pit data area to form pits along tracks and an NBCA to read data by laser cutting in a radial direction, a tracking error signal generator to generate a tracking error signal, an RF signal generator to process a signal output from the pickup to generate an RF signal, an NBCA data demodulator to employ the RF signal to demodulate data recorded in the NBCA, a jump controller to permit the pickup to jump over the tracks based on the tracking error signal, and a sled motor to move the pickup in the radial direction. Preferably, the jump controller applies a predetermined voltage to the sled motor, sets a time length to apply the predetermined voltage, and moves the pickup from the NBCA to the pit data area by single driving of the sled motor.

Abstract: A disk drive device capable of satisfactorily detecting address information recorded by land prepits even after data is recorded is provided. When address information recorded by land prepits is detected from a disk on which lands and grooves as recording tracks are formed and address information is recorded as land prepits on the lands, a window signal is generated by binarizing a push-pull signal (window generation circuit 31), the push-pull signal is integrated in a period based on the window signal (integration circuit 32), and the address information by the land prepits is extracted from the integrated signal (33, 34, 35, and 26).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the demodulation of the ADIP data of a wobble signal of an optical recording medium, whereby the wobble signal comprises different types of wobble periods, and to an apparatus for reading from and/or writing to optical recording media using such method. According to the invention, the method comprises the steps of transforming the frequency and/or phase of harmonic deviations within the wobble signal to amplitude deviations, detecting the amplitude deviations, and detecting a current type of wobble period from the detected amplitude deviations.

Abstract: A pit data generation circuit generates a first clock signal synchronized with pit data and a pit synchronization signal from a sum read signal obtained by reading the length of a pit. A division circuit generates a second clock signal by frequency-dividing the first clock signal. The division circuit is reset by the pit synchronization signal, and is capable of adjusting the phase of the second clock signal.

Abstract: A multi-layered disc (D1, D2, D3) is provided with a plurality of recording layers laminated with each other in a direction of a normal line of the recording layers, in each of which an information data recording area (2, 4) for recording information data and a control data recording area (1, 3) for recording control data to control an operation of recording and/or reproducing the information data are disposed on a same plane, the control data being recorded by a CAV method over a plurality of tracks in the control data recording area. The control data recording area in each of the recording layers is disposed such that the control data recording area (1) of one of the recording layers is not superimposed with the control data recording area (3) of another of the recording layers in the direction of the normal line.

Abstract: To improve the sync code detection reliability while simplifying the sync code position detection process, when a first pattern as a combination of three successive sync codes is compared with a second pattern in which the allocation of sync codes is shifted by one code from the first pattern, two or more sync codes are changed.

Abstract: The address information of DVD-R or DVD-RW discs should be identified more accurately. Therefore, the detector is implemented with a sample/hold device for storing a reference value to be used for a sampling window. An optional integrator is used for comparing the integrated signal with a reference value to decide on the presence of a land pre-pit. The timing for controlling both the sample/hold device and the integrator is derived from a phase locked loop that is locked to the incoming groove wobble signal (TWin) by performing a clock multiplication with a predetermined factor. Advantageously, no band pass filter has to be included, which would need to be tuned according to the variations of the disc speed. Furthermore, the proposed land pre-pit detector is less affected by variations of the input amplitude, as no limiter is used.

Abstract: A wobble signal detecting circuit for an optical disk reproducing device configured to reproduce an optical disk which has a track including a snaking portion at a specific period, including an optical detecting unit which detects a signal written on the track, first and second band-pass filters which have different pass bandwidths and extract respectively a first and second wobble frequency components of the snaking portion based on outputs from the optical detecting unit, and a wobble signal determining unit determines that a wobble signal is present if a frequency difference or a frequency ratio of the first and second wobble frequency components is equal to or less than a prescribed value. Preferably, a higher frequency side shoulder of a bandwidth of the first band-pass filter and a lower frequency side shoulder of a bandwidth of the second band-pass filter are located on a wobble frequency.

Abstract: The method of the present invention is capable of securely detecting LPP signals. The method comprises the steps of: reading a push-pull signal including a wobble component and LPP components; and slice-shaping the push-pull signal with a slice signal so as to binarize the LPP components and detect the LPP signals. The method is characterized by: detecting pulse widths of the LPP signals with changing voltage of the slice signal; calculating degree of dispersion of the pulse widths of the LPP signals; stopping the change of the voltage of the slice signal when the degree of dispersion exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and correcting the voltage of the slice signal on the basis of a predetermined correction value.

Abstract: An attenuation-amount adjusting circuit includes: a light irradiating unit that alternately irradiates a laser beam of a writing level and a laser beam of a readout level on an optical disk that has a groove formed by a wobble pattern and plural markers indicating physical positions in the groove; a light receiving unit that receives reflected light of the laser beam irradiated on the optical disk and converts the reflected light into a reproduction signal; and a writing-waveform attenuating unit that attenuates an amplitude level of a writing waveform corresponding to the reflected light of the laser beam of the writing level in the reproduction signal according to a position from a rising edge of the writing waveform.

Abstract: A data slice signal generation method of an optical disk drive, which uses a disk including header areas and data areas of different materials, includes the following steps. First, a data slice signal is generated according to the RF signal read by the optical pickup head of the optical disk drive, and the data slice values, reflecting the central levels of the RF signal, of the data slice signal at the beginnings of the header area and data area are preset. Secondly, when the optical pickup head of the optical disk drive enters a header area or a data area, the data slice signal takes the preset data slice value of the header area or data area, respectively. Then, the data slice signal is adjusted to approach the central levels of the waves of the RF signal by one wave after another.

Abstract: A BCA (Burst Cutting Area) code including a unique disk code indicating the type of a disk is written in a BCA code area of the disk. If the disk is mounted into the optical disk player, the optical disk player reads data written in the BCA code area, extracts the disk code contained in the read data, and confirms the type of the disk corresponding to the extracted disk code by retrieving a disk code table in which disk codes corresponding to the types of disks are mapped.

Abstract: A BCA (Burst Cutting Area) code including a unique disk code indicating the type of a disk is written in a BCA code area of the disk. If the disk is mounted into the optical disk player, the optical disk player reads data written in the BCA code area, extracts the disk code contained in the read data, and confirms the type of the disk corresponding to the extracted disk code by retrieving a disk code table in which disk codes corresponding to the types of disks are mapped.

Abstract: A physical identification data (PID) addressing method using a wobble signal, a wobble address encoding circuit, a method and circuit for detecting the wobble address and a recording medium therefor. Groove address information indicating physical identification information is phase modulated using a wobble clock signal and recorded in one of the two walls of a groove track, and land address information is phase modulated using a wobble clock signal obtained by shifting the phase of the former wobble clock signal and recorded in the other wall. That is, address information is phase modulated and recorded in each track using the wobbles having a phase difference of 90° between adjacent tracks so that a sum of wobble signals from the adjacent tracks can be a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal. Therefore, more data can be recorded in the recording medium, and since an interval in which a wobble signal disappears is not caused, recovery of a wobble clock signal can be advantageously performed.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer readable medium controlling a servo of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, using a detected header field signal. An optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a playback signal detector that detects a playback signal and a track error signal from information recorded on a DVD-RAM disc, as picked up by a pickup. A header field signal detecting circuit detects a header field signal by comparing a sampled playback signal for a signal representing the presence of a header field with a reference level and holding the comparison result for a predetermined period of time to generate the header field signal. Accordingly, a tracking servo can be stably controlled by using a tracking driving signal that is not affected by the presence of a header. Also, in a seek mode, the track error signal can be held based on the header field signal to generate a track count signal that is similarly not affected by the header.

Abstract: To improve the sync code detection reliability while simplifying the sync code position detection process, when a first pattern as a combination of three successive sync codes is compared with a second pattern in which the allocation of sync codes is shifted by one code from the first pattern, two or more sync codes are changed.

Abstract: An information recording and reproducing apparatus performs information recording and reproducing on an optical disc having a recording track wobbled by a predetermined frequency. The apparatus includes an optical pickup which irradiates a laser light on the optical disc and receives the laser light reflected by the optical disc to output an electric signal corresponding to the laser light, a push-pull signal generating unit which includes a sample-hold unit and generates the sample-hold push-pull signal and the non-sample-hold push-pull signal from the electric signal, a sample-hold circuit which samples and holds the push-pull signal, a recording clock generating unit which generates a recording clock synchronized with the wobble signal based on the sample-hold push-pull signal during recording and based on the non-sample-hold push-pull signal during reproduction, and a phase adjusting unit which adjusts the phases of the non-sample-hold push-pull signal and the sample-hold push-pull signal.

Abstract: The disk recording apparatus and method are arranged to specify a recording address and a recording position on an optical disk with a wobble PM (phase modulation) format through the use of a wobble reproduced signal and a track reproduced signal. The recording apparatus operates to detect address information and a synchronous signal on the optical disk that correspond with the wobble reproduced signal and the track reproduced signal sent from the optical disk respectively. Then, the address information required for specifying a disk recording track and the synchronizing timing required for specifying a linking position are selected from the detected states.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to dynamically adjust the amplitude of a signal comprising information read from an information storage medium. The method first forms (N) digital signals comprising information read from an information storage medium. The method provides a first signal comprising information read an information storage medium, wherein that first signal is one of the (N) digital signals. The method provides a first gain level, and calculates a first gain adjusted signal comprising the multiplication product of the first signal and the first gain level. To dynamically adjust that gain level, Applicants' method determines a gain error. Using that gain error, Applicants' method then calculates a second gain level by multiplying the gain error times a multiplier coefficient, and adding that multiplication product to the first gain level.

Abstract: A transmission control section 101 temporarily stores a transmission signal, outputs the stored transmission signal to a coding section 102 and outputs transmission timing information to a counter section 107. A preamble insertion section 104 inserts AGC preambles corresponding to the number set by a preamble number control section 110 into the transmission signal. The preamble number control section 110 compares a transmission time interval input from a subtraction section 109 with a threshold, decides to insert ten AGC preambles into the transmission signal when the transmission time interval is equal to or greater than the threshold and decides to insert five AGC preambles into the transmission signal when the transmission time interval is smaller than the threshold. By so doing, it is possible to make the transmission efficiency compatible with the error rate characteristic.

Abstract: An optical recording medium and a method for recording information to indicate a recording capacity of the recording medium, are provided. The method includes recording information to indicate a varied recording capacity on a particular area of the optical recording medium, if an initial recording capacity of the optical recording medium is varied based upon at least one of an assignment and a variance of a spare area for a defect management, the spare area being assigned to an inner area and/or an outer area of the optical recording medium, or being varied toward an inner direction with respect to an outer position.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a pre-pit signal at different laser power intensities of an optical disk drive. The apparatus includes an amplifier for receiving a push-pull signal acquired from an optical disk to generate an adjusted signal, a multiplexer for receiving the push-pull signal and the adjusted signal and selecting the push-pull signal or the adjusted signal as a slicing signal for output according to a power state signal, and a slicer for receiving the slicing signal and slicing the slicing signal according to a slicing level to generate the pre-pit signal. Thus, the apparatus only needs one set of slicer to correctly slice the pre-pit signal.

Abstract: An information storage medium includes an area in which updated disc-related information and recording-related information updated with a change in at least one of a disc version number and a recording speed is recorded along with existing disc-related information and recording-related information. The existing disc-related information and recording-related information are recorded, and the updated disc-related information and recording-related information is recorded in an area in which the existing disc-related information and recording-related information is recorded. Accordingly, data can be recorded/reproduced on/from a new version of information storage medium even using an existing drive.

Abstract: A recording medium having wobbled groove tracks out of phase with wobbled land tracks, a servo controlling apparatus using a wobble signal and a method thereof. The recording medium has land tracks and groove tracks, wherein both the land tracks and the groove tracks are wobbled, and wherein the wobbles of either individual groove tracks or individual land tracks are out of phase and the wobbles of the other type of individual tracks are in phase. Thus, it is possible to reliably address whether a groove (or land) track which is currently tracked by the pickup unit is a groove track or a land track, thereby ensuring addressing, and servo control can be effectively performed.

Abstract: A predetermined synchronization pattern (40), a so-called VFO field, in, for example, the headers 3 of an information carrier, consists of sequences of 3T marks and spaces (41), of 8T marks and spaces (42) and of 5T marks and spaces (43). This sequence of patterns is advantageous for setting the dynamic range of an Automatic Gain Controlled (AGC) amplifier located within a device reading the information carrier.

Abstract: An information storage medium includes an area in which updated disc-related information and recording-related information updated with a change in at least one of a disc version number and a recording speed is recorded along with existing disc-related information and recording-related information. The existing disc-related information and recording-related information are recorded, and the updated disc-related information and recording-related information is recorded in an area in which the existing disc-related information and recording-related information is recorded. Accordingly, data can be recorded/reproduced on/from a new version of information storage medium even using an existing drive.

Abstract: An optical disk device in which data is written to or reproduced from an optical disk having an area which contains a header section and another area which does not contain a header section. When a track deviation of an optical pickup occurs, it is detected whether or not a signal representing the header section is contained in the return light signal from the optical disk. When a signal representing the header section is contained in the return light signal, it is determined that the optical pickup is located in an area which contains a header section and tracking is controlled through a push-pull method etc. On the other hand, when a signal representing the header section is not contained in the return light signal from the optical pickup, it is determined that the optical pickup is located in an area which does not contain a header section and tracking is controlled through differential phase detection etc.

Abstract: An optical disc is manufactured under a uniform condition by forming grooves and lands on the entire surface of the disc. The optical disc is configured to obtain a reliable reproduction signal, and the grooves and lands are formed on a lead-in area, a user data area and a lead-out area of the optical disc. Since the same manufacturing condition can be adopted in mastering discs, the yield can be enhanced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Abstract: In a recording medium, the physical characteristic information of the recording medium, and more specifically, the configuration (shape and size) and the moment of inertia of the disc, is recorded. This enables a recording apparatus or a reading apparatus to easily and correctly determine the physical characteristics of the disc, and thus to perform suitable settings for the recording or reading operation.

Abstract: An optical disk comprises a track groove on which positional information indicating a physical location on the track groove is represented by a wobble shape of the track groove. The optical disk includes a plurality of positional information units that are arranged on the track groove. Each said positional information unit includes: a positional information section that represents the positional information by a combination of wobble patterns selected from multiple types of wobble patterns that have been defined so as to correspond to respective signal waveforms that rise and fall mutually differently; a sync mark section having a wobble pattern in a shape distinguishable from the wobble patterns of the positional information section; and a precision positioning mark section ahead of each said positional information section.

Abstract: By the control information recording method, control information to control at least one of recording and reproducing operations of record information on an information record medium is recorded onto a guide track of the information record medium. The control information recording method is provided with the steps of: generating a control information timing signal one after another at an interval corresponding to a length of a control information unit equal to an N (N: predetermined integer not less than 2) multiple of a length of a record information unit of the record information; and recording the control information onto the guide track of the information record medium, on the basis of a timing corresponding to the control information timing signal.

Abstract: A disk type record playback device having a wobble signal extracting bandpass filter for controlling a filter's center frequency according to a frequency follow-up control loop including a dummy filter identical in configuration to a filter to be controlled, and a phase comparator is capable of controlling the center frequency of the bandpass filter with satisfactory accuracy. A frequency variable lowpass filter is provided in a preceding stage of the phase comparator constituting a frequency follow-up circuit and supplies a signal obtained by eliminating harmonic components from a frequency follow-up clock signal to the phase comparator. A cutoff frequency of the lowpass filter is changed in cooperation with a center frequency of the bandpass filter, based on a signal outputted from the frequency follow-up control loop.

Abstract: The invention proposes an appliance for recording or playing back information having means for signal generation from a wobble signal which is scanned from the undulating track on a recording medium, such as a DVD+RW. According to the invention, a signal scanned from the undulating recording track on the recording medium is supplied to a circuit arrangement for generating a clock signal which is both a square-wave voltage whose phase is synchronous with that of the signal and a signal with an even-numbered multiple of the frequency of the wobble signal contained in the signal. In this regard, the invention provides a phase locked loop which is synchronized with the signal and contains a frequency divider for actuating a digital phase shifter and for providing a clock signal which is a phase-synchronous square-wave voltage having the frequency of the wobble signal. The phase comparator provided is a multiplier which is formed using a changeover switch to which the signal and the inverted signal are applied.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to stably reproduce wobble signals of all disks of CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW and DVD-RAM by one wobble signal reproducing circuit. In the wobble signal reproducing circuit, an AGC (AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL) circuit for equating a push-pull circuit output of a wide range and an RF amplitude of an optical detector output of two systems obtained by push-pull, and an AGC (AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL) circuit for making a wobble amplitude uniform are provided with a function to hold a gain or to change over a response time constant, and at the time of reproduction of the DVD-R/RW, a land pre-pit region is detected by the push-pull output to hold AGC (AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL) or change over a response time constant. Besides, in an address information recording region (PID region) at the time of reproduction of the DVD-RAM, the AGC (AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL) is held or the response time constant is changed over.