Of Relative Motion Producing Mechanism Patents (Class 369/53.3)
  • Patent number: 6985418
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disk reproducing apparatus capable of providing special reproducing (replay) mode using a jog dial in a manner similar to the special reproduction using an analog record player such as scratching etc. When the operation disk is rotating at a same predetermined speed as the rotation speed of the disk, the normal reproducing (replay) is performed. The special reproducing (replay) such as scratching is performed when the operation disk is turned, and the turning speed and direction of the operation disk are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Denon, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Hori
  • Patent number: 6985417
    Abstract: A reproduction apparatus and a reproduction apparatus are disclosed which can reduce the settling time until high speed continuous reproduction is resumed after such high speed continuous reproduction is interrupted. If continuous reproducing a disk-type recording medium is interrupted during high speed reproduction, then the rotational speed of the disk-type recording medium is lowered once from the speed for high speed reproduction to a normal reproduction speed. Then, when a continuous reproduction operation is performed again, the rotational speed is changed over from the normal reproduction speed to the high rotational speed for high speed reproduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 6980495
    Abstract: In an optical recording apparatus having an optical pickup, a rotating section is provided for rotating an optical disk which is formed thereon with a guide groove to define a spiral track having a plurality of rounds. The optical pickup has a light source for generating an optical beam and a diffractive grating for diffracting the optical beam to form a main beam and a pair of sub beams opposite with each other relative to the main beam. The optical pickup is operable for irradiating the main beam to the spiral track with accompanying the pair of the sub beams along apposite sides of the spiral track. A servo section operates the optical pickup to enable the main beam to trace the spiral track based on a tracking error signal derived from return lights of the sub beams reflected back from the optical disk. A recording section modulates the main beam for recording of information onto the spiral track while the optical dick is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuichi Osakabe, Akira Usui, Shinji Aoshima, Hiromitsu Shibata, Masaki Dojun
  • Patent number: 6970411
    Abstract: An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information on and/or from a magneto-optical disk including an optical head for projecting a laser beam onto a magneto-optical disk and receiving the laser beam reflected by the disk, an up-down block arranged movably between a lower position and an upper position, an up-down motor for moving said up-down block up and down, a turntable for supporting the disk and a spindle motor secured to said up-down block and having a driving shaft coupled with said turntable for rotating the turntable, a position detecting device for detecting a position of said up-down block to derive a position signal when the up-down block is driven into the upper position, a rotation detecting device for detecting a rotation of said optical information record disk to derive a rotation signal when the optical information record disk is rotated at a predetermined revolving speed, and a control device for initiating a focus control for moving said objective lens and turntable relative to each
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kunio Yamamiya
  • Patent number: 6967913
    Abstract: An optical disk recording method comprising steps of a) performing recording onto the optical disk with a ZCLV method by using zone parameter storage means for storing at least one zone division time and CLV of each zone in a track formed on the optical disk, as zone parameters, for each of a plurality of recording modes and optical disk type determination means for determining the type of the optical disk before recording; b) performing optimization of the recording velocity by detecting, before recording, servo signal fluctuation by accessing the optical disk, by determining maximum recording velocity defined by the speed of a rotational motor rotating the optical disk, and by calculating a changing point of the recording velocity; and c) limiting the speed of the rotational motor, when the servo signal fluctuation at the surface of the optical disk exceeds a reference level and determining the relation between the zone division time and the CLV of each zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Okamoto, Yoshiyuki Ishiyama
  • Patent number: 6965551
    Abstract: A recording disk and a recording apparatus prevent illegal copying. In a reproduction control data area, pits of a pit train on a plurality of adjacent tracks are aligned in the directions which cross the tracks perpendicularly, wherein the pit train represents reproduction control data indicative of a reproduction control method to be used for reproducing information data. The length of a unit interval on the track corresponding to one bit of the reproduction control data is made shorter than a length that is twice as long as a length of rotation jitter which is generated when a spindle motor is rotated under a rotation control method using a frequency generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshimi Tomita
  • Patent number: 6958966
    Abstract: An optical disc player having an optical pickup records and retrieves information on an optical disc while the optical disc is rotating. A rotation pulse is generated each time the optical disc rotates through a prescribed angle. A rotation frequency data representing a frequency of the rotation pulse is also generated. A servo processor performs servo processing for rotation control on the optical disc in accordance with the rotation frequency data. A sampling pulse generator performs computational processing on an input data signal to generate a sampling pulse. The sampling pulse generator also corrects the rotation frequency data based on a phase error between the sampling pulse and the rotation pulse to use a corrected rotation frequency data as the input data signal. Another servo processor performs servo processing for repetitive control on the optical pickup using the sampling pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Tateishi, Ichiro Sugai
  • Patent number: 6950384
    Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from an optical information recording medium or for recording information onto an optical information recording medium, is provided with a first light source for emitting first light flux having a first wavelength; a second light source for emitting second light flux having a second wavelength, the first wavelength being different from the second wavelength; a converging optical system having an optical axis and a diffractive portion, and a photo detector; wherein in case that the first light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux, and in case that the second light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the second light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Norikazu Arai, Toshiyuki Kojima, Toshihiko Kiriki, Kohei Ota, Shinichiro Saito
  • Patent number: 6944106
    Abstract: An information recording apparatus that records information with a substantially constant linear density in a circumferential direction of a recording medium having a disk shape, includes variable velocity recording control means, recording power modification means, recording power storage means, and initial recording power value setting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Haruyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6940793
    Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk motor for rotating a disk, a disk motor driving unit for driving the disk motor, and a controlling unit for controlling the disk motor driving unit. When an upper limit value of a disk rotation speed is received as an input value, the input value is interpreted as a rotation speed specification, so that a command packet including the upper limit value of the disk rotation speed is generated to output it to a controlling unit. The controlling unit sets the upper limit value of the disk rotation speed included in the command packet to the disk motor driving unit. The disk motor driving unit drives the disk motor at the upper limit value of the set disk rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Yamashita, Masatsugu Yamahana, Shin'ichi Kambe
  • Patent number: 6930968
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser driving apparatus for directing light to an optical disc for recording a recording mark based on a recording current and reproducing the recording mark to generate a reproduction signal. The apparatus includes a reproduction current generation section; a high frequency current generation section for generating a current including a high frequency component for reducing semiconductor laser noise in the reproduction; a recording current generation section, the recording current including a pulse corresponding to the recording mark and including a plurality of multi-pulses; and a current driving section for amplification. The apparatus further includes a filter to attenuate the enhanced high frequency components in the high frequency current and in the enhanced high frequency component; and a switching section for switching the filter so that the enhanced component in the recording current is superposed on at least one of the multi-pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Kamioka, Toshiya Akagi, Yoshiyuki Miyabata, Yuichi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6920096
    Abstract: An rotation speed controlling apparatus of an optical recording medium having a wobbled track includes an optical pickup for irradiating a light beam to generate a reading signal according to a wobbling shape of the track; a filter having a predetermined frequency band to pass a wobble reference frequency therethrough for extracting a wobble signal from the reading signal; a generator for generating a wobble reference signal; a detector for detecting the difference between the wobble signal frequency and the wobble reference frequency; a controller for controlling the rotation speed on the basis of the difference between the frequency of the extracted wobble signal and the wobble reference frequency; and a discriminator for discriminating that the wobble signal frequency lies outside the frequency band of the filter; wherein the controller controls the rotation speed in accordance with the detected frequency difference when the wobble signal frequency lies outside the frequency band of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Tateishi
  • Patent number: 6914862
    Abstract: A device and method for calibrating linear velocity and track pitch for an optical disc is disclosed. The device comprises a frequency divider, a synchronous bit-clock generator, a counter and a linear velocity and track pitch calculator. The frequency divider receives a motor frequency generator (FG) pulse and generates a motor rotation period signal (FG/X). The synchronous bit-clock generator generates a high frequency bit-clock according to a reproduced signal read from disc. The bit counter counts the pulse of the bit-clock for each period of the motor rotation period signal to generate the data amount M. The linear velocity and track pitch calculator calculates the linear velocity by a linear velocity function with the information of the data amount M and the motor rotation period. Then, the linear velocity and track pitch calculator calculates the track pitch by a pitch function with the information of the data amount, radius and linear velocity at different tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Chao-Long Tsai, Chi-Kwong Ho, Jin-Chuan Hsu
  • Patent number: 6904010
    Abstract: A method of STW (servo track write) for improving the quality of the servo tracks by suppressing the misalignment of the write start position caused by the asynchronous continuous vibration of a disk drive is disclosed. The disk drive includes a spindle motor, a disk medium, a write/read head and a head moving mechanism for carrying out the sector servo operation. The STW method comprises the steps of detecting the continuous vibration asynchronous with the rotational frequency of the spindle motor, detecting the phase of the asynchronous continuous vibration detected, determining the write start sector of each servo track based on the detected phase of the asynchronous continuous vibration, determining the write start time of each servo track in accordance with the clock signal, and moving the head onto the servo track where the head positioning information is written, by the head moving mechanism and writing the information in the servo track based on the write start time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yasumasa Kuroba, Tomoyoshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 6898165
    Abstract: A reproducer can enhance detection accuracy with respect to a rotational motion according to a scratch operation and properly change a reproducing speed of a recording medium. A turntable of a scratch operating part comprises a disk-shaped mounting plate, which is made from metal, fixed on the upper end of a bushing, a ring-shaped grooved member fixed on a marginal area of the under surface of the mounting plate with mounting bolts, and a marginal member fixed on an outer area of the ring-shaped grooved member. A disk has a disk surface on rollers provided on the top surface of the turntable and a ring-shaped detected part located around an outer circumference of the disk surface and projecting from the under surface of the disk. A light receiving element supplies a signal with a frequency proportional to a period in which a concave part and a convex part pass according to the rotational speed of the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Teac Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 6894961
    Abstract: Information indicative of disk-applicable recording speeds is incorporated in lead-out start time information within ATIP information that is recorded in pre-grooves located in a lead-in area of an optical disk. Once the optical disk is inserted in an optical disk recording device, the lead-out start time information is read out, so that recording is performed on the optical disk after a recording speed is automatically set to a highest settable speed value within a range specified by the read-out lead-out start time information. This arrangement can reliably prevent recording at speeds beyond predetermined limit values unique to the optical disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuichi Osakabe
  • Patent number: 6876609
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling spin speed, which includes a module for receiving an indication to make a velocity change from a first RPM to a second RPM. The difference between the first RPM and the second RPM is a predetermined value. The module is operable to rotate an optical medium at a maximum control effort from the first RPM to the second RPM, and rotate the optical medium with a proportional plus integral (P+I) control at the second RPM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: DPHI Acquisitions, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles R. Watt, Christopher J. Turner
  • Patent number: 6862258
    Abstract: An optical drive that detects a communication link interface speed to a host device and changes an optical media writing speed to reduce the likelihood that an error will occur during writing caused by an insufficient data interface rate in relation to the writing speed. In certain embodiments, the process for detecting and storing the preferred recording speed may be a software module which is part of the firmware of the optical drive. The invention provides a method of determining the preferred recording speed based on the interface speed and the maximum recording speed of the optical drive and storing this preferred recording speed for retrieval during recording of optical media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 6859858
    Abstract: An optical storage drive having a content-based drive-speed variation capability. The optical storage drive contains a drive speed lookup table that stores drive speeds corresponding to file types or groups of file types. For a given file type, a corresponding coded drive speed is provided to the motor control hardware registers. Based upon the coded drive speed provided the drive voltage is limited to produce a desired drive speed. In one embodiment, the optical storage drive may reduce energy consumption by ascertaining the file type to be read and rotating the optical disk at a reduced speed based upon the file type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Carl I. Green
  • Patent number: 6856587
    Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus that can adaptive for a plurality types of optical discs different in the layout condition such as a recording density, etc. and an optical recording/reproducing apparatus employing the optical pickup apparatus. In the optical pickup apparatus, first and second light sources generate a different wavelength of light beams. An optical system allows a light beam generated from any one of the first and second light sources to be selectively irradiated onto the optical disc and have an aperture number controller allowing the number of aperture of a light beam to have a different value. A photo detector detects the light beam reflected from the optical disc to be accessed to convert the same into an electrical signal. The apparatus is capable of accessing three types of optical discs different in the layout condition by utilizing an appropriate combination of a wavelength of the light beam with the number of aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Yong Kim, Seong Yun Jeong
  • Patent number: 6834032
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and medium for processing data in a Read Only Memory (ROM) drive. The data processing method includes: a ROM drive detecting, buffering, and decoding data at a target location on an optical recording medium; if one of data detection, data buffering, and data decoding fails, checking a CLV speed of the optical recording medium, adjusting a CAV speed of the optical recoding medium, and retrying data detection, data buffering, and data decoding; and if data detection, data buffering, and data decoding are performed successfully, transmitting the decoded data to the host computer. Therefore, it is possible to improve the quality of a ROM drive, by preventing the deterioration of data readability and error generation caused by speed deterioration of the ROM drive, from defects of an optical recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: In-koo Kim
  • Publication number: 20040246843
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for adjusting the rotational speed of a disk player based on a calculated variable. The method increases or decreases the rotational speed of the disk player depending on whether the calculated variable is greater or less than one or more thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Inventor: Kun-Chang Chang
  • Patent number: 6804183
    Abstract: A storage apparatus has a function of controlling rotation of a recording medium which is divided into a plurality of zones in a radial direction thereof and employing a ZCAV system. The storage apparatus is provided with a setting part for setting a mode to one of a normal mode in which the recording medium is controlled to rotate at a first rotational speed, and a high-speed mode in which the recording medium is controlled to rotated at a plurality of second rotational speeds respectively corresponding to a plurality of areas to which the recording medium is divided in the radial direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Toru Ikeda, Shigenori Yanagi, Miyozo Maeda
  • Patent number: 6801489
    Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus in which the compressed information read from a disc is written to the memory, the written compressed information is read out in the order of writing and is supplied to an expansion device to obtain reproduced information. Writing of the compressed information to the memory is stopped when the amount of compressed information written to the memory increases to a first predetermined amount and writing of the compressed information to the memory is restarted when the amount of compressed information written decreases to a second predetermined amount which is smaller than the first predetermined amount and which is an amount corresponding to the compression ratio of the compressed information. The rotation speed of a spindle motor during a writing interruption period is lower than that during a writing period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichiro Abe, Takayuki Iijima
  • Patent number: 6795387
    Abstract: A method for controlling the rotational speed of a disk player includes first calculating the proportion of time which the disk player is reading data from the disk during a unit time T. Thereafter, the method increases the rotational speed of the disk player if the proportion of time that the disk player spends reading data from the disk is greater than a first threshold during each of m consecutive units of time T, and decreases the rotational speed of the disk player if the proportion of time that the disk player spends reading data from the disk is less than a second threshold during each of n consecutive units of time T.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Lite-On It Corp.
    Inventor: Kun-Chang Chang
  • Publication number: 20040170097
    Abstract: A control information generating circuit uses linear velocity information at a recording/reproduction position on an optical disc, which is obtained from an information recording medium by a synchronous signal cycle counter, and revolution number information, which is obtained from a rotation mechanism by a cycle counter of a frequency generator, to generate a piece of rotation control information, and the resultant information is supplied to a motor driving circuit. A variation detecting circuit generates a linear velocity abnormality detecting signal based on an abnormality detection result obtained by a division circuit, thereby preventing an abnormal operation of a spindle motor. With such a structure, switching of the control mode between CAV control mode and CLV control mode in a continuous recording/reproduction operation on an optical disc, or the like, is smoothly performed using one pierce of rotation control information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuhisa Mashiko
  • Patent number: 6785197
    Abstract: A control system and method for controlling a sled of an optical storage device by using a stepping motor. The optical storage device includes a pick-up head having a lens and a sled. The control system includes a tracking actuator's controller used to receive a tracking signal TE for generating a tracking control signal TRO to control positions of the lens; a numerical controller connected with the tracking actuator's controller used to receive the tracking control signal TRO for generating a numerical control signal; a frequency converter connected with the numerical controller used to receive the numerical control signal for generating a pulse flag signal and a direction flag signal; and a ring generator connected with the frequency converter used to receive the pulse and direction flag signal for producing a sled control signal to drive the stepping motor for controlling the sled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Acer Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Chi-Mou Chao, Chih-Yu Fan, Jan-Tang Wu
  • Publication number: 20040156287
    Abstract: A method of accelerating a track-following process for an optical drive. The optical drive has a motor and a pickup head for reading information from an optical disc therein. According to the method, an input signal with a first frequency and a first phase is received by detecting the rotation speed of the motor and a radius of the information track where the pickup head locates on the optical disc. When either frequency or phase of a data phase locked loop (DPLL) frequency signal of the optical drive is different from the first frequency and the first phase, the DPLL frequency signal is adjusted to the first frequency and the first phase. With the adjusted DPLL frequency signal, data from the optical disc is read correctly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Jen-Yu Hsu, Hsiang-Yi Fu, Tun-Chieh Lee, Fu-Hsiang Chen, Yao-Chou Tsai
  • Publication number: 20040151096
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling stop of a disc in a disc device. In accordance with the method and apparatus, a brake voltage application time for a disc stop is calculated with reference to brake voltage application times by reproduction positions of the disc and brake voltage application times by rotational velocity reduction ratios of the disc, and a brake voltage is applied to a drive unit for the calculated time, such that the disc being rotated can be accurately stopped. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently prevent an error from occurring in a disc stop control operation due to a weight or external temperature variation of the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Seung Ho Yoo
  • Publication number: 20040145985
    Abstract: An optical disk recording apparatus is designed for forming pits on a recording surface of an optical disk of a given type at a given recording speed by applying a laser light in the form of a sequence of multiple pulses obtained by intermittently turning on and off the laser light according to a given multi-pulse pattern. In the apparatus, a write strategy circuit is set with a pattern table and controls the turning on and off of the laser light according to a multi-pulse pattern selected from the pattern table in correspondence to a length of the pit to be formed. A storage section stores a plurality of pattern tables of different kinds, each pattern table containing a plurality of multi-pulse patterns corresponding to a plurality of lengths of the pit. A control section selects one of the pattern tables based on either of the recording speed and the type of the optical disk, and reads out the selected pattern table from the storage section and sets the read pattern table in the write strategy circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsuichi Osakabe
  • Publication number: 20040136298
    Abstract: There is provided a disk device has a controller which determines a linear velocity VL of a disk, a laser output determination circuit which determines a read laser output PR of a photodiode according to this linear velocity and causing the photodiode to emit a laser light on the basis of a control signal C corresponding to the determined read laser output, and a sampling circuit which detects the emitted laser light by a front monitor and makes the control signal of the laser output determination circuit appropriate according to a sampling result obtained by performing the detection several times, wherein, even when a recording processing is performed at high velocity, sampling control of the read laser output can be securely performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Toshio Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20040130988
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining whether a disk is positioned upside down inside an optical disk player. According to this method, a disk is loaded into an optical disk player, and then a laser beam is emitted that travels via a focusing device in the optical disk player to the loaded disk. Then, the focusing device is moved from a first position to a second position. While the focusing device is being moved from the first position to the second position, the variation in the intensity of the laser beam that is reflected by the disk is continuously recorded to produce a distribution curve of the intensity of the reflected laser beam. Thereafter, the method determines whether the disk is upside down based on the obtained distribution curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Kuo-Pei Weng, Chien-Li Hung
  • Publication number: 20040130987
    Abstract: A method of detecting a type of optical disc according to the rotation speed of a spindle motor loading the optical disc. First, the spindle motor is driven with a signal having a predetermined waveform. Next, the rotation speed of the spindle motor is detected by a Hall sensor and compared with a first predetermined rotation speed and a second predetermined rotation speed. When the detected rotation speed is faster than the first predetermined rotation speed, it is determined that there is no optical disc on the spindle motor, and it is determined that there is a mini-type optical disc on the spindle motor when the detected rotation speed is between the first predetermined rotation speed and the second predetermined rotation speed, and a normal-type optical disc is determined when the detected rotation speed is slower than the second predetermined rotation speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Chien-Li Hung, Kuo-Pei Weng
  • Patent number: 6754151
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a motor system that addresses the design challenges for the small form factor optical disk system. The control system can be operable to detect a first BEMF crossing and setting a first time stamp, to detect a second BEMF crossing and setting a second time stamp, to calculate a measured spin period as the difference between the first time stamp and the second time stamp, to compare the measured spin period to a reference spin period to determine a period error, to operate on the period error with a proportional gain and an integrator gain to provide a command output; and to drive a winding in the spin motor with a current to cause the spin motor to change velocity in response to the command output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: DPHI Acquisitions, Inc.
    Inventor: Charles R. Watt
  • Publication number: 20040100886
    Abstract: A method for changing rotational speeds of a optical drive. First, a reading speed for software to read data from a disc in the optical drive is detected. Then, whether the reading speed exceeds a critical speed is determined. The critical speed is less than the lowest rotational speed of the optical drive to process a read command and exceeding a reading speed for the optical drive to process a play command. If the reading speed exceeds the critical speed, the rotational speed of the optical drive reading an audio disc or a video compact disc is changed to a high speed. If the reading speed is less than the critical speed, the rotational speed of the optical drive reading an audio disc or a video compact disc is changed to a low speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: BENQ CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wei-Tse Hsu
  • Publication number: 20040100891
    Abstract: A method of startup for an optical drive with an auto-balance system. When an optical disk is provided in the optical drive with the auto-balance system, a startup procedure, which includes a servo activating procedure and a system parameter adjustment procedure, is performed. Further, a rotation speed control procedure is performed cyclically according to a spindle motor RPM profile when the system parameter adjustment procedure is performed, so that data stored in the optical disk is correctly retrieved by the optical drive. Preferably, an interrupt subroutine is performed cyclically to perform the rotation speed control procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Yu-Hung Sun, Chih-Hao Chang, Shih-Hung Chang
  • Publication number: 20040090891
    Abstract: In a process of braking an spindle motor, a frequency of a read clock signal synchronized with an RF signal output from an RF amplifier is measured as a first frequency by a braking control circuit. A brake is then applied to the spindle motor for a predetermined time. Thereafter, the frequency of the read clock signal is measured as a second frequency. Next, the braking time is calculated on the basis of: a frequency difference obtained by subtracting the second frequency from the first frequency; the first frequency; and a measuring time from the timing when the first frequency is measured to the timing when the second frequency is measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiro Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20040085868
    Abstract: Prior to recording/reproducing information to/from an optical disk rotationally driven by a spindle motor, an optical pickup is moved to a plurality of measuring positions set beforehand in a radial direction of the optical disk. A relative tilt between the optical disk and the optical pickup is detected with the spindle motor being rotated so that a linear velocity at each of the measuring positions equals a linear velocity upon actually recording or reproducing the information thereat. The tilt detected at each of the measuring positions is stored as tilt detection data corresponding to each of the measuring positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventors: Takehide Ohno, Masaki Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20040085668
    Abstract: A voltage determination unit dynamically determines a first voltage required to maintain the rotational speed of a spindle motor (SPM) at the rated rotational speed according to a rotational state of the SPM. A CPU determines a second voltage for driving the SPM by software processing in a software control mode. A voltage generator generates the first voltage determined by the voltage determination unit as driving voltage in a hardware control mode and generates the second voltage determined by the CPU as the driving voltage in the software control mode. A driver circuit drives the SPM by the driving voltage generated with the voltage generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20040071067
    Abstract: An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information on and/or from a magneto-optical disk including an optical head for projecting a laser beam onto a magneto-optical disk and receiving the laser beam reflected by the disk, an up-down block arranged movably between a lower position and an upper position, an up-down motor for moving said up-down block up and down, a turntable for supporting the disk and a spindle motor secured to said up-down block and having a driving shaft coupled with said turntable for rotating the turntable, a position detecting device for detecting a position of said up-down block to derive a position signal when the up-down block is driven into the upper position, a rotation detecting device for detecting a rotation of said optical information record disk to derive a rotation signal when the optical information record disk is rotated at a predetermined revolving speed, and a control device for initiating a focus control for moving said objective lens and turntable relative to each
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventor: Kunio Yamamiya
  • Publication number: 20040062163
    Abstract: An optical disc drive 1 of the present invention includes a spindle motor 11 for rotating the optical disc 2, a spindle driver for driving the spindle motor 11 equipped with rotation number measuring means 232 for measuring the rotation number of the spindle motor 11, brake means for braking the spindle motor 11 to reduce the rotation number thereof, which includes at least three types of brake modes, and selecting means for selecting one of the at least three types of brake modes in response to the rotation number measured by the rotation number measuring means 232 when the rotation number of the spindle motor 11 is to be reduced. The optical disc drive 1 may further includes judging means for judging whether the rotation number of spindle motor 11 measured by the rotation number measuring means 232 reaches a predetermined target rotation number when the rotation of the optical disc 2 is to be stopped by the spindle motor 11.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Aso, Takashi Tateshima, Tatsuya Goto
  • Patent number: 6714492
    Abstract: An optical disc player, which compensates for an eccentricity, is provided including: a spindle controller, a pickup, an RM amplifier, a focusing servo, a tracking servo and an eccentricity compensator. The spindle controller rotates an optical disc. The pickup has a focusing actuator and a tracking actuator and reads information on the optical disc. The RF amplifier detects and amplifies a focusing error signal and a tracking error signal from information on the optical disc obtained from the pickup. The focusing servo controls the focusing actuator in response to the amplified focusing error signal. The tracking servo outputs a tracking control signal in response to the amplified tracking error signal. The eccentricity compensator outputs a signal which compensates for the eccentricity of an optical disc in response to the output signal of the spindle controller, the amplified tracking error signal and the amplified tracking control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeong-hun Kim
  • Patent number: 6714500
    Abstract: An optical disc drive according to an embodiment of this invention includes a light-receiving section for receiving light, a conversion section for converting the light received by the light-receiving section into an electrical signal, a generation section for generating a slewing rate control signal, and a signal processing section for processing the electrical signal using the slewing rate control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Akihiko Doi
  • Patent number: 6693865
    Abstract: A protection method that prevents optical disk drives from Laser leakage is provided. First, determine whether switch detector has generated a close-status signal of the optical disk drive or not: if yes, then forward kick the spindle motor. Next, feed back the actual revolving speed of the spindle motor. Then, determine whether the actual revolving speed is lesser than the empty-tray revolving speed or not: if yes, then emit Laser rays to read CD data, otherwise, halt emitting Laser rays and perform system routine operations of the optical disk drive. The invention not only helps to reduce production cost but also effectively detects whether a CD has been placed into the optical disk drive or not during the failure of a switch detector, thus avoiding Laser leakage that causes harm to users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Asustek Computer Inc.
    Inventor: Roger Chuang
  • Publication number: 20040022153
    Abstract: A method for controlling the rotation speed of an optical storage device. In the first mode, a first signal is produced, and in the second mode, a second signal is produced. In one mode, a first pulse of a first voltage and a second pulse of a second voltage are sent to the motor, which causes the motor to produce a first armature current and a second armature current. In another mode, a DC signal of a third voltage is produced, which causes the motor to produce a third armature current. The armature currents are detected, and test voltages are outputted. The first and second voltages, and the first and second test voltages are used to find a motor coefficient. The third voltage, the motor coefficient, and the third test voltage are used to calculate a motor rotation speed. The calculated speed is used to control the real motor speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventor: Po-Jen Shen
  • Publication number: 20040022154
    Abstract: A spindle motor inclination angle adjusting mechanism for an optical disk device includes two adjusting mechanisms to provide two rotational freedom for the base dock of the spindle motor to adjust the inclination angle of the spindle motor. The first adjusting mechanism has three support points that are not on the same straight line to support the base dock. Two of the support points are fixed and the third support point is movable relative to the other two support points to change the inclination angle of the base dock of the spindle motor. The second adjusting mechanism is a rotary element for carrying the first adjusting mechanism and driving the first adjusting mechanism to rotate and change the direction of the inclination angle of the base dock to adjust the spindle motor inclination angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Chih-Hsuan Yang, Chi-Shen Chang, Yu-Hsiu Chang
  • Publication number: 20040001412
    Abstract: A method for controlling an optical drive to record data onto a disc. The optical recorder has a pick up head for emitting laser onto the disc to record data onto the disc. The method includes adjusting a write power and a write strategy of the optical drive according to a linear velocity of the disc when passing by the pick up head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Inventor: Hsiang-Ji Hsieh
  • Publication number: 20030227845
    Abstract: A tilt compensating device and method of performing normal tilt compensation in the event of a servo emergency which may occur during reproduction of data from an optical recording medium are provided. The tilt compensating device includes: an optical pickup; a tilt adjusting unit that adjusts a tilt angle of the optical pickup; a jitter detecting unit that detects an amount of jitter in a reproduction signal output from the optical pickup; and a controlling unit that monitors speed at which the optical recording medium operates using a phase-locked loop (PLL) signal generated from the reproduction signal and the degree of focus of the optical pickup, performs an operation to return to a normal state if any abnormality occurs, and controls operation of the tilt adjusting unit by comparing an amount of jitter detected at regular intervals against a reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Ltd Co.
    Inventors: Jee-hyung Park, Dong-ki Hong, Soo-yul Jung, Ju-wha Jin
  • Publication number: 20030223334
    Abstract: The present invention provides a optical disk reproducing apparatus capable of providing special reproducing (replay) mode using a jog dial in a manner similar to the special reproduction using an analog record player such as scratching etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventor: Masayuki Hori
  • Publication number: 20030223333
    Abstract: A high-density optical disc such as a high density-digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) or Blu-ray disc, and a method for reproducing or recording data of the high-density optical disc. The high-density optical disc includes a lead-in area, a data area and a lead-out area. The lead-in area has control information. A minimum mark or space length of the control information recorded in the lead-in area is longer than that of data recorded in the data area. The control information of the lead-in area is copied to the lead-out area. On the basis of the data reproduction or recording method, an optical disc device can correctly read and confirm the control information from the high-density optical disc, minimize the interference between a mark and space in high-density recording data, reduce the effects of scratches or dust on the disc, and efficiently prevent an erroneous data reproduction or recording operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Kyung Chan Park, Young Kuk Kim