Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotating polygon mirror, a motor, a bearing portion, a measurement processing portion, and a determination processing portion. The rotating polygon mirror causes a light beam emitted from the light source to be scanned. The motor rotates the rotating polygon mirror. The bearing portion rotatably supports a rotation shaft of the motor via a lubricant. The measurement processing portion measures a transition time that is a time required for the motor to transition from a stationary state to a driving state in which the motor rotates at a predetermined speed. The determination processing portion determines whether or not a maintenance is required, based on the transition time measured by the measurement processing portion.

Abstract: A wobble determining apparatus is provided with: a calculating device for calculating (i) a first time required until reaching a number of revolutions of a motor which allows a predetermined linear velocity, and (ii) a second time required to move an optical head to a position which allows the predetermined linear velocity, on the basis of the number of revolutions of the motor and the position of the optical head; a judging device for judging whether to keep the optical head in accordance with the calculated first time and the calculated second time; and a controlling device for controlling a moving device not to move the optical head if it is judged to keep the optical head, and for controlling the moving device to move the optical head to the position which allows the predetermined linear velocity if it is judged not to keep the optical head.

Abstract: A data storage device (DSD) enters a high spindle suppression (HSS) mode to reduce instances of rotation of a spindle motor of the DSD during the HSS mode. When a read command is received from a host to read requested data from the DSD in the HSS mode, it is determined whether the requested data is not stored in a solid state memory of the DSD. If it is determined that the requested data is not stored in the solid state memory, the spindle motor is controlled to rotate a disk of the DSD. The requested data is read from the disk and stored in the solid state memory before completing transfer of the requested data to the host.

Abstract: A rotation control apparatus includes: a controller configured to supply test currents to a plurality of different paths of a motor when the motor is stopped; and a stop position detector configured to detect a rotational position of the motor based on an order of current values of the test currents. The controller causes one of the test currents to flow through one of the plurality of different paths, measure time taken until the corresponding detection voltage reaches a reference voltage, and set electrical conduction time of the test currents based on a result of the measurement.

Abstract: An integrated circuit for controlling a data storage device. The integrated circuit includes: a drive module configured to control operation of the data storage device, wherein the data storage device is of a particular quality; and an audio monitoring module in communication with the drive module, wherein the audio monitoring module is configured to analyze an audio signal generated by the data storage device while the drive module is controlling the operation of the data storage device. The particular quality of the data storage device is determinable based on the analysis of the audio signal.

Abstract: In an optical disc device, a way of canceling a lens shift due to an electric offset of an output of a tracking actuator driving circuit is desired. A tracking servo control circuit contains a first operation mode for setting an output current of the tracking actuator driving circuit to generally zero and a second operation mode for supplying a predetermined potential to the input. An average potential of a push-pull signal detected in the first operation mode is acquired. An object lens is moved by a predetermined amount in both radial directions by changing a potential supplied in the second mode to acquire correlative relationship between average potential of a push-pull signal relative to a lens movement amount and the supplied potential. An offset amount is acquired from the potential and the correlative relationship to cancel the offset.

Abstract: A system and method for printing a visible image onto an optical disc through tuning a driving signal of an optical pick-up unit are disclosed. The system includes a driving circuit, coupled to the optical pick-up unit, for providing a driving signal to drive the optical pick-up unit; and an adjusting circuit, coupled to the driving circuit, for controlling the driving circuit to adjust the driving signal according to a rotation source signal corresponding to a rotation of the optical disc.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed that includes a spindle motor unit including a spindle on which a flexible recording disk is placed, a stabilizer plate disposed so as to face the recording disk, a torque detection unit configured to detect a drive torque applied to the spindle motor unit, an adjustment unit configured to adjust a gap between the recording disk and the stabilizer plate, and a determination unit configured to determine an optimal gap to be set to the gap based on the drive torque detected by the torque detection unit, in which the adjustment unit sets the optimum gap determined by the determination unit to the gap.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a method and apparatus for centring a disk on a spindle, a spinstand and a method of testing with a spinstand. The method of centring includes attaching the disk to the spindle with a stick-slip clamp. A vector is determined by which the centre of the disk is displaced from the spindle axis and the vector is aligned with a movably mounted piezo actuator. A voltage is then applied to the piezo actuator to cause the piezo actuator to apply an impulse to the edge of the disk to cause the disk to slip in the clamp and reduce the displacement of the disk.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes the performance of a disk drive at frequencies in a set of frequencies in a frequency range. First, the disk drive is vibrated at each frequency in the set of frequencies, one frequency at a time. During this process, a disk drive performance metric is monitored. Next, the performance of the disk drive is characterized by determining the parameter related to acceleration due to the vibrations for each frequency at which a disk drive performance metric degrades by a predetermined amount from a baseline.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an optical disc drive, a measuring module in the optical disc drive, and a measurement value reception module. The measuring module is configured to measure a value related to an operation of a predetermined motor in the optical disc drive, which is executed during a time period of power-up of the optical disc drive. The measurement value reception module is configured to receive a measurement value related to the operation of the predetermined motor from the optical disc drive in response to an event of being requested to turn off the power of the optical disc drive, and to store the received measurement value in a storage device.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed that includes a spindle motor unit including a spindle on which a flexible recording disk is placed, a stabilizer plate disposed so as to face the recording disk, a torque detection unit configured to detect a drive torque applied to the spindle motor unit, an adjustment unit configured to adjust a gap between the recording disk and the stabilizer plate, and a determination unit configured to determine an optimal gap to be set to the gap based on the drive torque detected by the torque detection unit, in which the adjustment unit sets the optimum gap determined by the determination unit to the gap.

Abstract: A device for controlling access to an optical disc includes a control word calculator and a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO). The control word calculator is arranged to calculate a control word corresponding to a radius where the optical disc is accessed. In addition, the NCO is arranged to generate an output frequency according to the control word, wherein the output frequency is utilized for accessing the optical disc. An associated method for controlling access to an optical disc includes: calculating a control word corresponding to a radius where the optical disc is accessed; and generating an output frequency according to the control word, wherein the output frequency is utilized for accessing the optical disc.

Abstract: A personal security apparatus includes a transmitting device having an event detector initiating different signals which indicate different event types. A transceiver receives the signals from the transmitting device and interprets each signal as corresponding to a particular event type. The transceiver sends respective event type alert signals to a remote monitoring device. The remote monitoring device provides a plurality of respective event type indicators for each of the event type alert signals received.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) for controlling a rotating data storage device comprises a drive module that is implemented by the integrated circuit and that at least one of processes data, stores data and controls operation of the rotating storage device. An audio monitoring module is implemented by the integrated circuit, communicates with the drive module and analyzes audio signals that are based on noise generated by the rotating storage device during operation.

Abstract: The signal source generates a signal of a frequency higher than the vibration frequency of the slider of the hard disk drive, and supplies it to one end of the slider and the disk of the hard disk drive. The detector detects a signal output from the other end of the slider and the disk, and outputs a change in the capacitance between the slider and the disk as a voltage when the hard disk drive receives an impact.

Abstract: An optical disk drive capable of detecting occurrence of step-out or tooth jump in a mechanism for transferring an optical pickup. The optical pickup is transferred in a radial direction of the optical disk by means of a stepping motor. Upon receipt of a seeking operation command from a host machine, a control section drives the stepping motor by way of a controller, to thus cause the optical pickup to perform seek up to a target address. When logical contradiction has arisen in a stepper pointer showing the amount of rotation of the stepping motor, the control section determines that step-out or tooth jump has arisen. Moreover, even when a difference exists between an address indicated by the value of the stepper pointer and an actual address, step-out or tooth jump is determined to have arisen. When the step-out or tooth jump has arisen in the transfer mechanism, the rotational speed of a spindle motor or the rotational speed of the stepping motor is decreased.

Abstract: Whether an optically writable label surface of an optical disc is suitable for having an image formed thereon is determined. A detectable number of encoder spokes on a control feature area of the optical disc is counted as the optical disc is rotated. Where the detectable number of encoder spokes is other than a predetermined value, an error condition with respect to the optically writable label surface of the optical disc is indicated.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that characterizes the performance of a disk drive at frequencies in a set of frequencies in a frequency range. First, the disk drive is vibrated at each frequency in the set of frequencies, one frequency at a time. During this process, a disk drive performance metric is monitored. Next, the performance of the disk drive is characterized by determining the parameter related to acceleration due to the vibrations for each frequency at which a disk drive performance metric degrades by a predetermined amount from a baseline.

Abstract: A motor power controller for a disk drive includes at least two operation states. In a first operation state, the disk drive motor is running continuously, and in a second operation state, the motor is spun up at the beginning of each data operation and spun down at the end of each data operation. The motor power controller transitions the disk drive from the first to the second operation state when a time interval is longer than a predetermined period of time without any data requests is determined. Further, the motor power controller transitions the disk drive from the second to the first operation state when a predetermined number of time intervals between consecutive data requests are all smaller than the predetermined period of time.

Abstract: According to the invention, an optical disc reproducing apparatus includes a housing for: a reading section which reads data recorded on an optical disc, a data storing section and a reproducing section which reproduces the stored data. A reference discal unit outside the housing rotates at a pre-determined reference rotational speed and direction. An operation discal unit mounted on the reference discal unit, may rotate at a desired speed and direction. A detection discal unit is coupled with the operation discal unit, to rotate in sync with the operation discal unit. First and second detecting sections detect a rotational speed and direction of the detection discal unit and the reference discal unit, respectively. A control section determines the rotational speed and direction of the detection discal unit based on detected results and controls the reading section, the storing section and the reproducing section, thereby performing a desired data reproduction.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting spindle motor degradation. A method includes issuing an alert if a difference between feed forward compensation signals of repeatable runout determined at a first time and feed forward compensation signals of repeatable runout determined at a second time satisfies a first threshold condition. A method may further include issuing an alert if a delta difference between a first difference and a second difference satisfies a second threshold condition. The first difference represents a difference between the feed forward compensation signals of repeatable runout at the first time and the feed forward compensation signals of repeatable runout at the second time. The second difference represents a difference between the feed forward compensation signals of repeatable runout at the first time and feed forward compensation signals of repeatable runout at a third time.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for adjusting the rotational speed of a disk drive. According to the method, the proportion of time which the disc drive is reading data from the disc during a unit time T is calculated. Then, the increase of the rotational speed of the motor is avoided if the error rate Ek that a disc drive reads data during each of r consecutive units of time periods T is not less than a criterion Q. Otherwise, the rotational speed of the motor of the disc drive is increased if the proportion of time Pk that the disc drive spends reading data from the disc is greater than a threshold H during each of m consecutive units of time period T, and the rotational speed of the motor of the disc drive is decreased if the Pk is less than a threshold L during each of n consecutive units of time periods T.

Abstract: A magnetism test method for a tray-type optical drive is disclosed. A preliminary input voltage is provided to a DC motor of the tray-type optical drive for performing a preliminary ejection on a tray and a magnetic clamper of the tray-type optical drive. Then, a test voltage smaller than the preliminary input voltage is provided to the DC motor to partially eject the tray, in which the tray is ejected to a point short of the complete distance of ejection. When the incomplete distance is longer than a predetermined distance, the magnetic force of the magnetic clamper is determined to abnormal.

Abstract: A storage apparatus rotates an optical recording medium at two or more kinds of rotational speeds. The rotational speed is decreased when a read or write margin becomes less than or equal to a first predetermined value or, when a frequency of generation of a servo abnormality of a tracking servo and/or a focus servo is greater than or equal to a first predetermined frequency. On the other hand, the rotational speed is increased when the read or write margin becomes greater than or equal to a second predetermined value or, when the frequency of generation of the servo abnormality of the tracking servo and/or the focus servo is less than or equal to a second predetermined frequency.

Abstract: An error correction circuit for determining an error in rotational speed of a recordable disk of a disk drive includes a sinusoidal error calculation portion adapted to generate a true oscillation error signal, and a summation portion adapted to combine the true oscillation error with a spindle error signal to generate a total error signal. The sinusoidal error calculation portion is adapted to generate a new true oscillation error based on the total error signal.

Abstract: A digital audio data reproducing system includes a digital audio data reproducing apparatus having a record medium, a detection part for the record medium and a processing unit; an analog record player; and a rotation detecting apparatus for sensing the speed and sense of revolution of an analog record. The rotation detecting apparatus is provided for easily controlling audio data in the other electrical appliances by an analog record in which audio data is stored. The scratch operation of the analog record together with the reproduction of the analog record by a player allows the rotation body to be rotated around a shaft in accordance with the rotation of the analog record. A rotary encoder senses the speed of revolution and the direction of rotation for the rotation body to output pulse signals, and the audio data in the data reproduction apparatus are scratch-controlled on the basis of the pulse signals.

Abstract: A speed control method used in an optical disk drive for recording data onto an optical disk includes the following steps: detecting an allowable maximum recording speed of the optical disk and an allowable minimum recording speed of the optical disk, calculating a rotation speed of the optical disk according to the allowable maximum recording speed of the optical disk at an outermost region of the optical disk, calculating a critical position of the optical disk according to the allowable minimum recording speed at the rotation speed, and recording data onto the optical disk at the allowable minimum recording speed between an initial data position of the optical disk and the critical position of the optical disk.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of changing a recording mode from CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) mode to CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) mode in the middle of recording data to a disk recording medium. A method according to the present invention reads ATIP-framed data encoded in a wobble signal formed along a spiral physical track while recording input data to a recording medium, and detects a sync signal contained in the read ATIP-framed data. Another method measures the frequency of a low-frequency component of the wobble signal instead of reading ATIP-framed data. These two methods determine, in common, when to change the recording mode from CAV to CLV based on the period of the detected sync signal or the measured frequency. The present invention makes it possible to record input data to an entire area of a disk more rapidly without fatal errors such as imperfect writing. As a result, total recording time can be reduced with stable recording guaranteed.

Abstract: A method of controlling a laser power of a zone Constant Linear Velocity (CLV) type optical disk player, in which a linear velocity of writing data is accelerated, by stages, toward an outer edge of an optical disk. The method includes changing a laser power for writing data onto the optical disk when the linear velocity is changed.

Abstract: Monitor circuits monitor junction temperatures of chips of driver ICs which drive a driving part of a recording/reproduction system. Comparison circuits compare the junction temperatures with respective arbitrarily set temperatures to output temperature flags as comparison results and are included in the driver ICs. A CPU monitors the temperature flags to confirm febrile states of the respective driver ICs, thereby performing a control so as to continue to drive an optical disk device when the junction temperatures of the chips of the driver ICs are lower than the set temperatures, and to suppress heat generation of the respective driver ICs when the temperatures are equal to or higher than the set temperatures.

Abstract: A digital audio data reproducing system comprises a digital audio data reproducing apparatus having a record medium, detection means for the record medium and processing unit; an analog record player; and a rotation detecting apparatus for sensing the speed and sense of revolution of a analog record. The rotation detecting apparatus is provided for easily controlling audio data in the other electrical appliances by an analog record in which audio data is stored. A rotation of a supporting element causes a slip preventing element to be tightly in contact with a thick portion of the analog record, thereby enabling a rotation body to become in a rotatable state with regard to the analog record by the frictional force between the slip preventing element and the analog record. The scratch operation of the analog record together with the reproduction of the analog record by a player allows the rotation body to be rotated around a shaft in accordance with the rotation of the analog record.

Abstract: A device for stabilizing the rotating speed of a record player has a passive element fitted on the same shaft of a rotating, disk, which activates a record to rotate together. The passive element is formed with a surface expanding outward from a center portion fitted with a shaft and having its outer annular portion engraved with annular minute net holes. A sensor facing the positions of the net holes is provided under a printed circuit board for detecting the change of the shifting speed of the net holes. The signal data detected by the sensor is fed to a micro-processor to carry on operation, and after that, the value of the signal data is transmitted back and automatically modulates the voltage supplied to the rotating disk to let the rotating disk and the record rotate steadily.

Abstract: A control apparatus and method for controlling a velocity of a spindle motor included in an optical disk reproducing system to prevent a forward or backward overrun of a spindle motor are disclosed. A widest signal detector of the apparatus detects the widest pulse width of an eight-to-fourteen modulation (EFM) signal according to a main clock signal and generates a first status signal representing a status of the pulse width of the detected signal according to a frame clock signal, which is divided by a first predetermined number j. A narrowest signal detector of the apparatus generates a second status signal representing a status of the narrowest pulse width of the first status signals according to the frame clock signal divided by a second predetermined number k, where k is greater than j. An overrun controller increases or decreases or holds a previously counted result according to the frame clock signal divided by the second predetermined number and the second status signal.

Abstract: A disk loading apparatus is provided which stops disks, even if the disks have different diameters, when disk center holes have been ejected to the substantially same positions out of an apparatus body during the ejection. The disks can be pulled out without soiling a recording surface of the disk. One disk-pass detecting switch detects a pass of the last end of each disk and discriminates sizes of the disks. In addition, a rotation time of a roller after the detection of the pass is controlled depending on disk diameters.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus comprising a reproduced signal detector which digitizes a reproduced signal from an optical disk, a broadband synchronizing clock signal generator for generating a synchronizing clock signal for use in reproducing data, a signal processor for processing signals, and a disk rotation controller for controlling the optical disk by switching control modes according to the reproducing position of the disk, that is, performing CAV control using the constant rotating velocity which is the same as the current rotating velocity in a range where the synchronizing clock signal generator allows a reproduced signal to be subjected to pull-in-synchronization, and performing CLV control so that the linear velocity is constant to minimize the pull-in-enable changes of number of revolutions in a range exceeding the pull-in-synchronization range, by which arrangement the amount of change of number of spindle motor revolutions when the reproducing position of the optical pickup changes is minimized, th