Abstract: An optical recording medium (disk) capable of preventing a back focus at a face thereof and reducing the interference between beams reflected by each recording surface, thereby improving a quality of a servo signal and a reproductive signal. In a disk having (N?1) layers, if N is a natural number (more than three), and if a cover-layer thickness and intermediate-layer thicknesses are d1, d2, . . . dN, then a difference of 1 ?m or above is set between the sum of di to dj and the sum of dk to dm for arbitrary natural numbers i, j, k, m (i?j?k?m?N). If refractive indexes are different from a standard value or different for each layer, then the thickness of each layer is converted based on a spread width of light according to the thickness.

Abstract: There is provided a motor and an optical disc drive using the same, more particularly, a motor having an improved coupling structure between a rotor and a stator, and an optical disc drive using the same. The motor includes: a shaft; a sleeve supporting the shaft so as to be rotatable; a stator coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the sleeve and extended outwardly in an outer diameter direction of the sleeve; and a base plate coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the sleeve under the stator and supporting the stator.

Abstract: An optical recording medium and an optical information device that improve the quality of a servo signal and a reproduction signal. In the optical recording medium, when shape-wise thicknesses tr1, tr2, tr3, and tr4 of a cover layer (42), a first intermediate layer (43), a second intermediate layer (44), and a third intermediate layer (45) are respectively converted into thicknesses t1, t2, t3, and t4 of the respective corresponding layers each having a predetermined refractive index “no”, a defocus amount with respect to a layer having a refractive index nr? and a thickness tr? (satisfying: 1???n (where ? is a positive integer and n is an integer of 4 or more)), and a defocus amount with respect to a layer having the refractive index “no” and a thickness t? (satisfying: 1???n (where ? is a positive integer and n is an integer of 4 or more)) are equal to each other.

Abstract: An exemplary method of controlling an optical storage apparatus includes: driving a first mechanical mechanism of the optical storage apparatus by applying a first control signal to the first mechanical mechanism, wherein a second mechanical mechanism of the optical storage apparatus is inactive while the first mechanical mechanism is operating in response to the first control signal; adjusting the first control signal applied to the first mechanical mechanism when the second mechanical mechanism is requested to be active; and driving the second mechanical mechanism by applying a second control signal to the second mechanical mechanism while the first mechanical mechanism is operating in response to the adjusted first control signal.

Abstract: A multi-output power supply device (1) comprises a first power supply (10) for outputting a first output voltage (VDCO1); a second power supply (30) for outputting a second output voltage (VDCO3); and a reset circuit (40) for detecting an abnormality of the first output voltage (VDCO1) and for outputting a first reset signal (XRESET) to forcibly stop the output operation of the second power supply (30).

Abstract: Provided is a spindle motor. The spindle motor includes a rotatable shaft, a stator, a rotor, and a turntable. The stator is positioned around the shaft. The rotor includes a rotor yoke coupled to the shaft. The rotor is rotated with the shaft integratedly by a reaction with the stator. The turntable is coupled to the shaft. The rotor yoke and the turntable are coupled to each other and are fixed to the shaft.

Abstract: A method for inspecting an optical information storage medium includes the steps of: irradiating the storage medium with a laser beam and rotating the medium by a constant linear velocity control technique by reference to the radial location at which the laser beam forms a spot on the medium; changing the rotational velocities according to the radial location on the medium between at least two linear velocities that include a first linear velocity Lv1 and a second linear velocity Lv2 higher than the first linear velocity Lv1; generating a focus error signal and/or a tracking error signal based on the light reflected from the medium; performing a focus control and/or a tracking control on the laser beam that irradiates the medium based on the focus and/or tracking error signal(s); and passing the branched outputs of control loops for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) through predetermined types of frequency band-elimination filters for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) to obtain residual errors

Abstract: Has an object of providing an optical pickup capable of realizing tracking control or focus control at a higher level of precision even when relative positions of a light source and a light detector are shifted due to a change in the environmental temperature, long-term deterioration or the like. The optical pickup includes a base member; a light source, fixed to the base member, for emitting a laser beam; an objective lens for collecting the laser beam onto an optical disc; a light detector, fixed to the base member, for detecting the laser beam reflected by the optical disc; fixing means for fixing the light source and/or the light detector to the base member; and a light blocking section for blocking a central portion of the laser beam in a circular shape on an optical path between the collimator lens and the light detector.

Abstract: In a chucking device, a rolling guide portion is arranged below an upper cover portion of a rotor holder and radially inwards of a cylinder portion of the rotor holder. This helps restrain the noises generated by the rolling movement of balls from propagating to the outside. Moreover, the turntable and the rolling guide portion are formed of a single resin member extending continuously through a through-hole defined in the rotor holder.

Abstract: To provide an optical pickup and an optical information device, capable of obtaining excellent signal characteristics for an optical disk on and/or from which recording and/or reproducing are performed using a laser. The optical pickup includes an optical detector, a support holder for holding the optical detector, and an optical base for fixing the support holder. The support holder has at least two notches at its both ends, the optical base has convex portions corresponding to the notches of the support holder, the optical base and the support holder are fixed by photo-curable adhesives for bonding the convex portions and the support holder to each other, and the shortest distance between the side faces of the convex portions, which do not face each other, is equal to or less than the width of the support holder in the direction of right and left ends.

Abstract: There are provided a motor and a disk driving device equipped with the motor. The motor may include a core on which a coil is wound, a rotor having a magnet generating an electromagnetic force through an interaction with the coil, and rotating a shaft, a sleeve housing including an inner diameter part to which a sleeve supporting the shaft is press-fitted, a core seating part extended outside in an outer diameter direction from the inner diameter part, and an outer diameter part extended to an axial lower side of the sleeve from the core seating part, and a base plate including a strength reinforcement part formed therein, the strength reinforcement part being brought into contact with the outer diameter part and at least one part of an inner surface of the core seating part.

Abstract: A disk device configured in such a manner that, in addition to tilt adjustment, the adjustment of the distance between a disk and an optical pickup can be easily performed.

Abstract: A spindle motor includes a base plate, a stator, and a rotor. The base plate has a plurality of air-guiding holes. The stator includes a bearing portion and a plurality of coil portions. The bearing portion is fixed on the base plate. The coil portions are connected to and surrounded the bearing portion, and are disposed above the air-guiding holes. The rotor is rotatably mounted to the bearing portion and disposed adjacent the coil portions.

Abstract: From an optical disc drive, internal static electricity has to be discharged to the outside to prevent breakage of electric components such as laser diodes. A grounding spring has been used to discharge static electricity from a unit mechanism to the enclosure of the optical disc drive but it is necessary to improve the reliability of the drive in consideration of the dimensional accuracy and workability of the spring. Thus the free end of a grounding spring having a cantilever structure is shaped like an arc and an end of the grounding spring has a curved structure. This configuration improves the dimensional accuracy and workability of the spring, so that the performance of the optical disc drive can be more reliable.

Abstract: The embodiments herein describe an apparatus and method for a reduced Z stack slot loading optical disc drive (ODD). In one embodiment a reduced Z stack height slot loading optical disc drive (ODD) is described.

Abstract: An optical disc drive for marking a label side of a lightscribe disc is provided. The optical disc drive includes a spoke detecting device, a spindle motor PCB and an insulating pad. The spoke detecting device is used for detecting spoke patterns on the lightscribe disc. The spindle motor PCB is communicated with the spoke detecting device through a flexible cable. The insulating pad is coupled with the spindle motor PCB for supporting the spoke detecting device such that the spoke detecting device is separated from the lightscribe disc by a specified gap.

Abstract: An optical disc drive for an electronic device is provided. The optical disc drive includes a rotating member, a spindle, a reading member and a controlling module. The rotating member includes a connecting member, and a first end fixed to a housing of the electronic device. The spindle is connected to a second end of the connecting member for rotating an optical disc arranged on the spindle. The reading member is fixed to the connecting member to read the optical disc. When a switch of the electronic device is actuated, a processing unit of the electronic device outputs a signal to the controlling module. The controlling module controls the rotating member to rotate. The connecting member moves the spindle and the reading member out of the housing, further controls the spindle to rotate the optical disc, and the reading member to read the optical disc.

Abstract: A motor includes a turntable and a rotor holder unified with each other by insert-molding. The turntable includes a protrusion portion protruding radially outward beyond a cylinder portion and a substantially cylindrical covering portion extending downward from an radial inner end of the protrusion portion to cover an outer circumferential surface of the cylinder portion. The rotor holder has a radial outer end portion arranged in the same radial position as an outer circumferential surface of the covering portion or arranged radially inward of the outer circumferential surface of the covering portion. For this reason, a sliding contact area between a mold and the rotor holder is reduced. This helps suppress sliding contact between the mold and the rotor holder during a mold releasing process, consequently suppressing degradation of the mold.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, fluid-mediated modification of information or access to information is utilized. According to various embodiments, data storage devices designed for rotating access are described which include rotation-activated fluid control mechanisms.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical disc for use as a recording medium in an optical disc drive, which has a transparent protection film (120) formed on a recording layer on one plane of the disc substrate (110) and a printing label film 130 being of approximately the same film quality and film structure as the transparent protection film (120) formed on the other plane thereof. The printing label film (130) is a synthetic resin film made mainly of polycarbonate and formed on the disc substrate by screen printing, etc. Thus, the optical disc has the same film quality and film structure on the respective one and the other planes, which prevents occurrence of skew caused by the deformation due to the asymmetry of the structure along the thickness direction of the optical disc. The optical disc has a function to present contents of information recorded therein with the printing label film provided on the other plane of the disc substrate.

Abstract: A deterioration of reproduction light is occurred by a laser drive current on which a high-frequency current is superimposed. The present invention, for example, is an optical information reproducing apparatus which irradiates a laser beam to an optical disc 1 and reads an information, the optical information reproducing apparatus includes a semiconductor laser 6 which generates the laser beam, a laser drive unit 7 which supplies a drive current on which a high-frequency current are superimposed to the semiconductor laser 6, a spindle motor 2 which drives the optical disc 1 and a control unit 5 which controls the laser drive unit 7 and the spindle motor 2, and the control unit 5 determines a parameter of the high-frequency current based on magnitude of a current on which the high-frequency current is to be superimposed.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an optical recording medium and an optical information device that enable to improve the quality of a servo signal and a reproduction signal.

Abstract: A motor is provided with a chucking device enabling attachment and detachment of a disk-shaped storage medium. In the motor, a turntable forming a portion of the chucking device is disposed axially above a rotor holder. The turntable has a placement portion on which the storage medium is placed. An inner recess is formed on an outer surface of a shaft between a position at which the rotor holder is fitted and another position at which the turntable is fitted. An outer recess is formed to radially face the inner recess and is concave away from a center axis. Adhesive is placed in the inner recess and the outer recess.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a low-cost disk device with which the same spindle motor and clamper can be used for different types of disk device, such as a DVD drive. A clamper comprises a clamper main body and a plurality of positioning components. The clamper main body clamps a disk between itself and a spindle motor that holds and rotates the disk. The plurality of positioning components are formed on the clamper main body for the relative positioning of the clamper main body and each of the plurality of spindle motors in the radial direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a spindle motor including a rotor yoke coupled with a rotation axis and having an optical disk mounted thereon; a clamp case that is arranged on the rotor yoke, inserted into an inner side of the optical disk and has a receiving groove formed on the side thereof; and a chuck clip having one side fixed to the clamp case corresponding to the receiving groove and the other side that elastically supports the inner side of the optical disk, the other side being corresponding to the one side.

Abstract: A move-sled-home device is used in an optical disc drive. The move-sled-home device includes a processing unit, a motor actuator, a sled, a sled motor, and a current-detecting unit. The processing unit outputs a control signal. The motor actuator generates a driving voltage according to the control signal. The sled motor generates a driving current according to the driving voltage to move the sled. The current-detecting unit is used for receiving and converting the driving current into an indicating signal, and issuing the indicating signal to the processing unit. During a move-sled-home action, the processing unit realizes a magnitude of the driving current according to the indicating signal, thereby determining whether the move-sled-home action is finished.

Abstract: A motor includes a bearing mechanism, a stationary unit including a stator arranged radially outwards of the bearing mechanism, and a rotary unit supported by the bearing mechanism at the upper side of the stationary unit for rotation about a center axis with respect to the stationary unit. The rotary unit includes a substantially cylindrical closed-top rotor yoke having a cover portion arranged to cover the stator. The bearing mechanism includes a substantially cylindrical closed-bottom bush formed by a press work, a sleeve fixed inside the bush and provided with an upper portion protruding beyond the bush and a shaft inserted into the sleeve. An upper end of the bush is lower than or flush with an upper end of the stator in a direction parallel to the center axis.

Abstract: A motor includes a stationary unit, a bearing mechanism, a rotary unit, and a chucking device. The rotary unit includes a rotor yoke provided with a cover portion extending around the chucking device and designed to allow the storage disk to be directly or indirectly mounted thereto and a removal-preventing member fixed to the cover portion to prevent removal of the rotary unit from the stationary unit. The removal-preventing member made of metal. The removal-preventing member includes a removal-preventing portion, an upper fixing portion having a plurality of upper protrusions inserted into the through-holes of the cover portion and bent toward the upper surface of the cover portion, and a lower fixing portion making direct or indirect contact with the lower surface of the cover portion and cooperating with the upper fixing portion to fix the position of the removal-preventing portion in a direction parallel to the center axis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spindle motor for an optical disc drive. The spindle motor comprises a turntable unit and an anti-slipping element. The turntable unit has a disc mounting stand, which has a first outer diameter. The anti-slipping element is disposed on said turntable unit and has a first inner diameter, wherein the difference between the first outer diameter and the first inner diameter is less than or equal to 8 mm.

Abstract: A turntable for storage disk drive apparatuses includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and formed by injection-molding a resin. The central resin member includes a disk guide portion provided on an upper surface thereof to guide a central hole of a disk and a plurality of gate recess portions indented upwards from a lower surface of the central resin member. The gate recess portions include ceiling surfaces positioned higher than the plate member. The ceiling surfaces include a plurality of gate cut portions formed in an injection molding process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a spindle motor comprising: an integral turntable including: a table on which a rotating body to be installed, and an inner side wall and an outer side wall formed to be recessed upwards at a portion therebetween on a lower surface of the table so that a predetermined hollow is formed, a surface of thereof being formed slant; a ball cover for covering a ball inserted into the hollow and the hollow; a rotation shaft an upper portion of which is inserted into a center of the integral turntable; a bearing supporting a lower portion of the rotation shaft; a coil formed on an outside of the rotation shaft; and a magnet formed on an outside of the coil.

Abstract: A transportation body 1 for a flexible optical disk 10 has flexibility, and includes a rotation stabilizing board 2 having a disk-shaped form, an optical disk alignment unit 4 installed in the central part of the rotation stabilizing board 2, and a spacer 3 installed on a surface of the rotation stabilizing board 2. A combination of the transportation body 1 and the optical disk 10 can be treated as an equivalent of a conventional optical disk having rigidity, by transporting the flexible optical disk 10 placed on the transportation body 1 and by recording/reproducing information onto/from the flexible optical disk.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spindle motor assembly with an encoder. The spindle motor includes a circuit board, a spindle motor and an encoder. A connector is mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board. The spindle motor is provided on the circuit board. The spindle motor functions to rotate a disk placed thereon. The encoder is provided on the connector and senses a detection mark of the disk and thereby detects a rotating speed of the disk. As such, because the encoder is installed on the connector, the number of components is reduced, and the production cost can be thus reduced.

Abstract: A stabilization part stabilizes surface vibration of a flexible optical disk along a rotation axis direction of the optical disk by means of pressure difference of air flow created according to Bernoulli's law at a portion on which information writing/reading is performed, provided on a side of the optical disk opposite to a side on which information recording/reproducing is performed. In this case, areas are provide on the upstream side and down stream side along the disk rotation direction of the portion of the optical disk which is stabilized by said stabilization part, said areas of the optical disk not having pressure difference created thereon by the air flow.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a bracket, and a mecha module installed on the bracket. The mecha module includes a mounting plate fixed on the bracket, an optical pick-up head installed on the mounting plate in a slidable manner for reading or writing data in an optical disk, and a spindle motor installed on the mounting plate for rotating the optical disk. The optical disk drive further includes a rotary mechanism connected to the bracket and a base for driving the bracket to rotate into or out of an opening on a housing relative to the base.

Abstract: A disc apparatus which can judge accurately whether or not a spindle motor is at fault due to a short circuit is provided. A disc apparatus (1) includes a spindle motor (3) which rotates a disc (2), a differential operational amplifier (5) which successively detects output voltages of the spindle motor (3), and a failure judgment unit (10) which calculates an average voltage of the plural output voltages and judges whether or not the spindle motor (3) is at fault in accordance with the average voltage and the output voltages. When counting number of occurrences of a specific state which indicates that one of the two output voltages detected successively is larger than the average voltage and other of the two output voltages is smaller than the average voltage, the failure judgment unit (10) judges that the spindle motor (3) is at fault.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: A spindle motor includes a base plate, a stator, and a rotor. The base plate has a plurality of air-guiding holes. The stator includes a bearing portion and a plurality of coil portions. The bearing portion is fixed on the base plate. The coil portions are connected to and surrounded the bearing portion, and are disposed above the air-guiding holes. The rotor is rotatably mounted to the bearing portion and disposed adjacent the coil portions.

Abstract: A slot-in type disk apparatus includes: (1) a base body, (2) a traverse base provided on the base body, (3) a spindle motor held by the traverse base and rotating a disk, (4) a loading motor provided on the base body, (5) a traverse cam member for displacing a location of the traverse base with respect to the base body, and (6) a spindle cam member for displacing a location of the spindle motor with respect to the traverse base. The spindle motor is biased toward the traverse base by a resilient member. The disk is loaded on the disk apparatus and moved to a recording/replaying position, as a result of moving the traverse cam member and the spindle cam member correlatively in the horizontal direction by driving the loading motor and moving the traverse base and the spindle motor upward and downward.

Abstract: When a super resolution technology for optical disks is used in a situation where optical disk management information is formed with a signal that cannot be reproduced by a reproduction method based on a conventional optical disk technology, optical disk drives cannot make recording adjustments and/or reproduction adjustments. An optical disk drive uses an optical disk that forms a management information signal with pits not smaller in size than optical resolution and can be read by a reproduction method based on a conventional optical disk technology. When the optical disk drive records information onto or reproduces information from the optical disk having the super resolution region, it is possible to make proper recording adjustments or reproduction adjustments and perform a proper recording operation or reproducing operation in an optical disk's information region for user information recording or reproduction.

Abstract: A method of determining a size of an optical disc inserted into an optical disc drive is disclosed. The method includes driving a turntable motor of the optical disc drive to rotate the optical disc at a predetermined rotation frequency for reading data stored on the optical disc, measuring a rotation frequency of the turntable motor, applying a kick-pulse voltage to the turntable motor of the optical disc drive for a predetermined period of time, measuring a change in the rotation frequency of the turntable motor after applying the kick-pulse voltage, comparing the change in the rotation frequency of the turntable motor to a threshold value, and determining that the optical disc is an 8 cm disc when the change in the rotation frequency of the turntable motor is above the threshold value.

Abstract: An optical disk device of the present invention includes a spindle motor, an optical pick-up, and a rotation control portion. The spindle motor is a rotational drive portion that rotates an optical disk, on an information recording surface of which a plurality of addresses are recorded. The optical pick-up records an information signal onto and plays back the information signal from the information recording surface of the optical disk that is rotated by the spindle motor. The rotation control portion controls the rotation of the optical disk by the spindle motor. In this case, the rotation control portion performs control based on a first reference signal that can be read off the optical disk, such that the optical disk is rotated at a speed that is based on a specified clock count.

Abstract: Provided is turntable assembly of a spindle motor. The turntable assembly includes a turntable and a back yoke. The back yoke is installed on the turntable. The turntable includes at least one of a turntable coupling protrusion and a protrusion coupler formed thereon. The back yoke includes at least one of a protrusion coupler and a coupling protrusion formed thereon to face the corresponding components formed on the turntable. The coupling protrusion is inserted in the protrusion coupler to fix the back yoke to the turntable.

Abstract: A device for controlling zero-return of an opto-mechanical system of an optical disc drive is provided. The opto-mechanical system has an optical pickup head for reading data from an optical disc. The zero-return controlling device includes a servo system, a stepper motor driver chip and a signal detecting unit. The servo system issues a triggering signal when the optical disc is loaded. The stepper motor driver chip issues a stepper motor driving signal to the stepper motor in response to the triggering signal. The stepper motor is driven to rotate in response to the stepper motor driving signal. The signal detecting unit is used for detecting the magnitude of the stepper motor driving signal. A suspending signal is issued from the signal detecting unit to the stepper motor driver chip to stop the stepper motor if the magnitude of the stepper motor driving signal exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: An optical disc drive include a turntable for mounting an optical disc, a driving unit rotating the turntable, and an optical disc heating member for heating a center portion of the optical disc. In the optical disc drive, an inner circumference temperature of the optical disc is maintained to be higher than a peripheral temperature of the optical disc by at least 50° C. According to this, a growth of a crack generated at a periphery of a hole of the optical disc is restrained thereby to effectively prevent a damage of the optical disc.

Abstract: A spindle motor is provided. The spindle motor includes a rotation shaft rotatably installed, a stator around the rotation shaft, a rotor coupled to the rotation shaft, a turntable rotated with the rotation shaft, and a center guide member comprising a body coupled to the rotation shaft and a support rim extending from the body, the support rim can comprise a first sloped surface extending from an outer surface of the body and making an angle of about 47° to 53° with an imaginary vertical line parallel with the rotation shaft, and a second sloped surface extending from an end of the first sloped surface and making an angle of about 16° to 22° with an imaginary vertical line parallel with the rotation shaft.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a spindle motor, a power source, a microprocessor, and a comparator. The spindle motor is for supporting a disk. The power source supplies a first voltage to drive the spindle motor to rotate. The microprocessor signals the power source to supply a second voltage to slow down rotational speed of the spindle motor when receiving a power-off signal. The comparator compares the rotational speed with a predetermined value. The microprocessor signals the power source to stop supplying power to the spindle motor when the rotational speed is smaller than the predetermined value. A controlling method for controlling the spindle motor in the optical disk driver is also provided.

Abstract: In a laser processing method, a workpiece is set with respect to a jig having a laser passage hole and a relative position of the jig and the workpiece is determined so that the laser passage hole can face toward a target processing point on the workpiece. Then, laser light is irradiated on the target processing point through the laser passage hole while creating a stream of an inert gas flowing from a peripheral area of the target processing point toward the target processing point and flowing away from the workpiece through the laser passage hole.