Abstract: An information carrier contains a storage unit, an integrated circuit and a first and a second coupling element. The coupling elements are intermediate in the transfer of data, and energy from a base station to the integrated circuit, and vice versa. Between the base station and the coupling elements, the transfer of data and energy is contactless, such as by capacitive coupling. Between at least the first and/or both of the coupling elements, data and energy are transferred by the of capacitive coupling. The base station may be in an apparatus containing a reading device of the storage unit. To facilitate the capacitive coupling, the base station contains first and second capacitor plates. The information carrier and the apparatus with the base station containing said capacitor plates together constitute the system, which is suitable for copy protection of the information on the storage unit.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a substrate, a first recording layer formed on the substrate and containing an element selected from the group consisting of Si, Sn and Ge as a primary component, and a second recording layer located in the vicinity of the first recording layer and containing Ag as a primary component, the optical recording medium being constituted to be irradiated by a laser beam projected onto the side opposite from the substrate. According to the thus constituted optical recording medium, it is possible to decrease a noise level and improve a C/N ratio in a reproduced signal.

Abstract: A system and method for wireless activation of a target. A communication device transmits an ID associated with the target to a network operations center. The network operations center provides an activation signal to the communication device. The communication device wirelessly transmits an acoustic activation signal to a nearby activation device. The activation device is positioned proximate the target and causes a change in at least one physical property of the target. The target may be an optical media containing an electrochromic material with optical properties that change on application of an electric signal.

Abstract: A rewritable data storage medium has a rewritable recording layer provided with a tracking structure. The recording layer has a data recording area. An erasable identification mark is present in an identification mark area other than the data recording area. The data recording area has a first tracking structure, whereas the identification mark area is substantially free from a tracking structure or has a second tracking structure substantially different from the first tracking structure, such as including concentric or interrupted spiral grooves. Thus erasure of the identification mark is practically impossible, because the location of the erasing spot of a recorder cannot be controlled precisely in radial direction in the identification mark area.

Abstract: A tray of an optical disk player including a disk mounting portion on which an optical disk is stably mounted; a front wall formed on the front to surround the disk mounting portion; a rear wall formed on the rear of the tray to surround the disk mounting portion, the front wall is formed to have a distance from the center of a spindle to the front wall not less than a value obtained by adding 2.75 mm to a radius of a large-sized disk and not greater than a distance from the center of the spindle to a tray front end. In the tray, by increasing a flutter occurrence speed, although the optical disk player has a high recording/reproducing speed, occurrence of flutter can be prevented, and accordingly it is possible to reduce error in disk reproducing/recording and prevent noise occurrence and wrong operation.

Abstract: In an optical disc, an information signal area on which an information signal can be recorded and/or reproduced is formed on a major surface of a disc substrate thereof; a light transmitting layer which can transmit a laser beam used in a process for recording and/or reproducing the information signal is formed on a side on which the information signal area is present; and a clamp reference plane is arranged on a major surface of the light transmitting layer in a clamp region. If the optical disc is clamped by a chucking unit of a drive, it is clamped by making the clamp reference plane on the major surface of the light transmitting layer contact with a mounting surface of a table for mounting the disc, and making a magnetic metal plate contact with the major surface of the disc substrate, and then sandwiching the optical disc between.

Abstract: A high-density magneto-optical recording medium having excellent jitter properties is provided. A pattern-dependent shift of the length of a recorded mark does not occur even when a minute mark has increased sensitivity to a recording magnetic field. A magneto-optical recording medium has at least a displacement layer, a memory layer, and an auxiliary memory layer. A mark with a length up to the diffraction-limit of the optical system is recorded and read out. The magneto-optical recording medium includes an in-plane magnetization-inducing layer principally made of cobalt on the auxiliary memory layer.

Abstract: An optical disk physical has a recording region divided into zones, each zone including physical tracks adjacent to each other. An integer number of sectors are provided in each physical track. The angular recording density is higher in the more outward zones such that the linear recording density is substantially constant throughout the recording region, and logical tracks are formed of a predetermined number of sectors, independent of the physical tracks. The conversion between the logical track and sector addresses read from the disk and the linear logical addresses supplied from a host device is easy. The addresses written in headers of the sectors in the logical track in which data are actually recorded, including substitute sectors used in place of defect sectors, are preferably consecutive to further facilitate the conversion between the logical track and sector addresses read from the disk and the linear logical addresses supplied from the host device.

Abstract: An optical information medium comprises a pair of discs which are bonded to each other, an optical recording layer provided on at least one of the discs, and a reflecting layer formed on an upper side of the optical recording layer. The optical information medium further includes an adhesive for bonding the pair of discs provided on the reflecting layer, wherein the adhesive has a thickness ranging from 10 to 80 ?m. A protecting layer is provided on the upper side of the reflecting layer wherein the pair of discs may be bonded by the protecting layer. The optical recording layer, reflecting layer and protecting layer may be directly sequentially provided on the disc but another substrate layer may be inserted between these layers. There is employed, as the adhesive, those including a reactive curing resin or a hot melt material, and it is preferable that the shrinkage rate of the adhesive be less than 15%.

Abstract: A secure optical data disc comprising an electronic article surveillance tag embedded within a layered disc structure comprising first and second substrates is disclosed. The tag is placed within a non-readable zone (i.e., one that does not have data tracks) of the secure disc. Layer-wise, the tag is either sandwiched between the two substrates or alternatively embedded within one of the two substrates. In the case where the tag is sandwiched between first and second substrates, a bonding layer occupies a space radially outward from the tag.. The bonding layer holds the first and second substrates together thereby forming the secure disc.

Abstract: The medium comprises a bilayer stack constituted of an inorganic layer (30) and a semi-reflecting layer (32). The inorganic layer (30) can be deformed under the effect of light radiation (34) passed through the semi-reflecting layer, which lowers the reflection coefficient of the stack. Application to irreversible recording of information data, for example on discs.

Abstract: A method of producing a stamper, an optical recording medium produced by molding using the stamper, and a method of producing the same, wherein a base member having a mirror polished main surface and comprising silicon or glass is formed with a resist film; the resist film is exposed by a focused electron beam, an ultraviolet ray laser, etc. and developed so as to form a resist film of a pattern corresponding to relief shapes; the mirror surface of the base member is processed to relief shapes (projecting regions and recessed regions) by dry etching etc. using the obtained resist film as a mask so as to obtain a stamper; the obtained stamper is used for injection molding to form a medium substrate; and an optical recording multilayer film and a protective layer are formed to thereby produce an optical recording medium.

Abstract: An index print of photographic images is created on a CD containing digital data representing those images. Photographic images are digitized to produce digital image data which is stored on the CD. This digital image data is also used to create an index print containing thumbnail images of all of the photographs stored on the CD. The index print is then affixed to the top surface of the CD either by being printed on a label that is adhered to the disk surface, or by being printed directly on the surface of the disk.

Abstract: An optical recording device includes: a light source for emitting light of plural wavelengths; an optical waveguide formed by a crystal defect in a photonic crystal, into which light emitted from the light source is launched; an information recording/erasing unit for changing the shape of the photonic crystal near the optical waveguide; and a light detecting unit for detecting the light emitted from the optical waveguide. A contact probe of the information recording/erasing unit applies pressure to one of a plurality of periodically arranged columnar holes of the photonic crystal to widen its diameter, thereby capturing light of a wavelength ?k corresponding to the information to be recorded. Since the optical waveguide extends parallel to the crystal surface, the optical recording device can be integrated with an optical circuit.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a domain wall displacement type magneto-optical recording medium comprises the steps of depositing a magnetic layer on a substrate to prepare a disc, and irradiating the magnetic layer with a converged light beam while applying a magnetic field and annealing the magnetic layer a converged light beam between information tracks.

Abstract: A method of recording and reproducing on an optical recording medium having a user data area and a lead-out area, wherein the user data area and the lead-out area each has grooves and lands formed thereon. Wobbles are formed on at least one lateral surface of grooves of the user data area and the lead-out area, and configured such that wobble characteristics are made different between the user data area and the lead-out area. Different types of wobbles are formed on the grooves of either the user data area or the lead-out area, thereby preventing an optical pickup that performs recording/reproduction from deviating from the user data area. Also, in a multi-layer optical recording medium, a whole area of a recording layer is configured to have a same condition, thereby preventing deterioration in reproduction and/or recording due to a difference in light power transmittance of another recording layer.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a substrate, a protective layer, three or more information recording layers formed between the substrate and the protective layer and transparent intermediate layers each formed between neighboring information recording layers and capable of recording data in the three or more information recording layers and reproducing data recorded in the three or more information recording layers by projecting a laser beam onto the three or more information recording layers via a light incidence plane constituted by the surface of either the substrate or the protective layer, wherein neighboring transparent intermediate layers facing each other across an information recording layer have different thicknesses. According to the thus constituted optical recording medium, it is possible to reduce interlayer cross-talk.

Abstract: There is provided an intermediate for an optical recording medium, which can be uniformly coated with resin by the spin coating method without using a resin coating-assisting member, and allows formation of a central mounting hole without burrs. The intermediate comprises a hollow cylindrical protruding portion protruding from one surface on which functional layers are formed and a circular recess formed in a central portion of the other surface and having a diameter equal to that of the central mounting hole, and a temporary central hole formed to extend through a central portion of the recess and having a diameter smaller than that of the recess. The protruding portion has an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the mounting hole and an inner diameter not smaller than the diameter of the temporary central hole, and has a central axis thereof substantially aligned with a center of the temporary central hole.

Abstract: An optical recording medium which comprises a print-receiving layer as the outermost layer on the side opposite to the light incidence side, wherein a pattern is formed on the print-receiving layer.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium including a substrate, a recording layer formed on the substrate, and a transparent sheet provided on the recording layer via an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer has a peak of loss modulus at a temperature of 0° C. or lower, and exhibits an E1?/E2? ratio of 2.0 or less, wherein E1? and E2? represent storage moduli of the adhesive layer at 25° C. and 80° C., respectively.

Abstract: An optical disc of one embodiment of the invention is disclosed that includes a first surface, a second surface, an optically writable label area, and an optically writable data area. The first and the second surfaces are oppositely situated to one another. The label area is on one of the first and the second surfaces. The data area is on one of the first and the second surfaces. The mechanism aids proper focusing of an optical beam of an optical disc device on the optically writable label area and on the optically writable data area.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium 10 is composed of at least a reflective layer 2, a first protective layer 3, a phase-change type optical recording layer 4 and a second protective layer 5 being sequentially laminated on a substrate 1. The optical information recording medium 10 is conducted to record information by changing a phase of the phase-change type optical recording layer 4 by irradiating light from the second protective layer 5 side. The phase-change type optical recording layer 4 further contains at least Ti, In, Ge, Sb and Te. When each content amount of the Ti, In, Ge, Sb and Te is defined as v, w, x, y and z in atomic percent respectively, each content amount of v, w, x, y and z in atomic percent satisfies following relations: 0.3?v?4, 0.3?w?3, 3.4?x?14.5, 2.1?y/z?4 and 98.8?v+w+x+y+z?100.?.

Abstract: An optical information medium having an ink-accepting layer that may secure a high-gloss printed surface similar to print image quality of print image on photographic paper is provided. The optical disk is constituted by sequentially laminating concavo-convex information pits, a recording layer, a reflective layer, a protective layer, a second printing layer, and an ink-accepting layer on a transparent substrate made of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate. In the formation of the ink-accepting layer, the following proportions of the following constituents in percent by weight are milled to prepare an ink for printing: 5 to 15% urethane acrylate; 70 to 80% water-soluble monomer; 5 to 15% water-soluble monomer soluble resin; 5 to 15% photopolymerization initiator; 5 to 15% dyestuff fixing agent; and <5% silica.

Abstract: A signal transmission method applicable to prevention of modification or alteration of the playback mode information, such as copying management information or charging information. The playback mode information form a terminal 15P is data-converted for ciphering by a playback mode information appendage circuit 14 in a header appendage circuit 13 responsive to the key information from a terminal 15K and the resulting information comprised of the data and the playback mode information is outputted. The reproducing side effects data conversion on the ciphered playback mode information for deciphering, by a playback mode information detection circuit 26 in a header separation circuit 25, using the key information from a terminal 27K, for taking out the original playback mode information at a terminal 27P.

Abstract: An optical disk having a recording layer on a substrate, a bonding layer which is made of an ultraviolet cured resin bonding the recording layer, a transparent layer which is bonded to the bonding layer, and an overcoating layer which is formed on the transparent sheet and is made of the ultraviolet cured resin further has a mixed layer which is formed by mixing the ultraviolet cured resins of the bonding layer and the overcoating layer. Consequently, the bonding layer, the overcoating layer, and the mixed layer are integrally cured, so that the substrate is entirely covered with the ultraviolet cured resin having transparency, which allows a light transmitting layer A to be protected with sufficient strength.

Abstract: An information recording medium, such as a disc, is provided from which data can be read in a stable fashion even when a label for the information recording medium is adhered thereon. A label is partially attached to the information recording member in which an information recording layer is formed on a substrate, on a label surface opposite the substrate. The so-called partial attachment involves attaching the label to the disc at only a few selected points and not to the entire disc surface.

Abstract: A method for producing an optical recording medium of the present invention including a first laminating step, a second transferring step, a third detaching step, and a fourth forming step. The first step includes laminating a substrate and a transfer stamper with an uncured ultraviolet-curable resin interposed therebetween. The transfer stamper has recesses/projections that provide information to be transferred. The second step includes transferring the information to be transferred of the transfer stamper onto a surface of the ultraviolet-curable resin. The third step includes detaching the transfer stamper from the ultraviolet-curable resin at an interface therebetween after the ultraviolet-curable resin is cured. The fourth step includes forming a thin film layer on the information-transferred surface of the ultraviolet-curable resin. The thin film layer includes either a recording film or a reflection film.

Abstract: An optical disk of the present invention includes a first substrate having a signal area on a principal plane and a central hole, and a second substrate that is transparent and attached to the first substrate. The second substrate is thinner than the first substrate, and has a central hole whose diameter is larger than that of the first substrate. The first substrate and the second substrate are attached to each other with radiation curable resin (adhesive member) disposed therebetween so as to extend at least from an inner peripheral edge of the second substrate to an outer peripheral edge thereof.

Abstract: A disc or like article (10, 115, 119) rotatable by drive means, such as a compact disc for use with a computer, includes indication means (12, 110, 120) which, when the disc is rotated at or above a predetermined angular velocity, provide an indication that rotation has occurred, which indication can be important if the disc contains confidential information. The indication device can be a tube formed with two enclosures separated by a breakable membrane (15, 16, 112, 122), a colored liquid/gel (17, 111 121) being in one enclosure and passing into the second enclosure, by breaking the membrane, when the disc is spun, thereby providing a visual indication thereafter of the spinning having occurred The invention also relates to such an indication means, per se, for after-fitting to a disc recorded on by spinning, and to a method of producing a disc with said indication means.

Abstract: An annular protective ring attachment designed to grip the outer peripheral edge of all compact discs (CDs) and digital video discs (DVDs) which, when used in combination with said CD or DVD, creates an airfoil. The airfoil ring consists of an inner periphery, which is molded to form a top lip (3) and bottom lip (4), and between these lips, a gripping mouth (6), which securely holds the CD or DVD (7,76) inside the aperture of the airfoil ring. The body of the airfoil ring is curved in such a way as to create an airfoil adequate to enable the airfoil ring with inserted CD or DVD to be safely tossed into the air and to exhibit controllability in flight. The airfoil ring is constructed of a soft, flexible plastic material, and uses a hinge groove (5) on the top side of the airfoil skirt (1) and a hinge groove reaction area (9) on the underside of the airfoil skirt (1) to dissipate the contact force upon impact and create a cushioning effect so as to avoid resultant injury or damage when tossed into the air.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a user data area and a lead-out area, wherein the user data area and the lead-out area each has grooves and lands formed thereon. Wobbles are formed on at least one lateral surface of grooves of the user data area and the lead-out area, and configured such that wobble characteristics are made different between the user data area and the lead-out area. Different types of wobbles are formed on the grooves of either the user data area or the lead-out area, thereby preventing an optical pickup that performs recording/reproduction from deviating from the user data area. Also, in a multi-layer optical recording medium, a whole area of a recording layer is configured to have a same condition, thereby preventing deterioration in reproduction and/or recording due to a difference in light power transmittance of another recording layer.

Abstract: The rewritable data storage medium (1) has a rewritable recording layer (9) provided with a tracking structure (8). Said layer (9) has a data recording area (5). An erasable identification mark is present in an identification mark area (4, 4?) other than the data recording area (5). The data recording area (5) has a first tracking structure (8?), whereas the identification mark area (4, 4?) is substantially free from a tracking structure or has a second tracking structure (8?) substantially different from the first tracking structure (8?). Thus erasure of the identification mark is practically impossible, because the location of the erasing spot of a recorder cannot be controlled precisely in radial direction.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium, which includes both of a land surface and a groove surface as a recording track and presents high signal quality. The optical information recording medium includes both a land and a groove as the recording track on a substrate, in which a laser light is irradiated from a reverse side of the substrate to thereby carry out a recording and a reproduction, and an inclination angle of a groove side is 25° or more and 40° or less, and both of arithmetic average roughness (Ra) on the land surface and the groove surface are assumed to be 0.2 to 0.7 nm.

Abstract: An information carrier that contains a storage unit, an integrated circuit and a first and a second coupling element. The coupling elements are intermediate in the transfer of data and energy from a base station to the integrated circuit and vice versa. Between the base station and the coupling elements the transfer of data and energy is contactless, and preferably by capacitive coupling. Between at least the first of and preferably both of the coupling elements data and energy are transferred by means of capacitive coupling. The base station is preferably incorporated in an apparatus further containing the reading device of the storage unit. To facilitate the capacitive coupling, the base station contains a first and a second capacitor plate. The information carrier (1) and the apparatus (40) with the base station containing the capacitor plates together constitute the system, which is suitable for any protection of the information on the storage unit.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a surface used for labeling. The surface is covered, at least in part, with a laser imageable coating. Blocking material is placed over a portion of the laser imageable coating. The blocking material blocks laser imaging on the portion of the laser imageable coating over which the blocking material is placed.

Abstract: This invention is a rewritable near-field optical medium using a zinc oxide nano-structured thin film as the localized near-field interaction layer. This rewritable near-field optical medium is a multilayered body at least comprising: (a) a substrate of transparent material; (b) a first protective and spacer layer formed on one surface of the substrate, which is made of transparent dielectric material; (c) a zinc oxide nano-structured thin film which is capable of causing localized near-field optical interactions; (d) a second protective and spacer layer formed on the localized near-field optical interaction layer, which is also made of transparent dielectric material; (e) a rewritable recording layer; (f) a third protective and spacer layer formed on the rewritable recording layer, which is also made of transparent dielectric material.

Abstract: A stamper suppressed in surface roughness, uneven thickness, and deviation of circularity in inner circumference, a method of producing the same, an optical recording medium produced by molding using the stamper, and a method of producing the same, wherein a base member having a mirror polished main surface and comprising silicon or glass is formed with a resist film; the resist film is exposed and developed so as to form a resist film of a pattern corresponding to relief shapes; the mirror surface of the base member is processed to relief shapes (projecting regions and recessed regions) by dry etching etc. using the obtained resist film as a mask so as to obtain a stamper; the obtained stamper is used for injection molding to form a medium substrate; and an optical recording multilayer film and a protective layer are formed to thereby produce an optical recording medium.

Abstract: A disk-shaped optical information recording medium comprising a recording layer, a barrier layer, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer or an adhesive layer, and a cover sheet in this order on a substrate, and having a central hole, a track pitch of 300 to 600 nm and a groove depth of 40 to 150 nm, for recording and playing back information by being irradiated with a laser light at a wavelength of 500 nm or less, wherein the substrate and the barrier layer are closely adhered via the pressure sensitive adhesive layer or the adhesive layer at a region including a portion of an inner circumference vicinity and an outer circumference vicinity, and the maximum value for the radial length of the closer adhesion region is at least 0.4 mm.

Abstract: The invention is directed toward techniques for creating molded substrates for use in various different data storage media. The molded substrates have improved thickness profiles that can improve media quality, and in some cases facilitate higher data storage densities. In many cases, the improved thickness profile is a thickness profile that has improved flatness. Mechanical flatness or optical flatness can be achieved. In particular, optical flatness is desirable for substrates used in holographic data storage media having a sandwiched construction.

Abstract: A disk-shaped optical information recording medium comprising a recording layer, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer or an adhesive layer, and a cover sheet in this order on a substrate, and having a central hole, a track pitch of 300 to 600 nm and a groove depth of 40 to 150 nm, for recording and playing back information by being irradiated with a laser light at a wavelength of 500 nm or less, wherein the substrate and the cover sheet are closely adhered via the pressure sensitive adhesive layer or the adhesive layer at a region including a portion of an inner circumference vicinity and an outer circumference vicinity, and the maximum value for the radial length of the closer adhesion region is at least 0.4 mm.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium in which the ranges of the refractive index and thickness of a protective layer in a case where the protective layer is constituted by a plurality of layers are newly specified and the refractive index and thickness of the protective layer are determine in these ranges, thereby ensuring that even if variation in thickness of the protective layer to ±3 ?m is tolerated, spherical aberration in the optical information recording medium is substantially to within 30 m?rms.

Abstract: An optical disk includes a reflective layer, a recording layer, an optical-transparent bonding layer and an optical transparent sheet laminated on a substrate in this order. The total thickness of the optical-transparent bonding layer and the optical transparent sheet is 0.1 mm. The peak-to-peak height of wrinkles formed on the sheet is 2.5 ?m or lower. The optical disk is produced as follows: A first ultraviolet ray is radiated to an optical transparent sheet at a first energy level in the range from 500 mJ/cm2 to 3000 mJ/cm2, a wavelength of the first ultraviolet ray being in the range from 250 nm to 300 nm. Prepared next is a substrate laminated on which are a reflective layer and a recording layer in this order. Ultraviolet hardened resin is applied on the recording layer to form an optical-transparent bonding layer thereon. An optical transparent sheet is provided on the optical-transparent bonding layer.

Abstract: This invention relates to an information-recording medium that is used for recording information through radiation of energy beam. The information recording medium has a groove-shaped information recording track and is provided with a recording layer, one or more kinds of heat sink control layers and heat sink layers. A sum of film thickness of the more than one kind of recording layer is equal to or less than a step between information recording tracks, and a sum of film thickness of one or more kinds of heat sink control layers is more than a groove depth of the information recording track. With this configuration, no cross-erase is produced even if the information-recording medium is applied for a high density recording with the track pitch being 70% or less.

Abstract: An optical information medium having an ink-accepting layer that may secure a high-gloss printed surface similar to print image quality of print image on photographic paper is provided. The optical disk 1 is constituted by sequentially laminating concavo-convex information pits 3, a recording layer 4, a reflective layer 5, a protective layer 6, a second printing layer 7, and an ink-accepting layer 8 on a transparent substrate 2 made of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate. In the formation of the ink-accepting layer 8, the following proportions of the following constituents in percent by weight are milled to prepare an ink for printing: 5 to 15% urethane acrylate; 70 to 80% water-soluble monomer; 5 to 15% water-soluble monomer soluble resin; 5 to 15% photopolymerization initiator; 5 to 15% dyestuff fixing agent; and <5% silica.

Abstract: A thin film data storage carrier (e.g., a flexible thin film compact disc) is described. The thin film data storage carrier (e.g., 111 of FIG. 8) has a cruciform aperture (114) therein, which is defined in part by two pairs of opposed arcuate sides (117, 117? and 120, 120?) and at least one tab (118 and 121). The tabs (118 and 121) each have a triangular shape. The thin film data storage carrier may be used as part of a digital data storage assembly (2) that includes a rigid support (29) having an aperture (30) therein. The assembly (2) further includes, a locking device (41) positioned at least partially around aperture (30) of rigid support (29). Locking device (41) includes at least one shelf (44, 47) extending out over a portion of the first surface (32) of rigid support (29). The shelf (e.g., 44) and a portion (e.g., 53) of the first surface (32) of rigid support (29) residing thereunder together define a tapered slot (e.g., 62), having an open end (59) and a closed end (56).

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording and/or reproducing apparatus using a magneto-optical disc (3) as a recording medium, which includes a recording and/or reproducing mechanism (7) for recording and reproducing information signals to and from the magneto-optical disc (3) rotatably housed in a disc cartridge (2), a support base (19) which supports the recording and/or reproducing mechanism (7), and a impact drive mechanism (9) which causes the electromechanical-transduction element (25) to lengthen and shorten corresponding to driving pulses to shift the drive shaft (24) along the shaft direction thereof so as to cause the movable portion (27) to slide along the shaft direction of the drive shaft (24) together with the support base (19), and the recording and/or reproducing mechanism (7) and the impact drive mechanism (9) are arranged within a projection area of the openings (4a), (4b) of the disc cartridge (2) for exposing a part of the magneto-optical disc (3) to the outside from the inner to the oute

Abstract: This invention is a write-once near-field optical medium using a zinc oxide nano-structured thin film as the localized near-field optical interaction layer. This write-once near-field optical medium is a multi-layered body at least comprising: (a) a substrate of transparent material; (b) a first protective and spacer layer formed on one surface of the substrate, which is made of transparent dielectric material; (c) a zinc oxide nano-structured thin film which is capable of causing localized near-field optical interactions; (d) a second protective and spacer layer formed on the localized near-field optical interaction layer, which is also made of transparent dielectric material; (e) a write-once recording layer; (f) a third protective and spacer layer formed on the write-once recording layer, which is also made of transparent dielectric material.

Abstract: On a replica substrate 1a, a reflection layer 11, a first dielectric layer 12 made of ZnS—SiO2, a recording layer 13 made of a phase change type recording material, and a second dielectric layer 14 made of ZnS—SiO2 are successively formed. In addition, a reaction protection layer 15 made of Si3N4 or SiO2 is formed on the second dielectric layer 14. As a result, an information signal portion 1c is composed. A light transmissivity sheet is formed through an adhesive layer so that the light transmissivity sheet coats an information signal portion 1c. As a result, a light transmission layer is composed. When the reaction protection layer 15 is not formed, a reaction protection resin layer made of an ultraviolet ray setting resin is formed so that the reaction protection resin layer coats the information signal portion 1c.

Abstract: A DVD playback apparatus accurately discriminates a hybrid disc, to prevent a recordable CD installed therein from being damaged by a laser beam for a DVD/MMCD. The hybrid disc includes a label printed surface formed on a substrate, a CD recording surface formed below the label printed surface, having identification information expressing a disc type, and a DVD recording surface formed below the CD recording surface. The DVD playback apparatus irradiates a CD laser beam on an optical disk installed therein. If data is readable from the optical disc, it is checked whether the identification information is recorded in the predetermined recording area. The DVD playback apparatus recognizes the optical disc as the hybrid disc, if the identification information is recorded in the predetermined recording area.

Abstract: An initialization method of an optical recording medium having a plurality of optical recording layers capable of reducing uneven initialization due to light interference caused at the time of initialization without deterioration of information recording/reproducing signal characteristics of the recording layers is provided.