Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic tunnel junction device, in which a stack (1) comprising two electrode layers (3, 7) and a barrier layer (5) extending in between is formed. One of the electrode layers is structured by means of etching, in which, during etching, a part of this layer is made thinner by removing material until a rest layer (7r) remains. This rest layer is subsequently removed by means of physical etching, in which at least substantially charged particles have a motion energy which is between the sputtering threshold of the magnetic material of the rest layer and the sputtering threshold of the non-magnetic material of the barrier layer. In the relevant method, it is prevented that the electrode layer which is not to be structured is detrimentally influenced during structuring of the other electrode layer.

Abstract: A digital video recorder or similar apparatus implements a method of converting an input data stream having an MPEG-2 Program Stream (PS) format into an output data stream having an MPEG-2 Transport Stream (TS) format. The input data stream (PS) includes data of at least first and second elementary data streams (404, 406) formed and multiplexed in compliance with a PS decoder model. A scheduler (412) within the apparatus inhibits reading of a further data block from the input stream when, in the absence of a vacancy for data of an audio elementary stream within a target decoder model (418), a clock reference (SCR) of said input data stream advances beyond a clock reference of said output data stream by a predetermined waiting threshold.

Abstract: An optical information medium (20) for erasable recording by means of a laser-light beam (10) is provided. A substrate (1) holds a stack (2) of layers with a phase-change recording layer (5) between a first dielectric layer (4) and a second dielectric layer (6). A light-absorptive layer (7) is present proximate the recording layer (5) and is made of a compound of the formula QRx, in which Q is the element Si, Ge, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb or Ta, R is the element O or N, and 0<x?2.5, in order to achieve that 0.8<Ac/Aa<1.50, in which Ac and Aa are the respective quantities of laser-light absorbed in the recording layer (5) in the crystalline state and the amorphous state at a laser-light wavelength selected from a range of 350-450 nm. Thus high data rates and low data jitters are achieved at this short wavelength range by tuning x to an optimal value during manufacture of the optical information medium.

Abstract: A device for recording and/or reproducing an optical record carrier (1), comprises an optical system for projecting a first, a second and a third optical beam at a first (11), a second (12) and a third spot (13) at the record carrier (1). The device further comprises detection elements primary position signals (D5, C, D1) which is indicative for an amount of radiation reflected by the record carrier at said thoses spots (11). The device further comprises signal processing means (34.1, . . . 34.4; 35.1, . . . 35.4) for generating a plurality of secondary position signals (S1, S2, S3, S4) in response to the primary position signals (D5, C, D1). A selection element (36) selects one of the position signals (S1, S2, D1, S3, S4) as an output signal (WRE) in response to a selection signal (SEL). The selection signal (SEL) is derived from the output signal (WRE) of the selection element (36).

Abstract: An optical reproducing apparatus in which reproduction of information is carried out by using an optical record carrier. In order to compensate a radial tilt between the surface of the record carrier and the objective lens, the objective lens is tilted. In the optical apparatus of the invention, the actuator of the radial displacement of the objective lens is used to also tilt the objective lens at the same time. A displacement of the objective lens in the radial direction by the actuator has a direct effect of tilting the objective lens. This is accomplished by a mechanical link between the radial displacement and the radial tilting. This has the advantage that there is no need for an extra tilt actuator to tilt the objective lens.

Abstract: An optical wavefront modifier (27) is adapted for modifying a wavefront of an optical beam passing through the modifier. The modifier comprises a first and a second transparent electrode layer (42?, 43?) and a flat medium (46) for modifying the wavefront in dependence on electrical excitation and arranged between the electrode layers. The first electrode layer (42?) comprises three or more electrodes (51-55) of a transparent, conductive material. The electrode layer also comprises a series arrangement of resistors, comprising three terminals (48, 48?, 48?) connected to the electrodes and resistors (49, 49?) connecting the terminals. The resistors are made of the same transparent conductive material as the electrodes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensorless commutation of a direct-current motor. To allow an exact, easy to design, flexible, and highly integratable circuit arrangement for commuting motor devices, analogue phase detectors are replaced by digital devices, in particular Sigma-Delta-modulators, which oversample the induced voltages of coils of said motor.

Abstract: An optical scanning device is adapted for scanning record carriers (13, 27) having transparent layers (14, 28) of different thicknesses through which a converging beam (12, 26) must pass. An objective lens (11) of the device is designed to form the converging beam (14) for scanning through a first transparent layer (14). When scanning through a second transparent layer (28), the objective lens is operated at different conjugate distances, resulting in a small field. The field is increased by introducing spherical aberration in the radiation beam (25) incident on the objective lens and compensating this spherical aberration in the objective lens.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and device (100) for prefetching referenced resources (105) from servers (102, 103, 104). A first resource (106) is scanned for unfetched references (107), which are weighted and prefetched in the order of their weight. The computation of the weight is based on the number of times the resource referenced by the reference has been fetched previously, and on the number of times one or more further resources have been fetched previously from a server that serves the resource referenced by the reference. The device (100) can be realized as a computer program product.

Abstract: An optical readout device for reading out data from an electroluminescent data storage medium, comprising: a driving circuit (4) for driving the radiation-emitting material with a time-varying applied signal; a radiation detector array (6) for detecting radiation emitted from the data storage medium and for generating radiation detection signals; and a processing part (8) arranged to process the detection signals to distinguish a detection signal resulting from reading different types of marks in the data storage medium in dependence on a timing reference signal.

Abstract: A method for thermally-assisted magnetic recording at an areal density above 100 Gb/in2 combines thermo-magnetic writing and optical or magnetic reading. In order to increase the stability of the recorded information, writing is carried out at an elevated temperature on a medium with a very high coercivity at room temperature. The magnetic write head determines the track width, allowing very small track widths, and the coercivity gradient resulting from the thermal gradient at the edge of the focused radiation spot, determines the bit length. The radiation may be varied so that the coercivity gradient at the trailing edge of the magnetic field is highest, when the magnetic field is switched.

Abstract: A digital video recorder or similar apparatus implements a method of converting an input data stream having an MPEG-2 Transport Stream (TS) format into an output data stream having an MPEG-2 Program Stream (PS) format. The input data stream (TS) includes data of at least first and second elementary data streams (404, 406) formed and multiplexed in compliance with a TS decoder model. The first elementary stream is a video stream, while the second stream is an audio stream of lower data rate. The input stream is parsed (402) and the elementary streams are demultiplexed into respective FIFO queues 404/406. Each stream is further parsed to obtain and calculate time stamp information which is queued separately at (408/410) with pointers to the stream data (at 404/406). The schedule and packetisation applied to the elementary streams in the input stream (TS) cannot be applied directly in creating the output stream (PS).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implicitly partitioning the storage space available on a storage medium, to a storage medium for storing user data and to a recording device for storing user data on a storage medium. In order to limit the mount/unmount time of a volume like a UDF volume on a magnetic tape for ADR and to limit overall seek times during reading: a) storage space available for storage on the medium is divided into a directory region and a data region, b) metadata are stored in the directory region, c) user data are stored in the data region being implicitly subdivided into data sub-regions, d) file set data for user data stored in a data sub-region are stored in a corresponding directory sub-region being assigned to this data sub-region, and e) borders and size of data sub-regions are variable.

Abstract: A recover system and method for a wireless video communication system. The system comprises: a transmitter for transmitting encoded video data to a wireless device; a receiver for receiving a return signal from the wireless device; a signal analysis system for analyzing the return signal to determine if a degraded signal condition exists between the transmitter and wireless device; and a recovery system that converts a predictive video frame in the encoded video data into an intra-coded video frame if the degraded signal condition exists.

Abstract: A histogram comparison process is provided that compares a histogram-vector of a first dataset to a corresponding histogram-vector of a second dataset. The histogram-vectors of the first and second datasets are formed from the histogram values of a select few of the histogram classes, the select few classes being the classes of the first dataset that contain the highest frequency count. The second dataset is characterized using only the select few classes of the first dataset; data items with values that belong to other classes are ignored. A palette dataset is created, corresponding to the second dataset, wherein the data items in the third dataset correspond to indexes to the select classes of the first dataset, or null indexes for the ignored data items. The histograms corresponding to overlapping regions is determined recursively, based on the third dataset.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-standard digital receiver, in a digital video transmission system. It comprises a channel decoder for protecting a transmitted signal against channel transmission errors, the channel decoder comprising: a set of co-processors including at least 3 clusters of programmable co-processors for executing the functions of a digital front-end block (DFE), a channel correction block (CHN) and a forward error correction block (FEC), respectively, a general purpose processor (DSP) for managing control, synchronization and configuration of the channel decoder, and a memory (SM) shared between the clusters and the general purpose processor.

Abstract: A scanning device for a disc-shaped information carrier about an axis of rotation having a linear motor that can displace the scanning unit in a radial direction. The linear motor comprises a first part and a second part guided with respect to each other in the radial direction by a straight guide. The first part comprises pairs of magnets having opposite directions of magnetization. The second part includes an electric coil system with winding portions. The linear motor is further provided with a control unit for controlling an electric current in the coil system. The control unit controls electric current in the winding portions if the winding portion is present in a magnetic transition region between the pair of magnets, resulting in a Lorentz force in the winding portion, substantially perpendicularly to the straight guide. The Lorentz force is used to fix the degrees of freedom of the second part with respect to the first part.

Abstract: Bits in a first binary signal are compared with one or more first binary patterns. For each first binary patterns, if the comparison meets a predetermined criteria for the first binary pattern, than an evaluation value is calculated for that first binary pattern and for one or more secondary binary patterns that correspond to that first binary pattern, the evaluation value indicating the likelihood that each respective binary pattern corresponds with a portion of a run length limited binary signal represented by the bits of the first binary signal. The first binary signal is corrected to correspond with the binary pattern that was determined most likely to be a portion of the run length limited binary signal.

Abstract: A method and device for recording information signals on a partly recorded writable record carrier (11), e.g. an optical disc. An information signal represents at least one information unit. The record carrier has a recording track which comprises preformed track position information indicative of locations for recording the information units. From the information signal a modulated signal is generated, and the recording track is scanned for recording the modulated signal. If recording is after and adjacent an existing recorded unit, linking information is read from an end boundary area of the existing recorded unit and used for logically generating the modulated signal. If recording is before and adjacent to an existing unit, linking information is read from a begin boundary area of the existing unit and thereafter used for logically generating the modulated signal.

Abstract: An optical record carrier (1) is provided with tracks having a groove (4) wobbled in a transverse direction and predetermined positions (18) along the track. The wobble comprises a substantially monotonous undulation (15). Local excursions (16) of the groove superposed on the undulation at the predetermined positions represent position information, such as addresses. The spatial frequency of the undulation is lower than that of the excursions.