Abstract: For irradiating a layer a radiation beam is directed and focussed to a spot on the layer, relative movement of the layer relative to the optical element is caused so that, successively, different portions of the layer are irradiated and an interspace between a surface of the optical element nearest to the layer is maintained. Furthermore, at least a portion of the interspace through which the radiation irradiates the spot on the layer is maintained filled with a liquid, the liquid being supplied via a supply conduit and flowing out of an outflow opening through a total projected cross-sectional passage area in a plane parallel to the layer. The outflow opening or a plurality of the outflow openings are positioned such that, seen in a direction perpendicular to the layer, the total cross-sectional area has a centre in the portion of the interspace through which the radiation irradiates the spot.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for shifting at least one light spot (903), said system comprising: —a phase-modulator (906) for generating, from an input light beam, a light beam which is phase-modulated according to a controllable phase profile, —an array of apertures (902) for generating said at least one light spot (903) from said phase-modulated light beam, a change of the phase profile implying a shift of said at least one light spot (903).

Abstract: A disk drive unit for a disk includes a mounting plate, a spindle motor assembly, a slide mechanism provided with a slide, a pickup unit mounted on the slide, a first transmission member operatively connected with the slide, and a second transmission member. The first transmission member is positioned such that it is in engagement with the second transmission member when the pickup unit is in its read and/or write position, and such that the first transmission member is out of engagement with the second transmission member when the pickup unit is in its home position. In order to bring the first and second transmission members into engagement, the transmission members are provided with engagement members. As a result, a limit switch assembly is no longer necessary.

Abstract: Optical pick-up apparatus for retrieving data stored on an optical storage disc having a plurality of record layers (6, 7), the radiation beam reflected back from the disc when a first layer (7) is irradiated comprising radiation reflected back from the first layer (7) and radiation reflected back from one or more of the other layers(6). A spatial filter (8) is provided which is arranged and configured to spatially filter the radiation beam so as to cause the radiation reflected by the first record layer (7) and the radiation reflected by any of the other record layers (6) of the optical storage disc to be spatially separated, such that at least a substantial portion of the radiation reflected back from the other layers (6) can be selectively eliminated from the radiation beam prior to retrieval therefrom of the data.

Abstract: A rewritable optical record carrier comprising a first substrate carrying a first recording stack of layers, which recording stack comprises, a first dielectric layer, a recording layer comprising a phase-change recording material, a second dielectric layer, and a metal mirror layer. In order to achieve a maximum R*M said first dielectric layer has a thickness d1 in the range of 20 nm to 50 nm, and said second dielectric layer has a thickness d2 according to the relation 0.0225*d22?2.6572*d2+173.3 (nm)<d1<0.0225*d22?2.6572*d2+213.3 (nm) when the mirror layer comprises aluminum, or a thickness d2 according to the relationship 0.0191*d22?2.0482*d2+149.6 (nm)<d1<0.0191*d22?2.0482*d2+189.6 (nm) when the mirror layer comprises silver.

Abstract: A disk drive comprising a tray (TR) for receiving a disk, the tray (TR) being supported for movement between a first position within a casing (CS) of the disk drive and a second position projecting from the casing (CS), an electric motor for moving the tray (TR) between the first and second positions, and a regulation device for regulating an electric current through the motor for regulating the rotation of the motor. The regulation device comprises a detection device for detecting a back-electromotive voltage produced during rotation of the motor for deriving position information of the tray (TR) with respect to the first and second positions.

Abstract: When recording data on a medium where a certain data rate is required, an allocation manager in the player must allocate sections of the logical space in such a way that the recording medium is efficiently filled and that an adequate data rate can be guaranteed even in the presence of defective ECC blocks. The allocation rules for the allocation manager are complex. The rules can be simplified by placing a lower limit on the size of an extent and by increasing the size of the extent depending on the number of defect ECC blocks in the extent.

Abstract: A device for rendering real time information arranged in cells constituted by units encoded at a variable bit rate, e.g. video on a DVD, is described. The device has various trick play modes for rendering the information at a different speeds based on speed pointers. A limited amount of speed pointers is included in the information stream. The device has a calculation unit 32 for calculating further speed pointers based on estimating the playback time of the units by retrieving cell playback information (C-PBIT) that includes the addresses of the first unit and the last unit within the cell and a cell playback time, retrieving a unit address map (VTS-VOBU-ADMAP) that includes the addresses of the units, determining a number of units within the cell by determining a position of said first and last unit in the unit address map, and dividing the cell playback time by the number of units.

Abstract: A method of recording an encoded bit stream, said encoded bit stream representing a plurality of video objects comprising a sequence of cells together constituting a part of an MPEG2 Program Stream, on a disc like record carrier, such as an optical disc. The method comprises recording multiple series of contiguously arranged video objects constituting multiple video object sets on said disc with corresponding multiple management information comprising attribute information of the corresponding video object set. The management information constituting with a video object set a playable video title. The multiple video object sets are combined into a single combined video object set and the multiple management information is preceding said combined video object set.

Abstract: A multi-stack optical data storage medium for rewritable recording by a focused laser-light beam, the medium having a substrate with deposited on aside thereof: a first recording stack comprising a phase-change type recording layer at least one further recording stack comprising a phase-change type recording layer, a transparent spacer layer adjacent each further recording stack. The further recording stack is sufficiently transmissive to ensure proper sensitivity for reading and recording in the first recording stack. For this purpose, at least one indium tin oxide layer is present in at least one of the further recording stacks. The indium tin oxide layer further ensures proper cooling behavior of the recording layer of the further recording stack in order to obtain sufficient recording performance in the farther recording stack.

Abstract: Device for scanning a disc-shaped data carrier, comprising a transport system for transporting the data carrier. In the case of a device (1) for scanning a disc-shaped data carrier (2), with a pivotable data carrier plate (4), which features a receptacle for the data carrier (2), said data carrier (2) is to be able to be moved between the inlay position and the scanning position, which is at a higher level than the inlay position, by means of a combined sliding and swivel action, in order to minimize the design height of the device (1) with an adjustably held transport system (5) for moving the data carrier (2) between an inlay position and a scanning position, in which scanning position the data carrier (2) is located on the data carrier plate (4) for scanning, and with a guide device, such as a lever (9) or sliding blocks (17, 18).

Abstract: The application relates to a method of and devices for encoding an information stream (20) into a variable bit rate (VBR) encoded information stream (24). The application discloses a method of estimating the relation between the variable bit rate, the recording time and the storage capacity of a record carrier. The deviation of the estimated recording time from the true recording time is kept within predefined limits and it is prevented that deviations from several successive recordings accumulate.

Abstract: An optical scanning device for scanning first and second type of record carriers includes a radiation-generating device for generating a radiation beam having first and second wavelengths in the different modes. An objective system focuses the radiation beam on the record carrier. An optical element is provided having a structure in the radiation beam for introducing vergence and aberration in the radiation beam of the second wavelength. The aberration may be written as a polynomial with at least two terms a2?2 and a4?4. If a2=0 and a4=0, the corresponding values of a4 and a2 are given by a40 and a20, respectively. a2, a4, a20 and a40 satisfy the relation 0.9<((a2/a20)+(a4/a40))<1.1, as well as either the relation 0.20<(a2/a20)<0.90 (if a40) or the relation 1.05<(a2/a20)<2.00 (if a4<0).

Abstract: Optical recording method and apparatus using this method. An optical recording method and recording apparatus using this method is described in which an optimum write power of a radiation beam in the apparatus is set by writing a series of test patterns on an optical recordable medium, forming a read signal from the patterns, reading a preset value of the derivative of the modulation of the read signal with respect to the write power from the medium, and processing the read signal together with the preset value to derive an optimum value of the write power.

Abstract: A driver for driving a light generator for generating light, comprising a digitalto-analog converter (DAC) having a data input, a data output for generating an analog signal, a first multiplexer (MUX1) for cyclic selection of a number of data levels corresponding to desired intensity levels of the light and for coupling the data levels to the data input; a de multiplexer (DE-MUX) synchronized with the first multiplexer (MUX1) for de-multiplexing the analog signal into a set of analog signals; memory means for temporarily storing the set of analog signals; and a second multiplexer (MUX2) for selection of the stored set of analog signals and for generating a drive signal (IL) for the light generator. The memory means is preferably implemented by a set of capacitors (C1-C8). Usually, for instance in an optical disc drive, the light generator is implemented by a laser (Ls).

Abstract: For irradiating a layer (3) a radiation beam (7) is directed and focused to a spot (11) on the layer (3), relative movement of the layer (3) relative to the optical element (59) is caused so that, successively, different portions of the layer (3) are irradiated and an interspace (53) between a surface of the optical element (59) nearest to the layer (3) is maintained. Furthermore, at least a portion of the interspace (53) through which the radiation irradiates the spot (11) on the layer (3) is maintained filled with a liquid (91). By directing a gas flow (71-73) to a surface zone (74) of the layer (3), liquid (91) is reliably prevented from passing that surface zone (74), without causing damage to the layer (3). The liquid (91) is drawn away from the layer (3) in the vicinity of the surface zone (74).

Abstract: Method of controlling a current through a coil (L) for the generation of a magnetic field (H) in which: a parameter is determined which is a measure for the value of the resistance (RL) of the coil (L), the current (IL) through the coil (L) is controlled by data (DS) delivered by a data control circuit (DSS), and a stop data signal (SPD) is delivered to the data control circuit (DSS) for (at least) temporarily stopping the control of the current (IL) when the parameter exceeds a certain limit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling read-out and/or synchronization between an external magnetic field and written data during a reading operation from a magneto-optical recording medium includes generating a pulse in a reading signal in a read-out layer by copying a mark region from a storage layer to the read-out layer upon heating by a radiation power and with the aid of the external magnetic field. The waveform of the reading signal is analyzed, and the analysis result is used for correcting a phase deviation and/or for controlling a copy window size of the mark copying. Phase errors may thus be corrected for any size of the copy window. Even small changes in the copy window can be detected and corrected.

Abstract: An achromatic electrowetting lens is provided. This is achieved by a particular choice of the parameters n, n2, V, and V2, wherein n is the refractive index and V is the Abbe number. By fulfilling the relations: Formula (I) an achromatization of the electrowetting lens is achieved.

Abstract: A method for controlling writing on a data carrier device, at least including: writing data on the data carrier device with a data writer device; obtaining a tracking error signal corresponding to a position of the data writer device with respect to a track on the data carrier device; if the tracking error signal is below a predetermined tracking error value: bringing the data writer device to a non-writing state; and if the writer device is in the non-writing state and the tracking error signal is above predetermined tracking error value: bringing the data writer device to a writing state in which the data writer device writes data to the data carrier device.