Abstract: An ultrasonic lamp control method is provided. The control method includes the following steps. The ultrasonic lamp emits a first burst, and detects whether a first echo is received within a fixed period of time after the emission of the first burst. If the first echo is received within the fixed period of time, then the ultrasonic lamp neglects the first echo and emits a second burst. The ultrasonic lamp detects whether a second echo is received within the fixed period of time after the emission of the second burst. If the second echo is received within the fixed period of time, then the ultrasonic lamp enters a control mode.

Abstract: A record carrier is described comprising a zone with a visually detectable pattern composed of pattern elements arranged along at least one track. The pattern elements comprise a marked zone having an optical property deviating from a background, the marked zones having a width Wm transverse to the track direction and a length Lm along the track direction, wherein at least two or more pattern elements have a marked zone with a mutually different width Wm. In this way, an increased visibility of the visual pattern is achieved. Likewise a method and an apparatus for recording an optical record carrier is included.

Abstract: A lighting system comprising a lamp arranged to transform electricity into a light beam having properties such as intensity, color, color temperature, direction and beam cone angle; a light control means arranged to adjust said light beam properties; an ultrasonic transmitter arranged to transmit ultrasonic signals; an ultrasonic receiver arranged to receive reflected ultrasonic signals; wherein said ultrasonic transmitter and/or receiver are mounted on a rotatable carrier, wherein driving means are present to rotate said carrier; and a processing means arranged to send an ultrasonic pulse repeatedly through said transmitter during rotation at a multitude of angular positions of said carrier and to determine after each pulse is sent if said receiver receives a reflected ultrasonic signal with an amplitude exceeding a predetermined threshold within a predetermined period, and to send control signals to said light control means in dependence of said determination.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for recording an optical record carrier (40). The apparatus is arranged for recording a visually detectable pattern (LBL) at the record carrier in a ring shaped zone (RP). The apparatus is further arranged to record data (Data1, Data2) and a primary data organizing system (FS) wherein the data is organized. The primary data organizing system (FS) does not refer to a physical address within the ring shaped zone. The apparatus is further arranged for recording at least part of the data (Data2) or the primary data organizing system on the record carrier at an area peripherally arranged with respect to the ring shaped zone.

Abstract: A method for monitoring an optical disk drive performance quality by determining a laser diode quality indicator for a laser diode arranged in an optical disk drive for scanning an optical disk, includes measuring an actual value of a parameter associated with a laser diode characteristic, obtaining a reference value of the parameter, comparing the actual value with the reference value for obtaining a comparison result, and determining the laser diode quality indicator from the comparison result. The laser diode quality indicator can at least take a warning level signaling a precursor for a defective state of the optical disk drive and an error level signaling a defective state of the optical disk drive. The laser diode characteristic may be a light-current or a voltage-current relationship.

Abstract: Modular lamp system comprises a base unit comprising a power supply, and at least one pair of external electrical contacts arranged on said base unit and electrically connected with said power supply; and at least one light unit comprising at least one first pair of external electrical contacts, arranged on said light unit and arranged to mate with the at least one pair of electrical contacts of the base unit or another substantially identical unit, at least one second pair of external electrical contacts, arranged on said light unit and arranged to mate with the at least one first pair of electrical contacts of another substantially identical unit, and at least one LED lamp arranged on said light unit, said at least one first pair of external electrical contacts and said at least one second pair of external electrical contacts, and said lamp being electrically connected with each other.

Abstract: An optical disc drive including a chassis, a circuit board and a traverse is provided. The traverse includes a carrier, a pick-up head module, a spindle motor module and a flexible flat cable. The carrier has an opening. The pick-up head module is movably disposed in the opening. The spindle motor module disposed on the carrier is located at one side of the pick-up head module. The flexible flat cable disposed in the opening has two connection ends respectively connected to the pick-up head module and the circuit board. The pick-up head module located at a first position enables the flexible flat cable to have a bending portion protruding towards a direction opposite to the position of the spindle motor module. The pick-up head module located at a second position extends the bending portion. The first position is closer to the spindle motor module than the second position is.

Abstract: A method for managing a non-volatile memory is provided. The non-volatile memory has a number of blocks, and each block has a number of sub-blocks. The method includes a number of steps. First, a last physical address is obtained. The last physical address corresponds to a sub-block which is close to another sub-block where data is newly stored. Next, it is determined, for each sub-block of at least one block, the validity of data being stored. The at least one block is at least one neighboring block of a block containing the corresponding sub-block of the last physical address. Then, a mapping table is produced according to the step of determining the validity of data.

Abstract: A lighting system comprising a plurality of light units, wherein said light units are arranged in an array, wherein the light beams of substantially each pair of adjacent light units overlap each other, and wherein the light system comprises a light control device which is arranged to adjust the intensity of each one of said plurality of light units individually, wherein said light control device is further arranged to maintain the total combined luminous flux emitted from said plurality of light units on a predefined imaginary flat surface substantially equal when adjusting the intensity of the individual light units.

Abstract: A method for playing digital images is disclosed. The method is applied to a disc player that is electrically connected to a computer, comprises the steps of: reading a disc; judging if the disc has DVD video data; judging that the disc player is in a play mode or in a non-play mode, when the disc has the DVD video data; reading the DVD video data, when the disc player is in the player mode; judging if the read DVD video data are correct; and continuing reading the DVD video data, when the DVD video data are incorrect, wherein when a time for the continuing reading exceeds a pre-set time or self-set terms, the incorrect DVD video data are outputted.

Abstract: A system is described comprising an optical record carrier and an apparatus for recording the optical record carrier. The apparatus comprises a facility (20) for generating a visually detectable pattern at a physical location on the record carrier (40), and a facility (20) for storing pattern information. The pattern information comprises at least first information indicative for the physical location.

Abstract: A disc loading and ejecting structure for a slot-in optical disc drive aims to drive a compact disc into and out of the slot-in optical disc drive to solve the problems of conventional techniques that they are bulky and occupy too much space. The structure includes a driving portion and a guiding portion that are located at two opposite sides of the slot-in optical disc drive. The driving portion includes a roller with the rotation axis parallel with a positioning surface of the compact disc. A first end edge of the compact disc is abutted on the guiding portion and a second end edge is leaned on the roller. The roller can rotate and move reciprocally in parallel with the direction of the rotation axis to drive the compact disc into and out of the slot-in optical disc drive.

Abstract: A method of applying image data as a visually detectable pattern with at least one embedded data element at an optical record carrier is disclosed, comprising the step of physically mapping at least one channel symbol onto the record carrier, the channel symbol being selected from a set of mutually different channel symbols, the channel symbols each comprising an area of size s1 with a relatively low value v1 for an optical property and an area with size s2 with a relatively high value v2 for said optical property, the channel symbols being distributed over a plurality of subsets each having a plurality of channel symbols wherein the plurality of channel symbols within a subset have a distance that is substantially less than the distance between channel symbols of mutually different subsets, wherein the distance between two channel symbols is defined as the absolute difference between the ratios s1/(s1+s2).

Abstract: A method for determining an ultrasonic detecting cycle is provided. Firstly, an initial detecting cycle T is set. Then, a first sensing wave is generated. Then, a first time-of-flight value is calculated corresponding to the first sensing wave. After the first sensing wave has been generated for the initial detecting cycle T, a second sensing wave is generated. Then, a second time-of-flight value is calculated corresponding to the second sensing wave. Afterwards, the second time-of-flight value is compared with the first time-of-flight value. If a difference between the second time-of-flight value and the first time-of-flight value is smaller than a threshold value, the initial detecting cycle T is determined as the ultrasonic detecting cycle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of writing data to a disc (OD). The method comprised: a) performing a plurality of writing actions in which a plurality of data portions are written to the disc, b) performing a plurality of verification actions in which written data portions are at least partly verified and at least part of the data portions are replaced if needed. The method further comprises a2) performing a decision action for each writing action in which a decision whether or not to perform the verification action for a specific written data portion is taken.

Abstract: A lighting system comprising a lamp arranged to transform electricity into a light beam having properties including intensity, color, color temperature, direction and beam cone angle, a light control system arranged to adjust said light beam properties, an ultrasonic transmitter arranged to transmit ultrasonic signals, an ultrasonic receiver arranged to receive reflected ultrasonic signals, and a processing system arranged to derive a time-of-flight signal representing the time differences between said transmitted and received ultrasonic signals and to send control signals to said light control system in dependence of said time-of-flight signal, wherein said processing system is further arranged to perform a sound pressure level calibration step wherein the amplitude of the received reflected ultrasonic signal of the receiver is measured and wherein the amplitude of the transmitted ultrasonic signal of the transmitter is adjusted such that the amplitude of the received reflected signal approximates a predeter

Abstract: A lighting system comprising a lamp arranged to transform electricity into a light beam having properties such as intensity, lour, lour temperature, direction and beam cone angle, a light control system arranged to adjust said light beam properties, an ultrasonic transmitter arranged to transmit ultrasonic signals, an ultrasonic receiver arranged to receive reflected ultrasonic signals, and a processing system arranged to derive a time-of-flight signal representing the time differences between said transmitted and received ultrasonic signals and to send control signals to said light control system in dependence of said time-of-flight signal.

Abstract: A lighting system comprising a plurality of light units, wherein said light units are arranged in at least two groups forming concentric polygons or circles, wherein the light beams of substantially each pair of adjacent light units overlap each other, wherein the light beams of the inner group are directed substantially parallel to each other, wherein the light beams of the light units in the outer group diverge from the light beams of the light units in the inner group, and wherein the light system comprises a light control means which is arranged to adjust the intensity of each one of said plurality of light units individually.

Abstract: An optical scanning device is adapted for scanning a record carrier having an outer face. The optical scanning device comprises a radiation source for generating a radiation beam, and an objective system having an exit face arranged for evanescent coupling of the radiation beam between the exit face and the outer face and for converging the radiation beam to a focus. A gap servo maintains a distance between the exit face and the outer face at a predetermined gap height. The optical scanning device includes a control unit for setting the predetermined gap height at at least two different values.

Abstract: A combiner positioning system for a head-up display (HUD) is provided. The positioning system includes a combiner holder, a pair of control discs, a pair of levers and a driving unit. The combiner holder is connected to the combiner, the levers are connected to the combiner holder and the control discs, and the driving unit is connected to the control discs. When the driving unit drives the control discs to rotate, the levers moves the combiner holder and the combiner. The positioning system enables the combiner's first movement from parking position (storage position) to operating position (display position) and a second movement for angular fine adjustment of the combiner is also enabled after reaching the operating position.