Abstract: A lighting system comprising a lamp arranged to transform electricity into a light beam having different properties; 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. The processing system performs a reference calibration step: the time-of-flight is repeatedly measured a multitude of times, and calculates the average of said measured time-of-flight values and stores the average in memory system as a reference time-of-flight value if said deviation of the majority of the measured time-of-flight values of said multitude of measurements is lower than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A lighting system comprising a lamp comprising an array of LEDs arranged to transform electricity into a light beam having properties including intensity, color, color temperature; a fight control system comprising a LED driver and a pulse width modulator arranged to adjust said light beam properties; a DA-converter, an ultrasound driver and an ultrasonic transmitter arranged to convert a digital transmit signal into the transmission of an ultrasonic pulse; an ultrasonic receiver and an amplifier arranged to receive reflected ultrasonic signals and transform said ultrasonic signal in a voltage, and a comparator arranged to generate a digital receive signal if said voltage is greater than a predetermined threshold; a processing system arranged to derive a time-of-flight signal representing the time differences between said digital transmit and receive 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 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 means and said light control system are further arranged to change from adjustment of one of said light beam properties to adjustment of another one of said light beam properties, if a predetermined behavior in said time-of-flight signal is determined.

Abstract: A method is provided for acquiring a reserved block in a holographic storage system. A symmetrical reference table is defined according to the characteristics of a known reference reserved block. Then, the differences between respective unit blocks and the reference reserved block are calculated according to the symmetrical reference table so as to determine total match scores for respective unit blocks. Consequently, the unit block having the highest match score is deemed as the reserved block.

Abstract: A power detection method applied to a peripheral apparatus is provided. The method includes the following steps. First, a power signal is received from a data communication interface. Next, it is determined that whether the power signal is able to drive a main function device of the peripheral apparatus. Then, according to the determination result, the power signal is selectively provided to the main function device to drive the main function device.

Abstract: A method for identifying a disc is provided. The method comprising steps of: controlling an optical reader to fetch content stored at a selected position and counting time period; stopping counting and acquiring an access time after receiving the error message; determining if the access time is greater than a reference time; identifying the disc as a legitimate disc when the access time is greater than the reference time; and identifying the disc as a pirate disc when the access time is less than the reference time.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of reading an image data from an optical record carrier with a visually detectable pattern comprising a visually detectable pattern of pixels comprising at least one pattern element 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, wherein the data representative for a structure of the visually detectable pattern is embedded by variations in one or more of the parameters s1, v1, s2, v2 of the pattern elements. The method comprising the steps of scanning the visually detectable pattern and generating a detection signal representative for a visual property of the pattern as a function of position, retrieving the image data from the signal, retrieving an embedded data from the signal, generating an address data using said embedded data, storing image data values at addresses indicated by said address data.

Abstract: An optical disc drive is provided to comprise a main circuit board; an optical pickup head, electrically connected to the main circuit board for reading data from an optical disc and for writing a label side of the optical disc; an spindle motor module, electrically connected to the main circuit board through a first flexible flat cable for supporting and rotating the optical; and a spoke detecting module, electrically connected to the main circuit board through a second flexible flat cable for detecting a spoke pattern formed on inner radius of the label side of the optical disc.

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 method of determining a disk type of an optical disk is provided to comprise steps of: using a first light path for forming an incident beam; moving an objective lens system corresponding to the first light path from a start position towards the optical disk; receiving a sensor output signal during the movement of the objective lens system, wherein the sensor output signal includes a central aperture signal; determining the disk type of the optical disk according to the central aperture signal.

Abstract: A control method of an optical disc drive includes steps of: detecting data transmission is being performed between the computer system and the optical disc drive or not; stopping supplying an operating voltage to the optical disc drive if data transmission not being performed; determining whether or not an eject switch is being pressed according to a variation in potential on a shared line when a first logic level is detected, and supplying the operating voltage to the optical disc drive if a press on the eject switch is detected and after a predetermined time ejecting a tray from the optical disc drive; and determining whether or not the tray is loaded into the optical disc drive according to a variation in potential on the shared line when a second logic level is detected, and supplying the operating voltage to the optical disc drive if the tray is loaded.

Abstract: A disk drive includes an insert-and-eject device and a disk guide unit. The insert-and-eject device is used for inserting and ejecting a disk. The disk guide unit includes a rack and a slide member connected to the insert-and-eject device in such a manner that reciprocal movement of the disk guide unit along a first direction permits the slide member to drive the insert-and-eject device to insert and eject the optical disk from the disk drive. An emergency release device is mounted on the slide member, and includes a horizontal element movable along a second direction. The rack is formed with a retention groove such that the movement of the horizontal element along the second direction permits a the horizontal element to extend within or exit the retention groove so as to couple the slide member with the rack or to disengage the slide member from the rack.

Abstract: A driving circuit for LED includes: at least one LED; a light emission driving circuit having a first PWM unit and a power converting unit generating a driving current according to a signal generated by the first PWM unit and sending the driving current to the LED; a shunt parallel-connected with the LED; and a signal generating unit for generating a signal to switch on or off an electrical connection between the shunt and the light emission driving circuit. When the signal from the signal generating unit is at a high level, the electrical connection is switched on so that a majority of the residual driving current flows to the shunt.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a chassis having a spindle motor for rotating a disk and a read/write head for reading or writing data on the disk, a slide block disposed at one side of the chassis and slidable reciprocally along an entrance-and-exit route defined by the disk, and a support member mounted on the slide member so as to be movable together therewith. The support member supports the disk from below during inserting the disk into the disk drive.

Abstract: A lighting device includes a light source, first and second beam-directing prism elements, and a transmission device. The light source emits a light beam. The first beam-directing prism element is arranged in a first direction. The second beam-directing prism element is arranged in a second direction and partially overlapped with the first beam-directing prism element. When the light beam passes through different regions of the first and second beam-directing prism elements, different bending angles are resulted. The transmission device is connected to the first and second beam-directing prism elements for driving movement of the first beam-directing prism element in the first direction and movement of the second beam-directing prism element in the second direction. Accordingly, the light beam emitted by the light source simultaneously passes through one of the regions of the first beam-directing prism element and one of the regions of the second beam-directing prism element.

Abstract: A light output control method for a lighting system is provided. The lighting system includes a plurality of sensors and a light-emitting unit. The light output control method includes steps of: sensing a motion of an object within the sensing ranges of the sensors at different time spots, thereby generating multiple sensing values; obtaining a sensing sequence data according to the sensing values indicating the motion of the object sensed by the sensors; controlling the light-emitting unit to perform a light output control operation if the sensing sequence data complies with a predetermined condition.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical data system comprising an optical disc drive and a host. The optical disc drive is arranged to receive an optical disc and perform read and write actions with respect to the optical disc. The host is arranged to instruct the optical disc drive to perform a read or write action with respect to the optical disc. The optical disc drive may be arranged to a) the optical disc drive is arranged to perform a quality measurement generating a plurality of quality parameters, b) the optical disc drive is arranged to output the plurality of quality parameters to the host, and c) the host is arranged to decide on a further action based on the received plurality of quality parameters.

Abstract: An optical disk drive and a method for scanning an optical disk that includes a substantially circular track with a scanning velocity is provided. A servo control signal (SCS) is determined based on a servo error signal (SES). A first performance indicator (IND1) of the servo actuator is determined from at least one of the SES and SCS. IND1 is compared against a first pre-determined threshold (ITHR1), determining a first servo margin (MAR1). The scanning velocity is set in dependence on at least MAR1. In particular, scanning velocity is reduced when the first performance indicator exceeds the first pre-determined threshold. Additionally or alternatively, a bandwidth of control of the servo actuator can be adjusted in dependence on at least one of a second servo margin, determined from at least one of SES and SCS, and a third servo margin, associated with a mark quality determined from a central aperture signal.

Abstract: An optical disk drive for determining a disk characteristic of an optical disk comprising an information layer comprising a substantially circular track is described. The optical disk drive has an optical pickup unit arranged to generate a beam, direct the beam to the optical disk for forming an incident beam, sense a reflected beam produced by the optical disk with a sensor upon receiving the incident beam with the sensor, produce a sensor output signal from sensing the reflected beam; a disk receiving device arranged to receive the optical disk; a motor arranged to provide a transition of the disk receiving device from a first mode to a second mode in at least one transition phase; and a controller arranged to receive the sensor output signal during at least one part of the at least one transition phase and perform at least part of determining the disk characteristic from at least the sensor output signal received during the at least one part of the at least one transition phase.

Abstract: An optical disc drive including an outer casing, a supporting base, a main shaft motor and a position-limiting element is provided. The outer casing has an optical disc entry. The supporting base is disposed in the outer casing. The main shaft motor is disposed on the supporting base. The position-limiting element has a first pivot portion, a position-limiting part and a second pivot portion located between the first pivot portion and the position-limiting part. The first pivot portion is connected to the supporting base, and the position-limiting element is able to be swung about the second pivot serving as a fulcrum. When the supporting base is located at an upper position, the position-limiting part is located at a first position, and when the supporting base is located at a lower position, the position-limiting part is located at a second position, wherein the first position is under the second position.