Abstract: A disk inspection apparatus for discriminating disks. The disk inspection apparatus has an ECC control section and a comparison section. The ECC control section measures the number of error corrections PIE and the number of error correction failures PIF in a predetermined section of the disk. The comparison section discriminates the disk as a disk with a deterioration in jitter characteristic when the minimum or the average of the PIE exceeds a first threshold value; discriminates the disk as a normal disk when the maximum of the PIF is equal to or smaller than a second threshold and the minimum or the average of the PIE is equal to or smaller than the first threshold value; and discriminates the disk as a scratched disk when the minimum or the average of the PIE is equal to or smaller than the first threshold value and the maximum of the PIF exceeds the second threshold value.

Abstract: Recording of data into a multilayer optical disk and reliable reproduction of the data are enabled. When user data are recorded on a multilayer optical disk having a first layer L0 and a second layer L1, the second layer L1 is formatted beforehand, to thus record dummy data. Subsequently, the user data are recorded into the first layer L0. Even after completion of recording of the user data at some point in the first layer L0, an area of the second layer L1 located immediately above or below a recorded area of the first layer L0 remains in a recorded state at all times. Compatibility with a play-only disk is maintained, and the play-only drive can reproduce the user data immediately after recording of the data.

Abstract: An optical disk drive capable of detecting occurrence of step-out or tooth jump in a mechanism for transferring an optical pickup. The optical pickup is transferred in a radial direction of the optical disk by means of a stepping motor. Upon receipt of a seeking operation command from a host machine, a control section drives the stepping motor by way of a controller, to thus cause the optical pickup to perform seek up to a target address. When logical contradiction has arisen in a stepper pointer showing the amount of rotation of the stepping motor, the control section determines that step-out or tooth jump has arisen. Moreover, even when a difference exists between an address indicated by the value of the stepper pointer and an actual address, step-out or tooth jump is determined to have arisen. When the step-out or tooth jump has arisen in the transfer mechanism, the rotational speed of a spindle motor or the rotational speed of the stepping motor is decreased.

Abstract: An optical disk drive is loaded with a disk set in a chuck position upon entry through an insertion slot by automatic loading. A lifting frame is movable between high and low positions in an opening of a base panel. A disk driving unit is disposed on the lifting frame for chucking and rotating the disk. A leading segment is connected with the lifting frame, and raises a distal end of a periphery of the disk from the insertion slot by forming a slope. The leading segment extends in the insertion direction of the disk, and has an end positioned beside the disk driving unit. The end of the leading segment is kept higher than an upper surface of the lifting frame when the lifting frame is in the low position.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus for suppressing a DSV and performing R-OPC. An encoding/decoding circuit inserts a synchronization information item to a head of a synchronous frame once when data are recorded on an optical disk. First, the encoding/decoding circuit inserts synchronization information as a mark or a space on the basis of a DSV. When the polarity of the first synchronization information item is a mark, the polarity of a next synchronization information item is also set on the basis of the DSV. When the polarity of the first synchronization information is a space, the polarity of the next synchronization information is set to a mark. R-OPC is performed at a timing when the polarity of the synchronization information is a mark.

Abstract: A disk transport mechanism in a disk drive is connected with a transmission gear mechanism. A loading motor drives the disk transport mechanism. When the loading motor rotates forwards, an optical disk is carried by the disk transport mechanism to a chuck position. When the loading motor rotates backwards, the optical disk is moved back to an ejection position. In failure of the loading motor, an emergency pin is pushed to actuate an emergency disk ejector. A first gear wheel in the transmission gear mechanism is disengaged by the emergency disk ejector to separate the transmission gear mechanism into a disk transport mechanism side and a motor. A second gear wheel on the disk transport mechanism side is rotated to actuate the disk transport mechanism. The emergency pin is pushed repeatedly to cause the disk transport mechanism to move back the optical disk to the ejection position.

Abstract: An optical disk drive capable of detecting occurrence of tooth jump in a mechanism for transferring an optical pickup. The optical pickup is transferred in a radial direction of an optical disk by means of a stepping motor. A control section having received a seek operation command from a host machine drives the stepping motor by way of a controller, to thus cause the optical pickup to perform seek up to a target address. The amount of displacement between a current address achieved after seek operation and a target address is computed. When the amount of displacement is equal to or greater than a pitch P of the transfer mechanism; namely, the pitch P of a lead screw, the tooth jump is determined to have arisen. Seek conditions are changed, and seek is reperformed.

Abstract: A disk unit wherein a disk is inserted by a plurality of arms, the arms being able to convey two types of disks different in diameter while supporting an outer periphery edge of each of the disks. A disk is loaded to the interior of the disk unit by automatic loading, and a disk accommodated in the interior of the disk unit is unloaded to the exterior of the disk unit. The disk unit comprises a limit switch, the limit switch being actuated by an arm that is pressed by an outer periphery edge of a large diameter disk or a small diameter disk upon insertion of the disk from a slot of a bezel. The insertion of the large diameter disk or the small diameter disk is determined on the basis of the state of operation of the limit switch.

Abstract: HMW demodulation is effected more reliably with a simple configuration. A reproduced wobble signal is caused to pass through a BPF previously set to a center frequency 2fwob, to thus enhance a second harmonic component. The wobble signal having passed through a BPF is multiplied by a second harmonic signal. Subsequently, a peak envelope signal and a bottom envelope signal of the multiplied wobble signal are extracted. The peak envelope signal is discriminated from the first preset threshold value. A result of this discrimination becomes a signal used for detecting an HMW[1] wobble waveform. Similarly, a bottom envelope signal is discriminated from a preset second threshold value. The result of discrimination becomes a signal used for detecting an HMW[0] wobble waveform.

Abstract: A printer comprises a transfer assembly 56 for transferring a print image formed on an intermediate transfer sheet 42 to a print surface of a print medium 100, a print tray 12 on which the print medium 100 is placed, and a retaining roller 70 installed slightly downstream of the transfer assembly 56. The retaining roller 70 which is biased downward pushes the print medium 100 from above, to thereby prevent the print medium 100 from being lifted up.

Abstract: A lifting frame has a lifting pin that fits into a lifting cam groove of a follower slider, and swings up and down about a rod near a disk slot. A holding member is swingably attached to front end of the lifting frame. This holding member supports a turntable unit for holding a disk. The holding member has a cam follower pin that fits into a swinging cam groove of a loading slider to raise and lower the holding member. When the lifting frame swings down from a read/write position to a lowered position, the holding member inclines from the lifting frame so as to place the turntable unit substantially parallel to a disk carrying direction.

Abstract: A disk sorter for DVDs, CDs or other disks includes a sorter frame. Plural sorting trays are contained in the sorter frame in a multi-level arrangement, respectively have a front tray end and a rear tray end, are inclined downwards toward the front tray end, for containing a disk on a side higher than the front tray end upon reception with the rear tray end. A movable chute structure is disposed behind the rear tray end, movable up or down, inclined downwards toward the rear tray end, for supplying one of the sorting trays with the disk by guiding to the rear tray end. A disk transfer device holds the disk, and places the disk on the chute structure, to transfer to the one sorting tray. Furthermore, a lifting device moves up or down the chute structure, and positions the chute end at the rear tray end.

Abstract: A disk holding device for a disk having a center hole is provided. A disk holding mechanism is movable between a holding position and a release position, for engagement with an edge of the center hole when in the holding position, and for coming away from the edge when in the release position. A solenoid as actuator shifts the disk holding mechanism, to hold the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the holding position, and to release the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the release position. A regulating portion contacts a peripheral portion of an upper surface of the disk, to keep the disk retained on the disk holding mechanism by preventing skew relative to the disk holding mechanism. Preferably, the disk holding mechanism enters the center hole downwards and holds the disk on a lower side.

Abstract: A disk holding device is for use with a disk having a center hole. A disk holding mechanism with coupling levers is movable between a holding position and a release position, for engagement with an edge of the center hole when in the holding position, and for coming away from the edge when in the release position. A solenoid shifts the disk holding mechanism, to hold the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the holding position, and to enable loading or unloading of the disk by setting the disk holding mechanism in the release position. A separating projection is opposed to the edge when inserted in the center hole, for receiving the edge while the disk holding mechanism moves to the release position, to ensure separation of the disk from the disk holding mechanism.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a spindle motor for rotating an optical disk, and an optical pickup head. On a base plate, a pickup moving motor moves the optical pickup head in a disk radial direction. A motor plate supports the spindle motor. A spacer holder has a small thickness, and is secured to the base plate. A spacer boss is disposed to project from the spacer holder toward the motor plate. A first hole is formed through the spacer boss. A retaining screw has first and second shaft portions. A screw hole is formed in the base plate, for engagement with the first shaft portion inserted through the first hole, to retain the retaining screw. A great diameter peripheral surface is positioned at the second shaft portion, for applying pressure to fit the spacer boss tightly on the motor plate. Further, the spacer is formed from plastic material.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus reliably executes a seek operation even if an optical disc is warped. Tilt adjustment values spanning from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of an optical disc are stored. When seeking from a start address to a destination address, a tilt adjustment value A at the start address and a tilt adjustment address C at the destination address are not directly used. A tilt adjustment value k·C (k<1) is used during a coarse seek operation until the neighborhood of the destination address and a tilt adjustment value C is used during a fine seek operation from the neighborhood of the destination address to the destination address.

Abstract: An optical disk drive of a slot-in type is loadable with any of two optical disks different in the diameter, and has an insertion slot formed in a case chassis for disk loading. A disk entered through the insertion slot is received by a disk support arm set in a ready position. A loading mechanism is actuated when the disk support arm is pressed by the disk. In response to this, plural arms and the disk support arm cooperate to support the disk, which is moved to a chuck position for writing and reading information. For disk unloading, the disk, supported by the plural arms, is moved by the disk support arm to an ejection position. The disk support arm is shifted from an advance position for pressing the disk to the ejection position, to the ready position which is offset toward the chuck position.

Abstract: An optical pickup device for recording and reproducing information by tilting and horizontally driving a lens holder, holding an objective lens, to irradiate an optical disk with a recording/reproducing laser light from a light source. The optical pickup device has a reflector for reflecting a portion of the recording/reproducing laser light led to the lens holder from the light source; a detector fixedly placed at a position at which the amount of received light for detection, which is the recording/reproducing laser light reflected by the reflector, varies according to the tilt angle of the lens holder; and tilt angle acquisition means for acquiring the tilt angle of the objective lens from the light receiving amount detected by the detector.

Abstract: An optical disk inspecting apparatus 10 plays an optical disk at a high speed and determines, based on error information provided during the high-speed reproduction, whether or not errors of a number exceeding a first threshold value have occurred. Then, when it is determined that errors of a number exceeding a first threshold value have occurred, the optical disk inspecting apparatus 10 performs high-speed principal determination of executing high-speed reproduction in this segment and determining presence or absence of errors of a number exceeding a second threshold value and also performs low-speed principal determination of executing low-speed reproduction in this segment and determining presence or absence of errors of a number exceeding the second threshold value. When errors of a number exceeding the second threshold value are detected, it is determined that there is a defect, and NG is outputted.

Abstract: There is provided an optical disk device which quickly inspects the presence or absence of a defect in an optical disk in order to ensure that it can be played back on various types of optical disk devices. A detection unit uses signals supplied from a playback unit to detect defects from each of an RF signal, a focus error signal, and a tracking error signal. A CPU stores positions of the defects in a memory. The playback unit plays back data while degrading playback conditions at the positions of the defects . The detection unit detects an error rate of the played-back data, and finally determines whether the optical disk is “OK” or “NG”.