Abstract: A near-field optical head applied for a head of an information recording/reading apparatus for realizing information recording and reading with high density recording medium at high speed and with reliability through interaction between a near-field light and a recording medium using a slider having a near-field optical probe. A slider (1) having a near-field optical probe is put into proximity to a recording medium (3). Further, a distance is reduced between a light emitting element (2) and a microscopic aperture (7). The microscopic aperture is controlled in protrusion amount from the recording medium (3) by a piezoelectric element. Due to this, the light intensity in the probe or light detecting section is increased to increase interaction with the recording medium (3). This realizes information recording and reading apparatus with high sensitivity and accuracy.

Abstract: A method of forming a mask pattern includes a formatting step for formatting authoring data in accordance with formats of specified media either by a fixed amount at a time or continuously. The authoring data is obtained by an authoring operation in which base information, such as image information or audio information, is edited. The method of forming a mask pattern also includes a mask pattern generating step in which basic pattern information is generated from basic signal pattern data necessary for various types of optical disks as a result of carrying out a pattern editing operation, and the basic pattern information is used to generate a mask pattern by carrying out a mask pattern generating operation. In the steps of a conventional method, it is necessary to carefully determine the conditions which allow disks produced after a plurality of later operations of the method have been carried out to satisfy standards.

Abstract: A disk apparatus includes a DSP core. If given an instruction to skip music during reproducing with an MO disk, the DSP core sets to a counter a count value corresponding to the number of tracks to jump over. Then, tracking servo is turned off and an optical pickup is moved in a radial direction of the MO disk. The DSP core detects rising and trailing edges in a TZC signal and counts down the counter. When the count value becomes 1, a level of the TZC signal is determined to judge whether there is variation in offset value or not. If there is variation in offset value, edges are considered counted incorrect. Accordingly, the count value is incremented. Thus, jump can be made to a desired land or groove, i.e. access can be made positively to a target position.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a optical head device having a beam-guiding optical device to bring beams of different wavelengths which are emitted by separate light sources together onto the same optical axis or to guide the beams onto a common photo receiving device. The beam-guiding optical device includes an incident plane and an exit plane and the incident plane and the exit plane are back to back. One of the incident plane and the exit plane has a stair-like surface wherein a step height between neighboring treads in the stair-like surface is set to cause a phase difference of n wavelength to one of the beams passing through the neighboring treads and n is equal to 1, 2, 3 . . . .

Abstract: A magnetic pattern forming apparatus, which is designed to form a desired magnetic pattern on a magnetic disk having a magnetic layer on a substrate, is made up of a mask having a pattern identical or similar to the desired magnetic pattern, a projection optical system for exposing the magnetic disk to a spot-like energy beam coming through the mask to heat the magnetic layer for projecting the mask pattern to the magnetic disk at a one-to-one ratio or a predetermined reduction ratio, a magnetic field applying device for applying an external magnetic field to the magnetic disk, a control unit for conducting scanning with the spot-like energy beam with respect to the magnetic disk and the mask in their radial directions while rotating the magnetic disk and the mask.

Abstract: In an information recording apparatus for recording information onto a recording medium by utilizing a technology in a near-field microscope, the information recording apparatus carries out recording with reliability and density. An optical probe (1) or micro-cantilever (12) utilized in a near-field microscope is used as a recording probe (26). The recording probe (26) at its tip is heated by laser light (28) illumination or heating by an electric heating element to radiate microscopic-region thermal energy through the tip to a recording medium (3). This makes it possible to record microscopically information onto the recording medium (3) that varies in physical properties due to heating. Furthermore, thermal energy is provided to a recording position through an auxiliary heat radiating means thereby enabling recording more positively.

Abstract: A CLV optical disc capable of recording the information with a constant linear velocity. In the CLV optical disc, plural lines of specified track exist in the predetermined data area, railroad length of the tracks is integer times of the length of a sector, the length of the sector on the specified tracks is 2×?×N times of a track pitch, the number N is a positive integral number, and head positions of the specified tracks are lined up on a predetermined radius line A—A? at equal track intervals. Fixed-length track marks are arranged at equal physical length intervals along the information track formed in the state of a spiral. The track position information is obtained by detecting the track marks of the present and adjacent tracks. The CLV optical disc medium recording/reproducing apparatus can perform the seeking operation by use of the CPU and the other relevant units regardless of the operation of controlling the disc revolution number.

Abstract: An environmental load information of an information recording medium is recorded on the information recording medium so as to recycle or dispose properly an information recording medium, which is not necessary any more. The information recording medium comprises a main information area (102) for recording or reproducing information and a recording area (101) for environmental load information, which is recorded with an environmental load information of the information recording medium.

Abstract: A method of optimal power calibration adapted to rewritable or recordable disks is disclosed. In addition to an original power calibration area (PCA) in the inner track of a disk, another rearranged PCA is allocated in the lead-out area of the outmost track. Two optimal power calibration processes are performed on both of the power calibration areas allocated on the inner and outmost tracks to respectively derived optimal recording powers. A relation curve is established by using these two optimal recording powers that this relation curve describes the relationships between the optimal recording powers of the recording positions and the distances from these recording positions to the center of the optical storage disk. Required optimal recording power of any recording position can be derived from the relation curve while performing data recording operations.

Abstract: To increase the vibration resistance of an optical disk device with respect to vibrations in the focus direction. More specifically, an optical disk device is provided with a multiplication means for generating a focus vibration component FC from the focus error signal FE, a multiplication means for generating a tracking vibration component TC from the tracking error signal TE, an adder for adding the focus vibration components FC and TC, and a low-pass filter for extracting the vibration component VC from the added results. Thus, the vibration component VC is extracted considering not only vibrations in the tracking direction but also vibrations in the focus direction, so that vibrations acting on the device can be more accurately detected, and vibration resistance is increased.

Abstract: Correction for harmonic disturbances on rotating storage media in a phase-locked loop. The effects of harmonic disturbances in a phase-locked loop are reduced by employing harmonic correction. Harmonic correction may be present in the loop at all times, or may be switched in once the loop has achieved phase lock. Disturbance within the loop bandwidth is corrected using additional integrating pole or a bump (resonant) filter. Disturbance outside the loop bandwidth is corrected using low pass or a notch (anti-resonant) filter. Alternately, a canceling signal may be generated and added as a feedforward signal. A repetitive control scheme uses a filtered version of the residual errors on previous media rotations as a feedforward signal to cancel harmonic effects.

Abstract: When during the operation of recording a signal onto a disk the amount of signal data stored in a buffer RAM for temporarily storing a recording signal falls below an interruption set value, the recording operation on the disk is interrupted. Subsequently, when the amount of signal data stored in the buffer RAM increases to a resumption set value, a signal recorded on the disk before the interruption is reproduced. On the basis of the reproduced signal, the recording operation is resumed from a position where the recording is interrupted. The operation of resuming recording that is interrupted due to a shock is permitted. The operation of resuming recording after the interruption of the recording is started from a position that is before the position where the recording is interrupted.

Abstract: A device for detecting a crack in an optical disc including a transmitter to propagate an optical signal through the optical disc and a receiver to detect the propagated signal. From the pattern generated from the received signal, a microcontroller makes an analysis to determine if a crack is present on the optical disc. The method may be incorporated into a conventional disc drive as a new crack detection mechanism.

Abstract: In a method of recording or reproducing data out of an optical disk of the present invention, the optical disk is includes a substrate formed with a spiral groove track and a land track formed between nearby portions of the groove track. Header information is periodically recorded in each of the groove track and land track. Beam spots are formed on the land track and groove at the same time. Data are recorded in or reproduced out of the land track and groove track at the same time on the basis of a timing determined by the header information read out of the land track and groove track. When one beam spot formed on either one of the land track and groove track is reading the header information, the other beam spot is inhibited from recording or reproducing data.

Abstract: An optical disk has a recording track constituted by sectors arranged in a concentric or spiral form. Each sector is divided into segments, and each segment includes a data field where data is recorded and a clock mark field having a different light reflectance from that of the data field. The data field in the sector has synchronization patterns S. Hence, a highly reliable optical disk, optical reproduction device, and optical recording device can be offered that are capable of performing recording and reproduction even if a clock mark is defective due to a flaw.

Abstract: A vibration quantity measuring apparatus and method, and a loop design method in which a vibration quantity generated in a focus and tracking loop is accurately measured to optimally design a focus and tracking loop of an optical disc drive. The vibration quantity measuring apparatus includes an error gain adjusting unit which adjusts an amplitude of a focus and tracking error which occurs where a disc rotates, so as to maintain the amplitude of the focus and tracking error constant, a loop gain adjusting unit which compares a closed loop phase of a focus and tracking loop and a predetermined reference closed loop phase, and maintains a constant gain of the focus and tracking loop to compensate for a gain difference of an actuator, and a measuring unit which calculates and outputs a vibration quantity using an error adjusted by the error gain adjusting unit and the loop gain adjusting unit, and an output of a controller which controls a focus and tracking of the disc.

Abstract: A shortest mark 108 is recorded with a single recording pulse. A long mark 125 is recorded with a two-stage pulse including a first-part pulse and a second-part pulse. In the case where each of positions 115 and 118 of front edges of the recording pulses is determined based on a relationship between a length of a space immediately before a mark and that of the mark itself so as to properly position the front edges of reproduced waveforms of all the mark lengths and each of positions of rear edges of the recording pulses of all the mark lengths is fixed so as to satisfy a prescribed relative relationship with an edge of a recording clock, power 122 of a recording pulse 101 of the shortest mark is determined so as to realize a proper rear edge position 112 of the reproduced waveform of the shortest mark and power 124 of a second-part pulse 104 is determined for each mark length so as to realize a proper rear edge position 123 of the reproduced waveform of the long mark.

Abstract: An interpolation circuit capable of performing interpolation operation with a simple constitution. A 16-times oversampling from discrete data is performed by D frip-frops 4, 5. A first convolution operation is performed by D frip-frops 4 through 11 and an adder 12, on the result of which a second convolution operation is performed by D frip-frops 13 through 20 and an adder 21. Data interpolated along a quadratic function curve interpolating the discrete data is obtained from the adder 21.

Abstract: A defect detecting circuit generates a defect detection signal when the level of a sum signal obtained from an optical sensor in an optical pickup is lower than a predetermined level, and a gate circuit responds to the defect detection signal to set the level of a fine clock mark signal to zero, that is a difference signal obtained from the optical sensor in the optical pickup. A fine clock mark is thus distinguished from any defect such as scratch and a correct fine clock mark signal is accordingly generated. Alternatively, the value of a sum signal, which indicates the total amount of reflected light output from the optical pickup, is compared with a predetermined threshold. When the period in which the value of the sum signal is smaller than the threshold lasts for a predetermined threshold time period, it is determined that focus of an objective lens deviates from an optical disk and accordingly focus servo control is stopped.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a storage device includes a controller, an integral storage medium that includes one or more stacks, where each stack includes multiple storage locations that are distributed throughout a portion of the volume of the integral storage medium, and an access mechanism that is configured to access the integral storage medium. The controller is configured to receive a command to write a unit of primary data to a first storage location. The controller is configured to generate a unit of redundant data corresponding to the unit of primary data and to control the access mechanism so that the unit of primary data is written to the first storage location in a first stack and the unit of redundant data is written to a second storage location within the integral storage medium.