Abstract: In a method of detecting defects during a write operation for an optical disk recording device, during a period of time immediately after writing begins, a sub-beam added (SBAD) signal is compared with a reference signal having a second threshold frequency. A defect is identified when a difference between the SBAD signal and the reference signal exceeds either a second upper limit or a second lower limit. Then, after the short period of time has elapsed, a SBAD signal is compared with and a reference signal having a first threshold frequency that is less than the second threshold frequency. A defect is identified when a difference between the SBAD signal and the reference signal exceeds either a first upper limit that is less than the second upper limit, or a first lower limit that is greater than the second lower limit.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium is provided with a plurality of information layers (2, 3), each of which has a sector structure in which a data area (8, 12) is divided in the circumferential direction by a sector address (9, 13). The positions of the sector addresses (9, 13) of the respective information layers (2, 3) coincide in the circumferential direction. This can prevent errors during reproduction caused by the effect of other information layers and stabilize recording characteristics, resulting in an increased recording capacity of a rewritable recording medium having a plurality of information layers with a sector structure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for normalized bit counting is described. The method comprising incrementing a bit counter using a first clock, and adjusting a target bit based on a difference in frequency between the first clock and a second clock. The method further comprising determining when the bit counter reaches the adjusted target bit.

Abstract: An optical pickup including a stem; a substrate mounted on the stem; a laser diode mounted on, and electrically insulated from, the substrate; and a photodetector provided on the substrate for detecting return light from an object to be irradiated. The substrate is biased at a given voltage and has an insulating member opposed to the stem. The laser diode has a first electrode opposed to the substrate with a first insulating film, a conductor film, and a second insulating film interposed between the first electrode and the substrate.

Abstract: An error signal detection apparatus for an optical recording/reproducing system including a light source emitting a light beam and an objective lens focusing the light beam to form a light spot on a recording medium, the apparatus including: a photodetecting unit dividing at least a part of the light beam passed through the objective lens after being reflected/diffracted from an information stream of the recording medium into light beam portions, and detecting the light beam portions; and a signal processor detecting phase differences between detection signals from the light beam portions to detect a tangential error signal, a defocus error signal, and/or a radial tilt error signal.

Abstract: An optical head in which focussing error is detected by a spot size method used for recording and/or reproducing information signals on or from an optical disc. The optical head includes a unit for correcting the spot shape between the objective lens and a photodetector device. The spot shape correcting unit corrects part or all of light spots formed on the photodetector by a light beam reflected back by the optical disc so that the spot diameter in a direction traversing a track on the optical disc will be larger than the spot diameter along the track.

Abstract: An optical module has a first light source which emits a first light beam from a first light emission point in a predetermined direction, a second light source which emits a second light beam from a second light emission point in the predetermined direction, and an optical element. The optical element includes a plurality of reflection surfaces for reflecting the first and second light beams, and finally outputting the first and second light beams in the predetermined direction with a separation between the first and second light beams smaller than a distance between the first and second light emission points.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for compensating for the deviation in the thickness of the optical disk and method therefor.

Abstract: An optical disc drive according to the present invention can read and write data from/on an optical disc 100 including record tracks to write data thereon and guide tracks for guiding a light beam 40. The drive includes: an optical pickup 101 with a converging optical system to focus the light beam 40 and form a spot thereof on the optical disc 100 for reading or writing the data; a tracking control section for controlling the converging optical system of the optical pickup 101 such that the light beam spot 40 follows a selected track on the optical disc 100 rotating; and a control unit 35 for operating the tracking control section in a first mode or in a second mode. In the first mode, the tracking control section makes the light beam spot 40 follow the recording tracks. In the second mode, the tracking control section makes the light beam spot 40 follow the guide tracks.

Abstract: Data is recorded on packet basis to a track of an optical recording medium and the data is pseudo-erased by erasing contents information of the track having the data. Information indicating the end position of the packet containing the data is recorded on the optical recording medium and a new data is recorded to the track where the data has been pseudo-erased in accordance with the information indicating the end position of the packet.

Abstract: An optical head with excellent optical characteristics even when using a light source that substantially has a wavelength broadening is provided. The optical head includes a light source, an objective lens for focusing a light beam emitted from the light source on an information recording medium and a photodetector for detecting the light beam reflected from the information recording medium, wherein defocusing correction means and spherical aberration correction means are provided in an optical path between the light source and the information recording medium. Since both the defocusing correction means and the spherical aberration correction means are provided, while defocusing of a focused spot on the information recording medium caused by a wavelength broadening of the light source and chromatic aberration of the optical system can be corrected, the spherical aberration of the optical system caused by wavelength difference between a design wavelength and an incident wavelength also can be corrected.

Abstract: Data is recorded on packet basis to a track of an optical recording medium and the data is pseudo-erased by erasing contents information of the track having the data. Information indicating the end position of the packet containing the data is recorded on the optical recording medium and a new data is recorded to the track where the data has been pseudo-erased in accordance with the information indicating the end position of the packet.

Abstract: A mark representing information of a multivalued level is recorded in each of cells arranged in a recording medium. Upon reproducing the multivalued level from a reproduction signal of the recording medium, the multivalued level of a present cell is judged by referring to a judged multivalued level of a preceding cell preceding the present cell or an ensuing cell ensuing the present cell, or by referring to the judged multivalued levels of both the preceding cell and the ensuing cell.

Abstract: A method of reproducing information by scanning information marks, disposed with a predetermined mark pitch therebetween and recorded on tracks inside a predetermined information recording region, by an optical spot. The method includes detecting the size of the optical change resulting from the information mark, calculating a plurality of equalization coefficients used for an equalization processing for the size of the optical change detected for each of the information marks, and reducing the inter-symbol interference on the basis of the equalization coefficients by the equalization processing. The equalization coefficient used for the equalization processing of the size of the optical change by a first information mark is greater than said equalization coefficient used for the equalization processing of the size of said optical change by a second information mark which is longer than the first information mark.

Abstract: A recordable optical information recording medium having an address t for each sector, comprises: an area A1 starting from an address t1 to which access is made only when a recording apparatus performs recording operation; an area A2 starting from an address t2 to which access is made either when the recording apparatus performs the recording operation or when the recording apparatus performs reproducing operation; and an area A3 starting from an address t3 to which access is made either when either the recording apparatus or a reproducing apparatus performs recording or when either the recording apparatus or the reproducing apparatus performs reproducing. The addresses t are set consecutively with respect to a physical arrangement of the sectors in each of the areas A2 and A3, and the area A1 has at least one inconsecutive part at which the addresses t are not consecutive with respect to the physical arrangement of the sectors.

Abstract: For reproducing data, a first read signal from a main track is filtered and second read signals from tracks adjacent to the main track are filtered. A cross-modulation component included in a third read signal from the main track is removed by calculating an estimated value of cross-modulation for the main track by multiplying the filtered first read signal by the filtered second read signals and by subtracting the estimated value from the third read signal. A crosstalk component caused by the adjacent tracks included in a fourth read signal from the main track is removed by obtaining the crosstalk component by filtering the second read signals and by subtracting the crosstalk component from the fourth read signal.

Abstract: To stably carry out recording and reproducing to and from a high density optical disk without using a double servo in the optical disk using a high NA objective lens. A detection of a spherical aberration and a detection of a coma aberration in a radial direction are simultaneously performed, and the coma aberration generated with the offset of an objective lens 109 is corrected in real time, thus enlarging an allowable offset amount of the objective lens. In order to simultaneously detect the spherical aberration and the coma aberration, focal shift and tracking shift signals in an inside region and outside region of reflected light flux are detected respectively, and the differential signals are set as spherical aberration and coma aberration signals.

Abstract: The astigmatic aberration in an optical system is to be adjusted. Specifically, in an optical disc device on which can be selectively loaded a first optical disc having a first index of double refraction or a second optical disc having a second index of double refraction larger than said first index of double refraction, and which includes a liquid crystal device 31 between a light source 11 and an objective lens 15 converging a light beam radiated from said light source on the optical disc 2 loaded on the optical disc device, the voltage applied to the liquid crystal device 31 is adjusted to correct the coma aberration or the astigmatic aberration for the first disc or the second disc, respectively.

Abstract: A recordable optical information recording medium having an address t for each sector, comprises: an area A1 starting from an address t1 to which access is made only when a recording apparatus performs recording operation; an area A2 starting from an address t2 to which access is made either when the recording apparatus performs the recording operation or when the recording apparatus performs reproducing operation; and an area A3 starting from an address t3 to which access is made either when either the recording apparatus or a reproducing apparatus performs recording or when either the recording apparatus or the reproducing apparatus performs reproducing. The addresses t are set consecutively with respect to a physical arrangement of the sectors in each of the areas A2 and A3, and the area A1 has at least one inconsecutive part at which the addresses t are not consecutive with respect to the physical arrangement of the sectors.

Abstract: A pull-in point setting circuit 16 sets the intermediate value between the maximum value and minimum value of the focus error signal of a layer 1 as the pull-in point of a focus servo action in advance of the playback of an optical disk 11. At a layer jump before the automatic adjustment of a focus bias, the focus servo action is pulled in at the set point. Thus, the layer jump can be reliably effected even before the adjustment of the focus bias.