Abstract: A light sensing circuit includes a sensor unit, a voltage generator and a readout circuit. The sensor unit includes a first sensor that detects an external light to output a first current value, a third sensor that detects an internal light generated from the backlight unit to output a third current value, and a second sensor that detects a peripheral light isolated from the external light and the internal light to output a second current value. The sensor unit outputs a first differential value between the third current value and the second current value and a second differential value between the first current value and the second current value. The voltage generator generates a reference voltage based on the first differential value and a sensing voltage based on the second differential value. The readout circuit outputs brightness information of the external light using the reference voltage and the sensing voltage.

Abstract: An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a substrate including a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area having a link area and a pad area, array elements in the display area on the substrate, first to nth pads in the pad area (n is a natural number), first to nth link lines in the link area and connected to the first to nth pads, respectively, wherein the first to (n/2?1)th link lines are symmetrical with the nth to (n/2+1)th link lines with respect to (n/2)th link line, the first to (n/2?1)th link lines have inclined portions, and the inclined portions of the first to kth link lines have decreasing widths and decreasing lengths toward the kth link line from the first link line, wherein k is larger than 1 and smaller than (n/2).

Abstract: An optical disc device includes a laser diode which irradiates an optical disc having a plurality of layers with laser light, a photodetection section which detects laser light reflected by the optical disc, which comprising a pair of sub-photodetectors and a main photodetector provided between the pair of sub-photodetectors, a focus error signal generation circuit which generates a focus error signal from a photodetection signal output by the main photodetector, a tracking error generation circuit which generates a tracking error signal from the photodetection signal output by the main photodetector and a photodetection signal output by the pair of sub-photodetectors, and a layer determination signal processing circuit which generates a layer determination signal from the photodetection signal output by the pair of sub-photodetectors and determines in which of the layers a focus of the laser light is located, on the basis of the layer determination signal and focus error signal.

Abstract: A sequential information storage medium, comprising a plurality of servo patterns encoded lengthwise thereon, wherein each servo pattern encodes at least one LPOS bit and comprises a width less than 187 microns.

Abstract: A foldable portable electronic device, a system and a method for protecting a built-in hard disk thereof are disclosed. The foldable portable electronic device includes a display and a main body. The system includes a trigger, a lid switch, and a logic judgment module. When the foldable portable electronic device is away form a flat surface, the trigger generates a first signal; when the display is folded onto the main body, the lid switch generates a second signal. The logic judgment module determines the method to control and protect the hard disk in accordance with the first signal and the second signal.

Abstract: An optical recording medium provided with one or a plurality of recording layers includes an adjustment data recording area for recording therein adjustment data used for adjusting focus or spherical aberration of laser light used for recording/reproduction, the adjustment data recording area being disposed at a predetermined position on each of the one or plurality of recording layers, and a determination information recording area for recording therein determination information indicating whether or not the adjustment data has been recorded in the adjustment data recording area in each of the one or plurality of recording layers.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an estimation method comprises measuring and creating. The measuring is configured to measure a head velocity and a terminal voltage of a coil of a voice coil motor at least two times before unload in a control system eliminating an influence caused by a transient response of inductance of the voice coil motor. The calculating is configured to a calculate torque constant and a coil resistance based on command voltages and at least two measured head velocities and terminal voltages of the coil.

Abstract: A reproduction system 100 includes a rotating body on which a rotary operation is conducted by a user, a rotary movement detector 810 that detects the rotation of the rotating body and outputs a detection signal in accordance with a rotary condition thereof, and a restricting unit that conducts a restriction processing for restricting the rotation of the rotating body based on the detection signal. Accordingly, different resistance feeling in accordance with the rotary operation on the rotating body is provided to a user, thereby exhibiting excellent operational feeling just like a rotation of a turntable of a record player.

Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is provided with (i) a read only area (ROA1 and the like) whereupon read only information is previously recorded by forming embossed pits; (ii) a data area (102) wherein recording information can be recorded; (iii) a first management area (CDZ) wherein first position information (10) relating to the position of the read only area is previously recorded by forming embossed pits; and (iv-1) a second management area (RMA) wherein second position information (20) can be recorded in addition to the first position information or (iv-2) a second management area wherein second position information can be recorded as substitute for the first position information. The second position information relates to the position of a rewrite prohibited area (RWROA1) wherein rewriting of a part of or the entire recording information is prohibited in the data area.

Abstract: A LCD device includes a LCD module, a thermal sensor, an operating device and a frame memory. The operating device includes first and second comparators, one-dimensional first to fourth lookup tables and an operator. The LCD device further includes a selector/data-generator which differentially generates an overdrive output and a prediction output according to outputs of the first comparator, the second comparator and the operator, depending on one of four conditions including a first condition that a start level and an end level are consistent; a second condition that a level of the output of the operator is greater than a predefined maximum; a third condition that the level is less than a predefined minimum; and a fourth condition that the level lies between the predefined maximum and the predefined minimum.

Abstract: An alternative time interval is taken of a timing based servo band to determine lateral position of a servo read head. The servo band is arranged in a sequence bursts with non-parallel servo stripes in sequentially adjacent sub-frames of a linear tape. The timing intervals comprise at least a first time interval (A) between a first pair of non-parallel servo stripes of a sub-frame; and an alternative time interval (C) between a pair of non-parallel servo stripes intermediate the first time intervals (A), the alternative interval servo stripes of sequentially adjacent sub-frames comprising a second servo stripe of the first pair, and a first servo stripe of a sequentially succeeding first pair. Position signals are ratios involving the first and second time intervals.

Abstract: The method employs a servo system for positioning a head laterally to follow lateral motion of a longitudinal tape having longitudinal defined servo track(s), the servo system comprising a servo element configured to sense lateral position of the head with respect to an acquired servo track, a fine actuator configured to translate the head laterally with respect to the longitudinal tape, and a position error signal loop to operate the fine actuator to translate the head laterally to reduce position error. If the servo element is positioned away from the defined servo track(s), a continuous position error offset signal is applied to the fine actuator in a direction towards the defined servo track(s), whereby the fine actuator translates the head in accordance with the continuous position error offset signal; and, in response to the servo system acquiring the defined servo track(s), the continuous position error offset signal is discontinued.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes: an objective lens for converging a light beam onto an optical disk with an information storage layer; an actuator for moving the lens perpendicularly to the storage layer; an actuator driver for moving the lens at a predetermined velocity by controlling the actuator's operation; and a disk position detector for detecting the position of the lens, when the focal point of the beam is located on the storage layer, as a disk position. While the lens is being moved toward the disk to perform a focus finding operation, the moving velocity of the lens is set high until the lens reaches a velocity switching point, determined by reference to the disk position, and is set low once the lens has passed the point. The switching point is set farther away from the disk than the position of the lens is when the focal point of the beam is located on the storage layer of the disk.

Abstract: A pickup for accessing moving storage media carrying substantially parallel information tracks has a carrier, an actuator with a lens and suspension wires extending from the rear of the carrier and joining the carrier and the actuator. The actuator is movable in the focus direction and in a tracking direction and has a substantially rectangular flat board carrying the lens and a counter weight. The flat board is arranged orthogonal to a focus direction and carries tracking and focus coils. The pickup has a magnet configuration connected to the carrier with at least two tracking magnets, which are arranged in the tracking direction at opposite sides of the flat board and extend orthogonal to the focus direction above and/or under the flat board, and with at least two focus magnets, which are arranged in front of and behind the flat board and extend orthogonal to the direction of the tracks.

Abstract: A track follow controller includes a burst selector selecting at least one burst pair based on burst pair selection data. A linear position calculator calculates a primary head position and a secondary head position based on the at least one burst pair, and calculates a head linear position based on the primary head position and the secondary head position.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for compensating repeatable run-out (RRO) are described. In some implementations, RRO may be compensated by predicting the RRO and subsequently subtracting the predicted RRO from the actual value of the RRO to cancel out the undesired effect caused by the RRO during operation. More specifically, RRO generated at each spindle motor rotation may be predicted by measuring the position errors associated with the RRO with respect to a current position of a read/write head. A computational model then may be utilized to determine one or more correction factors to compensate for the RRO.

Abstract: A near-field light generating device includes: a waveguide having a groove that opens in the top surface; a clad layer disposed on the top surface of the waveguide and having an opening that is contiguous to the groove; a near-field light generating element accommodated in the opening; and a buffer layer interposed between the near-field light generating element and each of the waveguide and the clad layer in the groove and the opening. The near-field light generating element includes: first and second side surfaces that decrease in distance from each other toward the groove; an edge part that connects the first and second side surfaces to each other and is opposed to the groove with the buffer layer therebetween; and a near-field light generating part that lies at one end of the edge part and generates near-field light.

Abstract: A hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive includes a magnetic-recording disk in which tracks adjacent to each other are magnetically separated, a spindle motor which drives the magnetic-recording disk, a magnetic-recording head equipped with write element and read element, an actuator for positioning the magnetic-recording head on a predetermined track on the magnetic-recording disk, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to store information about an over-write-only track that is provided for a plurality of tracks including n consecutive tracks in at least a partial radial area of the magnetic-recording disk and an offset amount. In a radial area of the magnetic disk where the over-write-only track is located, the control unit is configured to record with an offset by an offset amount from a center of a track toward the over-write-only track with respect to n?1 tracks of the plurality of n tracks, excluding the over-write-only track.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the likelihood that a hard-disk drive (HDD) will experience an imminent error in operation is provided. The HDD comprises a differential pressure sensor capable of measuring the difference in the pressure between the interior and the exterior of the enclosure. The differential pressure sensor may reside in a breather filter covering an air passage within the enclosure. The HDD also comprises a risk assessment component capable of (a) determining an expression of how likely it is that the HDD will experience an imminent error in operation based, at least in part, upon the difference in pressure measured by the pressure sensor, and (b) communicating the expression to a user of the HDD. The HDD may optionally comprise one or more of an atmospheric pressure sensor, a particle counter, and a chemical vapor sensor which may be used by the risk assessment component.

Abstract: A magnetic recording device comprises a multi-aperture vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) operably coupled to a magnetic recording head and a plurality of waveguides disposed in the magnetic recording head. Each of the plurality of waveguides has a first end coupled to a different aperture of the multi-aperture VCSEL. The magnetic recording device further comprises a near field transducer disposed in the magnetic recording head. Each of the plurality of waveguides has a second end coupled to the near field transducer.