Abstract: An optical head device compatible to different types of optical discs and capable of guaranteeing a sufficiently wide dynamic range for a low density optical disc, and the like are provided. The optical head device includes a plurality of light sources switchably usable; an objective lens for converging light emitted from one of the plurality of light sources to an information recording layer of an optical disc; and a light detector for receiving the light reflected by the information recording layer and outputting an electric signal based on the amount of the received light. The plurality of light sources include a first light source for emitting light having a first wavelength and a second light source for emitting light having a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength.

Abstract: An optical storage system modulates a laser beam based on a high frequency modulation (HFM) signal and a pattern to be recorded on an optical storage medium. At least one of an amplitude and a frequency of the HFM signal is adjusted when using the light beam to record the pattern on the optical storage medium or read data from the medium.

Abstract: When an optical disc apparatus of the present invention writes to an optical disc, it detects the level of the drive voltage for its laser drive circuit and, based on the detected level, adjusts the drive voltage for its laser diode so as to adjust the drive voltage for the laser drive circuit to a level within an appropriate range. Further, the write speed is also adjusted in accordance with the above adjustment of the drive voltages for the laser drive circuit and the laser diode.

Abstract: A method for inspecting an optical information storage medium includes irradiating the medium with a laser beam and rotating the medium by a constant linear velocity control technique by reference to the radial location at which the laser beam forms a spot on the medium; changing the rotational velocities according to the radial location on the medium between at least two linear velocities; generating a focus error signal and/or a tracking error signal based on the light reflected from the medium; performing a focus control and/or a tracking control on the laser beam based on the focus and/or tracking error signal(s); and passing the branched outputs of control loops for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) through predetermined types of frequency band-elimination filters to obtain residual errors of the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) and comparing the residual errors to predetermined reference values.

Abstract: Systems and methods for storing and reading data in a data storage system are provided. The data storage system includes a storage medium for storing data. The storage medium stores data as a plurality of topographical features. Further, the data storage system includes one or more transducer. One or more transducer writes data on the storage medium. Additionally, the data storage medium includes one or more gates. A first voltage bias is applied to one or more gates. The data storage system further includes, one or more read heads. One or more read heads include one or more Floating Gate Transistors (FGTs). The first voltage bias creates an electric field between one or more FGTs and one or more gates. A change in the electric field is detected by one or more FGTs.

Abstract: A method for inspecting an optical information storage medium includes irradiating the medium with a laser beam and rotating the medium by a constant linear velocity control technique by reference to the radial location at which the laser beam forms a spot on the medium; changing the rotational velocities according to the radial location on the medium between at least two linear velocities; generating a focus error signal and/or a tracking error signal based on the light reflected from the medium; performing a focus control and/or a tracking control on the laser beam based on the focus and/or tracking error signal(s); and passing the branched outputs of control loops for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) through predetermined types of frequency band-elimination filters to obtain residual errors of the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) and comparing the residual errors to predetermined reference values.

Abstract: A method for inspecting an optical information storage medium includes irradiating the medium with a laser beam and rotating the medium by a constant linear velocity control technique by reference to the radial location at which the laser beam forms a spot on the medium; changing the rotational velocities according to the radial location on the medium between at least two linear velocities; generating a focus error signal and/or a tracking error signal based on the light reflected from the medium; performing a focus control and/or a tracking control on the laser beam based on the focus and/or tracking error signal(s); and passing the branched outputs of control loops for the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) through predetermined types of frequency band-elimination filters to obtain residual errors of the focus and/or tracking error signal(s) and comparing the residual errors to predetermined reference values.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus to record data on an optical disk on which a wobble is formed, the optical disk apparatus including; a detection unit including a BPF which a signal obtained from a reflected light from an optical disk passes, the detection unit to detect a wobble signal from a wobble based on the signal passing the BPF; and a register to store an adjustment value for adjusting the BPF as a register value, so as to adjust the BPF based on each of register values obtained by changing the register value 1 LSB by 1 LSB; acquire an amplitude of the signal passing the BPF, the amplitude corresponding to each of the register values; identify one of the register values for the largest acquired amplitude; and adjust the BPF based on a value obtained by adding 1 LSB to the identified register value when data is recorded.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for recording/reproducing information on/from an optical disc, wherein the optical disc has a first to an n-th recording layers (n is an integer of 2 or greater) laminated on a substrate, each of the first to the n-th layers having data regions segmented into a first to an m-th data zone groups (m is an integer of 2 or greater) along a radial direction of the optical disc, each of the first to the m-th data zone groups including at least one data zone, the method comprising the steps of: a) recording/reproducing information in/from data zone groups from a j-th data zone group of a first recording layer to a j-th data zone group of an n-th recording layer; and b) repeating step a) for j=1, 2, . . . , m.

Abstract: An optical disc device includes: a first searching part which searches a condition where amplitude level of a TE signal is made maximum by changing either one of position of a movable lens and a focus balance value in a state where a focus servo control is performed based on a FE signal; an adjusting line setting part which sets an adjusting line that has an inclination ? which is preliminarily stored in a memory portion and that passes the position of the movable lens and the focus balance value both of which are searched by the first searching part; and a second searching part which changes the position of the movable lens and the focus balance value to plural values on the adjusting line in a state where the focus servo control is performed consecutively to search a condition where the amplitude level of the tracking error signal is made maximum.

Abstract: An optical pickup device, which reduces the size of an optical spot formed on an optical disk, and prevents the degradation of a tracking error signal due to coherent light from a layer adjacent a target recording/reproducing layer of the optical disk. The optical pickup device includes a light source emitting light at a designated wavelength; an object lens concentrating the light incident from the light source thereupon and forming an optical spot on an optical disk having multiple recording layers; and an optical detector receiving the light reflected by the optical disk and detecting a data signal and an error signal, wherein at least one diffraction pattern region partially diffracting or intercepting the light, emitted from the light source and being incident upon the object lens, and the light, reflected by optical disk and being incident upon the object lens, is formed on the object lens.

Abstract: A focus control section first performs a reference focus control process in which a reference optical beam is focused on a reference layer of an optical disc according to the result of receiving a reference reflection optical beam, and then switches from the reference focus control process to an information focus control process in which an information optical beam is focused on a mark layer of the optical disc according to the result of receiving an information reflection optical beam.

Abstract: The optical element comprises a first diffraction structure for generating three beams by diffracting light from a light source and a second diffraction structure that exhibits structural birefringence for a prescribed polarized light returning to the light source. The first diffraction structure is formed on a first face of a translucent optical base material and the second diffraction structure is formed on a second face of the optical base material. The optical base material, the first diffraction structure and the second diffraction structure are formed of a single material.

Abstract: In an optical pickup capable of removing inter-layer crosstalk, a dark line that may appear in a central portion of a beam is removed. Thereby, an error in a data signal is reduced. Reflected light from a multi-layer disc is split into two parallel bundles with a splitting optical system in a way that the light is split at a central line. Thereby, when reflected light from a target layer is focused, the reflected light is not influenced from an attenuation element provided on an optical axis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording data on an optical disk calculates an optical power at a first recording speed, compares the calculated optical power to a predetermined value, and then determines whether to apply the first recording speed based on a result of the comparison. The optical power at the first recording speed is calculated based on a reference optical power and a measured optical power, and the predetermined value may correspond to the maximum allowable power of a laser pickup. The method and apparatus may be used to control the speeding, timing, and/power of a data recording operation, as well as to compensate for temperature variations and/or power margins of one or more circuits in an optical disk device.

Abstract: An optical pickup device such that the driving force of the drive unit provided on the same optical base as that of the objective lens exerts no adverse influence on controlling of the objective lens is provided. The optical pickup device 1 has an objective lens 11 that condenses laser light onto an optical disk 3, a first drive mechanism 15 that moves the objective lens 11 on the optical base 6, a second drive mechanism 8 that moves a movable member 9 different from the objective lens 11 on the optical base 6, first control means 27 that outputs a first driving signal TDS to operate the first drive mechanism 15, and second control means 25 that outputs a second driving signal EDS to operate the second drive mechanism 8. A derivative value of the second driving signal EDS is added to the first driving signal TDS and inputted to the first drive mechanism 15.

Abstract: Disclosed is an information recording medium (100) comprising a first recording layer (L0 layer) which is provided with a first recording track for recording record information, and a second recording layer (L1 layer) which is provided with a second recording track for recording record information. Each recording zone (zone #n) including one recording area in the first recording layer and another recording area in the second recording layer which is opposite to the recording area in the first recording layer has a management information recording area (RMA) for recording management information (RMD) for recording the record information.

Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is provided with: a first pre-recording area, in which reproducible preformed information including physical address information is recorded in advance and in which preformed address information assigned in advance is not recorded; a second pre-recording area, which is adjacent to the first pre-recording area and in which each of the preformed address information and unreproducible preformed information is recorded in advance; a first recording area, which is adjacent to the second pre-recording area and in which first record information is recorded and which is reproduced by an information reproducing apparatus in reproduction, the first record information including physical address information which can be reproduced by the information reproducing apparatus; and a second recording area, which is adjacent to the first recording area and in which predetermined second record information is recorded.

Abstract: An optical information apparatus according to the present invention includes: an optical system that includes a solid immersion lens (SIL) 11 and that produces near-field light to be incident on an optical disc 10; a first actuator for displacing the SIL 11; a second actuator 29 for varying the distance between the optical disc 10 and the first actuator 12 by moving the first actuator 12; a gap detecting section 18 for outputting a gap signal 19 representing the magnitude of the gap 17 between the SIL 11 and the optical disc 10; and a gap control system for controlling the first actuator 12 in response to the gap signal 19 such that the gap is maintained at a predetermined setting. The gap control system works so as to control the second actuator 29 in accordance with a signal representing the magnitude of displacement of the SIL 11 caused by the first actuator 12.

Abstract: A write-once optical recording medium, a method for allocating a defect management area of the write-once optical recording medium, and a method for allocating a spare area of the write-once optical recording medium are provided. A method of managing defects on a write-once optical recording medium having at least one recording layer includes the steps of allocating at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size to said optical recording medium, respectively, recording defect management information on the at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and the at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size; and using the at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and the at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size is provided herein.