Abstract: An apparatus includes a component having a first surface, a first waveguide for directing electromagnetic radiation to a focal point adjacent to the first surface, a storage medium positioned adjacent to the first surface, a detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation reflected from the storage medium, and a structure positioned adjacent to the focal point for collecting the reflected electromagnetic radiation and for transmitting the reflected electromagnetic radiation toward the detector, wherein the structure comprises a second waveguide including a first cladding layer positioned adjacent to a first side of the first waveguide and having a first end positioned adjacent to the first surface and a second cladding layer positioned adjacent to a second side of the first waveguide and having a first end positioned adjacent to the air bearing surface.

Abstract: An electron beam recording apparatus is disclosed that records information onto the surface of a sample by using an electron beam. The electron beam recording apparatus includes an electron source that irradiates the electron beam, a magnetic detector that is configured to move onto and out of an irradiation axis and acquires magnetic information on the irradiation axis, a convergence position control part that calculates a convergence position correction amount for correcting a convergence position of the electron beam with respect to the surface of the sample based on the magnetic information, and a convergence position adjusting part that adjusts the convergence position of the electron beam with respect to the surface of the sample. The convergence position control part causes the convergence position adjusting part to adjust the convergence position of the electron beam with respect to the surface of the sample based on the convergence position correction amount.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus is provided with a dividing element having a plurality of regions. The dividing element is capable of dividing a light flux reflected by the optical disc into a plurality of light fluxes having different outgoing directions. Each region of the dividing element and light receiving parts of a light detector are structured such that when a target information recording layer of the optical disc is brought into focus, a light flux reflected from the target information recording layer is focused on the light receiving parts of the light detector, and a light flux reflected from other information recording layer than the target information recording layer is not irradiated onto the light receiving parts of the light detector.

Abstract: In a circuit, a wobble detector detects a wobble signal from an optical recording medium and a synchronization signal based on the wobble signal and provides a wobble clock signal. A wobble signal phase imperfection detector responds to the wobble signal and detects and corrects a phase transition imperfection in the wobble signal. The imperfection detector integrates a first scaled wobble signal sample over a half period portion of the wobble clock signal; compares the first scaled wobble signal sample integrated over one period of the wobble clock signal to a variable threshold value; and based on the comparison, outputs either the half period integrated and scaled wobble sample or the first scaled wobble sample integrated over one period of the wobble clock signal. The imperfection detector further decodes the output to obtain wobble address period data.

Abstract: An optical disc device includes an optical head section and a regularity monitoring circuit. The optical head section generates a wobble signal indicating wobbling of a track formed on a recording surface of an optical disc medium based on a reflected light reflected by the optical disc medium. The regularity monitoring circuit judges an existence or absence of a defect on the optical disc medium based on a difference between the wobble signal and a signal indicating the wobble under a normal condition.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an optical disc controller and an optical disc drive system which reduce the proceeding time for supplementing data that is deficient at the time of writing to the optical disc. The present invention relates to an optical disc controller and a optical disc drive system. An optical disc controller includes an interface circuit, a buffer, a memory manager, an ECC circuit, a modulation circuit, and an operation processor. The memory manager has a control register part, a copy transfer controller, and a buffer controller. The control register part further includes a copy sector number setting register for taking out and holding information of plural sector numbers of deficient data from a control signal of the operation processor. The copy transfer controller successively conducts copy transfer process for plural sector numbers based on the sector number information.

Abstract: A focus-servo control method of an optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus, for recording or reproducing information onto/from an optical disc having a track with a land and a groove, which are formed in a spiral manner on an information recording surface thereof, the optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus including an objective lens, the method comprising steps of: moving an optical spot from the land to the groove or from the groove to the land through a L/G exchange portion therebetween and moving a position of the objective lens from a land position to a groove position by gradually changing a focus offset value for the land to a focus offset value for the groove from a position located before the L/G exchange portion, when the optical spot moves from the land to the groove.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser light, an objective lens for irradiating the light flux emitted from the semiconductor laser onto an optical disc, and a light detector for receiving the light flux reflected from the optical disc. The light detector has a light receiving part that comprises five regions of a region 1, a region 2, a region 3, a region 4 and a region 5.

Abstract: A method of identifying a type of a disc includes steps of: obtaining a first address of a first position on the disc; moving a pick-up unit to a second position of the disc; obtaining a second address of the second position; calculating a difference between the first address and the second address; and identifying the type of the disc by comparing the difference with a predetermined value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing an optical disk master and an optical disk, including measuring the reflectance of laser light at each of a plurality of radius positions by applying the laser light to an optical disk master-forming substrate provided with an inorganic resist layer, the laser light having a non-recording laser power smaller than a recording sensitivity of the inorganic resist layer, producing recording power control data indicating recording laser powers in accordance with the radius positions of the optical disk master-forming substrate by using the reflectances measured, forming an exposure pattern on the inorganic resist layer by applying the laser light to the optical disk master-forming substrate on the basis of the recording power control data while the recording power is varied in accordance with the radius positions, and developing the inorganic resist layer provided with the exposure pattern so as to prepare an uneven pattern.

Abstract: An optical disc device includes a first optomechanical mechanism, a second optomechanical mechanism, and a positioning mechanism. The first optomechanical mechanism is located under an optical disc insertable into the optical disc drive to optically access a bottom surface of the optical disc. The second optomechanical mechanism is located over the optical disc insertable into the optical disc drive to optically access a top surface of the optical disc. The positioning mechanism is to precisely locate the second optomechanical mechanism over the optical disc for optically accessing the top surface of the optical disc and to prevent the second optomechanical mechanism from interfering with movement of the optical disc during insertion and removal of the optical disc into and from the optical disc drive.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprises a first light source for emitting a first light flux having first wavelength ?1 (430 nm>?1>380 nm), a second light source for emitting a second light flux having second wavelength ?2 (?2>?1), an objective optical system having phase structure thereon, and at least one moving optical element for guiding the light flux into the objective optical system, the moving optical element being moved in a direction parallel to an optical axis corresponding to the first light wavelength ?1 and the second light wavelength ?2, wherein the objective optical system has phase structure and satisfies M1=M2=0, where, M1 and M2 denote a first and second magnifications of the objective optical system for recording and/or reproducing the information on or from the first and second optical information media.

Abstract: The pickup device includes: a fixed portion 11, a movable portion 12 movable in a tracking direction and a focus direction; linear resilient members 13A through 13D for connecting the fixed portion 11 and the movable portion 12; a coil 21 provided on the lateral side of the movable portion 12; and a flux providing unit 22 for providing a magnetic flux generating a translational force for driving a portion different from the center of gravity O of the movable portion 12 in the tracking direction in association with the coil 21 and a rotational force for rotating the movable portion 12 in a plane orthogonal to the focus direction, the flux providing unit 22 having an arrangement in which a torque generated by driving the portion different from the center of gravity with the translational force is counteracted by the rotational force.

Abstract: An optical disk device includes an intermittent reproducing unit to perform an intermittent reproducing process to reproduce data recorded on an optical disk in a forward or reverse direction and at specific time intervals, each removing predetermined amount of data, an intermittent reproduction start instruction unit, upon receiving an instruction to start the intermittent reproducing process, to designate an intermittent reproduction start position and an intermittent reproducing direction, and to issue an instruction, and a storage unit to store the intermittent reproduction start position as information concerning a recording position for data skipped and unreproduced during a current intermittent reproducing process, when the instruction is issued.

Abstract: An optical disk device capable of increasing access speed and an image pickup device having such an optical disk device. In a region at the inside of an optical disk where the rotational speed of the spindle motor reaches its limit, a CAV mode is used for access, while in a region at the outside of the optical disk where a frequency band of an RF signal processor reaches its limit, a CLV mode is used for access. High-speed access to a maximum extent in a range of performance limits of the spindle motor and the RF signal processor is achieved. A retry feature retries failed access attempts to the optical disk when access failure is determined and a controller judges whether or not a defect of the optical disk has caused the access failure. The controller further judges if the predetermined cause of the access failure repeatedly occurs in a predetermined nearby range on the optical disk.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, fluid-mediated modification of information or access to information is utilized. According to various embodiments, data storage devices designed for rotating access are described which include rotation-activated fluid control mechanisms.

Abstract: A recording medium having a spare area for defect management and the management information of the spare area, a spare area allocation method, and a defect management method. When a primary spare area is allocated for slipping replacement and linear replacement upon initialization, and a remaining portion of the primary spare area after slipping replacement and allocated for linear replacement after initialization are insufficient, a supplementary spare area is allocated.

Abstract: In an optical pickup apparatus, a collimator lens is rockably supported by edges of two protruding portions formed on opposing sides of a groove of an optical base. The collimator lens is urged against the edges of the two protruding portions by a leaf spring. The position in vertical direction of one end of the leaf spring is adjusted by a position adjustor. In this manner, a tilt angle of the collimator lens is adjusted. Therefore, astigmatism of the light spot can precisely be compensated for irrespective of variations among apparatuses to achieve an excellent light spot.

Abstract: A method of recording information using a laser on a multilayer optical disk having a plurality of recording layers is provided. The plurality of recording layers include a first recording layer and a second recording layer adjacent the first recording layer. The first recording layer is provided with a first test writing area to be used for calibration of write power, and the second recording layer is provided with a second test writing area to be used for calibration of write power. The disk is arranged so that a first region of the first test writing area is superposed with a second region of the second test writing area when considered in the direction in which the laser is arranged to irradiate.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser light, an objective lens for irradiating the light flux emitted from the semiconductor laser onto an optical disc, and a light detector for receiving the light flux reflected from the optical disc. The light detector has a light receiving part that comprises a region 1, a region 2, a region 3, a region 4, a region 5, a region 6 and a region 7.