Abstract: A method and apparatus for, in an optical data recorder, focusing a recording light beam on a recording medium. In the apparatus, an optical head has focusing means movable in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium for changing the focus position of the recording light beam on the recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for controlling laser power in an optical recording system in the presence of multiple system degradations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for, in an optical data recorder, maintaining a recording light beam in an on-track position on a recording medium. In the apparatus an optical head has a tracking arrangement movable in a direction parallel to the recording medium for changing the tracking position of the recording light beam on the recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for controlling laser power in an optical recording system. A recording system in accordance with the present invention includes an optical source for supplying an incident write signal to an optical medium, such that data may be recorded on the medium during an incident write pulse as a mark having a distinct reflectivity; a detector for detecting a reflection the incident write signal from the medium to provide a reflected write signal; a generator for generating a mark formation effectiveness signal from a reflected write pulse in the reflected write signal, to provide an indication of the quality of the mark; an error signal generator for generating an error signal from the mark formation effectiveness signal and a target value of the mark formation effectiveness signal; and a controller for controlling a write power level of the optical source by providing a partial correction of variation in the error signal.

Abstract: The present method operates upon an optical disk type servo-system of the type having an optical tracking servo for maintaining a lens centered over a track on a disk and a tracking position servo for moving an optical head's lens to a desired position. Included within such a system is an eccentricity sub-system for providing a compensating sine wave signal for reducing errors in tracking due to disk decentering. The present method automatically adjusts the gain in one of the servos to match the gain appearing in the other servo so as to improve the smoothness of control when switching between the servos.

Abstract: Track jumping in the present system is accomplished by using a two step track jump method which accelerates the tracking actuator toward the desired track at maximum acceleration and then decelerates the tracking actuator at a maximum deceleration so that the desired track is reached in a minimum amount of time without the actuator ringing. A matrix containing the times for each jump pulse from track X to track Y is recorded. The matrix table is updated after each jump to compensate for variance factors. The table is stored in memory which allows the system to become more accurate with each jump. If the actuator falls short of the desired position, the jump pulse next applied is lengthened slightly. If the jump pulse causes the actuator to overshoot, the desired position the jump pulse is shortened for the next jump.

Abstract: A focus acquisition servo system and method which speeds the acquisition process by focusing on the recording media of an optical disk while the disk is coming up to speed. Focus is accomplished by jumping the focus actuator from a start position close to the focus position and by ramping the focus actuator away from the surface of the disk while monitoring focus gain. When the focus gain reaches a peak amplitude the disk is in rough focus, ramping is stopped and the focus servo system is activated to lock the focus actuator onto a fine focus on the disk's recording media.

Abstract: A transducer head, held in a fixed position as a preformatted disk is rotated a full revolution, reads any sector address accessible to the head. The addresses read come from a plurality of track revolutions that depend on the magnitude of the eccentricity of the disk. A computer, programmed with a least squares algorithm, first coordinates (1) data corresponding to the angular position of the disk each time an address is read, with (2) data corresponding to the actual radius of each address.