Abstract: A well plate includes a frame section that defines a plane, and a plurality of well structures. Each well structure extends in a direction away from the plane defined by the frame section, and each well structure defines a well for holding a fluid. The well plate further includes an artifact connected to at least one well structure. The artifact uniquely identifies a type of the well plate among other types of well plates. Along these lines, a result of a well plate type identification operation, which indicates whether the well plate includes the artifact, may determine whether a predefined pressure is applied to the well plate to facilitate fluid sampling in response to the result, whether fluid level sensing can be performed to gauge amounts of fluids drawn from the wells and/or identify how much fluid is left in the wells, etc.

Abstract: A small form factor disc drive is structured to hold and play an optical data storage disc measuring approximately 32 mm in diameter and containing 1 GB of data per layer. The disc drive contains a blue wavelength laser, an objective lens having a numerical aperture in the range of 0.70-0.78 and conventional DVD-compatible controller electronics. This unique combination of elements allows a full-length movie or a video game to be displayed with DVD-quality on a cell phone or other portable hand held device.

Abstract: An optical disc includes a substrate layer, a cover layer, and an aluminum alloy layer that is between the substrate layer and cover layer, and is adjacent to the substrate layer. The aluminum alloy layer includes a majority amount of aluminum and an additional metal selected from the group consisting of: chromium, titanium, tantalum, and any combination thereof. A method of making an optical disc includes the steps of: forming a substrate layer; sputtering an aluminum alloy target onto the substrate layer to form an aluminum alloy layer; and forming a cover layer; wherein the aluminum alloy layer comprises a majority amount of aluminum and an additional metal selected from the group consisting of: chromium, titanium, tantalum, and any combination thereof.

Abstract: A miniature optical disc drive includes a DVD-compatible optical controller and a cartridge load module designed to hold a cartridge containing a 32 mm optical data storage disc.

Abstract: A format for accessing content such as a full-length move from an optical disc uses an XML description file stored on the disc to generate one or more screens that a user employs to access the content. The decoding requirements of a hardware or software player are reduced by discarding specific elements of an encoding standard such as MPEG4 that is used to encode the content on the disc. The maximum average and peak bitrates at which the data is transferred are limited to further reduce the demands on the player.

Abstract: An optical data storage disc measuring 32 mm in diameter contains 1 GB of data per layer. The data is designed to be readable by a disc drive that contains a blue wavelength laser, an objective lens having a numerical aperture of 0.72 and conventional DVD controller electronics. This combination of elements allows a full-length movie or a video game to be displayed with DVD-quality on a cell phone or other portable hand held device.

Abstract: An optical disc includes a substrate layer, a cover layer, and an aluminum alloy layer that is between the substrate layer and cover layer, and is adjacent to the substrate layer. The aluminum alloy layer includes a majority amount of aluminum and an additional metal selected from the group consisting of: chromium, titanium, tantalum, and any combination thereof. A method of making an optical disc includes the steps of: forming a substrate layer; sputtering an aluminum alloy target onto the substrate layer to form an aluminum alloy layer; and forming a cover layer; wherein the aluminum alloy layer comprises a majority amount of aluminum and an additional metal selected from the group consisting of: chromium, titanium, tantalum, and any combination thereof.

Abstract: A miniature optical disc drive includes a DVD-compatible optical controller and a cartridge load module designed to hold a cartridge containing a 32 mm optical data storage disc.

Abstract: An optical data storage disc measuring 32 mm in diameter contains 1 GB of data per layer. The data is designed to be readable by a disc drive that contains a blue wavelength laser, an objective lens having a numerical aperture of 0.72 and conventional DVD controller electronics. This combination of elements allows a full-length movie or a video game to be displayed with DVD-quality on a cell phone or other portable hand held device.

Abstract: A small form factor disc drive is structured to hold and play an optical data storage disc measuring approximately 32 mm in diameter and containing 1 GB of data per layer. The disc drive contains a blue wavelength laser, an objective lens having a numerical aperture in the range of 0.70-0.78 and conventional DVD-compatible controller electronics. This unique combination of elements allows a full-length movie or a video game to be displayed with DVD-quality on a cell phone or other portable hand held device.

Abstract: A battery-operated, hand-held disc drive for an optical data storage disc contains a radio transceiver. Data read from the disc, for example a game or movie, are delivered to the transceiver and transmitted, preferably using a WiFi protocol, to a host device, such as a smartphone, PDA, ultra-light tablet or notebook computer, or digital TV. Preferably, the compression factor of the data on the disc and the transfer rate of the data from the disc drive to the host device are set such that that disc drive has a low duty cycle, thereby conserving battery power while providing the user with an extended usage period. To provide a high-quality experience, the data on the disc are compressed using a highly efficient data compression algorithm such as MPEG-4.

Abstract: An optical data storage system utilizes optical fibers for transfer of information to and from storage media. The storage media includes magneto-optical storage disks. The optical fibers are single-mode polarization maintaining optical fibers. A single frequency laser diode provides a source of polarized light. Accordingly, a polarization state conveyed by the polarization maintaining optical fiber is accurately reproduced with reduced noise, as compared to use of a Fabry-Perot laser diode.

Abstract: An optical head utilizes a micro-machined element in combination with a light source and a lens to write and read data onto a storage disk. The micro-machined element may include a steerable micro-machined mirror or a micro-actuator. A beam of laser light transmitted from the light source to the optical head and a reflected light from the storage disk is altered by a movement of the micro-machined element. In this manner a focused optical spot is scanned back and forth in a direction which is approximately parallel to the radial direction of the storage disk.

Abstract: An optical data storage and retrieval system uses a flying head. The flying head is supported on a moving media having information stored in a plurality of stored data locations thereon. Information is stored in each of the plurality of media locations as physical structures capable of modulating the polarization state of incident light into one of two output polarization states. The flying head includes an optical processing assembly which directs an incident light beam having a source polarization state onto the moving media, accessing successive data locations. A reflected light beam having the source polarization state of the incident light beam modulated by a respective polarization modifying data location into one of the output polarization states is received by the flying head.

Abstract: An optical data storage system utilizes optical fibers for transfer of information to and from storage media. The storage media comprises magneto-optical storage disks. The optical fibers are low-birefringence optical fibers. As compared with conventional approaches, a polarization state conveyed by the optical fiber is accurately reproduced with reduced noise. Various noise reduction techniques are provided by substantially decreasing or eliminating spurious reflections (or the effects thereof) at end faces and of an optical fiber. In particular, various techniques, such as index matching, a cover slip method, laser modulation, or angle polishing, may be used to eliminate spurious reflections (or the effects thereof) at the front end face of the optical fiber. Various techniques, such as angle cleaving, index matching, or multi-mode fiber splicing, may be used to eliminate spurious reflections (or the effects thereof) at the back end face of the optical fiber.

Abstract: An optical data storage system 100 utilizes optical fibers 102 for transfer of information to and from storage media 107. The storage media 107 comprises magneto-optical storage disks. The optical fibers 102 are low-birefringence optical fibers. As compared to the prior art, a polarization state conveyed by the optical fiber 102 is accurately reproduced with reduced noise.

Abstract: A magneto-optical flying head utilizes a steerable mirror in combination with a light source and a lens to write and read data onto a magneto-optical storage disk. A beam of laser light transmitted from the light source to the optical head is reflected onto a steerable micro-machined folding mirror. The reflected light from the folding mirror is directed through an embedded micro-objective GRIN lens. Fine tracking and short seeks to adjacent tracks are performed by rotating the mirror about an axis of rotation. In this way a focus spot is scanned back and forth in a direction which is approximately parallel to the radial direction of the storage disk.

Abstract: An optical microswitch for use with a laser beam comprising a support body and first and second output fibers carried by the body. An electrostatic microactuator is carried by the body and extends in a plane. A micromirror is disposed out of the plane. The microactuator has a mirror holder coupled to the micromirror and at least one comb drive assembly coupled to the mirror holder for driving the micromirror about an axis of rotation extending perpendicular to the plane between a first position for reflecting the laser beam to the first output fiber and a second position for reflecting the laser beam to the second output fiber.

Abstract: An optical data storage system 100 utilizes optical fibers 102 for transfer of information to and from storage media 107. The storage media 107 comprises magneto-optical storage disks. The optical fibers 102 are low-birefringence optical fibers. As compared to the prior art, a polarization state conveyed by the optical fiber 102 is accurately reproduced with reduced noise.

Abstract: An actuator assembly directs a first beam of light towards an optical assembly. A particular angular displacement of the beam of light relative to the optical assembly by the actuator assembly directs the beam of light to exit the optical assembly at a particular output port.