Abstract: An optical disk recording system including a record medium is disclosed for providing an accurate track crossing count and an accurate track following signal. A first embodiment utilizes off-centered wobbled areas located in the headers of the record medium. The high frequency content of a first signal is combined with the low frequency content of a second signal, which is generated using the wobbled areas. In another embodiment, light-reflective discontinuities are provided in the header areas of the record medium. A qualifier and an AGC are utilized in providing a corrected track following signal. In still another embodiment, reflective discontinuities are located in the servo areas of the record medium. In such an embodiment, it is preferred that there be a fixed gain adjustment to a radial push-pull signal.

Abstract: An optical disk recording system including a record medium is disclosed for providing an accurate track crossing count and an accurate track following signal. A first embodiment utilizes off-centered wobbled areas located in the headers of the record medium. The high frequency content of a first signal is combined with the low frequency content of a second signal, which is generated using the wobbled areas. In another embodiment, light-reflective discontinuities are provided in the header areas of the record medium. A qualifier and an AGC are utilized in providing a corrected track following signal. In still another embodiment, reflective discontinuities are located in the servo areas of the record medium. In such an embodiment, it is preferred that there is a fixed gain adjustment to a radial push-pull signal.

Abstract: An optical disk recording system including a record medium is disclosed for providing an accurate track crossing count and an accurate track following signal. A first embodiment utilizes off-centered wobbled areas located in the headers of the record medium. The high frequency content of a first signal is combined with the low frequency content of a second signal, which is generated using the wobbled areas. In another embodiment, light-reflective discontinuities are provided in the header areas of the record medium. A qualifier and an AGC are utilized in providing a corrected track following signal. In still another embodiment, reflective discontinuities are located in the servo areas of the record medium. In such an embodiment, it is preferred that there is a fixed gain adjustment to a radial push-pull signal.

Abstract: An optical disk recording system including a record medium is disclosed for providing an accurate track crossing count and an accurate track following signal. A first embodiment utilizes off-centered wobbled areas located in the headers of the record medium. The high frequency content of a first signal is combined with the low frequency content of a second signal, which is generated using the wobbled areas. In another embodiment, light-reflective discontinuities are provided in the header areas of the record medium. A qualifier and an AGC are utilized in providing a corrected track following signal. In still another embodiment, reflective discontinuities are located in the servo areas of the record medium. In such an embodiment, it is preferred that there be a fixed gain adjustment to a radial push-pull signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for generating a coarse actuator drive signal. A fine actuator, operatively attached to a coarse actuator, defines an optical pathway through which light reflected from various structures residing on a disk passes. A split detector, attached to the coarse assembly and positioned to intercept light from the optical pathway, receives the light reflected by the structures residing on the disk and generates signals representative of the light incident on each half of the split detector. A difference between the signals produced by the split detector indicates that the coarse actuator is not centered or aligned with respect to the fine actuator. Processing circuitry processes the signals produced by the split detector according to the disk structure utilized to produce the signals and generates a coarse actuator drive signal.

Abstract: A track seeking method is provided which relies on sampled seek information. No external sensors are employed and the seek information is intermittently stored along the tracks provided on the disk surface. In determining the actual velocity of the seek actuator, at least two methods for counting crossed tracks are utilized. Preferably, a 1/2-count method is used at lower seek velocities and a 16-count method is used at higher seek velocities. The 178 -count method involves the receipt of two counts for each track that is crossed, while the 16-count method involves counting every sixteen tracks that are crossed. The selection of the 1/2-count and the 16-count methods for counting tracks crossed results in a velocity gap region. The velocity gap region is a range of seek actuator velocities in which the servo loop is underdamped for the 16-count method and where folding occurs for the 1/2-count method. To overcome the underdamping and folding problems, various solutions have been devised.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information on an optically inscribable and readable disc-shaped record carrier with a previously formed track pattern containing a first track modulation, in order to obtain a clock signal, and a second track modulation formed by a radial wobble, in order to obtain a tracking signal. A reference signal for generating a tracking signal via synchronous detection is derived from the clock signal by frequency synthesis.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information in and/or from an optically inscribable and readable disk-shaped record carrier with a pre-formed tracks with a track modulation constituted by a radial wobble, in order to obtain a tracking signal. A reference signal for deriving the tracking signal by synchronous detection is obtained by rectifying the difference signal which is the difference between the signals supplied by the two photo-detectors disposed on opposite sides of a line which extends in the track direction, by subsequently extracting the component of twice the frequency via a phase-locked loop and by frequency-dividing the signal, so that phase shifts of 180.degree. in the difference signal do not affect the synchronous detection.

Abstract: Sampled servo data comprising one pit centered on a track and two pits spaced 1/4 track pitch from track center on opposite sides thereof provide for two sinusoidal tracking signals, one radially phase offset from the other by 90 degrees. A first tracking signal derived from subtracting the signals of the offset pits has a zero crossing at track center and is used by the servo system for tracking. Its derivative is used for damping. A second tracking signal derived from all three pits has maxima at track centers and is therefore 90 degrees out of phase with the first tracking signal. This second signal provides track crossing information, and when used in quadrature with the first tracking signal, provides information about the radial direction of crossing. The second signal also provides a control signal for inverting the damping signal while between tracks when the derivative of the first tracking signal would ordinarily be negative and provide for negative damping.