Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for discriminating optical disks, which can discriminate various kinds of optical disks which are seated on an information recording and reproducing system with high precision. In the present invention, laser light is irradiated onto an optical disk from an LD (101) for CDs, and light, which can be reflected from the optical disk, is detected by a PD (104) for CDs and a PD (105) for DVDs or PD (106) for HD-DVDs. The type of seated optical disk is discriminated on the basis of detection results.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical pickup device and method of adjusting the same. The optical pickup device and method of adjusting the same of the present invention can correct aberrations due to variation of thickness of an optical disc and dispersion of the emission wavelength by a semiconductor laser, which are generated in manufacturing processes of the optical disc and the optical pickup device, correct aberrations generated in recording/reproducing of the optical disc, due to variation of the emission wavelength and secular changes in the environment of the semiconductor laser, simplify and miniaturize the construction of the optical pickup device, and easily reduce manufacturing cost thereof. The optical pickup device of the present invention has a semiconductor laser (1) and a photo diode (13) for narrowing light emitted from the semiconductor laser (1) to a predetermined diameter and for detecting light reflected and returned from an optical disc (14).

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical pickup unit and information recording and reproducing apparatus. The present invention provides an optical pickup unit which can store and maintain the characteristics of the optical pickup unit itself, and further provides an information recording and reproducing apparatus, which enables mass production without increasing costs even though optical pickup units having different characteristics are assembled, and enables maintenance to be easily performed without increasing costs. The optical pickup unit (10) of the present invention has an LD (11), an object lens (13) for focusing light emitted from the LD (11) on a disk, actuators (15 and 16) for driving the object lens (13) to vary the position of the object lens (13) relative to the disk, and a PD (14) for detecting light reflected from the disk. In addition, the optical pickup unit (10) has an EEPROM (18) for storing optical pickup information of the optical pickup unit (10) therein.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a light irradiating device, optical pickup device with the same, and method of adjusting the light irradiating device. The light irradiating device has a light emitting device, a lens system and a secondary lens. The lens system narrows light emitted from the light emitting device to a predetermined diameter. The secondary lens is disposed between the light emitting device and the lens system. Each of the light emitting device and the secondary lens is fixed to an arbitrary position on the optical axis while allowing the light emitting device and the secondary lens to move independently along an optical axis. According to the present invention, the light irradiating device can obtain light use efficiency and a uniform light intensity distribution required for recording/reproducing of an optical information recording medium.

Abstract: Disclosed herewith is a wavelength coupling device which transmits three types of light having three different wavelengths, is composed of a hologram device, is characterized in that at least one type of light of the three types of light incident on the optical transmission medium is emitted at an angle different from its incident angle and the others types of light emitted at angles equal to their incident angles, respectively.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a wavelength selecting numeral aperture limiting element and a wavelength selecting beam splitter to record data on and reproduce data from three different optical discs, such as CD, DVD, and HD-DVD, each having different thickness of a protective layer and information recording density. The wavelength selecting numeral aperture limiting element of the optical pickup apparatus includes a first filter and a second filter disposed on respective sides of a transparent element to change a numeral aperture of an objective lens into three different numeral apertures in response to three different beams. The first filter disposed on an optical path to receive first, second, and third beams includes a first region transmitting the first laser beam and a second region disposed within the first region to transmit the first, second, and third laser beams.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a light irradiating device, optical pickup device with the same, and method of adjusting the light irradiating device. The light irradiating device has a light emitting device, a lens system and a secondary lens. The lens system narrows light emitted from the light emitting device to a predetermined diameter. The secondary lens is disposed between the light emitting device and the lens system. Each of the light emitting device and the secondary lens is fixed to an arbitrary position on the optical axis while allowing the light emitting device and the secondary lens to move independently along an optical axis. According to the present invention, the light irradiating device can obtain light use efficiency and a uniform light intensity distribution required for recording/reproducing of an optical information recording medium.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical pickup device and method of adjusting the same. The optical pickup device and method of adjusting the same of the present invention can correct aberrations due to variation of thickness of an optical disc and dispersion of the emission wavelength by a semiconductor laser, which are generated in manufacturing processes of the optical disc and the optical pickup device, correct aberrations generated in recording/reproducing of the optical disc, due to variation of the emission wavelength and secular changes in the environment of the semiconductor laser, simplify and miniaturize the construction of the optical pickup device, and easily reduce manufacturing cost thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a multiple layer disk, which comprising a plurality of layers each having an information record surface on which record information is recorded, is provided with: a read device for reading the record information from each of the layers; a reproduction process device for applying a predetermined reproduction process to the record information read by the read device in accordance with a reproduction process parameter, which is set therein and which comprises at least one of a gain value and an equalizer value, to thereby output a reproduction information signal; a drive device for driving the read device to jump from one reading state for reading one of the layers to another reading state for reading another of the layers; a memory for storing a plurality of reproduction process parameters corresponding to the layers in advance of reproduction; and a set device for reading out one of the stored reproduction process parameters, corresponding to another of the layers as a destination

Abstract: When a disc 1 is loaded, a focus serve is closed so as to focalize a light beam of the pick up 3 to the disc 1. The disc 1 is rotated by the spindle motor 2 by way of the driver 28. An upper limit value RFt of a slice level is measured in accordance with cross talk of an RF signal, which is read out from a signal recording area of the disc 1, and a lower limit value RFb of a slice level is measured. A slice level Th is calculated in accordance with an equation: Th=(RFt−RFb)/2, then the slice level Th is stored in the memory 135 and is set in the track counting section 120 while image searching.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a multiple layer disk, which comprising a plurality of layers each having an information record surface on which record information is recorded, is provided with: a read device for reading the record information from each of the layers; a reproduction process device for applying a predetermined reproduction process to the record information read by the read device in accordance with a reproduction process parameter, which is set therein and which comprises at least one of a gain value and an equalizer value, to thereby output a reproduction information signal; a drive device for driving the read device to jump from one reading state for reading one of the layers to another reading state for reading another of the layers; a memory for storing a plurality of reproduction process parameters corresponding to the layers in advance of reproduction; and a set device for reading out one of the stored reproduction process parameters, corresponding to another of the layers as a destination

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a multiple layer disk, which comprising a plurality of layers each having an information record surface on which record information is recorded, is provided with: a read device for reading the record information from each of the layers; a reproduction process device for applying a predetermined reproduction process to the record information read by the read device in accordance with a reproduction process parameter, which is set therein and which comprises at least one of a gain value and an equalizer value, to thereby output a reproduction information signal; a drive device for driving the read device to jump from one reading state for reading one of the layers to another reading state for reading another of the layers; a memory for storing a plurality of reproduction process parameters corresponding to the layers in advance of reproduction; and a set device for reading out one of the stored reproduction process parameters, corresponding to another of the layers as a destination

Abstract: The distances from external surfaces to information record surfaces of the optical record mediums of various types are different from each other.

Abstract: The distances from external surfaces to information record surfaces of the optical record mediums of various types are different from each other.

Abstract: When reproducing record information from one of a plurality of optical record mediums of various types, which distances from external surfaces thereof to information record surfaces thereof recorded with the record information are different from each other, a focus servo controlling method carries out the focus servo control.

Abstract: A video image mixing apparatus which can prevent a fluctuation of a mixed video image by a mixed video signal in the case where a playback video signal obtained by playing a recording medium in a special playing mode and a graphics video signal. When a discontinuity of the phase of a color burst signal in the playback video signal obtained by playing the recording medium is detected, the playback video signal and the graphics video signal are delayed by a predetermined time period and the delayed signals are mixed subsequently, thereby keeping the phases of chroma signals of the playback video signal and graphics video signal equal even in a special playing mode such as a still image reproducing mode or the like. In another embodiment, the mixed video signal of the playback video signal and graphics video signal is delayed by a predetermined time and is generated.

Abstract: A video signal recording apparatus digitizes video signals, writes the digital data in a memory and then reads them therefrom before recording the video signals on a recording medium. The orders of access to the addresses in the memory in write and read modes differ from each other with a predetermined relationship. A video signal reproducing apparatus reads recorded video signals from a recording medium, digitizes the video signals, writes the digital data in a memory and then reads them therefrom. The orders of access to the addresses in the memory in write and read modes differ from each other with a predetermined relationship.

Abstract: An apparatus for mixing a play video signal derived by playing a recording medium with a graphics video signal derived on the basis of data processing. A video selecting signal generated on the basis of image data is delayed, where its delay time is adjustable. By issuing image data for testing, the delay time is manually or automatically adjusted so as to coincide a time at which the video image selecting signal is generated on the basis of the image data for testing with a time at which the image data for testing is converted to a graphics video signal and issued.

Abstract: A video signal mixing apparatus for mixing a playback composite video signal produced by playing a recording medium and a graphics composite video signal generated on the basis of video data read from a memory device, wherein a vertical synchronizing signal of the playback composite video signal is forcedly generated in response to a vertical synchronizing signal of the graphics composite video signal to make the number of horizontal scanning lines of the playback composite video signal coincident with the number of horizontal scanning lines of the graphics composite video signal.

Abstract: In a recording medium playing apparatus, information on the medium (which is not reproduced when the medium is operated in a special playback mode) can not be arbitrarily reproduced when the medium is operated in an ordinary playback mode. A mask-clearing signal is stored in a memory at every unit information of reproduced one of all the information, the one being reproduced during the special playback mode in which the medium is operated when a predetermined data is processed. The apparatus judges whether the mask-clearing signal is stored in the memory at every unit information of the medium when the medium is operated in the ordinary playback mode, and unless the mask-clearing signal is stored, the unit information is inhibited from being output. In the ordinary playback mode, all of the information is not reproduced so as to retain the value and meaning of the game's software and become meaningless.