Abstract: A division test write processing unit is provided and a test writing process for deciding an optimum light emitting power by executing a test writing on a medium is divided into a plurality of division test writing processes. When an upper command is received, in the division test write processing unit, a division control unit skips to a division executing unit locating at the head of the processes which are not yet executed among a plurality of division executing units and allows the dividing processes of the test writing to be executed for a predetermined time.

Abstract: A reproducing magnetic field correcting unit is provided, a reproducing state is monitored while increasing a reproducing magnetic field by using a predetermined reproducing magnetic field as an initial value H1, and a reproducing magnetic field when a reproducible state is obtained is determined as an optimum magnetic field. A reproducing magnetic field obtained by adding a predetermined value to the reproducing magnetic field in the reproducible state is used as an optimum reproducing magnetic field. A change in reproducing magnetic field is started from the low magnetic field in which a predetermined value is subtracted from the initial value. A shoulder portion is certainly detected and the optimum magnetic field is set.

Abstract: Disclosed is a seek control method in an optical storage device, of seek-moving a light beam of an optical head from a certain track on an optical storage medium to a desired track. This seek control method comprises a step of calculating a target position, a step of detecting a present position from a track error signal indicating a relative position between the light beam and the track, a step of calculating such a feedback control quantity as to zeroize an error between the target position and the present position and a step of controlling a moving mechanism for moving the light beam in accordance with the feedback control quantity.

Abstract: A correction processing unit for correcting a level fluctuation appearing on a tracking error signal when a laser beam passes an ID area on a medium track during an on-track control is provided. That is, in the correction processing unit, a correction value determined by a correction value determining unit at a correction timing detected by a correction timing discriminating unit is subtracted by a correcting unit from a signal value obtained by sampling and converting the tracking error signal into digital data by an A/D converter at a predetermined period and reading, thereby performing the correction.

Abstract: In a low speed seek control unit, when it is judged by an error detection judging unit that a zero-cross error detection has occurred during a seeking operation, a speed prediction calculating unit predictively calculates a correct speed on the basis of the last track zero-cross interval free from any error detection and supplies the predicted speed in place of a detected speed to a speed control unit for the execution of a speed control, while a counter modification unit returns a track counter so as to have a value before the error detection. In a high speed seek control unit, when it is judged by an error detection judging unit that a zero-cross error detection has occurred, a speed prediction calculating unit predictively calculates a correct speed and supplies the predicted speed in place of a detected speed to a speed control unit for the execution of a speed control, while a counter modification unit modifies a track counter so as to have a correct value.

Abstract: A light emission adjustment processing unit of a laser diode sequentially instructs a D/A converter for light emission of a light emission by test powers at predetermined two points, allows the laser diode to emit the light, instructs a D/A converter for subtraction of subtraction currents corresponding to the test powers at two points, and measures each power by an A/D converter for monitoring. From the measurement results, a relation of the instruction values to an arbitrary power in each D/A converter is obtained by a linear approximation and registered into a power table. When deciding an optimum writing power by a test write, a limit power on the lower limit side is detected while gradually decreasing the writing power from a starting power and a predetermined offset is added to the detected limit power, thereby obtaining the optimum writing power.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus adapted to a mark edge recording method having a structure such that a data pattern experimentally recorded on an optical disk with one write power is reproduced plural times while changing reproducing conditions (for example, a slice level for binary-coding a reproduced analog signal) and the number of errors is calculated whenever the reproducing process is performed. The thus-structured process is repeated for using a plurality of write powers. An appropriate write power for the optical disk is determined in accordance with the obtained results of the calculations of the number of errors. In a case of a read-only optical disk, a data pattern experimentally and previously recorded on the optical disk is reproduced plural times by changing the reproducing conditions (for example, a slice level for binary-coding a reproduced analog signal), and the number of errors is calculated whenever the reproducing process is performed.

Abstract: After a first test pattern and a second test pattern were sequentially test written to at least two adjacent tracks by a light emission driving of a laser diode, the adjacent track in which the first test pattern was first test written is reproduced, thereby checking the presence or absence of a data error. When there is the data error, the test writing is repeated while changing a light emitting power until the data error is eliminated. When there is no data error, the light emitting power used in the test writing is set to a recording power.

Abstract: Disclosed is a seek control method in an optical storage device, of seek-moving a light beam of an optical head from a certain track on an optical storage medium to a desired track. This seek control method comprises a step of calculating a target position, a step of detecting a present position from a track error signal indicating a relative position between the light beam and the track, a step of calculating such a feedback control quantity as to zeroize an error between the target position and the present position and a step of controlling a moving mechanism for moving the light beam in accordance with the feedback control quantity.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer generates, through setting of a frequency control value, a reference clock having a frequency necessary to read data from a medium. When reading data from an arbitrary position on the medium, a setting control unit sets in the frequency synthesizer a frequency control value corresponding to the zone position, thereby allowing the frequency synthesizer to control a reference clock frequency, and sets in a single or a plurality of processing units other than the frequency synthesizer a predetermined control value corresponding to the read position on the medium. A settling wait processing unit calculates a settling time T1 required for a frequency of the frequency synthesizer to become stable and a setting processing time T2 necessary for the setting control of the other processing unit, and defines as a wait time Tw a difference (T1-T2) between the settling time T1 and the setting processing time T2, during which wait time Tw a migration to the subsequent processing is kept waiting.

Abstract: When an access of a 1-track seek is instructed from an upper apparatus, a 1-track seek period is divided into a predetermined accelerating period and decelerating period. A decelerating current is determined in accordance with a difference between sample points before and after a zero-cross point of a tracking error signal E2, namely, a beam velocity with respect to the decelerating period and is supplied. With regard to a fine seek as well, the decelerating current is determined from the beam velocity obtained from the difference between the sample points before and after the zero-cross point just before a target track and is supplied.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus adapted to a mark edge recording method having a structure such that a data pattern experimentally recorded on an optical disk with one write power is reproduced plural times while changing reproducing conditions (for example, a slice level for binary-coding a reproduced analog signal) and the number of errors is calculated whenever the reproducing process is performed. The thus-structured process is repeated for using a plurality of write powers. An appropriate write power for the optical disk is determined in accordance with the obtained results of the calculations of the number of errors. In a case of a read-only optical disk, a data pattern experimentally and previously recorded on the optical disk is reproduced plural times by changing the reproducing conditions (for example, a slice level for binary-coding a reproduced analog signal), and the number of errors is calculated whenever the reproducing process is performed.

Abstract: A disc apparatus has a cartridge loading/unloading mechanism to perform a loading operation for attaching an optical disc enclosed in a cartridge inserted from an outside to a rotary shaft of a spindle motor and an unloading operation for removing the optical disc from the rotary shaft of the spindle motor and for ejecting the cartridge to the outside. The loading operation of the cartridge loading/unloading mechanism is executed by the rotation of one direction of a load motor. The unloading operation of the cartridge loading/unloading mechanism is executed by the rotation in the reverse direction of the load motor. A drive current of the load motor is turned on or off at a short period, thereby adjusting so as to optimize a drive torque. When an exchangeable optical disc is loaded, a motor is activated, an initialization control is executed during the acceleration, and after a motor rotational speed reached a specific speed, the apparatus enables the writing/reading operations to be executed.

Abstract: A disk drive apparatus includes a driving circuit which rotates a recording media having a disk shape, and a read/write head movable in a radial direction of the recording media and a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of the radial direction. The read/write head writes data on the recording media and reads data therefrom. The disk drive apparatus also includes an initialization unit which initializes the read/write head during a period until the recording media starts to rotate and the rotating speed of the recording media reaches a predetermined constant speed so that the disk drive apparatus is set to a read/write enable state where the read/write head is correctly positioned with respect to the recording media in order to correctly write data on the recording media and read data therefrom.

Abstract: When an access of a 1-track seek is instructed from an upper apparatus, a 1-track seek period is divided into predetermined accelerating period and decelerating period. A decelerating current is determined in accordance with a difference between sample points before and after a zero-cross point of a tracking error signal E2, namely, a beam velocity with respect to the decelerating period and is supplied. With regard to a fine seek as well, the decelerating current is determined from the beam velocity obtained from the difference between the sample points before and after the zero-cross point just before a target track and is supplied.

Abstract: When an access of a 1-track seek is instructed from an upper apparatus, a 1-track seek period is divided into predetermined accelerating period and decelerating period. A decelerating current is determined in accordance with a difference between sample points before and after a zero-cross point of a tracking error signal E2, namely, a beam velocity with respect to the decelerating period and is supplied. With regard to a fine seek as well, the decelerating current is determined from the beam velocity obtained from the difference between the sample points before and after the zero-cross point just before a target track and is supplied.

Abstract: When an access of a 1-track seek is instructed from an upper apparatus, a 1-track seek period is divided into predetermined accelerating period and decelerating period. A decelerating current is determined in accordance with a difference between sample points before and after a zero-cross point of a tracking error signal E2, namely, a beam velocity with respect to the decelerating period and is supplied. With regard to a fine seek as well, the decelerating current is determined from the beam velocity obtained from the difference between the sample points before and after the zero-cross point just before a target track and is supplied.

Abstract: A disc-apparatus has a cartridge loading/unloading mechanism to perform a loading operation for attaching an optical disc enclosed in a cartridge inserted from an outside to a rotary shaft of a spindle motor and an unloading operation for removing the optical disc from the rotary shaft of the spindle motor and for ejecting the cartridge to the outside. The loading operation of the cartridge loading/unloading mechanism is executed by the rotation of one direction of a load motor. The unloading operation of the cartridge loading/unloading mechanism is executed by the rotation in the reverse direction of the load motor. A drive current of the load motor is turned on or off at a short period, thereby adjusting so as to optimize a drive torque. When an exchangeable optical disc is loaded, a motor is activated, an initialization control is executed during the acceleration, and after a motor rotational speed reached a specific speed, the apparatus enables the writing/reading operations to be executed.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus adapted to a mark edge recording method having a structure such that a data pattern experimentally recorded on an optical disk with one write power is reproduced plural times while changing reproducing conditions (for example, a slice level for binary-coding a reproduced analog signal) and the number of errors is calculated whenever the reproducing process is performed. The thus-structured process is repeated for using a plurality of write powers. An appropriate write power for the optical disk is determined in accordance with the obtained results of the calculations of the number of errors. In a case of a read-only optical disk, a data pattern experimentally and previously recorded on the optical disk is reproduced plural times by changing the reproducing conditions (for example, a slice level for binary-coding a reproduced analog signal), and the number of errors is calculated whenever the reproducing process is performed.

Abstract: A lens is accelerated on a coarse tracking carriage while enabling a lens position servo, which moves the carriage so that the lens returns to a neutral position on the carriage. After the beam spot becomes fast enough, the carriage is accelerated and decelerated until the beam spot arrives near a destination track; then, the lens is decelerated on the carriage to stop on the destination track. The method does not require a stop at each track which is to be crossed. In a second method, the carriage is first accelerated while the fine tracking servo is enabled to trace a start track. After the carriage becomes fast enough that eccentricity of the tracks will not prohibit a correct jump, the fine tracking servo is disabled. The beam spot is then moved by a lens lock force which returns the lens to the neutral position on the carriage. The carriage is further accelerated and decelerated, and then the lens is decelerated in the same manner as the first method.