Abstract: There is provided a carrier mechanism which can move a carrier section 23 to a desired position with high accuracy. The carrier mechanism is comprised of the carrier section 23, a driving motor 18, and an actuator formed of a cam mechanism 13, 15 for transmitting a driving force of the driving motor 18 to the carrier section 23 to convey the same. When the carrier section 23 is moved upward with respect to the present position, the carrier section 23 is once moved (elevated) to a position in excess of a desired position, then moved downward from the exceeded position to the desired position. When the carrier section 23 is moved downward from the present position, the carrier section 23 is moved to the desired position without exceeding the desired position. By virtue of this operation, in both of the elevation and lowering of the carrier section 23, the carrier section 23 reaches the desired section by lowering thereto at its final stage of the movement.

Abstract: A method for reproducing information recorded on a disc is provided. In the method, a reproduction signal is irradiated towards the disc to produce a corresponding read signal. Also, the reproduction signal is positioned at a first position within a non-program area of the disc and is attempted to be focused on the disc. If the reproduction signal is focused on the disc, the method determines if the read signal has a valid signal level. If the read signal does not have the valid signal level when the reproduction signal is positioned at the first position, the reproduction signal is moved to a second position within a program area of the disc while the reproduction signal remains focused on the disc. Then, the method determines if the read signal has the valid signal level when the reproduction signal is positioned at the second position. Also, a disc player that employs the method and a software program that instruct a controller to perform operations in accordance with the method are also provided.

Abstract: When a setup is performed by reproducing conditions corresponding to the first kind of optical disk and a setup is subsequently performed by reproducing conditions corresponding to the second kind of optical disk, the reproducing conditions which succeed to at least a part of the reproducing conditions corresponding to the first kind of optical disk are used as reproducing conditions corresponding to the second kind of optical disk and the setup is performed. When the setup is completed, the reproducing conditions corresponding to the optical disk as a target of the setup are stored. When the same optical disk is set up again, the stored reproducing conditions are used.

Abstract: A servo control apparatus of an optical pickup is provided for reading recorded information from a recording medium and generates a read signal. The apparatus includes an error signal extracting part for extracting an error signal which indicates a deviation amount of a reading position from a target reading position of the optical pickup; a drive part for driving the optical pickup to change the reading position; an equalizer for equalizing the error signal and supplying a drive signal which indicates a driving amount of the drive part; a detecting part for detecting a dropout portion in the read signal; an identifying part for identifying a form of the dropout portion detected in the detecting part; and a controller. The controller performs control to change a gain of the equalizer in accordance with the identified form of the dropout portion.

Abstract: A servo adjustment apparatus for setting an adjustment value for servo control of at least one of optical recording of information on information recording surfaces and optical reproduction of information recorded on the information recording surfaces, is provided. A setting device sets an adjustment value corresponding to one of the information recording surfaces. Another setting device sets another adjustment value corresponding to another one of the surfaces other than the one of information recording surfaces. Then a calculation device calculates a relational value indicating a relationship between the adjustment value and another adjustment value. A storage device stores calculated relational value. A resetting device resets the adjustment value using another adjustment value set previously and the relational value when the adjustment value is reset, and resets another adjustment value using the adjustment value set previously and the relational value when another adjustment value is reset.

Abstract: A servo-control apparatus is provided for use with an optical disc player for reading and/or recording information. The apparatus includes an adjustment section for performing coarse and fine adjustment of a servo loop gain in accordance with a storage medium loaded in the player; a memory for storing a gain adjustment value; a discriminator for determining, upon one of reading and recording information, that the storage medium has already been subjected to the coarse and fine adjustment; and a controller. The controller allows the adjustment section to perform the fine adjustment of the servo loop gain in accordance with the stored adjustment value when it is determined that the storage medium has already been subjected to the coarse and fine adjustment.

Abstract: A disc player can be used in common for discs having different focus positions of an object lens with respect to a recording surface. The disc player carries out focus servo control with respect to the discs and reads out recorded information. The disc player comprises a judging device, a waveform setting device and a focus searching device. The judging device judges a type of disc set at the disc player. The waveform setting device selectively sets a predetermined waveform information in accordance with results of judgement by the judging device, from a plurality of waveform information which are held in advance for use in focus searching for the types of discs. The focus searching device generates a focus search signal based on the waveform information set by the waveform setting device, and carries out focus searching, at a time of start-up of the disc player, before the focus servo control is carried out.

Abstract: When a setup is performed by reproducing conditions corresponding to the first kind of optical disk and a setup is subsequently performed by reproducing conditions corresponding to the second kind of optical disk, the reproducing conditions which succeed to at least a part of the reproducing conditions corresponding to the first kind of optical disk are used as reproducing conditions corresponding to the second kind of optical disk and the setup is performed. When the setup is completed, the reproducing conditions corresponding to the optical disk as a target of the setup are stored. When the same optical disk is set up again, the stored reproducing conditions are used.

Abstract: A servo-control apparatus is provided for use with an optical disc player for reading and/or recording information. The apparatus includes an adjustment section for performing coarse and fine adjustment of a servo loop gain in accordance with a storage medium loaded in the player; a memory for storing a gain adjustment value; a discriminator for determining, upon one of reading and recording information, that the storage medium has already been subjected to the coarse and fine adjustment; and a controller. The controller allows the adjustment section to perform the fine adjustment of the servo loop gain in accordance with the stored adjustment value when it is determined that the storage medium has already been subjected to the coarse and fine adjustment.

Abstract: A disc player can be used in common for discs having different focus positions of an object lens with respect to a recording surface. The disc player carries out focus servo control with respect to the discs and reads out recorded information. The disc player comprises a judging device, a waveform setting device and a focus searching device. The judging device judges a type of disc set at the disc player. The waveform setting device selectively sets a predetermined waveform information in accordance with results of judgement by the judging device, from a plurality of waveform information which are held in advance for use in focus searching for the types of discs. The focus searching device generates a focus search signal based on the waveform information set by the waveform setting device, and carries out focus searching, at a time of start-up of the disc player, before the focus servo control is carried out.

Abstract: A servo control apparatus of an optical pickup is provided for reading recorded information from a recording medium and generates a read signal. The apparatus includes an error signal extracting part for extracting an error signal which indicates a deviation amount of a reading position from a target reading position of the optical pickup; a drive part for driving the optical pickup to change the reading position; an equalizer for equalizing the error signal and supplying a drive signal which indicates a driving amount of the drive part; a detecting part for detecting a dropout portion in the read signal; an identifying part for identifying a form of the dropout portion detected in the detecting part; and a controller. The controller performs control to change a gain of the equalizer in accordance with the identified form of the dropout portion.

Abstract: A method for reproducing information recorded on a disc is provided. In the method, a reproduction signal is irradiated towards the disc to produce a corresponding read signal. Also, the reproduction signal is positioned at a first position within a non-program area of the disc and is attempted to be focused on the disc. If the reproduction signal is focused on the disc, the method determines if the read signal has a valid signal level. If the read signal does not have the valid signal level when the reproduction signal is positioned at the first position, the reproduction signal is moved to a second position within a program area of the disc while the reproduction signal remains focused on the disc. Then, the method determines if the read signal has the valid signal level when the reproduction signal is positioned at the second position. Also, a disc player that employs the method and a software program that instruct a controller to perform operations in accordance with the method are also provided.

Abstract: A servo adjustment apparatus for setting an adjustment value for servo control of at least one of optical recording of information on information recording surfaces and optical reproduction of information recorded on the information recording surfaces, is provided. A setting device sets an adjustment value corresponding to one of the information recording surfaces. Another setting device sets another adjustment value corresponding to another one of the surfaces other than the one of information recording surfaces. Then a calculation device calculates a relational value indicating a relationship between the adjustment value and another adjustment value. A storage device stores calculated relational value. A resetting device resets the adjustment value using another adjustment value set previously and the relational value when the adjustment value is reset, and resets another adjustment value using the adjustment value set previously and the relational value when another adjustment value is reset.