Abstract: A method for manufacturing a polarization element which has a high reliability and is easy to manufacture. The manufacturing method includes the steps of forming a fine metal particle dispersed product including a plurality of dispersed fine metal particles on a surface of the transparent substrate using a sol-gel method, drawing the fine metal particle dispersed product together with the transparent substrate while heating both, and cutting the drawn fine metal particle dispersed product and transparent substrate. The forming step includes the steps of coating a sol coating liquid on the surface of the transparent substrate, heat-treating the coated sol coating liquid, and sintering the heat-treated sol coating liquid. The sol coating liquid includes a disperse liquid containing an organic silicon compound as a main component and a metal salt dispersed in the disperse liquid for forming the fine metal particles.

Abstract: Two optical input channels carry two input optical signals in orthogonal polarization states while located at different radial distances relative to a GRIN lens, so that the two input signals exit the lens at different angles. The two signals exiting the lens pass through an optical member having transverse optical axes where the member has different indices of refraction along the two axes. The member passes and combines the two input optical signals into one signal plus a single output optical channel.

Abstract: A PMD compensator has three compensation elements in series, each for providing variable differential group delay. Each compensation element provides compensation along a different orthogonal polarization axis. This enables PMD to be cancelled more completely.

Abstract: An optical wavelength selection device containing an optical beam source, a device for collimating the optical beam to produce a collimated optical beam, a diffraction grating assembly for diffracting the collimated optical beam to produce a collimated optical diffracted beam, a device for modifying the polarization state of the collimated optical beam, and a lens assembly for focusing the collimated optical diffracted beam. The device for modifying the polarization state of the collimated optical beam is located within the diffraction grating assembly in one embodiment and before the diffraction grating assembly in another embodiment.

Abstract: A partially mirror coated parallelepipedal form is oriented to divide collimated beams along the longitudinal axes from a plurality of diode lasers arranged side-by-side along their transverse axis. The divided partial beams are subsequently recombined and arranged side-by-side along their transverse axis using the same rhomboidal form, where the parallelepipedal form and the polarization state of the collimated diode laser beams are oriented to minimize the insertion loss of the device. The side by side arranged partial beams are further coupled into an optical fiber positioned downstream of the parallelepipedal form to deliver a beam with high optical brightness.

Abstract: Accurate simulation of sport to quantify and train performance constructs by employing sensing electronics for determining, in essentially real time, the player's three dimensional positional changes in three or more degrees of freedom (three dimensions); and computer controlled sport specific cuing that evokes or prompts sport specific responses from the player that are measured to provide meaningful indicia of performance. The sport specific cuing is characterized as a virtual opponent that is responsive to, and interactive with, the player in real time. The virtual opponent continually delivers and/or responds to stimuli to create realistic movement challenges for the player.

Abstract: A beam combiner includes a heat-dissipation element and a plurality of prisms. Each of the prisms is applied with a high-reflection coating for forming a reflective surface, and is connected to the heat-dissipation element via the reflective surface.

Abstract: A lens apparatus includes four lens groups and a plurality of barrels with grooves that guide and drive the lens frames of the four lens groups in order to achieve a high zoom ratio and retraction of the lens apparatus into a camera body when the lens apparatus is not in use. Two sets of three guide grooves in a fixed barrel and three cam grooves in a cam barrel are unequally spaced around the circumference of the barrels so as to provide more room for an additional groove in the cam barrel. Some of the lens frames are fully supported by pins in the grooves and some of the lens frames are partially supported by guide rods in the lens apparatus. A single guide rod helps support two lens frames in order to save space in the lens apparatus.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection lens for projecting a pattern located in an object plane onto an image plane without an intermediate image includes the following components between the object plane and the image plane in the given order: a first lens part for creating a beam that is directed at a physical beam splitter, a physical beam splitter with a beam splitter surface, a mirror group with a concave mirror, and a second lens part with positive focal power to create an image of the pattern on the image plane. The mirror group preferably has no free-standing lens, and the focal power of the mirror group is largely determined by the magnification of the concave mirror. The focal power of the mirror group is large enough to convert the incident divergent beam into a convergent beam. The system aperture is located on the image side behind of the concave mirror, preferably at the exit of the beam splitter.

Abstract: A dispersion compensator is formed by an angular dispersion element, a diffracting optical element, and a reflecting mirror. By forming a reflecting surface in free-formed surfaces which are different between Y-Z plane and X-Z plane and shifting a reflecting position on a reflecting surface per wavelengths, dispersion and dispersion slope are compensated by having an optical path length difference per wavelengths. By doing this, it is possible to realize a dispersion compensator which can compensate dispersion and dispersion slope simultaneously with low loss.

Abstract: Projection lenses for use with pixelized panels (PP) are provided. The projection lenses have a negative first unit (U1) separated from a positive second unit (U2) by a reflective surface (RS) which folds the lens' optical axis. The lenses are telecentric on the short conjugate side, have a large field of view in the direction of the long conjugate, and have low aberration levels, including, in particular, low levels of lateral color.

Abstract: An objective lens for use in an optical pickup apparatus for conducting recording and/or reproducing information for an optical information recording medium, has a lens section shaped in an approximate circle and including a flange section; and a connecting section integrally provided to the lens section. The objective lens satisfies the following conditional formulas: 0.5≦A≦2.0, 0.3A≦B≦1.7A where A is a diameter of the lens section when the lens section is viewed from an direction of an optical axis, and B is a width of the connecting section when the connecting section is viewed from the direction of the optical axis.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods providing adjustable mounting with multiple degrees of freedom, such as three degrees of freedom allowing controlled adjustment of pitch, roll, and/or yaw. In providing such degrees of freedom, a ball member of a ball and socket mounting apparatus may preferably be disposed upon a surface and a mount, having a socket portion sized and shaped to correspond to a mating surface of the ball member, may be placed in communication therewith. The mount may have a component to be mounted placed thereon after the mount is placed in communication with the ball member. Preferably as part of the system manufacturing process, an adjustment mechanism is placed in communication with the mount and provides manipulating forces thereto, preferably causing the socket portion of the mount to slidably engage the mating surface of the ball member, in order to precisely position a component mounted thereon.

Abstract: A holder for optical elements, or samples, in an optical setup. The holder is readily adjustments to accommodate samples of various sizes, such as cylindrical shaped samples of various diameters. The holder provides stable support for the sample, irrespective of the size of the sample and maximizes the area of the sample through which a light beam may pass as part of the analysis of the optical properties of the sample.

Abstract: In magnetic transfer performed to transfer an information signal such as a servo signal from a master medium to a slave medium, the degradation of transfer quality caused by a failure of close contact between the master medium and the slave medium due to dust accumulated thereon is prevented. Magnetic transfer means is provided to carry out the magnetic transfer by bringing the master medium bearing information and the slave medium into close contact with each other, and applying a transfer magnetic field. Replacing means is provided to prepare a plurality of master media, and replacing the master medium after magnetic transfer is performed a predetermined number of times. Cleaning means is also provided to clean the replaced master medium by ultrasonic washing or the like.

Abstract: A disc drive with on-the-fly verification of an enabled condition of the write element, comprising a rotatable disc having a magnetic recording surface, and a data reading and writing assembly. The data reading and writing assembly comprises a read/write head comprising a write element and a read element, both adjacent the recording surface; a preamplifier comprising a write driver applying a series of write currents for writing data to the recording surface and a read amplifier for reading stored data from the recording surface; and an interconnect joining the write driver to the write element so as to generate time-varying magnetic fields selectively magnetizing the recording surface in response to the write currents, and joining the read amplifier to the read element so as to transduce magnetization vectors on the recording surface associated with stored data.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a base and a disc rotatably attached to the base. The disc has an inner diameter and an outer diameter and a plurality of tracks. Information is written on the plurality of tracks. The plurality of tracks are written at a variable track pitch. The tracks positioned near the outer diameter are wider in pitch than the tracks positioned near the inner diameter. The plurality of tracks further include a first group of tracks written at a first track pitch, and a second group of tracks written at a second track pitch. The track pitch of each of the first group and the second group of tracks is selected such that the percentage of track misregistration for each group will be substantially the same. This method provides a means to increase storage capacity for a predetermined track misregistration budget.

Abstract: A method for detecting the degree of wear of a magneto-resistance (MR) effect type magnetic head element for reading a magnetic signal by use of a simple structure is disclosed. The degree of wear of an MR head for reading a magnetic signal from a magnetic tape is detected based on a value of resistance of an MR element by a head wear detecting circuit. A signal indicative of the degree of wear of the MR head is supplied to an alarm generating circuit for example, to generate an alarm informing of the life of the MR head.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating a machine-readable medium such as a CD or a DVD disc is disclosed. The disc includes encoded copy protection data that, when decoded and re-encoded, produces a tracking prevention sequence of bits that causes a duplicate disc (containing the re-encoded copy protection data) to temporarily lose tracking. The temporary loss of tracking is utilized to render the duplicated disc unusable by placing key data immediately following the encoded copy protection data.

Abstract: A conventional magnetic head has a structure, in which a MR element and a recording element are stacked. The influence of a recording magnetic field on the magnetically sensitive portion of a reproduction element is lessened and the performance of the MR element is stabilized. Also, the reliability of the magnetic disk drive using a MR element is enhanced. The magnetic disk drive uses a composite magnet head, which has a plurality of reproduction elements arranged such that the magnetically sensitive layer of a reproduction element of the composite magnetic head does not overlap with the normal direction projection of the recording element, and which lessens the influence of a recording magnetic field on the magnetically sensitive portion of each reproduction element.

Abstract: Adjustment of a read detection equalizer filter of a magnetic tape drive is conducted utilizing a required control pattern signal which comprises a required portion of a normal recording format of the magnetic tape. An example comprises a data set separator signal. The sensed required control pattern signal is processed with respect to a target reference pattern signal to adapt the read detection equalizer filter to the target reference pattern signal.

Abstract: In a disk storage apparatus, a CPU (2) supplies control current of a rated maximum current value to a VCM (6) at the time a head is loaded onto a disk. When the head is stopped on the head stop member, the CPU (2) controls an additional drive circuit (12) to conduct re-try processing. The additional drive circuit (12) supplies to the VCM (6) a control current whose current value is added to the rated maximum current value.

Abstract: A micro-actuator of a head suspension either is wired in a reverse polarity to effect movement of the suspension arms in opposing directions relative to the magnetic disks or reversed in physical orientation and wired identically. This permits a single micro-actuator control signal to control all micro-actuators and thereby cancel the affects of inertia of the suspension arms and the read/write heads on the actuator arms as half of the suspension arms and magnetic heads move in one direction while, simultaneously, the other half of the suspension arms and magnetic heads move in a second, opposite direction in response to a single control signal, simplifying wiring and control electronics. The counter-movement of the suspension arms and magnetic counter the inertia and inertial forces and expedite the settling into their stable recording/reading positions, thereby reducing seek times and improving disk drive performance.

Abstract: A method of, apparatus for, and means for controlling pitch of a servowritten track on a disc in a disc drive are disclosed. The disc drive has a head for traversing over a surface of the disc. The head has a read element and a write element separated by a head element offset &Dgr;. A servowriting controller operably connected to the disc drive creates a track k by writing servo information on the disc. The servowriting controller then calculates the head element offset &Dgr; at the track k, [&Dgr;CALC(k)] and determines a skew angle &thgr; at the track k, [&thgr;(k)]. The servowriting controller adjusts a track pitch correction factor based on the &Dgr;CALC(K) and the &thgr;(k) such that the track pitch correction factor is utilized to servowrite a next track.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for in situ detection of high-flying sliders over customer data. A sampled and digitized readback sequence x(n) from a logical data block of customer data is received. Bandpass filtered data of the readback sequence x(n) is generated and processed for generating a predefined harmonic ratio. The generated predefined harmonic ratio is compared with a predefined threshold value to identify a high-flying slider. Bandpass filtered data of the readback sequence x(n) is generated with a digital comb filter and a digital resonator. The bandpass filtered data of the readback sequence x(n) is either squared or the absolute value is taken for a predefined number of samples and then accumulatively summed for the predefined number of samples and the harmonic ratio is calculated. The generated predefined harmonic ratio is compared with a predefined threshold value that is determined as a function of head and disk parameters.

Abstract: While a disk drive is operating, a retract time period, which is required for moving a head from its present position to a predetermined retract change position using a back EMF that occurs in an SPM, is determined. Upon power-off of a power supply for the disk drive, at first, a first retract operation for moving the head using the back EMF of the SPM is started. When the retract time period has elapsed after the power-off of the power supply, the first retract operation is switched to a second retract operation for moving the head onto a ramp using a charge accumulated in a retract capacitor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed which allow for compensation of repeatable runout in a disk drive when an actuator arm assembly has a relatively high friction to inertia ratio in a pivot bearing assembly. The compensation uses one of two initial runout coefficients, based on a seek length. If the seek length is shorter than a predetermined distance, a current runout coefficient is used to compensate for repeatable runout which is continuously updated throughout a previous seek operation. If the seek length is greater than the predetermined distance, a transient runout coefficient is used to compensate for repeatable runout which is updated following the initial revolutions of the hard disk.

Abstract: A method of interleaving servo information fields on a recording medium, and a corresponding recording medium having interleaved servo information fields, that reduce the amount of disk surface area needed for servo information, to thus increase disk surface area available for data storage. The track layout includes regular sector servo fields and reduced sector servo fields interleaved with data fields. The regular sector servo fields include servo correction information such as repetitive run-out (RRO) cancellation values. The servo correction information of the reduced sector servo field does not include servo correction information. The servo correction information of the reduced sector servo field is merged into the regular sector servo field.

Abstract: An attenuating filter for the servo control processor of a disc drive data storage device. The filter is constructed by determining the peak resonance in the structure frequency response above a preselected magnitude and computing a digital notch filter to attenuate that peak resonance. The notch filter domain is then summed with the structure frequency response to derive a modified structure frequency response. The modified structure frequency response is substituted for the unfiltered structure frequency response and again the peak resonance in the modified structure frequency response above a preselected magnitude is determined and a notch filter is computed as necessary. This process of summing the structure frequency response with the latest computed notch filter domain to derive a modified structure frequency response continues until the peak resonance of the latest modified structure frequency response is less than the preselected magnitude.

Abstract: A tape loading device for loading a tape from a first state, in which the tape is mounted on a chassis, to a second state, in which a tape running path is formed as a result of a tape guide post pulling out and winding the tape at a prescribed position is provided. The tape loading device includes a transportation member having the tape guide post thereon; a forward wall integrated with the transportation member and disposed rearward to the tape guide post and inclined so that normal thereto is directed forward and obliquely upward; and a pressure-contact member, which is in pressure-contact with the forward wall in the second state, for urging the transportation member forward and obliquely upward.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic storage cartridge adapted to be removably received by a drive base. The magnetic storage cartridge comprises a housing that includes at least one magnetic disk rotatable about an axis, and an actuator arrangement pivotal about an axis. The actuator arrangement includes at least one read/write head for reading and writing information to and from the at least one magnetic disk. The housing also includes a first engagement feature positioned on the housing at the rotational axis of the magnetic disk and a second engagement feature positioned on the housing at the pivot axis of the actuator arrangement. The housing of the storage cartridge also includes a third engagement feature that is spaced from the first and second engagement features.

Abstract: A disk device such as a magnetic hard disk drive. A disk is arranged inside a frame body. A cover is placed on the frame body, a gap is formed between a rim of the cover and the frame, and this gap is shielded by a sheet having an adhesive portion.

Abstract: A moisture absorbing agent is used in a disk apparatus. The difference in the moisture absorption amount in the hygroscopic isothermal line between the moisture absorbing agent at a relative humidity of 80% and the moisture absorbing agent at a relative humidity of 95% is not less than 30% in the moisture absorbing stage and is not less than 20% in the moisture releasing stage relative to the dry weight of the moisture absorbing agent.

Abstract: A motor rotatably driving a flexible disk has a rotor having an external peripheral side surface on which an index detection magnet is mounted. A main circuit board mounts a control circuit for carrying out a driving control of the motor and extends in a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis of the motor. Attached to the main circuit board, a sub circuit board extends in a direction in parallel with the rotation axis of the motor at a position close to the external peripheral side surface of the rotor. Mounted on the sub circuit board, an index detection Hall element has a magnetic field detection surface which is disposed so as to oppose to the external peripheral side surface of the rotor.

Abstract: A magnetooptic read head including a magnetooptic transducer with a multilayer structure with at least one thin magnetic layer with a magnetooptic effect, at least one layer made of nonmagnetic material and having a predetermined wear coefficient, and a layer with good magnetic permeability for closing a magnetic circuit. The layer with good magnetic permeability includes alternating first sublayers made of a magnetic material with good magnetic permeability and second sublayers made of a material having a wear coefficient substantially equivalent to the wear coefficient of the layer made of a nonmagnetic material.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved thin film write head and method of fabrication capable of providing an ultra-short yoke and/or an ultra-low conductor winding stack. The present invention reduces yoke length and stack height by forming the conductor winding in a trench etched from an insulation layer, preferably formed of an inorganic insulation material. A thin resist mask is used to define the width of the trench while the etch process defines the depth. Preferably, the insulation layer is formed on a different inorganic insulation material to control the etch process, thus, the conductor winding may be formed on the underlying layer. The conductor winding preferably is formed by depositing conductor material so that it fills the trench and then planarizing, such as by chemical mechanical polish, to remove conductor material deposited outside the trench.

Abstract: A soft magnetic film is formed of a CoFe alloy having an Fe content in the range of 68 to 80 mass %, thereby having a saturation magnetic flux density of 2.0 T or more. The center lain average roughness of the film surface is 9 nm or less. The soft magnetic film can achieve a corrosive resistant magnetic head with a high recording density.

Abstract: An improved slider design is presented including first and second rails, where the rear portions of the rails have an angle greater than 0°. Adjacent to an inside edge of at least one of the rails, a secondary structure is placed having a height less than that of the rails. Though subambient pressure is present between the first and second rails, the pressure is greater at the secondary structure. In one embodiment, the pressure at the secondary structure is less than one atmosphere over all diameters of the moving recording medium. The slider design of the present invention provides a “stiffer” air bearing, in that the slider resists changes due to gram loading to achieve a narrow distribution in flying height variations as well as roll and pitch variations.

Abstract: A system and a method for increasing suspension resonance frequencies of a head suspension assembly of a disc drive includes, in one example embodiment, attaching a base plate to an actuator arm assembly of the disc drive such that the base plate including the actuator arm assembly are in actuating relationship with a rotating disc of the disc drive. A two-piece suspension member having a first and second pieces is attached to the base plate. A gimbal is attached to the two-piece suspension member such that a predetermined bendable area is formed between the first and second pieces and on the gimbal having a stiffer preload bend radius. A stiffer preload bend radius provides a higher stiffness-to-mass ratio without increasing the spring rate of the head suspension assembly to increase suspension resonance frequencies of the head suspension assembly to fall outside a bandwidth of a servo drive to reduce off-track motion of the head suspension assembly during track follow-and-seek operations of the disc drive.

Abstract: A suspension comprises a base plate, a load beam, and a hinge member. An extending portion is provided on the side of the hinge member. A step forming portion is formed between the base plate mounting portion and the extending portion. The step forming portion has a difference in level such that the extending portion is situated inside the base plate mounting portion with respect to its thickness direction. An end portion of the flexure fixed on the extending portion is situated inside the surface of the base plate mounting portion with respect to the thickness direction.

Abstract: A milliactuated disk drive suspension assembly includes a mount plate, a functional end for supporting a transducer-carrying slider, a hinge disposed between the mount plate and the functional end, and a sway compliant region on the mount plate adapted to facilitate displacement of the functional end in a trackwise sway direction relative to the mount plate. A pair of milliactuators can be mounted to span the compliant region in a closely spaced arrangement to develop maximum mechanical advantage between a milliactuator actuating stroke and a transducer sway stroke. The mount plate is free of swage mounting features and is mounted to a disk drive actuator arm using a swageless interconnection that allows the milliactuators to be closely spaced so as to improve their mechanical advantage.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a disk drive that has heads and a loading/unloading mechanism including a parking ramp. The parking ramp is so structured that it is likely to contact the outermost area of a disk, never contacting or hitting the loading/unloading area of the disk, when the disk drive receives an external shock. The outermost area of the disk remains unused to record data or park the heads.

Abstract: An actuator assembly of a disc drive having an actuator arm rotatably mounted adjacent a data disc. The actuator arm has a top surface and a bottom surface, and includes a head gimbal assembly support portion located at one end of the actuator arm. The actuator assembly further includes an arm circuit fastened to the top surface of the actuator arm. The actuator assembly may additionally include a head gimbal assembly that electrically couples the data transducer and the arm circuit. The gimbal circuit is partially routed along the head gimbal assembly and over the top surface of the actuator arm. Alignment apertures on the arm circuit and the head gimbal circuit and alignment pins on the actuator arm may be used for positioning of the circuits over the top surface of the actuator arm.

Abstract: An E-block of an actuator for use in a data handling system to support a read/write head adjacent a recording surface. The E-block is formed by providing feed stock along a planar orientation, drawing a portion of the feed stock out of plane to form an extension portion, and stamping the feed stock to separate an actuator arm member having a substantially planar actuator arm from which the extension portion extends, the actuator arm configured to support the read/write head. A planar motor support member configured to support a coil of an actuator motor is also stamped from the feed stock. The actuator arm member and the motor support member are stacked and attached using a suitable process such as swaging or welding. The extension portion of the actuator arm member establishes a desired axial separation distance between the motor support member and the actuator arm.

Abstract: An in-situs pitch and/or roll attitude adjustment system. The in-situs adjustment system includes a flexure element having an energizable dimension differential. The flexure element is coupled to a suspension assembly and slider and is energizable to supply a flexure force to the slider to adjust pitch or roll attitudes of the slider.

Abstract: A microactuator finely positions a transducing head carried by a slider adjacent a select radial track of disc. A frame of the microactuator includes a motor for altering the position of the slider and a closed bonding tub extending upward from the bottom of the microactuator having a bonding surface to engage the top surface of the slider. The closed bonding tub is formed from the microactuator frame such that there is a tub bottom having a bonding surface, sidewalls and an open sidewall.

Abstract: A read head for use with magnetic recording media having a plurality of magnetic tracks includes a read sensor, first and second magnetic lead shields for improving track resolution, and first and second magnetic shields for improving linear resolution. The read sensor is formed on a side wall of one of the first and second magnetic lead shields using a technique such as ion beam deposition for enhanced film growth rate on the side wall. A magnetic disc drive storage system incorporating the read head and a method of making the read head are also included.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head has a lower shield layer and an upper shield layer which are each composed of two layers of a first shield sub-layer and a second shield sub-layer. The second shield sub-layer has a specific resistance higher than that of the first shield sub-layer. Thus, even though the gap length become shorter, the second shield sub-layers and gap layers ensure electrical insulation, and therefore, an electrically insulative thin-film magnetic head can be achieved.

Abstract: At least, an antiferromagnetic layer 4, a magnetization fixing layer 12, a non-magnetic layer 9, and a free layer 10 are successively formed. The magnetization fixing layer 12 or the free layer 10 is provided with a layered ferrimagnetic structure which comprises a pair of magnetic layers 5 and 8 through the intermediary of a non-magnetic intermediate layer 6. In the layered ferrimagnetic structure, a surface oxidation layer 7 is formed on the surface of the non-magnetic intermediate layer 6 to the side of the non-magnetic layer 9.

Abstract: An apparatus and method in which a free layer of a spin valve sensor may be stabilized without using permanent magnets are provided. In one embodiment, the free layer is stabilized by a magnetic field applied to the free layer by a ferromagnetic layer pinned at 0 degrees. In an alternative embodiment, the magnetic field is applied by a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer. By eliminating the necessity of having permanent magnets, the drawbacks of these permanent magnets are also eliminated. The apparatus and method eliminate these drawbacks because, (a) layers used in the apparatus and method do not rely on any retention of magnetization; (b) the effect of an effective applied field is not sensitive to adjacent magnetic structures such as shields; (c) there is no permanent magnetism to be altered or lost in the apparatus and method; and (d) the ferromagnetic exchange interaction effect of the apparatus and method is adjustable.