Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus has a medium with a linear tracking mark extending in a scanning direction and a linear data mark extending in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction. A light control unit irradiates the data mark with a first near-field light polarized in the scanning direction and irradiates the tracking mark with a second near-field light polarized in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction. A detector detects light scattered by the data mark and the tracking mark irradiated with the first near-field light and the second near-field light, respectively. A signal processing unit processes a first output signal from the detector corresponding to the detected light scattered by the data mark and processes a second output signal from the detector corresponding to the detected light scattered by the tracking mark.

Abstract: An optical disk and a method for identifying the optical disk making it possible to identify a recording system of the optical disk easily in a short time by a recording and reproduction apparatus when a groove-recording system and a land-recording system are both employed in one kind of optical disk, such as, for example, a BD-R. Specifically, a polarity upon reproducing wobble information is made to be the same in both an optical disk of groove-recording system and the optical disk of a land-recording system. The recording system of the optical disk that shows the same wobble polarity irrespective of the recording system can be easily detected by finding a tracking polarity that can recognize the wobble information by changing the tracking polarity, whereby the start-up time of the recording and reproduction apparatus can be shortened.

Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is an optical recording medium in which a groove is made along a recording track and record or reproduction is carried out by irradiating laser light to it and a push-pull signal, which is smaller than a prescribed value, is obtained from a part of a region (101a) of the groove.

Abstract: A system is provided. The system includes an information storage medium including a substrate and a plurality of pit trains formed on the substrate at a track pitch between 0.64 and 0.67 micrometers. The system further includes a pickup head having a numerical aperture of around 0.6 and a wavelength of around 650 nanometers. The system has a tangential tilt margin between 0.54 and 0.68 degrees, and a radial tilt margin between 0.68 and 0.83 degrees when a jitter of the system is about 10%.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a format of a recordable optical recording medium, which is designed in such a way that it can be read by any standard player and recorder. The optical recording medium has a recording layer with a structure of lands and grooves, which generates a strong push-pull signal in an area of the recording layer without recorded marks and a small push-pull signal in an area of the recording layer with recorded marks.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention relates to an optical information recording medium comprising a recording layer on a surface of a support, wherein the surface of the support has pregrooves with a track pitch ranging from 50 to 500 nm, the recording layer comprises an azo metal complex dye in the form of a complex of at least one azo dye denoted by general formula (1) and at least one metal ion: wherein, in general formula (1), Q1 denotes an atom group forming a ring with two adjacent carbon atoms and a carbon atom bonded to —N?N-group, G1 denotes a heterocyclic group or carbocyclic group, and R1 denotes an alkyl group, alkenyl group, alkynyl group, aryl group, or heterocyclic group.

Abstract: Plural grooves or lands formed in an information recording carrier include at least a wobbling region and data is recorded wobblingly in this wobbling region by frequency shift modulation while recorded digitally with a single or multiple waves as a channel bit.

Abstract: Plural grooves or lands formed in an information recording carrier include at least a wobbling region and data is recorded wobblingly in this wobbling region by frequency shift modulation while recorded digitally with a single or multiple waves as a channel bit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical information recording medium having a printable region on a label surface which is extended to a clamping area, and label information such as a name of a manufacturer is printed in the clamping area. The optical information recording medium includes a substrate having label information pits serving as non-recording and non-reproducing pits that are formed in the clamping area and a reflective layer laminated on the label information pits, and a dummy substrate to be attached to the substrate through an adhesive layer formed on the reflective layer. The multiple label information pits are formed substantially in an entire region of the clamping area to display the label information which emerges by linking portions where the label information pits are not formed.

Abstract: An optical data storage medium comprises an optical medium with multiple data marks. Each data mark is arranged for modifying a portion of an optical reading beam incident thereon. At least one of the data marks is a delocalized data mark comprising a set of multiple diffractive elements collectively arranged for modifying a portion of the optical reading beam incident thereon. A method for recording data on an optical data storage medium comprises forming on or in the optical medium multiple data marks encoding the recorded data, including the at least one delocalized data mark. A method for reading an optical data storage medium comprises: successively illuminating with the optical reading beam the multiple data marks; sensing variations among the respective portions of the optical reading beam modified by the multiple data marks; and decoding from the sensed variations data encoded by the multiple data marks.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus for converting a groove/land polarity on an optical medium, which comprises a physical identification (PID) detector detecting a first sector into a first PID value, a sector information unit providing an information including a second PID value indicative of either a second sector or at least one reference groove/land changing point, a sector counter counting a first value whose an initiation is set by the sector information unit based on the information and/or the PID detector based on the first PID value, and a comparing unit determining at least one oncoming groove/land changing points, based on when the first value approaches a second value either predetermined in or generated by the sector information unit according to said information.

Abstract: An information recording carrier according to one embodiment has minute pattern including plural grooves or lands formed to be substantially in parallel and adjacent each other and comprises a supporting body having the minute pattern, a recording layer formed on the minute pattern formed on the supporting layer and a light transmission layer formed on the recording layer. The minute pattern is formed under a relation of P<?/NA, where a pitch of each groove or land is P, a wavelength of a laser beam is ? and a numerical aperture of an objective lens is NA. The plural grooves or lands have at least a wobbling region and data is recorded wobblingly in the wobbling region by frequency shift modulation. A phase relation between a high frequency portion and a low frequency portion composing the frequency shift modulation is ±(?/20.5) to ±(?/0.75).

Abstract: The invention provides an optical disk that enables high-speed reproduction of address signals. A wobble address system for optical disk supports various types of synchronization, such as phase synchronization, bit synchronization, word synchronization, etc., to be established easily with high detection reliability with the use of an self-orthogonal code. Thus, the invention provides a method for easily synchronizing an address signal, i.e., high-speed reproduction of the address signal. Further, by virtue of an efficient modulation system of the address signal and redundancy thereof, it becomes possible to detect address information with high reliability. This capability is particularly effective in optical recording/reproduction with a blue light source whose signal light quantity and reproduction quality are prone to reduce.

Abstract: An optical disc (100) is provided with a recording region where prescribed clock information (WBL) is preformatted for recording. The clock information is (i) included in a first frequency band that is definable by a first reference frequency (Fstd) (that is impossible for a conventional reproducing device to detect by a detecting method based on a self-correlation) and is (ii) defined by a frequency that is integer times the first frequency.

Abstract: Plural grooves or lands formed in an information recording carrier include at least a wobbling region and data is recorded wobblingly in this wobbling region by frequency shift modulation while recorded digitally with a single or multiple waves as a channel bit.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an optical information recording medium for land/groove recording, capable of recording at a plurality of linear speeds, wherein deterioration of jitter of the reproduction signal is prevented in recording and reproduction at low linear speeds. To this end, there is provided an optical information recording medium having a land/groove structure and being capable of recording at a plurality of linear speeds, wherein the ratio of the maximum recordable linear speed to the minimum recordable linear speed has a value of 2 to 3, and the ratio of the amount of light reflected from a groove in an unrecorded state to the amount of light reflected from a land in an unrecorded state has a value of at least 1.08 and no more than 1.19.

Abstract: A nano structure having pore array structures in which a plurality of periodic arrays are formed adjacent to one another and a method of manufacturing the nano structure are provided. A nano structure having periodic array structures of pores formed in an anodized oxide film with a plurality of types of the periodic array structures arranged adjacent to one another is provided. Furthermore, a method of manufacturing a nano structure in which a plurality of periodic array structures formed in an anodized oxide film having different periods are arranged adjacent to one another, including (1) a step of forming pore starting points made up of a plurality of types of periodic arrays on the surface of a substrate comprised of aluminum as a principal component and (2) a step of anodizing the substrate simultaneously at the same anodization voltage is provided.

Abstract: An optical data carrier is presented. The data carrier comprises at least one recording layer, at least one non-recording layer, and at least one reflective interface. The recording layer is made of a material having a fluorescent property variable on occurrence of multi-photon absorption resulted from an optical beam, and has a thickness for recording therein data in the form of a three-dimensional pattern of spaced-apart recording regions arranged in a plurality of recording planes. The at least one non-recording layer interfaces with the recording layer on, respectively, at least one of upper and lower surfaces of the recording layer The non-recording layer has a fluorescent property different from that of the recording layer, and has a predetermined thickness selected to be equal or larger than a focal depth of an optical system producing the optical beam incidence onto the data carrier. The at least one reflective interface comprises at least one reference layer having a reflecting property.

Abstract: When using an optical disc medium that includes pit trains having their widths narrower than a diffraction limit, it is difficult to detect a tracking error signal and take a tracking-servo control while increasing pit density in a direction orthogonal to a pit-train extension direction. Information pit trains are arranged spirally or concentrically and formed in a structure in which their depths are changed periodically at a pitch radially along the optical disc medium, so that the tracking error signal can be obtained by push-pull detection of diffraction light from the structure.

Abstract: An information-recording apparatus is disclosed wherein an area to be allocated to a new FS can be set when an area allocated to FSes has been all consumed. The information-recording apparatus includes a track division means. When a track set on a recording medium as a track allocated to FSes no longer has a free area, on the basis of a command, the track division means divides a track allocated on the recording medium in advance to files into an area to be used as a track allocated to FSes and an area to be used as a track allocated to files.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical disk that enables high-speed reproduction of address signals. A wobble address system for optical disk supports various types of synchronization, such as phase synchronization, bit synchronization, word synchronization, etc., to be established easily with high detection reliability with the use of an self-orthogonal code. Thus, the invention provides a method for easily synchronizing an address signal, i.e., high-speed reproduction of the address signal. Further, by virtue of an efficient modulation system of the address signal and redundancy thereof, it becomes possible to detect address information with high reliability. This capability is particularly effective in optical recording/reproduction with a blue light source whose signal light quantity and reproduction quality are prone to reduce.

Abstract: A multilayer optical disc has dimples and/or bumps on a surface of at least one of the layers. Dimensions of the dimples and/or bumps, such as size, frequency and pitch, are selected to generate frequency components in light reflected from the surface that are different from frequency of servo and/or information signals. A disc drive can then use an appropriate filter to remove signals produced by light reflections of an unintended layer.

Abstract: An information recording medium in which bottoms of a guide groove and a pit array formed on a disc substrate are allocated on a same flat plane and shaped in flat. Further, in a transition area from a pit array to a guide groove or from a guide groove to a pit array, the information recording medium is provided with an intermediate area composed of a pit array of which height changes from a height between a bottom and a side of a groove to another height between the bottom and a side of the pit array.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical disk that enables high-speed reproduction of address signals. A wobble address system for optical disk supports various types of synchronization, such as phase synchronization, bit synchronization, word synchronization, etc., to be established easily with high detection reliability with the use of an self-orthogonal code. Thus, the invention provides a method for easily synchronizing an address signal, i.e., high-speed reproduction of the address signal. Further, by virtue of an efficient modulation system of the address signal and redundancy thereof, it becomes possible to detect address information with high reliability. This capability is particularly effective in optical recording/reproduction with a blue light source whose signal light quantity and reproduction quality are prone to reduce.

Abstract: Second digital information serving as copyright protection information can be stably and reliably read without any effect of a defect or pit missing on a disk-shaped recording medium. Second digital information is recorded onto a disk-shaped recording medium by wobbling a pit sequence recorded as a first signal. The second digital information is recorded so that a plurality of bits constituting the second digital information are allocated in a unit period of an identical sync signal contained in the first signal. During playback, the plurality of bits constituting the recorded second digital information are read a plurality of times every unit period of the sync signal, and information of the read bits is then integrated. Thus, information from a large number of wobbled pits across unit periods of a plurality of sync signals can be integrated to determine the bit values.

Abstract: An optical disc with a first recording layer has first data pits that include 14T data pits formed thereon in compliance with DVD-ROM specifications. A first reflective film is formed on the first recording layer, whereby the first reflective film has the relationship of 2.3?Pw/Tf?14 between the 14T pit width and the first reflective film thickness. The disc also includes a second recording layer having a first surface and an opposed second surface, whereupon second data pits are formed on the first surface in compliance with BD-ROM specifications. A second semi-transparent reflective film is formed on the second recording layer, while a transparent layer having opposed third and fourth surfaces is formed over the second reflective film at the third surface, such that the fourth surface allows a laser beam to pass therethrough in reproduction from either the first or second data pits.

Abstract: An information recording medium includes a plurality of layers for recording or reproduction of information by irradiation, wherein each of the layers includes an emboss portion and wobble portion including wobbles of a first frequency and a second frequency that is different from the first frequency. The first frequency is constant in each of the plurality of layers, and a different signal is obtained from the wobbles of the first and second frequencies in each of the plurality of layers.

Abstract: In an information recording medium comprising at least a substrate, a recording layer, and a resin layer, the substrate is formed with at least a pit corresponding to a read only area 31 and a groove corresponding to a recording/reproducing area 32 without overlapping with each other. A reflectivity of the recording layer is specified to be more than 10%. The recording layer and the resin layer are continuously adhered over both the read only and recording/reproducing areas 31 and 32. The information recording medium is characterized in that both push-pull signal outputs T1 and T2, which are reproduced from the read only area 31 and the recording/reproducing area 32 respectively, are more than 0.1 and satisfy an inequality 1.5?T1/T2?0.5.

Abstract: A recording medium includes a substrate having a microscopic pattern, which includes a shape of continuous substance of approximately parallel grooves formed with a convex shaped section and a concave shaped section alternating on a surface of the substrate. A recording layer is formed on the microscopic pattern and a light transmitting layer has a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.12 mm formed on the recording layer. The microscopic pattern satisfies a relation of P??/NA, wherein P is a pitch of the convex shaped section, ? is a wavelength of a reproducing light beam and NA is a numerical aperture of an objective lens. The microscopic pattern also includes modulated address information formed on both side walls of the convex shaped section viewed from the light transmitting layer as a wobble, both the side walls being parallel to each other, and furthermore wherein the address information is modulated by the phase-shift keying modulation system.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for checking a network synchronization clock signal in a communication system, the apparatus generates a divided clock signal which is the same as an externally inputted network synchronization clock signal, compares the value of one period of the network synchronization clock signal to the value of one period of the divided clock signal, and determines whether the network synchronization clock signal is normal or not. Thus, the reliability of an operation of checking the network synchronization clock signal is enhanced.

Abstract: An optical disc or other optical recording medium enables reading barcode-shaped-BCA marks in a burst cutting area (BCA) with tracking on while making tampering with the BCA marks difficult. The optical disc 100 has a first area 102 containing tracks at a first track pitch d2, and a second area 101 containing tracks at a second track pitch d1. The barcode-shaped marks 104 are recorded in the second area, and the second track pitch is wider than the first track pitch.

Abstract: An optical pickup (100) includes: (i) a light source (101) for emitting a laser beam; (ii) an optical system (105, etc.) for introducing the laser beam into one of recording layers; (iii) an optical function element (104) for changing a predetermined polarized state in the laser beam in the unit of micro regions contained in the region where the laser beam is applied for each of the micro region positions; and (iv) light receiving means (PD0, etc.) for receiving at least the laser beam.

Abstract: An information recording medium for enabling quick finalization and efficient data recording/reproducing, and a recording/reproducing apparatus and method are provided. The information storage medium includes a finalization area of which both of an in-groove pre-pit and a land pre-pit are formed in at least a part, while the information storage medium is manufactured.

Abstract: Magnetic recording media conventionally require a time-consuming and cost-increasing task of recording servo pits on each individual disk. Disclosed are a magneto-optical recording medium and a recording and reproducing method for the magneto-optical recording medium. The magneto-optical recording medium has the structure in which at least a recording layer magnetized in a direction perpendicular to the plane is formed on a disk substrate, and allows a format signal to be formed thereon by changing the magnetization direction or the magnetic anisotropy of the recording layer or by oxidizing the recording layer to form pits. This structure significantly improves the disk productivity and reduces the disk cost and also enables the magnetic recording medium to have good characteristics including stable servo characteristics.

Abstract: A recording medium, such as a high-density and/or read-only recording medium, such as BD-ROM, which contains a control information, such as copy protection information, encoded in intermittent or alternate wobbled pits, and to methods and apparatuses for forming, recording, and reproducing data on the recording medium.

Abstract: A device for detecting wobbles on an optical disc is provided, where the device is utilized for generating a wobble signal according to a plurality of detection signals. The device includes an analog signal processing circuit, a pair of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and a digital signal processing circuit. The analog signal processing circuit is arranged to perform analog signal processing on the detection signals to generate a plurality of output signals. In addition, the pair of ADCs are arranged to digitalize the output signals to generate a plurality of digital values. Additionally, the digital signal processing circuit is arranged to perform digital signal processing on the digital values and generate an arithmetic output, where the arithmetic output is utilized for generating the wobble signal or utilized as the wobble signal. An associated method for detecting wobbles on an optical disc is further provided.

Abstract: A threshold voltage generating circuit detects the amplitude ?V of the wobble signal included in the push-pull signal, and generates a threshold voltage Vth based upon the amplitude ?V of the wobble signal thus detected. A first filter removes the high-frequency components from the push-pull signal, thereby extracting the wobble signal. A peak hold circuit holds the peak value of the wobble signal thus extracted by the first filter. A second filter extracts a DC signal which is the DC component of the push-pull signal. An amplifier amplifies the difference ?V between the output of the peak hold circuit and the output of the second filter, i.e., the amplitude of the wobble signal.

Abstract: An optical-disc manufacturing method including the steps of: fabricating a pre-exposure disc master by forming, on a substrate, a heat accumulation layer having a thickness of 17% or less of a recording-laser wavelength and forming an inorganic resist layer; performing exposure of a recording-signal pattern having pits and spaces with respect to the inorganic resist layer of the disc master, by performing recording-laser light irradiation; fabricating a disc master having a pit-array shape having pits and spaces, by performing development processing after the exposure; manufacturing a stamper to which the pit-array shape is transferred, by using the disc master having the pit-array shape; and manufacturing an optical disc having a predetermined layer structure including a recording layer to which the pit-array shape of the stamper is transferred and in which a silver or silver-alloy reflective film is formed on the pit-array shape.

Abstract: In a multilayer optical recording medium having at least three recording layers, an influence of interlayer crosstalk due to an unnecessary light is removed. Each of the recording layers includes an information recording area, and the recording layers other than the nearest recording layer and the farthest recording layer when viewed from a light incident side include a first annular area having uneven patterns formed thereon, and a second annular area having uneven patterns formed thereon, the first annular area being adjacent to an inner side of the information recording area, the second annular area being adjacent to an outer side of the information recording area.

Abstract: A wobble signal for an optical storage device is generated by adjusting a center frequency (?0) of a band pass filter based on an expected frequency of the wobble signal and/or an estimated position of a pick-up apparatus and filtering an input signal corresponding to the wobble signal from the pick-up apparatus with the adjusted band pass filter to provide the wobble signal. Adjusting the center frequency (?0) of the band pass filter may also be based on a measured phase change of the band pass filter. Systems for generating a wobble signal, wobble signal detection circuits and optical storage devices are also provided.

Abstract: A recording medium, such as a high-density and/or read-only recording medium, such as BD-ROM, which contains a control ionformation, such as copy protection information, encoded in intermittent or alternate wobbled pits, and to methods and apparatuses for forming, recording, and reproducing data on the recording medium.

Abstract: In an information recording medium comprising at least a substrate, a recording layer, and a resin layer, the substrate is formed with at least a pit corresponding to a read only area 31 and a groove corresponding to a recording/reproducing area 32 without overlapping with each other. A reflectivity of the recording layer is specified to be more than 10%. The recording layer and the resin layer are continuously adhered over both the read only and recording/reproducing areas 31 and 32. The information recording medium is characterized in that both push-pull signal outputs T1 and T2, which are reproduced from the read only area 31 and the recording/reproducing area 32 respectively, are more than 0.1 and satisfy an inequality 1.5?T1/T2?0.5.

Abstract: A super-resolution optical recording medium includes a reflective layer formed on a substrate, a recording layer for recording information thereon, a super-resolution layer made of a chalcogenide semiconductor material, and a first and a second dielectric layers laminated on upper and lower surfaces of the super-resolution layer. The recording layer is made of a material that has a decomposition temperature higher than an information reproduction temperature and does not form bubble recording marks during recording, and the super-resolution layer contains one or more elements selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and boron.

Abstract: An optical data carrier is presented. The data carrier comprises: at least one recording layer composed of a material having a fluorescent property variable on occurrence of multi-photon absorption resulting from an optical beam, said recording layer having a thickness for forming a plurality of recording planes therein; at least one non-recording layer formed on at least one of upper and lower surfaces of said recording layer and differing in fluorescent property from said recording layer; and at least one reference layer having a reflecting surface being an interface between the recording layer and the non-recording layer.

Abstract: On an information record medium (10, 11), record information can be recorded one time or a plurality of times by a predetermined record format. An apparatus for manufacturing the information record medium by using a stamper (27, 28) is provided with an embossed pit array forming device (20 to 26, 50) for forming on the stamper as an embossed pit array, pre-record data (SFi) which is a predetermined data row to disable overwriting on the record information in a pre-record area, which is set in advance in a range including an area (13c) assigned to information required to control a reproduction of the record information, which is recorded by the predetermined record format.

Abstract: An optical disc reproducing apparatus according to the present invention includes an optical pickup for receiving a reflection signal from an optical disc having a land and a groove, an error signal creation unit for creating a tracking error signal from the reflection signal, a polarity switching unit arranged to switch the polarity of the tracking error signal, and a servo processing unit for performing a tracking servo process using the tracking error signal output from the polarity switching unit and creating a drive signal of a tracking actuator provided with the optical pickup, and the polarity switching unit switches the polarity of the tracking error signal in a reproduction state in which the optical disc is reproduced and in a waiting state in which the reproduction is interrupted.

Abstract: An optical disc medium comprises a track groove, along which main information is recorded. The track groove is divided into a plurality of blocks. The plurality of blocks each include a plurality of frames. The plurality of frames each include one shape of wobbles indicating sub information, among a plurality of prescribed shapes of wobbles. The plurality of blocks each have address information. The address information is represented by a string of at least one piece of sub information represented by the shape of wobbles of at least one of the plurality of frames.

Abstract: Second digital information serving as copyright protection information can be stably and reliably read without any effect of a defect or pit missing on a disk-shaped recording medium. Second digital information is recorded onto a disk-shaped recording medium by wobbling a pit sequence recorded as a first signal. The second digital information is recorded so that a plurality of bits constituting the second digital information are allocated in a unit period of an identical sync signal contained in the first signal. During playback, the plurality of bits constituting the recorded second digital information are read a plurality of times every unit period of the sync signal, and information of the read bits is then integrated. Thus, information from a large number of wobbled pits across unit periods of a plurality of sync signals can be integrated to determine the bit values.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a data medium to be read out by a focused reading beam having a predetermined wavelength. The data medium implements a new concept of generating a reference beam, by comprising a reference beam interface, which, in the propagation direction of the impinging reading beam, is arranged either in front of a data layer with a pit-and-land structure, and is partially reflective while the pit and land interface sections are fully reflective for the reading beam. Or the reference layer is arranged behind the first and second reflective interface sections, and is fully reflective while the pit and land interlace sections are partially reflective for the reading beam. The data medium of the invention has a number of between 5 and 20 channel-bit cells contained in a reference area A-ef defined by the square of the ratio between the reading beam wavelength WL and the numerical aperture NA of an optical system focusing the reading beam.

Abstract: An optical disc medium comprises a track groove, along which main information is recorded. The track groove is divided into a plurality of blocks. The plurality of blocks each include a plurality of frames. The plurality of frames each include one shape of wobbles indicating sub information, among a plurality of prescribed shapes of wobbles. The plurality of blocks each have address information. The address information is represented by a string of at least one piece of sub information represented by the shape of wobbles of at least one of the plurality of frames.