Abstract: A modular gripper has a body with a trident section and cylindrical section. A powering assembly is positioned in the cylindrical section. A pair of oppositing jaws is pivotally secured between a center wall and a pair of side wall, respectively, of the trident section. The piston rod moves a cam assembly on the center wall. The cam assembly passes through a body having a trident section and cylindrical section. The trident section comprises a trident structure that includes, at one end, a pair of side walls along with a center wall. The cylindrical section includes a fluid driven powering assembly. A pair of opposing jaw member are pivotally secured to the trident portion about separate pivot pins. A cam assembly is operatively connected to a piston rod of the fluid driven powering assembly. The cam assembly extends laterally outward with respect to a cylinder bore axis to receive a cam bush that engages with a through slot on each of the pair of opposing jaw members.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a positioning mechanism comprising a smaller scale positioning mechanism for moving a tool within a smaller scale work space and a larger scale positioning mechanism for changing a position of the smaller scale work space within the larger scale work space. A commanded position for the tool is received by a processor unit. An error component is determined using a difference between the commanded position and a current position of the tool in the larger scale work space. A restoring component configured to move the tool toward a selected position in the smaller scale work space is determined. Control signals for controlling the smaller scale positioning mechanism and the larger scale positioning mechanism together to move the tool from the current position to the commanded position are generated using the error component and the restoring component.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a media; a head over the media; a primary-actuator coupled to the head; and control circuitry, coupled to the primary-actuator and a secondary-actuator, configured to limit a secondary-actuator slew rate.

Abstract: In order to facilitate the management of the hardware key of a library apparatus employing the LTO system, a write function of a noncontact memory (CM: cartridge memory) contained in an LTO tape cartridge is implemented in a medium carrying mechanism part of the library apparatus, and during an insertion to a tape drive, the IDs unique to a library control part and to the medium carrying mechanism part are recorded in the non-contact memory and utilized as the hardware key of an encrypting apparatus. The hardware key written once is overwritten (erased) during an ejection, thereby preventing leakage of key information.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for using a multi-stage actuator to actuate one or more optical components of an optical head. The multi-stage actuator includes a cross-layer displacement component which actuates an optical component to change the beam focus in a displacement range corresponding to the thickness of the data layers in a holographic disk, such that a beam is impinged on the target data layer. The multi-stage actuator also includes a intra-layer focusing component which actuates the optical component in a smaller range to focus the beam on the target data position. The cross-layer displacement component and the intra-layer focusing component may each include more than one actuator. In some embodiments, the focusing component also actuates the optical component in a tilting motion to compensate for movement or imperfections of the disk during a reading or recording process.

Abstract: A reading method and a reading device for an optical disk drive, which reads data on a track of an optical disk, receives a host command to read required data, checks cache data, reads cache required data to respond to the command, sets the required data to a target track of the optical disk if no required data exists, calculates moving time for which an optical head is moved from a current position to the target track by way of track jumping and track skipping, respectively, compares the moving time for the track skipping and the track jumping with each other, selects one of the track jumping and the track skipping corresponding to the shorter one of the moving time, moves the optical head to the target track to read the required data and responds to the host command to enhance the reading efficiency.

Abstract: In an optical pickup driving mechanism using a stepping motor, a feeding operation of an optical pickup can be stabilized even in a broad operating temperature environment. In executing an optical axis correction feeding operation in response to an amount of lens shift of an objective lens of an optical pickup, a stepping motor controlling portion drives a stepping motor in a microstep drive mode to move a base of the optical pickup in a radial direction of an optical disk.

Abstract: A data recording method to minimize a number of layer jumps, a recording/reproducing apparatus, and a recording medium thereof wherein a data area of the information storage medium is divided into units, each unit including one or more zones, and data is written on each of the zones along a data writing path in the unit selected with reference to information about the number of rewriting operations performed on each of the zones.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for handling commands requesting movement of a data storage medium (magnetic tape, optical disk, or other medium) from a source media library to a destination media library using a pass through port. Prior to issuing commands requesting movement of the data storage medium from a source location to the pass through port and from the pass through port to a destination location, embodiments of the present invention can check the status of various locations (e.g., the destination location or pass through port) to determine if the movement requested in the original command can be completed successfully. Another embodiment of the present invention can maintain reservation flags for pass through ports so that the status of particular pass through ports can be determined and an available pass through port selected.

Abstract: A motor control method for rotating an optical disc to be accessed by an optical head includes steps of: providing an increasing power to rotate a motor at increasing speed when a seeking operation of the optical head is performed; and interrupting the increasing power when a jumping operation of the optical head is performed.

Abstract: An appropriate track calculation equation is inducted according to a relationship between a storage area and a track pitch of a compact disc, and a pickup unit is instantly shifted to a location calculated with the track calculation equation. Therefore, an error after performing a track jump modulation is reduced to a smallest degree, and in other words, the pickup unit may access a location on the disc currently required by a user without frequent or time-consuming long seeks. As a result, when the pickup unit accesses compact discs having unknown formats, which indicate different capacities or properties, a track error may be calculated in a shortest time so as to shift the pickup unit accordingly and to fix track jumps, and the user may browse any location on the compact discs having unknown formats smoothly.

Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a pickup head, a servo circuit, and a controller. An optical disk has a first area and a second area for which different tracking methods are to be used. The controller may cause the pickup head to make a seek for a target address in the first area from a position in this area that is farther from the boundary between the two areas than the address. If the controller cannot perform tracking servo control after the seek is made, and if the calculated address is located in a critical region, the controller immediately causes the pickup head to make a seek by a specified number of addresses toward the position farther from the boundary. After the seek is made, the controller performs tracking servo control again.

Abstract: The present invention relates to optical disc drives including a carriage which is movable radially of an optical disc and an objective lens which is supported on the carriage movably in radial directions of the disc for formation and placement of a beam spot on the disc. The invention aims at reducing minute vibration of the objective lens during a seek control stably and reliably. According to the present invention, the minute vibration of an objective lens (104) is reduced by moving the objective lens (104) at a relative speed of zero with respect to a carriage (101) during the seek operation, based on a TZC signal which indicates that the beam spot has crossed over a track in an optical disc (2). In this control, a position of the objective lens (104) in the carriage (101) right before starting the seek operation is detected and stored in a memory (802). Then, a position of the objective lens (53) in the carriage (101) is detected during the seek operation.

Abstract: A method for controlling long seeking operation in an optical disc drive is provided. The optical disc drive includes a sled actuator, a pickup head installed on the sled actuator for reading and/or writing data in an optical disc, and a controller for controlling the sled actuator to move together with the pickup head. The method includes the steps of (a) receiving remaining tracks information indicating a number of tracks remained to be crossed by the sled actuator and/or the pickup head; (b) receiving velocity information indicating a velocity of the sled actuator and/or the pickup head; (c) receiving acceleration information indicating an acceleration of the sled actuator and/or the pickup head; (d) driving the sled actuator to move according to the remaining tracks information, the velocity information, and the acceleration information.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disc apparatus capable of rotating an optical disc with high speed while enabling reduced current consumption. The optical disc apparatus comprises a spindle motor for rotating the optical disc and a thread motor for driving an optical pick-up. When a command is received while the spindle motor is driven, a controller delays operation of the thread motor for a predetermined duration to allow operation of the spindle motor rather than immediately activating the thread motor. After the predetermined duration has elapsed, the controller activates the thread motor and halts the operation of the spindle motor. The predetermined duration may be either a fixed value or a variable value established so as to become smaller as rotation speed of the optical disc increases.

Abstract: In an optical disk high-speed replaying/recording apparatus, a first read data quality determining section determines a quality of read second units of digital data. Upon determination that the quality of the second units of digital data is low, a first re-reading section re-reads the first units of digital data tracks, sectors, or data blocks in the second units at a third replay speed obtained by subtracting a first predetermined speed from a second replay speed. With this, the optical disk can be replayed at a speed higher than the normal replay speed, and reproduced data can be recorded on a writable optical disk except defective data caused by reproduction defects.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of detecting orientation of an optical disk drive. Firstly, a first moving distance is measured by using a first force driven on a movable optical pick up head of the optical disk drive for a preset period. Next, a second moving distance is measured by using a second force driven on the movable optical pick up head for the preset period, wherein the second force and the first force have opposite direction but the same amplitude. Next, it is determined that the optical disk drive is horizontal orientation when the difference between the first and second moving distances falls within a pre-determined value. Additionally, a first moving time is measured by using a first force driven on a movable optical pick up head for a pre-determined distance.

Abstract: A disk drive includes a data storage disk, a transducer, a micro actuator, a coarse actuator, and a controller. The micro actuator is configured to position the transducer relative to the disk over a first range of movement. The coarse actuator is configured to position the micro actuator relative to the disk over a second range of movement that is larger than the first range of movement. The controller is configured to control positioning of the transducer by the coarse actuator and the micro actuator in a track following operation, and in a seek operation responsive to a seek command. The controller is also configured to calibrate its positioning of the transducer by the micro actuator responsive to receipt of the seek command and prior to seeking the transducer from an initial track to a target track.

Abstract: A magnetic tape has a guide track for optically obtaining a tracking signal and an independent information track for storing information. The magnetic tape is partitioned into different kinds of zones. The guide tracks are provided with grooves or pits serving as tracking marks, and the tracking marks are selectively located in the zones depending on the kind of zone. Thus, the track spacing of the guide tracks in each zone can be increased, so that a tracking control can be performed for a high density recording medium without reducing the spot size of the light.

Abstract: Optimizing performance of physical disk drives in a disk array storage device with a plurality of logical volumes is accomplished by accumulating statistics over an interval to select two logical volumes for an exchange. After testing to determine any adverse effect of making that change, the exchange occurs to more evenly distribute the loading on individual physical disk storage devices. One set of statistics, seek time, is obtained by combining estimated disk access information and an interpolated seek time obtained from a template that stores characteristics seek times among different pairs of segments that define a physical disk device independently of a logical volume configuration.

Abstract: A method for switching an optical disc apparatus to different accessing speeds. The optical disc apparatus has a control button with which to eject a disc. The method comprises the steps of operating the optical disc apparatus in a first mode, switching the optical disc apparatus from the first to a second mode when the control button is pressed for a duration exceeding a predetermined period of time, and switching the optical disc apparatus to the first mode and ejecting the disc when the optical disc apparatus operates in the second mode and the control button is pressed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for servo-controlling when a reproduction is requested to a multi-session disk for non-real-time data or real-time data of audio or video stream. This servo-control method using the information of table of contents reads information of a table of contents written in a disk when a data-requesting command is received from a connected host; distinguishes the type of data recorded in a target location based on the read information of the table of contents; checks whether the distinguished type is corresponding to the command type; and re-sets or maintains current parameters for servo-control operation if the distinguished type is matched to the received command, so that a servo-control mechanism is adjusted to the type of the requested data before a pickup starts to move to the target location.

Abstract: In a scanning apparatus, a scanning spot is moved along a path from one track to another track of the information carrier, the scanning spot is accelerated in a first stage of the movement and decelerating in a second stage of the movement. Initially during the movement a displacement of the scanning spot is derived from a first and a second position signal. The velocity of the scanning spot is estimated during movement along the path. After the estimated velocity of the scanning spot exceeds a first predetermined value during the first stage of the movement, the displacement of the scanning spot is derived from the first position signal and independent from the second position signal, during movement along the path. After the estimated velocity has decreased below a second predetermined value during the second stage of the movement, the displacement of the scanning spot is again derived from both the first and the second position signal, during movement along the path.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing fine search in a sled movement mechanism employing a stepping motor by controlling the speed with which the head jumps in succession to next neighboring tracts on a disc and by causing pickup movement accurately for a distance corresponding to the distance of movement of the objective lens to realize the fine search in the sled movement mechanism employing the stepping motor. Also, the distance of head movement in the radial direction of the disc can be prescribed and, upon interruption of the head jumping operation, the head can be subsequently transported a distance corresponding to the target number of track jumps.

Abstract: A method of braking control in rapid track seeking for an optical drive. The optical drive has a pickup head for reading information from an optical disc therein. According to the method, a tracking error signal is obtained in the rapid track seeking motion of the pickup head. A seeking velocity is obtained by calculation according to the tracking error signal. Since the seeking velocity varies, a braking force is determined according to the seeking velocity for braking the pickup head.

Abstract: An optical disk drive capable of securing reliable reproduction of a wobble signal even under a constant angular velocity control of a recordable or rewritable optical disk is disclosed. The optical disk has a guide track wobbled to produce a constant frequency when the optical disk is driven under a constant linear velocity control. An optical pickup unit detects the light reflected from the optical disk, and a wobble signal reproducing section takes out a wobble signal. The wobble signal reproducing section has two band-pass filters; a first band-pass filter detects a center frequency of the wobble signal, which is caused to vary under the constant angular velocity control, and a second band-pass filter has a center frequency set to the detected center frequency whereby the wobble signal is extracted by the second band-pass filter. The extracted wobble signal is subsequently demodulated address information.

Abstract: An information storage device having a uniaxial tracking mechanism as a pickup which can perform a stable track pull-in operation is provided. A deceleration pulse amplitude a supplied to a tracking actuator is determined from a linear function á=K(V−V0) of a detected movement velocity of a beam in the vicinity of a target track. The deceleration pulse amplitude is divided into two, and is supplied to the tracking actuator on two different occasions.

Abstract: A control system and method for controlling a sled of an optical storage device by using a stepping motor. The optical storage device includes a pick-up head having a lens and a sled. The control system includes a tracking actuator's controller used to receive a tracking signal TE for generating a tracking control signal TRO to control positions of the lens; a numerical controller connected with the tracking actuator's controller used to receive the tracking control signal TRO for generating a numerical control signal; a frequency converter connected with the numerical controller used to receive the numerical control signal for generating a pulse flag signal and a direction flag signal; and a ring generator connected with the frequency converter used to receive the pulse and direction flag signal for producing a sled control signal to drive the stepping motor for controlling the sled.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of detecting orientation of an optical disk drive. Firstly, a first moving distance is measured by using a first force driven on a movable optical pick up head of the optical disk drive for a preset period. Next, a second moving distance is measured by using a second force driven on the movable optical pick up head for the preset period, wherein the second force and the first force have opposite direction but the same amplitude. Next, it is determined that the optical disk drive is horizontal orientation when the difference between the first and second moving distances falls within a pre-determined value. Additionally, a first moving time is measured by using a first force driven on a movable optical pick up head for a pre-determined distance.

Abstract: A disk apparatus comprising a precise positioning mechanism for finely displacing the information recording/reproducing mechanism in a radial direction of the disk, a coarse positioning mechanism for positionally displacing the information recording/reproducing mechanism in an information recording region in the radial direction of the disk, a coarse positioning mechanism driving circuit for controlling the drive of the coarse positioning mechanism upon receiving the drive signal in accordance with the drive signal generated by the reference speed generator, and a precise positioning mechanism driving circuit for controlling the drive of the precise positioning mechanism in accordance with a difference between the moving speed detected by the speed detector and the reference speed generated by the reference speed generator.

Abstract: An optical disc device with high reliability, which is capable of performing a stable track jumping, is provided. In the optical disc device, a space (time interval) between an address part and the next address part in the address space measuring part 116 inside the DSP 111 is measured, and when the reproduction speed detected in the reproduction speed detection part 117 based on the measuring result is faster than a predetermined reproduction speed, an application timing of an accelerating pulse is switched in the accelerating/decelerating pulse generator 113 such that the application timing of an accelerating pulse or a decelerating pulse is matched with a transit timing in the address part.

Abstract: A magneto-optical disk apparatus includes a magnetic head in a position opposed to an objective lens included in an optical head with a magneto-optical record medium therebetween. The magneto-optical disk apparatus includes a magnet for cancelling a first magnetic field emitted toward the magnetic head from a magnet for focus servo-control or tracking servo-control of the objective lens. The magnet emits a second magnetic field in a direction toward the magnetic head. The second magnetic field is opposite in direction to the first magnetic field, and has the same intensity as the first magnetic field. Consequently, the signal can be accurately reproduced from the magneto-optical record medium while removing a magnetic influence from the magnet included in the optical head.

Abstract: A method for switching an optical disc apparatus to different accessing speeds. The optical disc apparatus has a control button with which to eject a disc. The method comprises the steps of operating the optical disc apparatus in a first mode, switching the optical disc apparatus from the first to a second mode when the control button is pressed for a duration exceeding a predetermined period of time, and switching the optical disc apparatus to the first mode and ejecting the disc when the optical disc apparatus operates in the second mode and the control button is pressed.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system to provide step motor control in an optical storage medium. The system comprises a light source that generates a beam of light and an optical disk that reflects the beam of light. The optical disk has a plurality of tracks. The system further comprises a detector for receiving the reflected beam and a control circuit coupled to the detector. The control circuit provides a step signal in response to the reflected beam. The step signal has a value corresponding to an operational mode of the control circuit. A step motor coupled to the control circuit and the light source drives the light source across the disk by a predetermined step based on the step signal.

Abstract: A track jump control unit adds an FF signal for repetitive disturbance compensation obtained by a learning control which is used in a track-following control and a final value of an FB control low band component just before a track jump to a track jump signal to move a light spot to an adjacent track, thereby driving a carriage. As a track jump signal, a first kick pulse of a predetermined acceleration and a predetermined time, a second kick pulse which continues at a predetermined acceleration until a detection of a track zero-cross point, and a brake pulse of a predetermined acceleration (deceleration) and a predetermined time are used.

Abstract: The long seek control system and method include a reference velocity mapping unit that obtains a reference velocity when the dual actuator is moved by the residual track count; a velocity estimator for outputting an estimated velocity and obtaining a sled control effort by subtracting the estimated velocity from the reference velocity; and an electrical damper for receiving the sled control effort and simultaneously receiving the displacement of the dual actuator to output a damping control effort to the fine actuator, and reduce the vibration of the fine actuator during the long seek operation. In the reference velocity mapping unit, a reference velocity curve is used to describe the mapping relation between the residual track count and the reference velocity. The reference velocity curve includes a linear part and several quadratic parts with different quadratic functions.

Abstract: A long seeking method, used in an optical disc drive, includes identifying the position of the pick-up head, applying a first driving force on the pick-up head in addition to the velocity control force when the pick-up head is within the acceleration region, where the direction of the first driving force is the same as the moving direction of the pick-up head, and applying a second driving force on the pick-up head in addition to the velocity control force when the pick-up head is within the deceleration region where the direction of the first driving force is opposite to the moving direction of the pick-up head.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for reproduction of double-sided recording media without any reversal of the direction of rotation or changing or turning over of the recording medium. A reproduction apparatus is disclosed where one side of the double-sided recording medium is reproduced continuously by being read backwards section by section. A data stream corresponding to the continuous reading is provided by bit-by-bit reversal of the data read.

Abstract: To provide a disk unit wherein a prompt search is enabled even if the recorded time of one track is long, if the total recorded time of one track is below five minutes, a search mode is set to a small jump mode in which a search is performed at a short step. If the total recorded time of one track is over 5 minutes, thirty minutes or below thirty minutes for example, a search mode is set to an intermediate jump mode in which a search is performed at an intermediate step and the small jump mode. In case the total recorded time of one track exceeds thirty minutes for example, a search mode is set to a time jump mode in which a jump by input time is performed, the intermediate jump mode and the small jump mode.

Abstract: A focus jump moves a focus position of a light beam in a direction perpendicular to the storage medium to the focus position corresponding to a target recording layer so that the light beam is irradiated on the target recording layer.

Abstract: When controlling a search for a target track on an optical disk having tracks on which data are recorded, the track-search control apparatus determines whether or not the optical disk is a DVD-RW disk. Then the apparatus calculates the number of tracks between the position of the currently detected track and the position of the target track, and calculates the number of correction tracks with which to correct the calculated number of tracks when the optical disk is determined to be a DVD-RW disk. Further, the apparatus executes the search for the target track based on the calculated corrected number of tracks.

Abstract: A long seeking method, used in an optical disc drive, includes identifying the position of the pick-up head, applying a first driving force on the pick-up head in addition to the velocity control force when the pick-up head is within the acceleration region, where the direction of the first driving force is the same as the moving direction of the pick-up head, and applying a second driving force on the pick-up head in addition to the velocity control force when the pick-up head is within the deceleration region where the direction of the first driving force is opposite to the moving direction of the pick-up head.

Abstract: A method is provided for extracting music data from a compact disc and managing the music data. The method is configured to have the system extract at least a portion of an initial track of music data at an extracting rate that is greater than the listening rate. The system simultaneously writes the extracted portion of the initial track of music data to a storage media at the extracting rate while performing the extracting. Meanwhile, a user may listen to at least a portion of the extracted portion of the initial track of music data from the storage media at the listening rate.

Abstract: An optical disc device with high reliability, which is capable of performing a stable track jumping, is provided. In the optical disc device, a space (time interval) between an address part and the next address part in the address space measuring part 116 inside the DSP 111 is measured, and when the reproduction speed detected in the reproduction speed detection part 117 based on the measuring result is faster than a predetermined reproduction speed, an application timing of an accelerating pulse is switched in the accelerating/decelerating pulse generator 113 such that the application timing of an accelerating pulse or a decelerating pulse is matched with a transit timing in the address part.

Abstract: A disk apparatus comprising a precise positioning mechanism for finely displacing the information recording/reproducing mechanism in a radial direction of the disk, a coarse positioning mechanism for positionally displacing the information recording/reproducing mechanism in an information recording region in the radial direction of the disk, a coarse positioning mechanism driving circuit for controlling the drive of the coarse positioning mechanism upon receiving the drive signal in accordance with the drive signal generated by the reference speed generator, and a precise positioning mechanism driving circuit for controlling the drive of the precise positioning mechanism in accordance with a difference between the moving speed detected by the speed detector and the reference speed generated by the reference speed generator.

Abstract: To provide a disk unit wherein a prompt search is enabled even if the recorded time of one track is long, if the total recorded time of one track is below five minutes, a search mode is set to a small jump mode in which a search is performed at a short step. If the total recorded time of one track is over 5 minutes, thirty minutes or below thirty minutes for example, a search mode is set to an intermediate jump mode in which a search is performed at an intermediate step and the small jump mode. In case the total recorded time of one track exceeds thirty minutes for example, a search mode is set to a time jump mode in which a jump by input time is performed, the intermediate jump mode and the small jump mode.

Abstract: A disk calibration and search method in a disk drive is provided, in which, after an initialization step, a pickup is jumped to a first position and moved radially in a predetermined direction in response to pulses generated by a frequency generator. During this radial movement the number of tracks crossed are is counted. The counting is continued until a predetermined number of the pulses generated by the frequency generator have been generated. A calculated frequency generator track number is then obtained by dividing the counted number of tracks by the predetermined number of pulses generated by the frequency generator, i.e., calculating a unit track number of the disk per a single movement of the pickup, that is, the number of tracks the pickup moves per pulse generated by the frequency generator. The calculated frequency generator track number is stored in memory used to control the frequency generator for jumping the pickup during a search for a target track.