Abstract: Techniques are provided for increasing spectral efficiency over data channels in a storage or communication system. In some embodiments, data may be encoded and transmitted over multiple channels. The transmitted data from the multiple channels may be considered together as a channel bundle, thereby increasing the edge transitions of the group of signals to improve clock recovery and reduce coding constraints. In some embodiments, the channel bit size is reduced to maximize data rates based on the reduced coding constraints. Furthermore, the channel bundle has only one channel with timing markers, so that a receiver may receive information from the channel bundle and recover clocking based on the timing markers in the one channel.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for testing dies in a stack of dies and inserting a repair circuit which, when enabled, compensates for a delay defect in the die stack. Intra-die and inter-die slack values are determined to establish which die or dies in the die stack would benefit from the insertion of a repair circuit.

Abstract: A method of writing data to and reading data from a storage medium includes cycle slip detection and correction. An LDPC matrix includes a first area for cycle slip detection and correction. The first area satisfies a set of conditions such that a cycle slip at a particular position creates a pattern of parity check errors indicative of the position and polarity of the cycle slip. Writing user data to the storage medium includes encoding the user data with parity data according to the LDPC matrix. Reading the user data and the parity data from the storage medium includes decoding the user data and the parity data according to the LDPC matrix. Decoding includes, upon detecting a pattern of parity check errors indicative of the position and polarity of a detected cycle slip, correcting the detected cycle slip.

Abstract: An error correcting circuit includes a marker decoder for sampling 2-bit markers from a data string and, from sample values of the 2-bit markers, determine whether there is an occurrence of an error on the 2-bit markers, of an insertion error, or of a deletion error. The circuit also includes an error corrector for performing an error correction on the data string received from the marker decoder by using an error correcting code in the data string. When either one of the insertion error and the deletion error is determined to have occurred, the marker decoder can perform another error correction on the either one of the insertion error and the deletion error, and output the data string from which the 2-bit markers are removed.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording apparatus for recording, in a free area, first low-quality recorded data having an error rate not less than a first error rate upon finalization of a recording medium, the information recording apparatus includes a reader, a measurement module, a detector, and a recorder. The reader is configured to read recorded data from a recording area of the recording medium. The measurement module is configured to measure an error rate of the recorded data of each predetermined data block. The detector configured to detect the first low-quality recorded data based on an error rate measurement result of the measurement module. The recorder is configured to correct an error in the first low-quality recorded data, and record error-corrected recorded data corresponding to the first low-quality recorded data at a spare recording position of the free area of the recording medium.

Abstract: An optical disc recording device includes: an optical disc device to record optical recording data onto an optical disc; a recording data assigning unit to divide a recording region on the optical disc into multiple divisions, part as a data region, assign optical recording data thereto; a redundancy data calculating unit to calculate redundancy data for restoring recorded data; a redundancy data assigning unit to take divided regions other than the data region as a redundancy region, and assign the corresponding redundancy data thereto; a recording/playing device having a recording capacity greater than the data region; and a recording control unit configured to record optical recording data in the data region and also at least a part thereof in the recording/playing device, cause the recording/playing device to play the optical recording data recorded therein at the time of calculating redundancy data, and record calculated redundancy data in the redundancy region.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to improve precision of tracking correction and focus correction while assuring stability of the tracking correction and focus correction during recording/reproducing of data to/from an optical disk. Before start of recording/reproduction, an optical disk DK is searched once. On the basis of a radial acceleration component in a tracking error signal Ste, an area where a mechanical distortion occurs in the optical disk DK is specified. At the time of actually recording/reproducing data to/from the optical disk DK, the gain in a tracking servo circuit TS is temporarily improved only at the time of recording/reproducing data to/from the area specified as an area where a mechanical distortion or the like occurs. Also, even in the case where the gain is varied by performing optimum phase compensation on the gain set by using an optimum phase compensation by-gain circuit 23, reliable phase compensation is realized.

Abstract: A plurality of retry tables is used for adaptive and flexible error correction during a read/write operation within a disk drive. The plurality of retry tables is stored in a data storage unit, and one of the retry tables is selected to be used for the error correction. In addition, firmware is not modified for using any of the plurality of retry tables during the error correction. One of the retry tables becomes eventually selected as being optimum for the error correction depending on an application, operating conditions, and head/mechanical characteristics of the disk drive.

Abstract: An optical disc controller of the present invention servo-controls an optical disc device which comprises a disc motor rotating an optical disc and an optical head emitting a light beam for recording data on the optical disc and/or reproducing data from the optical disc. The optical disc controller comprises: a variable clock output section for outputting a plurality of clock signals of different frequencies, and a control section which receives from the optical head a signal indicating a deviation from a predetermined target value to servo-control the light beam of the optical disc device and performs an operation according to the signal indicating the deviation so as to obtain and output a signal indicating a control amount.

Abstract: A readback apparatus (a) calculates a variance value of a signal read by a head from a disc medium, (b) estimates a degree of offtracking of the head from a target track to an adjacent track, and interference power from the adjacent track using the variance value of the signal, (c) calculates a soft decision likelihood value for the signal using the degree of offtracking and the interference power, and (d) performs error correcting decoding using the soft decision likelihood value.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of handling a failure in reading motion picture data from a storage medium and reproducing the same includes a media-type distinguishing unit determining whether a storage medium to be reproduced is a motion picture medium; and a reading failure handling unit controlling a pick-up to shift positions on the motion picture medium and read data from a position arrived at by shifting, whenever a failure in reading the motion picture medium occurs.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes a servo system and a system behavior detection module. The system behavior detection module includes a controller and a signal feeding unit coupled to the controller and the servo system. The controller is operable in a detection mode and in a normal operation mode. In the detection mode, the controller enables the signal feeding unit so as to introduce an exciting signal into the servo system. In the normal operation mode, the controller disables the signal feeding unit so as to inhibit introduction of the exciting signal into the servo system.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, in an information recording and reproducing apparatus, a record data correction unit generates correction data for correcting a record waveform generated according to record data. Further, the information recording and reproducing apparatus generates discrimination data for use in pattern discrimination performed to generate the correction data, using decoded data outputted from a PRML signal processing unit and the record data, and outputs the generated discrimination data to the record data correction unit.

Abstract: A record medium comprises an original data obtained by superimposing a presentation target data, to which an error correction encoding is performed and an identification information.

Abstract: A circuit for generating tracking error signal using differential phase detection, comprising a quadrant photodetector for receiving optical signal and inducting splitting signal A, splitting signal B, splitting signal C and splitting signal D, two adders for generating group signal (A+C) and group signal (B+D). A plurality of equalizers for receiving, equalizing and amplifying splitting signal A, splitting signal B, splitting signal C, splitting signal D, group signal (A+C) and group signal (B+D). A plurality of phase detectors for receiving the output of equalizers and comparing phase difference of splitting signal A and group signal (A+C), group signal (A+C) and splitting signal B, splitting signal C and group signal (B+D), and group signal (B+D) and splitting signal D, and outputting a plurality of adjustment signals respectively. A circuit for eliminating the phase difference by adding and subtracting some adjustment signals with same phase difference.

Abstract: A method for reading data from an information recording medium having a plurality of address regions, includes the steps of: performing a reading operation for all of designated address regions among the plurality of address regions while holding read error information regarding the read error in the case where a read error occurs during reading of data from one of the plurality of address regions; transferring the read data to a data conversion device for converting the read data; and transferring the read error information to the data conversion device.

Abstract: Disclosed herewith is a method of compensating for the seek errors of a pickup assembly. The method includes the steps of calculating a target track number to read data stored in an optical disc by transferring a pickup assembly across the optical disc; determining whether a seek error has to be compensated for in a radially outward direction of the optical disc; if the seek error has to be compensated for in a radially inward direction, compensating for the seek error; transferring the pickup assembly in the radially inward direction, reading an address of a current position of the pickup assembly, and determining whether the current position of the pickup assembly coincides with a target position; if the current position of the pickup assembly coincides with the target position, calculating the seek error in a radially inward direction and calculating an error compensation value in a radially inward direction; and storing the calculated error compensation value and using it to perform a next seek operation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided through which the current to a spindle motor of the recording medium of a mass storage device is modulated to avoid anomalies in the operation of mass storage device and reduce power consumption. In the example of a disc drive, the current is modulated to prevent expected or predicted disturbances in the air bearing between a read/write head and the recording medium, and to reduce the power consumption when no disturbances are predicted or expected.

Abstract: An intelligent MP3 error check detection method and apparatus. The claimed invention discloses an apparatus and method where all MP3 files are initially assumed to have compatible error checksums. A parameter W is initialized to zero. The parameter W is not constant and conceptually represents a state of the error check method. The destructive value of a first predefined constant is added to the parameter W each time the integrity of the data within the frame cannot be verified. The constructive value of a second predefined constant is subtracted from the parameter W each time the integrity of the data within the frame is successfully verified. If the value of the parameter W equals or exceeds a predefined threshold, the remainder of the MP3 file is decoded and played without error check protection.

Abstract: Accordingly, an improved method for recording data on an optical medium is disclosed which includes receiving and encoding a first set of data frames by a CIRC encoder to generate a second set of data frames. A control byte is then added to each of the second set of data frames to generate a third set of data frames. The third plurality of frames of data are received and encoded at an EFM encoder to generate a section comprising a plurality of Channel frames. The control byte of a sequentially first one of the third set of data frames is replaced with a SYNC 0′ byte selected from the limited group of previously unassigned fourteen-bit combinations. The control byte of a sequentially second one of the third set of data frames is also replaced with a SYNC 1′ byte selected from the same group.

Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated controller to process both optical reads and optical writes of multiple optical media. The integrated controller includes a host interface; a buffer manager coupled to the host interface; an embedded memory coupled to the buffer manager; an integrated encoding/decoding engine coupled to the buffer manager; a data channel interface coupled to the integrated encoding/decoding engine; and an integrated servo/recording processor coupled to the integrated encoding/decoding engine and the data channel interface, where the integrated servo/recording processor includes a set of write strategies. The present invention provides a controller which integrates the functionality of the conventional controllers into an integrated processor. With the controller in accordance with the present invention, a single drive may be provided which can read CD-based and DVD-based formats, read and write to Write Once Media, and read and write to Rewritable Media.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for improving operability of a DVD camcorder that performs recording in a video format. When an instruction for starting recording is given at a time T11 and then an instruction for stopping the recording is given at a time T12, a DVD camcorder is brought into a pause state at the time T12. An address and the like of an optical disk at that time are stored in a recording RAM. When an instruction for resuming recording is given at a time T13, the address stored in the recording RAM is read, and rerecording is started at a position on the optical disk which position corresponds to the address. The present invention is applicable to DVD camcorders.

Abstract: An error recovery method and an apparatus achieve error recovery when reading errors occur at one or more addresses on a plurality of simultaneously readable tracks, in a multi-track disk reproducing apparatus. The reproducing apparatus with a plurality of reading head can simultaneously read data on the plurality of adjacent tracks on a disk having the plurality of tracks formed on its recording surface. The method comprises a step for storing a reading error-occurrence-address in an error occurrence, and a step for determining a moving process of the plurality of reading head for error recovery after the error occurrence based on the stored result.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for accessing target data in a data storage medium, identification data in an initial data sector is verified before a target data sector that corresponds to starting location of the target data in the data storage medium can be found. Therefore, accuracy of the target data can be ensured before decoding of the target data is performed to result in increased efficiency and reduced idle time.

Abstract: A tracking error signal compensation device for removing an offset of a tracking error signal to be used for a tracking servo control includes: a low pass filter that extracts a direct current component and a low frequency component whose frequency is lower than a reference frequency from the tracking error signal, and generates a detection signal including the extracted direct current component and the extracted low frequency component; a determination device that determines whether or not a frequency of the tracking error signal is lower than a reference frequency; a holding device that generates a hold signal by holding the detection signal generated by the low pass filter, when the determination device determines that the frequency of the tracking error signal is lower than the reference signal; a detection device that detects the offset of the tracking error signal by using the detection signal and the hold signal; and a removing device that removes the offset detected by the detection device from the tr

Abstract: A storage medium stores information on a plurality of tracks formed thereon, each of the tracks being divided into a plurality of sectors. The storage medium includes a physically formed sector beginning identifier provided at a leading portion of each sector, and an information storing portion. The information storing portion, another sector address portion at the trailing end of the information storing portion, includes at least one sector address portion at a leading end of the information storing portion, another sector address portion at the trailing end of the information storing portion, and a data portion provided between the two sector address portions.

Abstract: For recording data on and reproducing data from an optical disk of a single spiral land/groove configuration, a header detector detects header regions on the optical disk, a PID error detector judges whether the address information read from the header regions is erroneous, using error detection codes, and detects the number of errors per sector. An error count comparator compares the number of errors per sector with a predetermined value, and a state judging circuit identifies the state of the optical disk device by causing transition to a higher or lower state according to the output of the error count comparator. The recording and reproduction are controlled according to the state thus identified.

Abstract: A circuit for generating tracking error signal using differential phase detection, comprising a quadrant photodetector for receiving optical signal and inducting splitting signal A, splitting signal B, splitting signal C and splitting signal D, two adders for generating group signal (A+C) and group signal (B+D). A plurality of equalizers for receiving, equalizing and amplifying splitting signal A, splitting signal B, splitting signal C, splitting signal D, group signal (A+C) and group signal (B+D). A plurality of phase detectors for receiving the output of equalizers and comparing phase difference of splitting signal A and group signal (A+C), group signal (A+C) and splitting signal B, splitting signal C and group signal (B+D), and group signal (B+D) and splitting signal D, and outputting a plurality of adjustment signals respectively. A circuit for eliminating the phase difference by adding and subtracting some adjustment signals with same phase difference.