Abstract: The invention discloses radio frequency zero crossing signal generators for optical disc drives, comprising a controllable low pass filter, a comparator, and a control circuit. The controllable low pass filter evaluates an average level of the magnitude of a radio frequency ripple from an optical disc drive. The comparator compares the radio frequency ripple to the average level evaluated by the controllable low pass filter to generate a radio frequency zero crossing signal. When the optical disc drive reads a fingerprint defect on an optical disc, the control circuit adjusts a cut-off frequency of the controllable low pass filter to adjust the speed at which the controllable low pass filter evaluates the average level.

Abstract: A disk drive and drive unit driving mechanism includes a disk holder with a plurality of holder plates that can receive individual hold disk in a stacked configuration. Disk selectors can form a space above and below a desired disk to be played by contacting and raising and/or lowering the holder plates. A drive base can move a drive unit into the space that is formed between the holder plates. Disk selectors can be provided with cams of a web shaped configuration to co-act with the protrusion provided whereby the holder plates can be moved in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A disc changer comprises a housing, a disc box, a selecting mechanism, an elevating mechanism, and a driving device. The housing has at least one oblique slot in each side wall. Projections of the oblique slots are interlaced to each other. The disc box fabricated in the housing has a plurality of trays stacking vertically. The selecting mechanism is used for moving vertically to a horizontal position of a predetermined tray of the disc box for pulling out the predetermined tray from the disc box. The elevating mechanism is fabricated in the housing and comprises two slides and a transmission shaft. Each slide is attached to the oblique slot with at least a slide protrusion. Each slide slides back and forth along the respective side wall. The slide protrusion of each slide slides back and forth along the attached oblique slot. By this way, the selecting device can move up and down inside the housing to reach the predetermined tray of the disc box.

Abstract: The present invention provides a simple disk drive and drive unit driving mechanism with compact size in which each part is able to operate smoothly. The disk drive and drive unit driving mechanism comprise a disk holder 10 that has a plurality of holder plates 11 that individually hold disks D, a drive unit 62 that plays back disks D, disk selectors 41A and 41B that form a space above and below a desired disk D by raising and lowering the holder plates 11, and a drive base 60 that moves the drive unit 62 into a space that is formed by raising and lowering the holder plates 11. The disk selectors 41A and 41B are provided with flat cams 41Aa to 41Ac and 41Ba to 41Bc in which the protrusion 14 a provided on the holder plate 11 is inserted so as to be capable of performing a sliding movement, such that the tips of the cams are wedge-shaped. The holder plates 11 above and below the desired disk D rise and fall in accordance with the sliding movement of the disk selectors 41A and 41B.

Abstract: An optical disk changer that is capable of automatically playing both sides of a dual-sided optical disk. By coordinated rotation and delivery of disks taken from a linear disk storage bin, both sides of a dual-sided optical disk can be automatically accessed.

Abstract: A changer-type disk device includes a disk storage section holding disks arranged in the axial direction of the disks; a drive unit for reproducing and/or recording information from/in a disk selected from the disks in the disk storage section; a drive activating mechanism for moving the drive unit back and forth between a drive position where the selected disk is driven and a retracted position where no disk is driven; and pressing members. The pressing members come into pressure contact with the circumferential edges of the waiting disks held in the disk storage section to push them toward the disk storage section from the outside in the radial direction, and are separated therefrom when the drive unit is moved from the drive position to the retracted position. Accordingly, the waiting disks can be locked in the radial direction; thus, a rattle noise occurring from the waiting disks during driving of the selected disk can be reduced.

Abstract: A process/method for controlling a digital data storage unit including a multiplicity of storage media slots for receiving media storage units, a plurality of media storage units loaded in some of the storage media slots, a plurality of data storage drives each having a unique drive address, a loader mechanism for selectively moving a media storage unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data storage drives, and a storage unit controller connected to at least one host computer. One or more of the data storage drives are reserved as spare data storage drives wherein the spare data storage drives are masked from the host computer such the spare data storage drives are not directly accessible by the host computer. The storage unit controller receives and decodes host commands including a source address corresponding to a storage media slot location, and a destination address corresponding to a data storage drive specified by the host computer.

Abstract: In an on-vehicle disc player having a disc elevator (22) for making a plurality of disc carrying devices each having a CD placed on it stacked one over another, for example, in the vertical direction move in the stacking direction and a holding device (14) for holding and rotationally driving a CD, the disc player is provided with an inner slider (139) which moves in a direction (plane direction of a disc) perpendicular to the direction of stacking the disc carrying devices and makes the disc elevator (22) and the holding device (14) move in the stacking direction, a separating cam (82) which separates the stacked disc carrying devices to form a specified space, and an outer slider (140) which is coupled to the separating cam (82) and moves in a plane direction of a disc is provided.

Abstract: An optical disk changer that is capable of automatically playing both sides of a dual-sided optical disk. By coordinated rotation and delivery of disks taken from a linear disk storage bin, both sides of a dual-sided optical disk can be automatically accessed.

Abstract: A changer-type disk device includes a disk storage section holding disks arranged in the axial direction of the disks; a drive unit for reproducing and/or recording information from/in a disk selected from the disks in the disk storage section; a drive activating mechanism for moving the drive unit back and forth between a drive position where the selected disk is driven and a retracted position where no disk is driven; and pressing members. The pressing members come into pressure contact with the circumferential edges of the waiting disks held in the disk storage section to push them toward the disk storage section from the outside in the radial direction, and are separated therefrom when the drive unit is moved from the drive position to the retracted position. Accordingly, the waiting disks can be locked in the radial direction; thus, a rattle noise occurring from the waiting disks during driving of the selected disk can be reduced.

Abstract: A disc reproducing apparatus comprises a disc holder for receiving a plurality of discs; a disc reproducing section including a turntable for mounting a disc, an optical pickup for reproducing information recorded on the disc, a pickup moving mechanism for moving the optical pickup in the radial direction of the disc; a reproducing section pivoting means for pivoting the reproducing section between a reproducing position and a non-reproducing position; and a disc transporting means for transporting a disc inserted from the outside to the disc holder. In particular, the disc reproducing section includes a position detecting means for detecting a position of the optical pickup in the reproducing apparatus. Further, when the disc reproducing section is in its non-reproducing position, the position detecting means is adapted to detect the position of a disc which has been transported from the outside into the apparatus.

Abstract: A disc reproducing apparatus comprises a disc holder for receiving a plurality of discs; a disc reproducing section including a turntable for mounting a disc, an optical pickup for reproducing information recorded on the disc, a pickup moving mechanism for moving the optical pickup in the radial direction of the disc; a reproducing section pivoting means for pivoting the reproducing section between a reproducing position and a non-reproducing Position; and a disc transporting means for transporting a disc inserted from the outside to the disc holder. In particular, the disc reproducing section includes a position detecting means for detecting a position of the optical pickup in the reproducing apparatus. Further, when the disc reproducing section is in its non-reproducing position, the position detecting means is adapted to detect the position of a disc which has been transported from the outside into the apparatus.