Abstract: A sensor is provided including: an element outputting detection signals according to magnitude of physical quantity; a drive circuit outputting a driving signal to the element and receiving a monitor signal from the element; a detection circuit that includes amplifiers amplifying the detection signals and a first synchronous demodulation circuit performing synchronous demodulation on a signal from the amplifier, receives the detection signals, and outputs a physical quantity signal according to the physical quantity; a processing circuit processing a signal from the first synchronous demodulation circuit; a first diagnostic circuit that receives a signal into the processing circuit and a signal from the processing circuit, and outputs a first error signal when abnormalities occur in the processing circuit; and a second diagnostic circuit that outputs a diagnostic signal to the first diagnostic circuit, instead of the signal into the processing circuit or instead of the signal from the processing circuit.

Abstract: This invention concerns a laser solidification apparatus for building objects by layerwise solidification of powder material. The apparatus including a build chamber containing a build platform, a device for depositing layers of powder material on to the build platform, an optical unit for directing a laser beam to selectively solidify areas of each powder layer and a spectrometer for detecting characteristic radiation emitted by plasma formed during solidification of the powder by the laser beam. The invention also relates to a spectrometer for detecting characteristic radiation generated by interaction of the metal with the or a further laser beam. The spectra recorded using the spectrometer may be used for feedback control during the solidification process.

Abstract: An optical device is provided for electrically changing light beam properties, comprising an electro-optical (EO) material positioned in a light beam path, a metal plate to which the EO material is attached, and a first soft metal layer attached to at least to the first surface of the EO material. A method is also provided for dampening resonant vibration in an EO material, comprising forming a bar from an EO material, providing a metal plate, and soldering a first surface of the EO bar to a surface of the metal plate with a soft metal alloy.

Abstract: Amplitude or phase modulated uncompensated wobble patterns representing address patterns for track addresses of optical media are generated or applied to the media. A filter is applied to the un-compensated wobble patterns to detect a threshold value to signal the existence of a synchronization pattern. A pair of filters can be used to detect the threshold and a zero-crossing. This methodology can detect the existence and timing of the wobble pattern. This can eliminate the need for a timing recovery subfield in the wobble pattern of the prior art.

Abstract: A system for tracking position and identification of a moving element on a conveyor system having a track, the system including: a machine readable medium provided to one of the moving element or the track, wherein the machine readable medium is configured with at least two channels with a predetermined phase difference therebetween; a sensor provided to the other of the moving element or the track, wherein the sensor is configured to read the at least two channels; and a controller configured to receive data from the sensor and determine a position and/or identification of the moving element on the track based on the phase difference.

Abstract: A method for providing tracking error signals in an optical data storage system includes a step of receiving a wobble signal having a first frequency from the wobble detection system. The wobble detection system includes an optical pick up unit that detects positions of the head relative to lands and grooves. Characteristically, the wobble signal is amplitude modulated for positions intermediate between the land and the groove. The method further includes a step of receiving a primary tracking error signal from the wobble detection system. The wobble signal is multiplied with a synchronous signal to about a product signal. The product signal is positive for a first direction of motion and negative for a second direction of motion that is opposite that of the first direction. The product signal is integrated to obtain a quadrature track error signal.

Abstract: A wobble determining apparatus is provided with: a calculating device for calculating (i) a first time required until reaching a number of revolutions of a motor which allows a predetermined linear velocity, and (ii) a second time required to move an optical head to a position which allows the predetermined linear velocity, on the basis of the number of revolutions of the motor and the position of the optical head; a judging device for judging whether to keep the optical head in accordance with the calculated first time and the calculated second time; and a controlling device for controlling a moving device not to move the optical head if it is judged to keep the optical head, and for controlling the moving device to move the optical head to the position which allows the predetermined linear velocity if it is judged not to keep the optical head.

Abstract: An optical-information recording medium includes a groove and a land that are alternately provided. Address information in the groove is recorded by wobbles in the groove, and address information on the land is recorded by a combination of the wobbles in the grooves provided at two opposite sides of the land.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention, to provide a recording method and a storage medium for BCA data with high reliability for a storage medium and a method for reproducing BCA data from the storage medium, and an information recording apparatus and an information reproducing apparatus. In a conventional optical disk, low reliability data is recorded in a data area of BCA. Thus, the thickness of a film material for use in a recording layer oriented to BCA data or close to the inner periphery of the storage medium in the vicinity thereof is formed in uniform thickness by using a substrate of the storage medium, the substrate being formed by being suctioned by means of adsorbing mechanisms formed in an arc shape so as to integrated two of the adsorbing mechanisms to be adjacent to each other.

Abstract: A record carrier has a servo track indicating an information track intended for recording information blocks. The servo track has a variation of a physical parameter, referred to as wobble. The wobble is modulated for encoding record carrier information, such as addresses. The servo track is subdivided in modulated parts in which the frequency and/or phase of the variation deviates from the wobble frequency, and non-modulated parts. The slope of the wobble is substantially continuous at transitions between the modulated and non-modulated parts by using wobbles starting at the maxima or minima of the wobble in a first part of the modulated parts.

Abstract: Amplitude or phase modulated un-compensated wobble patterns representing address patterns for track addresses of optical media are generated. A filter is applied to the un-compensated wobble patterns to pre-compensate the un-compensated wobble patterns. When an inverse of the filter is applied to a signal representing the pre-compensated wobble patterns in the presence of noise, the noise is suppressed and the un-compensated wobble patterns are substantially recovered.

Abstract: [Problem] In a conventional multilayer optical disc, management information needs to be retrieved from the control area of its reference layer to find how many information layers there are in the optical disc. [Means for Solving the Problem] A multilayer optical disc according to the present invention has multiple information layers that are stacked one upon the other. The information layers include at least one layer on which layer number information, indicating its own place in the multiple information layers, and information about the total number of information layers included are both stored.

Abstract: A record carrier has a servo track indicating an information track intended for recording information blocks, which servo track has a variation of a physical parameter, referred to as wobble. The wobble is modulated for encoding record carrier information, such as addresses. The servo track is subdivided in non-modulated and parts modulated parts in which the frequency and/or phase of the variation deviates from the wobble frequency. The slope of the wobble is substantially continuous at transitions between the modulated and non-modulated parts by using wobbles starting at the maxima or minima of the wobble.

Abstract: The operability of an optical disc device for reading or writing data from/to a disc having a data layer and a servo layer is improved by increasing the resistance to control disturbances. An optical disc device in accordance with the present invention includes an objective lens, a relay lens, a blue-violet laser detector, a red laser detector, an objective lens focus actuator, an objective lens tracking actuator, a relay lens actuator, a pair of focus error signal generating units, a pair of focus control signal generating units, a switching unit for selecting a focus control signal, a pair of tracking error signal generating units, a pair of tracking control signal generating units, a switching unit for selecting a tracking control signal, a focus error conversion unit and a tracking error conversion unit.

Abstract: A recording medium, an address generating method, an address detection method and a recording and reproduction apparatus capable of extending the wobble address without any considerable wobble restructuring are disclosed. Virtual bits not recorded in the disc and expressed by the difference of the rule or the presence or absence of the information embedded in a part or the whole of the wobble address are generated. Thus, the extended address can be obtained without changing the number of bits of the address embedded in the wobble.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for signal processing. The method includes receiving a tracking signal corresponding to a recording track on a storage medium. The tracking signal is frequency modulated with encoded symbols. Further, the method includes phase-locking an internal signal to the tracking signal to cause a frequency of the internal signal to be locked at a center frequency of the tracking signal, detecting a drift between the internal signal and the encoded symbols, and phase-shifting the internal signal to compensate for the drift.

Abstract: An optical pickup includes a light source, an objective lens, a diffraction grating that divides an optical beam reflected from a predetermined information layer, into a plurality of optical beams, and a detector having a plurality of photo-receivers to receive a plurality of optical beams. The diffraction grating has a predetermined region for dividing from a signal light beam a region including a central portion of a spot which the signal light beam will form on the diffraction grating. A distance from a central section of the detector to that of a spot center photo-receiver on the detector, the spot center photo-receiver being provided to receive the optical beams formed by division in a predetermined region of the diffraction grating, is equal to or greater than a spot radius of the unwanted light beams entering the predetermined region of the diffraction grating, on the detector.

Abstract: A method for adjusting at least one alignment control axis of a holographic data storage system or device to or towards a sufficiently optimal recovery position for recovery of a hologram based on a derived feedback error signal and/or a derived feed-forward signal. For the next hologram in the sequence, the derived feedback error signal estimates the direction and magnitude of misalignment of the at least one alignment control axis for one or more previously recovered holograms based on alignment-indicating data. The derived feed-forward signal estimates an optimal alignment value for the at least one alignment control axis for one or more holograms based on recording and recovery operating condition data for the holograms. An iterative alignment procedure may also be used to derive a feedback error signal for one hologram.

Abstract: There is provided an optical disk drive that pursues power saving and simultaneously assures data recording quality. A servo processor of the optical disk drive has a low frequency equalizer, a high frequency equalizer, a limiter, and an adder. A limit voltage value of the limiter is set by means of a control command from a system controller. The limit voltage value is set so as to become greater during a data recording period than in a data regeneration period. An output from the adder is supplied as a tracking drive signal to a tracking actuator or as a focus drive signal to a focus actuator.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus includes a focus controller including a first digital filter, tracking controller including a second filter, focus actuator driver, tracking actuator driver, defect detector for detecting a defect on an optical disc, and a system controller for controlling the focus controller, the tracking controller and the defect detector. The system controller holds an input and output of at least one of either the focus controller or the tracking controller on the basis of the output of the defect detector, and sets an initial value in a delay memory of the digital filter of the controller held upon awake of the hold state.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for efficiently calibrating an optical recording device. The method can include receiving a first signal corresponding to a wobbled track of a memory medium, phase-locking a second signal to the first signal, the second signal being used to extract embedded information in the wobbled track, and determining an optimum setting of the optical recording device based on a locking quality of the first signal and the second signal.

Abstract: Provided is an optical recording medium, including a recording target track that is a track on which small record carriers are arranged and on which information recording is performed by modulating the small record carriers through light irradiation; and a wobbling track on which the small record carriers are arranged in a wobbling manner, wherein a single wobbling track is formed to run parallel to a set of a plurality of recording target tracks.

Abstract: Obtain an expanded address without altering the bit number of an address which is embedded in a wobble. Generate a virtual bit which is not recorded on a disc, and which is expressed by the disparity from the rules and the presence or absence of information embedded in part or all of the wobble address.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a misjudgment correction circuit, including, an edge detection section configured to detect, in a binarized full addition signal obtained by adding first and second signals of the same or opposite polarity, edges at which the logic value of the binarized signal changes, a push-pull signal acquisition section configured to acquire a binarized push-pull signal obtained by subtracting the second signal from the first signal, a majority decision calculation section configured to acquire, in chronologic order, a plurality of logic values of the push-pull signal between the two adjacent edges so as to determine, by a majority decision, the more numerous of the two logic values, and a wave correction section configured to correct the push-pull signal between the edges to the more numerous logic value determined by the majority decision calculation section.

Abstract: An optical-pickup apparatus includes: a diffraction grating that a laser beam enters, the diffraction grating being configured to generate a main beam that is 0th-order light and sub-beams that are +1st-order diffracted light and ?1st-order diffracted light; an objective lens to focus the main and sub-beams onto a signal-recording layer; a main-beam light-receiving portion that the main beam reflected by the signal-recording layer is applied to; and sub-beam light-receiving portions that the sub-beams reflected by the signal-recording layer are respectively applied to, each light-receiving area of the sub-beam light-receiving portions being smaller than a light-receiving area of the main-beam light-receiving portion, wherein a focusing-control operation is performed by a differential astigmatic method using the main beam applied to the main-beam light-receiving portion and the sub-beams respectively applied to the sub-beam light-receiving portions.

Abstract: An information recording medium 1 at least comprises a substrate 13 having a microscopic pattern 20, which is constituted by a shape of continuous substance of approximately parallel grooves formed with a groove section G and a land section L alternately, a recording layer 12 formed on the microscopic pattern 20 and a light transmission layer 11 formed on the recording layer. The microscopic pattern 20 is formed so as to satisfy a relation of P<?<NA and a thickness of the light transmission layer 11 is within a range of 0.07 to 0.12 mm, wherein P is a pitch of the groove section G or the land section L, ? is a wavelength of reproducing light beam and NA is a numerical aperture of an objective lens. Further, there provided an information recording medium, which is improved in cross erase and recorded in high density, and a reproducing apparatus and a recording apparatus for the information recording medium.

Abstract: Circuits, architectures, systems, methods, software, and algorithms for detecting a modulation transition (e.g., a change from a written portion containing RF-modulated data to an unwritten portion containing only a wobble signal modulation) on an optical storage medium. The method generally includes steps of focusing a first spot of light onto an optical storage medium, wherein the first spot is substantially centered on a first track of the optical storage medium, focusing a satellite spot of light onto an optical storage medium, wherein the satellite spot at least partially overlaps a track adjacent to the first track, generating a satellite signal from light reflected from the optical storage medium from the satellite spot, and detecting the modulation transition by detecting a change in a level of the satellite signal.

Abstract: An information recording medium 1 at least comprises a substrate 13 having a microscopic pattern 20, which is constituted by a shape of continuous substance of approximately parallel grooves formed with a groove section G and a land section L alternately, a recording layer 12 formed on the microscopic pattern 20 and a light transmission layer 11 formed on the recording layer. The microscopic pattern 20 is formed so as to satisfy a relation of P<?<NA and a thickness of the light transmission layer 11 is within a range of 0.07 to 0.12 mm, wherein P is a pitch of the groove section G or the land section L, ? is a wavelength of reproducing light beam and NA is a numerical aperture of an objective lens. Further, there provided an information recording medium, which is improved in cross erase and recorded in high density, and a reproducing apparatus and a recording apparatus for the information recording medium.

Abstract: An address-accessing device includes first and second information generators for producing first and second information according to the received address signals; a phase offset detector for producing a phase offset according to the first and second information; a reference signal generator for producing a reference signal according to the phase offset, the first information and the second information; and a decoder used to determine the structure type of an address-in-pregroove unit (ADIP) according to the reference value. This address-accessing device is capable of adjusting the decision level and the phase offset automatically to lower the error rate occurring in the address access procedure.

Abstract: There is provided an optical member 1 in which a fixation member 3 supporting the light emitting member 2 is fixed to a housing 5 supporting a light receiving member 4, so as to have clearances between the fixation member 3 and the housing 5, by photocurable resin 6 bridging the clearances, recesses 7 that adjoin positions where the photocurable resin 6 is deposited, that are opened so as to allow casting of light into the recesses 7, and that are to receive portions of the photocurable resin 6 are formed on the housing 5.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing area and a reproduction-only area are formed by wobbling a groove formed in a spiral fashion to form a track to be tracked on a disk. The recording and reproducing area has address information recorded by wobbling of the groove and information recorded and reproduced by phase change marks on the track formed by the groove where the address information is recorded. The reproduction-only area has prerecorded information recorded by wobbling of the groove.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are aspects of optical tape technology, tape manufacturing, and tape usage. Methods and systems of tape technology disclose optical tape media including: configurations, formulations, markings, and structure; optical tape manufacturing methods, systems, and apparatus methods and systems including: curing processes, coating methods, embossing, drums, testing, tracking alignment stamper strip; optical tape methods and systems including: pick up head adapted for the disclosed optical tape; and optical tape uses including optical storage media devices for multimedia applications.

Abstract: A wobble signal extracting circuit includes: a readout signal generating circuit generating an RF signal by adding first and second detection signals corresponding to reflected light from inside and outside a recording track; a first subtractor generating a push-pull signal by subtracting the first and second detection signals, respectively; a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converting the RF signal to digital; a second ADC converting the push-pull signal to digital; a residual RF component generating circuit generating a residual RF signal component equivalent to the RF signal component remaining in the digitized push-pull signal; and a second subtractor generating the wobble signal by subtracting the residual RF signal component from the digitized push-pull signal. The residual RF component generating circuit generates the residual RF signal component so that it may approach the remaining RF signal component based on correlation between the wobble signal and the digitized RF signal.

Abstract: The pit arrays on an optical disc medium are made to wobble at a frequency which is higher than the band of frequencies that a tracking servo can follow and which is lower than the band of frequencies of the reproducing signal. A wobble detection signal according to the amount of wobble is obtained from the tracking error signal and used as a reference signal for frequency acquisition. Alternatively, the pit arrays on the medium are wobbled at a frequency which is within the band of frequencies that the tracking servo can follow and which is lower than the band of frequencies of the reproducing signal. In addition, a wobble detection signal corresponding to the amount of wobble is obtained either from the output signal from a compensator included in a tracking servo system or from a tracking drive signal and is used as a reference signal for frequency acquisition.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for efficiently calibrating an optical recording device. The method can include receiving a first signal corresponding to a wobbled track of a memory medium, phase-locking a second signal to the first signal, the second signal being used to extract embedded information in the wobbled track, and determining an optimum setting of the optical recording device based on a locking quality of the first signal and the second signal.

Abstract: An information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes an optical head, an analog signal processor, an analog/digital converter, a controller and a digital/analog converter. The optical head is used for emitting a light beam on a medium and receiving a reflected light beam from the medium. The analog signal processor is used for processing the reflected light beam to obtain a first analog signal. The analog/digital converter is used for converting the first analog signal into a digital signal. The controller is used for applying a low-pass filtering operation on the digital signal to obtain a digital controlling signal. The digital/analog converter is used for converting the digital controlling signal into a second analog signal. The second analog signal is transmitted to the optical head for correcting a tilt between the light beam and the medium.

Abstract: A clock generation circuit is provided that multiplies an input signal of a specific frequency by a specific multiplication factor and generates an output clock signal. The clock generation circuit includes a PLL circuit that multiplies the input signal and generates the output clock signal, and a correction circuit that changes the multiplication factor of the PLL circuit. The correction circuit changes the PLL circuit multiplication factor by increasing or decreasing the specific multiplication factor, the change being performed only during a correction interval for each correction cycle, the correction cycle being longer than one cycle of the input signal, and being performed such that a time difference between an input synchronizing signal synchronized with the input signal and an output synchronizing signal synchronized with the output clock signal is reduced. The PLL circuit multiplies the input signal by the changed multiplication factor during the correction interval.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are aspects of optical tape technology, tape manufacturing, and tape usage. Methods and systems of tape technology disclose optical tape media including: configurations, formulations, markings, and structure; optical tape manufacturing methods, systems, and apparatus methods and systems including: curing processes, coating methods, embossing, drums, testing, tracking alignment stamper strip; optical tape methods and systems including: pick up head adapted for the disclosed optical tape; and optical tape uses including optical storage media devices for multimedia applications.

Abstract: An optical recoding carrier and an information recording method applying an amplitude shift keying (ASK) method or further a DC-biased ASK method are provided, wherein at least one periodically undulated section and at least one non-periodically undulated section are formed on the optical recording carrier to indicate specific information. The information recording method can be embodied as an addressing method of an optical disk for recording address information of tracks of the optical disk. A continuous track structure is provided on the optical recording carrier to save the available recording space and improve the information reading precision of the optical recording carrier. Furthermore, a signal generating apparatus and an information reading apparatus applied in the information recording method are provided.

Abstract: An address-accessing device includes first and second information generators for producing first and second information according to the received address signals; a phase offset detector for producing a phase offset according to the first and second information; a reference signal generator for producing a reference signal according to the phase offset, the first information and the second information; and a decoder used to determine the structure type of an address-in-pregroove unit (ADIP) according to the reference value. This address-accessing device is capable of adjusting the decision level and the phase offset automatically to lower the error rate occurring in the address access procedure.

Abstract: The present invention achieves higher precision and lower power consumption by reducing semiconductor chip occupation area. A semiconductor integrated circuit which can be mounted on an optical disk device has: a wobble signal generating circuit capable of receiving first, second, third, and fourth light reception output signals A, B, C, and D of a light receiving element in an optical pickup and detecting a wobble in a recordable disk; a differential phase detection signal (DPD) generating circuit for tracking an unrecordable disk; and two A/D converters and an arithmetic circuit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for evaluating a wobble signal. Also described is a circuit for performing such method and an apparatus for reading from and/or writing to optical recording media using such method or circuit. According to the invention the method includes the steps of: determining the sign of the wobble signal, the sign indicating whether a wobble period of the wobble signal is inverted or non-inverted, generating a filtered signal by a weighted averaging of the sign over two or more wobble periods, the weighted averaging being performed by subtracting a sum of the signs obtained from a second stage of delay lines from a sum of the signs obtained from a first stage delay lines, and integrating the filtered signal.

Abstract: A demodulation circuit accurately demodulates a wobble signal of an optical disk without being affected by a phase shift induced by crosstalk. An A-D converter subjects wobble signal reproduced from an optical disk to A-D conversion and feeds a result of conversion to a zero-crossing detection circuit. The zero-crossing detection circuit detects zero-crossing points of the wobble signal. A sinusoidal wave generation circuit generates a sinusoidal wave by means of sequentially connecting sinusoidal wave elements whose periods are each equal to a time interval between zero-crossing points. A multiplier multiplies an original wobble signal by a sinusoidal wave signal. A slicer detects an HMW-modulated portion of the wobble signal, and another slicer detects an MSK-modulated portion of the wobble signal.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus to record data on an optical disk on which a wobble is formed, the optical disk apparatus including; a detection unit including a BPF which a signal obtained from a reflected light from an optical disk passes, the detection unit to detect a wobble signal from a wobble based on the signal passing the BPF; and a register to store an adjustment value for adjusting the BPF as a register value, so as to adjust the BPF based on each of register values obtained by changing the register value 1 LSB by 1 LSB; acquire an amplitude of the signal passing the BPF, the amplitude corresponding to each of the register values; identify one of the register values for the largest acquired amplitude; and adjust the BPF based on a value obtained by adding 1 LSB to the identified register value when data is recorded.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for generating ATIP data is provided. The apparatus generates ATIP data from a wobble signal of a re-writable compact disc. The apparatus includes a frequency demodulator for demodulating the wobble signal to generate an original ATIP data signal; an ATIP clock generating circuit for generating an ATIP clock signal based on the wobble signal; and a data generating circuit, coupled to the frequency demodulator and the ATIP clock generating circuit, for generating the ATIP data based on the number of measurement periods for which the original ATIP data signal is at a first logic level during one period of the ATIP clock signal. This apparatus uses this number and the bi-phase rule to precisely generate ATIP data.

Abstract: A tracking error (TE) signal polarity determining method, comprising: (a) obtaining a wobble related signal and a TE signal from an optical pick-up unit accessing an optical disc; (b) determining an accessing direction; and (c) determining if an original polarity of the TE signal from the optical disc should be changed or not according to the relation between the wobble related signal and the accessing direction.

Abstract: In the present invention, at the time of pulling a focus on an information recording surface of a disc, a focus servo is first pulled in a disc surface of the disc, and with the servo in a settled state, a driving signal necessary for following surface wobble is stored, and a focus is pulled in the information recording surface of the disc based upon a signal superimposed with the driving signal and a focus search driving signal.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for recording. The method includes receiving a tracking signal corresponding to a recording track on a storage medium, phase-locking an internal signal to the tracking signal by reducing a phase error generated based on the internal signal and the tracking signal, generating a phase bias, combining the phase bias into the phase error to phase-shift the internal signal from the tracking signal, and recording on the recording track based on the internal signal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are aspects of optical tape technology, tape manufacturing, and tape usage.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a user data area and a lead-out area, wherein the user data area and the lead-out area each has grooves and lands formed thereon. Wobbles are formed on at least one lateral surface of grooves of the user data area and the lead-out area, and configured such that wobble characteristics are made different between the user data area and the lead-out area. Different types of wobbles are formed on the grooves of either the user data area or the lead-out area, thereby preventing an optical pickup that performs recording/reproduction from deviating from the user data area. Also, in a multi-layer optical recording medium, a whole area of a recording layer is configured to have a same condition, thereby preventing deterioration in reproduction and/or recording due to a difference in light power transmittance of another recording layer.