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

Abstract: An optical disk has a lead-in region provided at the inner circumference side and a user region provided at the outer circumference side. Pit string 3 of pits of different depths is formed in the lead in region. Light beam reflected from the pit string is detected by detector and TPP and RF signals are output by differential amplifier and addition amplifier. A ternary signal is restored from pits based on the TPP and RF signals. Information is recorded by pits of the same depth in the user region. Recording information in the depth direction in the lead-in region increases the recording capacity thereof. The information recorded in the depth direction in the lead-in region cannot be transferred to a user region of another optical disk.

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

Abstract: Calibration of a focus offset in an optical drive. A calibration pattern, comprising a plurality of marked areas, is marked upon a medium. A user input is received, identifying a perceived darkest marked area of the calibration pattern. The focus offset is determined corresponding to the perceived darkest marked area.

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

Abstract: An optical disk unit of this invention includes a defocus detecting system for detecting a defocus of an objective lens, a thickness unevenness detecting system for detecting a thickness unevenness of a transparent resin layer provided nearest the objective lens of a recording medium, and a thickness unevenness correcting mechanism for changing the focusing characteristic of light impinging upon the objective lens based on a change in the thickness of the transparent resin layer detected by the thickness detecting system.

Abstract: An optical pickup includes a first optical system for collecting first laser light emitted from a first laser light source onto a first disk, and guiding reflected light from the first disk to a photoreceptor; a second optical system for collecting second laser light emitted from a second laser light source onto a second disk, and guiding reflected light from the second disk to a photoreceptor; a second objective lens for collecting the second laser light onto the second disk and receiving the reflected light from the second disk, the second objective lens being movable in a radial direction passing through the center of the second disk, and a first objective lens for collecting the first laser light onto the first disk and receiving the reflected light from the first disk, the first objective lens being disposed offset from the radial direction and adjacently to the second objective lens.

Abstract: Reproduction signals which are simultaneously obtained from an Ach head 3 and a Bch head 4 are time division multiplexed by a signal layout converting circuit 9 and arranged. An HPF unit 12 and an LPF unit 14 of a waveform equalizing circuit 16 are optimally switched on the basis of sync adjustment information such as switching information of the heads. An edge detection pulse width of an edge detecting circuit and an output frequency of a VCO 23 are controlled on the basis of the sync adjustment information. The output frequency of the VCO 23 is used as a clock signal of the reproduction signals by a signal processing unit 27 at the post stage.

Abstract: The invention relates to the identification of the direction of the relative movement between a scanning beam of an optical scanner and the tracks of optical storage media. Use is made of the fact that the amplitude of the component TW of a track error signal TE, said component being brought about by wobble of the tracks, is maximal in the track center and minimal in the region between the tracks. A signal TW is thus present which does not assume its maxima and minima across the scanning location x at the same places as the track error signal TE. The invention describes devices and methods for determining the movement direction DIR of the scanning beam from the phase shift between the two signals.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a track including plural pits formed based on first data and has plural lands defined between neighboring pits. These pits are deformed as they are recorded based on second data. The first and second data are synthesized and reproduced to realize audio reproduction with a broad frequency range. The first data are adapted to be reproducible by a customary disc reproduction device. The reproduction of the first data is controlled by the second data to protect recorded data.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus has a light source for generating linearly polarized light, a medium having linear marks disposed in overlapping relation to one another, and an optical head disposed between the light source and the medium and having a fine aperture. A polarized light control portion in the light source controls the linearly polarized light to pass through the fine aperture of the optical head to generate near-field light having a preselected polarization direction and to irradiate the linear marks of the medium with the near-field light so that the preselected polarization direction of the near-field light is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of each of the linear marks. A detector detects light scattered by the linear mark irradiated with the near-field light.

Abstract: A position control method is disclosed that is capable of precisely and stably controlling a position of an object lens relative to a recording medium. When controlling the position of the object lens in the tracking direction, first, an attempt is made to read address information recorded on the recording medium, and if the address information is not readable, the polarity of the tracking error signal used for servo control is reversed. As a result, even for a recording medium of a low quality or a nonstandard recording medium, which are treated as invalid media in the related art, it is possible to locate the object lens to the target position.

Abstract: A focus jump technique enables focus control on recording layers of a disc in such a manner that its effect is not absorbed by disturbance or a variation in the movement speed of an objective lens. The technique involves monitoring level of a focus error signal and rejecting noise from the error signal. A speed sensor detects movement speed of an objective lens; and a speed control circuit generates a voltage for controlling the objective lens, based on the detected movement speed. Movement speed of the objective lens is detected during focus jump, a corresponding lens drive signal is generated, and an end position is determined from behavior of the error signal immediately before the end of the jump. A focus control is pulled, from a focus point corresponding to one recording layer, into a focus point corresponding to another recording layer forcibly in a stable manner.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for layer jump braking control is disclosed. The apparatus is applied to an optical drive and generates a non-fixed braking signal according to a focusing error signal. The non-fixed braking signal is provided to a driver for outputting a corresponding driving force, thereby controlling a pick up head of the optical drive to perform a layer jump braking process. By using the non-fixed braking signal, the disadvantage of the conventional fixed braking signal, which cannot adapt to variations of optical disks and is subject to layer jump failure, can be avoided.

Abstract: A device for reading from and/or writing on a rotating disk including a mobile opto-electromechanical device placed above the disk and connected to a motherboard via a set of electric wires. The opto-electromechanical device includes actuators, a laser diode, photodetectors, and an electronic circuit, each photodetector providing the electronic circuit with an analog electric signal proportional to the received light signal, the electronic circuit controlling the diode and the actuators. The electronic circuit comprises an analog-to-digital converter digitizing the analog electric signals coming from the photodetectors and transmitting the digitized signals to a digital processing unit providing data of alignment of the opto-electromechanical device with respect to the disk, and a reference clock signal having its period substantially corresponding to a multiple or to a sub-multiple of the time period corresponding to the overflight by the opto-electromechanical device of a bit of the disk.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus according to the present invention is usable for an optical disc including a bar code area and a control data area adjacent to the bar code area in a radial direction of the optical disc. The optical disc apparatus includes an optical head for directing an optical beam toward the optical disc so as to form an optical spot on the optical disc and output a signal in accordance with the optical beam reflected by the optical disc; a bar code area determination section for determining whether or not the optical spot is positioned on the bar code area of the optical disc based on the signal output by the optical head; and a control section for controlling the optical head so that the optical spot moves toward the control data area, when the optical spot is determined to be positioned on the bar code area.

Abstract: A method of recording data optically to an optical disk having a plurality of sectors, in which each sector has a region to be recorded with data, the data is recorded in units of blocks, and the block includes a predetermined number of sectors and is a data unit including error correction codes. In recording data related to a content by dividing and recording the data in a plurality of sectors continuously, dummy data to be used for extracting a clock in phase lock loop (PLL) for data reproduction is recorded on a region adjacent before a sector from which data recording is started. The data related to the contents is recorded on sectors following the region recorded with the dummy data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for optimized tracking of an optical scanner along a track of an optical recording medium, the track having information markings arranged in dense succession, and also having fundamental changes in properties in significantly lower density. The method has the following steps: formation of a track error signal, detection of the occurrence of fundamental changes in properties of the track, formation of an offset value from the comparison of the value of the track error signal that occurs shortly before and shortly after the fundamental change in properties, formation of the track error signal, taking account of the offset value and repetition of the aforementioned steps.

Abstract: A method of recording data optically to an optical disk having a plurality of sectors, in which each sector has a region to be recorded with data, the data is recorded in units of blocks, and the block includes a predetermined number of sectors and is a data unit including error correction codes. In recording data related to a content by dividing and recording the data in a plurality of sectors continuously, dummy data to be used for extracting a clock in phase lock loop (PLL) for data reproduction is recorded on a region adjacent before a sector from which data recording is started. The data related to the contents is recorded on sectors following the region recorded with the dummy data.

Abstract: A method of recording data optically to an optical disk having a plurality of sectors, in which each sector has a region to be recorded with data, the data is recorded in units of blocks, and the block includes a predetermined number of sectors and is a data unit including error correction codes. In recording data related to a content by dividing and recording the data in a plurality of sectors continuously, dummy data to be used for extracting a clock in phase lock loop (PLL) for data reproduction is recorded on a region adjacent before a sector from which data recording is started. The data related to the contents is recorded on sectors following the region recorded with the dummy data.

Abstract: A method of formatting at least one optical information carrier is provided. The method is aimed at creating a plurality of formatting marks that are to be sequentially addressed when reading recording information in the carrier. The method comprises recording the plurality of formatting marks within the carrier volume in an interleaved order, thereby reducing delays in recording locally adjacent formatting marks thus reducing the entire carrier formatting time.

Abstract: An apparatus of phase-frequency detector for adjusting wobble clock signal and wobble signal in the same phase, comprising: a first logic gate, receiving a first protection signal and a second protection signal and outputting a third protection signal according to a logic operation; a first flip-flop, coupled to the first logic gate, outputting the third protection signal as a first output signal when the wobble clock trigger; a second flip-flop, coupled to the first logic gate, outputting the third protection signal as a second output signal when the wobble signal trigger; a second logic gate, coupled to the first and the second flip-flop, outputting a fourth protection signal according to a logic operation; a third logic gate, coupled to the second logic gate, receiving the third and the fourth protection signal, and outputting a fifth protection signal according to a logic operation; and a control signal generator, receiving the wobble clock, the input signal, and the fifth protection signal and determinin

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording and/or reproduction apparatus and a program suitable for use to record or reproduce data onto or from an optical disk having two recording layers on one side thereof. In an optical disk which has, on one side thereof, two layers including a recording film L0 layer in an unformatted state and another recording film L1 layer in a formatted state, the recording film L0 layer is formatted with marks at step S1, and formation of marks corresponding to recording data is started beginning with the recording film L0 layer at step S2. After the recording film L0 layer is used up, marks corresponding to recording data are formed on the recording film L1 layer at step S3. The present invention can be applied, for example, to a DVD player.

Abstract: An optically detectable information recording medium is at least comprised of a substrate and a recording layer, wherein a surface of the recording layer opposite to another surface of the recording layer in contact with the substrate has a Root Mean Square roughness R? of less than 5 nm, and wherein the recording layer has dye recording material selected from cyanine dye, phthalocyanine dye, naphtalocyanine dye, azo dye, naphtoquinone dye, fulgide dye, polymethyne dye, and acridine dye.

Abstract: A series of signals is applied to a lens actuator of a disc media marking device to respectively position a lens at a series of distances from an optical disc. A mark is formed on the optical disc at each of the distances of the lens from the optical disc by passing a light beam through the lens and onto the optical disc. The darkest of the marks is determined. The signal applied to the actuator corresponding to the darkest mark is determined.

Abstract: A light beam is scanned on a track of a recording medium, the track having a first track region and a second track region, each track region having a physical property that has recurring deviations. A wobble signal is derived from the light beam, the wobble signal having information associated with the recurring deviations. Whether the light beam is at the first track region or the second track region is determined based on a frequency, a period, or a pulse width of the wobble signal.

Abstract: An optical disc medium (10) is provided with a data recording area (12) having the spiral recording track (11) and a lead-in area (13) composed of an embossed pit. In the lead-in area (13), information indicating a characteristic range of a signal detected by an optical head from a groove track is previously recorded. In accordance with a kind of the optical disc medium (10), even when the characteristic range of the signal detected by the optical head from the groove track is different, since the information indicating the characteristic range is previously recorded on the optical recording medium (10), tracking operation of the recording track can be performed under conditions within the characteristic range. Therefore, the tracking operation of the recording track (11) can be accurately performed to any kind of optical disc medium (10).

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

Abstract: An information recording apparatus according to one aspect of this invention comprises a detection unit configured to detect a manufacturing error unique to an information storage medium, a transmission unit configured to transmit the manufacturing error detected by the detection unit to an external apparatus, a reception unit configured to receive a recordable capacity which is calculated by the external apparatus on the basis of the manufacturing error transmitted from the transmission unit, a limitation unit configured to limit data to be supplied on the basis of the recordable capacity received by the reception unit, and a recording/aborting unit configured to record the recording data, supply of which is limited by the limitation unit, or to abort recording of the recording data.

Abstract: A tracking control apparatus for stable tracking lead-in of an optical disc which has wobble grooves as tracks, including: a signal detection unit that detects tracking error and wobble signals from an optical spot; a speed detection unit that calculates a relative moving speed between the optical spot and the tracks; a polarity judgment unit that judges that the optical spot is on a land if a wobble signal amplitude value is equal to or lower than a predetermined value in the vicinity of a zero-cross point; a moving direction judgment unit that, when the relative moving speed is within a predetermined range and the optical spot is on a land, judges a moving direction of the optical spot from a rise/decay direction of the tracking error signal; and a control unit that performs a tracking lead-in by reducing the moving speed, based on the moving speed and moving direction.

Abstract: An optical information storage medium includes a lead-in area, a lead-out area, and a user data area between the lead-in and lead-out areas and in which user data is recorded. Pits are formed in the lead-in area, the user data area, and the lead-out area, and a track pitch in all or a portion of the lead-in area is different from a track pitch in the remaining area of the optical information storage medium.

Abstract: A method of recording data optically to an optical disk having a plurality of sectors, in which each sector has a region to be recorded with data, the data is recorded in units of blocks, and the block includes a predetermined number of sectors and is a data unit including error correction codes. In recording data related to a content by dividing and recording the data in a plurality of sectors continuously, dummy data to be used for extracting a clock in phase lock loop (PLL) for data reproduction is recorded on a region adjacent before a sector from which data recording is started. The data related to the contents is recorded on sectors following the region recorded with the dummy data.

Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.

Abstract: An optical recording medium having a track including plural pits formed based on first data and lands defined between neighboring pits, these pits are deformed as they are recorded based on second data. The first and second data are synthesized and reproduced to realize audio reproduction with a broad frequency range. The first data are adapted to be reproducible by a customary disc reproduction device. The reproduction of the first data is controlled by the second data to protect recorded data.

Abstract: A first and second phase patterns of which phases are the same and a third and fourth phase patterns of which phases are opposite of the first and second phase patterns and of which phases are different from each other, are formed on a recording medium. A position information in a first track range is demodulated based on a first phase difference of the regeneration signals of the first and second phase pattern and of the third phase pattern, position information in a second track range is demodulated based on a second phase difference of the regeneration signals in the third phase pattern and the fourth phase pattern, and position information in a third track range is demodulated based on the first phase difference according to an angle difference between the first phase difference and a phase of the regeneration signal in the third phase pattern.

Abstract: A record mark is formed on a master disc DS. The record mark is formed substantially along a spiral standard locus, but a record mark position is displaced in a direction crossing the spiral standard locus according to record data. A wobble is formed such that the average value of the displacement of the record mark position is zero for each predetermined data unit with the standard locus as a reference.

Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.

Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.

Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.

Abstract: An optical disc reading and reproducing apparatus includes reading means for reading data recorded on an optical disc by applying laser light to the disc through an objective lens and detecting reflected light, focus control means for performing focus control for moving the lens based on a focus error signal, and focus bias adjustment means for adjusting a focus bias to a voltage in which amplitude of an RF signal acquired by the reading means is maximized. When a difference between addresses of a focus bias adjustment information and at which data is read exceeds a predetermined amount, and amplitude of the RF signal is smaller than the amplitude of the RF signal stored, the focus bias is readjusted and the stored focus bias adjustment information is updated to the amplitude of the RF signal after this readjustment and the address of the track to which the focus bias is adjusted.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a holographic recording medium, adapted to store additional information for the recorded holograms, and to a holographic pickup for a holographic storage system for use with the holographic recording medium. According to the invention, the holographic recording medium has a holographic layer for storing holograms and a servo layer for positioning a light beam for reading and/or recording of a hologram relative to the holographic recording medium, wherein the servo layer is recordable or rewritable. A holographic pickup for use with such a holographic recording medium includes a light source for recording additional data in the servo layer of the holographic recording medium.

Abstract: The address signal position detection apparatus comprises a photodetector, a first and second adders which generate, from the output signals from the photodetector, two signal sequences whose phases change from each other according to a tracking error of a light spot, a phase difference detection circuit for detecting the phase difference from the two signal sequences, and a phase difference signal processing unit which generates an address signal position using the phase difference signal detected by the phase difference detection circuit, and detects an address signal position by providing threshold values with respect to the detected phase difference, thereby enabling a stable detection of the address signal position even when a DC symmetry in a difference signal of a reproduced signal is imperfect in an optical disk using the land/groove recoding method.

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

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data recording and reproducing apparatus includes: a reproduced signal output device reading data recorded on an optical recording medium to output a reproduced signal; and a waveform compensation amount data generating device generating waveform compensation amount data of a recording waveform corresponding to recording data which is to be recorded to the optical recording medium. At the time of recording learning, this data recording and reproducing apparatus integrates, for each pattern, waveform error data which are used as a basis of the generation of the waveform compensation amount data by the waveform compensation amount data generating device, and adjusts output of a pattern instruction signal for instructing which of the patterns is an integration target, so as to integrate, for each pattern, the waveform error data in a target test write area corresponding to an integer number of rotations of the optical recording medium.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical disc apparatus provides a stable tracking error signal for aligning the center of a track or record mark string with the center of a laser beam irradiated to a recording surface by an object lens, when an object lens is moved along the radial direction of an optical disc, by adding an output corrected to be able to reduce the influence of an offset deviation component obtained by a second processing of an adder, to an offset obtained by a first processing of an adder, when a defect or adhesion of material affecting optical characteristics is detected on a recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording-reproduction apparatus and a program adapted for use in recording data on and/or reproducing the same from an optical disk having two recording layers on one side thereof. In such a dual-layer optical disk, one recording film L0 layer is unformatted, while another recording film L1 layer is formatted. The recording film L0 layer is formatted by marks at step S1, and marks corresponding to data to be recorded are formed first in the recording film L0 layer at step S2. When the recording film L0 layer has been completely used, marks corresponding to data to be recorded are formed in the recording film L1 layer at step S3. The invention is applicable to a DVD player for example.

Abstract: A method of recording data optically to an optical disk having a plurality of sectors, in which each sector has a region to be recorded with data, the data is recorded in units of blocks, and the block includes a predetermined number of sectors and is a data unit including error correction codes. In recording data related to a content by dividing and recording the data in a plurality of sectors continuously, dummy data to be used for extracting a clock in PLL for data reproduction is recorded on a region adjacent before a sector from which data recording is started. The data related to the contents is recorded on sectors following the region recorded with the dummy data.

Abstract: A method of recording data optically to an optical disk having a plurality of sectors, in which each sector has a region to be recorded with data, the data is recorded in units of blocks, and the block includes a predetermined number of sectors and is a data unit including error correction codes. In recording data related to a content by dividing and recording the data in a plurality of sectors continuously, dummy data to be used for extracting a clock in PLL for data reproduction is recorded on a region adjacent before a sector from which data recording is started. The data related to the contents is recorded on sectors following the region recorded with the dummy data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for adjusting focus bias in an optical disk device. When a focus bias adjustment operation for an optical disk such as a DVD-RAM is performed, a focus bias offset value at which the smallest jitter value of a high frequency signal is detected is set as an optimum focus bias offset value. A physical information data area, which has an embossed form and is recorded in a data area of the disk in a dispersed manner, is detected so that the jitter value of the high frequency signal is measured only for areas other than the detected physical information data area. This achieves a focus bias adjustment operation optimal for an optical disk such as a DVD-RAM, thereby enabling a secure focusing servo operation thereof.

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