Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical drive and a method for preprocessing a disc readout signal rk of an optical drive on the basis of a set of low-pass filters. The cutoff frequency fC of the filters wk, more particularly, can be set within the optical bandwidth, which improves the Viterbi detection performance in the case of high speed drive operations. Three types of filters are described, in which a Type I shaping filter performs best given a limited hardware cost for the bit detector. Compared to other more advanced noise-whitening techniques, it is only speed dependent and requires little prior knowledge of the channel and noise, thus cheap and easy to design. The invention can be applied in connection with optical disc drives, in particular when high frequency noises are dominant, for example, in the case of high speed operations.

Abstract: A disc playback apparatus includes a decoder 15 for decoding audio files respectively corresponding to different data formats, which are stored in a storage unit, on the basis of a file attribute preset thereto, and for playing back the decoded audio files, and a control unit 16 for determining a file attribute of data read from the storage unit when starting the decoding and playback process on a basis of the file attribute set to the decoder, and for, when the file attribute differs from the file attribute set to the decoder, holding address information about the read data, and, after stopping the reading of subsequent data, changing the setting of the file attribute made for the decoder and then restarting to read the data by using the address information held thereby.

Abstract: A writing current circuit (42) supplies a controlled electrical current to a laser diode (34) for recording data swiftly onto a DVD (16). A plurality of current sources (62) in the writing current circuit (42) supply electrical current to the laser diode (34). Each current source (62) respectively receives a single output signal from a current control register (52) included in the writing current circuit (42) which activates or deactivates the current source (62) for supplying a particular quantity of electrical current to the laser diode (34). In each current source (62), electrical current flows to the laser diode (34) through a MOSFET output transistor (142) connected in series with the laser diode (34). Each current source's MOSFET output transistor (142) has a gate insulating layer which is thinner than the gate insulating layer conventionally used for a MOSFET output transistor (142) that is energized by the electrical potential the it applied to the writing current circuit (42).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a medium processor includes a detector, an acquiring module, a storage module, and an output module. The detector detects a data storage medium. The acquiring module acquires a use period that is set as a period during which data recorded on the data storage medium is supposed to be intact. The storage module stores identification information that identifies the data storage medium in association with the use period. The output module outputs the identification information and the use period stored in the storage module in association with each other.

Abstract: Information is recorded on an information recording medium by classifying recording conditions by data pattern, including at least one recording mark and at least one space, of a data stream to be recorded; wherein the classification of the recording conditions by data pattern is performed using a combination of the length of a first recording mark included in the data stream and the length of a first space located adjacently previous or subsequent to the first recording mark, and then further performed using the length of a second recording mark which is not located adjacent to the first recording mark and is located adjacent to the first space.

Abstract: An optical information recording apparatus includes a first optical system that radiates an information beam that carries information onto a recording medium; a second optical system that radiates reference beams onto the recording medium; a radiation position specifying unit that specifies a plurality of recording spots positioned within a radiation range of the reference beams; and an incident angle obtaining unit that specifies an incident angle of the reference beams that is used for recording an i'th interference fringe into a second recording spot adjacent to a first recording spot, as a value obtained by adding a product of 1/(1+m) and an absolute value of a difference between an incident angle of a first reference beam used for recording an i'th interference fringe into the first recording spot and an incident angle of a second reference beam used for recording an (i+1)'th interference fringe into the first recording spot.

Abstract: An information reproducing device reproduces information in an information recording medium provided with, in addition to a first recording layer readable by a first laser beam, at least one of a second recording layer readable by a second laser beam, and a third recording layer readable by a third laser beam. The information reproducing device includes an optical pickup element applying a laser beam and receiving its reflection; a first judging element first determining whether the first recording layer exists, based on an output from the optical pickup element; a second judging element secondly determining on either of the recording layers is set by a user as a prioritized reproducing layer to be reproduced first; a reproducing element reproducing recorded information; and a control element controlling the reproducing element to reproduce the recorded information, based on outputs from the first judgment element, second judgment, and optical pickup elements.

Abstract: A disk has a plurality of recording layers in a laminated direction. When a defect occurs in any one of recording layers during disk manufacture, information about the defect is recorded in a read-only region in the recording layer. An optical disk apparatus determines which of the recording layers is usable based on the information about the defect read from the disk, and executes a recording/reproducing operation according to a determination result. Therefore, even when a disk with a defect in the recording layer is used, that disk may be offered to a user as an appropriately usable disk.

Abstract: A program execution unit for executing a reproduction control program for controlling reproduction of a content, a reproduction control unit for controlling reproduction of the obtained content based on a control instruction from the program execution unit based on a content reproduction control instruction from a user, and a notification unit for giving notification based on a result of determination as to whether content reproduction control by the reproduction control unit is control corresponding to the reproduction control instruction or not are included.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a recording method, a program, and a recording medium whereby data is reproduced from a two-layer optical disk that has yet to be formatted completely. A control section 51 divides a recording area of a layer L0 of the optical disk 33 into a plurality of recording regions and a recording area of a layer L1 of the same disk 33 into a plurality of recording regions at substantially the same physical positions as the recording regions of the layer L0. A control section 51 records the region where user-designated data was last written. The control section 51 controls a signal processing section 56 to write dummy data to the recording area of the layer L0 or L1 different from the layer that includes the region to which the user-designated data was last written.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus can highly accurately record a hologram representing information on or reproduce such a hologram from an optical disc. When recording information on an optical disc 100, the optical disc apparatus controls the position of an objective lens OL1 according to the outcome of detection of a red reflected light beam Lr2 so as to make the focus Fr thereof follow a target track and it also makes the focus Fb1 of a blue light beam Lb1 agree with a target mark position by the objective lens OL1 and also the focus Fb2 agree with the target mark position by controlling the position of another objective lens OL2 according to the outcome of detection of the blue light beam Lb1 by way of the objective lenses OL1 and OL2 so as to make the focus Fb1 of the blue light beam Lb1 and the focus Fb2 of the blue light beam Lb2 agree with the target mark position and the blue light beam Lb1 and the blue light beam Lb2 interfere with each other.

Abstract: The present invention solves the problems that, in a detection circuit which is mostly configured by analog circuits, the chip size cannot be reduced even using a highly-precise processing, there are many external capacitors and terminals thereof, a plurality of high-speed and large-scale AD converters are required for digitization, the detection precision of a small amplitude signal superimposed on an RF signal is deteriorated, and high-speed sample/hold is required. A significant deletion of analog circuits can be realized by generating a digital detection signal directly from an analog RF signal using a simple analog circuit configuration of a detection control means including a comparator, a threshold DAC for setting a threshold value, and an integrator.

Abstract: An optical disk device which flexibly and efficiently executes verification of recorded data is provided. A drive controller sets an area to be verified and a mode of verification according to a command which is supplied from a host device. For the area to be verified, the user selects one or a plurality of lead-in, inner, middle, and outer areas. For the verification mode, the user selects one of an immediate execution mode and an in-close-command execution mode. In a duplicator or the like in which same data is recorded on a plurality of optical disks, the user can designate an important data portion and selectively execute verification.

Abstract: A write-once optical disc and a method and apparatus for recording management information on the optical disc are provided. The optical disc includes at least one recording layer and a plurality of temporary defect management areas (TDMAs) on the at least one recording layer. At least one of the TDMAs includes an indicator indicating which one of the TDMAs has an in-use status.

Abstract: An optical disc player for playback of a multimedia file stored in an optical disc is disclosed. The optical disc player includes a front-end loader and a back-end playback engine. The front-end loader, including a first data buffer, reads data from the optical disc and stores the read data in the first data buffer when the amount of data stored in the first data buffer is less than a first threshold. The back-end playback engine receives the data from the first data buffer and plays a multimedia segment corresponding to the received data. The front-end loader increases the first threshold of the first data buffer before a time-consuming servo behavior occurs.

Abstract: A drive apparatus includes n optical pickups, n control units, each controlling a corresponding one of the n optical pickups, and a communication unit that allows the n control units to communicate with one another.

Abstract: An optical disc driving device includes a control circuit 4 for performing a gain adjustment for each of two recording surfaces of a multilayered optical disc 1 on the basis of an FE signal in such a way as to maintain a state in which light is focused onto either of the recording surfaces, to generate a focus servo loop signal, and for generating a focus jump signal for causing either a transition from a state in which the light is focused onto one recording surface to a state in which the light is focused onto the other recording surface, or a transition in the opposite direction from a threshold set up on the basis of an amount of gain adjustment, and a focus actuator driving circuit 5 for performing either a focus jump or an operation of maintaining the state in which the light is focused.

Abstract: An information recording medium such as DVD-R, DVD-RW or the like is provided with: an user information recording area in which user information can be recorded. The user information recording area has a pre-recorded area for preventing recording/reproduction of the user information, in an edge portion corresponding to a recording area portion in which reproduction control information for a read-only recording medium such as DVD-Video is recorded.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus according to the present invention includes a spindle motor that rotates an optical disk on whose information recording surface a plurality of addresses is recorded, an optical pickup that records/reproduces an information signal on/from the information recording surface of the optical disk rotated by the spindle motor, an strobe light-emitting unit that irradiates a label surface of the optical disk with light, and a control unit that causes the strobe light-emitting unit to emit light based on an address selected from the plurality of addresses as a reference address and a reference signal readable from the optical disk.

Abstract: A driving device includes an optical pickup unit that irradiates a disc having a plurality of recording surfaces with a laser beam used for recording or reproducing information, and a generating unit that generates a focus control signal used for controlling a focus state of the laser beam emitted from the optical pickup unit on the basis of a focus error signal. The generating unit includes level detector that detects a level of the focus error signal, an offset generator that generates an offset signal used for performing focus jumping from one of the plurality of recording surfaces to another one of the plurality of recording surfaces in accordance with the focus error signal, and a switcher that switches a polarity of the focus control signal by comparing the level of the focus error signal of the level detector with a threshold value.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus which can carry out tilt control using a signal of a focus control system so as to improve the recording/reproducing performance of an optical disk. The optical disk apparatus includes a motor which rotates the optical disk, an optical pickup which reads at least information from the optical disk being rotated by the motor, a first memory which uses information of a rotation angle of the optical disk from the optical pickup as an address, a second memory which stores an offset by which information stored in the first memory should be shifted and then read, and a control portion which reads the information stored in the first memory after shifting the information by the offset stored in the second memory and which carries out tilt control using the read information.

Abstract: To provide a reconfiguration controller of an optically reconfigurable gate array for correctly and reliably writing various types of logical operation circuits of an optically reconfigurable gate array and performing high-speed logical operation by quickly starting up the circuits.

Abstract: The data structure includes a navigation area of a computer readable medium storing navigation data associated with a data stream representing a portion of at least one reproduction path. The navigation data includes indication information, and the indication information indicates whether the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths or the data stream represents a single reproduction path. If the indication information indicates the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths, the navigation data includes path number information and an indicator associated with each reproduction path. The path number information identifies a number of the multiple reproduction paths, and each indicator indicates a file associated with the associated one of the multiple reproduction paths.

Abstract: The data structure includes a navigation area of a computer readable medium storing navigation data associated with a data stream representing a portion of at least one reproduction path. The navigation data includes indication information, and the indication information indicates whether the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths or the data stream represents a single reproduction path. If the indication information indicates the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths, the navigation data includes path number information and an indicator associated with each reproduction path. The path number information identifies a number of the multiple reproduction paths, and each indicator indicates a file associated with the associated one of the multiple reproduction paths.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for data recording of an optical disk drive. First, raw data is encoded to obtain a plurality of recording units of encoded data to be stored in a memory. The encoded data stored in the memory is then recorded to an optical disk. A predetermined number of recording units of the encoded data is then reserved in the memory as reserved data without being recorded onto the optical disk. The recorded data read from the optical disk is then compared to the corresponding encoded data stored in the memory to verify correctness of the recorded data. The reserved data is then recorded to the optical disk after correctness verification of the recorded data is completed. Finally, the aforementioned steps are repeated until there is no more raw data left as a source for encoding.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes one or more devices, a device control module which performs drive control of the one or more devices, and a nonvolatile memory. Each of the one or more devices includes a command reception module which receives from the device control module a command to cause the nonvolatile memory to store operation setting information, a setting module which performs, when the operation setting information has been stored in the nonvolatile memory at the time of power-on or resetting, operation setting based on the information, and an erasing module which erases the information stored in the nonvolatile memory after the setting means has completed the operation setting. The device control module includes a command issuing module which issues to the one or more devices a command to cause the nonvolatile memory to store operation setting information before power-off or resetting.

Abstract: An optical pickup includes: a light source that emits first light; an objective lens that condenses the first light and allows it to irradiate a track having formed therein a recording mark for intercepting the first light in a uniform recording layer of an optical information recording medium; and a light receiving section that receives transmitted light which has transmitted through the track.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus is provided with an optical system for guiding a laser light emitted from a laser light source to an objective lens and also for guiding the laser light reflected by a recording medium to a photodetecting section as a convergent light. The photodetecting section is provided with first and second photodetectors disposed at positions at which a first part of the target laser light and a second part different from the first part are respectively received, the positions being separated further from the optical system than a convergence position of a target laser light reflected by an irradiation-target recording layer, out of the laser light reflected by the recording medium, and a third photodetector disposed at a position closer to the optical system than the convergence position of the target laser light, the position being bridging more over the second part than the first part.

Abstract: An information recording medium (10) is provided with: a first area in which first data is recorded, first data region information being assigned to the first data; a second area in which second data is recorded, second data region information being assigned to the second data; and a control area in which control data including setting command data (72) is recorded, the setting command data setting the first data region information as reference region information, which is referred to by an information reproducing apparatus, if the first data is reproduced.

Abstract: A recording and playback apparatus for recording data on a recording medium that allows additional writing includes a recording device configured to record first data on the recording medium; a random-number generator configured to generate a random number; and a calculator configured to calculate a first identification code indicating that the first data has been recorded on the recording medium by the recording and playback apparatus, by applying a predetermined function to data included in the first data recorded on the recording medium by the recording device, the data including second data that changes on each recording on the recording medium by the recording device and including the random value generated by the random-value generator. The recording device further records the random value generated by the random-number generator and the first identification code calculated by the calculator so that the random value and the first identification code are included in the first data.

Abstract: A recording medium and an apparatus for recording/reproducing data on the recording medium, which are capable of controlling access to the recording medium by recording control information for controlling access for reading the data, are disclosed. When a function included in the recording medium cannot be performed, Unknown Rules are applied, and, when the function included in the recording medium can be performed, Known Rules are applied. Even in the Known Rules, a password may be used such that data reading is controlled. Accordingly, it is possible to compatibly reproduce the data from different versions of recording media. It is difficult for a user to access to the recording medium such that content protection can be improved.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (200) is provided with: a reproducing device (202, 205, 206) for reproducing record information recorded on an information recording medium (100) which is provided with a first recording layer (L0) to which first medium region information (110) is assigned and a second recording layer (L1) to which second medium region information (120) is assigned; a storing device (209) for storing apparatus region information (230); a judging device (207) for judging whether or not the second medium region information matches the apparatus region information if the first medium region information does not match the apparatus region information; and a controlling device (207) for controlling the reproducing device to reproduce the record information recorded in the second recording layer if it is judged that the second medium region information matches the apparatus region information.

Abstract: A tilt can be detected highly accurately by minimizing the tilt detection error. An optical head includes: an objective lens for converging a light beam from a light source onto an optical disc; a photodetector section receiving the beam, reflected from the disc, at divided areas on its photodetection plane and outputting light detection signals from those areas; and a tilt detecting section for detecting a relative tilt between the lens and disc based on the detection signals.

Abstract: There is provided an information reproduction apparatus that can suppress degradations in the qualities of reproduced data and timing from due to interpolation errors when performing interpolation timing recovery, and that can avoid degradation in the stability of the system due to an increase in the timing recovery loop delay. An information reproduction apparatus (100) for reproducing data and timing from an analog signal including data information and timing information is provided with an expected value generator (106) for outputting plural expected values, and a maximum likelihood detector (107) for outputting data that corresponds to a sequence of the highest likelihood with an output sequence of an A/D converter among the plural expected value sequences, at the timing of a second clock.

Abstract: A device for controlling access to an optical disc includes a control word calculator and a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO). The control word calculator is arranged to calculate a control word corresponding to a radius where the optical disc is accessed. In addition, the NCO is arranged to generate an output frequency according to the control word, wherein the output frequency is utilized for accessing the optical disc. An associated method for controlling access to an optical disc includes: calculating a control word corresponding to a radius where the optical disc is accessed; and generating an output frequency according to the control word, wherein the output frequency is utilized for accessing the optical disc.

Abstract: An optical storage medium can be provided by which illegal usage of the optical storage medium involving an infringement on the copyright can be prevented effectively without impairment of the functions for reproducing physical format information and optical storage medium manufacturing information. The optical storage medium includes a main information region in which encrypted data information is recorded as a pit row that is capable of being read out by means of light and a control data region. In the control data region, key information for decoding the encryption of the data information, the physical format information and the optical storage medium manufacturing information are recorded by wobbling a groove.

Abstract: A highly reliable optical disk apparatus adapted to record and reproduce the information in and from plural types of optical disks is disclosed. An acquisition unit acquires a predetermined signal from the reflected light obtained by radiating a predetermined laser on each of the optical disks. A comparator compares the waveform of the signal acquired by the acquisition unit with the comparative waveform of the signal stored in a memory beforehand and obtained from the radiated laser corresponding to the optical disk. An identification unit identifies the type of the optical disk based on the result of comparison by the comparator.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for quickly starting recording seamless-playable data are provided. At the end of recording a preceding record content, identification information of a clip information file for a subsequent record content to be recorded next is recorded in an attribute information storage file set for the preceding record content. More specifically, a clip information file for a subsequent chapter is reserved at the end of recording of a preceding chapter, and an identifier of the clip information file is recorded in the clip information file for the preceding record chapter. Through the prior reservation process of the clip information file, an updating process for updating the clip information file at the start of recording of the subsequent chapter becomes unnecessary. Data recording, such as a photographing operation of a video camera is thus quickly started.

Abstract: The present invention allows usable information to be selected by comparing information regarding encoding with conditions regarding encoding processing. When delay modes, picture structures, and pulldown modes do not match each other between previous encoding time and re-encoding time, parameters are not reused. When they match and image frames do not match, a picture type is reused. When a bit rate in the previous encoding is smaller than that in the current encoding and a chroma format is larger than the current chroma format, a picture type and a motion vector are reused. When the conditions are not satisfied, parameters are supplied and received and a determination is made as to whether or not chroma formats match each other. When the chroma formats do not match each other, picture-type information, motion-vector information, and quantization-value information are reused. When the chroma formats match each other, stream data input to a decoding unit is output.

Abstract: An optical disc drive apparatus which is mounted on a mobile apparatus, which at least reads information from a disc surface of an optical disc disposed in a predetermined position by using a pickup, which is robust against vibration, and which is capable of preventing collision between the disc surface of the optical disc and the pickup judges a road surface condition associated with location information on the basis of the location information concerning a location on a road on which the mobile apparatus is traveling acquired from external and road surface condition information depending upon a road surface condition of a road on which the mobile apparatus travels, and controls servo characteristics of the optical drive apparatus according to control information associated with the judged road surface condition.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided with: a first recording layer in which one portion of record information including predetermined data can be recorded, the predetermined data being (i) capable of setting a recording layer close to a physically or optically recorded state, and (ii) capable of setting the recording layer close to a buffer state for finalizing; and a second recording layer in which another portion of the record information can be recorded by laser light transmitted through the first recording layer, the information recording medium is provided with a management area in which management information can be recorded, the management information including (iii) identification information indicating whether or not there is a predetermined data recording area in which the predetermined data can be recorded, (iv) position information of the predetermined data recording area, and (v) attribute information of the predetermined data recording area.

Abstract: This invention provides an information processing method and apparatus, which can set all extent sizes of data divisionally recorded on a disk to be equal to or larger than the minimum recording unit, and can guarantee continuous reproduction of the divisionally recorded data. Of data divisionally recorded on a recording medium (5), data which corresponds to an end portion of that data and cannot be recorded as a recording area equal to or larger than a minimum recording unit specified in the recording medium (5) due to the presence of a recording area (6) of another data, that has already been recorded on the recording medium (5), is re-recorded on a recording area equal to or larger than the minimum recording unit. At this time, new data is generated by combining data less than the minimum recording unit, and data recorded in another recording area, and the new data is re-recorded on a new recording area.

Abstract: Audio is adaptively associated with speakers, depending on the speaker configuration that is present. Each speaker it receives an audio assignment based on its individual spectral characteristics. As more speakers are added, content is adaptively associated with that you speaker, and taken away from the previous.

Abstract: A recording device records contents in a plurality of recording media. While the recording device records a content in a recording medium, if a free space of the recording medium runs out, an unrecorded part of the content needs to be recorded in another recording medium. In order to play back all parts of the content, all recording media in which all the parts of the content have been separately recorded are necessary. Particularly, if an internal recording medium included in the recording device has a small space and accordingly a sufficient space is secured by connecting an external removable recording medium to the recording device after the recording has started, parts of the content are separately recorded in the internal recording medium and the external recording medium.

Abstract: A method for recording information in a rewritable optical disk having plural recording layers is disclosed. The method includes the steps of selecting either a first recording mode dedicated to recording the information in an order applicable for recordable type optical disks or a second recording mode dedicated to recording the information in an order applicable for read-only type optical disk, and recording the information in the rewritable optical disk in accordance with the selected recording mode.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus provided with identifying information acquisition means to read recording medium identify information recorded on a recording medium and a storage unit to store the recording medium identify information acquired by the identifying information acquisition means so that the recording media which have been played are registered as library information. When a recording medium is to be played, this library information is used to determine whether to allow bonus images to be reproduced.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus, for conducting edition works, such as, addition, movement, and deletion, etc.

Abstract: A system includes a first storage 223 for storing data associated with the same content stored in a pre-recorded area of a plurality of record carriers, such as DVDs. A second storage is used to associate data in the first storage with a code. A reading device 231 includes means 433 for receiving a record carrier including a pre-recorded area and a write once area, means 436 for reading content stored in the pre-recorded area for rendering, means 435 for reading a code stored in the write-once area, and means 434 for accessing data stored in the first storage. The system verifies whether the read code corresponds to a code associated with data in the first storage and grants the reading device access to data stored in the first storage only upon a positive verification.

Abstract: A semiconductor recording medium stores attribute management information for managing various attribute information on a content (genre, composer, artist, album, title, etc.) for each item; and sort management information managing information on a sort order when information managed by the attribute management information is sorted by a predetermined procedure. The attribute management information contains character data indicating items to be managed and pointer information indicating link relationship between the attribute management information. The sort management information contains information on the sort order when all the entries in each of attribute management information are sorted by a predetermined procedure for each of attribute management information.

Abstract: The method is used for determining the value of a recording parameter for writing user information on an information layer of an optical record carrier using a recording device. The method comprises the steps of: reading control information from the record carrier relating to a selected write strategy for recording at a specified nominal recording speed on the information layer; selecting a set of parameter values from different sets of parameter values provided in the control information for said write strategy, said recording speed and said information layer; and taking a value of the recording parameter provided in the selected set of parameter values for recording user information on the optical record carrier.