Abstract: An optical data storage system for recording and/or reading, using a radiation beam having a wavelength X is described. The radiation beam is focused onto a data storage layer of an optical data storage medium. The medium has a cover layer that is transparent to the focused radiation beam. The cover layer has a thickness h smaller than 5 ?m. A cover layer with thickness variation of substantially less than the focal depth, i.e. 50 nm, eliminates the need of dynamic focus control of the objective which is otherwise required in addition to the gap servo. Further a method of optical recording is described using such an optical data storage system by which a static focus control and spherical aberration correction to accommodate medium-to-medium variance is achieved. The static focus control can be realised by optimising the modulation depth of a known signal, e.g. from a lead-in track.

Abstract: An optical disc has a security feature in the form of an RFID tag that communicates with a voltage controlled optical modifier layer in the optical disc. In the presence of an interrogation signal, the RFID tag allows the optical disc to be used normally by outputting a voltage to the optical modifier layer. In the absence of an interrogation signal, the optical modifier layer prevents a laser from reading from or writing on the optical disc. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for controlling a ball auto-balancing system of an optical disk drive is provided. A rotational member is fixed on a rotating axis of an optical disk drive and rotates synchronously therewith. A spindle motor drives the rotational member to accelerate and decelerate within the rotating speed range at least twice. When the spindle motor accelerates and decelerates for many times, if the measured central error value is greater than the last measured one, the accelerating and decelerating range is adjusted.

Abstract: An optical recording method and apparatus with different recording rates are provided for effectively increasing the average recording rate. The optical recording method includes the steps of: controlling a recording rate with a constant linear velocity (CLV) control mode; recording data; judging whether the recording rate has to be increased according to a rotating speed of a spindle motor or a recording position; and performing a process for changing the rotating speed if the recording rate is increased, and continuing recording data at the same recording rate if the recording rate is not increased. The step for changing the rotating speed includes the steps of: pausing recording data; registering a paused zone of a disc; determining a new rotating speed of the spindle motor, and driving the spindle motor at the new rotating speed; and linking recording zones to continue recording data at a new recording rate from the paused zone, when the rotating speed of the spindle motor is stable.

Abstract: An optical disc includes a data area, a first test recording area, a second test recording area, and a recording information management area. The first test recording area extends inward of the data area, and has a portion which has undergone test recording. The second test recording area extends outward of the data area, and has a portion which has undergone test recording. The recording information management area includes an address information area storing an address of the portion of the first test recording area and an address of the portion of the second test recording area. The recording information management area may further include a recording condition information area storing information representing a condition of the test recording the portion of the first test recording area has undergone and information representing a condition of the test recording the portion of the second test recording area has undergone.

Abstract: There is provided an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers (layer L0, layer L1) for recording information. At least one of the recording layers (layer L0, layer L1) has a management information area where recording speed management information defining the maximum possible recording speed when recording information is recorded.

Abstract: Information processing equipment is so constructed that the power consumption of a disk drive for hard disks, optical disks, or the like can be reliably and sufficiently reduced. The host CPU (120) of an information processing unit (100) forms a command for changing the power consumption mode of a HDD (200) based on the state of control on the HDD (200). The host CPU supplies the command to the HDD (200) through a media controller (106). When the HDD (200) accepts the command, it changes its power consumption mode according to the instruction from the information processing unit. Thus, the information processing unit can control the power consumption mode of the HDD (200) based on the state of control on the HDD (200).

Abstract: An optical disk reproducing apparatus to equalize and reproduce a signal optically read from an optical disk includes a controller to determine a number of regions to divide the optical disk into according to a reproduction frequency variation corresponding to a signal quality variation, and an equalizer to filter signals optically read from the divided regions with a cut-off frequency corresponding to the reproduction frequency variation.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for adjusting the rotational speed of a disk drive. According to the method, the proportion of time which the disc drive is reading data from the disc during a unit time T is calculated. Then, the increase of the rotational speed of the motor is avoided if the error rate Ek that a disc drive reads data during each of r consecutive units of time periods T is not less than a criterion Q. Otherwise, the rotational speed of the motor of the disc drive is increased if the proportion of time Pk that the disc drive spends reading data from the disc is greater than a threshold H during each of m consecutive units of time period T, and the rotational speed of the motor of the disc drive is decreased if the Pk is less than a threshold L during each of n consecutive units of time periods T.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus for recording data on and reproducing data from a recordable optical disk includes a storage unit and a control unit. The storage unit is configured to store specific useful information necessary for at least one of recording data on and reproducing data from the optical disk. The control unit is configured to record the useful information stored in the storage unit in a test write area of the optical disk, and reproduce and use the recorded useful information when the optical disk is placed in the optical disk apparatus.

Abstract: A method of recording writing speed information and per writing speed write strategy information within disc control information is provided. The standardized disc control information can be uniformly applied to efficiently cope with the record/playback of the optical disc. In configuring disc control information within a management area of an optical disc including at least one recording layer, the method includes steps of providing the at least one disc control information within the management area, the disc control information provided per applicable writing speed to each of the at least one recording layer; and recording applicable recording speed information within the disc control information.

Abstract: Detection means for detecting information in a signal, comprising integration means for integrating the signal over time such that the integration means is periodically reset at about the start time reference of a periodic time interval; and a sample&hold circuit for periodically sampling and holding the integrated signal (int) at about an end time reference of the periodic time interval and thereby delivering a further signal (fs). The detection means further comprises a chain (CHDL) of signal time delay elements, an input of the chain (CHDL) being coupled to receive the further signal (fs); and combining means (CBMNS) having combining inputs coupled to signal taps of the chain (CHDL), such that the number of the combining inputs and the position of coupling the combining inputs to the signal taps of the chain (CHDL) correspond to the information in the signal.

Abstract: A motor control system comprises a motor controller and a clamp apparatus and is used for controlling a motor apparatus. The motor controller is used for generating a motor control output according to a reference signal and a feedback signal from the motor apparatus. The clamp apparatus is used for receiving the motor control output and has a clamp function for clamping the motor control output. The clamp apparatus determines whether the clamp function should be activated to clamp the motor control output within an acceptable clamp range according to at least one motor stability signal. When the motor stability signal indicates that the motor apparatus has been in a stable state, the clamp apparatus clamps the motor control output from the motor controller in the acceptable clamp range, so as to avoid an abnormal motor control output resulting from external sudden change.

Abstract: An optical disc drive is has a voice coil motor that carries and moves focal optics to focus a laser beam onto an optical disc The voice coil motor is responsive to input signals which are based on a calibrated temperature. A temperature measurement is made at the voice coil motor for an operating temperature, and a difference is calculated between calibrated and operating temperatures. The temperature differences are used to calculate adjustment in input signals used to drive the voice coil motors.

Abstract: A method for identifying the size of an optical disc includes the steps of driving a motor at a specified rotary torque for rotating the optical disc, measuring angular acceleration of the optical disc, and comparing the measured angular acceleration with a reference angular acceleration to identify the size of the optical disc. A system that performs the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical disk drive capable of detecting occurrence of tooth jump in a mechanism for transferring an optical pickup. The optical pickup is transferred in a radial direction of an optical disk by means of a stepping motor. A control section having received a seek operation command from a host machine drives the stepping motor by way of a controller, to thus cause the optical pickup to perform seek up to a target address. The amount of displacement between a current address achieved after seek operation and a target address is computed. When the amount of displacement is equal to or greater than a pitch P of the transfer mechanism; namely, the pitch P of a lead screw, the tooth jump is determined to have arisen. Seek conditions are changed, and seek is reperformed.

Abstract: An optical disc has a security feature in the form of an RFID tag that communicates with a voltage controlled optical modifier layer in the optical disc. In the presence of an interrogation signal, the RFID tag allows the optical disc to be used normally by outputting a voltage to the optical modifier layer. In the absence of an interrogation signal, the optical modifier layer prevents a laser from reading from or writing on the optical disc. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disc drive, and method of automatically ejecting a disc from a disc player. The method comprises selecting a main title from a plurality of titles recorded on the disc and storing a playback time of the main title in a memory, and determining whether the main title is playing, or has played, back. Upon determining that the main title is playing or has played back, the playback time of the main title is compared with a time required for playback of the main title stored in the memory and determining whether playback of the main title has terminated. Upon determining that playback of the main title is terminated, the disc is ejected by driving an unloading device.

Abstract: An optical disk device record data on a recordable or rewritable optical disk. After a pause and a restart in the constant angular velocity (CAV) method occurs predetermined times due to a cause of a recording error such as a buffer underrun, the data-recording by the CAV method is, for the first time, switched to the data-recording by the constant linear velocity (CLV) method at a recording velocity equal to or less than a recording velocity just before the last pause so as to provide a recording density equal to said constant recording density when said pausing is performed.

Abstract: An information medium includes a lead in area and a data area capable of recording an arbitrary information signal. The lead in area has a recordable portion where an information signal can be recorded. The recordable portion of the lead in area has an identifier I1 defining a recording speed applicable when recording an information signal in the data area. This increases accuracy defining the recording speed.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a control method of recording speed in an optical disc drive. Firstly it is determined whether the recording speed is higher than a data transfer rate from the host to the data buffer in the optical disc drive. If so, the recording speed is set to the data transfer rate and disc writing is continued with a constant linear velocity (CLV) mode.

Abstract: A speed control method used in an optical disk drive for recording data onto an optical disk includes the following steps: detecting an allowable maximum recording speed of the optical disk and an allowable minimum recording speed of the optical disk, calculating a rotation speed of the optical disk according to the allowable maximum recording speed of the optical disk at an outermost region of the optical disk, calculating a critical position of the optical disk according to the allowable minimum recording speed at the rotation speed, and recording data onto the optical disk at the allowable minimum recording speed between an initial data position of the optical disk and the critical position of the optical disk.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information disc recording/playback apparatus which includes a track cross detection means, a track cross direction detection means, a rotation angle detection means, and a count means, detects the track pitch of a disc, evaluates the vibration amount, vibration speed, or vibration acceleration considering the track pitch of the disc, and determines a maximum rotation speed that is lower than the allowable vibration amplitude, vibration speed, or vibration acceleration of the information disc recording/playback apparatus. The present invention also provides a vibration detection method for the information disc recording/playback apparatus. This information disc recording/playback apparatus can perform vibration detection using a single threshold value that is independent of the type of the disc, without using an acceleration sensor, and further, the apparatus can accurately perform vibration detection even when direction detection is difficult.

Abstract: An optical recording method and apparatus with different recording rates are provided for effectively increasing the average recording rate. The optical recording method includes the steps of: controlling a recording rate with a constant linear velocity (CLV) control mode; recording data; judging whether the recording rate has to be increased according to a rotating speed of a spindle motor or a recording position; and performing a process for changing the rotating speed if the recording rate is increased, and continuing recording data at the same recording rate if the recording rate is not increased. The step for changing the rotating speed includes the steps of: pausing recording data; registering a paused zone of a disc; determining a new rotating speed of the spindle motor, and driving the spindle motor at the new rotating speed; and linking recording zones to continue recording data at a new recording rate from the paused zone, when the rotating speed of the spindle motor is stable.

Abstract: An optical recording power controlling apparatus and method, in which the determination conditions for received Non Return to Zero Inverted (NRZI) data and the varying range of the optical recording power level are set depending on the multiple-speed of recording and the type of an optical medium, and the varying range of the optical recording power level is controlled so that optical recording power provided to a light emitting device is optimal for the multiple-speed of recording and the type of an optical medium. In the optical recording power controlling apparatus, a system control unit sets the discrimination conditions of received data to be recorded and the varying range of the optical recording power level, depending on the multiple-speed of recording and the type of an optical medium.

Abstract: A reproduction method for a multi-level optical recording medium according to the present invention rotates an optical recording medium, on which recording data has been recorded according to a multi-level recording method which sets several levels for light reflectivity of virtual recording cells, emits a reproduction laser beam towards the optical recording medium, and reproduces the recording data based on an electric signal generated in accordance with a received level of reflected light, the method setting the emission power of the reproduction laser beam in a range of 1.0 mW to 2.5 mW inclusive when the optical recording medium is rotated at a linear velocity in a range of 9 m/s to 25 m/s inclusive. By doing so, it is possible to improve the read accuracy for recording data while suppressing the reproduction deterioration of the optical recording medium to a level where deterioration effectively does not occur.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a motor system that addresses the design challenges for the small form factor optical disk system. The control system can be operable to read a physical sector address (PSA) from an optical medium, calculate a table index based on the PSA, enter a lookup table module to acquire reference data, and maintain a constant data rate transfer from the optical medium for a range of PSAs.

Abstract: A recording apparatus having a microphone unit; and a drive unit adapted to drive a disk medium on which sound collected by the microphone unit is to be recorded. The recording apparatus is capable of changing a rotational speed of the drive unit in accordance with a level of the sound collected by the microphone unit.

Abstract: When a run-away phenomenon of an optical disk occurs, a control circuit detects a rotational direction of the optical disk that runs away by comparing an initial track count value and a braking time track count value. The initial track count value is a value calculated by counting track pulses corresponding to a tracking error signal for a predetermined time when a tracking servo is turned off. The braking time track count value is a value calculated by counting the track pulses corresponding to the tracking error signal for a predetermined time, when a brake pulse is applied to the spindle motor.

Abstract: An optical disk has a central axis and a major face extending in a radial direction from the central axis. The optical disk is rotatable around the central axis at an angular velocity and is formed with a recording layer on the major face. The recording layer is optically recordable with information and is formed with a track area containing tracks which are arranged at a predetermined track pitch in the radial direction and which are accessable by an optical beam to read or write information while the tracks move at a linear velocity relative to the optical beam. The recording layer is preliminarily recorded with control information indicative of the predetermined track pitch and/or either of a predetermined linear velocity of the tracks or a predetermined angular velocity of the disk. The control information is readily readable from the recording layer to facilitate the accessing of the tracks by the optical beam.

Abstract: A method of controlling a recording speed of an optical disc recording system includes detecting error information with respect to a level of a servo control signal of the optical disc recording system, and adjusting the recording speed of the optical disc recording system with reference to the error information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a disk driving apparatus which includes an interpolating edge circuit for generating an interpolating signal in accordance with a cycle of an edge detection signal, and a phase switching unit for performing phase switching by both the timing signal and the interpolating signal when a period for which the edge detection signal is normally generated reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of adjusting a rotation speed of an optical disc drive for a spindle motor controlled by a host to rotate and read an optical disc. First, it is determined whether the data read by the optical disc drive is in Mode 1 or Form 1 of Mode 2. If in Mode 1 or Form 1 of Mode 2, it is determined whether the frequency of read request commands output from the host is lower than a predetermined value or not. If the frequency of read request commands output from the host is lower than the predetermined value, then it is determined whether the response data output to the host is sequential reading data or not. If the three situations mentioned above are all sustained, the data read by the optical disc drive is ascertained as MP3 data. Thus, the rotation speed of the spindle motor is decreased to a lower value.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a motor system that addresses the design challenges for the small form factor optical disk system. The control system can be operable to obtain digital feedback from a spin motor. The present invention includes detecting data representing a position on an optical medium and determining a detection rate; comparing the detection rate to a reference rate to provide an error rate; generating an output command in response to the error rate to provide a drive output which commands a voltage applied to a spin motor to adjust the spin speed of said spin motor.

Abstract: An optical signal converter and a method or controlling an amplification gain according to a rotating speed of an optical disc. An optical signal detector detects an optical signal reflected from an optical disc in a reproduction mode and converts the detected optical signal into an electrical signal. A gain control signal generator generates a gain control signal when a voltage level of a driving signal used to drive the optical disc exceeds a maximum output voltage of the optical signal converter. A gain switcher selects an amplification gain of the optical signal converter in response to the gain control signal and an external control signal. A signal amplifier amplifies a signal output from the optical signal detector in response to an output signal of the gain switcher.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-density disk that is structured to prevent a collision of an optical pickup's objective lens with the high-density disk if the disk is placed upside down in a disk device that is able to record and reproduce signals to/from the high-density disk. A high-density disk recording medium according to the present invention is structured such that, wherein a recording layer having high-density pit patterns is offset from a center plane of disk thickness, both sides of a clamping zone bisected by the center plane have differing thicknesses. One or both sides may protrude from surface of the disk recording medium, or one side of the clamping zone may protrude from the surface while the other side is indented below the surface.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus which varies a rotational speed of an optical disk through use of a sound volume controller. A controller of the optical disk apparatus causes a sound volume controller to act as a rotational speed controller upon receipt of a READ command from a host apparatus. The controller detects a set position of the sound volume controller on the basis of a signal output from the same and controls a spindle motor in accordance with a detected position, thereby changing a rotational speed of said optical disk. When wind sound or the like, of the optical disk is obtrusive for the user, the user can diminish noise by means of decreasing the rotational speed through actuation of the sound volume controller.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for adjusting the rotational speed of a disk player based on a calculated variable. The method increases or decreases the rotational speed of the disk player depending on whether the calculated variable is greater or less than one or more thresholds.

Abstract: An optical disc drive with a structure that can reduce the access time to an optical disc required for information recording and reproducing. The optical disc drive includes a turntable on which an optical disc is rotatably loaded, and an optical pickup unit accessing a recording area of the optical disc to record or reproduce information, wherein the optical pickup unit includes at least two optical pickups that independently access different recording areas to simultaneously record information in or reproduce information from the different recording areas.

Abstract: Track mis-registration (TMR) correction is conditionally made in a hard disk drive using servo data in a closed loop servo control scheme, along with one or more alternative sensing schemes when an external shock or vibration occurs. The alternative sensing schemes include measurement of spindle motor speed using a frequency of servo markers read from a rotating disk, voice control motor (VCM) back emf, spindle motor speed back emf, and accelerometer readings. The predicted TMR resulting from the signal generated by the alternative sensing scheme(s) is simulated based upon a model of the disk drive system, and corrections are applied only if the expected TMR due to the disturbances is large enough that application of the corrections using the alternative sensing scheme would be likely to reduce the overall TMR.

Abstract: A disk drive has an arrangement for controlling the spindle motor and driving the disk contained therein as a function of the mode of operation such as a low acoustic noise mode or a low power consumption rate mode. For normal operation of the disk drive, priority is given to the low power consumption rate mode and the spindle motor is controlled and driven by a rectangular wave drive current. On the other hand, priority is given to the low acoustic noise mode according to a command issued from the host system to the disk drive so as to control and drive the spindle motor by a trapezoidal wave drive current.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a motor system that addresses the design challenges for the small form factor optical disk system. The control system can be operable to detect a first BEMF crossing and setting a first time stamp, to detect a second BEMF crossing and setting a second time stamp, to calculate a measured spin period as the difference between the first time stamp and the second time stamp, to compare the measured spin period to a reference spin period to determine a period error, to operate on the period error with a proportional gain and an integrator gain to provide a command output; and to drive a winding in the spin motor with a current to cause the spin motor to change velocity in response to the command output.

Abstract: A method for setting a rotational speed for rotational readout of useful data stored on a disc-shaped storage medium in a playback device, permitting utilization of a maximum possible data transfer rate at a constant rotational speed. The useful data is stored approximately in data tracks arranged concentrically with an axis of rotation of the disc-shaped storage medium. An outermost data track which is opposite the axis of rotation and has been written with useful data on the disc-shaped storage medium is determined. A value is determined for the amount of data stored in the outermost data track. The rotational speed is set as a function of the amount of data thus determined and a data transfer rate, where the data transfer rate indicates a maximum amount of data that can be read out by the playback device per unit of time, so that the useful data stored in the outermost data track can be read out at the data transfer rate in playback of the disc-shaped storage medium.

Abstract: A method of minimizing the occurrence of buffer under run includes calculating the transmission speed of data from a host to a disk drive, adjusting the writing speed of the disk drive to a disk based on the transmission speed, and writing the data from the disk drive to the disk at the adjusted writing speed.

Abstract: A disc drive, and method of automatically ejecting a disc from a disc player. The method comprises selecting a main title from a plurality of titles recorded on the disc and storing a playback time of the main title in a memory, and determining whether the main title is playing, or has played, back. Upon determining that the main title is playing or has played back, the playback time of the main title is compared with a time required for playback of the main title stored in the memory and determining whether playback of the main title has terminated. Upon determining that playback of the main title is terminated, the disc is ejected by driving an unloading device.

Abstract: A servo control apparatus of an optical pickup includes an extractor for extracting an error signal from the read signal; a driver for changing the servo position; an equalizer for equalizing the error signal to generate a drive signal; a calculator for calculating an integral value of the error signal for each predetermined angular section of rotation; a memory for storing each of the integral values for one rotation of the recording medium; a detector to detect an occurrence of a dropout; a calculator for calculating a variation by comparing the integral value for an angular section of rotation where the dropout occurred with a stored integral value for the identical angular section of rotation prior to the occurrence of the dropout; and a controller for changing an equalization characteristics of the equalizer in accordance with the variation.

Abstract: A disc reading control apparatus 10 comprises operation information inputting unit 12 for inputting information concerning a data getting operation A and a searching operation B in a data reading operation with respect to a disc recording medium; operation ratio determining unit 14 for determining the ratio of the searching operation B to the data getting operation A on the basis of the information inputted from the operation information inputting unit 12; and rotational speed setting unit 16 for setting the rotational speed C of the disc recording medium lower if the foregoing ratio of the searching operation determined by the operation ratio determining unit 14 is greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: Methods for maximizing recording efficiency when recording data from a source to an optical media are provided. In one example, a method includes identifying a list of files to be recorded, and then generating a plurality of recording orders for the list of files. A plurality of writing speeds supported by a target optical media recording device are determined, and then each of the plurality of recording orders for the list of files at each of the plurality of writing speeds are evaluated to determine the amount of system cache required and the projected recording time for recording the data. The method selects a single recording order and a single writing speed that minimizes system cache utilization and minimizes actual recording time to record the data from the source to the optical media.

Abstract: A reference clock generating circuit of a disk data burst cutting area is disclosed. Thereby, the BCA reference clock is generated by dividing the reference clock of a spindle control circuit for further capturing the BCA clock and the BCA data so that the BCA data and BCA clock are stably generated even if the rotary speed of the motor is changed.

Abstract: For scanning a disc-shaped information carrier at a high average information rate with minimum access time, the angular velocity is decreased substantially as the radial distance to the scan location increases, while at the same time the linear velocity of track scanning increases substantially. The track may be divided into zones which are scanned with constant angular velocity. With respect to the inner tracks of at least two adjacent zones, or the innermost and the outermost tracks, the angular velocity decreases less than inversely with increase of radial distance, while the linear velocity increases less than proportionally with increase of radial distance.