Abstract: This invention relates to methods of using an optical disc reader to detect an analyte of interest that is associated with an optical disc assembly. The method includes the steps of: (1) providing the optical disc to the optical disc reader; (2) directing at least one beam of electromagnetic radiation to the optical disc and scanning the beam over the optical disc; (3) acquiring radiation returned from or transmitted through the optical disc using a detector of the optical disc reader; (4) generating from the acquired radiation at least a signal which is indicative of the presence of the analyte; and (5) generating from the acquired radiation signals which enable the optical disc reader to track operational structures impressed or encoded in the optical disc.

Abstract: This invention relates to an optical disc assembly capable of receiving an insert upon which an analyte of interest may be disposed. The optical disc assembly can be read by an optical disc reader, such as by a standard CD or DVD reader, and the analyte disposed on the insert can be detected by the optical disc reader. The optical disc assembly may have one or more data layer in which operational information or assay information is encoded. Hologram may be used to encode operational information or assay information.

Abstract: A disk reproducing device comprising: clock signal extracting means for extracting a regenerative clock signal from a reproduced signal; synchronization detecting means for detecting a synchronizing signal from the reproduced signal; extracted clock signal verification means for verifying that the regenerative clock signal is correctly extracted; signal processing means for performing variable linear velocity reproduction; target reproducing speed setting means for setting a target reproducing speed; reproducing speed verification means for verifying that a reproducing speed reaches the target reproducing speed; and signal processing start command generating means for outputting a signal processing start command referring outputs of said extracted clock signal verification means and said reproducing speed verification means.

Abstract: An magneto-optical disc recording/reproducing apparatus includes an optical head (36) to detect a wobble (46) and an address mark (81 to 84) in an magneto-optical disc (31) and output a wobble signal (WB1, WB2) and an address mark signal (AML, AMG), a PLL circuit (47) to generate a clock signal (CK) in response to wobble signal (WB1), an address mark synchronous signal generation circuit (46) to generate an address mark synchronous signal (AM) in response to address mark signal (AML, AMG), a synchronizing circuit (48) to synchronize clock signal (CK) with address mark synchronous signal (AM) and generate a synchronized clock signal (SCK), and a timing setting circuit (49) to generate a timing pulse signal (TG1) to control a magnetic head driving circuit (34) and a timing pulse signal (TG2) to control a laser driving circuit (35).

Abstract: In performing CLV readout, a target frequency is corrected based on current and target numbers of revolutions of a disk motor during a seek operation, thereby controlling the frequency of a read clock signal at a value approximately equal to the corrected target frequency. In performing CAV readout on the other hand, the frequency of the read clock signal is approximately equalized with a data read frequency at a seek destination. By performing these frequency control operations, data reading can be started quickly enough after the seek operation is finished. In reading out information from a recordable disk with wobbling tracks on a data portion, frequency control is performed using a wobble signal with respect to an unrecorded data portion, and phase locking control is performed using a data signal with respect to an address portion. In this manner, an address can be read out constantly.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus being able to read and write from and into an optical disc of a wobble groove type or method, a rotation control of a spindle motor is performed including a spindle controller portion and a PWM oscillator generating a clock for use of rotation control, wherein the frequency of the clock for use of rotation control is set to be different from that of a wobble signal or outside an area ±50% of wide capture fluctuation of the wobble signal, thereby providing the optical disc apparatus with which external disturbance on the wobble signal or the like can be reduced and a stabilization of the optical disc apparatus can be obtained.

Abstract: An optical disc record carrier having at least one wobbled groove that permits information recording on both groove and land tracks is provided. Each groove has a sync wobbling modulated with a continuous signal and an address wobbling. The address wobbling includes an address portion including address information of each sector. The address portion comprising presence of a first predetermined number of wobbles and absence of a second predetermined number of wobbles. The presence and absence correspond to respective logical values of binary system. The grooves and lands are substantially the same in width throughout and wobble in phase.

Abstract: An optical recording medium for accurately deriving the address information or the disc rotation control information despite narrow track pitch and for recording signals to a high density, and a method and apparatus for recording and/or reproducing such optical recording medium. The optical recording medium has a wobbled groove and pits formed at a pre-set interval in an area between turns of the wobbled groove. The recording/reproducing method includes controlling rotation of the optical recording medium by a wobbled signal from the groove and detecting the position on the optical recording medium of a recording signal by pit signals detected from the pits. The recording/reproducing apparatus includes a detection device for detecting the wobbled signal from the groove and a detection device for detecting pit signals from the pits.

Abstract: A data reproduction apparatus includes a system controller for monitoring an amount of data in a memory and a linear velocity detected by a linear velocity detecting section, controlling a DC signal output from a DC signal generating section to a disk motor driving section as a drive signal, and controlling interruption and resumption of writing of information to the memory so as to prevent the memory from overflowing. The output DC signal of the DC signal generating section is controlled such that a velocity at which information is written to the memory means is higher than a velocity at which information is read therefrom so as to always store information in the memory, and the linear velocity detected by the linear velocity detecting section becomes close to a preset linear velocity, and the rotation of the disk is controlled by the DC signal. The power consumption required for controlling the rotation of the disk can thus be reduced.

Abstract: An optical disc has an information recording portion. The information recording portion has a spiral of a groove, and land portions located between portions of the groove which neighbor each other as viewed in a disc radial direction. Auxiliary information used when an information signal is recorded on and reproduced from the groove is previously recorded on the land portions. The auxiliary information is represented by pre-pits provided in the land portions. The information recording portion is divided into a plurality of zones as viewed in the disc radial direction. In each of the zones, at least one of two sides of the groove wobbles at a fixed frequency in accordance with a constant angular velocity system. In each of the zones, phases of wobbles of respective neighboring portions of the groove are equal to each other.

Abstract: Circuitry and method for synchronizing operating speeds of signal processing devices to the data rate of a signal. It applies in particular to Compact Disk (CD) and Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) drives to be used with portable devices. The circuitry does not require clock synchronization speeds in excess of the instantaneous data rate used by the disk drive and also reduces power consumption.

Abstract: When a detected value of the signal processing speed from a frequency comparator is larger than a prescribed value input from an input terminal, the rotation control of a disk is switched from constant linear velocity control to constant angular velocity control using an error signal from an arithmetic unit. Alternatively, when a detected value of the rotational velocity from a frequency comparator is larger than a prescribed value input form an input terminal, the rotation control of the disk is switched from the constant angular velocity control into the constant linear velocity control.

Abstract: Method and device for controlling an optical recording/reproducing device, for detecting a wobble signal in advance during free running when only a focus servo is turned on, carrying out wobble PLL, detecting the present rotating speed of the optical disk from the wobble signal, and controlling the spindle to reach to a target speed quickly, thereby stabilizing the servo in advance before regular data recording/reproduction, and enhancing performance of the optical recording/reproduction device.

Abstract: A device according to the invention for scanning a rotating information carrier (2) comprises a transducer (10) and control means (20, 22) for controlling a scanning parameter of the transducer (10), such as the radial position and the setting of a focus. The control means comprise difference signal generating means (20) for generating a difference signal (RE) which is indicative of a difference between a current value and a desired value of the scanning parameter, and correction signal generating means (22) for generating a correction signal (SC) in response to the difference signal. The correction signal generating means (22) comprise a delay loop (25) having first in first out memory means (36) for generating a delayed signal (SDL1) and feedback filter means (38) for filtering the delayed signal (SDL1).

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus is disclosed that comprises measuring means for measuring the intensity of a jitter of a signal read from an information record medium such as a disc, storing means for temporarily storing reproduced information at a first transfer rate, means for reading information stored in the storing means at a second transfer rate that is smaller than the first transfer rate, wherein the maximum speed of the information record medium is set up corresponding to the intensity of the jitter measured by the measuring means.