Abstract: The present invention provides an objective lens, an optical head apparatus, an optical information apparatus, and an information processing apparatus that improve focal position detection accuracy. In order to reproduce information from an optical disk (28), an objective lens (25) collects a diffracted ray (15X) having a longer focal length, out of two diffracted rays (15X, 15Y), on an information recording surface (28L) via a base (28S) of the optical disk (28), and a distance (DF3) between the focal positions of the two diffracted rays (15X, 15Y) when the diffracted ray (15X) having a longer focal length is collected on the information recording surface (28S) is longer than double the distance (WD2) between the surface (25A) of the objective lens (25) and the surface (28A) of the base (28S) along the optical axis.

Abstract: A method of driving an optical disc and an optical disc drive using the method is provided. The method includes rotating an optical disc by a spindle motor, transferring an optical pickup positioned to correspond to the optical disc by driving a sled motor, and decreasing a current supplied to the spindle motor while driving the sled motor.

Abstract: A fluid dynamic bearing mechanism includes a stationary bearing portion including a sleeve portion, and a rotating bearing portion including an outer rotating portion. A lubricating oil is arranged between the stationary and rotating bearing portions. A first dynamic pressure groove array is arranged in an upper surface of the sleeve portion or a lower surface of the outer rotating portion. A second dynamic pressure groove array is arranged in a surface of the outer rotating portion or a surface of the stationary bearing portion in a region between the first array and a liquid surface. An end of the second array closer to the liquid surface is arranged radially inward of an opposite end of the second array. An upper end opening of a communicating channel defined in the sleeve portion is arranged radially outward of a radially inner end of the first array.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for interfacing a host computer with a hard drive cartridge is disclosed in one embodiment. The virtual device interface is divided between a kernel component in a driver stack of the kernel space and a user component configured to run in user space. The kernel component passes data commands from the operating system to a cartridge dock while separating other commands that are passed to the user component. The user component authenticates the kernel component and/or the hard drive cartridge. Use of the removable hard drive cartridge is also authorized by the user component.

Abstract: The optical disc comprises a substrate layer, a read-only data layer having a pit/land data structure including user data and control data arranged in tracks on the substrate layer, and a nonlinear layer with a super-resolution structure disposed on the data layer, wherein the control data are correctly readable only by including a reverse rotation of the disc. The control data include in particular a protection code for the disc, for example a copy protection code, so that the user data of the disc are only readable after reading of the control data.

Abstract: The present invention is to realize a proper inner zone layout in an optical disk having at least three layers. A test area is provided in the inner zone (inner circumference side area) in each of recording layers. The test areas of each layer are so disposed as to be prevented from overlapping with each other in the layer direction. Furthermore, the number of management information recording/reproduction areas overlapping with the test area in the layer direction at a position closer to the laser-incident surface than this test area is set equal to or smaller than one in each test area of each recording layer. The management information recording/reproduction areas are each so disposed as to be prevented from overlapping with the test areas in the respective recording layers in the layer direction on the disk substrate side of the test areas.

Abstract: An optical recording/reproducing device which minimizes the number of home-in operations to move a pickup to a predetermined reference position of an inner circumference of a disc, and a method of controlling the same. The optical recording/reproducing device includes a pickup to record or reproduce information on or from a disc, a pickup movement motor to move the pickup along the disc, a main power supply controller to detect whether power is initially supplied to the optical recording/reproducing device so as to output a home-in control signal, and a drive controller to perform a home-in operation to move the pickup to a predetermined reference position of the disc, only when power is initially supplied according to the home-in control signal of the main power supply controller. Since the home-in operation is performed only when power is initially supplied to the optical recording/reproducing device, the number of home-in operations is minimized.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disc apparatus that changes the number of revolutions of an optical disc on sensing resonance. The optical disc apparatus of the present invention performs both the operation of writing data on the optical disc 10 and the operation of reading data that is stored on the disc 10. The apparatus includes: a motor 12 for rotating the disc 10; an optical pickup 14, which irradiates the disc 10 with a light beam and detects the light reflected from the disc 10; an evaluation section 16 for obtaining an indicative parameter of the distortion of a signal waveform representing the light reflected from a data stored part on the disc 10 while the disc 10 is being rotated by the motor 12; and a control section 18 for changing the number of revolutions of the disc 10 per unit time if a variation in the indicative parameter of the distortion per rotation of the disc 10 exceeds a threshold value while the disc 10 is being rotated by the motor 12.

Abstract: A data recording apparatus recording data of a CD on an HDD in a manner such that the content of record in the CD is faithfully accounted for and shortening an operation time for a synchronized ripping operation. When the data recording apparatus reads, from the CD, track data managed by track, according to TOC, and records the track data onto the HDD, the data recording apparatus recognizes data unrecorded on the HDD, from among the track data recorded on the CD. This recognition process is automatically performed based on the TOC read from the CD, and album information replayed using the TOC and held by the HDD. The recording apparatus reproduces and outputs only the unrecorded data from the CD based on the recognition result concerning the unrecorded data. In this way, the data already recorded on the HDD is not transferred from the CD to the HDD. The operation time for the synchronized ripping operation is reduced accordingly.

Abstract: In an optical disk apparatus, by obtaining the temperature in the vicinity of a laser in the apparatus, the power source voltage of the laser driver is controlled such that power consumed by the headroom of the laser driver is reduced to the maximum extent without deteriorating the current drive characteristic of the headroom when the temperature becomes higher. The laser driving current of the laser driver is monitored to control the power source of the laser driver such that the power consumed by the headroom is possibly reduced while maintaining the current drive characteristic of the headroom for the monitored current.

Abstract: An optical disk device for recording or reproducing an optical disk has: an objective lens for irradiating a laser beam to the optical disk; an actuator for moving the objective lens in the radial direction of the optical disk; and a spindle motor for rotating the optical disk. After the laser beam irradiated to the optical disk passed through a PID portion of the optical disk, the actuator moves the objective lens in the radial direction of the optical disk at a timing corresponding to a rotational speed. Between signals to drive the actuator, an output time of a deceleration signal is set to a predetermined ratio of a time during which an acceleration signal is outputted. While the deceleration signal is outputted, a light spot passes through the PID portion.

Abstract: A disc device includes a first cam gear 13 having a cam groove 13d, and engaged with and released from one gear of a power transmission system, and a second cam gear 14 having a hole portion 14d corresponding to the cam groove 13d, laid on the first cam gear 13 and rotatably supported relative to the first cam gear 13, and engaged with and released from one gear of the power transmission system.

Abstract: A light irradiation power adjusting method includes a first recording step, a first reproducing step, a first measuring step, a bias power determining step and a recording power determining step. In the first recording step, an adjustment pattern is recorded to an optical information recording medium while fixing a recording power to a predetermined first power value and while changing a bias power among a plurality of second power values within a predetermined range. In the first reproducing step, the recorded adjustment pattern is reproduced so as to generate a reproduction signal. In the first measuring step, asymmetry values corresponding to the plurality of second power values are measured. In the bias power determining step, an optimum bias power value is determined based on the asymmetry values. In the recording power determining step, an optimum recording power value is determined based on the optimum bias power value.

Abstract: An external optical disc drive, connected to a bus from which a supplying voltage and a supplying current are outputted, includes: a voltage detector connected to the bus for receiving and detecting the supplying voltage; a digital signal processor connected to the voltage detector; a motor driver connected to the digital signal processor; and a spindle motor connected to the motor driver; wherein a speed-control signal, for informing the digital signal processor to lower the speed of the spindle motor via the motor driver, is outputted to the digital signal processor from the voltage detector while the supplying voltage is detected lower than a threshold voltage.

Abstract: An information recording medium, comprising N number (N is an integer fulfilling N?3) of information layers on which information is recordable, and allowing information to be recorded on each of the information layers and allowing information recorded on each of the information layers to be reproduced by being irradiated with laser light. The N number of information layers include an N'th information layer, an (N?1)th information layer, an (N?2)th information layer, . . . a second information layer and a first information layer sequentially located from a laser light incidence side. A reflectance of the N'th information layer is RN, and a reflectance of an M'th information layer (M refers to every integer fulfilling N>M?1) is RM.

Abstract: An optical disc is rotated at no more than 600 revolutions per minute (RPM) using a spindle motor of an optical disc device (602). One or more input signals are received from one or more sensors disposed within the optical disc device (604). The sensors are responsive to rotation of the optical disc. Virtual spoke signals are generated based on the input signals received from the sensors (606). The optical disc is positionally controlled based on the virtual spoke signals generated, as the optical disc rotates at no more than 600 RPM (612). The virtual spoke signals correspond to actual, physical spokes that would otherwise have to be present on the optical disc to positionally control the optical disc as the optical disc rotates at no more than 600 RPM.

Abstract: A method of optimizing the write power for recording marks in an information layer of a record carrier by irradiating the information layer with a (pulsed) radiation beam. The method includes recording a pattern of test marks including short marks having a predetermined short nominal runlength onto the record carrier by applying at least three different write powers; measuring the runlengths of the recorded short marks obtained by applying the at least three different write powers; and determining an optimum write power based of the deviations of the measured runlengths from the nominal runlength of said short marks.

Abstract: A first light source 1a emits a first light flux with a first wavelength. A second light source 1b emits a second light flux with a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength and a third light flux with a third wavelength that is different from the first wavelength and the second wavelength. A collimator lens 6, a first objective lens 9, and a second objective lens 10 collect the first to third light fluxes as converged light on an optical disc. A first composite photodetector 13 detects the reflected light fluxes from the optical disc. The first composite photodetector 13 includes a first quartered light-receiving unit 13a that receives a light flux obtained by reflection of at least one light flux from among the first to third light fluxes from the optical disc and a second quartered light-receiving unit 13b that receives a light flux obtained by reflection of the remaining light fluxes from the optical disc.

Abstract: A super-resolution optical recording medium (10) of the present invention includes: a medium information region (1) on which medium identification information is recorded; a content region (3) on which content information is recorded; and a blank region (2) provided between the medium information region (1) and the content region (3) and in which at least two tracks are provided so as to connect a train of prepits in the medium information region (1) and a train of prepits in the content region (3). No information is recorded on the blank region (2). With this arrangement, the present invention provides a super-resolution optical recording medium in which a region on which medium identification information is recorded and a region on which content information is recorded are different in track pitch and in which a reproduction error hardly occurs when reproduction shifts from the region on which the medium identification information is recorded to the region on which the content information is recorded.

Abstract: A power adjustment method in which a modulation index is calculated from reproduced signals of patterns recorded by irradiating light onto an optical information recording medium with a recording power varied and an optimum power of irradiation light is set up using the modulation index. The power adjustment method includes calculating an optimum value PcO of a predetermined correction term Pc using a relation of a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined correction term Pc from the recording power and the modulation index, finding a value Pth of the recording power at which the modulation index becomes substantially zero in the relation of the value obtained by subtracting the optimum value PcO from the recording power and the modulation index, and setting up a value obtained by multiplying the value of Pth by a predetermined constant as a recording power of each of the recording patterns.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method and a reading device (1) for retrieving information from an optical record carrier (10) in which the read power level of a radiation beam (3) for scanning the optical record carrier is set in dependence on the read-out speed. The invention is also related to a record carrier for use with such a method and a reading device.

Abstract: This document relates to a method of recording data on an optical disc and an optical disc apparatus. The method of recording data on an optical disc may comprise determining a recording speed at which a recording power control operation will be performed based on a recording start position and the amount of data for which recording has been requested, performing the recording power control operation at the determined recording speed, and recording the data for which recording has been requested on the optical disc based on a result of performing the recording power control operation.

Abstract: An output voltage of a cathode driving type semiconductor laser driving circuit is made minimum, power consumption of a driving circuit section is suppressed, and heat generation of an optical head or an optical disc device is reduced. In addition to the conventional constitution, the semiconductor laser driving circuit permits the output voltage of the semiconductor laser driving circuit to be at a prescribed level by measuring a cathode voltage (Vout) of a semiconductor laser (1) and controlling an anode voltage (Vld) so that the cathode voltage (Vout) is at the prescribed level, reduces power consumption of the driving circuit and suppresses temperature increase of the optical head or the optical disc device to be minimum.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the power consumption of one or more disk arrays are described. Power consumption information for various hardware components of the array, especially that for the disk drives since these consume more than 90% of the required power, are stored in a static data table in a database which may be controller firmware. Through inspection of this table and the chosen state of the individual disk drives as directed by a controller, one may determine the power use of the array.

Abstract: A method comprising recording data related to a start-up procedure on at least one of a plurality of recording layers disposed on an optical record carrier for reading back the recorded data during subsequent start-ups, the selection of the at least one recording layer based on properties of the at least one recording layer is disclosed. The technique reduces the optical record carrier start-up time and is useful for DVD, HD-DVD and BD recorders and/or players.

Abstract: An optical disk device includes a first control circuit controlling a light quantity of a semiconductor laser according to a first light quantity set value corresponding to a first light quantity resolution; a second control circuit controlling the light quantity of the semiconductor laser according to a second light quantity set value corresponding to a second light quantity resolution that is smaller than the first light quantity resolution; and a drive circuit driving the semiconductor laser following the first and second control circuits.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, fluid-mediated modification of information or access to information is utilized. According to various embodiments, data storage devices designed for rotating access are described which include rotation-activated fluid control mechanisms.

Abstract: An information storage medium includes areas of disk-related information having disk-related information to record or reproduce data with respect to the information storage medium, wherein the disk-related information includes common disk-related information and changeable parameter information, and the areas of the disk-related information are arranged according to information about the changeable parameter information.

Abstract: A recording method including: recording on a write-once-read-many optical medium capable of recording and reproducing with a blue laser by CAV, ZCLV, or PCAV, wherein a laser emission pattern including a recording pulse comprises two or more different levels of recording power, and a laser emission time standardized by the laser emission pattern and reference clock is fixed regardless of a recording linear velocity.

Abstract: An apparatus for changing a recording speed of an optical recording medium by analyzing wobble signals in real time during a recording operation, includes a signal process unit which outputs a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) signal that checks for a generation of errors on the optical recording medium from absolute time in pregroove (ATIP) information output from the optical recording medium during the recording operation, and a speed control unit which changes the recording speed during the recording operation according to a comparison of the CRC signal output from the signal process unit with a reference value. In the apparatus, the recording speed is limited or lowered in response to a signal quality of a recording section being less than an acceptable level during the recording operation. Accordingly, buffer under run and defects of read-in start position and seek fail, which are generated during a ZCLV operation, are prevented.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data reproducing device according to the invention includes a frequency difference detector, a phase comparator, a loop filter, an integrator, a first conversion part for converting a value of the integrator into a first conversion value, a second conversion part for converting the value of the integrator into a second conversion value, a first conversion table, a second conversion table, a first D/A converter (DAC), a second D/A converter (DAC), a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), and a prediction table. The value of the integrator and the first conversion value are associated with each other and stored in the first conversion table in consideration of the characteristics of the VCO. Meanwhile, the value of the integrator and the second conversion value are associated with each other and stored in the second conversion table in consideration of the characteristics of the VCO.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (9, 109) and a method (501) for determining a critical rotation speed of an optical data carrier (1) at which a critical deflection of said optical data carrier (1) may occur in said device (9, 109), an apparatus (209) and a method for monitoring a condition of an optical data carrier (1), an apparatus (309) and a method for reading data from and/or writing data to an optical data carrier (1), and a device (409) and a method for generating a reference signal to be used for determining a critical rotation speed of an optical data carrier (9).

Abstract: A storage apparatus includes: a storage device that stores data on a storage medium being configured with a storage area on which the data having a plurality of partial areas is repetitively overwritten; and a management unit that operates to: generate management information for managing the data based on a name assigned to the partial area, boundary information representing a boundary between the partial areas, and time information representing time on which each of the partial areas are stored; store the management information in the storage device; and set, as a name of the data, the name of one of the partial areas having the oldest time based on the management information.