Digital Recording Or Reproducing (digital Computers In Which At Least Part Of The Computation Is Effected Electrically, Arrangements For Handling Digital Data G06f; Transmission Of Digital Information H04l) {g11b 20/10} Patents (Class G9B/20.009)

  • Publication number: 20110317531
    Abstract: An optical disk drive includes a non-volatile memory. The optical disk drive is booted based on driving information stored in the non-volatile memory. When a write command is received from a host, the optical disk drive stores data to be recorded in an optical medium in the non-volatile memory and then writes the data in the optical medium independent of the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Sung-Kook Bang, Jeon-Taek Im
  • Publication number: 20110305126
    Abstract: Provided is an information storage medium that has a plurality of recording layers, a recording/reproducing method, and a recording/reproducing apparatus. In the information storage medium, each of the plurality of recording layers includes an inner circumference zone and a data zone, and at least one of the recording layers includes, in the inner circumference zone, a temporary disc management area (TDMA) for recording information about a defect detected in the data zone, wherein a size of a TDMA allocated on an upper layer is greater than a size of a TDMA allocated on a lower layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventors: Sung Hee Hwang, Jung-Wan Ko, Kyung-Geun Lee, In-Oh Hwang
  • Publication number: 20110286318
    Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided, the optical recording medium including a plurality of zones respectively corresponding to width data of first and/or last pulses of an adaptive write pulse waveform stored in a grouping table, the grouping table being configured to group a magnitude of a present mark of input data and magnitudes of leading and/or trailing spaces of the present mark into a short pulse group, a middle pulse group, and a long pulse group using grouping pointers, store data configured to calculate a width of a write pulse, an adaptive write pulse being generated in response to the calculated width, generate the adaptive write pulse waveform by varying a position of a rising edge of a first pulse of a mark to be written according to the magnitudes of the present mark and the leading space, the adaptive write pulse waveform being generated without regard for the trailing space of the present mark being written using the adaptive write pulse waveform, the adaptive write pulse being configured
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin-gyo Seo, Seong-sin Joo, Du-seop Yoon, Myung-do Roh, Yong-jin Ahn, Seoung-soo KIM, Kyung-geun Lee, Myeong-ho Cho, Chang-Jin Yang, Jong-kyu Kim, Sung-ro Ko, Tatsuhiro Ohtsuka
  • Publication number: 20110286316
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to write input data on an optical recording medium using a write pulse waveform, the write pulse waveform including a first pulse, a last pulse and a multi-pulse train, is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin-gyo Seo, Seong-sin Joo, Du-seop Yoon, Myung-do Roh, Yong-jin Ahn, Seoung-soo KIM, Kyung-geun Lee, Myeong-ho Cho, Chang-Jin Yang, Jong-kyu Kim, Sung-ro Ko, Tatsuhiro Ohtsuka
  • Publication number: 20110286315
    Abstract: Disclosed is an optical disk barcode forming method wherein, as information to be barcoded, position information for piracy prevention, which is a form of ID, is coded as a barcode and is recorded by laser trimming on a reflective film in a PCA area of an optical disk. When playing back the thus manufactured optical disk on a reproduction apparatus, the barcode data can be played back using the same optical pickup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiho Gotoh, Mitsuaki Oshima, Shinichi Tanaka, Kenji Koishi, Mitsuro Moriya
  • Publication number: 20110273974
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a signal processing circuit that has fast response time to sudden profile changes in an electrical signal. The signal processing circuit includes a processing path configured to process an electrical signal that is generated in response to reading data on a storage medium, and a feed-forward correction module. The feed-forward correction module is configured to detect a profile variation based the electrical signal in a time window, and correct the electrical signal in the time window based on the detected profile variation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Jin Xie, Bin Ni, Mats Oberg
  • Publication number: 20110273971
    Abstract: A data storage system with power backup mechanism includes a storage server, N pieces of power supply modules, a plurality of programmable logic devices and a control module. The storage server consumes M units of power in operation, and supports a storage bridge bay standard. The power supply modules respectively generate power for the storage server and a set of power-related signals, wherein the maximum power output of each of the power supply modules is equal to M/N?1 units. The programmable logic devices convert the power-related signals from the power supply modules to two sets of power condition signals. The control module monitors a power condition according to the power condition signals, thereby determining a power health condition of the storage server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: INVENTEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sio-Pang CHAN, Tsung-Hsi LEE
  • Publication number: 20110273973
    Abstract: A method for storing data on a storage medium is provided. The method includes receiving a modulated bitstream, wherein the modulated bitstream comprises a plurality of bits comprising a bitstate of 1 and 0. The method also includes secondary modulating each of the pluality of bits comprising the bitstate of 1 to output a plurality of secondary modulated bits. The method further includes forming a plurality of marks in the storage medium, the marks indicative of each of the plurality of secondary modulated bits and the plurality of bits comprising the bitstate of 0 in the modulated bitstream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John Anderson Fergus Ross, Victor Petrovich Ostroverkhov, John Erik Hershey, Brian Lee Lawrence, Kenneth Brakeley Welles, II, Milos Todorovic
  • Publication number: 20110261668
    Abstract: An apparatus for improving decoding accuracy of an equalized signal having a direct current (DC) level obtained from an optical disk is provided. A Viterbi decoder is configured to decode the equalized signal and output a Viterbi-decoded signal. A DC controller is configured to adjust the DC level of the equalized signal such that the equalized signal with the adjusted DC level is decoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Chih-Ching YU, Yu-Hsuan LIN
  • Publication number: 20110228662
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical disk reproducing apparatus, and provides a technology capable of supporting even a situation in which a reproduction signal characteristic is changed due to a factor other than recording density of an optical disk by using PRML of different constrained length and capable of improving reading accuracy. The optical disk reproducing apparatus includes a PRML circuit of first constrained length (for example, 4) and a PRML circuit of second constrained length (for example, 5). Equalization error values obtained during calculation of equalization learning in respective circuits are compared with each other in a determination circuit. Switching control of a switch is performed so that an output of one of the PRML circuits having a smaller equalization error value is selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Yusuke NAKAMURA, Masakazu Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20110228658
    Abstract: An optical information recording reproducing apparatus precisely decides at least the time width of a recording pulse sequence so as to obtain a preferable signal quality by controlling a recording power and a pulse time width during a high-speed write. The apparatus includes: modulation instrument for generating a test pattern containing at least a first recording mark length; recording pulse sequence conversion instrument for converting the test pattern into a recording pulse sequence containing test recording pulses having different time widths corresponding to at least the first recording mark length; beam irradiation instrument; reproduced signal processing instrument for holding as a first signal index characteristic, the relation between a first signal index acquired according to the reproduced signal obtained from a predetermined area and the recording power; and recording condition calculation instrument for obtaining a desired time width of a recording pulse of the first recording mark length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Atsushi Nakamura, Shigeru Furumiya
  • Publication number: 20110222387
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optically locked photon echo apparatus and method, which can solve the problem of limited echo efficiency and can overcome constraints on the conventional storage time being limited to the spin dephasing time. The optically locked photon echo apparatus of the present invention includes a nonlinear optical medium and an optical pulse generation unit. The nonlinear optical medium is provided with three energy levels |1>, |2>, and |3>, and is configured to receive optical pulses from an optical pulse generation unit and generate output light (E) which satisfies a phase matching condition. The optical pulse generation unit is configured to generate five or more optical pulses which resonate between the energy levels of the optical medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventor: Byoung Seung HAM
  • Publication number: 20110216432
    Abstract: A reading element of a magnetic head has a first magnetoresistive effect part (first MR part) and a second magnetoresistive effect part (second MR part), an electrical resistance of the first MR part changing according to an external magnetic field applied to a first magnetic field sense area, an electrical resistance of the second MR part changing according to an external magnetic field applied to a second magnetic field sense area. A width of the second magnetic field sense area in a track width direction of the recording medium is larger than a width of the first magnetic field sense area in the track width direction, and a phase of change in the electrical resistance of the second MR part with respect to the external magnetic field substantially reverses to or substantially the same as a phase in the electrical resistance of the first MR part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: TDK Corporation
    Inventor: Takumi YANAGISAWA
  • Publication number: 20110216433
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for writing repeating patterns of features to a substrate, such as a data storage medium. In accordance with some embodiments, a multi-dimensional pattern of discrete features of different sizes to be written to a substrate is divided into a plurality of contiguous regions. A unique set of compensation values is assigned to each region. A write beam of a write system is used to write the features to the substrate responsive to said unique sets of compensation values so that all of the features having a common size in at least one region are written using the same compensation values from the associated set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: DOUG CARSON & ASSOCIATES, INC.
    Inventor: Douglas M. Carson
  • Publication number: 20110219393
    Abstract: In an information recording medium in which storage capacity per recording layer has increased so much that the size of an SBM varies with those of spare areas, there is mutual dependence between a DDS and an SBM and it is difficult to retrieve disc management information as intended. In an information recording medium according to the present invention, if the largest space is allocated to an user data area, the number of blocks to store a space bitmap is Ni (where Ni?2). But if the smallest space is allocated to the user data area, the number of blocks to use is smaller than Ni.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisae KATO, Yoshihisa TAKAHASHI, Motoshi ITO
  • Publication number: 20110211433
    Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing method, a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and an information storage medium are provided. The method of recording data to an information storage medium includes: according to a change in a method of using the information storage medium, rearranging the order of a first information structure with a variable size and a second information structure with a fixed size, both of which are included in management information of the information storage medium, so that the first information structure with the variable size can be positioned following the second information structure with the fixed size; and recording the rearranged management information on the information storage medium. According to the method and apparatus, recording management information can be found in a fixed location of a finalized information storage medium, thereby allowing the recording management information to be found easily and quickly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-hee Hwang, Joon-hwan Kwon
  • Publication number: 20110209166
    Abstract: An optical disk recording method includes the steps of: providing a multi-pulse chain from a recording wave; independently changing the pulse rise timing and pulse fall timing (pulse width) of the first pulse in the multi-pulse chain in accordance with a preceding space length and a recording mark length; changing the pulse rise timing and pulse fall timing (pulse width) in accordance with a following space length and the recording mark length in a predetermined timing or in independence; and in relation to the smallest mark recorded by irradiation with mono pulse, changing the rise timing in accordance with the preceding space length and the recording mark length and the fall timing (pulse width) in accordance with the following space length and recording mark length, compensating various optical disks different in recording material without change of the fundamental waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji FUJITA, Takeshi MAEDA, Manabu SHIOZAWA, Takahiro KUROKAWA
  • Publication number: 20110205876
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical information recording medium (2) capable of shortening a time from acquiring identification information to starting a program etc. recorded on an ROM layer. The optical information recording medium (2) includes two or more information recording layers, information of each of the two or more information recording layers is readable by emitting reproducing light thereto, at least one of said two or more information recording layers is an RE/R layer (4), at least another one of said two or more information recording layers is an ROM layer (5), and the RE/R layer (4) includes an identification information recording region (41), and an interlayer-movement Flag is recorded on the identification information recording region (41).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Adachi, Shigemi Maeda, Hideharu Tajima, Ikuo Nakano, Tetsuya Okumura, Takashi Arimoto, Noboru Iwata, Tetsuya Hayashi, Atsushi Etoh
  • Publication number: 20110199880
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a device includes a filter which limits a frequency bandwidth of a reproduced signal from an optical disc, an AD conversion module which converts an output signal from the filter into a multilevel digital signal, an equalizing module for equalizing a waveform of the multilevel digital signal based on a predetermined partial response class and generating an equalizing playback signal, a detection module for generating binary data corresponding to data recorded on the optical disc based on the equalizing playback signal, a module for determining an amplitude value of each of an input signal to and an output signal from the equalizing module with respect to each binary data sequence output from the detection module, and a module for adjusting a high-frequency amplification amount of the filter such that an amplitude value before waveform equalization and an amplitude value after waveform equalization satisfy a predetermined relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Hideyuki YAMAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20110199874
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an optical recording medium is provided in which interlayer crosstalk is low and in which stable and high-quality recording characteristics can be obtained. To this end, an optical recording medium comprises a first recording part which includes a first recording layer and a first light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side closer to a light receiving surface, and a second recording part which includes a second recording layer and a second light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side farther from the light receiving surface, the first recording part and the second recording part being stacked, wherein the thickness of the second light reflecting layer is larger than the thickness of the first light reflecting layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Koji TAKAZAWA, Seiji Morita, Kazuyo Umezawa, Naoki Morishita, Yasuaki Ootera, Hideo Ando, Naomasa Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20110199875
    Abstract: Circuitry for controlling mode selection of a CD/DVD reader is described. In one embodiment, the CD/DVD reader has a first device having at least one analog output, a second device having at least one digital input and at least one analog input, and an interface circuit coupling the analog output of the first device to the digital input and the analog input in the second device. The interface circuit includes a circuitry to use a single control signal from the analog output of the first device to control the digital input and the analog input in the second device. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Yan Zhu, BoWen Chen, ZengLian Liu, YaHui Dong
  • Publication number: 20110194393
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Akimoto, Shoei Kobayashi, Motoshi Ito, Yasumori Hino, Hiroyasu Inoue, Harukazu Miyamoto, Koichiro Nishimura, Sung-hee Hwang, In-oh Hwang
  • Publication number: 20110194391
    Abstract: A laser device includes a semiconductor laser, a signal generating circuit generating a pulse signal for driving the semiconductor laser, an amplifying circuit amplifying the pulse signal, and a control circuit unit provided between the amplifying circuit and the semiconductor laser and controlling the pulse signal by letting alternating-current components of the pulse signal pass through and removing at least part of direct-current components of the pulse signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: TSUTOMU MARUYAMA, GORO FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20110194390
    Abstract: An exemplary control method for controlling access of a multi-layer optical storage medium includes: receiving a layer jump request for moving a focus point from a first recording layer of the multi-layer optical storage medium to a second recording layer of the multi-layer optical storage medium, and in response to the layer jump request, adjusting a laser power of a laser beam irradiating the multi-layer optical storage medium from a first power level to a second power level power level. The first power level is utilized for reproducing information from the first recording layer, and the second power level is utilized for reproducing information from the second recording layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Chia-Tao Hsu, Chun-Wei Lin
  • Publication number: 20110188365
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for operating log likelihood ratios in a disk apparatus is disclosed. Iterative decoding is applied to the disk apparatus. The method can set windows for a sequence of the log likelihood ratios output by a soft-decision most-likelihood decoder based on the sequence of the log likelihood ratios or an amplitude of a read signal acquired in response to read of data from a data sector on a disk carried out by a head. The method can multiply the log likelihood ratios contained in each of the windows, by a multiplier specific to each window. In addition, the method can transmit the sequence of the log likelihood ratios multiplied by the multiplier for each of the windows to a parity check decoder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Nobuhiro MAETO
  • Publication number: 20110188359
    Abstract: In an optical disk apparatus, the same signal path is used to both reduce an interchannel phase shift in write strategy signals and also to perform the actual writing to the disk. The optical disk apparatus includes a laser diode, a laser diode driver, and a semiconductor integrated circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a write strategy circuit and a control unit for controlling the operation of the write strategy circuit. Information collection for interchannel delay adjustment is performed through the use of the same signal path as that used for transmitting pulse signals from a pulse generation circuit to the laser diode driver for actual writing to an optical disk. Based thereon, an interchannel delay amount for applying laser light to the optical disk is set, thereby reducing the interchannel phase shift in the write strategy signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Ejima, Motokuni Saeki, Jun Sakamoto, Kenji Oishi, Aritsune Nagamura
  • Publication number: 20110181976
    Abstract: A power-saving method adapted in a hard disk in a computer system having a CPU and a memory module is provided. The power-saving method comprises the following steps. A data-to-be-written is transferred from the memory module through the CPU to the hard disk filter. A determining module is provided to determine whether a data access frequency of the computer system exceeds a threshold value. When the data access frequency exceeds the threshold value, the determining module further determines whether a request-queuing time exceeds an idle-mode activation time. When the request-queuing time exceeds the idle-mode activation time interval, the data-to-be-written is stored in a temporary storage location by the hard disk filter. When a condition of the computer system is satisfied, the data-to-be-written is written to the hard disk to extend the duration of an idle-mode of the hard disk. A power-saving operating system is disclosed herein as well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Shih-Cheng CHOU, Chia-Ming HUANG
  • Publication number: 20110182161
    Abstract: The controller includes a deflection signal generator for generating a deflection signal for causing the electron beam to deflect and perform overwriting so that a beam spot of the electron beam follows the translation of the substrate over a period during which the substrate is rotated over a predetermined number of overwriting cycles; and a data output unit for outputting the drawing data, wherein, the deflection signal generator generates a deflection adjustment signal for irradiating the electron beam at a starting position for drawing a concentric circle to be subsequently overwritten after a predetermined deflection adjustment period has elapsed since overwriting of concentric circles based on the drawing data has completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroaki Suzuki, Akio Fukushima, Takayuki Kasuya
  • Publication number: 20110182156
    Abstract: Optical disc recording processing of recording data to be recorded on an optical disc having a plurality of recording layers at a recording velocity depending on the radial position includes use pattern selection processing of selecting a use pattern in which given recordable regions included in a data zone of the optical disc are used for recording of the data to be recorded in given use order, among a plurality of use patterns different in the number of recording layers used, so that the total recording time is shortened, based on given conditions including at least the capacity of the data to be recorded, the recording velocities of use regions in the use pattern, and the number of interlayer shifts in the use pattern. The data to be recorded is recorded according to the use pattern selected in the use pattern selection processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: KEISUKE SASAKI, HIROMICHI SHIMADA, HIROYUKI YABUNO
  • Publication number: 20110176401
    Abstract: A system and method for suppressing jitter in a digital data signal in a signal processor system. The digital data signal has spaced apart byte allocation units wherein such spacing is increased such that unallocated bytes can be identified and removed from the digital data signal. The byte allocation units of the digital data signal are suppressed with a digital data signal being outputted from the signal processor system having suppressed byte allocation units to suppress the occurrence of jitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Mark Porzilli, Sam Laufer
  • Publication number: 20110164332
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for reducing low frequency loss in a magnetic storage device. For example, a data processing circuit is disclosed that includes an amplifier, two filters and a summation element. The amplifier provides an amplified output that is filtered using a first of the two filters to create a first filtered output. The first filtered output is then filtered using the second of the two filters to create a second filtered output. The summation element sums the first filtered output with the second filtered output to provide a pole altered output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventor: Yang Cao
  • Publication number: 20110164487
    Abstract: A writing condition adjusting apparatus according to the present invention adjusts a writing condition using first and second recording patterns. The first recording pattern is used to adjust a writing condition for recording marks and spaces, of which the lengths are equal to or longer than a predetermined recording length, while the second recording pattern is used to adjust a writing condition for recording marks and spaces, of which the lengths are shorter than the predetermined recording length by one recording unit length. If it has been decided that the writing condition that has once been determined by making the write adjustment on such marks that are shorter by one recording unit length needs to be adjusted again, a signal index value that has been defined based on the first recording pattern is set to be a target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventors: Isao Kobayashi, Kohei Nakata
  • Publication number: 20110158065
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for performing a layer jump of a disk. First, a tracking error generation method is determined according to a layer type of a target layer when the layer jump is performed. A tracking error signal is then generated according to the tracking error generation method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Kuo-Ting Hsin, Chao-Ming Huang
  • Publication number: 20110158075
    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 directly 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 current to the laser diode (34). In one aspect, a pair of current reference signals received by the current source (62) control electrical current supply to the diode (34). Incorporated into these controlling reference signals is a simulation of electrical characteristics of the diode (34). In another aspect, each current source (62) responds to a logical inverse of the output signal from the current control register (52) for controlling overshoot in voltage applied across the diode (34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Eric Li, Yi Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110158068
    Abstract: To determine the optimum amplitude of high frequency signal for the loaded disc with a simple configuration to achieve stable playing performance, there is provided an optical disc device comprising: a light source driven by a drive signal with a high frequency signal superimposed; a detector for detecting return light emitted from the light source; and a controller for controlling amplitude of the high frequency signal to be superimposed on the drive signal for the light source; the optical disc device being configured to read data on an optical disc loaded therein by a signal outputted from the detector, wherein the controller determines the amplitude of the high frequency signal to be superimposed on the drive signal based on asymmetry of the signal outputted from the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Shuichi MINAMIGUCHI, Hiroharu Sakai, Hajime Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20110141866
    Abstract: A tracking signal generating apparatus is provided with: a reading device for reading reflected light of a laser beam applied onto a recording medium, thereby obtaining a resulting read signal; an amplitude-limiting device for limiting an amplitude level of the read signal by a predetermined amplitude value, thereby obtaining an amplitude limit signal; a filtering device for performing a high-frequency emphasis filtering process on the amplitude limit signal, thereby obtaining an equalization-corrected signal; and a generating device for performing a phase comparison process on the equalization-corrected signal, thereby generating the tracking signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuru Sato, Shogo Miyanabe, Junichi Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20110122747
    Abstract: An automatic power control system, an automatic power control method, a down sampling circuit and a down sampling method. The automatic power control system is incorporated in an optical disc drive comprising a laser diode for receiving a control signal to generate a laser beam; and a photodetector for detecting the laser beam to generate an analog input signal. The automatic power control system comprises an analog-to-digital converter, a down sampling circuit, a comparator, and a digital-to-analog converter. The analog-to-digital converter converts the analog input signal to digital data. The down sampling circuit, coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, comprises a down sampler, a counter, and a controller. The down sampler receives a predetermined amount of digital data to generate representation data. The counter, coupled to the down sampler, calculates the amount of digital data, and resets the down sampler when the amount equals or exceeds the predetermined count.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Bing-Yu Hsieh, Ming-Jiou Yu, Kuo-Jung Lan, Shu-Hung Chou, Chih-Ching Chen, Chia-Wei Liao
  • Publication number: 20110110210
    Abstract: An information detection device includes an equalizer that equalizes the readout signal to a PR channel having equalization target levels of four or more values, and a Viterbi detector. The Viterbi detector generates branch metrics with the equalization target levels as reference levels to determine recording data from an output of the equalizer. The Viterbi detector has a mode of generating the branch metrics and determining the recording data by limiting at least one out of a maximum value and a minimum value of the equalization target levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventor: Hiromi HONMA
  • Publication number: 20110103207
    Abstract: An optical system of an optical pick-up including a resin coupling lens and a resin objective lens with NA larger than 0.8, wherein, magnification ? satisfies a condition: ?0.13<?<?0.08, a focal length f of the objective lens satisfies a condition: 1.15<f<1.50, the objective lens has an annular zone structure on at least one surface of the objective lens, and the annular zone structure has a plurality of annular zones and has steps each of which extends in a direction of an optical axis of the objective lens and is formed at a boundary between adjacent ones of the plurality of annular zones to cause a predetermined optical path length difference between a light beam passing inside the boundary and a light beam passing outside the boundary, and the optical system of an optical pick-up satisfies a condition: 0.065 < ( ( ? ? 0.95 - 1.00 ) ( ? ? 0.00 - 1.00 ) × d 0 × n f 2 × ( NA 0.85 ) 4 ) P ave + 1 L < 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki YAMAGATA, Satoshi INOUE, Shuichi TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20110090772
    Abstract: The drive apparatus of the present invention includes a recording/reproduction section and a drive control section. The drive control section determines a physical address indicating a location at which data can be recorded next in the determined track of a write-once recording medium as a next writable address, based on the last recorded address in the track; compares the physical address corresponding to the logical address included in the recording instruction with the next writable address; when the physical address corresponding to the logical address is smaller than the next writable address, controls the recording/reproduction section to record the data at a specific location in the user data area other than the location indicated by the physical address corresponding to the logical address in the recording instruction; generates new disc management information; and controls the recording/reproduction section to record the new disc management information in the disc management information area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tadashi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20110090773
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating Viterbi-processed data using an input signal obtained from reading an optical disc includes a Viterbi decoding unit and a control circuit. The Viterbi decoding unit is arranged to process the input signal and generate the Viterbi-processed data. In addition, the control circuit is arranged to control at least one component of the apparatus based upon at least one signal within the apparatus. Additionally, the component includes a phase locked loop (PLL) processing unit, an equalizer, and/or the Viterbi decoding unit. An associated apparatus including an equalizer and a Viterbi module is further provided. An associated apparatus including a Viterbi decoding unit and a control circuit is also provided. An associated apparatus including an equalizer, at least one offset/gain controller, and a Viterbi module is further provided. An associated apparatus including an equalizer, a Viterbi module, and a peak/bottom/central (PK/BM/DC) detector is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Chih-Ching Yu, Pi-Hai Liu, Yu-Hsuan Lin, Ying-Feng Huang, Yuh Cheng, Jin-Bin Yang
  • Publication number: 20110090779
    Abstract: The invention discloses an apparatus for generating a Viterbi-processed data using an input signal obtained from an optical disk, including a Viterbi module and a binary signal enhancing module. The Viterbi module is configured to process the input signal according to a binary signal. The binary signal enhancing module is configured to boost the input signal and generate the binary signal accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Chih-Ching Yu, Yu-Hsuan Lin, Pi-Hai Liu
  • Publication number: 20110085428
    Abstract: An information storage medium according to the present invention has n information storage layers (where n is an integer and n?3), on which data can be written with a laser beam and which are stacked one upon the other. Each of the n storage layers has a test write zone for determining the recording power of the laser beam. When those n layers are counted from the one that is located most distant from the surface of the medium on which the laser beam is incident, there is a bigger radial location difference between the outer peripheral end of the inner one of the test write zones of ith and (i+1)th information storage layers (where i is an integer that satisfies 2?i?n?1) and the inner peripheral end of the other outer test write zone than between the outer peripheral end of the inner one of the test write zones of jth and (j+1)th information storage layers (where j is an integer that satisfies 1?j?i?1) and the inner peripheral end of the other outer test write zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Mamoru Shiji, Kiyotaka Ito
  • Publication number: 20110085429
    Abstract: A recording unit records data read from a buffer for storing therein data reproduced by a CD drive apparatus capable of adjusting a data reproduction volume which is a volume of data to be reproduced per unit time. A decision unit generates a signal which adjusts the data reproduction volume based on a buffering quantity in the buffer or a volume of dataflow in the recording unit, and outputs the generated signal to the CD drive apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wataru TACHIBANA
  • Publication number: 20110080821
    Abstract: In a coupled ring oscillator including q ring oscillators each including p inverter circuits connected together to form a ring shape, and a phase coupling ring including (p×q) phase coupling circuits each of which is configured to couple an output of one of the p inverter circuits of one of the q ring oscillators to an output of one of the p inverter circuits of another one of the q ring oscillators in a predetermined phase relationship, and which are connected together to form a ring shape, for at least one group made up of one of the p inverter circuits in each of the q ring oscillators, outputs of the q inverter circuits belonging to the at least one group are fixed in phase with one another, the q ring oscillators are caused to oscillate in the in-phase fixed state, and then, the outputs of the q inverter circuits are released from the in-phase fixed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori Matsumoto, Shiro Sakiyama, Shiro Dosho, Yusuke Tokunaga, Takashi Morie
  • Publication number: 20110080816
    Abstract: An optical disk apparatus and a method of performing a lead-in process with respect to an optical disk thereof includes a feature where an optical pickup unit reads out information recorded on a file system area of the storage area of the optical disk, and performs a lead-in process using the read-out file system if information recorded on a lead-in area of a storage area of the optical disk cannot be read out. Further, the optical disk apparatus may perform the lead-in process with respect to the optical disk even if there is a defect in the lead-in area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-wan KIM
  • Publication number: 20110063748
    Abstract: A hard disk drive is disclosed and related methods of reading/writing data are disclosed. The hard disk drive includes a disk serving as a main data storage medium, and first and second buffers storing data to be stored on the disk, as well as a controller defining a data I/O path in relation to a detected operating state of the hard disk drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dong-Hyun SONG, Young-Joon CHOI, Bum-Soo KIM, Myung-Jin JUNG
  • Publication number: 20110063960
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus, being improved in a random access speed thereof and superior in a usability thereof, comprises: a virtual disc for memorizing data of at least one (1) pieces of an optical disc; a recording/reproducing means for executing reproduction of data from the optical disc and recording of data onto the optical disc; and a system controller means for controlling the virtual disc and the recording/reproducing means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventor: Tatsuya ISHITOBI
  • Publication number: 20110063963
    Abstract: There is provided an optical recording method for directing a recording pulse train to an optical disc medium to form marks thereon and for recording information as information about the edge positions of said marks and the spaces between marks, the recording pulse train having been created by modulating laser light into plural power levels. The method includes: coding to-be-recorded data into coded data consisting of the combination of marks and spaces; classifying said marks within said coded data on the basis of the mark length and the preceding or succeeding space lengths of the marks; shifting the position of the second pulse edge counted from the end portion of the recording pulse train for forming said marks, depending on the result of said classification, to adjust said recording pulse train; and directing said recording pulse train to the optical disc medium to form said marks thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Atsushi NAKAMURA, Naoyasu Miyagawa
  • Publication number: 20110063747
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for acquiring timing and/or gain information. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide data processing circuits that include a sample splitting circuit, a first averaging circuit, a second averaging circuit and a parameter calculation circuit. The sample splitting circuit receives a data input that includes a series of samples that repeat periodically over at least a first phase and a second phase. The sample splitting circuit divides the series of samples into at least a first sub-stream corresponding to the first phase and a second sub-stream corresponding to the second phase. The first averaging circuit averages values from the first sub-stream to yield a first average, and the second averaging circuit averages values from the second sub-stream to yield a second average. The parameter calculation circuit calculates a parameter value based at least in part on the first average and the second average.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: George Mathew, Hongwei Song, Yuan Xing Lee