Abstract: An optical disc device is provided with an optical head (1) including a light source (21), a condensing optical system including an objective lens (28) for receiving a light beam emitted from the light source and forming a microspot on a multilayer optical recording medium, a photodetector (201) for receiving the light beam reflected by the multilayer optical recording medium and outputting an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of light and a coma aberration correcting element (26) for correcting a coma aberration of the condensing optical system, and a processing circuit (3) for controlling the condensing optical system and the coma aberration correcting element.

Abstract: In a multi-layer optical disc, having three (3) or more recording layers thereof, for enabling an easy focus lead-in operation onto a desired recording layer, reflectivity of respective recording layers are so determined that a ratio between the reflectivity of the desired recording layer and the reflectivity of other recording layers is equal or greater than a predetermined value, upon basis of the reflectivity of the other recording layers.

Abstract: According to the present invention, the size of defect management information is reduced by using a top spare area 102 and middle spare areas 103 in the ascending order of their physical block addresses and spare areas can be expanded more easily by using only the last spare area 104 in the descending order of its physical block addresses.

Abstract: An optical record carrier (30) comprising a plurality of information layers formed above a first surface of a substrate wherein at least one of the information layers is a re-writable cache layer is disclosed. The data that is read more than once is copied on to the re-writable cache layer when the recording/reproducing device is not in active use. Next time when the same data is requested, it can be read from the re-writable cache layer. This is advantageous since the data is stored un-fragmented on the re-writable cache layer and the re-writable cache layer can have higher read speeds than the other information layers in the optical record carrier. Therefore, the re-writable cache layer can improve the system performance in terms of read speed.

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

Abstract: An optical disc, and a recording/reproducing method and apparatus to record information on the optical disc. The optical disc includes an optical information storage layer, including a layer format region and a user data region. The layer format region is divided into virtual layers that are disposed at different depths. The virtual layers include layer information to distinguish the virtual layers from one another.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a read-once record medium, comprising: a data substrate, having control data zone and a data zone, and said having pre-record data; a sensitive layer, disposed above said data substrate; a refractive layer, disposed above said sensitive layer; an adhesive layer, disposed above said refractive layer; and a transparent substrate, disposed above said adhesive layer; thereby, the structure of said sensitive layer or said data substrate will be changed when laser beams with specified power emitted from an optical storage device pass through the data substrate and focus on the sensitive layer, and the laser beams will be reflected by the sensitive layer and can not be recognized by the optical storage device. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a system with read protecting function.

Abstract: An information recording medium comprises a substrate, a second recording layer, a second light transmitting layer, a first recording layer for recording different information from that to be recorded in the second recording layer, and a first light transmitting layer. The second recording layer is formed with a continuous second microscopic pattern of grooves. The first recording layer is formed with a continuous first microscopic pattern of grooves that is different from the second microscopic pattern. Both sidewalls of raised portions of the first and second microscopic patterns are formed with wobbling so as to be parallel with each other. Auxiliary information and a reference clock is recorded on these sidewalls alternately and continuously.

Abstract: A multilayer optical disk apparatus comprises an optical pickup that emits N (N represents an integer of two or more) laser beams of the same wavelength. The optical pickup emits the N laser beams at the same time, focuses the N laser beams on a first recording layer group alternately configured by N recording layers of the multilayer optical disk and performs a recording operation on the N recording layers at the same time. When changing the recording layers the optical pickup focuses the N laser beams on a second recording layer group configured by recording layers adjacent to the respective recording layers configuring the first recording layer group and performs a recording operation on the N recording layers at the same time.

Abstract: A recording medium includes: at least one recording layer on which information is recorded by multi-photon absorption; and a servo layer disposed in a laminated direction with respect to the recording layer and having a track for guiding a beam spot of laser light having a first wavelength and a beam spot of laser light having a second wavelength along a scanning trajectory, wherein the servo layer and the at least one recording layer constitute a set of layers, and a plurality of sets of layers is formed in the laminated direction.

Abstract: An indolium compound is represented by formula (I): Ring A: a benzene or naphthalene ring. Ring B: 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic or aromatic ring. Z: alkyl group having 1-8 carbon atoms, may be substituted with a halogen atom or interrupted by —O—, —CO—, —OCO—, or —COO—, a sulfonyl group having a hydrocarbyl group having -8 carbon atoms, a sulfinyl group having a hydrocarbyl group having 1-8 carbon atoms, an alkylamino group having an alkyl group having 1-8 carbon atoms, a dialkylamino group having alkyl groups having 1-8 carbon atoms, a cyano group, a nitro group, a hydroxyl group, or a halogen group. R1: group represented by formula (II) or (II?). R2: organic group having 1-30 carbon atoms or group represented by formula (II), (II?), or (III). Y: group represented by formula (III). n: integer 0-4; Anm?: m-valent anion, m is 1 or 2.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information recording apparatus capable of reproducing recorded recording information without giving strange feeling even in the case where it is necessary to switch a recording layer among multiple recording layers, and an information recording program for executing the information recording process. An information recording apparatus R for recording “recording information Sr” to an optical disk DK having a plurality of recording layers L0 and L1 has a CPU 4 for detecting the content of the recording information Sr during recording of the recording information Sr to the recording layer L0, on the basis of the detected content, switching the recording layer L0 to which the recording information Sr is switched to the recording layer L1, and continuing recording of the recording information Sr.

Abstract: A multilayer information storage medium according to the present invention includes: a substrate; at least three information storage layers, which are stacked one upon the other on the substrate; a plurality of transparent layers, each of which is arranged between its associated adjacent ones of the information storage layers; and a transparent coating layer. At least two of the transparent layers have mutually different thicknesses. If a laser beam with a wavelength of 400 nm to 410 nm is incident perpendicularly on the medium through the transparent coating layer, two of the information storage layers that sandwich the thinnest one of the transparent layers have a higher returning light intensity and/or a higher degree of modulation than the other information storage layers.

Abstract: An optical pickup (100) includes: (i) a light source (101) for emitting a laser beam; (ii) an optical system (105, etc.) for introducing the laser beam into one of recording layers; (iii) an optical function element (104) for changing a predetermined polarized state in the laser beam in the unit of micro regions contained in the region where the laser beam is applied for each of the micro region positions; and (iv) light receiving means (PD0, etc.) for receiving at least the laser beam.

Abstract: Apparatuses, products, devices and methods, of manufacture consistent with the invention include optically readable media with at least one mechanism, chemical, agent, and/or process for limiting the time period that at least a portion of encoded information can be read and/or accessed by an optical beam and/or reader capable of reading the encoded information.

Abstract: A combination optical disc (1) is disclosed, which contains at least two information layers (10, 11) of at least two different storage formats selected from for example CD, DVD, BD. Information is stored on the disc (1) concerning the storage format of the layers (10, 11). According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the formats contains information indicating that a second, or even third, format is present on the same disc. Now a device may select a Format different from the one detected during start up. Alternatively, all formats present on a single disc are identified by an identifier on the disc. Such art identifier may be located in the BCA area, a chip (4) on disc or in a bar code on the disc itself.

Abstract: A method of providing interactivity over a set of multiple optical storage media (90, 91) is disclosed. A logical unit, such as a playitem of a playlist is provided on a storage medium (90) of the set of optical storage media (90, 91), comprising information about contents stored on at least one other storage medium (91) of said set of optical storage media. Furthermore, a corresponding optical disc reading apparatus, optical storage medium, and a computer-readable medium, are disclosed.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a multi-layer structure recording layer structure recording layer portion including plural recording layers provided with tracks for guiding a recording light and being adapted to record data, where recording condition information and recording layer identification information for the recording layers are recorded on the tracks as information signals. Test writing is conducted on a recording layer that is subject to recording to derive a suitable recording condition based on recording condition information that is recorded on the recording layer, and direct recording is conducted according to a direct recording condition.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a first recording layer, and a second recording layer contiguous to the first recording layer in a laminated direction. A recording operation is performed with respect to the first recording layer and the second recording layer in such a manner that frequency bands of reproducing signals are different from each other.

Abstract: A method, a device, and a computer-readable medium for simulating a multilayer optical storage medium are disclosed. A multiple-layer optical storage medium is simulated by using a set of multiple single-layer media, wherein the number of multiple single-layer media is equal to or smaller than the number of multiple layers of the multiple layer optical storage medium, and each single layer of the set of multiple single-layer media comprises a copy of the corresponding layer of the multiple-layer medium. This is transparent to any application software accessing a device having such a single-layer medium inserted therein by the drive reporting to the application that a multi-layer optical storage medium has actually been inserted into the device for reading or writing. The device may be comprised in an audio-visual player and/or a recorder such as a DVD recorder.

Abstract: A secure optical data disc comprising an electronic article surveillance tag embedded within a layered disc structure comprising first and second substrates is disclosed. The tag is placed within a non-readable zone (i.e., one that does not have data tracks) of the secure disc. To improve signal quality of the tag, the reflective metal layer thickness is minimized and discontinuities are introduced on the reflective metal layer. A first discontinuity separates a data track region of the disc from a mirror/ID band region. A second, radial discontinuity opens the mirror/ID band ring.

Abstract: A multi-layered information recording medium comprising a plurality of recording layers, a user data area for recording user data, provided in at least two of the plurality of recording layers, and a defect list storing area for storing a defect list. When at least one defective area is detected in the user data area, the defect list is used to manage the at least one defective area.

Abstract: A device for recording information on a record carrier (11) is arranged for formatting a multilayer record carrier. The device has formatting means (16) for formatting the record carrier according which formatting includes de-icing by, in the event that locations in the user data area have not yet been recorded, writing dummy data (60) on the locations. The formatting means (16) determine a first radial position (50) and a first layer (40), which first radial position is indicative of a location on the first layer on which user data will be recorded first according to a predefined recording format. Subsequently said de-icing is started by writing of dummy data on a second layer (41) of the record carrier at the first radial position, opposite the location of the first user data (55). Hence a de-iced area (58) is created opposite the user data (55).