North American Philips Corporation

Philips Electronics N.a. Corporation

Fred N Wamble

Johannes J Verboom

A method and apparatus for recovering data from an optical read channel provides for improved recording density by tolerating lower phase and amplitude margins. The method includes digitizing a plurality of samples of a first signal, clipping the digitized samples of the first signal, digitally differentiating the clipped digitized samples, determining the relative locations of signal polarity changes, and generating logical values for channel bits based, at least in part, on the relative locations of signal polarity changes. The apparatus for recovering data from an optical read channel includes a signal-level limiter, a digital differentiator coupled to the signal-level limiter, a min/max detector coupled to the digital differentiator, a zero-crossing detector coupled to the digital differentiator, an update signal generator coupled to the zero-crossing detector and the min/max detector, and a channel bit transition generator.

Method and apparatus for maximum likelihood detection

The beginning of a segment within a track of a record carrier, having a plurality of frames in each segment, is identified by detecting the presence of a control mark at a given position near the beginning of a frame, and the absence of a control mark at an adjoining position at which a control mark will be found in all other frames of the segment. The other frames of each segment are free from a mark at the given position. The next bit position containing a mark, after the given position and its adjoining position, is the clock bit position used for bit clock synchronization. An apparatus for reading these marks may include a qualification circuit for evaluating the magnitude of the difference in detector output at the given bit position and the adjoining bit position.

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Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Fred N Wamble