Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Kun-soo Kim

Pyong-yong Seong

Jong-koog Lee

Yong-jun Cho

Jong-ryull Kim

Sung-du Kwon

Sun-mook Park

Hyung-taek Oh

Jong-hwa Yu

Jang-hoon Yoo

Chul-Woo Lee

Kun-Ho Cho

Ju-hyung Lee

Eun-goo Kim

Myoung-soo Choi

Dong-ryeol Lee

Seung-man Han

Hyun-seob Choi

Chun-gi Kim

In-wook Hwang

Myong-soo Choi

Pyong-Yong Seong

An apparatus and method for detecting beam power generated by a plurality of light sources, using a single device. The apparatus includes a light-receiving unit that receives the beam power generated by one of a plurality of light sources, and an amplifying unit that selects a gain, amplifies the beam power received by the light-receiving unit according to the selected gain, and outputs the beam power amplified as a detected beam power. According to the apparatus and method, received beam power (or amplification gain) is amplified by a gain determined according to the characteristics of the respective light sources. Thus, it is possible to provide the detected beam power in consideration of a sufficient dynamic range for the each light source, thereby realizing effective APC.

Apparatus and method for detecting beam power in optical drive

An optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes an optical pickup and a signal processor. The optical pickup includes an optical splitting device which splits light emitted from a first light source into a main light beam and sub-light beams which are symmetrical with respect to the main light beam and irradiates the split light beams on a recording medium, and a light detection device which receives the main light beam and the sub-light beams reflected by the recording medium, so as to detect a tracking error signal in a three-beam method and one of a push-pull method and an improved push-pull method. The signal processor receives the detection signals output by the light detection device and detects the tracking error signal in the three-beam method and one of the push-pull method and the improved push-pull method, and otherwise selectively detects the tracking error signal in one of the three-beam method, the push-pull method and the improved push-pull method, so as to realize an optimal tracking servo-control. Since a selective use of one of the improved push-pull method, the push-pull method and the three-beam method can be made according to the type of an optical disc, the optimal tracking servo-control can be realized regardless of the depth of a pit in an optical disc during a reproduction of data from the optical disc, such as a non-rewritable optical disc.

Tracking error signal detecting method selectively using a push-pull method, an improved push-pull method, and a three beam method and optical recording/reproducing apparatus using the same

An optical pickup for a recording medium includes a light source, an objective lens, a main photodetector, and a front photodetector. The configuration of the optical pickup enables converging or diverging of light to be incident on a plate beam splitter so that light can be received at an effective light receiving region of a front photodetector without interference due to internal reflection occurring in the plate beam splitter. In the alternative, a wedge beam splitter in the optical pickup includes first and second mirror planes at a predetermined angle to transmit and reflect incident light at a predetermined ratio. In the optical pickup, an amount of light that is exactly proportional to an output power of the light source can be detected, where the output power of the light source can be accurately controlled, thereby improving a linearity of the output power of the light source.

Optical pickup and a wedge beam splitter

An optical pickup includes a light source module in which first and second light sources that emit first and second light beams of different wavelengths are integrated into a single package, an objective lens that focuses the first and second light beams to form a light spot on a recording surface of a recording medium, a light path changer that changes a path along which the first and second light beams propagate, a photodetector that receives the first and second light beams entered via the objective lens and the light path changer and detects an information signal and/or error signal, and an optical element disposed on a path along which the first and second light beams propagate to act as a lens with respect to only one of the first and second light beams so as to correct a position difference along a light propagation direction between the first and second light sources. Accordingly, it possible to correct a position difference along a light propagation axis between the two light sources in the light source module. Obtaining the same light propagation axis is made possible by using the optical element to make the two light propagation axes coincidental or by using a separate optical element to perform this function. This allows the optical pickup to be used for recording as well as for reproducing.

Optical pickup using two-wavelength light source module and method for correcting position difference

An optical pickup using a two-wavelength light source module includes a light source module, a collimating lens, and a first optical element. The light source module includes first and second light sources which emit first and second light beams of different wavelengths and are formed in a single package. The collimating lens directs the first and/or second light beams into convergent light or divergent light so that the convergent light or the divergent light is incident on the objective lens. The optical pickup is a finite optical system due to the collimating lens. The first optical element is disposed on the traveling paths of the first and second light beams, operates as a lens only for one of the first and second light beams, and corrects a position difference between the first and second light sources along a traveling direction of light. The optical pickup further includes a second optical element which is disposed on the traveling paths of the first and second light beams and matches traveling optical axes of the first and second light beams with each other.

Optical pickup using two-wavelength light source module

A compatible type optical pickup using a wedge type beam splitter that can record and/or reproduce information on/from optical recording media having different formats. The compatible type optical pickup includes: a first light source that generates and emits a first light beam of a predetermined wavelength; a second light source that generates and emits a second light beam having a different wavelength from that of the first light beam; a wedge type beam splitter disposed in an optical path between the first and second light sources, which changes the traveling paths of the first and second light beams to allow the first and second light beams to travel along the same optical path and minimizes aberrations; a main beam splitter disposed in an optical path between the wedge type beam splitter and an optical recording medium, which changes the traveling paths of incident light beams; an objective lens that focuses the first and second light beams entered via the main beam splitter onto the optical recording medium; and a main photodetector that receives the first and second light beams reflected from the optical recording medium detects an information signal and an error signal.

Optical pickup using a wedge type beam splitter

An optical pickup device includes a light source for emitting light, a beam splitter installed on an optical path of the light emitted from the light source for splitting the light, an objective lens for focusing a main light split by the beam splitter at an optical disk, a monitoring photodetector for receiving a sub-light split by the beam splitter and monitoring the amount of light output from the light source, a main photodetector for receiving the light emitted from the light source and reflected by the optical disk and passing through the beam splitter and detecting an error signal and an information signal, and a collimating lens installed on the optical path between the light source and the beam splitter for focusing both the main light and sub-light split by the beam splitter, so that the amount of light received by the monitoring photodetector increases.

Optical pickup device

A compatible optical pickup capable of recording or reproducing information on or from compact disc (CD) family media such as CD rewritable (CD-RW) and digital versatile disc (DVD) by adopting a stepped planar lens having a plurality of gratings. The compatible optical pickup includes a first optical source for emitting a first light beam having a predetermined wavelength; a second optical source for emitting a second light beam having a long wavelength relative to the first light beam; an optical path changing element for changing the traveling path of an incident light beam; an objective lens for condensing the first and second light beams onto optical discs having different thicknesses, respectively; an optical diffraction element having a first region which directly transmits the first and second light beams incident thereto, and a second region bounding the first region, which directly transmits the incident first light beam and diffractingly transmits the second light beam toward an optical axis; and a photodetector for detecting an information signal and an error signal from the first and second light beam which have been reflected by the optical discs and passed through the optical path changing element. Also, the optical diffraction element is a stepped planar lens in which one or more stepped pattern periods each having a plurality of annular gratings are arranged in the second region, wherein the depths of the gratings become smaller moving away from the optical axis, and the maximum depth thereof is a predetermined value.

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Seoul, South Korea

Kun-soo Kim