Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Tae-yong Doh

In-sik Park

Byoung-ho Choi

Byung-in Ma

Chong-sam Chung

Jung-wan Ko

Jin-hoon Jeon

Kyung-geun Lee

Jung-kwon Heo

Byung-jun Kim

Yong-Hoon Lee

Han-kook Choi

Seok-jung Kim

Joong-Eon Seo

Sun-mo Kim

Byung-ho Choi

Byung-In Ma

Tae-yeon Lee

An optical recording medium having a read-only storage area and a writable storage area and a recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefor. The optical recording medium is a hybrid disc having both the read-only storage area, which is suitable for mass production of information having the same contents, and the writable storage area on which data can be recorded, updated or added at a user's option. The read-only storage area has a structure that is completely compatible with a digital versatile disc read only memory (DVD-ROM) specification, and the writable storage area is compatible with the recording/reproducing characteristics of a writable DVD specification so that an existing reproducing-only apparatus can read information from the read-only storage area, and data can be recorded in the writable storage area using an apparatus obtained by minimally changing an existing recording/reproducing apparatus while maintaining the physical recording characteristics of the existing recording/reproducing apparatus.

Optical recording medium having read-only storage area and writable storage area and recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefor

Optical recording medium read-only storage area and writeable storage area and recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefor

An error signal detection method includes detecting light incident through an objective lens after having been reflected and diffracted from a recording medium, as eight light portions in a matrix including four inner light portions and four outer light portions, wherein the rows and columns of the matrix are parallel to the tangential and radial direction of the recording medium, respectively; calculating a first sum signal by summing a detection signal from at least one outer light portion located in a first diagonal direction, and a detection signal from an inner light portion located in a second diagonal direction; calculating second sum signal by summing a detection signal from an inner light portion located in the first diagonal direction, and a detection signal from an outer light portion located in the second diagonal direction; and comparing phases of the first and second sum signals to detect a tilt error signal.

Error signal detection apparatus and method for optical recording/reproducing system

Optical recording medium having read-only storage area and writeable storage area and recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefor

An apparatus to generate a seek direction detecting signal for an optical pickup to determine a position of a center of an optical spot focused on an optical disk relative to a center of a track, which focuses a main beam on a first optical detector and a sub-beam having a predetermined aberration in a radial direction on a second optical detector using a light dividing unit. The second optical detector has an inner and an outer pair of light receiving portions arranged along the radial direction, the inner pair being between the outer pair. A signal processing portion includes a first signal processing portion to detect a track error signal from signals output from the first optical detector, and a second signal processing portion to generate the seek direction detecting signal from signals detected by the second optical detector and the track error signal.

Apparatus for generating seek direction detecting signal using track error and track cross signals for an optical pickup

An error signal detection apparatus for an optical recording/reproducing system including a light source emitting a light beam and an objective lens focusing the light beam to form a light spot on a recording medium, the apparatus including: a photodetecting unit dividing at least a part of the light beam passed through the objective lens after being reflected/diffracted from an information stream of the recording medium into light beam portions, and detecting the light beam portions; and a signal processor detecting phase differences between detection signals from the light beam portions to detect a tangential error signal, a defocus error signal, and/or a radial tilt error signal.

Defocus error signal detection apparatus having phase comparators and a matrix circuit for an optical recording/reproduction system

An apparatus for and a method of detecting a defocus error signal. First, second and third light receiving regions of a photodetector are arranged in a radial direction of a recording medium to independently perform photoelectric conversion with respect to incident light which is reflected/diffracted by the recording medium. A subtractor subtracts a sum signal of detection signals from the first and third light receiving regions and a detection signal of the second light receiving region to output a defocus error signal, to detect defocus and/or a change in thickness of the recording medium. The defocus error signal and a push-pull tracking error signal are compared in a state in which a predetermined amount of defocus is applied to a light spot to detect a seek direction of the recording medium having a land/groove structure.

Apparatus for and method of detecting defocus error signal for optical pickup and apparatus for and method of detecting seek direction

An apparatus generating a seek direction detecting signal includes a light dividing unit dividing an incident light beam into at least two beams having a main beam and a sub-beam so that at least two beam spots including a main beam spot and at least one sub-beam spot having an optical aberration, can be focused in the track direction of an optical disk, the light dividing unit providing that the direction of the optical aberration of the sub-beam spot can be the tangential direction of the optical disk, an optical detector unit, a first signal processing portion processing a track error signal from signals output from the optical detector, a second signal processing portion processing a track cross signal from the signals output from the optical detector, and a generator generating the seek direction detecting signal from the phase difference between the track cross signal and the track error signal.

Apparatus generating a seek direction detecting signal for an optical pickup using track cross and track error signals

An error signal detection method and apparatus for an optical recording/reproducing system. The error signal detection method includes: (a) detecting light incident through an objective lens after having been reflected and diffracted from a recording medium, as eight light portions arranged in a 2&#xd7;4 matrix, including four inner light portions, and four outer light portions around the corresponding inner light portions, wherein the rows and columns of the matrix are parallel to the tangential and radial direction of the recording medium, respectively; (b) calculating a first sum signal by summing a detection signal from at least one outer light portion located in a first diagonal direction, and a detection signal from an inner light portion located in a second diagonal direction; (c) calculating second sum signal by summing a detection signal from an inner light portion located in the first diagonal direction, and a detection signal from an outer light portion located in the second diagonal direction; and (d) comparing phases of the first and second sum signals and outputting a phase comparison signal, wherein a tilt error signal is detected from the phase comparison signal. The tilt error signal detected using the method by the error signal detection apparatus has a high signal-to-noise ratio, and is less affected by detracting.

Error signal detection apparatus and method for optical recording/reproducing system including comparing phases of sum signals

At least part of a light beam reflected from an optical disc is divided into first through fourth light areas in directions corresponding to the radial and tangential directions of the disc, and first through fourth detection signals are output from the light areas. The first through fourth light areas are ordered counterclockwise or clockwise. A phase difference is obtained between a first sum signal obtained by summing the first and third detection signals and a second sum signal obtained by summing the second and fourth detection signals and first and second phase difference signals are output based upon the phase difference. The phase difference signals are summed to generate an optical recording/reproducing system monitoring signal for system adjustment even for high density optical discs, the monitoring signal being proportional to the degrees of a radial tilt, tangential tilt, a defocus, or a detrack.

Method and apparatus to generate a monitoring signal for an optical recording/reproducing system

Error signal detection apparatus for an optical recording/reproduction system

A four-axial driving actuator for an optical pickup with improved bobbin dynamic characteristics, in which the winding starting ports for a focus coil, tracking coil, and tilt coil are separate from one another, and the winding end ports thereof are combined as a common ground. The four-axial driving actuator includes: a base; a holder fixed on the base; a bobbin to which an objective lens is fixed; spring wires connected between the bobbin and the holder; and a magnetic driving unit driving the bobbin in the focus, track, or tilt direction with a focus coil, a tracking coil, and a tilt coil, wherein the magnetic driving unit comprises a circuit unit including winding starting ports for the focus coil, tracking coil, and tilt coil, and a common ground port at which winding end ports for the focus coil, tracking coil, and tilt coil are grounded, and the circuit unit applies a voltage to the tracking coil, tracking coil, and tilt coil. In the four-axial driving actuator for an optical pickup, the bobbin and the holder are connected with only four wires serving as electric wires, so that moving characteristics of the bobbin are improved and the assembly time is reduced.

Four-axial driving actuator for optical pickup

An apparatus for use in an optical disc includes an optical disc and an optical branching unit irradiating a main light beam and a sub-light beam, wherein the sub-light beam includes a optical aberration in a direction on a track of the optical disc. The apparatus further includes a photodetector including a plurality of portions receiving and processing the main light beam and a plurality of portions receiving and processing the sub-light beam. A track error signal detector detects a track error signal from the portions receiving the main light beam. A track cross signal detector detects a track cross signal from the portions receiving the main light beam and from the portions receiving the sub-light beam. A signal processor further compares the track error signal with the track cross signal to detect the seek direction of a light spot formed on the optical disc.

Apparatus for generating seek direction detection signal

An error signal detecting apparatus for an optical recording/reproducing apparatus, the error signal detecting apparatus including a photodetector to receive light reflected and diffracted by a recording medium, and a signal processor to detect an error signal by calculating a detection signal of the photodetector. The photodetector includes a plurality of light receiving areas to independently receive light of a light area in which the profile of the light changes to the opposite profile according to the tangential tilt of the recording medium. The signal processor detects a tangential tilt error signal from detection signals of the light receiving areas. Thus, a signal output from the error signal detecting apparatus does not change when a shift is generated in the objective lens or the distance between the objective lens and the disc is deviated from the on-focus position. Also, a change in the profile of the light beam according to a relative tangential tilt with respect to the objective lens of a recording medium in land/groove format can be properly detected so that an accurate tangential tilt error signal can be detected.

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Suwon, South Korea

Tae-yong Doh