60results about "Recording by optical means" patented technology

A virtual file system including multiple storage processor nodes including a management node, a backbone switch, a disk drive array, and a virtual file manager executing on the management node. The backbone switch enables communication between the storage processor nodes. The disk drive array is coupled to and distributed across the storage processor nodes and stores multiple titles. Each title is divided into data subchunks which are distributed across the disk drive array in which each subchunk is stored on a disk drive of the disk drive array. The virtual file manager manages storage and access of each subchunk, and manages multiple directory entries including a directory entry for each title. Each directory entry is a list of subchunk location entries in which each subchunk location entry includes a storage processor node identifier, a disk drive identifier, and a logical address for locating and accessing each subchunk of each title.

An information recording medium having such a recording material layer on a substrate where reversible phase change between electrically or optically detectable states can be caused by electric energy or electromagnetic energy. The recording material forming the recording layer is either a material having a crystal structure including lattice defects in one phase of the reversible phase change or a material having a complex phase composed of a crystal portion including a lattice defect in one phase of the reversible phase change and an amorphous portion. Both portions contain a common element. A part of the lattice defects are filled with an element other than the element constituting the crystal structure. The recording medium having a recording thin film exhibits little variation of the recording and reproduction characteristics even after repetition of recording and reproduction, excellent weatherability, strong resistance against composition variation, and easily controllable characteristics.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a heat-assisted magnetic recording head, capable of joining a light source unit and a slider with a sufficiently high alignment accuracy. In the method, the unit including a light source is joined to the slider including a head part. First, at least one marker provided on the head-part end surface is set so that the distance from the waveguide incident center to the marker end is substantially equal to the distance from the light-emission center of the light source to the end surface of the light source. After that, the unit and slider are relatively moved while keeping the unit in surface contact with the slider, and the relative positions are set so that the end of the marker coincides with, or is at a distance within an acceptable range from, the edge of the surface of the light source.

A heat emitting probe including a conductive nanotube probe needle with its base end fastened to a holder and its tip end protruded, a heat emitting body formed on the probe needle, a conductive nanotube lead wire fastened to the heat emitting body, and an electric current supply that causes an electric current to pass through the conductive nanotube lead wire and both ends of the probe needle. The tip end of the probe needle is thus heated by an electric current flowing through the heat emitting body. A heat emitting probe apparatus includes the above-described heat emitting probe, a scanning mechanism that allows the heat emitting probe to scan over a thermal recording medium, and a control circuit that causes the tip end of the probe needle to emit heat, thus recording extremely small hole patterns in the surface of a thermal recording medium.

A method and system for magnetic recording using self-organized magnetic nanoparticles is disclosed. The method may include depositing surfactant coated nanoparticles on a substrate, wherein the surfactant coated nanoparticles represent first bits of recorded information. The surfactant coating is then removed from selected of the surfactant coated nanoparticles. The selected nanoparticles with their surfactant coating removed may then be designated to represent second bits of recorded information. The surfactant coated nanoparticles have a first saturation magnetic moment and the selected nanoparticles with the surfactant coating removed have a second saturation magnetic moment. Therefore, by selectively removing the surfactant coating from certain nanoparticles, a write operation for recording the first and second bits of information may be performed. A read operation may be carried out by detecting the different magnetic moments of the surfactant coated nanoparticles and the non-surfactant coated nanoparticles.

An optical apparatus includes: a light source outputting light; a head disposed so as to face a disk on which a signal is recordable, the head being capable of condensing a light from the light source onto the disk as near-field light; an distance adjusting mechanism adjusting a distance between the head and the disk; first control means for causing the head to approach the disk and controlling the head to nearly stop at a position where a distance from the disk is a first distance at which the light is condensed on the disk by the head as the near-field light; detection means for detecting if the distance is the first distance; and second control means for controlling the distance adjusting mechanism based on the detected signal so as that the distance is a second distance under near-field light condition.

A method for manufacturing a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head is provided, in which joined are: a light source unit that includes a light source having a surface including a light-emission center on the joining surface side of a unit substrate; and a slider that includes an optical system having a light-receiving end surface reaching a back surface opposite to the opposed-to-medium surface. This method utilizes “semi-active alignment” that uses an alignment light, and comprises steps of: causing a light to enter the light source from a surface opposite to the light-emission center; detecting the light that has passed through the light source and is emitted from the light-emission center to align the light-emission center with the light-receiving end surface of the slider; and bonding the light source unit to the slider. This manufacturing method can achieve the alignment with a sufficiently high alignment accuracy in a short processing time.

A data storage system that includes a positioning system for positioning the write / read mechanism and the storage medium of the data storage device with respect to each other in first and second predefined directions. The positioning system comprises a positioning apparatus comprising microfabricated first and second positioning assemblies. The positioning system further comprises a controller to position a positionable support structure of the first positioning assembly in a first predefined direction within a range of positioning that is larger, than the range of movement of a moveable support structure of the first positioning assembly by controlling (A) a stationary support structure clamp in clamping and unclamping the positionable structure to and from the support structure, (B) a moveable structure clamp in clamping and unclamping the positionable support structure to and from the moveable support structure, and (C) the movement of the moveable support structure. In one embodiment, one of the write / read mechanism and the storage medium is carried by the positionable support structure so that it is positioned with the first positioning assembly. The other one of the write / read mechanism and the storage medium is positioned with the second positioning assembly. In another embodiment, the positionable support structure carries the second positioning assembly and one of the write / read mechanism and the storage medium is positioned with the second positioning assembly while the other is held stationary. In several embodiments, the read / write mechanism is used:to mechanically write data to and electrically read data from the storage medium. In still another embodiment, the read / write mechanism is used to optically write data to and electrically read data from the storage medium. In yet another embodiment, the read / write mechanism is acoustically aided in electrically writing data to and reading data from the storage medium.

A battery-operated recording medium controller monitors the ID of a replayed melody and when a replay ID comparing section (A126) makes a decision that a melody of the same ID as the previous one is replayed, a section (A127) for judging necessity of auxiliary information designates an auxiliary information access control section not to acquire auxiliary information (ID3 tag) again from a disc but to reuse auxiliary information stored in an auxiliary information storing section A. Consequently, the number of times of accessing the recording medium is decreased, and when the auxiliary information added to reproduction data like the ID3 tag of an MP3 is acquired, moving distance of an optical pickup is decreased and current consumption can be reduced.

A digital signal receiving apparatus is disclosed. The digital signal receiving apparatus includes a main signal discriminating unit configured to discriminate a main signal of a received signal, a monitor signal discriminating unit configured to discriminate a monitor signal of the received signal, an error monitoring unit configured to monitor a discriminating error of the monitor signal discriminating unit, and a discriminating point control unit configured to control the discriminating points of the main signal discriminating unit and the monitor signal discriminating unit. The discriminating point control unit monitors an output of the error monitoring unit, moves the discriminating point of the monitor signal discriminating unit in the amplitude directions and the phase directions such that a discriminating error occurs, detects a center of discriminating points where errors are generated, and sets the detected center of the discriminating points as the discriminating point of the main signal discriminating unit.

A data storage medium that includes several stacked layers. The stacked layers can be conducting, insulating, resistive, or capable of changing between two or more states or phases. Also, a data storage device that includes the data storage medium and an energy source that can form nanometer-scaled data bits in regions of the data storage medium. The data bits can include holes through some of the stacked layers or phase-changes in portions of the layers capable of changing between two or more states. Further, a method of using such a storage medium to store nanometer-scaled data bits.

A method of manufacturing an electronic circuit comprises: providing an electronic circuit having a first configuration in which the circuit comprises a resistive element having a first resistance, and irradiating at least a part of the resistive element with electromagnetic radiation to change the resistance of the resistive element from the first resistance to a second resistance, the second resistance being lower than the first resistance. A method of storing data comprises: receiving a piece of data to be stored; determining a number according to the data; and irradiating at least part of a resistive element with that number of pulses of electromagnetic radiation to change a resistance of the resistive element from a first resistance to a second resistance, the second resistance being lower than the first resistance. A difference between the first resistance and the second resistance is dependent on the number. Corresponding circuits and data storage systems are disclosed.

The object of the present invention is to realize reduction of the level jitter generated from a noise component at a signal saturation level or a waveform distortion in a portion except for signal polarity portions (rising edge and falling edge), and good error characteristics. In the present invention, a predetermined upper or lower limit value is set to reproduction signals, the reproduction signals are subjected to a limiter processing for correcting reproduction signals of the upper limit value or more, or the lower limit value or less to the level of the upper limit value or the lower limit value, respectively, the signal subjected to the limiter processing is subjected to a partial response equalizing (PR equalizing) processing, and PR reproduction is performed to improve the level jitter at PR detection time and the error rate at information reproduction time.

A method and system for magnetic recording using self-organized magnetic nanoparticles is disclosed. The method may include depositing surfactant coated nanoparticles on a substrate, wherein the surfactant coated nanoparticles represent first bits of recorded information. The surfactant coating is then removed from selected of the surfactant coated nanoparticles. The selected nanoparticles with their surfactant coating removed may then be designated to represent second bits of recorded information. The surfactant coated nanoparticles have a first saturation magnetic moment and the selected nanoparticles with the surfactant coating removed have a second saturation magnetic moment. Therefore, by selectively removing the surfactant coating from certain nanoparticles, a write operation for recording the first and second bits of information may be performed. A read operation may be carried out by detecting the different magnetic moments of the surfactant coated nanoparticles and the non-surfactant coated nanoparticles.

The invention discloses a method and an element structure for realizing the optical recording and electrical reading of information. The method is characterized by laser recording and electrical reading, wherein the laser reading is to complete information recording by forming phase change information points on a phase change thin film by using the action of a picosecond ultrashort laser pulse; and the electrical reading is to realize information reading by using a scanning probe to detect the resistance change in a phase change area. The element structure mainly comprises a transparent substrate, a metal layer serving as a lower electrode and a phase change recording layer serving as a recoding layer. The method combines the characteristics of small pulse width of the ultrashort laser pulse and dramatic resistance change before and after phase change and synchronously realizes quick recording and reading of signal with a high signal to noise ratio.

An optical recording medium includes a crystallizing layer for enhancing the crystallization of a phase change memory layer, an energy storage layer for aiding the state transformations of a phase change memory layer, and / or a modifying element for increasing absorption and contrast at short wavelengths. An optical data storage and retrieval system containing same. Also a light-plasmon coupling lens including an optically transparent substrate having a light incident surface and a light-plasmon coupling surface opposite the light incident surface. The light-plasmon coupling surface including at least a set of circular concentric peaks / valleys which form a Fourier sinusoidal pattern in the radial direction of the circular concentric peaks / valleys. A conformal layer of metal is deposited on the light-plasmon coupling surface of the substrate and has aperture at the center of thereof through which plasmons are transmitted.

The present invention relates to method and apparatus of determining a recording location of a high-density recording medium. The present method determines a targeted recording location on a high-density rewritable or read-only recording medium based on successively-detected frame syncs or their combination that includes at least one frame sync written after the targeted recording location.

A data writing method is used with an optical recording apparatus to write data into a rewritable disc. For writing data, the optical recording apparatus enters a writing mode and a first packet is written into the rewritable disc. Then, the optical recording apparatus enters a detecting mode and data of the first packet written into the rewritable disc are read for defect detection. If no defect of the first packet is detected in the detecting mode, the writing mode is entered again, so a second packet can be written into the rewritable disc. On the other hand, if a defect of the first packet is detected in the detecting mode, a rewriting mode will be entered and the first packet is rewritten into the rewritable disc again.

To provide an optical disk drive having an enhanced replaying capability in case of an abnormality occurring in various kinds of synchronization of the optical disk drive or in replay of a defective sector. A frame synchronization counter value address translation decoder, low order ID address translation decoder, adder / subtracter, high order ID address translation decoder, and adder are used to translate information read from an optical disk medium into an absolute storage address in a storage medium, and thus data that is highly replayed can be stored in the storage medium.

With an object of executing excellent finishing processing when information is recorded to a rewritable type record medium or a write once type record medium, the finishing processing is switched by whether a kind of a medium for recording information is the rewritable type record medium or the write once type record medium and a method of executing the finishing processing is switched based on a state of supplying power.

A method for restoring data stored along a data storage path on an optical disc (1) which is unreadable for conventional optical disc drives due to undesired chemical or physical changes within a recording layer (3) of the optical disc comprises the following steps: detecting deformations (14) of a groove (6) extending along the data storage path, the deformations (15) being generated by a laser beam (7) during a recording process, determining the data to be restored from the detected deformations (14) and lands (8′).

The invention relates to a method and a system for realizing data access by using transparent substances as carriers. The method and the system aim at solving the problems that in the prior art, the storage capacity is small, and the pollution and the damage can easily occur. The method comprises the following steps that: multilayer metamorphic dot matrixes are manufactured inside a transparent body through an internal manufacturing method not destroying an integral structure; and according to a dot matrix information reading method, space positions of the dot matrixes are read, and space distribution data of the dot matrixes is obtained. The internal manufacturing method not destroying the integral structure is an internal engraving method not destroying the integral structure; and the reading is the non-intrusive reading. The internal engraving method not destroying the integral structure is a laser internal engraving method; and the non-intrusive reading is perspective three-dimensional scanning. According to the laser internal engraving method, metamorphic dots including vaporization explosion dots or melting points are formed in the transparent body, and the perspective three-dimensional scanning is tomography. The manufacturing is burning; and the multilayer dot matrixes are layer-by-layer burning. The method and the system have the advantages that the storage capacity is great, the pollution resistance and the damage resistance can be realized, and the information storage and the information reading are convenient.

Read / write components for AFM-based data storage devices are provided. In particular embodiments, a read / write component (30, 45, 50, 65, 80) comprises lever means (31, 51, 66, 82) and a support structure (32, 52, 67, 81), the lever means being connected to the support structure for substantially pivotal movement. The lever means (31, 51, 66, 82) provides first and second current paths between a pair of electrical supply lines (R, C) on the support structure via which the lever means can be connected in use to power supply means operable in a write mode and a read mode. A write-mode heater (36, 47, 56, 73) is provided on the lever means in the first current path, and a read / write tip (37, 57, 74, 84) is provided on the write-mode heater. A read-mode heater (39, 46, 58, 75, 83) is provided on the lever means in the second current path. Decoupling means (38a, 38b, 40a, 40b, 60, 61, 77a, 77b, 78a, 78b) is arranged to inhibit current flow to the write-mode heater via the first current path in use when the power supply means is operated in the read mode. The component, with separate write and read-mode heaters, can thus be addressed in both the write and read modes via a single pair of supply lines. Other embodiments provide read / write components (100) employing a thermal decoupling mechanism, and read / write components (80) where read-sensing is performed by a proximity sensing arrangement between the lever means and the support structure. Sensing apparatus (115) for atomic force microscopes is also provided where tip movement can be detected via similar proximity sensing arrangements.