Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
  • B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
  • B82Y10/00—Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B7/00—Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation by modifying optical properties or the physical structure, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power by sensing optical properties; Record carriers therefor
  • G11B7/08—Disposition or mounting of heads or light sources relatively to record carriers
  • G11B7/085—Disposition or mounting of heads or light sources relatively to record carriers with provision for moving the light beam into, or out of, its operative position or across tracks, otherwise than during the transducing operation, e.g. for adjustment or preliminary positioning or track change or selection
  • G11B7/0857—Arrangements for mechanically moving the whole head
  • G11B7/08576—Swinging-arm positioners
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B7/00—Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation by modifying optical properties or the physical structure, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power by sensing optical properties; Record carriers therefor
  • G11B7/12—Heads, e.g. forming of the optical beam spot or modulation of the optical beam
  • G11B7/122—Flying-type heads, e.g. analogous to Winchester type in magnetic recording
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B7/00—Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation by modifying optical properties or the physical structure, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power by sensing optical properties; Record carriers therefor
  • G11B7/12—Heads, e.g. forming of the optical beam spot or modulation of the optical beam
  • G11B7/135—Means for guiding the beam from the source to the record carrier or from the record carrier to the detector
  • G11B7/1362—Mirrors
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B5/00—Recording by magnetisation or demagnetisation of a record carrier; Reproducing by magnetic means; Record carriers therefor
  • G11B2005/0002—Special dispositions or recording techniques
  • G11B2005/0005—Arrangements, methods or circuits
  • G11B2005/0021—Thermally assisted recording using an auxiliary energy source for heating the recording layer locally to assist the magnetization reversal
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B7/00—Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation by modifying optical properties or the physical structure, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power by sensing optical properties; Record carriers therefor
  • G11B2007/0003—Recording, reproducing or erasing systems characterised by the structure or type of the carrier
  • G11B2007/0009—Recording, reproducing or erasing systems characterised by the structure or type of the carrier for carriers having data stored in three dimensions, e.g. volume storage
  • G11B2007/0013—Recording, reproducing or erasing systems characterised by the structure or type of the carrier for carriers having data stored in three dimensions, e.g. volume storage for carriers having multiple discrete layers
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B33/00—Constructional parts, details or accessories not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
  • G11B33/14—Reducing influence of physical parameters, e.g. temperature change, moisture, dust
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B7/00—Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation by modifying optical properties or the physical structure, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power by sensing optical properties; Record carriers therefor
  • G11B7/08—Disposition or mounting of heads or light sources relatively to record carriers
  • G11B7/085—Disposition or mounting of heads or light sources relatively to record carriers with provision for moving the light beam into, or out of, its operative position or across tracks, otherwise than during the transducing operation, e.g. for adjustment or preliminary positioning or track change or selection
  • G11B7/08547—Arrangements for positioning the light beam only without moving the head, e.g. using static electro-optical elements
  • G11B7/08564—Arrangements for positioning the light beam only without moving the head, e.g. using static electro-optical elements using galvanomirrors
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B7/00—Recording or reproducing by optical means, e.g. recording using a thermal beam of optical radiation by modifying optical properties or the physical structure, reproducing using an optical beam at lower power by sensing optical properties; Record carriers therefor
  • G11B7/12—Heads, e.g. forming of the optical beam spot or modulation of the optical beam
  • G11B7/14—Heads, e.g. forming of the optical beam spot or modulation of the optical beam specially adapted to record on, or to reproduce from, more than one track simultaneously

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to positioning an optical beam, and more particularly to tracking movement of a rotary actuator of a disk drive.
• Optical mass storage provides a convenient mechanism (i.e., optical disks) for transporting large amounts of data.
• a typical read-only optical disk e.g., a CD-ROM disk
• data is represented by the presence or absence of small depressions, or pits, formed in a surface of the d sk.
• a spindle spins the disk at a predetermined rate and a precisely focused light beam (e.g., a laser beam) is directed to the surface of the disk to scan data from the disk.
• the surface reflects the beam from the disk, and the pits formed m the surface of the disk modulate the intensity of the beam that is reflected from the disk.
• the data stored on the disk is reconstructed into a digital representation by monitoring the intensity (high or low) of the beam that is reflected and forming corresponding data consisting of ones and zeros.
• Some optical disks such as magneto- optical disks, or phase change disks, can both be read and written by a magneto-optical drive and a phase change drive, respectively.
• the beam may be used for generating signals that allow centering the beam on a ⁇ esire data track of the disk.
• An optical drive may use a rotary actuator tc position an optical drive head.
• the optical drive head may have an ob ective lens used to direct the beam to the surface of the disk and direct the beam that is reflected from the disk.
• the beam is typically generated by an optics module mounted to a base plate of the drive, and a reflective surface of a galvanometer is used to establish beam communication between the optics module and the optical drive head.
• the invention features an apparatus for use with an optical disk.
• the apparatus has a pivotable arm configured to position an optical drive head over a selected portion of the disk.
• a light source is mounted to the arm and configured to generate a beam of light.
• a reflector of the disk drive is configured to receive the beam of light and direct the beam to a selected portion of the optical drive head.
• the reflector may be a mirror having a fixed position.
• the reflector may be a micro- galvanometer mirror assembly, and the light source may include an optics module.
• the reflector may include a partially reflecting and partially transmitting surface, the surface positioned to reflect the beam toward the optical drive head.
• the apparatus may also include a detector (e.g., a bi-cell detector) positioned to intercept light from the beam transmitted through the surface and provide an indication of the position of the beam on the surface based on the light transmitted through the surface.
• the apparatus may include a controller (e.g., a tracking servo loop and a galvanometer) connected to receive the indication and position the surface.
• the apparatus may include an optics module configured to generate the beam of light and a galvanometer having a reflective surface to direct the beam furnished by the fixed optics to the reflector.
• An axis of the galvanometer may be concentric with an axis about which the pivotable arm pivots; however, the axis of the galvanometer may be aligned with an axis other than the axis about which the pivotable arm pivots.
• the optical drive head may be secured to one end of the arm, and the galvanometer may be mounted on a surface of the arm diametrically opposed to said one end of the arm.
• the beam generated by the light source may be in a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the disk.
• the beam directed from the reflector to the optical head may be in a plane substantially perpendicular to a surface of the disk.
• the apparatus may also include an imaging lens located between the light source and the reflector.
• the invention features a method for use with an optical disk drive having a pivotable arm connected to position an optical drive head over a selected portion of a disk.
• the method includes generating a beam of light from a light source mounted to the arm and directing the beam to a selected portion of the optical head.
• Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following.
• the directing may include using a reflector.
• the directing may include using a galvanometer configured to position a reflector to direct the beam.
• the beam may be in a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the disk, and the directing may include using a galvanometer secured to the arm and mounted to direct the beam toward the optical head.
• the invention features an apparatus for use with an optical disk.
• the apparatus has an arm substantially parallel to a surface of the disk and connected to pivot about an axis located at one end of the arm, the arm configured to position an optical drive head located near another end of the arm over a selected portion of the disk.
• the apparatus has a light source mounted near the one end oi the arm configured to generate a beam of light m a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the disk.
• the apparatus also has an imaging lens and a galvanometer mounted near the one end of the arm configured to position a first mirror to reflect the beam generated by the light source through the imaging lens and toward the another end of the arm.
• the apparatus has a second mirror mounted near the another end of the arm configured to reflect the beam reflected by the first mirror into a plane substantially perpendicular to the surface of the disk and toward the optical head.
• the invention features an apparatus for use with an optical disk.
• the apparatus has an arm substantially parallel to a surface of the disk and connected to pivot about an ax-.s located at one end of the arm, the arm configured to position an optical drive head located near another end of the arm over a selected portion of the disk.
• the apparatus has a light source mounted near said one end of the arm configured to generate a beam of light in a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the disk.
• the apparatus also has a galvanometer mounted near the another end of the arm configured to position a mirror to reflect the beam in a plane substantially perpendicular to the surface of the disk and toward the optical drive head.
• the invention features a method for use with an optical disk drive having a pivotable arm connected to position an optical drive head over a selected position of a disk.
• the method includes generating a beam of light via a light source and rotating the light source to track the movement of the arm.
• Figure 1 is a top view of a disk drive actuator.
• Figure 2 is a side view of the disk drive actuator of Figure 1.
• Figure 3 is a top view of a disk drive actuator of an alternative embodiment.
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of a disk drive actuator of an alternative embodiment . DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• an optics module 100 communicates with an optical drive head 107 via a light beam (e.g., a laser) to read data from an upper surface 211 of an optical disk 112.
• the optics module 100 is mounted on an rotary actuator 103.
• the actuator 103 has an arm 110, in a plane substantially parallel to the surface 211, used to pivot about a vertical axis 200 and position an optical drive head 107 over a selected region of the surface 211. Because the optics module 100 is mounted on the actuator 103 and rotates with the arm 110, a predetermined spatial relationship is maintained between the optics module 100 and the drive head 107 regardless of the position of trio arm 110.
• the beam generated by the module 100 travels along three optical paths 106, 108, and 109 to the optical drive head 107 which is positioned by the arm 110 over the upper surface 211 of the disk 112.
• the optical paths 106 and 108 are in planes substantially parallel to the surface 211.
• the optical path 109 is in a plane substantially perpendicular to the surface 211.
• the optical drive head 107 transmits the beam originating from the module 100 to the surface 211 which reflects the beam.
• the optical drive head 107 directs the beam that is reflected from the surface 211 back to the optical path 109.
• the beam that is reflected follows optical paths 109, 108, and 106 to the module 100 where data read from the surface 211 is extracted.
• a moveable mirror 102 of a galvanometer 104 is positioned to link the optical paths 106 and 108. For each position of the mirror 102, a predetermined spatial relationship exists between the optics module 100 and the mirror 102 as the arm 110 rotates. Therefore, by turning the mirror 102, the galvanometer 104 furnishes fine tracking of the beam communication between the optics module 100 and the surface 211. The coarse tracking of the beam communication between the optics module 100 and the surface 211, on the other hand, is furnished by the pivoting movement of the arm 110.
• the optics module 100 is mounted on top of a cylindrical hub 136 of the rotary actuator 103.
• the hub 136 is coaxial with the axis 200, and the bottom of the hub 136 is mounted to a cylindrical mounting tube 134 which is secured to a drive base plate 135
• the actuator arm 110 laterally extends from the side of the hub 136 to cantilever the head 107 over the surface 211.
• the galvanometer 104 is mounted on the rotary actuator 103 such that the galvanometer 104 rotates by the same angle as the rotary actuator 103.
• the reflective surface of the galvanometer mirror 102 may be located near the pivoting axis of the galvanometer 104 but may be mounted elsewhere, as described below
• the rotary actuator 103 For purposes of controlling movement of the arm 110, the rotary actuator 103 includes a coil 130 located on the side of the hub 136 diametrically opposed to the actuator arm 110.
• the coil 130 electromagnetically interacts with a magnet 132 (mounted on the drive base plate 135) to control the pivoting of the rotary actuator 103 about the axis 200.
• the actuator arm 110 includes a resilient flexure 202 which extends downwardly from the actuator arm 110 to position the optical drive head 107 near the surface 211.
• the optical path 108 extends along the arm 110 away from the hub 136.
• an imaging lens 115 perpendicular to the path 108, and near the end of the actuator arm 110 away from the hub 136, a fixed reflecting mirror 114 links the optical paths 108 and 109.
• a bi-cell detector 166 is mounted to the back of the mirror 114.
• the mirror 114 is partially transmitting and allows illumination from the beam generated by the optics module 100 to be detected by the detector 166.
• a galvanometer servo feedback loop uses information provided by the detector 166 to control the position of the galvanometer mirror 102 which directs the course of the optical path 109.
• the rotary actuator 103 may also include another actuator arm 111, located beneath and substantially parallel with the arm 110, having the same elements discussed above for interacting with a lower surface 210 of the optical disk 112.
• Another optics module 100 may be mounted to the bottom of hub 136, or alternatively a mirror or prism may be mounted in a manner to permit light communication between the optics module 100 and an optical drive head of the actuator arm 111.
• the optics module 100 includes a laser module 150 which pro]ects a light beam along the optical path 106 through a collimation lens 152, a polarization/beam splitter 154, and a collimation/correction lens 156.
• the light beam reflected from the surface 211 passes from the mirror 102 along the optical path 106 through the lens 156 and is diverted by the beam splitter 154 to servo and data detectors 160 of the optics module 100.
• the data detectors 160 extract the data from the beam reflected from the disk 112.
• the galvanometer 104 may alternatively be mounted on top of the hub 136 in a location diametrically opposed to the actuator arm 110 and not at the center of rotation of the rotary actuator 103.
• the axis of rotation of the mirror 102 is still parallel to the axis 200, and the mirror 102 extends above the top surface of the hub 136.
• the optics module 100 communicates with the drive head 107 via optical paths 108, 109 and 300.
• Optical path 300 replaces optical path 106, and the mirror 102 links the optical path 106 to the optical path 108.
• the beam reflected from the disk 112 follows the optical paths 108-109 and 300.
• a micro-galvanometer mirror assembly 400 replaces the fixed reflecting mirror 114.
• the galvanometer 104 and its mirror 102 are removed.
• the optics module 100 is mounted on the hub 136 diametrically opposed to the arm 110.
• the optics module 100 establishes beam communication with the drive head 107 via the optical path 109 and an optical path 401.
• the optical path 401 is in a plane substantially parallel to the surface 211 and extends along the arm 110, from the optics module 100, to the micro-galvanometer mirror assembly 400.
• a partially reflective surface 405 of the assembly 400 links the paths 401 and 109 and furnishes the positioning of the optical path 109 upon the drive head 107. Because the surface 405 is partially transmitting, a bi-cell detector 406 mounted to the back of surface 405 guides the partially reflective surface 405 by providing feedback to a tracking servo loop (not shown) . The tracking servo loop interacts with the assembly 400 to turn the surface 405 upon perpendicular axes 402-404 to precisely position the optical path 109.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Nanotechnology (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Mathematical Physics (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
• Optical Head (AREA)
• Optical Recording Or Reproduction (AREA)
• Moving Of The Head For Recording And Reproducing By Optical Means (AREA)

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• 1997
  • 1997-07-31 AU AU38242/97A patent/AU3824297A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-07-31 EP EP97935258A patent/EP0916133A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1997-07-31 JP JP10508083A patent/JP2000517090A/ja active Pending
  • 1997-07-31 WO PCT/US1997/013552 patent/WO1998006095A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-08-04 ID IDP972689A patent/ID17977A/id unknown
  • 1997-08-04 TW TW86111106A patent/TW381254B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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