Mehod and apparatus for optical data storage
AssigneeIomega Corporation
InventorFred C. Thomas III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical disk (10) includes several tracks (21-23, 121-125) that each include a series of optical data elements (29, 39). Each optical data element includes several reflective surfaces (31-34, 41-44) with respective different orientations that represent stored information. A detection system (210) directs a beam from a laser (217) onto successive optical data elements. The multiple reflective surfaces of each optical data element produce multiple reflected sub-beams that are imaged onto respective portions of a detector (219, 501, 541). The position of each sub-beam on the corresponding portion of the detector is determined, to thereby identify the orientation of the corresponding reflective surface and thus the stored information represented by that surface.
Claims32
An apparatus, comprising an information storage media having a plurality of reflective portions, each said reflective portion having a selected one of a plurality of predetermined orientations that are different, the number of said predetermined orientations being greater than two.
An apparatus, comprising an information storage media having a plurality of reflective portions, each said reflective portion being configured to impart to radiation reflected therefrom a selected one of a plurality of predetermined characteristics that are different, said predetermined characteristics being allocated among a predetermined number of groups so that each said predetermined characteristic belongs to only one of said groups, and so that each said group contains more than two of said predetermined characteristics, said information storage media including a plurality of data elements which each include a plurality of said reflective portions equal in number to said predetermined number of groups, said reflective portions of each said data element having respective said predetermined characteristics which each belong to a respective said group.
An apparatus, comprising:
- an information storage media having a plurality of reflective portions, each said reflective portion being configured to impart to radiation reflected therefrom a selected one of a plurality of predetermined characteristics that are different, said information storage media including a plurality of data elements which each include a predetermined number of said reflective portions;
- a detector having a plurality of sections equal in number to the number of said reflective portions in each said data element;
- an optical system which can direct onto said media a beam of radiation that can illuminate one of said data elements so that each of the reflective portions of that data element produces a respective reflected beam, said optical system directing each of said reflected beams from the illuminated data element onto a respective said section of said detector;
- and
- circuitry responsive to said sections of said detector for determining said predetermined characteristic of each said reflective portion of the data element illuminated by the beam.
A method, comprising the steps of:
- providing an information storage media having a plurality of reflective portions;
- and
- configuring each said reflective portion to have a selected one of a plurality of predetermined orientations that are different, the number of said predetermined orientations being greater than two, and each said predetermined orientation representing respective different stored information.
A method comprising the steps of:
- providing an information storage media having a plurality of reflective portions;
- configuring each said reflective portion to impart to radiation reflected therefrom a selected one of a plurality of predetermined characteristics that are different and that each represent different stored information;
- allocating said predetermined characteristics among a predetermined number of groups so that each said predetermined characteristic belongs to only one of said groups, and so that each said group contains more than two of said predetermined characteristics;
- organizing said reflective portions as a plurality of data elements which each include a plurality of said reflective portions equal in number to said predetermined number of groups;
- and
- configuring said reflective portions of each said data element to have respective said predetermined characteristics which each belong to a respective said group.
A method, comprising the steps of:
- providing an information storage media having a plurality of reflective portions;
- configuring each said reflective portion to impart to radiation reflected therefrom a selected one of a plurality of predetermined characteristics that are different;
- organizing said reflective portions as a plurality of data elements which each include a predetermined number of said reflective portions;
- directing a beam of radiation onto one of said data elements so that each of the reflective portions of that data element produces a respective reflected beam;
- directing each of said reflected beams from the illuminated data element onto a detector having a plurality of sections equal in number to the number of said reflective portions in each said data element, in a manner so that each said reflected beam is directed onto a respective said section of said detector;
- and
- determining said predetermined characteristic of each said reflective portion of the data element illuminated by the beam in response to outputs from said sections of said detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.