Device for writing and/or reading optical recording medium of various designs

A device for writing to or reading from different optical recording media, comprising:

• focusing means for shifting a focus point along an optical axis;
• detection means for detecting light reflected from an optical recording medium;
• evaluation means for distinguishing the type of optical recording medium by evaluating signals emitted by said detection means;
• and
• a control unit for controlling said focusing means;
• wherein
• said evaluation means includes a plausibility checking unit, which checks said signals emitted by said detection means to determine if said signals are within a predetermined range, and wherein
• said control unit prescribes parameters corresponding to settings of said device which are suitable for a first type of recording media, and
• said evaluation means emits an output signal to said control unit for changing said parameters if said signals emitted by said detection means are not within said predetermined range.

A device for writing to or reading from an optical recording medium, comprising:

• focusing means for shifting a focus point along an optical axis;
• detection means for detecting light reflected from said optical recording medium;
• and
• evaluation means for distinguishing the physical properties of said optical recording medium by evaluating time characteristics of a signal emitted by said detection means, wherein
• said time characteristics are determined by a combination of different signals.

A device for writing to or reading from an optical recording medium, comprising:

• focusing means for shifting a focus point along an optical axis;
• detection means for detecting the light reflected from the optical recording medium;
• and
• evaluation means for distinguishing physical properties of said optical recording medium by evaluating time characteristics of a signal emitted by said detection means;
• wherein
• at least one of relafive and absolute values of a plurality of extreme values of said signal are compared to one another.

A device for writing to or reading from an optical recording medium, comprising:

• focusing means for shifting a focus point along an optical axis;
• detection means for detecting the light reflected from the optical recording medium;
• and
• evaluation means for distinguishing physical properties of said optical recording medium by evaluating time characteristics of a signal emitted by said detection means;
• wherein
• said focusing means has at least two beam paths which are optically corrected differently and whose signal characteristics with respect to time are evaluated jointly.

A device for writing to or reading from an optical recording medium, comprising:

• focusing means for shifting a focus point along an optical axis;
• detection means for detecting the light reflected from the optical recording medium;
• evaluation means for distinguishing the physical properties of the optical recording medium by evaluating a plurality of time related characteristics of a signal emitted by said detection means;
• a memory device for storing signal characteristics emitted by said detection means, which characteristics are caused by the different types of optical recording media;
• and
• a comparison device which compares a measured signal characteristic with said stored signal characteristics to determine which type of optical recording medium is present.

A method for changing settings for shifting a focus point of a device for writing to or reading from an optical recording medium in accordance with the physical properties of the optical recording medium, comprising the following steps:

• inserting said recording medium into said device;
• shifting of said focus point along an optical axis in accordance with predetermined settings of said device which are matched to a first type of recording media;
• detecting light reflected from said optical recording medium during said shifting step;
• generating a signal from said detecting step which corresponds to said reflected light intensity;
• determining at least one of relative value and absolute value of a plurality of extreme values of said signal;
• determining time intervals between said extreme values of said signal;
• comparing said extreme values and relative intervals between said extreme values;
• determining settings which are suitable for physical properties of said inserted recording medium on the basis of the comparison;
• and
• changing of said settings for shifting said focus point of said device to said determined settings.