Single source optical disc data storage system
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsJames E. Durnin, Edward C. Gage, Ronald E. Gerber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical data storage system that includes an optical source and an optical storage medium. The system includes a plurality of armatures positioned adjacent to the optical storage medium. Mounted on each armature are elements that perform functions such as beam-splitting, beam-shaping, relaying and fine tuning to collectively form an armature-mounted optical coupling system. An optical switch couples the optical source to each of the armature-mounted optical coupling systems. This configuration of an optical data storage system ensures that one optical source can be utilized for a plurality of optical detection systems.
Claims19
An optical data storage system, comprising:
- an optical source;
- an optical storage medium;
- a plurality of armatures, each armature having a distal end positioned adjacent to said optical storage medium and said armature having a proximal end located opposite said distal end;
- a plurality of armature-mounted optical coupling systems, at least one such optical coupling system on each armature;
- an optical switch coupling the optical source to said plurality of armature-mounted optical coupling systems, such that one optical source can be utilized for said plurality of optical coupling systems;
- and
- a plurality of optical fibers configured to couple the output of said optical switch to the proximal ends of the plurality of armature-mounted optical coupling systems.
A method of reading data from a plurality of optical surfaces in an optical storage system, comprising the steps of:
- directing light from an optical source toward an optical switch;
- actuating the optical switch to selectively couple the light from the optical source to one of a plurality of optical fibers which couple to a proximal end of an armature;
- and
- actuating an armature-mounted optical coupling system, the armature having a distal end positioned adjacent one or more of said plurality of optical surfaces and said armature having the proximal end located opposite said distal end, connected, at its proximal end, to the selected optical fiber to optically couple to an optical surface.
The method of claim wherein 13 the optical head includes an objective lens.
An optical storage system implementing the method of claim.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.