Optical disk initialization method and apparatus
AssigneeCalimetrics, Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Guerra, Dmitri Vezenov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for initializing an optical recording medium comprising a phase change material using a series of flashes of light. A series of low-power, high duty cycle flashes of light are produced to initialize the media to a crystalline form, onto which data may be recorded. In accordance with another aspect of this invention, a spiral flash bulb with centrally located connectors comprises the flash illumination source for initializing the optical recording media.
Claims29
A method of initializing an optical recording medium comprising:
- exposing said medium to a flash of light from a light source, said flash of light having a duration of about 100-200 micro-seconds;
- and
- repeating said exposure one or more additional times, such that said media is exposed to five or more 100 to 200 micro-second flashes at a repetition rate of approximately 10 to 50 flashes per second.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording media comprising:
- one or more flashbulbs;
- a rotatable support configured to hold said media in approximate alignment with said one or more flashbulbs or;
- a capacitor;
- a charging circuit;
- a switching circuit coupling said capacitor to said charging circuit and to said one or more flashbulbs;
- a control circuit configured to repetitively charge said capacitor with said charging circuit and to discharge said capacitor through said one or more flashbulbs at a rate of at least about one discharging and charging cycle per second.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording media comprising:
- one or more flashbulbs in a spiral configuration having ends located proximate to the center of the spiral
- a support configured to hold said media in approximate alignment with said one or more flashbulbs or;
- a capacitor;
- a charging circuit;
- a switching circuit coupling said capacitor to said charging circuit and to said one or more flashbulbs;
- a control circuit configured to repetitively charge said capacitor with said charging circuit and to discharge said capacitor through said one or more flashbulbs at a rate of at least about one discharging and charging cycle per second.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording media comprising:
- one or more flashbulbs in a spiral configuration additionally comprising a transparent or semi-transparent plate between said flashbulb and said media
- a support configured to hold said media in approximate alignment with said one or more flashbulbs or;
- a capacitor;
- a charging circuit;
- a switching circuit coupling said capacitor to said charging circuit and to said one or more flashbulbs;
- a control circuit configured to repetitively charge said capacitor with said charging circuit and to discharge said capacitor through said one or more flashbulbs at a rate of at least about one discharging and charging cycle per second.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording media comprising:
- one or more flashbulbs in a spiral configuration;
- a support configured to hold said media in approximate alignment with said one or more flashbulbs;
- a capacitor;
- a charging circuit;
- a switching circuit coupling said capacitor to said charging circuit and to said one or more flashbulbs;
- a control circuit configured to repetitively charge said capacitor with said charging circuit and to discharge said capacitor through said one or more flashbulbs, wherein said control circuit is configured to expose said media to five or more 100 to 200 micro-second flashes at a repetition rate of approximately 10 to 50 flashes per second.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording media comprising:
- one or more flashbulbs in a spiral configuration;
- a support configured to hold said media in approximate alignment with said one or more flashbulbs or;
- a capacitor;
- a charging circuit;
- a switching circuit coupling said capacitor to said charging circuit and to said one or more flashbulbs;
- a control circuit configured to repetitively charge said capacitor with said charging circuit and to discharge said capacitor through said one or more flashbulbs at a rate of at least about one discharging and charging cycle per second wherein said control circuit is configured to stop initialization before initialization is complete to prime the surface for writing crystalized marks on amorphous medium.
A method of initializing an optical recording media comprising exposing a layer of material on said media to a series of two or more low energy, high duty-cycle flashes of light,
- wherein each of said flashes has sufficient intensity and duration to only partially crystallize said layer of material;
- and
- wherein said duty cycle is high enough to substantially completely crystallize said layer of material within approximately five seconds.
A method of initializing an optical recording media comprising exposing a layer of material on said media to a series of two or more low energy, high duty-cycle flashes of light by discharging less than about 300 Joules of electrical energy in a flashbulb with each flash.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording medium comprising:
- a flashbulb of substantially spiral shape, wherein said spiral begins and terminates proximate to the geometric center of said spiral, and wherein said spiral has an overall diameter which is approximately equal to or larger than the diameter of said recording media;
- and
- a rotatable support for said media aligned with said flashbulb.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording medium comprising:
- a flashbulb of substantially spiral shape, wherein said spiral begins and terminates proximate to the geometric center of said spiral and wherein said spiral has an overall diameter which is approximately equal to or larger than the diameter of said recording media;
- and
- a support for said media aligned with said flashbulb;
- and
- a diffuse reflector located on the side of the flashbulb opposite the media.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording medium comprising:
- a flashbulb of substantially spiral shape, wherein said spiral begins and terminates proximate to the geometric center of said spiral, and wherein said spiral has an overall diameter which is approximately equal to or larger than the diameter of said recording media;
- and
- a support for said media aligned with said flashbulb;
- and
- a semi-transparent filter positioned between said flashbulb and said media.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording medium comprising:
- a flashbulb of substantially spiral shape, wherein said spiral begins and terminates proximate to the geometric center of said spiral, and wherein said spiral has an overall diameter which is approximately equal to or larger than the diameter of said recording media wherein said flashbulb further comprises a second tube wound in a complimentary spiral, and having terminals proximate to said first terminals of said first flashbulb;
- and
- a rotatable support for said media aligned with said flashbulb.
An optical recording media made a process comprising:
- positioning said media proximate to a flashbulb;
- and
- exposing said media to a series of two or more flashes from said flashbulb, wherein each flash successively increases a crystallization state of a layer of material on said media, and wherein said layer of material is substantially completely crystallized by said series of flashes within approximately five seconds.
An apparatus for initializing an optical recording media comprising:
- a flashbulb;
- a media support aligned with said flashbulb;
- means for controlling said flashbulb so as to expose said media to a series of flashes from said flashbulb at a rate of at least about 10 flashes per second.
A method of partially initializing an optical recording media comprising:
- exposing said media to a first flash of light, said flash of light having a duration of less than about five hundred micro-seconds;
- and
- repeating said exposure one or more additional times at a rate of at least about one flash per second
- stopping the exposure before full initialization is reached so that the medium is in a primed state for writing crystallized marks into a substantially amorphous medium, where the prime state allows smaller marks to be made.
An apparatus for selectively initializing an optical recording media comprising:
- a flashbulb;
- a media support aligned with said flashbulb;
- a patterned mask of varying optical transmission
- a support to hold said mask proximate to and aligned with the medium
- means for controlling said flashbulb so as to expose said media to a series of flashes from said flashbulb at a rate of at least about 10 flashes per second.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.