Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
A compatible apparatus for optically recording information on and reproducing information from a first, video disk and a second, audio disk, each of said disks having a plurality of parallel recording tracks said apparatus comprising: recording/reproducing means (2) for recording information on and/or reproducing information from said first and second disks utilizing a laser beam; discriminator means (33) for discriminating between a video disk and an audio disk by sensing at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of disk thickness, disk diameter, disk weight, disk surface optical reflectance, disk spindle hole diameter, and reproduced signal characteristics, angle detection means (9) for detecting a relative angle between an optical axis of light emitted (3) from said recording/reproducing means and a disk loaded into said apparatus; angle adjustment means (32) responsive to an output signal from said angle detection means for driving said recording/reproducing means in a manner to maintain a predetermined angle of said optical axis relative to said loaded disk, and means (34, 35) responsive to an output signal from said discriminator means for setting said predetermined angle at a first value during information recording and reproduction on said first disk and at a second value during information recording and reproduction on said second disk, wherein said first value (θ v ) substantially maximizes an RF signal level and is different from said second value (θ a ) which minimizes jitter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
233 words
A compatible apparatus for optically recording information on and reproducing information from a first, video disk and a second, audio disk, each of said disks having a plurality of parallel recording tracks said apparatus comprising: recording/reproducing means (2) for recording information on and/or reproducing information from said first and second disks utilizing a laser beam; discriminator means (33) for discriminating between a video disk and an audio disk by sensing at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of disk thickness, disk diameter, disk weight, disk surface optical reflectance, disk spindle hole diameter, and reproduced signal characteristics, angle detection means (9) for detecting a relative angle between an optical axis of light emitted (3) from said recording/reproducing means and a disk loaded into said apparatus; angle adjustment means (32) responsive to an output signal from said angle detection means for driving said recording/reproducing means in a manner to maintain a predetermined angle of said optical axis relative to said loaded disk, and means (34, 35) responsive to an output signal from said discriminator means for setting said predetermined angle at a first value during information recording and reproduction on said first disk and at a second value during information recording and reproduction on said second disk, wherein said first value (θ v ) substantially maximizes an RF signal level and is different from said second value (θ a ) which minimizes jitter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said angle detection means comprises a light emitting element, a pair of light receiving elements, said pair of light receiving elements receiving light emitted from said light emitting element and reflected from said disk, and a differential amplifier having a first input receiving an output of one of said pair of light receiving elements and a second input receiving an output of the other light receiving element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said angle adjustment means comprises gain controlling means connected between said one of the light receiving elements and said first input of said differential amplifier, wherein said gain controlling means operates in response to said first and second output signals outputted from said disk discriminator means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising position detection means for detecting a radial position of said recording/reproducing means with respect to said disk, wherein the relative angle of said optical axis is adjusted in response to a signal from said position detection means only when said recording/reproducing means is within a predetermined portion of the radius of said disk.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein when the position of said recording/reproducing means has exceeded said predetermined portion of the radius of said disk, the relative angle of said optical axis is maintained at a state immediately before the occurence of exceeding of said recording/reproducing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
85 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for generating a tracking error signal, said tracking error signal being generated in response to outputs from a second pair of light receiving elements, and means by which a relative angle formed between a line connecting a pair of beam spots to be received in said second pair of light receiving elements and a line along a recording track is set to a value associated with a track pitch of the recording tracks on said disk.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said value is set by changing the position of said recording/reproducing means relative to said disk in a direction substantially perpendicular to the radial direction of said disk.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said value is set by rotating said recording/reproducing means about said optical axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an objective lens by which the laser beam is focused on said first and second disks has an effective numerical aperture NA/λ of not lower than 0.57 but not higher than 0.68, where NA is a numerical aperture of said objective lens and λ is a wavelength in microns of the laser beam.