Load correction method for an information retrieval apparatus

Claim 2

A load correction method for compensating a variation of a load against a movement of an optical head actuator in an information retrieval apparatus which retrieves information from a recording carrier on which information is recorded on a plurality of information tracks formed on the recording carrier by using an optical head which forms a light spot on the recording carrier, the information retrieval apparatus being operable in a velocity control mode in which the optical head actuator drives the optical head so as to move the light spot in a direction traversing the tracks to reach a desired track while measuring a velocity of the light spot traversing the tracks, comparing a measured velocity signal indicative of the measured velocity of the light spot with a reference velocity signal, and controlling the optical head actuator so that a difference between the measured velocity signal and the reference velocity signal becomes zero to thereby move the light spot at a velocity corresponding to the reference velocity signal, said method comprising the steps of: (1) setting a value of the reference velocity signal to a standard value by which the light spot moves at a predetermined velocity in the velocity control mode when the load against the optical head actuator is a standard load; (2) operating information retrieval apparatus in the velocity control mode while measuring the velocity of said light spot, comparing the measured velocity with the predetermined velocity, and when the measured velocity is not equal to the predetermined velocity, increasing or decreasing the value of the reference velocity signal by a predetermined value; (3) repeating said step (2) until the measured velocity becomes substantially equal to the predetermined velocity; (4) calculating, as a load correction value indicative of a difference between an actual load and the standard load, a difference between the value of the reference velocity signal after completing said step (3) and the standard value of the reference velocity signal; and (5) correcting the reference velocity signal based on the standard value and the load correction value to obtain a new reference velocity signal by which the light spot moves at the predetermined velocity in the velocity control mode under a presence of the actual load against the optical head actuator.

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, wherein the optical head actuator drives the optical head so as to move the light spot in opposite first and second directions, and wherein said method further comprises separately calculating the load correction value for each of the first and second directions.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2, further comprising separately obtaining the new reference velocity signal for each of the first and second directions.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, wherein the new reference velocity signal is obtained by adding the load correction value to the standard value of the reference velocity signal.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value by which the value of the reference velocity signal is increased or decreased in said step 2) is decreased with a decrease in a difference between the measured velocity and the predetermined velocity.

Claim 7

A load correction method for compensating a variation of a load against a movement of an optical head actuator in an information retrieval apparatus which retrieves information from a recording carrier on which information is recorded on a plurality of information tracks formed on the recording carrier by using an optical head which forms a light spot on the recording carrier, the information retrieval apparatus being operable in a velocity control mode in which the optical head actuator drives the optical head so as to move the light spot in a direction traversing the tracks to reach a desired track while measuring a velocity of the light spot traversing the tracks, comparing a measured velocity signal indicative of the measured velocity of the light spot with a reference velocity signal, and controlling the optical head actuator so that a difference between the measured velocity signal and the reference velocity signal becomes zero to thereby move the light spot at a velocity corresponding to the reference velocity, said method comprising the steps of: (1) setting a value of the reference velocity signal to a standard value by which the light spot moves at a predetermined velocity in the velocity control mode when the load against the optical head actuator is a standard load, and setting a predetermined time required for the light spot to move between predetermined first and second tracks at the predetermined velocity under a presence of the standard load; (2) operating the information retrieval apparatus in the velocity control mode to move the light spot between the first and second tracks while measuring a time required for the light spot to move between the first and second tracks, comparing the measured time with the predetermined time, and, when the measured time is not equal to the predetermined time, increasing or decreasing the value of the reference velocity signal by a predetermined value; (3) repeating said step (2) until the measured velocity becomes substantially equal to the predetermined velocity; (4) calculating, as a load correction value indicative of a difference between an actual load and the standard load, a difference between the value of the reference velocity signal after completing said step 3) and the standard value of the reference velocity signal; and (5) correcting the reference velocity signal based on the standard value and the load correction value to obtain a new reference velocity signal by which the light spot moves at the predetermined velocity in the velocity control mode under a presence of the actual load against the optical head actuator.

Claim 8

A load correction method for compensating a variation of a load against a movement of an optical head actuator in an information retrieval apparatus which retrieves information from a recording carrier on which information is recorded on a plurality of information tracks formed on the recording carrier by using an optical head which forms a light spot on the recording carrier, the information retrieval apparatus being operable in a velocity control mode in which the optical head actuator drives the optical head so as to move the light spot in a direction traversing the tracks to reach a desired track while measuring a velocity of the light spot traversing the tracks, comparing a measured velocity signal indicative of the measured velocity of the light spot with a reference velocity signal, and controlling the optical head actuator so that a difference between the measured velocity signal and the reference velocity signal becomes zero to thereby move the light spot at a velocity corresponding to the reference velocity, said method comprising the steps of: (1) setting a value of the reference velocity signal to a standard value by which the light spot moves at a predetermined velocity in the velocity control mode when the load against the optical head actuator is a standard load, and setting a predetermined time required for the light spot to move between predetermined first and second tracks at the predetermined velocity under a presence of the standard load; (2) operating the information retrieval apparatus in the velocity control mode to move the light spot between the first and second tracks while measuring a time required for the light spot to move between the first and second tracks, comparing the measured time with the predetermined time, and, when the measured time is not equal to the predetermined time, increasing or decreasing the value of the reference velocity signal by a predetermined value; (3) repeating said step (2) until the measured velocity becomes substantially equal to the predetermined velocity; (4) calculating, as a load correction value indicative of a difference between an actual load and the standard load, a difference between the value of the reference velocity signal after completing said step 3) and the standard value of the reference velocity signal; and (5) correcting the reference velocity signal based on the standard value and the load correction value to obtain a new reference velocity signal by which the light spot moves at the predetermined velocity in the velocity control mode under a presence of the actual load against the optical head actuator.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 6, wherein the optical head actuator drives the optical head so as to move the light spot in opposite first and second directions, and wherein said method further comprises separately calculating the load correction value for each of the first and second directions.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 7, further comprising separately obtaining the new reference velocity signal for each of the first and second directions.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 6, wherein the new reference velocity signal is obtained by adding the load correction value to the standard value of the reference velocity signal.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined value by which the value of the reference velocity signal is increased or decreased in said step 2) is decreased with a decrease in a difference between the measured time and the predetermined time.