Cross-talk canceler for optical disk reading mechanism

Claim 1

A cross-talk canceler for an optical disk reading mechanism for reading recorded information from an optical disk having at least three continuous tracks on which identical fixed patterns aligned in a radial direction thereof have been written to output a reproduced signal, said mechanism includes an optical head including a main detector, first and second sub-detectors for simultaneously reading the recorded information from three tracks, said canceler comprising: a first level adjusting circuit for giving a first gain to a main signal read from said main detector to output a gain-adjusted main signal; a second level adjusting circuit for giving a second gain to a first auxiliary signal read from said first sub-detector to output a first gain-adjusted auxiliary signal; a third level adjusting circuit for giving a third gain to a second auxiliary signal read from said second sub-detector to output a second gain-adjusted auxiliary signal; a first delay circuit having a delay amount which is set according to a first delay control signal for delaying said first gain-adjusted auxiliary signal from said second level adjusting circuit to output a delayed auxiliary signal; a second delay circuit having a delay amount which is set according to a second delay control signal for delaying said gain-adjusted main signal from said first level adjusting circuit to output a delayed main signal; a subtractor for subtracting said delayed auxiliary signal of said first delay circuit and said second gain-adjusted auxiliary signal of said third level adjusting circuit from said delayed main signal of said second delay circuit to output said reproduced signal; a first measuring circuit for measuring a time difference between a rising time of said first auxiliary signal and a rising time of said second auxiliary signal to generate an output signal; a second measuring circuit for measuring a time difference between said main signal and said second auxiliary signal to generate an output signal; and a holding circuit for holding the output signals of said first and second measuring circuits to generate said first and second delay control signals, wherein said second measuring circuit comprises: a second flip flop which is set by said main signal and reset by said second auxiliary signal to output a second enable signal; a second counter for counting clock signals while said second enabling signal is at a high level; and a second sampling means for sampling the output signal of said second counter to supply a sampled signal to said holding circuit as the output signal of said second measuring circuit at the time of a falling edge of said second enabling signal, wherein said first measuring circuit comprises: a first flip flop which is set by said first auxiliary signal and reset by said main signal to output a first enable signal; a first counter for counting said clock signals while said first enabling signal is at a high level; a first sampling means for sampling the output signal of said first counter at the time of a falling edge of said first enable signal; and an adder for adding an output signal of said first sampling means and an output signal of said second sampling means to supply the output signal of said first measuring circuit to said holding circuit, and wherein said canceler further includes a circuit for detecting a rising edge of said first auxiliary signal to clear said first and second counters.