Optical drive
First Claim
1. An optical drive for reading data encoded on an optical medium, the optical drive comprising:
- a substantially coherent light source;
a collimation element disposed to collimate a light beam emanating from the light source;
a plurality of beam-redirection elements, each such beam-redirection element having noncollinear input and output axes for receiving light along the input axis and propagating the received light along the output axis, wherein a first of the beam-redirection elements is rotatable about a principal axis and a second of the beam-redirection elements is rotatable about the output axis of the first beam-redirection element; and
a focusing element disposed to focus collimated light emanating from the output axis of the second beam-redirection element onto a surface of the optical medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical drive is provided with a substantially coherent light source and a collimation element to collimate a beam emanating from the light source. Beam-redirection elements redirect the collimated beam. Each beam-redirection element has noncollinear input and output axes for receiving light along the input axis and propagating the received light along the output axis. A first of the beam-redirection element is rotatable about a principal axis and a second of the beam-redirection elements is rotatable about the output axis of the first beam-redirection element. A focusing element focuses light emanating from the output axis of the second beam-redirection element onto a surface of the optical medium.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. An optical drive for reading data encoded on an optical medium, the optical drive comprising:
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a substantially coherent light source;
a collimation element disposed to collimate a light beam emanating from the light source;
a plurality of beam-redirection elements, each such beam-redirection element having noncollinear input and output axes for receiving light along the input axis and propagating the received light along the output axis, wherein a first of the beam-redirection elements is rotatable about a principal axis and a second of the beam-redirection elements is rotatable about the output axis of the first beam-redirection element; and
a focusing element disposed to focus collimated light emanating from the output axis of the second beam-redirection element onto a surface of the optical medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for reading data encoded on an optical medium, the method comprising:
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propagating a substantially coherent light beam from a light source;
collimating the light beam along a first axis;
redirecting the light beam from propagation along the first axis to propagation along an intermediate axis in accordance with a state of a first beam-redirection element;
redirecting the light beam from propagation along the intermediate axis to propagation along a second axis in accordance with a state of a second beam-redirection element, each of the first and second beam-redirection elements having noncollinear input and output axes for receiving light along the input axis and propagating the received light along the output axis;
focusing the beam onto a surface of the optical medium; and
changing the state of at least one of the first and second beam-redirection elements to change a position of the second axis relative to the first axis. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An optical drive for reading data encoded on an optical medium, the optical drive comprising:
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means for propagating a substantially coherent light beam;
means for collimating the light beam along a first axis;
first means for redirecting the light beam from propagation along the first axis to propagation along an intermediate axis in accordance with a state of the first means for redirecting;
second means for redirecting the light beam from propagation along the intermediate axis to propagation along a second axis in accordance with a state of the second means for redirecting;
means for focusing the beam onto a surface of the optical medium; and
means for changing the state of at least one of the first and second means for redirecting.
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24. An optical drive for reading data encoded on an optical medium, the optical drive comprising:
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a substantially coherent light source;
a collimation element disposed to collimate a light beam emanating from the light source along a propagation axis;
a beam-redirection element having noncollinear input and output axes for receiving light along the input axis and propagating the received light along the output axis, wherein the input axis is substantially coincident with the propagation axis and the output axis intersects a surface of the optical medium; and
a focusing element disposed to focus collimated light emanating from the output axis onto the surface of the optical medium, wherein the beam-redirection element and focusing element are collectively translatable in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the optical medium. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for reading data encoded on an optical medium, the method comprising:
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propagating a substantially coherent light beam from a light source;
collimating the light beam along a propagation axis;
redirecting the light beam from propagation along the propagation axis to propagation along an output axis that intersects a surface of the optical medium in accordance with a state of a beam-redirection element;
focusing the beam onto a surface of the optical medium; and
changing the state of the beam-redirection element by translating the beam-direction element over the surface of the optical medium. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An optical drive for reading data encoded on an optical medium, the optical drive comprising:
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means for propagating a substantially coherent light beam;
means for collimating the light beam along a propagation axis;
means for redirecting the light beam from propagation along the propagation axis to propagation along an output axis that intersects a surface of the optical medium in accordance with a state of the means for redirecting;
means for focusing the beam onto a surface of the optical medium; and
means for changing the state of the means for redirecting by translating the means for redirecting over the surface of the optical medium.
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Specification