Search Method

• US 20090040885A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optware Corporation
• Original Assignee: Optware Corporation
• Inventors: Horimai, Hideyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0065 Recording, reproducing or erasing by using optical interference patterns, e.g. holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/00781 Auxiliary information, e.g. index marks, address marks, pre-pits, gray codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/083 relative to record carriers storing information in the form of optical interference patterns, e.g. holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/042 using information stored in the form of interference pattern

Abstract

A search method of efficiently retrieving information is provided.

A search light 21 is generated from a search condition (S1). The search light is irradiated onto a hologram 104a recorded in a hologram recording layer 104 (S2). When the search light interferes with the hologram and a reproduction light is generated, address information of the hologram from which the reproduction light is generated is identified using an address light 23 that reads the address information. The identified address light is recorded (S3). When the search light does not generate the reproduction light from the hologram, the search light is irradiated onto another hologram 104b recorded in the hologram recording layer.

Claims

1. A search method for a recording medium having a hologram recording layer in which a plurality of holograms are recorded and an address layer in which address information is recorded, wherein:

a search light is generated from a search condition;

the search light is irradiated onto a hologram recorded in the hologram recording layer; and

when the search light interferes with the hologram and a reproduction light is generated, address information of the hologram from which the reproduction light is generated is identified using an address light that reads the address information and the identified address information is recorded, and when the search light does not generate the reproduction light from the hologram, the search light is irradiated onto another hologram recorded in the hologram recording layer.

2. The search method according to claim 1, wherein even after the identified address information is recorded, the search light is irradiated onto another hologram recorded in the hologram recording layer.

3. The search method according to claim 1, wherein an intensity of the generated reproduction light is detected, and the detected intensity of the reproduction light is recorded in association with the address information of the hologram from which the reproduction light is generated.

4. The search method according to claim 3, wherein:

address information with the highest reproduction light intensity is outputted in a recognizable state.

5. The search method according to claim 3, wherein:

pieces of address information are outputted in a recognizable state in order, from the address information with the highest reproduction light intensity.

6. The search method according to claim 1, wherein:

information related to the hologram from which the reproduction light is generated is recorded in the recording medium.

7. The search method according to claim 6, wherein an order in which the search light is irradiated onto the holograms is controlled using the information related to the hologram from which the reproduction light is generated that is recorded in the recording medium.

8. The search method according to claim 1, wherein:

the hologram is interference fringes formed by interference between an information light carrying information and a recording reference light;

the recording reference light is spatially modulated by a spatial modulation pattern including keyword information related to the information carried by the information light; and

the search light is spatially modulated by a spatial modulation pattern including keyword information of the search condition.

9. The search method according to claim 1, wherein:

the program is interference fringes formed by interference between an information light carrying image information and a recording reference light; and

the search method is spatially modulated by the image information of the search condition.