Patent Grant
7907494
The present invention relates to a hologram information recording medium and a hologram information recording/reproducing device for recording/reproducing hologram information with respect to the recording medium with signal light and reference light interfered with each other.
Currently, an optical recording medium, such as a CD (Compact Disc) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), has been widely used as a medium for recording a large amount of data. In recent years, there have been a demand for recording a high-definition moving image and a demand for recording a larger amount of data along with the development of the personal computer. The optical recording medium, such as the CD or the DVD, cannot be sufficiently increased in density to allow such a large amount of data to be recorded thereon. Thus, the large amount of data cannot be recorded on a single disc. To record the large amount of data, therefore, it is necessary to record the data while replacing a plurality of discs. In recent years, attention has been drawn to a hologram recording medium which can record thereon a substantially larger amount of data than the existing CD and DVD.
As hologram information recording, there is a method of dividing beam light into two mutually coherent lights, performing data modulation on one of the lights in a spatial light modulator to form signal light, and combining, on a recording medium, the signal light with the other light which acts as reference light, to thereby record data as interference fringes. The recording medium is then irradiated with the same reference light as the reference light used in the recording so that the signal light can be detected as reproduction light. Thereby, the data can be reproduced. In the hologram information recording/reproducing, the signal light is not reproduced if the wavelength or the irradiation angle of the light used in the information reproduction is different from the wavelength or the irradiation angle of the light used in the information recording. With the use of the above characteristic, a recording has been performed in which the wavelength or the irradiation angle of the light used in the information recording/reproducing is changed to perform multiplex recording of data in the same area of the recording medium.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-216359
However, an information recording medium is usually formed of a synthetic resin. Thus, if the external environment, particularly the temperature, is changed, the information recording medium expands or contracts. In the reproduction of the data multiplexed on the information recording medium with varied wavelengths or irradiation angles of the light, the respective wavelengths or irradiation angles are associated with the data. Thus, if the information recording medium expands or contracts due to the change in temperature, as described above, the information reproduction is performed under a different condition from the condition of the information recording. Therefore, there is a problem in that the data multiplexed on the information recording medium cannot be reproduced.
The present invention has been made in light of the above issue. An object of the present invention is to provide a hologram information recording medium and a hologram information recording/reproducing device capable of accurately reproducing data multiplexed on the recording medium irrespective of the influence of the external environment and so forth.
A hologram information recording medium according to the present invention is a hologram information recording medium for performing recording thereon by irradiating the recording medium with signal light and reference light while varying a multi-parameter, and for reproducing information therefrom by using reproduction light diffracted by the reference light while varying the above multi-parameter. The hologram information recording medium is characterized in that a plurality of hologram information groups including the same data are recorded by different multi-parameters in substantially the same area of the hologram information recording medium so as to allow the expansion and the contraction of the hologram information recording medium according to the temperature.
According to the above configuration, if the information recording medium expands or contracts due to an increase or a decrease in temperature, the exact information group recorded in the information recording cannot be read. However, another one of the information groups can be read. The information groups are the same. As a result, therefore, the information group can be accurately reproduced irrespective of the external temperature, and defective reproduction due to the influence of the external environment and so forth can be reliably prevented.
A hologram information recording/reproducing device according to the present invention includes a light source for emitting signal light and reference light, an optical system for irradiating an information recording medium with the signal light and the reference light, and multi-parameter control means for controlling a multi-parameter to perform multiplex recording of information on the information recording medium. The hologram information recording device is characterized in that the multi-parameter control means records hologram information groups including the same data, a plurality of times, with different multi-parameters in substantially the same area of the information recording medium so as to allow the expansion and the contraction of the information recording medium according to the temperature.
According to the above configuration, with the plurality of information groups recorded on the information recording medium, the information multiplexed on the information recording medium can be accurately reproduced irrespective of the influence of the external environment and so forth. Further, according to the above configuration, the plurality of the same information groups are recorded to cope with the expansion and the contraction of the information recording medium. Thus, there is no need for a substantial change in the dynamic range of laser light. Therefore, the reproduction can be performed with one laser. Accordingly, the hologram information reproducing device can be simply and inexpensively configured.
It is preferable that the hologram information recording/reproducing device according to the present invention includes temperature detection means for detecting the temperature in the vicinity of the information recording medium, and correction means for performing correction of the multi-parameter in information reproduction on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature detection means.
According to the above configuration, the temperature in the vicinity of the information recording medium is measured to correct the relationship between the temperature and the multi-parameter. Therefore, the accurate wavelength for the information reproduction can be determined in a short time. As a result, wavelength control in the information reproduction can be promptly performed.
In the hologram information recording/reproducing device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the multi-parameter is the wavelength of the signal light or the reference light or the angle at which the recording medium is irradiated with the signal light or the reference light.
It is preferable that each of the hologram information groups includes index information which includes temperature condition data in the recording of the hologram information group, and that the multi-parameter control means controls the multi-parameter in the information reproduction on the basis of the index information.
A hologram information recording method according to the present invention is characterized by including a step of preparing an information recording medium, and a step of recording hologram information groups including the same data, a plurality of times, in substantially the same area of the above information recording medium while varying a multi-parameter of signal light and reference light so as to allow the expansion and the contraction of the recording medium according to the temperature.
In a hologram information recording medium according to the present invention, a multi-parameter is varied to record a plurality of the same information groups in substantially the same area. Accordingly, data multiplexed on the recording medium can be accurately reproduced irrespective of the influence of the external environment and so forth.
With reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.
As the light source 1, a light source for emitting beam-like light, such as a light source for emitting laser light having a predetermined wavelength, can be used. For example, a semiconductor laser or the like can be used as the light source 1.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As the recording medium 3, a recording medium for a hologram memory is used. For example, as the material of a hologram recording medium for fixed recording, a silver salt photosensitive material, dichromated gelatin, photopolymer, and so forth can be used. As the material of a hologram recording medium for rewriting, a photoinduced refractive material, thermoplastic, and so forth can be used.
Since the recording medium 3 includes the above materials, the recording medium 3 expands or contracts according to the temperature. Due to the expansion or the contraction, the wavelength of the light source 1 required for reproducing the recorded data is deviated, as shown in
In the one recording area 31 of the recording medium 3, therefore, a plurality of the same information groups are recorded in substantially the same area with varied multi-parameters, in consideration of the expansion and the contraction of the recording medium 3. That is, in the one recording area 31 of the recording medium 3, a plurality of data groups (information groups) A to D are recorded, with the multi-parameter (a laser wavelength λ in the present example) varied. Specifically, the data groups A to D are recorded in one recording area as three groups: a data group G1 including data A1(λ=680 nm), data B1 (λ=681 nm), data C1 (λ=682 nm), and data D1 (λ=683 nm); a data group G2 including data A2 (λ=676 nm), data B2 (λ=677 nm), data C2 (λ=678 nm), and data D2 (λ=679 nm); and a data group G3 including data A3 (λ=684 nm), data B3 (λ=685 nm), data C3 (λ=686 nm), and data D3 (λ=687 nm). The interval of the wavelength corresponding to the data elements (1 nm in the present example), the number of data elements included in a group, and the number of groups of the data elements are not limited to the above, and thus can be arbitrarily changed. It is desirable to determine the number of data elements included in a group in accordance with the variable range of the laser wavelength. Further, it is desirable to determine the number of groups of the data elements in accordance with the extent of the expansion or the contraction of the recording medium 3 and within a range in which the expansion or the contraction is allowable.
The second optical system 4 includes a Fourier transform lens 41 for diffusing the reproduction light generated by the irradiation of the recording medium 3 with the light for the information reproduction, and a photodetector 42 for detecting the Fourier-transformed reproduction light and outputting the reproduction signal. The photodetector 42 includes a two-dimensional light-receiving cell array corresponding to the two-dimensional pattern of the reproduction light, which may be formed by a PD array, a CCD device array, a CMOS device array, and so forth, for example.
The wavelength control unit 5 changes the wavelength, which is the multi-parameter, in the multiplex recording of information on the recording medium 3 and the reproduction of information. That is, in the multiplex recording of information and the reproduction of information, the wavelength control unit 5 changes the wavelength of the beam light corresponding to an individual data element and emitted from the light source 1. For example, the wavelength of the light source 1 is set to be λ1 for a data element recorded or reproduced with the wavelength λ1, while the wavelength of the light source 1 is set to be λ2 for a data element recorded or reproduced with the wavelength λ2. The wavelength is changed by changing the current value applied to the light source 1. The wavelength, which is the multi-parameter, is changed through the control of the current value, but may be changed in accordance with the control amount of a value other than the current value.
Description will now be made of an information recording method and an information reproducing method performed by the hologram information recording/reproducing device of the above-described configuration. Description will be made herein of a case in which the light source 1 is laser, and in which the wavelength is controlled as the multi-parameter, i.e., the current value applied to the laser is controlled. The present invention, however, is not limited to the case. Thus, a parameter other than the current value applied to the laser may be controlled, as long as the multi-parameter (the wavelength) is controlled.
Basically, the hologram information recording/reproducing device illustrated in
The hologram information recording will be first described. Description will be made herein of a case in which the recording is performed at an external temperature of 25° C. To record the data A1 with a wavelength of 680 nm, for example, a wavelength control unit 5 sets the current value such that the light source 1 emits beam light having the wavelength of 680 nm. Thereby, the beam light having the wavelength of 680 nm is emitted from the light source 1. The optical path of the beam light is directed to the beam expander 22 by the first mirror 21. Then, the beam light is diffused by the first lens 22a of the beam expander 22, and is converted into parallel light by the second lens 22b. The parallel light is divided by the beam splitter 23 into two mutually coherent lights, one of which is directed to the second mirror 24 and the other one of which is directed to the condenser lens 27.
The light reflected by the second mirror 24 is subjected to data modulation in the spatial light modulator 25. The data-modulated light is condensed on the recording medium 3 as signal light X by the Fourier transform lens 26. Meanwhile, the other light divided by the beam splitter 23 is condensed on the recording medium 3 as reference light Y by the condenser lens 27.
When the signal light X and the reference light Y are combined on the recording medium 3, the signal light X and the reference light Y interfere with each other to form, on the recording medium 3, interference fringes having a periodically changing light intensity. The interference fringes are defined by the shape of the wavefront of the two combined lights. Thus, the shape of the wavefront of the two combined lights is recorded on the recording medium 3 as information. That is, on the recording medium 3, the interference fringes are recorded between the signal light forming a data-modulated wavefront and the reference light forming a wavefront which is not data-modulated. Thereby, the data is recorded on the recording medium 3.
Then, the wavelength control unit 5 sets the current value such that the light source 1 emits beam light having a wavelength of 681 nm, and the data B1 is recorded in substantially the same area of the recording medium 3, as described above. Then, the wavelength control unit 5 sets the current value such that the light source 1 emits beam light having a wavelength of 682 nm, and the data C1 is recorded in substantially the same area of the recording medium 3, as described above. Then, the wavelength control unit 5 sets the current value such that the light source 1 emits beam light having a wavelength of 683 nm, and the data D1 is recorded in substantially the same area of the recording medium 3, as described above. In the above-described manner, the data group G1 is recorded in substantially the same area of the recording medium 3. In the present example, the number of data elements included in a group is set to be four (A to D) corresponding to the variable range of the laser wavelength of one laser. Further, in a similar manner, the data groups G2 and G3 are recorded in substantially the same area of the recording medium 3. As described above, the data is recorded within a range in which the data is reproducible even if the recording medium 3 expands or contracts due to a change in temperature.
Subsequently, as for the hologram information reproduction, to reproduce data with a wavelength of 680 nm, the wavelength control unit 5 sets the current value such that the light source 1 emits beam light having the wavelength of 680 nm. Thereby, the beam light having the wavelength of 680 nm is emitted from the light source 1. The optical path of the beam light is directed to the beam expander 22 by the first mirror 21, and the beam light is diffused by the first lens 22a of the beam expander 22 and converted into parallel light by the second lens 22b. The parallel light passes through the beam splitter 23, and is condensed on the recording medium 3 as the reference light Y by the condenser lens 27. The interference fringes recorded on the recording medium 3 are formed into a Bragg grating. Thus, upon irradiation with the reference light Y, reproduction light Z the same as the signal light X is obtained by Bragg diffraction.
As described above, the recording medium 3 expands or contracts according to the external temperature. Therefore, the reproduction needs to be performed in consideration of the expansion and the contraction. For example, if the external temperature is 30° C., i.e., higher than 25° C. which is the temperature in the recording, the data A1 to D1 (G1) cannot be reproduced with the reproduction light having a wavelength in the range of 680 nm to 683 nm, which is the laser variable range of one laser, as shown in
Similarly, if the external temperature is 10° C., i.e., lower than 25° C. which is the temperature in the recording, the data A1 to D1 (G1) cannot be reproduced with the reproduction light having the wavelength in the range of 680 nm to 683 nm, as shown in
With a plurality of data groups thus recorded on the recording medium 3, the data multiplexed on the recording medium 3 can be accurately reproduced irrespective of the influence of the external environment and so forth. Further, in the present configuration, a plurality of the same data groups are recorded to cope with the expansion and the contraction of the recording medium 3. Thus, there is no need for a substantial change in the dynamic range of the laser light. Therefore, the reproduction can be performed with one laser. Accordingly, the hologram information reproducing device can be simply and inexpensively configured.
In the above-described information reproducing method, to control the laser wavelength for reproducing a target data element, the wavelength control unit 5 controls the laser wavelength on the basis of, for example, index information (a recorded data address (or a page number), a recorded wavelength, and a recorded temperature) included in the data recorded on the recording medium 3, with the use of the reproduction signal sent from the photodetector 42. For example, it is now assumed in the above-described example that the reproduction of the data A1 recorded with the wavelength of 680 nm is attempted in the information reproduction at the external temperature of 30° C. If laser light having a wavelength of 680 nm is used, the data A1 cannot be reproduced due to the expansion of the recording medium 3. However, the data D2 of the data group G2 can be reproduced. The data D2 includes the index information (e.g., the data address, the recorded wavelength, and the recorded temperature relating to the data D2). In the wavelength control unit 5, therefore, the index information of the data D2 is analyzed to determine whether the data element to be reproduced is on the longer wavelength side or on the shorter wavelength side. In the present example, the data D2 has been reproduced. It is therefore understood that the data A1 to be reproduced is on the longer wavelength side. On the basis of the above information, the wavelength control unit 5 controls to shift the wavelength of the laser light toward the longer wavelength side to reproduce the data A1. In the above-described manner, the target information can be reproduced.
In the present embodiment, description will be made of a case in which the data reproduction is performed by correcting the laser wavelength on the basis of the temperature in the vicinity of the recording medium 3.
The hologram information recording/reproducing device illustrated in
The hologram information recording is similar to the hologram information recording of Embodiment 1. The data groups A to D are recorded in substantially the same area of the recording medium 3 as the data groups G1 to G3. It is now assumed that the reproduction of the data A1 recorded with the wavelength of 680 nm is attempted at the external temperature of 30° C. in the hologram information reproduction. In this case, the temperature in the vicinity of the recording medium 3 is measured by the temperature sensor 6. The temperature information is sent to the correction unit 7. In the correction unit 7, the table of the characteristic shown in
If the reproduction of the data A1 is attempted at the external temperature of 30° C. with the use of laser light having a wavelength of 680 nm for the information reproduction, the data A1 is not reproduced due to the expansion of the recording medium 3 caused by the increase in temperature. However, the data D2 of the data group G2 is reproduced. In this case, the correction unit 7 updates the table such that the data A1 of the data group G1 has a wavelength of 678 nm at the external temperature of 15° C., a wavelength of 681 nm at the external temperature of 25° C., and a wavelength of 684 nm at the external temperature of 35° C., that the data B1 of the data group G1 has a wavelength of 679 nm at the external temperature of 15° C., a wavelength of 682 nm at the external temperature of 25° C., and a wavelength of 685 nm at the external temperature of 35° C., and that the data D2 of the data group G2 has a wavelength of 677 nm at the external temperature of 15° C., a wavelength of 680 nm at the external temperature of 25° C., and a wavelength of 683 nm at the external temperature of 35° C. If the external temperature is a temperature other than the temperatures included in the table, the external temperature is obtained by calculation through such a method as the interpolation method, on the basis of the relationship between the temperature and the wavelength.
The corrected information obtained by thus updating the table is sent to the wavelength control unit 5. In the wavelength control unit 5, the wavelength of the laser light is controlled on the basis of the corrected temperature-wavelength relationship to reproduce the data A1. Thereby, the target information can be reproduced. In the above-described manner, the temperature in the vicinity of the recording medium 3 is measured to correct the temperature-wavelength relationship. Therefore, the accurate wavelength for the information reproduction can be determined in a short time. As a result, wavelength control in the information reproduction can be promptly performed.
The table is not updated if the reproduction of the target information has succeeded with the wavelength for the information reproduction. Further, in the present embodiment, the description has been made of the case in which the correction unit 7 stores the table representing the temperature-wavelength relationship, and in which the table is updated. In the present invention, however, the correction unit 7 may store the temperatures and the index information (e.g., the data addresses, the recorded wavelengths, and the recorded temperatures) and update the temperatures and the index information.
In Embodiments 1 and 2 described above, the description has been made of the case in which the multiplex recording is performed by wavelength multiplexing when a plurality of the same data groups are recorded in substantially the same area of the recording medium 3. In the present invention, however, the multiplex recording may be performed by angle multiplexing when a plurality of the same data groups are recorded in substantially the same area of the recording medium 3. In such a case, the recording area for one group is used for the same data groups, unlike the case of the wavelength multiplexing. Accordingly, the recording area can be effectively used.
The present invention is not limited to Embodiments 1 and 2 described above, and thus can be modified in various ways. For example, the laser wavelength, the number of data elements, and the number of groups used in Embodiments 1 and 2 described above are not limited thereto, and thus can be arbitrarily changed. Further, the present invention can be arbitrarily modified without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.
1 light source
2 first optical system
3 recording medium
4 second optical system
5 wavelength control unit
6 temperature sensor
7 correction unit
21 first mirror
22 beam expander
23 beam splitter
24 second mirror
25 spatial light modulator
26, 41 Fourier transform lens
27 condenser lens
31 recording area
42 photodetector
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-052375 | Feb 2005 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2006/302649 | 2/15/2006 | WO | 00 | 8/10/2007 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2006/092956 | 9/8/2006 | WO | A |
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| 20020075776 | Kasazumi et al. | Jun 2002 | A1 |
| 20070127100 | Wilson et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070258343 | Jung et al. | Nov 2007 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
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| 62-217283 | Sep 1987 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090052300 A1 | Feb 2009 | US |
