OPTICAL INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT USING THE MEDIUM

Abstract

An optical information recording medium in which a inner layer is sandwiched between supporting plates and a number of recording portions formed of a recording material capable of recording information in the form of a hologram are rotatably arranged in the inner layer. The recording portion is rotated by electrifying its surface and an information beam and a reference beam are directed onto it from different angles to carry out angle multiplex recording. The surface of the recording portion is color coded with at least two colors. The color coding and rotation of the recording portions allow characters or images to be displayed. Electronic equipment using such an optical information recording medium is provided.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an optical information recording medium according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the internal arrangement of the optical information recording medium of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of an optical information recording medium according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of electronic equipment adapted to record or reproduce information on or from the optical information recording medium of the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of electronic equipment adapted to record or reproduce information on or from the optical information recording medium of the second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of an optical information recording medium according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 7A is a schematic sectional views of optical information recording media according to a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 7B is a schematic sectional views of an optical information recording media according to a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of an optical information recording medium according to a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of an optical information recording medium according to a sixth embodiment;

FIG. 10A is a schematic sectional views of an optical information recording media according to a seventh embodiment; and

FIG. 10B is a schematic sectional views of an optical information recording media according to a seventh embodiment.

Claims

1. An optical information recording medium comprising: recording portions each formed in the shape of a sphere or cylinder using a recording material capable of recording information in the form of a hologram using light.

2. The medium according to claim 1, wherein the each recording portion has its recording material included by an outer wall formed of a transparent material.

3. An optical information recording medium comprising: recording portions each formed in the shape of a sphere or cylinder using a recording material capable of an information in the form of a hologram using light;a inner layer in which the recording portions are rotatably arranged; anda pair of supporting plates which sandwich the inner layer, at least one of the supporting plates having a optical transmittivity to a wavelength of the light.

4. The medium according to claim 3, wherein one of the pair of supporting plates have the optical transmittivity, and the other supporting plate has a reflective layer which reflects light passed through the one supporting plate and bearing the information to the one supporting plate.

5. The medium according to claim 3, further comprising electrodes formed on the pair of supporting plates to produce an electric field within the inner layer.

6. The medium according to claim 4, further comprising electrodes formed on the pair of supporting plates to produce an electric field within the inner layer.

7. The medium according to claim 2, wherein each of the recording portions or its outer wall has its surface region positively or negatively charged.

8. The medium according to claim 3, wherein each of the recording portions has its surface region positively or negatively charged.

9. An optical information recording medium comprising: a number of recording portions each formed in the shape of a sphere or cylinder using a recording material capable of recording a information in the form of a hologram using light, having surface regions which are color-coded with at least two colors, and having its surface region positively or negatively charged;a inner layer in which the recording portions are rotatably arranged; anda pair of supporting plates which sandwich the inner layer and are formed with electrodes to produce an electric field within the inner layer, at least one of the pair of supporting plates having a optical transmittivity to visible light.

10. Electronic equipment comprising: an optical information recording medium includingrecording portions each formed in the shape of a sphere or cylinder using a recording material be recorded an information in the form of a hologram using light and having being charged,a inner layer in which the recording portions are rotatably arranged, anda pair of supporting plates which sandwich the inner layer and are formed with electrodes to produce an electric field within the inner layer, at least one of the plates having a optical transmittivity to the light;a light source which emits the light;an optical section which conducts the light emitted from the light source to the recording portions;a spatial light modulator which is set in the optical section and modulates the light with information to produce information light;a voltage driver which applies a voltage to the electrodes to produce an electric field within the inner layer to thereby rotate the recording portions;an image capture device which captures reproduced light resulting from the recording portions being irradiated with the light; andan image processor which takes the information from reproduced light captured by the image capture device.

11. The equipment according to claim 10, further comprising an angle adjust mirror which is set to reproduce the reproduced light and directs the light onto the recording portions.