Abstract:
A first pair of light-receiving cells and a second pair of light-receiving cells are diagonally arranged to constitute a quadrifid light-receiving cells. A pair of first wiring patterns are respectively connected to the first pair of light-receiving cells for leading out output signals therefrom. A pair of second wiring patterns are respectively connected to the second pair of light-receiving cells for leading out output signals therefrom. The first wiring patterns are arranged adjacent to each other, and the second wiring patterns are arranged adjacent to each other. A third wiring pattern is arranged between the first and second wiring patterns, in which a signal having a different nature from those of the output signals from the light-receiving cells.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an optical data reproduction apparatus for optically reading data signals recorded onto recording media such as CDs and DVDs and more particularly to wiring patterns or terminal arrangement patterns connected to a light-receiving element. 
     Optical data reproduction apparatus have light-receiving elements for not only optically reading data signals recorded onto recording media but also detecting tracking and focusing errors. Some light-receiving element has light-receiving cells for detecting a tracking error with three beams, for example, in addition to a known quadrifid light-receiving cell, these light-receiving cells being disposed on one chip. The light-receiving element formed of one chip also has output terminals for leading the signals detected by the respective light-receiving cells to an external circuit, a power supply terminal for introducing a power supply to the light-receiving element, a ground terminal and any other proper terminal. An arrangement of these terminals is determined on the part of manufacturers of light-receiving elements. When the light-receiving element is incorporated into such an optical data reproduction apparatus, it has been attempted to make the order of wiring patterns on a flexible printed board for connection to the external circuit or the order of arranging pins of output connectors correspond to the arrangement of terminals of the light-receiving element. 
     FIG. 5 shows examples of wiring patterns in a related optical data reproduction apparatus. In FIG. 5, an optical pickup  40  as the optical data reproduction apparatus is connected to the front end IC  52  of a system board  50  via a wiring pattern  46  formed on a flexible printed board. The optical pickup  40  has a light-receiving element  42 . The light-receiving element  42  has terminals of E, Vcc, Vc, GND and F in this order on one side and terminals of A, RF, B, C, D, F, E and GND in this order on the other. The light-receiving element  42  is packaged on a wiring board in the optical pickup  40  and connected to connectors for use in external connection via a wiring pattern  44  on the board. The wiring pattern  44  has a jumper line  45  and any other alternative pattern, whereby the connectors are arranged in the order of A, RF, B, C, D, F, E and GND. 
     A system board  50  also has connectors and a wiring pattern  48  extending from the connectors up to the front end IC  52 . An arrangement of connectors on the side of the system board  50  is set conformable to that of connectors on the side of the optical pickup  40 . The wiring pattern  46  such as the flexible printed board is used to electrically connect the connectors on the side of the optical pickup  40  and those on the side of the system board  50 . 
     The terminals A, B, C and D of the light-receiving element  42  in the example shown in FIG. 5 are coupled to a quadrifid light receiving cell similar in shape to a quadrifid light-receiving cell  24  of FIG.  2 . Output signals from these terminals are used to generate a phase-difference type tracking error signal. A look at the connectors and the wiring patterns shown in FIG. 5 reveals that B, C and D out of the signal lines from the quadrifid light-receiving cell are disposed side by side in this order. In other words, crosstalks are easily produced among the signal lines B, C and D; the drawback to the arrangement above is that a precise tracking error signal is hardly easy to obtain from such a phase-difference system. 
     A general description will now be given of the generation of a tracking error signal of the phase-difference system together with the reason for the difficulty of obtaining a precise tracking error signal because of crosstalks with reference to FIGS. 6 to  8 . 
     In FIG. 6, reference numeral  54  denotes a quadrifid light-receiving cell. The light-receiving surface of the quadrifid light-receiving cell  54  is divided into four light-receiving cells a, b, c and d. The light-receiving cells a and d, and b and c are orientated in the direction of a track, T, which is equal to the x-axis direction, whereas the light-receiving cells a and b, and c and d are orientated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the track, which is equal to the y-axis direction. The two light-receiving cells a and c are positioned diagonally, whereas the two light-receiving cells b and d are also positioned diagonally. Outputs of the two diagonal light-receiving cells a and c are added up by an adder  56  as a set so as to obtain an added signal  66 . Outputs of the two diagonal light-receiving cells b and d are also added up by an adder  57  as a set so as to obtain an added signal  68 . 
     The added signal  66  is subjected to waveform equalization in a waveform equalizer  58  and also waveform shaping in a waveform shaper  60  before being inputted to a phase comparator  62 . Similarly, the added signal  68  is subjected to waveform equalization in a waveform equalizer  59  and also waveform shaping in a waveform shaper  61  before being inputted to the phase comparator  62 . In the phase comparator  62 , the phases of two sets of outputs thus supplied are compared, so that a pulse signal having width equal to the phase difference between the two sets of outputs. The pulse signal is integrated by a low-pass filter  64  and outputted as a tracking error signal. 
     The principle of detection by the tracking error detector in the phase difference system will now be described. FIG. 7 refers to a case where a beam spot  70  is moving above the center of the track TC. While the beam spot  70  is related to the pit  72  of a recording medium as shown in FIG. 7A, the dark areas  74  and  76  produced from the light diffraction by the pit  72  within a far field are produced in areas equal to the four light-receiving cells a, b, c and d as shown in FIG.  7 B. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7C, output signal waveforms of the light-receiving cells a, b, c and d are equalized and so are output waveform  66  of the adder  56  and the output waveform  68  of the adder  57  as shown in FIG.  7 D. In this state, the phase difference Δt becomes zero. Here, the variable t is defined by xlv (x: displacement of the beam spot in the track direction T; v: velocity of the beam spot in the track direction T). 
     Further, FIG. 8A refers to a case where the center of the beam spot SC on the recording medium has been displaced by Δy in the y-axis direction from the center of the track TC. While the beam spot  70  is related to the pit  72  as shown in FIG. 8A, the dark areas  74  and  76  within the far field appear as shown in FIG.  8 B and there is produced differences in the dark areas produced in the four light-receiving cells a, b, c and d, whereby a phase difference of Δt 1  is produced between the output signals of the light-receiving cells a and c and the output signals of the receiving cells b and d, and between the added signals of (a+c) and the added signals of (b+d) as shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D. Consequently, a pulse signal having a pulse width of Δt 1  is produced from the phase comparator  62 . This pulse signal is integrated by the low-pass filter  64  to become an output value corresponding to the amount of displacement Δy, so that tracking control is performed according to the output value. 
     In accordance with the tracking error detection of the phase difference system as set forth above, in the case of CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives at from single speed to double speed, for example, output signal frequencies of the light-receiving cells a, b, c and d become considerably high, namely, ranging from 4.5 MHz to 50 several MHz. Consequently, in a case where terminals and wiring patterns B, C and D for passing signals different in phase therethrough are set adjacent to one another as in the related optical data reproduction apparatus shown in FIG. 5, the signal is allowed to leak out of one adjoining wiring pattern and superposed on the signal in the other wiring pattern. Then a so-called crosstalk will occur, thus causing the two signals to mutually damage each other. The action like this will then result in making it difficult to obtain a precise tracking signal. This problem tends to become apparent as the driving speed of the recording medium increases. In the related example of FIG. 5, about 8-times speed is a limit and speed exceeding this limit makes the signal-line-to-signal-line crosstalk conspicuous and also makes a precise tracking error signal unavailable. 
     Incidentally, the difference between the sum of signals A and C and that of signals B and D, that is, (A+C)−(B+D) has been well known to be usable as a focus error signal. The focus error signal is such that the (A+C) signal and the (B+D) signal are fed into the +input terminal and −input terminal of an operational amplifier, whereby not a phase difference but a difference in level therebetween is outputted as a focusing error signal. As the frequency area of the focusing error signal ranges from 10 to 20 kHz, the focusing error signal is obviously different in the frequency area from the tracking error signal of the phase difference system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention made to solve the foregoing problems pertaining to the related art is to provide an optical data reproduction apparatus capable of suppressing a signal-line-to-signal-line crosstalk even at 8-times speed to ensure that a precise tracking error signal is obtainable even at high-speed reproduction time. 
     The optical data reproduction apparatus according to the invention has the light-receiving element including the quadrifid light-receiving cell and used for obtaining a tracking error signal by adding up outputs of two cells positioned diagonally in the quadrifid light-receiving cell with the two diagonal cells of the quadrifid light-receiving cell as one set so as to obtain the outputs of two sets of cells, and comparing the phases of the outputs of the two sets of cells, wherein outputs of the quadrifid light-receiving cell are obtained via wiring patterns connected to the respective cells of the quadrifid light-receiving cell; two wiring patterns are connected to one set of diagonal cells, and two wiring patterns are connected to the other one set of diagonal cells; and a wiring pattern for passing therethrough a signal different in nature from the output of the quadrifid light-receiving cell is disposed between two sets of wiring patterns connected to the respective different sets of cells. Accordingly, a tracking error signal without considerable error is made available by suppressing the crosstalk. 
     As the wiring pattern for passing therethrough the signal different in nature from the output of the quadrifid light-receiving cell can be one of a wiring pattern having a low impedance such as a power supply line and a ground line, a wiring pattern for passing therethrough a signal different in a frequency band, and a wiring pattern connected to a light-receiving cell different from the quadrifid light-receiving cell, the wiring patterns respectively connected to one set of diagonal cells are shut off the other one set of diagonal cells. Accordingly, a tracking error signal without considerable error is made available by suppressing the crosstalk. 
     As the light-receiving element having the quadrifid light-receiving cell has the connector terminal electrically connected to each light-receiving cell and also to the circuit wiring board, the two terminals connected to one set of diagonal cells and other two terminals connected to the other one set of diagonal cells are provided. Further, the terminal for passing therethrough the signal different in nature from the output of the quadrifid light-receiving cell is disposed between one set of terminals and the other one set of terminals connected to the respective difference sets of cells. As in-phase signals are passed through the terminals respectively connected to one set of diagonal cells and the other one set of diagonal cells, whereby no crosstalk is produced even though these sets of terminals are set adjacent to each other. Moreover, the terminal for passing therethrough the signal different in nature from the output of the quadrifid light-receiving cell is disposed between one set of diagonal cells and the other one set of diagonal cells whereby to shut the one set of terminals off the other one set thereof. Accordingly, a tracking error signal without considerable error is made available by suppressing the crosstalk. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a wiring diagram illustrating an optical data reproduction apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of a light-receiving element according to the embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a wiring diagram illustrating another exemplary wiring pattern applicable to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of still another exemplary wiring pattern applicable to the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram illustrating a related optical data reproduction apparatus; 
     FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a tracking error detector for use in the related optical data reproduction apparatus; 
     FIGS. 7A-7D are diagrams illustrating the principle of detecting a tracking error in the related optical data reproduction apparatus without any tracking error: FIG. 7A is a plan view showing the relation between a beam spot and a pit; FIG. 7B is a plan view showing the relation between an optical detector and a far field image; FIG. 7C is a waveform chart showing output of each light-receiving cell; and FIG. 7D is a waveform chart showing output of each adder; and 
     FIGS. 8A-8D are diagrams illustrating the principle of detecting the tracking error in the related optical data reproduction apparatus with the tracking error: FIG. 8A is a plan view showing the relation between the beam spot and the pit; FIG. 88 is a plan view showing the relation between the optical detector and the edge field image; FIG. 8C is a waveform chart showing output of each light-receiving cell; and FIG. 8D is a waveform chart showing output of the adder. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An optical data reproduction apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to  4 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, an optical pickup  10  is connected to the front end IC  22  of a system board  20  via a wiring pattern  16  provided on a flexible printed board. The optical pickup  10  also has a light-receiving element  12 . The light-receiving element  12  has terminals E 1 , E 2 , F 1 , F 2 , RF and GND in this order on one end and terminals C, A, Vref, B, D and Vcc in this order on the other. The light-receiving element  12  is packaged on a wiring board in the optical pickup  10  and connected to connectors on the side of the optical pickup  10  via a wiring pattern  14  on the wiring pattern. The connectors in the wiring pattern  14  are disposed in the above order on the side of the optical pickup  10 . 
     The system board  20  also has connectors and a wiring pattern  18  extending from the connectors up to a front end IC  22 . An arrangement of connectors on the side of the system board  20  is set conformable to that of connectors on the side of the optical pickup  10 . The wiring pattern  16  such as the flexible printed board is used to electrically connect the connectors on the side of the optical pickup  10  and those on the side of the system board  20 . The system board  20  forms the control board of the optical data reproduction apparatus and has adders, waveform equalizers, waveform shapers, a phase comparator and the like as illustrated in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the light-receiving element  12  in detail. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the light-receiving element  12  has a central quadrifid light-receiving cell  24  including four cells A, B. C and D, a sideward light-receiving cell  26  having two cells E 1  and E 2  and another sideward light-receiving cell  28  having two cells F 1  and F 2  on both sides of the light-receiving cell  24 . Of the terminals disposed on one side of the light-receiving element  12 , E 1 , E 2 , F 1  and F 2  are connected to the cells E 1  and E 2 , and F 1  and F 2  of the sideward light-receiving cells  26  and  28 , respectively. The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 refers to a case where E 1 , E 2 , F 1  and F 2  are not employed. RF designates a signal for reading the data signal recorded in a recording medium and is obtainable by combining the outputs of the four cells A, B, C and D of the quadrifid light-receiving cell in the light-receiving element  12 , GND being a ground connection. 
     Of the terminals disposed on the other side of the light-receiving element  12 , C, A, B and D are connected to the corresponding cells C, A, B and D of the quadrifid light-receiving cell  24 . The arrangement relations among the four light-receiving cells A, B, C and D are substantially similar to those among the light-receiving cells a, b, c and d in the related example with reference to FIG.  6 . 
     Consequently, the two light-receiving cell A and C are positioned diagonally and so are the other two light-receiving cells B and D. The outputs of the two diagonal light-receiving cells A and C are added up by an adder so as to obtain an added signal as shown in FIG.  6 . The outputs of the other two diagonal light-receiving cells B and D are also added up by another adder so as to obtain an added signal. These added signals are subjected to waveform equalization, waveform shaping and the like. Further, the phases of these two processed signals are compared whereby to obtain a tracking error signal. In FIGS. 1 and 2, Vref and Vcc represent a constant reference voltage and a power supply, respectively. 
     As is obvious from FIGS. 1 and 2, out of the terminals A, B, C and D linked to the respective cells A, B. C and D of the quadrifid light-receiving cell, the two terminals A and C connected to one set of diagonal cells A and C are set adjacent to each other and the other two terminals B and D connected to one set of diagonal cells B and D are also set adjacent to each other. Moreover, a terminal for passing therethrough a signal different in nature from the output of the quadrifid light-receiving cell  24  is arranged between the two sets of terminals respectively connected to the different sets of cells. More specifically, the terminal Vref for the signal different in nature from the output of the quadrifid light-receiving cell  24  and what has a low impedance is provided between one set of terminals A and C and the other set of terminals B and D. 
     With respect to the terminals of the connector, GND having a low impedance is held between one set of terminals A and C, and the terminal RF so as to shut an RF signal off the output signals of the light-receiving cells A and C. Therefore, no crosstalk is produced between the RF signal and the output signals of the light-receiving cells A and C. 
     With the arrangement above, the signals passed through one set of adjoining terminals A and C are in phase with each other as illustrated in FIG. 8, so that no problem is raised by the crosstalk therebetween. Similarly, the signals passed through the other one set of adjoining terminals B and D are in phase with each other, so that no problem is raised by the crosstalk therebetween. On the other hand, the signals passed through the terminals A and C are out of phase with the signals passed through the terminals B and D and since the signals having a high frequency are passed therethrough as stated previously, there develops a crosstalk problem in a case where the signals are adjacent to one another. On this point, the terminal Vref having a low impedance is provided between one set of terminals A and C and the other one set of terminals B and D in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and this acts as what shuts off the crosstalk between one set of terminals A and C and the other one set of terminals B and D. Thus, a tracking error signal can be detected without considerable error. 
     In order to deal with the arrangement of terminals of the light-receiving element  12 , the wiring pattern  14  in the optical pickup  10 , the wiring pattern  18  of the flexible printed board, and the wiring pattern  18  on the side of system board  20  are set to correspond to the arrangement of terminals thereof. Consequently, wiring patterns A and C for passing therethrough in-phase signals are set adjacent to each other and wiring patterns B and D for passing therethrough in-phase signals are also set adjacent to each other even in the wiring pattern  16  of a connection cable. Moreover, a wiring pattern to which Vref having a low impedance is applied exists between one set of wiring patterns A and C and another set of wiring patterns B and D and this acts as what shuts off the crosstalk between one set of wiring patterns A and C and the other one set of wiring patterns B and D. Thus, a tracking error signal can be detected without considerable error. 
     In this case, it is only necessary that a terminal or a wiring pattern to be placed between one set of terminals or wiring patterns A and C and the other one set of terminals or wiring patterns B and D should be a terminal or a wiring pattern for passing therethrough a signal different in nature from the output of the quadrifid light-receiving cell  24 . The Vref may be replaced with a power supply Vcc, GND or the like through which a signal having a low impedance passes or a signal in a frequency band entirely different from the frequency band of the signal outputted from the quadrifid light-receiving cell  24  passes. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a wiring pattern to be connected to a ground line or a power supply line may be arranged between one set of wiring patterns A and C and the other one set of wiring patterns B and D. 
     The light-receiving element  12  shown in FIG. 2 is designed as a light-receiving element for simultaneously use in CD and DVD and has the light-receiving cells  26  and  28  in addition to the quadrifid light-receiving cell  24 . These three light-receiving cells makes obtainable a tracking error signal in the three beam system and may also be employed for any other use. As the signals detected from the light-receiving cells  26  and  28  are those in a low frequency band which is entirely different from the frequency band of the output signal of the quadrifid light-receiving cell  24 , a terminal or a wiring pattern for passing therethrough the signals detected from the light-receiving cells  26  and  28  may be disposed between one set of terminals or wiring patterns A and C and the other one set of terminals or wiring patterns B and D. With this arrangement, the crosstalk between one set of terminals or wiring patterns A and C and the other one set of terminals or wiring patterns B and D can also be suppressed. 
     In the above embodiment of the invention, there has been described a case where the two wiring patterns for passing therethrough in-phase signals are set adjacent to each other. However, as a terminal or wiring pattern different from the frequency band of the signal outputted from the quadrifid light-receiving cell  24  is only needed to be provided between one set of terminals or wiring patterns A and C and another set of terminals or wiring patterns B and D in order to suppress the crosstalk between one set of terminals or wiring patterns A and C and the other one set of terminals or wiring patterns B and D, it is unnecessary to set one set of terminals or wiring patterns A and C or terminals or wiring patterns B and D adjacent to each other. In other words, another terminal or wiring pattern may be provided between A and C or B and D. 
     It is also not necessarily restrictive to arrange one set of terminals or wiring patterns A and C and another set of terminals or wiring patterns B and D in one plane but they may be disposed three-dimensionally. FIG. 4 shows this example wherein wiring patterns A and C are disposed on one face side of a board  30  such as a flexible printed board, and wiring patterns B and D are disposed on the other. Preferably, the board  30  has a conductor as a base, which is coated with an insulating agent, and the wiring patterns A and C and the wiring patterns B and D may be disposed as stated above. In this case, a signal different in nature from the output of a quadrifid light-receiving cell; for example, a signal having a low impedance or what is different in a frequency band such as a power supply line, GND or the like may be passed through the conductor. In so doing, the crosstalk between the wiring patterns A and C and the wiring patterns B and D. Another wiring pattern in addition to the wiring patterns A and C and the wiring patterns B and D may also be disposed on both side faces of the board  30 . 
     Further, the main area or most of the area of the wiring pattern  16  used to connect the wiring pattern  14  in the optical pickup  10  and the wiring pattern  18  on the side of the system board  20  may be so formed as stated above. In other words, the intended effect is achievable unless all the patterns are so formed as stated above. Moreover, each terminal may be or may not be provided with a terminal pin. 
     Although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein. Such changes and modifications as are obvious are deemed to come within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention as defined in the appended claims.