Patent ID: 7009917

Claim:
A layer jump control apparatus for controlling a layer jump process of an optical drive, wherein the layer jump process comprises a kicking process, a holding process, a braking process and a waiting process, the layer jump control apparatus comprising: a pick up head having a lens and a voice coil motor, wherein the pick up head drives the voice coil motor in accordance with a driving force to vertically move the lens; a preamplifier for producing a focusing error signal; a controller for receiving the focusing error signal and producing a focusing control signal; a low pass filter for receiving the focusing control signal and producing a layer distance balancing signal; and a driving device for outputting the driving force; wherein: the driving device receives the focusing control signal to determine the driving force when the optical drive does not perform the layer jump process; the driving device receives a kicking signal and the layer distance balancing signal to determine the driving force when the optical drive performs the kicking process; the driving device receives a braking signal and the layer distance balancing signal to determine the driving force when the optical drive performs the braking process; the driving device receives the layer distance balancing signal to determine the driving force when the optical drive performs the holding process and the waiting process; the braking process is initiated when the focusing error signal reaches a first checking point, and is performed for a certain time; and the waiting process is performed after the braking process, and is completed when the focusing error signal reaches a second checking point.