Runout compensation for a coarse tracking servo system in an optical disk storage unit

Claim 1

In an optical disk storage unit for reading data from or writing data to a removable disk surface having a rotational axis, a plurality of data bands having data tracks concentrically spaced about said rotational axis, and a plurality of optically readable servo tracks concentrically spaced about said rotational axis between said data bands, said optical disk storage unit having an access and tracking system including a light source for continuously illuminating a portion of said disk surface that spans the width of at least one data band, including at least one servo track, and detector means for detecting light returned from said portion including light returned from said illuminated servo track, wherein said access and tracking system includes a coarse tracking system controlled by the output of said detector means and a fine access and tracking system, including a second light source, responsive to a separate light beam projected from said second light source and reflected by a single data track on said disk, the improvement comprising: means for rotating said disk surface about said rotational axis; an optical head positioned adjacent to said disk surface for reading or writing thereon; means for positioning said head with respect to said disk surface in a radial direction, wherein said means for positioning said head is connected to said detector means for control by an output therefrom; means for storing and periodically outputting a runout signal representing the eccentricity of said tracks and bands as a function of the rotation of said disk surface; and means for summing said runout signal with the output of said detector means to compensate for said eccentricity as said disk rotates.