Optical scanner with synchronous sampling

1. Optical scanner having a light source for generating a light beam for reading out data stored on an optical storage medium, the light source being modulated by a radio-frequency modulator to induce fast mode hopping, and having an analog-to-digital converter, which converts an analog data signal generated by a photodetector into a digital data signal, wherein the radio-frequency modulator and the analog-to-digital converter are synchronized.

2. Optical scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is pulsed by the radio-frequency modulator.

3. Optical scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency modulator has a modulation frequency that is comparable with a sampling frequency of the analog-to-digital converter.

4. Optical scanner according to claim 1 , wherein a phase shifter is provided, which influences a phase of the radio-frequency modulator relative to marks situated on the optical recording medium.

5. Optical scanner according to claim 4 , wherein the phase of the radio-frequency modulator is influenced in such a way that transitions between marks and spaces in each case lie between two pulses of the light source.

6. Optical scanner according to claim 4 , wherein the phase shifter is controlled by a microprocessor.

7. Optical scanner according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the analog data signal and the digital data signal is obtained by averaging signals obtained from two or more pulses of the light source.

8. Optical scanner according to claim 2 , wherein the radio-frequency modulator has a modulation frequency that is comparable with a sampling frequency of the analog-to-digital converter.

9. Optical scanner according to claim 2 , wherein a phase shifter is provided, which influences a phase of the radio-frequency modulator relative to marks situated on the optical recording medium.

10. Optical scanner according to claim 3 , wherein a phase shifter is provided, which influences a phase of the radio-frequency modulator relative to marks situated on the optical recording medium.

11. Optical scanner according to claim 5 , wherein the phase shifter is controlled by a microprocessor.

12. Optical scanner according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the analog data signal and the digital data signal is obtained by averaging signals obtained from two or more pulses of the light source.

13. Optical scanner according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the analog data signal and the digital data signal is obtained by averaging signals obtained from two or more pulses of the light source.

14. Optical scanner according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the analog data signal and the digital data signal is obtained by averaging signals obtained from two or more pulses of the light source.

15. Optical scanner according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the analog data signal and the digital data signal is obtained by averaging signals obtained from two or more pulses of the light source.

16. Optical scanner according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the analog data signal and the digital data signal is obtained by averaging signals obtained from two or more pulses of the light source.

17. Device for at least one of reading from and writing to optical recording media, having an optical scanner according to claim 1 .

18. Device for at least one of reading from and writing to optical recording media, having an optical scanner according to claim 2 .

19. Device for at least one of reading from and writing to optical recording media, having an optical scanner according to claim 4 .

20. Device for at least one of reading from and writing to optical recording media, having an optical scanner according to claim 7 .