Abstract: An optical disk apparatus is provided which is capable of certainly preventing an optical disk from coming into contact with an objective lens, even when its power is kept turned off and servo control is not in operation, and preventing an optical disk from hitting the objective lens, even though it undergoes a strong disturbance. A cartridge 2 includes an opening portion through which an objective lens 4 comes close to an optical disk 1 and a rib 2b which is formed near the cartridge outer-edge connection part of the opening portion; the plane of the rib 2b on the side of the objective lens 4 is substantially on the same plane with the plane of incidence of the optical disk 1; when an optical disk apparatus 100 is turned off, a traverse mechanism 22 moves the objective lens 4 and a protective member 5 to a position P2 that faces the plane of the rib 2b on the side of the objective lens 4 when the cartridge 2 is housed in the optical disk apparatus 100.

Abstract: Tilt correction means is operated so that the degree of modulation represented by the ratio of the amount of the detected reflected light from the groove areas G and the amount of the detected reflected light from the flat land areas L becomes maximal in a state wherein focus servo-control is made effective. Hence, the present invention can provide a system applicable to all optical disks including recording types and reproduction-only types, and capable of detecting a tilt correction signal without providing any special countermeasures on optical disks and devices, whereby it is possible to obtain an optical recording apparatus not adversely affecting the usage feeling of a user.

Abstract: A first information recorder comprises a limited number-of-times of copying information setting unit for setting information on the limited number-of-times of copying electronic data, a first limited number-of-times of copying information updating unit for reading out the electronic data from a first information recording medium containing electronic data set with limited number of times of copying information by the limited number-of-times of copying information setting unit and updating the limited number-of-times of copying information set with respect to the electronic data, and a first transmitter for transmitting electronic data whose limited number-of-times of copying information is updated by the first limited number of times of copying information updating unit.

Abstract: In high-speed high-density recording, heat generation becomes a problem as high-frequency modulation and strong magnetic field of a magnetic head are realized.

Abstract: An optical head is driven in a tracking direction with respect to a rotating optical disc. The optical head includes a light source, an optical block, a condenser shifter, and a rotating mechanism. The light source is used to read and write data from/on the optical disc. The optical block supports the light source. The condenser shifter includes a condenser, a movable body, a base, a focus direction drive mechanism and a tracking direction drive mechanism. The condenser focuses light, emitted from the light source, toward the optical disc. The movable body supports the condenser. The base supports the movable body elastically such that the movable body is able to shift in a focus direction and in the tracking direction. The focus and tracking direction drive mechanisms are provided to shift the movable body in the focus and tracking directions, respectively.

Abstract: An electronic data transaction system for onerously transferring copyright-protected electronic data (intangible form) without allowing the user to duplicate the data. The system resells the received electronic data to another consumer at a price lower than the regular price. This reselling system heightens the market awareness of consumers, provides return for the copyright owners from two sources, helps build a business model based on the market competition mechanism, and contributes to reduction of the price of electronic data and to expansion of the electronic data trading market (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A reflecting mirror and an optical bench are placed on an external jig provided with a mirror holding portion for maintaining the reflecting mirror, and then the reflecting mirror and the optical bench are bonded and fixed, thus obtaining an optical head. An adhesion reference plane for the reflecting mirror is no longer required in the optical bench, thus reducing the size and cost of the optical bench. The mounting precision is high and stable. Further, the reflecting mirror is bonded and fixed at the vicinities of the approximate centers of its two opposed side faces and therefore the variation in orientation of the reflecting mirror due to expansion or contraction of an adhesive is lessened, thus achieving a highly-reliable optical head excellent in environmental stability characteristics.

Abstract: An integrated unit in which a light source and a light emitting diode are combined into one component is fixed to an optical bench. Then, relative position adjustment of an objective lens actuator is carried out with respect to the optical bench so that a desired detection signal can be obtained through reflected light from a disk information recording medium and then the objective lens actuator is fixed. The relative position adjustment of the integrated unit is no longer required and it is no longer necessary preliminarily to provide a margin for adjusting the integrated unit. Thus, an optical head can be reduced in size and thickness.

Abstract: In high-speed high-density recording, heat generation becomes a problem as high-frequency modulation and strong magnetic field of a magnetic head are realized. A thermally coupling contact portion is extended from a part of a suspension and is brought into contact with a magnetic core, by which heat generated in a coil is dissipated to the suspension via the magnetic core and the thermally coupling contact portion.

Abstract: An integrated unit in which a light source and a light emitting diode are combined into one component is fixed to an optical bench. Then, relative position adjustment of an objective lens actuator is carried out with respect to the optical bench so that a desired detection signal can be obtained through reflected light from a disk information recording medium and then the objective lens actuator is fixed. The relative position adjustment of the integrated unit is no longer required and it is no longer necessary preliminarily to provide a margin for adjusting the integrated unit. Thus, an optical head can be reduced in size and thickness.

Abstract: A digital camera includes: an image capturing section for capturing an image of an object; an image data generation section for generating image data which represents the captured image of the object and index data associated with the image data; a display section for displaying the image data and the index data; a recording/reproducing section for recording the image data and the index data in a memory section and reproducing the image data and the index data recorded in the memory section; a data communication section for sending the image data and the index data, which are recorded in the memory section, to an external device, and receiving image data and index data from the external device; and a control section for controlling the image data generation section, the recording/reproducing section, and the data communication section.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing apparatus includes a focusing optical system for focusing light from a light source on an information recording medium as a light spot and an error signal generation system for generating an error signal that represents the positional deviation between an information track and the light spot on the information recording medium from the light reflected by the information recording medium. The apparatus further includes a tilt measurement system for measuring the amount of relative inclination between the focusing optical system and the information recording medium and an offset application system for performing off-track of the light spot by applying an electric offset corresponding to the measured amount of inclination to the error signal.

Abstract: Tilt correction means is operated so that the degree of modulation represented by the ratio of the amount of the detected reflected light from the groove areas G and the amount of the detected reflected light from the flat land areas L becomes maximal in a state wherein focus servo-control is made effective. Hence, the present invention can provide a system applicable to all optical disks including recording types and reproduction-only types, and capable of detecting a tilt correction signal without providing any special countermeasures on optical disks and devices, whereby it is possible to obtain an optical recording apparatus not adversely affecting the usage feeling of a user.

Abstract: An optical recording/reproducing apparatus comprises: a light receiving and emitting device that emits divergent optical beams and detects various signals on a disk; a collimator lens for converting the optical beams emitted from the device into parallel beams; an objective lens for converging the optical beams of the parallel beams onto the disk; and an objective-lens drive for driving the objective lens in a focusing direction perpendicular to a recording surface of the disk and in a radial direction parallel to the recording surface. The objective-lens drive is supported by suspensions attached at one end to a lens holder for holding the objective lens and to a fixing member at their other ends. The collimator lens is positioned between the objective lens and the fixing member.

Abstract: In the magneto-optical disk recording and reproducing device, a coil 26a, which serves as a magnetomotive force source is located in the peripheral region of the object lens 5a. A yoke 27a that is a magnetic flux inducing means made of magnetic material serves as the object lens holder. According to this magneto-optical disk recording and reproducing device, even if the object lens is displaced in the radial direction of the information recording medium due to the decentering of the information recording medium or the like, the dislocation of the yoke and coil relative to the object lens is inhibited, stable magnetic field strength is maintained, highly precise recording can be realized, and devices having a small size and thin shape can be realized.

Abstract: An optical disc clamp mechanism that is capable of selectively playing back either of a compact disc or a mini disc. The clamp mechanism includes a circular disc receiving section for contacting a reference surface of either of the compact disc or the mini disc and further includes a magnetic clamp unit for clamping the mini disc by magnetic attraction with a magnetically attractable member of the mini disc. A first conical or spherical taper cone portion for engaging the center hole of the mini disc is mounted to the disc receiving section and a second conical or spherical taper cone portion for engaging the center hole of the compact disc is mounted to the disc receiving section. The first taper cone portion is located inwardly of the second taper cone portion and protrudes from the second taper cone portion in the axial direction. The magnetic clamp unit further includes a stopper element for preventing detachment of the first and second taper cone portions from the disc receiving section.

Abstract: In a clamp mechanism, an adapter, and an optical disc apparatus for compatibly playing back an MD and a CD having different centering hole diameters and reference heights, a first clamp mechanism has a taper cone section for both the MD and CD, while a second clamp mechanism has an MD turntable and a CD clamper which is driven in contact with the MD turntable while clamping the CD. The adapter is a disc which has a hole having the same inner diameter as that of the centering hole of the MD and a thickness of 0.8 mm, the adapter to be attached to the CD. A first optical disc apparatus has an MD spindle motor and a CD spindle motor, and an optical system including an objective lens is arranged on a Straight line that connects both the spindle motors. A second optical disc apparatus has a spindle motor having an MD turntable and a CD turntable at both its ends.

Abstract: A magnetic head assembly used for an information storage medium including a sliding surface according to the present invention includes a magnetic-field generation means having a magnetic pole and for giving a magnetic field to the information storage medium; a slider means coupled with the magnetic-field generation means, the slider means having a projecting portion which projects toward the information storage medium; and a load means coupled with the slider means, the load means giving a pressing force to the slider means in a direction perpendicular to the sliding surface, and pressing the projecting portion onto the sliding surface, wherein a surface of the projecting portion of the slider means includes part of one almost spherical surface.

Abstract: In a clamp mechanism, an adapter, and an optical disc apparatus for compatibly playing back the MD and CD having different centering hole diameters and reference heights, a first clamp mechanism has a taper cone section for both an MD and a CD, while a second clamp mechanism has an MD turntable and a CD clamper which is driven in contact with the MD turntable while clamping the CD. The adapter is a disc which has a hole having the same inner diameter as that of the centering hole of the MD and a thickness of 0.8 mm, the adapter to be attached to the CD. A first optical disc apparatus has an MD spindle motor and a CD spindle motor, and an optical system including an objective lens is arranged on a straight line that connects both the spindle motors. A second optical disc apparatus has a spindle motor having an MD turntable and a CD turntable at both its ends.

Abstract: An optical head includes: a light source for emitting light; first optical element for forming at least three light beams from the light emitted from the light source; second optical element for converging said at least three beams on a storage medium; and a photodetector for receiving said at least three beams reflected by the storage medium to generate electrical outputs in accordance with an intensity of the light beams, the photodetector including; a semiconductor substrate; a light receiving section formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate for receiving the light beams reflected by the storage medium; a plurality of input terminals for receiving a supply of a predetermined potential; and a plurality of output terminals for outputting electric signals, wherein the light receiving section includes a plurality of light receiving elements for signal detection provided apart from each other on the surface of the semiconductor substrate and a plurality of stray light carrier absorption regions provid