Patents by Inventor Noritaka Akagi

Noritaka Akagi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9966099
    Abstract: A record playback apparatus of the present disclosure includes a plurality of optical pickups that records information on a recording medium or plays back information from the recording medium; a single transport mechanism that transports the plurality of optical pickups together; and a transport control circuit that drives the single transport mechanism so that, when the single transport mechanism is driven to transport the plurality of optical pickups to respective target positions on the recording medium, absolute value of a maximum value of transport errors of the plurality of optical pickups with respect to the respective target positions becomes substantially equal to absolute value of a minimum value of transport errors of the plurality of optical pickups with respect to the respective target positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuo Momoo, Yuichi Takahashi, Noritaka Akagi
  • Publication number: 20170270958
    Abstract: A record playback apparatus of the present disclosure includes a plurality of optical pickups that records information on a recording medium or plays back information from the recording medium; a single transport mechanism that transports the plurality of optical pickups together; and a transport control circuit that drives the single transport mechanism so that, when the single transport mechanism is driven to transport the plurality of optical pickups to respective target positions on the recording medium, absolute value of a maximum value of transport errors of the plurality of optical pickups with respect to the respective target positions becomes substantially equal to absolute value of a minimum value of transport errors of the plurality of optical pickups with respect to the respective target positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuo MOMOO, Yuichi TAKAHASHI, Noritaka AKAGI
  • Patent number: 7106668
    Abstract: A disk drive apparatus for a disk having helically-formed or concentric circle-like formed tracks includes a spindle motor for controlling a rotation of the disk; a pick-up device for recording or reproducing information on or from the disk; a stepping motor for moving the pick-up device in a radial direction of the disk in accordance with a drive current; a system controller for tracking a rotation speed of the spindle motor and for outputting command signals according to the rotation speed of the spindle motor; and a stepping motor controller for controlling the stepping motor by changing a slope of a rising part and a falling part of a waveform of the drive current of the stepping motor according to the command signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Okada, Shuichi Yoshida, Masaharu Imura, Kiyoshi Masaki, Kazuhiro Mihara, Tsutomu Kai, Noritaka Akagi, Masanori Harui, Kazuhiko Kouno
  • Patent number: 7085200
    Abstract: A disk apparatus includes a pick-up for reading/writing signals from/on a disk; a pick-up base provided with the pick-up; a traverse motor for moving the pick-up in a radial direction of said disk; a feed screw rotated by the traverse motor and provided with a thread groove on its periphery; a rack having a fixing portion fixed to the pick-up base and a nut portion engaged with the thread groove; a guiding mechanism for guiding the pick-up movably in a radial direction of the disk; and a cantilever parallel spring for connecting the fixing portion to the nut portion of the rack, displaceably in a radial direction of the feed screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Okada, Shuichi Yoshida, Masaharu Imura, Kiyoshi Masaki, Kazuhiro Mihara, Tsutomu Kai, Noritaka Akagi
  • Publication number: 20050083800
    Abstract: A disk drive apparatus for a disk having helically-formed or concentric circle-like formed tracks includes a spindle motor for controlling a rotation of the disk; a pick-up device for recording or reproducing information on or from the disk; a stepping motor for moving the pick-up device in a radial direction of the disk in accordance with a drive current; a system controller for tracking a rotation speed of the spindle motor and for outputting command signals according to the rotation speed of the spindle motor; and a stepping motor controller for controlling the stepping motor by changing a slope of a rising part and a falling part of a waveform of the drive current of the stepping motor according to the command signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Takanori Okada, Shuichi Yoshida, Masaharu Imura, Kiyoshi Masaki, Kazuhiro Mihara, Tsutomu Kai, Noritaka Akagi, Masanori Harui, Kazuhiko Kouno
  • Publication number: 20050047290
    Abstract: A disk apparatus includes a pick-up for reading/writing signals from/on a disk; a pick-up base provided with the pick-up; a traverse motor for moving the pick-up in a radial direction of said disk; a feed screw rotated by the traverse motor and provided with a thread groove on its periphery; a rack having a fixing portion fixed to the pick-up base and a nut portion engaged with the thread groove; a guiding mechanism for guiding the pick-up movably in a radial direction of the disk; and a cantilever parallel spring for connecting the fixing portion to the nut portion of the rack, displaceably in a radial direction of the feed screw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Takanori Okada, Shuichi Yoshida, Masaharu Imura, Kiyoshi Masaki, Kazuhiro Mihara, Tsutomu Kai, Noritaka Akagi
  • Patent number: 6654321
    Abstract: In a method of the present invention for controlling stepping motor, the stepping motor driving current is increased or reduced at a fixed inclination in proportion to the time to control the stepping motor effectively, and, a stepping motor driving current pattern is changed by ¼ cycle or more to synchronize the state of excitation between the stepping motor driving means and the stepping motor to control the pick-up very accurately. In addition, the disk apparatus of the present invention, which uses a stepping motor is provided with a pulse rate pattern variable means, a pulse rate change proportion measuring means, and a driving voltage variable means, and when the pulse rate and the pulse rate change proportion are low, the driving voltage amplitude is lowered to reduce surplus torque generation in the stepping motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Okada, Shuichi Yoshida, Masaharu Imura, Kiyoshi Masaki, Kazuhiro Mihara, Tsutomu Kai, Noritaka Akagi, Masanori Harui, Kazuhiko Kouno
  • Publication number: 20030198150
    Abstract: A disk apparatus includes a disk having helically-formed tracks and storing information on said tracks; a motor for rotating said disk; a pick-up means having a focus servo means and a tracking servo means for reading information recorded on said disk by following the information stored on said tracks; traverse means having a stepping motor for moving said pick-up means by a specified distance; pulse generating means for generating pulse signals for controlling said stepping motor; stepping motor driving means for driving said stepping motor according to said pulse signals received from said pulse generating means; a step-out detecting means for detecting a step-out of said stepping motor; and a driving voltage changing means for changing a driving voltage of said stepping motor when said step-out detecting means detects the step-out in said stepping motor driving means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Okada, Shuichi Yoshida, Masaharu Imura, Kiyoshi Masaki, Kazuhiro Mihara, Tsutomu Kai, Noritaka Akagi
  • Patent number: 6434096
    Abstract: In order to correct the change in the offset and amplitude of a tracking error signal because of the change in the position of an object lens from the center of an optical pickup, the offset amount and amplitude value of the tracking error signal with respect to the displacement amount of the object lens from the center of the optical pickup are checked beforehand, and the displacement amount of the object lens is estimated on the basis of a tracking correction signal by using an object lens displacement observer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noritaka Akagi, Tsutomu Kai, Shuichi Yoshida, Kiyoshi Masaki, Teruyuki Naka, Yasuo Kashiwagi, Isao Takemoto
  • Publication number: 20010017824
    Abstract: In a method of the present invention for controlling stepping motor, the stepping motor driving current is increased or reduced at a fixed inclination in proportion to the time to control the stepping motor effectively, and, a stepping motor driving current pattern is changed by ¼ cycle or more to synchronize the state of excitation between the stepping motor driving means and the stepping motor to control the pick-up very accurately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Okada, Shuichi Yoshida, Masaharu Imura, Kiyoshi Masaki, Kazuhiro Mihara, Tsutomu Kai, Noritaka Akagi, Masanori Harui, Kazuhiko Kouno
  • Patent number: 6249495
    Abstract: In a method of the present invention for controlling stepping motor, the stepping motor driving current is increased or reduced at a fixed inclination in proportion to the time to control the stepping motor effectively, and, a stepping motor driving current pattern is changed by 1/4 cycle or over to synchronize the state of excitation between the stepping motor driving means and the stepping motor to control the pick-up very accurately. In addition, the disk apparatus of the present invention, which uses a stepping motor is provided with a pulse rate pattern variable means, a pulse rate change proportion measuring means, and a driving voltage variable means, and when the pulse rate and the pulse rate change proportion are low, the driving voltage amplitude is lowered to reduce surplus torque generation in the stepping motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Okada, Shuichi Yoshida, Masaharu Imura, Kiyoshi Masaki, Kazuhiro Mihara, Tsutomu Kai, Noritaka Akagi, Masanori Harui, Kazuhiko Kouno
  • Patent number: 5834913
    Abstract: The present invention provides the following rotation control method for reducing energy consumption of a motor driving a disk. In a constant speed mode, a supply voltage V1 for driving the motor at a constant speed N1 is selected; however, at a lower constant speed N2, a supply voltage V2 lower than V1 is selected. In an acceleration mode for accelerating the motor speed from N2 to N1, a higher supply voltage than V1 is selected just before starting acceleration, and then V1 is selected after the acceleration. In a speed deceleration mode for decelerating the motor speed from N1 to N2, a lower supply voltage than V1 is selected just before starting deceleration, then the supply voltage V2 is selected after the decleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Yoshida, Noritaka Akagi, Yoshiki Kuno