Abstract: The difference is detected between the outputs from first and second heads in a recording medium drive. The first head is positioned relative to the boundary between a first recording track and a separation track isolating the first recording track and a second recording track from each other. The second head is positioned relative to the boundary between the separation track and the second recording track. A position information specifying the positions of the first and second heads are generated based on the difference. The first and second heads follow the different boundaries, so that the outputs of the first and second heads reliably vary. The difference between the outputs thus reliably changes. An accurate position information can be generated based on the difference. The position information may be utilized in tracking servo control, for example. This enables establishment of the tracking servo control with a higher accuracy.

Abstract: A magnetic storage apparatus has a reproducing head to reproduce information from a perpendicular magnetic recording medium that is recorded with servo information, eccentricity correction data and read/write data. The apparatus further has a filter part to filter a reproduced output of the reproducing head by filtering the servo information which has a differentiated waveform by a non-differentiating characteristic and by filtering the eccentricity correction data and the read/write data which have rectangular waveforms by a differentiating characteristic, a demodulating part to demodulate the servo information, the eccentricity correction data and the read/write data that are filtered by the filter part, and a servo system to carry out a control process including an eccentricity control based on the servo information and the eccentricity correction data that are demodulated.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a master medium for perpendicular magnetic transfer, comprising: a disk-like substrate on a surface of which a plurality of protruding magnetic-layer patterns corresponding to information to be transferred to a magnetic recording medium targeted for transfer are formed. In the master medium for perpendicular magnetic transfer, a ratio of a circumferential width L of the protruding magnetic-layer patterns to a circumferential gap S between the protruding magnetic-layer patterns is L/S<1. According to the aspect of the present invention, good magnetic transfer can be performed and, therefore, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium (a slave disk) that is free from defects and has a good C/N ratio can be obtained. In addition, it is possible to perform good magnetic transfer.

Abstract: A storing unit stores first correction information for correcting a distortion synchronized with a rotation frequency of servo information of a first disk. A control unit controls positioning of a head on a target track by correcting the servo information of the first disk with the first correction information. Measurement information used for measuring the first correction information is calculated based on second correction information for the servo information in other disk apparatus including a second disk on which the servo information is formed using a common master medium with the first disk.

Abstract: A master-disk producing device produces a master disk with master-disk identification information added. A disk producing device produces a first disk with the master-disk identification information added, using the master disk with the master-disk identification information added. A first disk device obtains, after the first disk with the master-disk identification information added is mounted, first correction information from a correction-information storing device based on the master-disk identification information of the first disk.

Abstract: A head arm of a magnetic disk device has reduced air flow turbulence around the head arm using one or more of several configurations, such as multiple apertures, various chamfered edges, various protrusion configurations, and head arm shapes.

Abstract: The difference is detected between the outputs from first and second heads in a recording medium drive. The first head is positioned relative to the boundary between a first recording track and a separation track isolating the first recording track and a second recording track from each other. The second head is positioned relative to the boundary between the separation track and the second recording track. A position information specifying the positions of the first and second heads are generated based on the difference. The first and second heads follow the different boundaries, so that the outputs of the first and second heads reliably vary. The difference between the outputs thus reliably changes. An accurate position information can be generated based on the difference. The position information may be utilized in tracking servo control, for example. This enables establishment of the tracking servo control with a higher accuracy.

Abstract: A head arm includes a main body, partially located with a first area above a recordable medium. The main body includes a first surface opposite to the recordable medium and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A hole extends through the main body between the first and second surfaces. The main body also has a first connector portion connectible to a driving portion; and a second connector portion connectible to a head. The through hole is formed on only one side with respect to a line that halves the first area between said first and second connector portions.

Abstract: A magnetic head supporting mechanism includes a fixing member, a piezoelectric element supported by the fixing member, and a head supporting member provided on the piezoelectric element, a magnetic head being supported by the head supporting member. An acceleration sensor is formed by the head supporting member and the piezoelectric element so as to be incorporated into the mechanism.

Abstract: A head arm of a magnetic disk device has reduced air flow turbulence around the head arm using one or more of several configurations, such as multiple apertures, various chamfered edges, various protrusion configurations, and head arm shapes.

Abstract: It is an exemplified object of the present invention to provide a head arm, head moving mechanism, disk unit, and method of manufacturing the head arm that can quickly position a head. The head arm as an exemplified embodiment of the present invention includes a main body partially located above a recordable medium, and its first surface opposite to the recordable medium and its second surface opposite to the first surface have no perforation above the recordable medium as viewed from the recordable medium.

Abstract: A disassembly route producing apparatus searches for a disassembly route for disassembling a product into its component parts. In one embodiment, the apparatus selects one of the parts to be disassembled, and determines the closest distance the selected part may approach the remaining parts as the selected part is being moved. The selected part is disassembled through a series of translations in predetermined directions and for predetermined distances. After each translation, the apparatus determines whether the selected part collided with any of the remaining parts. If a collision occurs, the apparatus changes the direction for the translations and resumes the search. A corresponding assembly route is determined by reversing the disassembly route.

Abstract: In an automatic wiring connection apparatus, position detection marks 221; 231 are disposed on matrix boards 220; 230, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8. Position data of a desired crosspoint hole included in anyone of areas 227.sub.-- 1, . . . , 227.sub.-- 5; 237.sub.-- 1, . . . , 237.sub.-- 4 as assembly of crosspoint holes is corrected in accordance with a difference between design values of the position detection marks 221; 231 and measured values. A pin insertion and pulling out robot is operated in accordance with the corrected position data.

Abstract: An interference checking method for checking the interference between two objects in the shape of non-convex polyhedrons, comprising the steps of producing a convex hull for each of the non-convex polyhedrons, and checking the interference of the convex hull of one object with the convex hull of the other object; covering each of polygons which constitute each of the non-convex polyhedrons with a plurality of leaf spheres which have a predetermined radius and which are arranged on each polygon when the distance between the convex hulls becomes not more than a preset value, and sequentially enveloping the leaf spheres with hierarchical spheres so as to produce a binary tree of hierarchical envelope spheres; obtaining a pair of nearby spheres closest by checking the interference between envelope spheres of an upper grade on the basis of the structure of the binary tree, disassembling the interfering envelope spheres into envelope spheres of a lower grade, checking the interference between the envelope spheres o

Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a line segment in a contour in a local area of a binary contour image. The number of pixels having a predetermined value and located in each orientation in the local area, is obtained, and it is determined that a line segment exists in an orientation in which the number of pixels is large. Further, when it is determined that the number of pixels located in each of a plurality of orientations and having a predetermined value, is greater than a sum of the numbers of pixels in orientations adjacent to said each orientation on both sides thereof, it is determined that a line segment exists in said each orientation. Two orientations in which large numbers of pixels are located are detected, and it is determined whether the point is a constituent of a line segment, a line segment of the sub-straight-line form, or a near-corner point, depending on angles made by the two orientations is equal to 180.degree.

Abstract: An apparatus, and method of use therefor, adapted to evaluate angles of rotation of joints for coupling arm-to-arm to each other on the basis of information representative of position and orientation of a tip of a manipulator having six or less arms, which are sequentially coupled with each other, so as to implement the position and the orientation of the tip of the manipulator. A matrix equation is evaluated beforehand in accordance with a mathematical expression processing. Parameters, which represent a figure of the manipulator, are inputted into the resultant matrix equation. Further, the information representative of position and orientation of the tip of the manipulator is entered to evaluate the angles of rotation of joints in accordance with a numerical resolution.

Abstract: There are provided a link mechanism analyzer for performing a performance confirmation or test on a simualation basis for link mechanism produced using a CAD system for a mechanism design, and a link mechanism joint data arithmetic apparatus for evaluating joint data describing a parameter representative of a couping relation between a link of the link mechanism and a joint, which parameter is referred to as, for example, a Deravit-Hartenberg's link parameter, and a parameter value of the paramerter. The evaluation of such a joint data will be needed when a performance confirmation or test on a simualation basis for the link mechanism is performed using the link mechanism analyzer.

Abstract: A unit in a computer for computing a closest distance between two three-dimensional convex objects. At least one of the objects is a convex curved surface object. A first closest vector arithmetic unit is provided for identifying a preliminary closest vector coupling the closest points of the two objects by repeatedly calculating for each object an inner product of a candidate for the preliminary closest vector directed from a first of the two objects to a second of the two objects and a plurality of position vectors. Each position vector being one of a position vector of a vertex where the first object is a convex polyhedron, and a position vector of a control point of a convex curved surface patch where the first object is a convex curved surface object comprising sets of convex curved surface patches. A position vector for each object having a maximum inner product is extracted and a new candidate for the preliminary closest vector is formed by a vector connecting the two position vectors.

Abstract: A method of searching for a point of closest approach between two convex polyhedrons K.sub.1, K.sub.2, wherein each convex polyhedron is expressed by creating directed-graph structure data. The method uses a processing unit for searching for points of closest approach. The method includes the step of successively obtaining points of closest approach to a difference convex polyhedron, which is a difference of sets (K.sub.1 -K.sub.2) between the two convex polyhedrons K.sub.1, K.sub.2, and finally obtaining the point of closest approach on each convex polyhedron K.sub.1, K.sub.2. In the evaluation of inner products executed in the course of searching for points of closest approach, the method further includes the step of judging whether the point of closest approach on each convex polyhedron corresponding to the successively obtained point of closest approach to the difference convex polyhedron resides on a vertex, edge or polygon. This judging step is also performed by the processing unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining an orientation of a line segment in a contour in a local area of a binary contour image. The number of pixels having a predetermined value and located in each orientation in the local area, is obtained, and it is determined that a line segment exists in an orientation in which the number of pixels is large. Further, when it is determined that the number of pixels located in each of a plurality of orientations and having a predetermined value is greater than a sum of the numbers of pixels in orientations adjacent to said each orientation on both sides thereof, it is determined that a line segment exists in said each orientation. Two orientations in which large numbers of pixels are located are detected, and it is determined whether the point is a constituent of a line segment, a line segment of the sub-straight-line form, or a near-corner point, depending on angles made by the two orientations is equal to 180.degree.