Abstract: An optical disc having marks for dispersed addresses that can be easily detected with high precision.

Abstract: In an actuator of the invention, coils are kept from being displaced along a y-axis direction as projections of coil bobbins are sandwiched between first and second iron cores along the y-axis direction. Also, the coils are kept from being displaced excessively along x- and z-axis directions due to shocks, for instance, as they are fitted in groovelike channels formed in the first and second iron cores. Since two bearings are sandwiched and fixed between third and fourth iron cores along the x-axis direction, the bearings can be easily set on a common axis with high accuracy. It is therefore possible to prevent displacement of the coils during operation of the actuator. Slidable support plates ensure smooth movements of an armature and thereby provide improved reliability even when the distance between the support plates and the first to fourth iron cores is reduced.

Abstract: An optical disc having marks for dispersed addresses that can be easily detected with high precision. A dispersed address comprises synchronization marks, positive marks, and negative marks. Synchronization marks, positive marks, and negative marks are formed along a groove as partial discontinuities or partial modifications in the wobbled groove.

Abstract: An optical disc having marks for dispersed addresses that can be easily detected with high precision.

Abstract: An optical disc having marks for dispersed addresses that can be easily detected with high precision.

Abstract: An optical recording medium comprises a plurality of identifiers in association with address information, wherein: each identifier is provided on the optical recording medium; and each identifier comprises at least one of: a first pattern provided on the optical recording medium and representing a first code expressed by one bit; a second pattern provided on the optical recording medium and representing a second code expressed by one bit; and a third pattern provided on the optical recording medium and representing a third code expressed by one bit.

Abstract: An optical disc having marks for dispersed addresses that can be easily detected with high precision.

Abstract: An optical disc medium, including a plurality of sector groups each being made up of multiple contiguous sectors on a track, is provided. In this optical disc medium, the location information of each of those sector groups is divided into a predetermined number of information pieces and distributed to associated sectors on the same track.

Abstract: The disk medium 200 of the present invention includes a sector group 3 including a plurality of positionally continuous sectors 2 in which address information including at least address data and parity data is dispersedly provided in the plurality of sectors of the sector group in a prescribed unit. The address information includes an information sequence described by a combination of at least “0”, “1” and an identification mark 4, the identification mark is provided at the head of the sector group, the address data includes data bits, and the parity data includes parity bits. With this structure, it is possible to realize small address redundancy and high reliability of address reproduction.

Abstract: Flash emission is required when image data have a low luminance value and when it is determined that flash emission is not prohibited, the built-in flash is used for autofocus (AF). An AF evaluation value is obtained under the flash emission, and the lens is driven based on this value. This operation is repeated until it is determined that the lens is focused, and accurate AF is executed even in dark conditions.

Abstract: A code conversion method and apparatus is provided for scrambling and modulating data. The method and apparatus includes scrambling an input main data unit based on any of plural types of pseudo-random number sequences, and modulating the scrambled main data unit based on any of plural types of modulation data. An output main data unit is produced from the modulated main data unit, and a calculated value representing a difference between a number of 0 bits and a number of 1 bits included in the output main data unit is obtained. Any of the modulation data is then selected dependent upon the calculated value.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus for continuously recording information without losing any information even if the apparatus temporarily falls into a recording-disable state owing to the shock externally applied, etc. is provided. A disability detector for detecting the recording-disable state is provided in the information recording apparatus, thereby interrupting the recording operation and the reading operation from the buffer memory under the recording-disable state, and making a coding rate reduction controller instruct a coder to temporarily reduce the coding rate of the input information. A remaining capacity detector is provided for monitoring the remaining capacity in the buffer memory and instructing the coder to temporarily reduce the coding rate of the input information when the remaining capacity becomes a predetermined value or less. As a result, the reduction in the remaining capacity of the buffer memory under the recording-disable state is prevented.

Abstract: An optical disk is divided in a radial direction into an inner area and an outer area each having formed therein spiral or concentric tracks each having a sector which has an address area, an audio signal recording area and a video signal recording area. A specific unit of audio signal and a specific unit of video signal are divided into a plurality of audio blocks and a plurality of video blocks, respectively. Each of the audio blocks and the video blocks are separated into a first group and a second group. The audio blocks and video blocks in the first group are respectively recorded into the audio signal recording area and the video signal recording area in a sector in the inner area, and the audio blocks and video blocks in the second group are respectively recorded into the audio signal recording area and the video signal recording area in a sector in the outer area.

Abstract: A thread end holding device for a sewing machine comprises a needle thread catching puller which is swingably supported on the side of a sewing machine arm and is driven to swing between a thread catching position and a home position, and which comprises a hook portion at the tip end thereof for catching a needle thread extending from a needle when said needle thread catching puller is at its thread catching position and holds the needle thread at its home position and first and a second holding members which are respectively mounted on the side of the sewing machine arm and is disengaged from the both clamping portions when the needle thread catching puller is at its thread catching position and enters a gap between the both clamping portions at the hook portion thereof so as to elastically clamp the end of the needle thread between the clamping portions when the needle thread catching puller is at its home position.

Abstract: In a digital modulator circuit for modulating a fixed-length code into a variable-length code and a digital demodulator for demodulating a variable-length code into a fixed-length code in a parallel data form, pre-modulation and pre-demodulation data is input to a logic circuit in synchronization with a pulse input, while a remainder of the fixed-length or variable-length code digital parallel input data taking place in modulating or demodulating process is fed back as an input to the logic circuit via a flip-flop to modulate or demodulate the data together with pre-modulation or pre-demodulation parallel data input at the next input pulse in a parallel data form. A post-modulation or post-demodulation data as well as a modulation or demodulation bit number output from the logic circuit are input to the buffer circuit to output post-modulation or post-demodulation data of which bits have been all modulated or demodulated.