Abstract: A carbon black having excellent conductivity-imparting ability, a method for producing the same, and a conductive composition containing the same are disclosed. The carbon black comprises a chain body comprising (1) chain parts of spherical carbon particles and (2) chain parts of rod-shaped carbon particles, the chain part (1) and the chain part (2) being connected, and is produced by supplying a raw material mixture comprising acetylene gas, hydrocarbon and a catalyst for carbon nanotube formation to a high temperature field having a temperature equal to or higher than a thermal decomposition temperature of the hydrocarbon, and heat treating the mixture, or by supplying hydrocarbon containing a catalyst for carbon nanotube formation, during pyrolysis of acetylene gas and/or in the state that acetylene gas has been pyrolyzed, and heat treating the resulting mixture at a temperature equal to or higher than a thermal decomposition temperature of the hydrocarbon.

Abstract: It is possible to obtain preferable recording characteristic and reproduction characteristic by considering irregularities of unique characteristics of an LD or the like mounted on an information recording and reproduction apparatus as well as characteristics of an optical disc used. In the information recording and reproduction apparatus, a light source such as a laser diode is driven by a laser drive signal so that a laser beam for recording or reproduction is emitted from the light source. Moreover, the laser drive signal is superimposed by a high-frequency signal of a predetermined frequency so as to eliminate effect of the return light from the optical disc. The information recording and reproduction apparatus superimposes the high-frequency signal by using a high-frequency signal level during recording which is different from a high-frequency signal level during reproduction.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: a correcting device (18) for correcting waveform distortion occurring in a read signal corresponding to a long mark, of read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100); an amplitude limiting device (182) for limiting an amplitude level of the read signal in which the waveform distortion is corrected, by a predetermined amplitude limit value (L, ?L), thereby obtaining an amplitude limit signal; and a filtering device (183) for performing a high-frequency emphasis filtering process on the amplitude limit signal, thereby obtaining an equalization-corrected signal.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: a correcting device (18) for correcting waveform distortion occurring in a read signal corresponding to a long mark, of a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100); and a processing device (15) for performing a PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood) process on the read signal in which the waveform distortion is corrected

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: an offset adding device (19-1, 19-2) for adding a first offset value (OFS) which can be set to be variable, to a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100); a correcting device (18) for correcting waveform distortion occurring in a read signal corresponding to a long mark, of the read signal to which the first offset value is added; an offset subtracting device (19-2, 19-3) for subtracting a second offset value (OFS) which can be set to be variable, from the read signal in which the waveform distortion is corrected; and a waveform equalizing device (15) for performing a waveform equalization process on the read signal in which the second offset value is subtracted.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide an audio playback apparatus which is capable of randomly reproducing music on an album basis or a folder basis. In a sound source in which a plurality of music files are hierarchically recorded, a unit of music file groups in each of which music files are reproduced in a batch is specified, music file groups are randomly selected in the specified unit, and all music files included in each of the selected music file groups are reproduced.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: a waveform shaping device (14) for performing waveform shaping on a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100), on the basis of a reference amplification factor; a correcting device (18) for correcting waveform distortion occurring in a read signal corresponding to at least a long mark, of the read signal on which the waveform shaping is performed; and a waveform equalizing device (15) for performing a waveform equalization process on the read signal in which the waveform distortion is corrected, the waveform shaping device arbitrarily increases the reference amplification factor.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: an offset adding device (19-1, 19-2) for adding an offset value (OFS) which can be set to be variable, to a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100); a correcting device (18) for correcting waveform distortion occurring in a read signal corresponding to a long mark, of the read signal to which the offset value is added; and a waveform equalizing device (18) for performing a waveform equalization process on the read signal in which the waveform distortion is corrected.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: a judging device (20) for judging whether or not a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100) satisfies a desired reproduction property; a correcting device (18) for correcting waveform distortion occurring in a read signal corresponding to a long mark, of the read signal if it is judged that the read signal does not satisfy the desired reproduction property; and a waveform equalizing device (15) for performing a waveform equalization process on the read signal in which the waveform distortion is corrected.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus (1) is provided with: a recording device (11) for recording a data pattern onto a recording medium (100); a reading device (11) for reading the data pattern, thereby obtaining a read signal; an amplitude limit filtering device (15) for limiting an amplitude level of the read signal by using a predetermined amplitude limit value, thereby obtaining an amplitude limit signal and for performing a high frequency emphasis filtering process on the amplitude limit signal, thereby obtaining an equalization-corrected signal; a measuring device (19) for measuring jitter of the equalization-corrected signal or the read signal; a detecting device (20) for detecting the data pattern of the equalization-corrected signal; and an adjusting device (21) for adjusting a recording condition such that the jitter satisfies a desired condition, with reference to the data pattern.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus (1) comprises a recording means (11) for recording a data pattern on a recording medium (100), a reading means (11) for reading the data pattern to acquire a read signal, adding means (23, 24) for adding an offset signal to the read signal to acquire an offset-added signal, a measurement means (19) for measuring the jitter of the offset-added signal, and an adjustment means (21) for adjusting a recording condition so that the jitter satisfies a desired condition

Abstract: An optical recording/reproducing system 1 reads, based on a predetermined reproduction clock, information associated with a recording track of a recording medium by irradiating frequency light. The frequency light is scanned at a predetermined scan velocity. The optical recording/reproducing system includes a computer 13, a DSP 49, and a LD driver that modulate light by a drive signal on which a frequency signal is superimposed to thereby output the frequency light, and synchronizes a frequency of the frequency signal with a frequency of the reproduction clock according to the scan velocity.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: an amplitude limiting device (151, 152) for obtaining an amplitude limit signal (RSLIM) by limiting an amplitude level of a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100) on the basis of a predetermined amplitude limit value; and a filtering device (158) for obtaining an equalization-corrected signal (RSH) by performing a high-frequency emphasizing and filtering process on the amplitude limit signal, the amplitude limiting device individually sets each of an upper limit (L1) and a lower limit (L2) of the amplitude limit value.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (1) is provided with: an amplitude limiting device (151, 152) for obtaining an amplitude limit signal (RSLIM) by limiting an amplitude level of a read signal (RRF) read from a recording medium (100) on the basis of a predetermined amplitude limit value (L); a filtering device (153) for obtaining an equalization-corrected signal by performing a high-frequency emphasizing and filtering process on the amplitude limit signal; and an adjusting device (18) for variably adjusting a reference level which indicates a reference point of the amplitude level on the amplitude limiting device.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus (2) is for forming a record mark corresponding to a recording signal by applying a laser beam to a recording medium, and is provided with: a light source (21) for emitting the laser beam; and a signal generating device (22) for generating a recording pulse signal for driving the light source on the basis of the recording signal, the recording pulse signal includes a mark period and a space period, a level of the recording pulse signal corresponds to a recording power by which waveform distortion is greater than or equal to an upper limit (L) or is less than or equal to a lower limit (?L) of an amplitude limit value on a limit equalizer (15), in the mark period corresponding to a long mark.

Abstract: An aluminum-silicon carbide composite suitable for a base plate for power module is provided. A base plate for power module, comprising an aluminum-silicon carbide composite that is a flat plate-shaped silicon carbide porous body impregnated with a metal containing aluminum as the main component, and an aluminum layer made of a metal containing aluminum as the main component formed only on one of the principal planes of the composite, wherein a rear surface being the other one of principal planes of the aluminum-silicon carbide composite is exposed to the outside, and the shape of the exposed aluminum-silicon carbide composite is a rectangle or a rectangle from which portions encompassing holes in the peripheral portion are removed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a noise canceling apparatus including: a microphone configured to pick up ambient sound as noise; a first signal generator configured to receive a signal from the microphone to generate a noise cancel signal that is inverted in phase to the signal received from the microphone and has an amplitude level considered with an attenuation in accordance with a distance from the microphone to an observation point separated away from the microphone; a first loudspeaker configured to be arranged in the proximity of the microphone and output the noise cancel signal; a second signal generator configured to receive the signal from the microphone to generate a positive-phase signal that has the same phase as that of the signal from the microphone; and a second loudspeaker configured to be arranged in the proximity of the microphone and output the positive-phase signal.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus for recording information with less waveform deformation with an adequate modulation degree and with a high asymmetry, an information recording method, and an information recording program. An information recording apparatus in which a laser beam is applied to a recording medium and a recording mark corresponding to a recording signal is formed includes a light source for emitting a laser beam and signal generating means for generating a recording pulse signal for driving the light source according to the recording signal. The recording pulse signal includes a mark period during which a recording mark is formed and a space period during which no recording mark is formed. During the mark period corresponding to a long mark, the level of the recording pulse signal corresponds to a recording power with which the reproduction compatibility is ensured and the waveform distortion is at or below a predetermined value.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus (300) is provided with: a recording device (352) for irradiating an information recording medium (100) with laser light and for recording information onto the information recording medium; an obtaining device (354) for obtaining at least one of (i) a special OPC strategy for defining a waveform of the laser light used to calculate an optimum laser power of the laser light for recording the information at a second recording speed different from a first recording speed, at the first recording speed, and (ii) a recording strategy for defining a waveform of the laser light used to record the information at the second recording speed; a power calculating device (354) for calculating the optimum laser power by using the special OPC strategy at the first recording speed; and a controlling device (354) for controlling said recording device to record the information at the second recording speed, by using the calculated optimum laser power and the recording strategy.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus forms a record mark corresponding to a recording signal by applying a laser beam to a recording medium, and includes: a light source for emitting the laser beam; a signal generating device for generating a recording pulse signal for driving the light source on the basis of the recording signal; a test-writing device for performing test-writing; and a determining device for determining at least one of a power and a pulse width of the recording pulse signal on the basis of a test-writing result, the test-writing device performs the test-writing by changing the power of the recording pulse signal, the determining device determines the power, by which waveform distortion is greater than or equal to an upper limit or is less than or equal to a lower limit of an amplitude limit value on a limit equalizer in the mark period corresponding to the long mark.