Including Static Memory Accessing Patents (Class 369/47.32)
  • Patent number: 6515948
    Abstract: It is intended to prevent occurrence of rotation lock waiting times when a simultaneous recording and reproducing operation is performed on a disc-shaped recording medium according to the ZCLV scheme. In a period when audio data of one data block are input to a recording buffer at a constant rate via an A/D converter, another data block that was input immediately before is recorded on and reproduced from an optical disc. Audio data constituting the reproduced data block are temporarily stored in a reproduction buffer and then read out at the constant rate and output via a D/A converter. A system controller performs control so that data blocks are recorded on the optical disc successively. As for a data block that is recorded in two adjacent zones, the system controller performs control so that the same data block that is read from the recording buffer, rather than the data block that has been recorded on the optical disc, is reproduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Denon, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadahiko Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 6487616
    Abstract: A controller interrupts and restarts writing data from a buffer memory to a medium and prevents buffer underrun errors. The controller includes an address memory for storing a recording medium address or a buffer memory address, which indicate the location of the data when the interruption occurred. A synchronizing circuit sequentially reads data from the recording medium and data from the buffer memory prior to the interruption while synchronizing the written data and the stored data. A restart circuit restarts writing data when the recording medium address or the buffer memory address matches the address stored in the address memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., LTD
    Inventor: Koji Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6477123
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for CD reproduction with variable speed or direction, in particular devices compatible with a CD player, such as, for example, DVD players which are likewise suitable for the playback of CDs, or corresponding CD-ROM drives. The invention is based on the fact that the data or information read from the CD are read into a buffer memory at a rate which, as a rule, is higher than is required for real-time reproduction. Data read into the buffer memory (RAM) in a continuous sequence are then used for CD reproduction with variable speed by means of subsampling or oversampling. For the purpose of reverse reproduction, groups of subcode words are successively read from the buffer memory by changing the order within the groups and are reproduced as a continuous reproduction data stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing S.A.
    Inventor: Ingo Hütter
  • Patent number: 6470063
    Abstract: Method and device to update a data count in a data transfer operation in which a data counter generates an intermediate count value in accordance with a first amount of data to be transferred to a storage media; and an augmenter augments the intermediate count value by a specified count value in accordance with data to be transferred to the storage media in addition to the first amount of data, wherein the updated count value is loaded into the data counter such that the intermediate count value becomes equal to the updated count value during the data transfer operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Oak Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Bee-Bee Liew
  • Patent number: 6434100
    Abstract: There is provided an optical disk reproducing apparatus comprising a pickup component for detecting digital audio data from an optical disk, a storing component for temporarily storing the digital audio data detected by the pickup component, an input component for inputting the reproducing direction and reproducing speed of the digital audio data, a control component for controlling reading and writing so as to control the reading direction and reading speed of the digital audio data stored on the storing component based on the reproducing direction and reproducing speed inputted from the input component, and a signal processing component for converting the digital audio data read from the storing component into an analog audio signal and outputting the analog signal, wherein the storing component is for storing the digital audio data before and after the digital audio data to be read by the control component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunji Usui
  • Patent number: 6418099
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus includes a pause circuit for pausing data encoders upon receiving a pause signal so that a write operation may be paused without writing dummy data, thereby maintaining data succession. The optical disc apparatus also includes a circuit for accurately determining a write start location by referring to previously written data. A processor generates a pause signal when the amount of data in the optical drive apparatus data buffer is low, and removes the pause signal when additional data from a host is received. The processor may also automatically reduce the write speed of the optical disc apparatus upon a pause condition, thereby preventing the necessity for excessive pausing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazutaka Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6381202
    Abstract: An information recording/reproducing apparatus and an information recording method which allow the formation of a recording pit having a preferable shape. One of a first recording standard and a second recording standard is selected based on a common disc type recorded in a recording disc and a disc type obtained on the basis of predetermined information recorded in the recording disc. A recording signal having a recording waveform according to the selected recording standard is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhisa Shimoda
  • Patent number: 6366546
    Abstract: An output device digitally stores data on a data carrier. The output device includes a reading unit, a data converter unit, and an output unit, provided with data reconstruction elements. Data to be reproduced can be processed by control data components contained in a start block. The control data components can be stored in a control data storage unit connected to the data reconstruction elements by way of a start block detector unit. This enables fast reproduction of large amounts of data, particularly digitized audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Armin Lambrecht, Wolfgang J. Riedel, Raimund Brunner
  • Publication number: 20020034131
    Abstract: A recording medium has first and second areas on which first and second information signals are recorded respectively. The first information signal has a size Ya. The second information signal has a size Yb. A head operates for reproducing the first and second information signals from the first and second areas of the recording medium and transmitting the reproduced first and second information signals on a time sharing basis and at a predetermined constant transfer rate Rp while moving between the first and second areas of the recording medium. A buffer memory operates for receiving the first and second information signals from the head at the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, for temporarily storing the first and second information signals, and for outputting the first and second information signals at first and second transfer rates Ra and Rb respectively. The first and second transfer rates Ra and Rb are lower than the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Ueki
  • Publication number: 20020027839
    Abstract: A recording medium has first and second areas on which first and second information signals are recorded respectively. The first information signal has a size Ya. The second information signal has a size Yb. A head operates for reproducing the first and second information signals from the first and second areas of the recording medium and transmitting the reproduced first and second information signals on a time sharing basis and at a predetermined constant transfer rate Rp while moving between the first and second areas of the recording medium. A buffer memory operates for receiving the first and second information signals from the head at the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp, for temporarily storing the first and second information signals, and for outputting the first and second information signals at first and second transfer rates Ra and Rb respectively. The first and second transfer rates Ra and Rb are lower than the predetermined constant transfer rate Rp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Ueki
  • Patent number: 6343054
    Abstract: In a memory control device for controlling the write-in/read-out operation for a memory of a recording/reproducing apparatus, a sector data storing area and an additive area are set in each sector-based data storing area in the memory. A prescribed data is stored in the additive area associated with the sector-based data stored in the sector data storing area. The access addresses for the additive area are generated on the basis of the sector count value when the sector data write-in or read-out is carried out in the memory. The access addresses are calculated by the memory control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuaki Maeda
  • Patent number: 6317398
    Abstract: A data reproduction apparatus includes a system controller for monitoring an amount of data in a memory and a linear velocity detected by a linear velocity detecting section, controlling a DC signal output from a DC signal generating section to a disk motor driving section as a drive signal, and controlling interruption and resumption of writing of information to the memory so as to prevent the memory from overflowing. The output DC signal of the DC signal generating section is controlled such that a velocity at which information is written to the memory means is higher than a velocity at which information is read therefrom so as to always store information in the memory, and the linear velocity detected by the linear velocity detecting section becomes close to a preset linear velocity, and the rotation of the disk is controlled by the DC signal. The power consumption required for controlling the rotation of the disk can thus be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hiroshi Shimada
  • Patent number: 6292454
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for implementing a variable-speed audio data playback system comprises a processor that truncates audio data into frames and then performs a series of synchronized crossfades to discard excess audio data that is unneccessary during variable-speed playback. During the synchronized crossfade, the processor stores a source frame and a destination frame into memory. The processor then locates a maximum crosscorrelation point between the source frame and the destination frame and performs a synchronized crossfade that starts at the maximum crosscorrelation point to thereby produce high-quality reproduced sound to a system user during a variable-speed playback mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Fengduo Hu
  • Publication number: 20010006496
    Abstract: A controller for a data recorder for recording data that records data in a continuous manner regardless of interruptions. An encoder encodes data that is to be written to a recording medium. A synchronizing circuit synchronizes the data read from the recording medium with the encoded data when the writing of data to the recording medium is interrupted. A first retry determination circuit determines whether an address of the data read from the recording medium and an address of the data provided to the encoder match. A second retry determination circuit determines whether the timing for reading data from recording medium and the timing for encoding data match. A restart circuit restarts the writing of data to the recording medium based on the determinations of the first and second retry determination circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2000
    Publication date: July 5, 2001
    Inventors: Koji Hayashi, Akira Tsukihashi, Yasushi Hanamoto, Tohru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6243329
    Abstract: A method of enhanced compression rate for a multi-disc CD player includes the step of determining a last data position on a CD being played by the CD player. The method also includes the steps of determining a last playable data position and whether the last playable data position is being played. The method further includes the steps of storing data in a buffer memory at a compressed rate if the last playable data position is being played and playing the data from the buffer memory while transitioning to a next CD to be played.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay P. Dark, Husein Taljanovic, Ylldes Zeneli
  • Patent number: 6236629
    Abstract: An optical disk is operated in a ZCLV system for generating a stable and precise clock and the operation proceeds with a speed change of a high-speed motor when data is stored with the motor accelerated or decelerated at a high speed to improve accessibility for data storage. The optical disk includes: a disk rotator for rotating the optical disk at an optional number of rotations; a rotation controller for controlling rotation of the optical disk; a wobble extractor for extracting wobbling on the track of the optical disk; a clock extractor for extracting a clock element from the wobbling; a speed detector for detecting a linear speed of the optical disk; and a response switch for switching a response of the clock extractor, in which the response of the clock extractor is switched depending on the linear speed of the optical disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Hisakado, Toshiya Akagi, Yukihiro Yamasaki