Patents Assigned to Pioneer Electronic Corporation
  • Patent number: 6330129
    Abstract: A cartridge consists of a case and a disk housed therein. The case has a case body in which a head access window and a drive spindle access window are formed. The case has a shutter to open and close the head access window and the drive spindle access window. The case body has in its rear side an opening through which the disk is taken out of and put into the case body. The opening is fitted with a lid that can be taken out of and put into the opening in the direction in which the disk is taken out of and put into the case body. One of the halves constituting the case body has a stopper removal hole, a stopper rest linked to the inner surface of the hole through thin bridges and formed seamlessly therewith, and a stopper whose one end is fixed on the inner surface of the stopper rest and which stops the lid from sliding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignees: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd., Pioneer Video Corporation, Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Takekoh, Hiroshi Kishida
  • Patent number: 6327237
    Abstract: A light source is provided for emitting a first beam having a far-field pattern of an elliptic shape. The first beam is a linearly polarized light having a first polarizing direction in a major axis of the elliptic shape. A half-wave plate is provided for rotating the polarizing direction of the first beam 90 degrees, thereby changing the first beam to a second beam. A beam splitter is provided for changing the elliptic shape of the second beam into a circular shape. The beam splitter is arranged to transmit the second beam and to reflect a third beam having a polarizing direction different from that of the second beam by 90 degrees. A quarter-wave plate is provided for transmitting the second beam from the beam splitter to apply it to an optical disc, and for changing the second beam reflected from the optical disc into the third beam. The third beam reflected from the beam splitter is applied to a photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Naoharu Yanagawa, Eiji Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 6327234
    Abstract: A laser beam is focused at positions on an optical axis of the optical pickup by a focusing device, corresponding to kinds of the discs which are different in thickness. The focusing device is moved along the optical axis. A photodetector is provided for receiving a laser beam reflected from the disc and for producing a focus error signal. A detector is provided for detecting the difference between the focus error signals, caused by the difference in thickness of the discs and the difference in focal point of the laser beam, thereby discriminating the kind of the disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyo Kamiyama, Akira Kawakami
  • Patent number: 6327171
    Abstract: Digital signal sequences to be recorded in predetermined unitary recording areas are transformed into blocks, a plurality of bit data carrying all digit levels to be read and determined upon reproduction are included in the resultant blocks, and sequences of the data blocks are recorded in the recording medium in the unitary recording areas. Upon reproduction, the blocks of the read signals obtained from a recording medium are recognized, a threshold value is determined for each block on the basis of the values of read signals corresponding to bit data carrying all digit levels to be read and determined, and each digit level of bit data in the read signal are read and determined on the basis of the threshold values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Goto, Takashi Yamaji
  • Publication number: 20010046246
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a ridge type LC-DFB semiconductor laser in which a laser substrate having a cladding layer made of a material for a ridge stripe formed on an active layer made of semiconductor. A stripe mask is formed on the cladding layer to form two lateral flat portions from the cladding layer, by a selective wet etching, so as to form a ridge stripe protruding therefrom and having a flat top portion at which the stripe mask capped. A grating mask is formed on the two lateral flat portions, side walls of the ridge stripe and the stripe mask. The grating mask has a periodic structure in the direction in which the ridge stripe extends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Applicant: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Watanabe, Kiyoshi Takei, Nong Chen, Kiyofumi Chikuma
  • Patent number: 6324142
    Abstract: The waveform recognition unit recognizes pulse waveforms of plural kinds in the digital signal, and the storage unit stores recording signal waveforms which are waveforms of the recording signals preset in correspondence with the pulse waveforms of plural kinds. The timing candidate signal generation unit generates a timing candidate signal which is a candidate of a signal indicative of at least one of a rising timing and a falling timing of the recording signal, on the basis of a reference clock signal having a period equal to a reference period of the digital signal. The timing signal selection unit selects the timing candidate signal corresponding to at least one of the rising timing and the falling timing as the timing signal, on the basis of the waveform of the recording signal corresponding to the pulse waveform recognized by the waveform recognition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ishitoya, Satoshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6324136
    Abstract: A recording time point setting method and apparatus are provided. The recording time point setting method is a method of setting a recording time point for recording an information piece into one of a plurality of predetermined areas on a recording medium on the basis of a plurality of marks. The marks are pre-recorded on the recording medium at predetermined intervals. The locations of the marks correspond to the locations of the predetermined areas, respectively. The locations of the predetermined areas are predetermined on the basis of a time length of the information piece. In this method, firstly, at least one of the marks is detected. Then, an expectation signal is generated on the basis of the time length of the information piece, and then, a time point at which an output of the expectation signal is started is synchronized with a time point at which the at least one of the marks is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Yoshida, Yoshitaka Shimoda
  • Patent number: 6324155
    Abstract: A recording layer formed between a first substrate and a second substrate. The recording layer has recording surfaces on both sides thereof. A reflecting film is formed on an outside surface of the first substrate. The first and second substrates adjacent the recording layer have different refractive indexes from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Maeda
  • Patent number: 6323829
    Abstract: In a plasma display having a charge recovery type of pulse generator for generating a driving pulse, the charge recovery type of pulse generator is prevented from short-circuiting due to a malfunction of a switch controller in a driving apparatus. A protection gate circuit is provided between the charge recovery type of pulse generator and the switch controller to block an undesirable signal generated due to a malfunction of switch controller for turning on an undesirable switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichiro Hosoi, Mitsushi Kitagawa, Nozomu Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 6320823
    Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for processing communication data transmitted from a data center such as a sing-along data center to a terminal communication apparatus such as a communication type sing-along apparatus via a communication line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Miyashita, Takao Yamada, Kazuo Kamei, Sanpei Asai, Makoto Takanashi
  • Patent number: 6317277
    Abstract: An optical pickup device with a compact actuator has a holder that includes an objective lens and a hole formed therein. The holder is supported flexibly by a base. A focusing coil and a tracking coil are attached to at least a portion of the hole. A magnetic circuit that imparts magnetic flux to the focusing and the tracking coils is placed in the hole. The focusing and the tracking coils have magnetically fluxed and unfluxed portions. The magnetically unfluxed portions are positioned on the opposite side of the lens as that of the fluxed portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignees: Pioneer Electronic Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Izumino, Hiroaki Ito, Yoshiharu Sato, Yutaka Saito
  • Patent number: 6316873
    Abstract: An electron emission device exhibits a high electron emission efficiency. The device includes an electron-supply layer of metal or semiconductor, an insulator layer formed on the electron-supply layer, and a thin-film metal electrode formed on the insulator layer. The insulator layer has a film thickness of 50 nm or greater. The electron-supply layer has a silicide layer. When an electric field is applied between the electron-supply layer and the thin-film metal electrode, the electron emission device emits electrons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ito, Kiyohide Ogasawara, Takamasa Yoshikawa, Takashi Chuman, Nobuyasu Negishi, Shingo Iwasaki, Atsushi Yoshizawa, Takashi Yamada, Shuuichi Yanagisawa, Kazuto Sakemura
  • Patent number: 6316072
    Abstract: A rotary body such as an optical disc has a picture pattern formed on a surface perpendicular to a rotating center axis of the disc, said picture being recognizable when irradiated by a light. In particular, an area corresponding to the picture pattern comprises a reflective type grating consisting of a plurality of grooves arranged in parallel with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventor: Masaru Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6317400
    Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus is provided with: a light source (20) for emitting a light beam; an optical system (21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27), which comprises an optical element (24) having an incident surface (24a), to which an AR (Anti-Reflection) coat is not applied and to which the light beam emitted from the light source is inputted obliquely by a predetermined incident angle, for guiding one portion of the emitted light beam transmitted through the incident surface onto an information record medium (32) and guiding a reflection light of one portion of the emitted light beam reflected from the information record medium, and also reflecting another portion of the emitted light beam by the incident surface; a main light detector (30) for receiving the reflection light from the information record medium guided by the optical system and outputting a main detection signal corresponding to record information recorded on the information record medium; a monitor detector (23) for receiving another portion of the emitt
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Naoharu Yanagawa, Shinichi Nagahara
  • Patent number: 6314074
    Abstract: A recording information reproducing apparatus which can reduce a residual phase error in a read signal caused due to an influence by a time base fluctuation. A read signal read out from a recording medium is sampled at a timing according to a clock signal, thereby obtaining a read sampling value sequence. An oscillation signal whose phase is synchronized with the read sampling value sequence is formed as a clock signal. A sampling value sequence which is obtained at a time point when the phase in the read sampling value sequence is deviated by an amount corresponding to a phase error occurring in the read sampling value sequence is obtained as a corrected read sampling value sequence. By performing a decoding process to the correction read sampling value sequence, information data is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 6313579
    Abstract: A plasma display panel in which the reliability of seal bonding of a chip tube is assured and an evacuation working efficiency is improved. In a plasma display panel with a structure in which a glass substrate on the display surface side and a glass substrate on the rear side are adhered so as to be hermetically bonded by sealing layers through partitions and a gas is introduced into the space between the two glass substrates, an evacuation and gas charging hole is formed in one of the glass substrates and crystalline glass powder of a low melting point is molded into a predetermined shape and is baked, thereby seal bonding the chip tube into the evacuation and gas introducing hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Nakano, Masaomi Ebe
  • Patent number: 6310847
    Abstract: A writable optical disc has an information writing track, and a guiding track for introducing a laser beam to the information writing track. The guiding track has prepit information recorded thereon, the prepit information including at least address information of the optical disc. The prepit information is recorded on the guiding track at a position where interference of adjacent guiding tracks with the prepit information is prevented. The information writing track is a groove track, and the guiding track is a land track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Kuroda, Toshio Suzuki, Eiji Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 6307820
    Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a multiple layer disk, which comprising a plurality of layers each having an information record surface on which record information is recorded, is provided with: a read device for reading the record information from each of the layers; a reproduction process device for applying a predetermined reproduction process to the record information read by the read device in accordance with a reproduction process parameter, which is set therein and which comprises at least one of a gain value and an equalizer value, to thereby output a reproduction information signal; a drive device for driving the read device to jump from one reading state for reading one of the layers to another reading state for reading another of the layers; a memory for storing a plurality of reproduction process parameters corresponding to the layers in advance of reproduction; and a set device for reading out one of the stored reproduction process parameters, corresponding to another of the layers as a destination
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyoshi Takeya, Hideki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6307824
    Abstract: A dye record disc has a disc shape substrate having a track-forming surface divided into a read-only area and a recordable area. A reproducing track is formed on the track-forming surface in the read-only area, and has a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information. A recording/reproducing track is formed on the track-forming surface in the recordable area, and extends continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Kuroda, Shoji Taniguchi, Akiyoshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 6308006
    Abstract: An information storage medium includes: a video zone for recording audio/video information including video information and audio information associated with the video information; an audio zone for recording audio information; first navigation information for a video player which can reproduce the audio/video information; second navigation information for an audio player which can reproduce the audio information in the video zone and the audio information in the audio zone; and third navigation information for a compatible player which can reproduce both the audio/video information and the audio information. The first navigation information, the second navigation information and the third navigation information are recorded separately from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Yamamoto, Takao Sawabe, Hidehiro Ishii, Shozo Ema, Tokihiro Takahashi