Patents Examined by Jorge Ortiz-Criado
  • Patent number: 8112782
    Abstract: A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Personalized Media Communications, LLC
    Inventors: John Christopher Harvey, James William Cuddihy
  • Patent number: 8081547
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for managing disc defects in a disc using a temporary defect management area in the disc, and the disc, where the method includes recording in a data area user data; and recording in a temporary defect management area, which is present in at least one of a lead-in area and a lead-out area, which temporary defect information and temporary defect management information regarding the user data recorded in the data area are recorded. Accordingly, the method and apparatus are applicable to recordable discs and capable of effectively using the defect management area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-wan Ko, Kyung-geun Lee, Sung-hee Hwang
  • Patent number: 8064305
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for managing disc defects in a disc using a temporary defect management area in the disc, and the disc, where the method includes recording in a data area user data; and recording in a temporary defect management area, which is present in at least one of a lead-in area and a lead-out area, which temporary defect information and temporary defect management information regarding the user data recorded in the data area are recorded. Accordingly, the method and apparatus are applicable to recordable discs and capable of effectively using the defect management area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-won Ko, Kyung-geun Lee, Sung-hee Hwang
  • Patent number: 8064304
    Abstract: A recording method for use by an apparatus and/or which is encoded on a computer readable medium includes selecting a defect management on mode or a defect management off mode that indicates whether defect management is to be performed or not while data is recorded in the recording medium, recording the data in the recording medium while defect management is performed on the recording medium, if the defect management on mode is selected, and recording the data in the recording medium without defect management, if the defect management off mode is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-hee Hwang, Jung-wan Ko
  • Patent number: 8050159
    Abstract: This document relates to a method of recording data on an optical disc and an optical disc apparatus. The method of recording data on an optical disc may comprise determining a recording speed at which a recording power control operation will be performed based on a recording start position and the amount of data for which recording has been requested, performing the recording power control operation at the determined recording speed, and recording the data for which recording has been requested on the optical disc based on a result of performing the recording power control operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage Korea, Inc.
    Inventor: Sunggoo Chung
  • Patent number: 8045431
    Abstract: In the multi-tone demodulation (MTD) technique, even if an input bandwidth is widened to obtain a larger SNR gain, an increase in the signal to noise ration (SNR) gain cannot always be obtained due to clock jitter that increases clock noise. Also, noise is sometimes superimposed on the clock supplied to an analog to digital converter circuit (ADS) and the noise lowers the performance. Accordingly, the optical disc apparatus loosely regulates the bandwidth of a pulsed read signal; boosts the high-frequency components of a waveform of a driving signal of a laser diode; and synchronizes autonomously a driving clock of the ADC and a digital to analog converter circuit (DAC) with a clock of the pulsed read signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Kikugawa
  • Patent number: 8040774
    Abstract: An optical disk device has: a detector (11) that converts a reflected light from an optical disk (5) and a reflected light of an incident light from a light source (1) side of a solid immersion lens (4), into electric signals and outputs the signals; a subtracter (15) that computes the output signal of the detector (11) according to a predetermined rule and outputs the result as a tilt detection signal; a CPU (21), an amplifier/phase compensation circuit (16), a switch (17) and an actuator (13) that perform tilt control for controlling tilt of the solid immersion lens (4) with respect to the optical disk (5) using the tilt detection signal; and the CPU (21), a nut (24), a feed screw (25), a decelerator (26) and a stepping motor (27) that perform gap adjustment for changing the gap of the solid immersion lens (4) and optical disk (5), and in the process of adjustment of gap between the solid immersion lens (4) and optical disk (5), the CPU (21) enables tilt control by closing the switch (17) according to the t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Ryutaro Futakuchi, Masahiro Birukawa
  • Patent number: 8036094
    Abstract: An objective lens is described, which is switchable between a far-field mode and a near-field mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventor: Joachim Knittel
  • Patent number: 8027233
    Abstract: An LPP detection unit detects an LPP from a wobble signal. A correction unit obtains a difference set by performing processing of calculating a difference in signal level between an LPP-present sync pattern portion and a non-LPP sync pattern portion having the same polarity, and executes correction on an RF signal at a timing when the LPP is detected, by using the difference set. The LPP-present sync pattern portion is a sync pattern portion obtained when the LPP is detected at the timing of the sync pattern portion positioned at the head of a sync frame of the RF signal. The non-LPP sync pattern portion is a sync pattern portion obtained when no LPP is detected at the timing of the sync pattern portion of the sync frame. In the case of reproducing information recorded on a DVD-R/RW optical disk, the occurrence of errors due to the effect of the LPP can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Ashizawa, Hiromi Honma
  • Patent number: 8027236
    Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus is provided, which includes a rotary drive unit, an optical pickup unit, an adjustment unit which compensates for changes in characteristics of the laser light caused by changes in temperature, a temperature detection unit which detects a temperature of the optical pickup unit, an evaluation value generation unit which generates an evaluation value based on reflected light information, and a control unit. The control unit performs a temperature acquisition process, an optimum point adjustment process, a temperature acquisition process for acquiring a detected temperature during spin down, an optimum point search process, and a temperature characteristic compensation operation coefficient calculation process for performing temperature compensation with respect to the adjustment values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masaomi Nabeta
  • Patent number: 8023370
    Abstract: An apparatus for converting a groove/land polarity on an optical medium, comprises a physical identification (PID) detector for detecting a first PID value from a first sector, a sector information unit for providing an information which includes a second PID value indicative of either a second sector or at least one reference groove/land changing point, a sector counter for counting a first value whose an initiation is set by the sector information unit based on the information and/or by the PID detector based on the first PID value, and a comparing unit for determining at least one oncoming groove/land changing points, when the first value approaches a second value predetermined in or generated by the sector information unit according to the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: MEDIATEK Inc.
    Inventors: Meng-Hsueh Lin, Chang-long Wu
  • Patent number: 8009529
    Abstract: A multi-layered information recording medium comprising a plurality of recording layers, a user data area for recording user data, provided in at least two of the plurality of recording layers, and a defect list storing area for storing a defect list. When at least one defective area is detected in the user data area, the defect list is used to manage the at least one defective area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ueda, Motoshi Ito, Takashi Ishida, Yoshikazu Yamamoto, Mamoru Shoji
  • Patent number: 6958965
    Abstract: An information recording disc has a burst cutting area (BCA) for recording control information for a reproducing apparatus be removing a reflective layer of the disc in a striped shape and a data recording area for recording user data. The burst cutting area includes at least one BCA control information area. The BCA control information area has an application identifier area for identifying applications of control data, a data length area for indication data length of the control data, and an application specific data area data area recording the control data. Also, an information reproducing drive reproduces data from the information recording disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ueda, Yoshihisa Fukushima, Motoshi Ito, Shinji Sasaki
  • Patent number: 6778482
    Abstract: A position detecting apparatus detect the moving position of a mobile element. The apparatus includes the mobile element moving reversibly along a specified running path, a conductive electrode disposed along the running path, a detecting electrode disposed on the mobile element, and a detector for detecting contact or non-contact between the conductive electrode and detecting electrode. The detecting electrode is disposed so as to contact or not to contact with the conductive electrode by the move of the mobile element. The position of the mobile element is detected by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6757226
    Abstract: A method for reducing the turn-back in response to an actual and a target speed in an optical storage device. The method includes the following steps: (a) determining whether the turn-back of the optical pickup head occurs; if the turn-back occurs, step (b) is executed and if the turn-back does not occur, a speed error is obtained according to the target speed and the actual speed; (b) determining whether the number of turn-back tracks is greater than a default value; if the number of turn-back tracks is not greater than the default value, the speed error is set to zero and if the number of turn-back tracks is greater than the default value, the speed error is obtained according to the target speed and an inversion of the actual speed and the actual track-seeking direction is inverted to correspond to the target track-seeking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yi-Chung Chan
  • Patent number: 6741534
    Abstract: An information recording medium of this invention includes a lead-in area, data area and lead-out area and further includes a user area which is an area defined in the data area and in which user data is recorded, a list management area which is an area defined in at least one area among the lead-in area and lead-out area, for storing a spare area list for defining a spare area for compensating for a defective area existing in the user area by a preset capacity in a preset position in the data area, and a spare area defined in the data area by the spare area list stored in the list management area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideki Takahashi, Kouki Tanoue
  • Patent number: 6738336
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a data storage device. The data storage device comprises a closed interior space containing a noble gas, a plurality of electron emitters having emission surfaces exposed within the interior space, the electron emitters adapted to emit electron beams, and a storage medium contained within the interior space in proximity to the electron emitters, the storage medium having a plurality of storage areas that are capable of at least two distinct states that represent data, the state of the storage areas being changeable in response to bombardment by electron beams emitted by the electron emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Steven L. Naberhuis
  • Patent number: 6728184
    Abstract: A method and device of determining the slice level of a radio frequency ripple (RFRP) signal for performing a tracking operation in a tracking controller of an optical storage device. The optical storage device receives a tracking error (TE) signal, a radio frequency center (RFCT) signal, and the RFRP signal, and then outputs a TE_input signal related to the slice level. The method includes the following steps: a. obtaining a count value when the absolute value of the TE signal is smaller than a threshold value; otherwise, resetting the count value; b. executing step c when the count value is smaller than a predetermined count value; otherwise, outputting the TE signal as the TE_input signal; and c. outputting the TE signal as the TE_input signal when the RFRP signal is greater than the RFCT signal; otherwise outputting a peak value of the TE signal as the TE_input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Via Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yi-Chung Chan
  • Patent number: 6711107
    Abstract: The system and method is used for CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) control format recording, whereas the existing disk data is recorded under CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) control format recording. When the PUH receives a laser driver signal, it generates a feed signal and a wobble signal. The feed signal is received by the automatic power control; thereafter the automatic power control generates a first control signal used for causing the laser driver to adjust the laser driver signal. After the ATIP decoder receives the wobble signal, the ATIP decoder generates and outputs ATIP decoded data to the CLV value detector. The CLV value detector receives ATIP decoded data and generates a CLV decoded data to the laser power control. The laser power control receives the CLV decoded data and generates a second control signal used for causing the automatic power control to adjust the first control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Acer Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Chi-Mou Chao, Daw-I Wang, Tsung Yueh Shih
  • Patent number: 6707771
    Abstract: In an optical pickup device, wires 16A through 16D resiliently support a lens holder 12 in a cantilever fashion. Of the wires, wires 16A and 16C arranged so as to overlap when viewed in a tracking direction are fixed together by heat sealing. The wires 16B and 16D are arranged independently of each other. In each of the wires 16A through 16D, a portion 166 close to the base end of the wire is squeezed from a focusing direction, and a portion 167 close to the tip end of the wires is squeezed from the tracking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Tatsuki Wade, Hiroshi Sugihara