Abstract: A disk driving device including a centering member mounted to an inner portion of a cylindrical portion of a turntable. The centering member includes a linking portion serving as fulcra and a centering portion separated from the linking portion. The centering portion is resiliently biased with an outward force that acts parallel to a flange providing a disk-mounting surface of the turntable in order to center a disk.

Abstract: A message processing facility provides a send function for sending messages to designated locations. The facility allows a default target for a message, initiates parallel execution, adds additional processes to an already parallel execution, determines that a problem has completed and performs the appropriate completion actions. The message processing facility enables coordination of the results of a network that has been widened in its parallelism, without creating subproblems. Processes within the parallel network do not need to be aware of the topology or the position of a given process within the topology. The width of the parallelism involved in a particular request is tracked, and therefore, the appropriate number of results expected can be determined automatically and dynamically. Therefore, despite dynamic changes in topology, completion can be determined without awareness of the processes that create the results.

Abstract: A remote monitoring system automatically communicates system diagnostic information from a monitored computer system to a remote service center at regular intervals. The monitored computer system includes a plurality of monitored computers coupled together by a network. One of the monitored computers is a master and others of the monitored computers are slaves coupled to the master. The monitored computers store system diagnostic information resulting from execution of diagnostic programs. The diagnostic information from the slaves is collected at a memory location accessible by the master before the diagnostic information from all of the monitored computers is communicated to the remote monitoring computer system. The remote monitoring computer system receives the diagnostic information at predetermined intervals and incorporates the diagnostic information into a searchable database.

Abstract: A modem monitor for monitoring full duplex communications comprises one receiver for each data stream and an echo canceler for canceling "far" echo. Prior to each receiver decoding the data stream it is designed to monitor, it replicates an echo expected to be found in its received data stream from a sample of each of the other predecoded data streams. The echo canceler then subtracts the expected echo from the received data stream to remove all far echoes caused by the other data streams. The echo canceled data stream is then decoded. The monitor can also include a data communications network interface and a sample rate converter operating with the PSTN for converting from the network transmission rate to the data transmission rate.

Abstract: In a bonded optical disk comprising two base disks which are bonded together by UV-setting adhesive, one or two of the base disks are provided with a projection located inside the adhesive application starting position in order to maintain the distance between bonded surfaces of the base disks at a predetermined thickness for the adhesive layer. A mold for molding above base disks is also provided. The thickness of the UV-setting adhesive is easily held at a predetermined thickness by the projection located inside the starting position. Therefore steady mass production of bonded optical disks with uniform adhesive layer thickness is made possible with easier management of the adhesive layer thickness.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and apparatus for registering devices in a computer network. Initially, for an unregistered device, the network establishes a unregistered enabled packet filter. The unregistered enabled packet filter discards all IP packets that originate at the unregistered device, except IP packets addressed to a registration server. IP packets sent to the registration server allow a user to authenticate the unregistered device. Subsequently, the network replaces the unregistered enabled packet filter with a registered enable packet filter. The registered enabled packet filter allows the device to send packets to a login server within the computer network. Subsequently, if the user fails to pay subscription fees (of for other applicable reason) the registered enabled packet filter may be replaced with a registered disabled packet filter to prevent the device from sending packets to the network.

Abstract: Messages are sent from a primary node of a computer system to one or more distribution nodes of the system. Each of the distribution nodes then further sends the message to one or more other nodes of the computer system. After receipt of the message, the other nodes forward an acknowledgement to the particular distribution node, which sent the message. The distribution nodes collect their respective acknowledgements, and when all of the expected acknowledgements are received by a distribution node, the distribution node sends one acknowledgement to the primary node. The one acknowledgement indicates receipt of the message by the other nodes.

Abstract: A loading mechanism for a compact disk (CD) recording and/or reproducing device, comprising: a motor; a set of gears; a lever plate; a gliding piece; and a CD carrier. Mounting and dismounting of the CD is driven by a combination of a linear and a rotatory movement, allowing the operations of inserting/ejecting and raising/lowering of the CD to be driven by a single motor. The arrangement provides stable movements with minimum vibrations, such that a high reliability of reading and recording data is achieved.

Abstract: An optical includes a tray on which an optical disc is placed, a mechanism for driving the tray, a clamp for pressing the optical disc, and a housing for housing the tray therein. A clamp lever is pivotally hinged on the tray in order to retain the clamping and an elastic member for pressing the clamp is fixed to an opposite end of the clamp lever.

Abstract: An optical disk drive adopting an optical disk as a recording medium is provided. The optical disk drive includes an adjusting mechanism on a deck to adjust phase and tilt. The adjusting mechanism includes a phase adjusting device which is installed on the deck, for supporting one end of at least one of first and second shafts to adjust the phase, and a complex adjusting device which is rotatably installed on the deck, for supporting the other end of the at least one shaft to adjust the tilt and phase. Therefore, the optical disk drive can store a large amount of information in a disk by a highly precise deck mechanism and be stably installed regardless of the installation direction and position thereof. Further, a tray can be ejected without electric power and simple and convenient assembling and maintenance thereof are guaranteed.

Abstract: A recording medium loading apparatus has a recording/reproducing mechanism fixedly arranged in a horizontal posture, a lid body disposed in a generally vertical posture in front of a main body, and a guide mechanism for positioning the tray, in association with the opening/closure of the lid body, just above the lid body to load the recording medium when the lid is in the open state and at a position where the recording medium is mounted on the recording/reproducing mechanism to be played when the lid is in the closed state, thereby achieving inexpensive, compact and high-quality operating with high reliability without using a motor.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the storage and/or reproduction of information on/from an information carrier accommodated in a cartridge. The apparatus comprises a motorized loader for the motorized loading of a cartridge. The apparatus has a mechanism by means of which the cartridge can be pulled into the apparatus with a first transmission ratio and is subsequently moved into an operational position with a second transmission ratio. The mechanism is based on the fact that the motorized loading mechanism comprises an element having two contact surfaces which are disposed at an angle relative to one another.

Abstract: A cartridge body for storing an optical disc includes a pair of main surfaces, a plurality of side end surfaces continuous to the pair of main surfaces, and a disc inlet/outlet port formed in one side end surface. A lid member for opening/closing the port is mounted on the cartridge body and has an end surface. First label adhering portions are formed on the main surfaces and have boundary edges defined by side edges of the main surfaces. A second label adhering portion is formed on the end surface of the lid member to be adjacent to the side edges of the main surfaces. The second label adhering portion includes a position limit portion projecting along the side edges over each end of the boundary edges of the first label adhering portions. An indication label includes first indication surfaces adhered onto the first label adhering portions, and a second indication surface adhered onto the second label adhering portion.

Abstract: A method in a computer network for automatically detecting a most advantageous protocol for communication by a client computer, said client computer being configured to be coupled to a server computer via a computer network. The method includes initiating a plurality of protocol threads for sending from the client computer to the server computer, a plurality of data requests. Each of the data requests employs a different protocol and a different connection. The data requests are configured to solicit, responsive to the data requests, a set of responses from the server computer. Each of the responses employs a protocol associated with a respective one of the data requests. The method further includes receiving at the client computer at least a subset of the responses. The method also includes initiating a control thread at the client computer.

Abstract: Disk images, and the like, are used to emulate storage volumes for the distribution of computer software. An image of a data storage volume, such as a hard disk drive, is stored in a file having a format that enables it to exhibit a behavior which is the same as the storage volume itself. The image files are accessed by means of an associated driver which can support a variety of different file system protocols, thereby permitting the files themselves to be independent of the format requirements of particular file systems. The data in the image file can be compressed in a manner such that a storage volume being emulated appears to be of a specified size, while actually requiring less space to store its contents. With these properties, the image files can be mounted in the manner of a hardware storage device, and large files can be readily transmitted and downloaded in an electronic format.

Abstract: An optical disc and a disc cartridge for accommodating the optical disc, wherein the disc cartridge accommodates a disc non-symmetrical in cross-section relative to the center of thickness of the disc, in which disc cartridge includes a main cartridge body portion and an opening/closure mechanism. The main cartridge body portion has an aperture via which to insert or take out the disc. The main cartridge body portion is configured for accommodating the disc only in the regular state of the disc which permits recording and/or reproduction of the disc. The opening/closure mechanism opens or closes the aperture.

Abstract: A method and data transfer control unit for controlling a data transfer between a calling device and a called device, includes a first device for sending, from the calling device to the called device, a control signal for informing the called device of a data transfer format. A second device sends, from the called device to the calling device, a response signal for defining whether the data transfer format defined by the control signal has a predetermined state.

Abstract: In a disc apparatus, an insertion or removal operation of a disc can be performed without drawing the entire tray from the disc apparatus. A tray is movable between a disc loading position and a disc exchanging position. The tray is located in the disc apparatus so that a disc placed on the tray is loaded to the disc apparatus when the tray is at the disc loading position. A portion of the tray is drawn from the disc apparatus so that the disc can be placed on or removed from the tray when the tray is at the disc exchanging position. A cover is provided above the tray so as to enclose the tray when the tray is at the first position. A cover opening mechanism opens the cover by being linked with a movement of the tray in a direction from the disc loading position to the disc exchanging position.

Abstract: A plurality of trays are arranged in a disk package disposed in a disk device, and disks of different types are placed on the trays, respectively. A first lock mechanism for locking all the trays is arranged in the package, and a locking operation of this lock mechanism can be released by a manual operation. A second lock mechanism is designed to be able to lock only a tray on which a RAM disk or the like is placed and to prevent the RAM disk or the like from being removed. However, when an projection portion of the tray is deformed, the tray can be removed.

Abstract: A plurality of disk drive mechanisms are installed in a stationary state being arranged along the retrieving side of a disk rack, a disk mounting mechanism is transferred above the disk drive mechanisms by a transfer mechanism to obtain an objective disk from the disk rack and to set the disk to an objective disk drive mechanism. The disk mounting mechanism holds a plurality of clampers to supply or remove the clamper to or from a turntable.