Patents Examined by Michael V. Battaglia
  • Patent number: 7436743
    Abstract: In an optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers on which information can be recorded by irradiating a laser beam from one side thereof, an optimum recording power to each of the recording layers can be determined. The optical recording medium has a plurality of recording layers on which information can be recorded by irradiating a laser beam from one side thereof, and each of the recording layers has a power calibration area (PCA) for optimizing the intensity of the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kubo, Hideharu Takeshima
  • Patent number: 7428195
    Abstract: An information reproduction apparatus and method according to the present invention are provided so as to solve the problem that signal quality is degraded in a normal signal part when always performing a correction of a transient in reproducing information recorded in a medium, and the sag cancellation controller (103) detects whether the pickup output signal (S101) is normal or abnormal, and the sag cancellation part (104) performs a correction of a transient only during a period when the pickup output signal (S101) is detected as abnormal, thereby preventing degradation of signal quality, which is caused by performing a correction of a transient on a normal signal part, and an appropriate correction of a transient can be performed on an abnormal signal part, thereby enabling a stable reproduced signal (S104) to be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Aida, Youichi Ogura, Toshihiko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7428206
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to improve a recording capacity density by removing part of diffracted light and by making a recording region in relation to a recording medium in the efficient shape. An optical information recording apparatus in which holography is formed in an optical information recording medium by making information light reflected by a spatial modulator interfere with reference light, is provided with a diffracted light removal means which removes part of diffracted light of the reflected light, and whose aperture is in the shape of a square.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Optware Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyoshi Horimai, Yoshio Aoki
  • Patent number: 7423955
    Abstract: A method of recording information stores lead-out information on a multilayer record carrier of an opposite track path type. A two part recording area across two layers is logically interrupted by an intermediate zone. The recording area is preceded by a lead-in zone located at the start of the first recording layer and followed by a lead-out zone located at the end of the second recording layer. An outer lead-out part and an inner lead-out part are recorded separated by an unrecorded area and together constituting the lead-out information on the second recording layer. The inner lead-out part covers a predefined radial position range corresponding to a range of radial positions used by reading devices for accessing the second recording layer during a disc loading procedure. The outer lead-out part is recorded at the end of an area of the second recording layer containing user information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Benno Tieke, Hubert Cécile François Martens
  • Patent number: 7414932
    Abstract: In step S1, the address generator generates address information composed of a sync signal which is recorded on an optical disc, address data and an error correction code for the address data, pre-encodes and supplies it to a modulator. At the same time, a carrier signal generator generates a carrier signal which is to carry the address information, and supplies it to the modulator. In step S2, the modulator makes MSK modulation of the carrier signal supplied from the carrier signal generator on the basis of the pre-encoded address information supplied from the address generator, and supplies a resultant MSK modulation signal to a wobbling unit. In step S3, the wobbling unit forms, on the optical disc, a spiral groove wobbled adaptively to the MSK modulation signal supplied from the modulator. In this optical disc, a given address can be accessed quickly and accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shoei Kobayashi, Nobuyoshi Kobayashi, Tamotsu Yamagami, Shinichiro Iimura
  • Patent number: 7411873
    Abstract: An information recording medium 1 at least comprises a substrate 13 having a microscopic pattern 20, which is constituted by a shape of continuous substance of approximately parallel grooves formed with a groove section G and a land section L alternately, a recording layer 12 formed on the microscopic pattern 20 and a light transmission layer 11 formed on the recording layer. The microscopic pattern 20 is formed so as to satisfy a relation of P<?<NA and a thickness of the light transmission layer 11 is within a range of 0.07 to 0.12 mm, wherein P is a pitch of the groove section G or the land section L, ? is a wavelength of reproducing light beam and NA is a numerical aperture of an objective lens. Further, there provided an information recording medium, which is improved in cross erase and recorded in high density, and a reproducing apparatus and a recording apparatus for the information recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kondo, Kenji Oishi
  • Patent number: 7408865
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to record and reproduce information successfully even when light having small energy is used for hologram. A drive means to move a collimator lens according to movement of a recording medium is provided, and an angle of light for recording which enters from the collimator lens to a polarizing beam splitter is changed. In result, a position of light which enters the recording medium is shifted, and therefore, information can be recorded in a normal position of the recording medium, and information can be reproduced from the normal position on the recording medium according to movement of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Optware Corporation
    Inventor: Hideyoshi Horimai
  • Patent number: 7406024
    Abstract: A method of recording data optically to an optical disk having a plurality of sectors, in which each sector has a region to be recorded with data, the data is recorded in units of blocks, and the block includes a predetermined number of sectors and is a data unit including error correction codes. In recording data related to a content by dividing and recording the data in a plurality of sectors continuously, dummy data to be used for extracting a clock in phase lock loop (PLL) for data reproduction is recorded on a region adjacent before a sector from which data recording is started. The data related to the contents is recorded on sectors following the region recorded with the dummy data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Shoji, Atsushi Nakamura, Takashi Ishida
  • Patent number: 7400559
    Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Limited
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kondo
  • Patent number: 7400567
    Abstract: The recording medium 12 is radiated with light beam from the second light source to obtain servo signal from the reflected light. At least one of the relay lenses 8 in the relay optical system is moved perpendicularly to the optical axis according to the servo signal to follow-up moving direction of the recording medium. The light beam from the second laser light source merges with an optical system from the first laser light source to the recording medium 12 between at least one of the relay lenses 8 and the spatial light modulator 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichiro Nishikawa, Takashi Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 7394735
    Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a computer readable recording medium thereof to update filter tap coefficients of an equalizer include a defect signal detection unit and a coefficient updating unit. The defect signal detection unit receives a sampled input signal reflected from an optical disc and/or a track jump signal, detects whether the input signal and/or the track jump signal are defective, and outputs an update stop signal indicative thereof. The coefficient updating unit stops the updating of the filter tap coefficients in response to the update stop signal and outputs current filter tap coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-seong Shim, Hyun-soo Park, Jae-wook Lee, Jung-hyun Lee
  • Patent number: 7391702
    Abstract: In an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus using holography in which a relative inclination between a recording light or a reproducing light and a recording medium is corrected by using a device which is suitable for size-reduction. Provided is an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording/reproducing information to/from a recording medium through irradiating recording light or reproducing light by an objective lens onto a recording medium to/from which information is recorded/reproduced using holography, wherein light ray flux of the recording light or the reproducing light entering an objective lens is parallel-translated according to a relative inclination between the recording light or the reproducing light and the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Optware Corporation
    Inventor: Hideyoshi Horimai
  • Patent number: 7391695
    Abstract: The mark-length recording system whereby information is recorded by changing the lengths of a recorded portion and an unrecorded or erased portion has a problem that, when new information is recorded in an already recorded region, the newly recorded information may deteriorate in reliability because the length and width of the newly recorded mark are different from those of the previously recorded mark and a part may exist that is not completely erased at the time of overwriting. The invention widens a setting freedom of the recording power and controls the length and width of the recorded mark by making the effective recording pulse length (the length from a rise of a first pulse to a fall of a last pulse) satisfy a relation: (effective recording pulse length)<(recording code length, i.e., the length of data to be recorded)?2T(twice the reference clock cycle).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Toda, Takakiyo Yasukawa
  • Patent number: 7391697
    Abstract: An adaptive writing method of a high-density optical recording apparatus and a circuit thereof. The circuit includes a discriminator for discriminating a magnitude of a present mark of input NRZI data and magnitudes of leading and/or trailing spaces of the input NRZI data, a generator for controlling the waveform of a write pulse in accordance with the magnitude of the present mark of the input NRZI data and the magnitudes of the leading and/or trailing spaces of the input NRZI data to generate an adaptive write pulse, and a driver for driving a light source by converting the adaptive write pulse into a current signal in accordance with driving power levels for respective channels of the adaptive write pulse. The widths of the first and/or last pulses of the write pulse waveform are varied in accordance with the magnitude of the present mark of input NRZI data and the magnitude of the leading and/or trailing spaces, thereby minimizing jitter to enhance system reliability and performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-gyo Seo, Seong-sin Joo, Du-seop Yoon, Myung-do Roh, Yong-jin Ahn, Seoung-soo Kim, Kyung-geun Lee, Myeong-ho Cho, Chang-jin Yang, Jong-kyu Kim, Sung-ro Ko, Tatsuhiro Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 7391696
    Abstract: An adaptive writing method of a high-density optical recording apparatus and a circuit thereof. The circuit includes a discriminator for discriminating a magnitude of a present mark of input NRZI data and magnitudes of leading and/or trailing spaces of the input NRZI data, a generator for controlling the waveform of a write pulse in accordance with the magnitude of the present mark of the input NRZI data and the magnitudes of the leading and/or trailing spaces of the input NRZI data to generate an adaptive write pulse, and a driver for driving a light source by converting the adaptive write pulse into a current signal in accordance with driving power levels for respective channels of the adaptive write pulse. The widths of the first and/or last pulses of the write pulse waveform are varied in accordance with the magnitude of the present mark of input NRZI data and the magnitude of the leading and/or trailing spaces, thereby minimizing jitter to enhance system reliability and performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-gyo Seo, Seong-sin Joo, Du-seop Yoon, Myung-do Roh, Yong-jin Ahn, Seoung-soo Kim, Kyung-geun Lee, Myeong-ho Cho, Chang-jin Yang, Jong-kyu Kim, Sung-ro Ko, Tatsuhiro Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 7391678
    Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kondo
  • Patent number: 7391681
    Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kondo
  • Patent number: 7391698
    Abstract: An adaptive writing method of a high-density optical recording apparatus and a circuit thereof. The circuit includes a discriminator for discriminating a magnitude of a present mark of input NRZI data and magnitudes of leading and/or trailing spaces of the input NRZI data, a generator for controlling the waveform of a write pulse in accordance with the magnitude of the present mark of the input NRZI data and the magnitudes of the leading and/or trailing spaces of the input NRZI data to generate an adaptive write pulse, and a driver for driving a light source by converting the adaptive write pulse into a current signal in accordance with driving power levels for respective channels of the adaptive write pulse. The widths of the first and/or last pulses of the write pulse waveform are varied in accordance with the magnitude of the present mark of input NRZI data and the magnitude of the leading and/or trailing spaces, thereby minimizing jitter to enhance system reliability and performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-gyo Seo, Seong-sin Joo, Du-seop Yoon, Myung-do Roh, Yong-jin Ahn, Seoung-soo Kim, Kyung-geun Lee, Myeong-ho Cho, Chang-jin Yang, Jong-kyu Kim, Sung-ro Ko, Tatsuhiro Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 7391679
    Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kondo
  • Patent number: 7391694
    Abstract: Compatibility information embedded in an optical medium modifies actions allowed by predetermined non-compatible optical disc drives on the optical medium, such as optical disc drives that may suffer damage if certain actions are performed on the optical medium. For instance, a compatibility engine of the optical disc drive applies compatibility information read from an optical medium to determine restrictions to impose on the use of the optical medium, such as restricting the optical disc drive from writing to the optical medium, reading from the optical medium or performing any operations until an update to the optical disc drive firmware is performed either automatically or by display of a compatibility user interface at an information handling system associated with the optical disc drive. In one embodiment, the compatibility information identifies incompatible optical disc drives and firmware versions by unique identifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Dirk Erickson, Robert A. Brondijk, Jacomus Petrus Josephus Heemskerk, Jakob G. Nijboer, Christiaan Steenbergen, Charles R. Weirauch