Abstract: Localized temperature increases inside integrated circuits due to heating at operation are prevented or controlled by electronic devices or wirings with CPP (current-perpendicular-to-plane) structures which have a current cooling effect. A CPP structure refers to a structure comprising a columnar electrically conductive portion and an insulator portion surrounding the conductive portion. The columnar portion is formed from a multilayered structure in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the layers, so as to allow a current to flow from an upper layer to a lower layer (or vice versa). The cooling effect is induced by current at the interface (or a plural of interfaces) of appropriately selected different kinds of materials (which are conductive substances in general, such as metals, semiconductors, and alloys thereof) in the columnar portion due to the Peltier effect when a current flows through the column. Temperature in a minute range is detected by a thermocouple with the CPP structure.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus which can record and/or reproduce an information on both a holographic storage disc and a conventional optical storage disc, can improve a usability, and can achieve a downsizing and a low cost. The optical information recording and reproducing apparatus can record and reproduce an information on both a holographic storage disc and an optical storage disc recording and/or reproducing the information at a time of a high speed turning, by an optical pickup, and is provided with a stepping motor driving the holographic storage disc, and a direct-current motor driving the optical storage disc, and a rotating shaft of the stepping motor and a rotating shaft of the direct-current motor are constituted by a common rotating shaft.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a multi layer optical disc that can be used effectively and an optical disc apparatus that can cope with the multi layer optical disc. The object described above can be accomplished by providing redundancy to the number of layers of the multi layer optical disc. The object can also be accomplished by providing reproducing/recording unit of the multi layer optical disc to the optical disc apparatus.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to more strongly protect data to be distributed from being illegally plagiarized, and further, to add an electronic watermark function necessary to protect the copyright to all reproduction means apparatuses. In order to achieve the above-described objects, according to the present invention, data targeted for protection is encrypted, and an encryption key required for decrypting this encrypted data and reproduction control data for protecting the copyright are embedded in encrypted data through the use of the electronic watermark. Thus, when reproducing the data, the electronic watermark is detected, and the encryption key required for decrypting the cryptogram and the reproduction control data for protecting the copyright are restored. Through the use of the restored encryption key, the cryptogram is decrypted. Thus, through the use of the reproduction control data restored, the reproduction of the data targeted for protection is controlled.

Abstract: Microwave generating and detection portions of a electronic circuit is improved in efficiency and reduced in size. A microwave generating element A comprises a lower electrode 1, a layer 3 formed on the lower electrode 1 in an island shape, forming a magnetoresistance element, an insulator 7 formed on the lower electrode 1 in such a manner as to surround the layer 3 forming the magnetoresistance element, and an upper electrode 5 formed on the insulator 7 and the layer 3 forming the magnetoresistance element. The layer 3 forming the magnetoresistance element includes, in order from the side of the lower electrode 1, a magnetization fixed layer 3a, an intermediate layer 3b, and a magnetization free layer 3c. The magnetization free layer 3c, which is required to produce resonance oscillation based on a current, preferably is dimensioned to be equal to or smaller than 200 nm square in a cross-sectional area and on the order of 1 to 5 nm in film thickness, for example.

Abstract: Provided are a CCP (current confined path)-CPP (current-perpendicular-to-plane) type giant magneto-resistance (GMR) element having a giant magneto-resistance ratio in a low resistance region (a region of not more than 1 ohm per square micrometer) and a magnetic sensor using this GMR element. The CCP-CPP type GMR element A has a laminated structure of an anti-ferromagnetic layer, a magnetization pinned layer, an intermediate layer and a magnetization free layer, and is formed to have a construction in which a current flows perpendicularly to a film plane. By using an ultrathin magnesium oxide layer having micropores that is preferentially oriented in the (001) direction as the intermediate layer, the magneto-resistance ratio is enhanced, because a current flowing from the magnetization free layer to the magnetization pinned layer (or in the opposite direction) is confined by the metal in the micropores.

Abstract: A data reproduction method and apparatus includes first circuitry to produce an information signal from a storage medium. The information signal includes copy control information. Detection circuitry is provided to detect the copy control information. Control circuitry is provided to operate the first circuitry to selectively output the information signal based on the detection result of the detection circuitry.

Abstract: An ion beam processing system emitting an ion beam at a workpiece to process the workpiece, provided with an electrode for applying an electric field to the workpiece, the potential of the electrode being made 0V or a negative potential, and a cover insulated from the electrode arranged at an ion beam incidence side of the electrode, thereby preventing or suppressing sputtered particles from redepositing on a master pattern and the processed surface to form burrs, and an ion beam processing method used with the same.

Abstract: A data reproduction method and apparatus includes first circuitry to produce an information signal from a storage medium. The information signal includes copy control information. Detection circuitry is provided to detect the copy control information. Control circuitry is provided to operate the first circuitry to selectively output the information signal based on the detection result of the detection circuitry.

Abstract: A display unit displays an image, and includes plural independent image displays. A sound output unit outputs sound corresponding to an image displayed on the display unit. A storage unit stores image data of an image to be displayed on the display unit, sound data to be output by the sound output unit, and various kinds of content data. A switch detects various instructions input by a user. An input/output unit inputs and outputs image data and sound data communicated between the image displays. A power supply unit supplies a current to each functional unit. A controller controls display of an image on the display unit, while enlarging a single image displayed on a single image display to display enlarged image on an entire display unit, and reducing a single image displayed on the entire display unit to display reduced-sized image on a single image display.

Abstract: A display device that displays an image on a display screen includes plural light emitting members arranged along the display screen. The light emitting members emit light along a longitudinal direction thereof, and are coupled so that the light emitting members can be rolled around center of axis parallel to the longitudinal direction. The rolled light emitting members are stored in a storage unit such that one side of the display screen is supported by a support member provided in the storage unit.

Abstract: Provided is a device which can reduce waveform distortion of a laser drive signal caused by impedance mismatching between a laser drive device and a semiconductor laser over a wide band, and which can enhance the power efficiency of higher frequency superposition during reproduction. The output impedance of the laser drive device and the line impedance of a transmission line between the laser drive device and the semiconductor laser are controlled so as to attain impedance matching in a predetermined frequency band. Specifically, the laser drive device is provided thereto with an output impedance control circuit for controlling the output impedance in order to change the impedance of a laser drive device output terminal, depending upon an impedance of the semiconductor laser and an impedance of the transmission line.

Abstract: A display device includes a display unit, a state detecting unit, and a setting unit. The display unit includes a display screen on which an image is displayed. The state detecting unit detects a light emission state of a pixel of the display screen. The setting unit sets the pixel to any one of a display mode and a charge mode based on a result of detection by the state detecting unit.

Abstract: In a display control apparatus, a detecting unit detects a bend in a flexible display having a flex sensor, a determining unit determines, based on detected bend, a command to the flexible display, and a control unit controls the flexible display to display an image of pages being sequentially turned based on the display command.

Abstract: An optical disk drive having a laser source for irradiating an optical beam onto an optical disk, a lens unit to focus the optical beam from the laser source onto the optical disk, a drive unit for driving the lens unit, and a high-frequency signal output unit for producing a high-frequency signal. The drive unit drives the lens unit by applying the high-frequency signal before the optical disk is started to reproduce, and drives it without applying the high-frequency signal after the optical disk is started to reproduce. Thus, it is possible to effectively control the aberration correction mechanism using a linear actuator.

Abstract: Provided is an optical disk manufacturable by a conventional recording medium manufacturing method and that is capable of performing recording with an information recording apparatus used to perform recording on conventional recording mediums, and a data recording apparatus for recording contents data. An optical disk 100 has a structure in which a first substrate 110 and a second substrate 120 are bonded together. The first substrate is provided with a recording layer in which contents data is recorded, and the second substrate is provided with a visual information recording layer in which information enabling visual recognition of, for example, the contents of contents data or a title of the contents data is recorded as visual information.

Abstract: In the CAV recording, it is necessary to vary the recording-system clock frequency in accordance with movement of a recording position, and conventionally a signal generated by multiplying a wobble signal is used as the recording-system clock. However, since the wobble signal is easily susceptible to influences of a disk and a pick-up and its quality is prone to be deteriorated by an influence of a large amount of light at the time of recording etc., it is difficult to maintain jitters of the recording-system clock to a sufficiently low value. To resolve this problem, instead of generating a recording-system clock signal from the wobble signal that is susceptible to noise, a necessary recording-system clock frequency is calculated from the address information that has been modulated into the wobble signal and recorded therein, and a signal of this frequency is generated from a stable reference signal source, such as a quartz oscillator, by a synthesizer method and used as the recording-system clock.

Abstract: A technique for investigating differences of composition and structural state of a recording layer of an optical disc along with other defects, such as scratches, contamination, warp and distortion, prior to video recording and for setting up appropriate recording conditions in compliance with this result to thereby perform recording is disclosed. In an optical disc recording device capable of recording information on an optical disc, a region to be investigated is defined based on the video recording reservation contents. Then, investigate and evaluate the disc state which can affect the recording quality in a target disc region to be recorded. Next, based on investigation/evaluation results, perform recording setup, recording speed setup, servo control setup and recording position setup to thereby perform the recording. By appropriately modifying the recording setup on a case-by-case basis, it is possible to achieve high-quality recording.

Abstract: A digital watermark information detection method for detecting information inserted as a digital watermark from contents has a step of converting the contents into a predetermined specified format and a step of trying to detect information from the converted contents. When a plurality of specified formats are defined in advance and detection of the information from the converted contents fails, the contents is converted into another specified format and the information detection is retried.

Abstract: In an electronic watermark embedding technique, even when image data compression such as MPEG2 compression is conducted for image data of an image including a watermark while keeping deterioration of picture quality within an allowed range, the electronic watermark is kept retained. A watermark embedding operation and an MPEG2 encoding operation as well as a watermark detecting operation are cooperatively executed. Specifically, in the WM embedding operation, information regarding an operation state of an MPEG2 encoder, particularly, information regarding an amount of data is received. According to the received information of data, parameters such as the total amount of the watermark to be embedded, strength thereof, and an embedding position thereof are controlled.