Abstract: When user data is recorded on a write-once medium, linking variations can be reduced that are produced as management information for managing the user data is updated by additionally recording on and off, thereby assuring the reliability of the reproduction compatibility of the DVD player. Before the final file of the management information is recorded, dummy data of a plurality of successive blocks are recorded at a time by a single operation, and then the final file is additionally recorded after the dummy data. Therefore, the linking precision can be prevented from being degraded in the linking portions of the management information, and thus the management information can be properly read when the DVD player makes compatible reproduction of the medium.

Abstract: A first end position in a widthwise direction of a medium at a first position in a lengthwise direction of the medium, while a second end position in the widthwise direction of the medium at a second position in the lengthwise direction of the medium, and a comparison of the detected first end position with the detected second end position is performed to make predetermined processing according to the compared result.

Abstract: A reflective optical switch comprises an input/output port portion; a polarization separator/combiner for separating lights in the same optical path and combining lights in different optical paths; a Faraday rotation angle changer; a polarization rotator for changing the relationship in polarizing direction between lights in different optical paths; a birefringence element for optical path control for controlling optical path shift in response to polarizing direction; and a polarization rotating reflector for rotating polarizing direction 90 degrees on forward and return paths. The input/output port portion, the polarization separator/combiner, the Faraday rotation angle changer, the polarization rotator, the birefringence element for optical path control, and the polarization rotating reflector are arranged along the optical path, and the Faraday rotation angle changer includes a Faraday element and an electromagnet for controlling 90-degree change in polarizing direction of transmitted light thereof.

Abstract: What is disclosed: is a media width detecting apparatus comprising: a first media detecting section to detect media, a second media detecting section put downward from said first media detecting section, to detect media; wherein said second detecting section decide range to detect media according to result of detection by said first media detecting section.

Abstract: To quickly display catalog information on thumbnails and other data stored on an optical disk, management information or catalog information recorded on the optical disk and identification information and history information on the optical disk are stored on a storage other than the optical disk. If, when the optical disk is inserted, the history information or the identification information read from the optical disk matches the history information or the identification information stored on the storage, the management information or the catalog information stored on the storage that has a higher access speed is read and the information is used immediately.

Abstract: A disk cartridge incorporating a disk-shaped recording medium and having an opening portion for enabling a recording and/or reproducing operation by a recording and/or reproducing device having a disk cartridge main body, a disk holder detachably mountable to the disk cartridge main body, and a reverse insertion preventing structure for preventing the disk holder having a surface and a rear face from being inserted turning inside out into the disk cartridge main body when the disk holder is mounted to the disk cartridge main body.

Abstract: A print medium feed system comprises a pair of first print medium feed members for feeding a print medium to a print section, a print medium detection section for detecting the print medium, a second print medium feed member for feeding the print medium to the first print medium feed members, and a control section for controlling the first and second print medium feed members. According to the detection by the print medium detection section, the second print medium feed member transports the print medium by a first predetermined distance in the feed direction, then, the first print medium feed members transport the print medium in the feed direction by a second predetermined distance in the feed direction, and then transport the print medium by a third predetermined distance in a backward direction opposite to the feed direction.

Abstract: A disc device in which recording is possible in a basic recording area in units of a subarea and startable at any position. Even if the recording cannot help stopping due to some external cause during recording on a disc-type recording medium that basically employs real-time sequential recording, the recording is re-openable at the position where the recording stopped when the external cause has disappeared. The disc device includes a reference clock counter that starts to count at the starting point of each basic recording area reference clocks read from the disc, and an address memory that holds an address of the basic recording area under recording. When the recording is stopped due to some external cause, the count of the counter and the address held by the address memory at that time are saved.

Abstract: In a method of adjusting a disk apparatus, if adjustment processing has to be performed prior to processing which the user expects to be performed soon, the adjustment processing can be finished in a short time and thus the processing requested by the user can be performed at once enough to meet the user's expectation. A database concerning the adjustment processing is created at the time when the user of the disk apparatus accepts the much time taken to perform the processing requested by the user. Then, when the user makes a request to perform processing, which the user expects to be performed at once, the adjustment processing which has to be performed prior to the performance of the processing requested by the user is performed based on the database to speed up the adjustment processing, thus making it possible to perform the processing requested by the user at once.

Abstract: A variable optical gain equalizer in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention comprises a variable branching ratio beam splitter having a variable polarization rotator, the variable branching ratio beam splitter branching an input light beam into two light beams at an arbitrary power ratio, through control of the rotation angle of the polarization direction by the variable polarization rotator; an optical filter presenting different filter characteristics to the two branched output light beams; and a polarization coupler for polarization coupling the two light beams that have passed through the optical filter, wherein the rotation angle of the polarization direction is controlled by the variable polarization rotator so as to vary the spectra of the output light beams.

Abstract: Processing to confirm management information during starting processing of a disk device is completely executed in a short period of time without scanning a data area to thereby minimize the period of time for the starting processing. The management information confirming processing can be executed after the disk device notifies the condition to the host or the user. Therefore, the response characteristic of the disk device is improved. Authentication information to certify that management information recorded on a disk is valid and invalidating information to invalidate the authentication information are provided. When the invalidating information to invalidate the authentication information is present, it is possible to determine that the management information is invalid or is possibly invalid. When the invalidating information to invalidate the authentication information is absent, it is possible to determine that the management information is valid according to the authentication information.

Abstract: A disk cartridge incorporating a disk-shaped recording medium and having an opening portion for carrying out a recording and/or reproducing operation by a recording and/or reproducing device. A disk holder is arranged at the disk cartridge for holding the disk-shaped recording medium and is configured so as to be mountable to a disk cartridge main body along with the disk-shaped recording medium and detachable from the disk cartridge main body outside of the disk cartridge so that the disk holder holds the disk-shaped recording medium independent of any orientation of the disk holder and the disk-shaped recording medium when the disk holder is detached outside of the disk cartridge. The disk holder holds information in respect of the disk-shaped recording medium which is presented in or by a recessed portion formed in a portion of the disk holder.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, a sensitivity compensation unit converts a color-and-sensitivity mosaic image into a color mosaic image. A pixel-of-interest determination unit extracts local area information from the color mosaic image. An edge-direction detector detects an edge of the local area. A G-component computing unit performs weighted interpolation in the edge direction of the green (G) component associated with a pixel of interest. A statistic computing unit computes statistic information of the local area. A first or second R-and-B-component computing unit computes the red (R) and blue (B) components of the pixel of interest on the basis of the statistic information. An inverse gamma conversion unit performs inverse gamma conversion of the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) components of the pixel of interest. The present invention is applicable to, for example, a digital still camera.

Abstract: An information management apparatus capable of reliable management of distributed information and an information providing system employing the same information management apparatus has a main information reproducing system for reproducing main information recorded in a given recording medium; and a reproduction management system for managing the main information reproducing system for reproducing the main information. A receiver is provided with a unit for recording distributed information and control information limiting the number of main information reproducing cycles on a recording medium, and a main information reproducing system provided with a reproduction disabling function for limiting the reproduction of main information.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method and a recording medium therefor control the occurrence of a change in a hue. The histogram of a luminance signal Y is generated in a first step S1. In a second step S2, the histograms of the luminance signals Y are accumulated to generate a cumulative histogram, and the cumulative histogram is subjected to logarithmic approximation thereby to generate a lookup table (LUT) for correcting luminance signals. In a third step S3, a color-difference signal correction parameter LUT is generated by referring to the LUT for correcting luminance signals. In a fourth step S4, an input luminance signal Y is applied to the LUT for correcting luminance signals thereby to acquire a corrected luminance signal Y0. In a fifth step S5, the input luminance signal Y is applied to a color-difference signal correction parameter LUT so as to acquire a correction parameter k.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus including a system controller that receives a recording control command via an interface. A recording control block that receives a recording method command signal indicative of one of recording with verify and real time recording and recording data from the system controller. An optical head that modulates the power of laser beam using a recording pulse sent from the control block and records the recording data on an information recording medium. The recording data is recorded in the information recording medium according to the recording with verify and the real time recording using different recording power respectively, in which under the recording with verify, the recording power determined by recording compensation learning is used, and under the real time recording, the recording power higher than the recording power obtained by the recording compensation learning is used.

Abstract: A print medium feed system comprises a pair of first print medium feed members for feeding a print medium to a print section, a print medium detection section for detecting the print medium, a second print medium feed member for feeding the print medium to the first print medium feed members, and a control section for controlling the first and second print medium feed members. According to the detection by the print medium detection section, the second print medium feed member transports the print medium by a first predetermined distance in the feed direction, then, the first print medium feed members transport the print medium in the feed direction by a second predetermined distance in the feed direction, and then transport the print medium by a third predetermined distance in a backward direction opposite to the feed direction.

Abstract: A giant magneto-resistive effect element includes a laminated layer film having a ferromagnetic film, a non-magnetic film and an anti-ferromagnetic film. A current is caused to flow in the direction perpendicular to the film plane of the laminated layer film by upper and lower electrodes. Hard magnetic films are directly connected to both sides in the width direction of the laminated layer film. Insulating films are formed above or under the hard magnetic films. A current path between the upper electrodes or the lower electrodes and the laminated layer film is restricted by an opening defined between the insulating layers at both sides. The hard magnetic films have a specific resistance substantially the same as or larger than that of the laminated layer film. Further, there are provided a magneto-resistive effect type head, a thin-film magnetic memory and a thin-film magnetic sensor including the above-mentioned giant magneto-resistive effect element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which can restore, from a color and sensitivity mosaic image acquired using a CCD image sensor of the single plate type or the like, a color image signal of a wide dynamic range wherein the sensitivity characteristics of pixels are uniformized and each of the pixels has all of a plurality of color components.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information providing system. More particularly, this invention relates to an information management apparatus capable of reliable management of distributed information and an information providing system employing the same information management apparatus. The information management apparatus comprises a main information reproducing means for reproducing main information recorded in a given recording medium; and a reproduction management means for managing the main information reproducing means for reproducing the main information. The present invention provides a receiving means provided with a means for recording distributed information and control information limiting the number of main information reproducing cycles on a recording medium, and a main information reproducing means provided with a reproduction disabling means for limiting the reproduction of main information.