Abstract: A disk cartridge incorporating a disk-shaped recording medium and having an opening portion for enabling recording and/or reproduction by a recording and/or reproducing device includes a disk cartridge main body, and a disk holder which is detachably mountable to the disk cartridge main body. The opening portion of the disk cartridge is provided in the disk cartridge main body and is closed by a shutter arranged at the disk cartridge main body. The disk holder includes a disk holding member holding the recording medium so that when the disk holder is mounted to the disk cartridge main body, the disk holding member releases holding of the recording medium. When the disk holder is detached from the disk cartridge main body, the disk holding member holds the disk-shaped recording medium and is detached from the disk cartridge main body along with the disk-shaped recording medium.

Abstract: A disc cartridge for receiving a disc-like recording medium therewithin which recording medium is capable of being inserted and removed from the disc cartridge. The disc cartridge includes an insertion and removal port opening and closing member, and the disc insertion and removal port opening and closing member is moved from the disc cartridge when taking out the recording medium. The disc cartridge has a locking member for locking the insertion and removal port opening and closing member. At least a part of a locking cancellation preventing member which prevents the locking member from moving for canceling the locking is arranged on a moving path of the locking member so as to cancel the locking. Further, the locking cancellation preventing member is a portion for recognizing a history of insertion and removal of the recording medium.

Abstract: When, in the course of recording data to a disk for each basic recording unit, the recording is stopped in the middle of a basic recording unit, data of the basic recording unit of the recording that was stopped remain held in memory. When recording resumes, the recording operation is restarted sequentially from the remaining data held in memory from the position at which recording was stopped. When the remaining data cannot be recorded, dummy data are recorded instead and playback is performed, skipping the dummy data section.

Abstract: Transfer of ancillary information, typically related to main information stored on an optical disk, to or from a storage on a disk is performed before the disk is capable of reproducing information. Described is a disk fitting aid member arranged in a recording and reproduction apparatus. Reproduction or recording of management information or catalog information for main information recorded or to be recorded is triggered by the operation of the fitting aid member. Alternatively, a recording and reproduction apparatus is mounted with a disk detector, with which the mounting of the disk on a tray can be detected, and the recording and reproduction of information to or from the storage is triggered by this detection.

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: In an optical disc apparatus, since verify and a parameter change or retry operation are not performed for real time recording, how the reliability of recorded information is secured comes into question. Accordingly, the reliability of the recorded information is secured by increasing the recording power for the real time recording compared with that for recording with verify and increasing the stability of forming a recording mark.

Abstract: A giant magneto-resistive effect element (1) comprises a lamination layer film (2) including a ferromagnetic film and wherein a nonmagnetic film and an antiferromagnetic film, the ferromagnetic film includes a magnetization free layer (13) and a magnetization fixed layer, a current is restricted by an upper electrode and a lower electrode in such a manner that the current may flow in the direction perpendicular to the film plane of the lamination layer film (2), the lamination layer film (2) is laminated including a high-resistance layer (21), a hard magnetic film (3) made of a conductive hard magnetic material and an insulating layer (4) are directly bonded to respective outsides of this lamination layer film (2) along its width direction and this hard magnetic film (3) is shifted from the high-resistance layer (21) and bonded near the magnetization free layer (13).

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: A disk cartridge incorporating a disk-shaped recording medium. A disk holder is arranged at the disk cartridge and is constituted by a structure capable of detaching from a disk cartridge main body. The disk holder holds information in respect of the disk-shaped recording medium and the disk cartridge main body includes an information holding portion holding the information in respect of the disk-shaped recording medium. Positions of an information holding portion holding the information of the disk-shaped recording medium of the disk holder and the information holding portion of the disk cartridge main body differ from each other when the disk holder is attached to the disk cartridge main body. The disk cartridge main body includes a transmitter for transmitting the information held by the disk holder to the information holding portion of the disk cartridge main body.

Abstract: A disc cartridge for receiving a disc-shaped recording medium therewithin which is capable of being inserted and removed from the disc cartridge. The disc cartridge has an insertion and removal port opening and closing member which is moved from the disc cartridge when taking out the recording medium. The insertion and removal port opening and closing member holds the disc-shaped recording medium and can take out the disc together with the insertion and removal port opening and closing member from a disc cartridge main body when taking out the insertion and removal port opening and closing member from the disc cartridge. The disc cartridge has a locking member and a locking cancellation preventing member which prevents said locking member from moving for canceling the locking and which serves as a portion for recognizing a history of insertion and removal of the recording medium.

Abstract: A giant magneto-resistive effect element includes a laminated layer film comprising 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 electrodes 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, and the hard magnetic films has a specific resistance substantially the same as or larger than that of the laminated layer film. Further, there are constructed 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: A disc cartridge for receiving a disc-like recording medium therewithin which recording medium is capable of being inserted and removed from the disc cartridge. The disc cartridge includes an insertion and removal port opening and closing member which disc insertion and removal port opening and closing member is moved from the disc cartridge when taking out the recording medium. The disc cartridge has a locking member for locking the insertion and removal port opening and closing member. At least a part of a locking cancellation preventing member which prevents the locking member from moving for canceling the locking is arranged on a moving path of the locking member so as to cancel the locking.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method as well as a storage device of the present invention transform intensity levels with consideration of both features of the intensity levels in an input image and human visual characteristics, wherein the present invention includes the steps of inputting wider dynamic range digital image data, generating a histogram of intensity levels of the image data, generating a histogram equalization LUT by cumulating the histogram, generating a visual characteristics LUT with reference to the histogram equalization LUT, generating a combined LUT by combining the histogram equalization LUT and the visual characteristics LUT, and correcting the image data.

Abstract: A recording disk having a recording medium and a memory assembly which is disposed in an annular or spiral form at a certain position on the disk. The memory assembly which a memory which stores information, a signal processor which writes or reads out information to/from the memory, a transmitter-receiver for transacting information with an exterior of the disk, a controller which controls the memory, signal processor and transmitter-receiver, a receiver which receives power in the form of a signal supplied from an exterior of the disk for the operation of the memory, signal processor, transmitter-receiver and controller, and a rectifier converts the signal received by the receiver into power. The memory, signal processor, controller, rectifier, and transmitter-receiver and/or receiver are at least partially formed of a semiconductor integrated circuit and at least portions of the memory, signal processor and controller are covered with light-blocking resin.

Abstract: A black recording having high solubility, being stable even after being stored for long, and capable of forming a printed image with a high optical density and excellent water and light resistances. The recording fluid contains a trisazo compound of general formula (1): wherein D is an 8-hydroxy-1-naphtyl group substituted with one or two sulfo groups; A is a 1,4-phenylene group or 1,4-naphtylene group which may be substituted with amino, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy, acylamino or ureido; and B is a phenyl group which may be substituted with hydroxy, amino or sulfo, or a salt thereof and is used for the recording.

Abstract: In the case that the user takes out the disc and uses the disc as a single unit, a history of taking out the disc is left in the disc cartridge, and in a state that the user does not positively perform a handling of the disc such as a movement of the disc between the disc cartridges, a history of taking out the disc is not left in the disc cartridge. A cartridge of the invention is provided with locking means for locking an insertion and removal port opening and closing member which opens and closes a disc insertion and removal port, and locking cancellation preventing means for preventing the locking means from canceling the locking.

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.

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.

Abstract: An optical recording disk intended only for the reproduction of a main information and used by a information management system has the attachment of a memory in which data for the management of the main information is written and read out easily and reliably. The memory has associated electromagnetic coupling means for transacting the record management data with and receiving power from a recording/reproduction apparatus. The electromagnetic coupling means is built in the memory or disposed in an annular or spiral form on the disk. The transmission frequency band for data transaction and power supply is set outside the main information reproduction frequency band. The memory is disposed in or on an appropriate plastic layer of the disk depending on the usage of the disk, and located in the inner or outer section of the recording medium forming area on the disk depending on the transmission band. This low-cost optical disk can be manufactured at a high reliability and high yield.

Abstract: In the case that the user takes out the disc and uses the disc as a single unit, a history of taking out the disc is left in the disc cartridge, and in a state that the user does not positively perform a handling of the disc such as a movement of the disc between the disc cartridges, a history of taking out the disc is not left in the disc cartridge. A cartridge of the invention is provided with locking means for locking an insertion and removal port opening and closing member which opens and closes a disc insertion and removal port, and locking cancellation preventing means for preventing the locking means from canceling the locking.