Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Minoda

Hiroshi Minoda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7983127
    Abstract: Provided is an optical disk device installed in a personal computer, including: an information creation unit that creates identification information for identifying the type of the personal computer based on a command transmitted from the personal computer; and a parameter selection unit that conducts switching, for parameter selection, concerning a parameter indicating an amount of unbalance of an optical disk, which has previously been determined depending on the type of the personal computer, in accordance with the identification information created by the information creation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Minoda
  • Patent number: 7983120
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disk apparatus capable of stably performing a layer jump on an optical disk having plural recording layers and non-uniform interlayer distances. In an optical disk with at least three recording layers and non-uniform interlayer distances between respective recording layers, if a layer jump is carried out from a first recording layer to a second recording layer, a distance from the first recording layer to the second recording layer is obtained and driving voltages set according to the distance are applied to an actuator for the layer jump to carry out the layer jump. At this time, interlayer distances for combinations of the respective recording layers and applied driving voltages thereto are stored in a memory in advance and when necessary, corresponding driving voltages are read out from the memory and are set for the layer jump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Takeshi Imai, Hiroshi Minoda
  • Patent number: 7760599
    Abstract: In an optical disk apparatus and a disk rotation speed control method thereof, enabling to rotate a disk at high speed, with stability and certainty, irrespective of mass eccentricity thereof, detection is made on the greatest value and the smallest value on the signal after conducting a process of a band pass filter 511 on a lens error signal in a step response of a pickup, with using a wobble signal in the place of a tracking error signal and chaining an offset, when controlling the rotation speed of the apparatus by loading an optical disk therein, and thereafter, determination is made on whether the disk rotation speed be shifted to the high speed or not, upon basis of a value obtained through comparison of the maximum value (Max_spnup) and the minimum value (Min_spnup) obtained with the greatest value (Max_step) and said smallest value (Min_step) memorized, when shifting the disk rotation to the high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Masamichi Ito, Hiroshi Minoda
  • Publication number: 20090265728
    Abstract: Provided is an optical disk device installed in a personal computer, including: an information creation unit that creates identification information for identifying the type of the personal computer based on a command transmitted from the personal computer; and a parameter selection unit that conducts switching, for parameter selection, concerning a parameter indicating an amount of unbalance of an optical disk, which has previously been determined depending on the type of the personal computer, in accordance with the identification information created by the information creation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventor: Hiroshi MINODA
  • Publication number: 20080082994
    Abstract: In an optical disk apparatus and a disk rotation speed control method thereof, enabling to rotate a disk at high speed, with stability and certainty, irrespective of mass eccentricity thereof, detection is made on the greatest value and the smallest value on the signal after conducting a process of a band pass filter 511 on a lens error signal in a step response of a pickup, with using a wobble signal in the place of a tracking error signal and chaining an offset, when controlling the rotation speed of the apparatus by loading an optical disk therein, and thereafter, determination is made on whether the disk rotation speed be shifted to the high speed or not, upon basis of a value obtained through comparison of the maximum value (Max_spnup) and the minimum value (Min_spnup) obtained with the greatest value (Max_step) and said smallest value (Min_step) memorized, when shifting the disk rotation to the high speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Inventors: MASAMICHI ITO, Hiroshi Minoda
  • Publication number: 20070171781
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical disk apparatus capable of stably performing a layer jump on an optical disk having plural recording layers and non-uniform interlayer distances. In an optical disk with at least three recording layers and non-uniform interlayer distances between respective recording layers, if a layer jump is carried out from a first recording layer to a second recording layer, a distance from the first recording layer to the second recording layer is obtained and driving voltages set according to the distance are applied to an actuator for the layer jump to carry out the layer jump. At this time, interlayer distances for combinations of the respective recording layers and applied driving voltages thereto are stored in a memory in advance and when necessary, corresponding driving voltages are read out from the memory and are set for the layer jump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Takeshi Imai, Hiroshi Minoda
  • Patent number: 6643231
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reproducing data from an optical disc which has a plurality of recording layers reproducible from one side of the optical disc, and in which the disc is recorded in the OTP (Opposite Track Path) type. Upon receipt of a command of pausing, a pausing operation is performed by switching a moving direction of a focal point of an optical pickup in accordance with layer information of the recording layer to be currently reproduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Patent number: 6552970
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus for recording information and/or reproducing on an optical disc which has at least two recording layers including layer 0 and layer 1 reproducible from one side of the disc. The apparatus includes an optical pickup having a laser source, an objective lens, and an actuator. A controller is provided which obtains a present layer information of a sector recording layer from light reflected from the disc, confirms a target layer information of a target recording layer, judges whether the present layer information is the same as the target layer information, and outputs a first control signal to the actuator when it is judged that the present layer information is layer 0 and the target layer information is layer 1, and outputs a second control signal to a slider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20020181345
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reproducing data from an optical disc which has a plurality of recording layers reproducible from one side of the optical disc, and in which the disc is recorded in the OTP (Opposite Track Path) type. Upon receipt of a command of pausing, a pausing operation is performed by switching a moving direction of a focal point of an optical pickup in accordance with layer information of the recording layer to be currently reproduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Patent number: 6452889
    Abstract: A method for reproducing information on a dual layer disc which has two recording layers including layer 0 and layer 1 reproducible from one side of the [disk] disc, wherein each layer has a plurality of sectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20020110054
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus for recording information and/or reproducing on an optical disc which has at least two recording layers including layer 0 and layer 1 reproducible from one side of the disc. The apparatus includes an optical pickup having a laser source, an objective lens, and an actuator. A controller is provided which obtains a present layer information of a sector recording layer from light reflected from the disc, confirms a target layer information of a target recording layer, judges whether the present layer information is the same as the target layer information, and outputs a first control signal to the actuator when it is judged that the present layer information is layer 0 and the target layer information is layer 1, and outputs a second control signal to a slider.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20020009025
    Abstract: A method for reproducing information on a dual layer disc which has two recording layers including layer 0 and layer 1 reproducible from one side of the disk, wherein each layer has a plurality of sectors. The method includes the steps of emanating an optical beam from a laser source, concentrating the optical beam on a recording layer with an objective lens, moving the objective lens in the direction of the thickness of the disk so that a focal point of the objective lens is focused on one layer of the two recording layers, obtaining a present layer information of a sector of the recording layer being reproduced from the reflected light from the disk, confirming a target layer information of a target recording layer of a target information, and moving the objective lens in a direction of the thickness of the disk until the focal point of the objective lens is focused on layer 1 when the present layer information is layer 0 and the target layer information is layer 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Patent number: 6317403
    Abstract: There are provided a plurality of information recording surfaces to be reproduced on one side of an optical disc to be reproduced, and when accessing control of an optical pickup over a plurality of recording layers is performed, first, a beam focal point of the optical pickup is moved using a moving device to the recording layer on which target information is recorded to thereby perform switching processing of information recording layers during reproduction, after which accessing control of the optical pickup is performed using control processor similar to the access between the same recording layers, and with respect to the pausing operation, in a layer in which information is recorded from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, one track jumping is repeated toward the inner circumference, while in a layer in which information is recorded from the outer circumference to the inner circumference, one track jumping is repeated toward the outer circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Patent number: 6262957
    Abstract: An optical disk apparatus for reproducing or recording and reproducing two or more sorts of optical disks whose recording plane heights are different is arranged to reproduce or record data from or on the optical disk transparently to the user and without the users intricate operations. For this purpose, the optical disk apparatus provides a disk discriminating circuit for discriminating the disks whose recording plane heights are different. The disk discriminating circuit operates to discriminate the disk before reproducing or recording the disk mounted to the optical disk apparatus and switch the optical system and the circuit system to the suitable ones to the discriminated disk and then reproduce or record the data from or on the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, LTD
    Inventors: Shigeki Inoue, Hiroshi Minoda, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Akio Fukushima, Kazuhiko Ono
  • Patent number: 6108291
    Abstract: There are provided a plurality of information recording surfaces to be reproduced on one side of an optical disc to be reproduced, and when accessing control of an optical pickup over a plurality of recording layers is performed, first, a beam focal point of the optical pickup is moved using a moving device to the recording layer on which target information is recorded to thereby perform switching processing of information recording layers during reproduction, after which accessing control of the optical pickup is performed using control processing circuit similar to the access between the same recording layers, and with respect to the pausing operation, in a layer in which information is recorded from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, one track jumping is repeated toward the inner circumference, while in a layer in which information is recorded from the outer circumference to the inner circumference, one track jumping is repeated toward the outer circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Patent number: 6002655
    Abstract: There are provided a plurality of information recording surfaces to be reproduced on one side of an optical disc to be reproduced, and when accessing control of an optical pickup over a plurality of recording layers is performed, first, a beam focal point of the optical pickup is moved using a moving means to the recording layer on which target information is recorded to thereby perform switching processing of information recording layers during reproduction, after which accessing control of the optical pickup is performed using control processing means similar to the access between the same recording layers, and with respect to the pausing operation, in a layer in which information is recorded from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, one track jumping is repeated toward the inner circumference, while in a layer in which information is recorded from the outer circumference to the inner circumference, one track jumping is repeated toward the outer circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Ono, Eiji Ikeda, Hiroshi Minoda, Akio Fukushima, Hiroaki Shioyama, Shigeki Inoue
  • Patent number: 5805312
    Abstract: An image copying system is disclosed which has a thermal head energized at a strobe current supply time rate corresponding to a current head temperature according to a preset strobe current supply time rate control characteristics. In copying operation at a standard speed, a read sensor 211 reads an image by performing N main scans in one sub scan. A signal processor 221 validates the image signal thus read once every N scans according to a selection signal from a mode control circuit 401. A record circuit 311 having a thermal head performs one main scan every sub scan. During a copying operation at a speed N times the standard speed, the sub scan speed is made N times and the read sensor 211 reads the image by performing one main scan every sub scan and the signal processor 221 makes the read image signal always valid by the selection signal. The record device 311 performs one main scan every sub scan. A single A/D converter is used for A/D converting head temperature as well as other output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiro Ozawa, Yasuo Otsuka, Akihiko Asada, Toyota Honda, Mikio Shiraishi, Yasuyuki Kojima, Toshio Tanizoe, Hiroshi Minoda, Akira Shimizu