Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Minemura

Hiroyuki Minemura 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).

  • Publication number: 20120002527
    Abstract: An optical disc device and an adjusting method for a recording condition for use with the optical disc device that records data into an optical disc medium by using codes whose shortest run length is 2T and reproduces the recorded data by using an adaptive equalizing procedure and a PRML procedure, wherein the recording condition is so adjusted that a reproduced signal with desired quality can be obtained, by using, as the adaptive equalizing procedure, a procedure in which a tap coefficient Cn is set to a value obtained by averaging values of a tap coefficient an renewed by a LMS method, located symmetrically with each other along the time axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MINEMURA, Takahiro KUROKAWA
  • Patent number: 8089841
    Abstract: Regarding a signal recorded with a first frequency in a recording area on a specific first recording layer and a signal recorded with a second frequency different from the first frequency in a recording area on a second recording layer which might cause interlayer crosstalk in relation to the first recording layer, a reproducing signal measurement method for a multilayer optical recording medium having at least three recording layers includes reproducing the signal recorded in the recording area on the first recording layer, separating signals recorded respectively with the first and second frequencies, discriminating signal amplitude of the first frequency and a maximum value in signal amplitude of the second frequency, and calculating a signal amplitude ratio between them to measure interlayer crosstalk contained in the signal reproduced from the recording area on the first recording layer. Thus, the interlayer crosstalk quantity caused by unnecessary light can be measured quantitatively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akemi Hirotsune, Junko Ushiyama, Hiroyuki Minemura, Takahiro Kurokawa, Harukazu Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 8085638
    Abstract: A test-write method for accurately and quickly determining recording conditions, and an apparatus suitable therefor. In a 2T-based strategy, recording pulse conditions are determined by separately test-writing an even-number length mark and an odd-number length mark, and then the relative positions of the even-number length mark and the odd-number length mark at the recording pulse start time are adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junko Ushiyama, Toshimichi Shintani, Hiroyuki Minemura
  • Patent number: 8085640
    Abstract: A method for evaluating reproduced signal wherein when Euclidean distance is calculated by judging the coincidence between a binary bit array and a predetermined evaluation bit array in the evaluation of the quality of reproduced signal, the assumption is made that a continuous 2T count included in a predetermined evaluation bit array is denoted by i and that each evaluation bit array is composed of a main bit array having a bit length of (5+2i); and judgment on whether binary bit arrays include the predetermined evaluation bit array, is concentrated on the coincidence judgment of the main bit arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Minemura, Takahiro Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 8085641
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a reproduced signal evaluation method and a write adjustment method for offering a Blu-ray disc having a large storage capacity with excellent media compatibility. An evaluation index L-SEAT is calculated through signed addition using a Euclidean distance difference calculated from at least one of target signals in which a focused edge is shifted to the right and left, and the quality of the reproduced signal is evaluated based on the evaluation index. Write condition adjustment using the index enables write adjustment not depending on SNR and achieving high adjustment accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignees: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation, Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Minemura, Takahiro Kurokawa, Junya Shiraishi, Shoei Kobayashi, Harumitsu Miyashita, Yasumori Hino
  • Patent number: 8040777
    Abstract: An information recording method using a recording medium includes forming a plurality of recording pulses in accordance with both a reference waveform having been stored in the recording medium and data regarding a shifting value relying on material of the recording medium also having been stored in the recording medium in a table manner, and recording information included in the plurality of recording pulses to the recording medium. The recording information is arranged to be stored according to the material of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Maeda, Hirofumi Sukeda, Hiroyuki Minemura, Hidehiko Kando, Makoto Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20110235408
    Abstract: For decreasing a recording current and suppressing a cross erase simultaneously, a three-dimensional phase-change memory for attaining higher sensitivity and higher reliability by the provision of a chalcogenide type interface layer is provided, in which an electric resistivity, a thermal conductivity, and a melting point of the material of the interface layer are selected appropriately, thereby improving the current concentration to the phase-change material and thermal and material insulation property with Si channel upon writing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MINEMURA, Yumiko Anzai, Takahiro Morikawa, Toshimichi Shintani, Yoshitaka Sasago
  • Patent number: 7990817
    Abstract: A super-resolution material is formed in only a data pit, in a low temperature state of the super-resolution material, reflectivity of each of a pit portion and a space portion and an optical phase difference therebetween are set to be sufficiently small, in a high temperature state, and at least the optical phase difference between the pit and the space is set to be larger than the aforementioned value in an absolute value. Accordingly, by conducting irradiation with an appropriate read power by which substantially only one data track width can be heated to a high temperature state, a good push-pull signal can be obtained even with a track pitch being less than a diffraction limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Minemura, Toshimichi Shintani, Yumiko Anzai, Soichiro Eto
  • Patent number: 7957240
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a test writing method for seeking the optimum write power correctly and in a short time under a high speed recording condition in a test writing method and an information recording device for recording information by forming different marks from the unrecorded part by injecting energy onto the recording medium. To achieve the above object, even number length marks and odd number length marks are separately test written in the 2T strategy to seek the respective optimum write power. Due to the possibility of enhancing the precision of test writing, a good recording ability can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junko Ushiyama, Hiroyuki Minemura
  • Patent number: 7944791
    Abstract: An information reproducing method using PRML technology which provides asymmetry compensation and also assures media interchangeability. To compensate for asymmetry, target levels are basically adapted to readout signals and either restriction type (1) (time reversal and level reversal symmetry) or restriction type (2) (time reversal symmetry) is imposed between target levels. As a consequence, asymmetry compensation is made regardless of a readout signal distortion such as mark shift which might deteriorate media interchangeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Minemura, Masaki Mukoh
  • Patent number: 7945002
    Abstract: An information read device enabling obtaining of a data pattern recorded on an information recording medium as a readout signal, includes an analog to digital converter for converting the readout signal to a digital signal for a predetermined clock, a phase locked loop circuit that supplies the clock used in the analog to digital converter, a first FIR filter for equalizing the digital-converted digital signal under a first equalization condition, a Viterbi decoder to decode outputs of the FIR filter into binary data, wherein the phase locked loop circuit enables detection of a cycle slip of the phase locked loop circuit, and a detector which detects the cycle slip of the phase locked loop circuit. The FIR filter returns tap coefficients of the FIR filter, and the Vitabi decoder returns a target level of a decode operation to an initial value when an out-breaking of the cycle slip occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kikugawa, Hiroyuki Minemura
  • Patent number: 7933179
    Abstract: In a super-resolution optical disk for the purpose of achieving an increase in the density of recording data by reproducing a recording mark smaller than optical resolution, the optimum reproduction power needs to be determined since the quality of a super-resolution reproduced signal strongly depends on the reproduction laser power. However, since the track error signal required for tracking servo also depends on the reproduction power, there is a need for a method for determining the reproduction power taking into account both the stabilization of tracking servo and a quality improvement of the reproduction signal. The reproduction power is changed under conditions with focusing servo applied but without application of tracking servo. Thereby, a cross track signal is detected to identify a reproduction power region that leads to quality improvement of both a reproduction signal and a track error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimichi Shintani, Hiroyuki Minemura, Soichiro Eto
  • Publication number: 20110085238
    Abstract: The present invention provides a small and inexpensive optical element that integrates a reflecting mirror and a wave plate function. A reflecting wave plate is configured by arranging a periodic metal comb-like structure whose pitch is equal to or below a wavelength and a mirror structure with a distance equal to or below a coherence length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MINEMURA, Yumiko ANZAI, Hideharu MIKAMI
  • Publication number: 20110039328
    Abstract: The present invention can solve such a problem that a conventional tissue piece treating apparatus has difficulty of reduction in size and restriction on installation and stopping subsequent treatment operations when the amount of chemical supplied to a processing chamber is insufficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Minemura
  • Patent number: 7889607
    Abstract: This invention involves irradiating an optical disk with laser light, pulse-driven by a high-frequency signal from an HF oscillator, and converting the output of a photo-detector that receives laser light reflected from the optical disk into an electronic pulse readout signal using a current amplifier. The pulse readout signal is converted into a temporally continuous readout signal by a peak hold circuit. The invention solves the problems of SNR deterioration of the readout signal and the difficulty of removing the impact of high-frequency modulation accompanying the increase in the readout speed factor in optical disk devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kikugawa, Hiroyuki Minemura
  • Publication number: 20110026383
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a reproduced signal evaluation method and a write adjustment method for offering a Blu-ray disc having a large storage capacity with excellent media compatibility. An evaluation index L-SEAT is calculated through signed addition using a Euclidean distance difference calculated from at least one of target signals in which a focused edge is shifted to the right and left, and the quality of the reproduced signal is evaluated based on the evaluation index. Write condition adjustment using the index enables write adjustment not depending on SNR and achieving high adjustment accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MINEMURA, Takahiro Kurokawa, Junya Shiraishi, Shoei Kobayashi, Harumitsu Miyashita, Yasumori Hino
  • Patent number: 7852729
    Abstract: An optical disc apparatus implementing a PRML and capable of recording and reading a plurality of disc media with different recording densities, wherein read compatibility between drives is ensured without relying solely on the error correction capability of the ECC (error correction code). A phase comparator provided in a PLL compares each value of an input signal sequence with a designated threshold value in order to determine an edge. The optical disc apparatus can record and read a plurality of disc media with different recording densities while ensuring read compatibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Minemura, Atsushi Kikugawa
  • Patent number: 7852722
    Abstract: Provided is an optical disk apparatus which has high read retry ability and high compatibility by performing a proper verify for other apparatuses. The optical disk apparatus includes a playback system capable of arbitrarily changing playback performance, and means which detects and determines a factor causing a read error. Moreover, a read retry is performed by use of playback parameters corresponding to the factor causing the read error. Furthermore, a verify is performed with the playback performance of the playback system lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kikugawa, Hiroyuki Minemura
  • Publication number: 20100290328
    Abstract: By referring to a table of reproducing conditions and medium specific parameters, stored in an optical disc or optical disc apparatus and/or generated by the optical disc apparatus, the medium specific parameters to be used for performing reproducing power adjustment are changed in accordance with the reproducing condition to execute reproducing power adjustment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Soichiro ETO, Toshimichi Shintani, Hiroyuki Minemura
  • Patent number: RE43018
    Abstract: A tracking offset is reduced. The effect of an SPP signal fluctuation is reduced by using a variable mixing ratio DPP method, and a residual tracking offset is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Mariko Umeda, Hiroyuki Minemura, Motoyuki Suzuki