Patents by Inventor Kazunori Ito

Kazunori Ito 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: 7411887
    Abstract: A phase-change optical information recording medium in which information can be recorded, reproduced and rewritten and which includes a first transparent substrate having a wobbling guide groove which is spirally formed thereon at a pitch; a first dielectric layer located overlying the first transparent substrate and having an optical thickness of from 80 nm to 200 nm; a phase-change recording layer located overlying the first dielectric layer and having an optical thickness of from 20 to 50 nm when the recording layer is in an erased state; a second dielectric layer located overlying the recording layer and having an optical thickness of from 10 nm to 70 nm; a reflection layer located overlying the second dielectric layer; optionally a third dielectric layer located between the second dielectric layer and the reflection layer; and a second transparent substrate located overlying the reflection layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Ito, Hajime Yuzurihara, Nobuaki Onagi, Katsuyuki Yamada, Shinya Narumi
  • Patent number: 7384678
    Abstract: To provide an optical recording medium and the like that is adapted to higher density and higher speed recording of 8 times or more than that of DVD (about 28 m/sec or more) and that exhibits superior repeating and reservation properties. An optical recording medium is provided that comprises a substrate, and a recording layer, wherein at least one of recording, reproducing, erasing, and rewriting of information is carried out by means of reversible phase changes at marks on the recording layer, the reversible phase changes at marks are induced between crystalline and amorphous states by laser irradiation, the length of the respective marks is 0.4 ?m or less in the traveling direction of the laser irradiation, and the recording layer has a composition expressed by the formula: In?Sb?, wherein ? and ? are atomic percent of the respective elements; 0.73??/(?+?)?0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miura, Kazunori Ito, Makoto Harigaya, Eiko Hibino, Masaru Shinkai, Hiroko Ohkura
  • Patent number: 7366075
    Abstract: An optical recording medium has a phase-change recording layer containing Sb and Te as essential elements therefor, to which is added at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Cu, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, N, P, Bi, La, Ce, Gd, and Tb, the recording layer being capable of assuming an amorphous phase changed from a crystalline phase by the application of a laser beam thereto, thereby optically recording information. Recording marks are formed in the recording medium by converting a light emission wave of laser beam into a recording pulse train comprising a plurality of on-pulses and off-pulses, with a recording frequency being continuously changed corresponding to the location of each of the recording marks in the radial direction of said recording medium. A recording apparatus has laser beam driving circuit means, signal generation means, and signal transmission means for achieving the above recording method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Ito, Michiharu Abe, Makoto Harigaya, Takashi Shibaguchi, Eiko Suzuki, Nobuaki Onagi, Hiroko Tashiro, Yoshiyuki Kageyama
  • Patent number: 7364781
    Abstract: An optical recording medium including a recording layer which includes a reversible phase-change recording material, the recording layer being capable of writing information therein, reading written information therefrom, and rewriting written information by utilizing the reversible phase change of the phase-change recording material, wherein when a recording mark formed in the recording layer is repeatedly read 5000 times, using a continuous wave laser beam having such an intensity Pr that satisfies the condition of 1.1?R?2.0, in which R is ?repeat/?1 as defined in the specification, the optical recording medium satisfies a relationship of d1>dow as defined in the specification. The phase-change recording material, a method of producing the optical recording medium, and a method of writing information in the optical recording medium, reading written information therefrom and rewriting written information therein are proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Ito, Eiko Hibino, Makoto Harigaya, Takashi Shibaguchi, Hajime Yuzurihara, Nobuaki Onagi, Hiroko Ohkura, Katsuhiko Tani, Noriyuki Iwata
  • Patent number: 7362683
    Abstract: An optical recording method of recording information to a phase change optical recording medium with alternate application of peak power and bias power in a pulse manner and with changing a pulse application interval continuously from an inner part through an outer part of the recording medium with an interval proportional to a window width Tw and a fixed interval, comprising the step of starting a top peak power application interval with a delay from a data input pulse signal starting time for a target mark length nTw, where n denotes an integer in a range between 3 and 14, with changing the delay in proportion to the window width Tw with changing a proportionality factor discretely with respect each linear velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Yuzurihara, Mikiko Abe, Hiroshi Deguchi, Eiko Hibino, Hiroshi Miura, Kazunori Ito, Michiharu Abe
  • Publication number: 20080068948
    Abstract: A method of recording information using a laser on a multilayer optical disk having a plurality of recording layers is provided. The plurality of recording layers include a first recording layer and a second recording layer adjacent the first recording layer. The first recording layer is provided with a first test writing area to be used for calibration of write power, and the second recording layer is provided with a second test writing area to be used for calibration of write power. The disk is arranged so that a first region of the first test writing area is superposed with a second region of the second test writing area when considered in the direction in which the laser is arranged to irradiate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventors: Masaki Kato, Katsuyuki Yamada, Kazunori Ito, Michiaki Shinotsuka, Eiko Hibino, Masaru Shinkai, Hiroyoshi Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20080050673
    Abstract: An optical recording medium contains a recording layer being composed of a phase-change recording material where at least four elements, Ga, Sb, Sn and Ge are contained and the transfer linear velocity is 20 m/s to 30 m/s, and when the wavelength of a recording/reproducing light is within the range of 650 nm to 665 nm and the recording linear velocity is 20 m/s to 28 m/s, the refractive index Nc and the extinction coefficient Kc in a crystalline state and the refractive index Na and the extinction coefficient Ka in an amorphous state in the recording layer respectively satisfy the following numerical expressions: 2.0?Nc?3.0, 4.0?Kc?5.0, 4.0?Na?5.0, and 2.5?Ka?3.1, and information is recordable at the range of 20 m/s to 28 m/s of recording linear velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Sekiguchi, Kazunori Ito, Hiroshi Deguchi, Hiroko Ohkura, Masaki Kato, Mikiko Takada
  • Publication number: 20070276349
    Abstract: Disclosed is an absorbent assembly including a main absorbent part (21) composed of a highly absorbent polymer and absorbent fibers, a crepe paper sheet (22) wrapped around the main absorbent part, and a second sheet (25) arranged on a portion of the crepe paper sheet (22) wrapped around one of the major surfaces of the main absorbent part (21). The major surfaces of the main absorbent part (21) are hot-melt bonded to the crepe paper sheet (22). The weight ratio of the highly absorbent polymer to the total weight of the highly absorbent polymer and absorbent fibers of the main absorbent part (21) is set to 40 wt % or higher. The absorbent assembly is pressurized to reduce its thickness. The second sheet (25) contains polyethylene terephthalate, exhibiting high cushioning performance, as its component material. The liquid is diffused and the area over which the liquid is intruded into the main absorbent part is enlarged to prevent the absorptive power of the absorbent assembly from being lowered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Isao Mori, Akinori Fukae, Hiroyuki Hanao, Kazunori Ito
  • Publication number: 20070242586
    Abstract: An optical recording method of recording information to a phase change optical recording medium with alternate application of peak power and bias power in a pulse manner and with changing a pulse application. interval continuously from an inner part through an outer part of the recording medium with an interval proportional to a window width Tw and a fixed interval, comprising the step of starting a top peak power application interval with a delay from a data input pulse signal starting time for a target mark length nTw, where n denotes an integer in a range between 3 and 14, with changing the delay in proportion to the window width Tw with changing a proportionality factor discretely with respect each linear velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Inventors: Hajime Yuzurihara, Mikiko Abe, Hiroshi Deguchi, Eiko Hibino, Hiroshi Miura, Kazunori Ito, Michiharu Abe
  • Patent number: 7273534
    Abstract: In an optical disk substrate film-formation apparatus which prepared an optical disk by forming a thin film on a substrate, the optical disk substrate is held by a holder section. A contact support surface is provided to the holder section which closely contacts at least a portion of the surface of the optical disk substrate rear to the surface where the think film is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Ito, Katsunari Hanaoka, Hiroshi Deguchi, Nobuaki Onagi, Hiroko Tashiro, Kiyoto Shibata, Yasutomo Aman, Hiroshi Miura, Wataru Ohtani, Hajime Yuzurihara, Masaru Shinkai
  • Patent number: 7260044
    Abstract: The present invention provides a recording method for a phase-change optical recording medium. The recording method of the present invention contains the step of irradiating an electromagnetic wave having a multipulse pattern so as to perform recording on a phase-change optical recording medium containing a phase-change recording layer. This method is characterised in that a starting time of a front pulse of the multipulse pattern delays 0.5T to 1.25T from a starting point of the first reference clock relative to the recording mark, where T is a reference clock of the multipulse pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Yuzurihara, Hiroshi Deguchi, Eiko Hibino, Mikiko Abe, Hiroshi Miura, Kazunori Ito, Michiharu Abe
  • Patent number: 7260053
    Abstract: An optical recording medium which comprises a substrate and a recording layer disposed on the substrate, in which the recording layer comprises Ga and Sb, a content of the Sb is 80 atm % to 95 atm % relative to a total content of the Ga and the Sb in the recording layer, and recording and erasing are carried out by a reversible phase change between an amorphous phase and a crystalline phase in the recording layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Harigaya, Kazunori Ito, Hiroko Tashiro, Miku Mizutani, Michiaki Shinotsuka, Hiroyuki Iwasa, Masaru Shinkai
  • Publication number: 20070185680
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the provision of a user-friendly system that ensures freedom for incorporating the measuring system into other equipment, reduces a conversion error associated with signal conversion, reduces the cost of an A/D converter, and allows simultaneous processing of a plurality of data. A USB transducer according to the present invention comprises: an input section which receives a measurement signal from a measuring device; a controller which converts measurement data into digital data and further converts the digital data into data ready for processing by a computer; and an output section having a USB connection terminal for outputting the data generated by the controller to the computer by using a USB cable, and for receiving a control signal from the computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Shiro Kambe, Hiroshi Yoshimori, Hitoshi Mizuguchi, Kazunori Ito, Nobuya Kakizaki
  • Patent number: 7242657
    Abstract: A recording method forms recording marks according to a mark length modulation by irradiating a pulse-shaped light beam with respect to a crystallized phase change recording layer of a phase change type optical recording medium which comprises at least the phase change recording layer and a reflection layer on a substrate. The recording method irradiates a light beam formed by a single recording pulse when forming a recording mark having a size less than or equal to a predetermined size N, where the predetermined size N is set with reference to a reference size which is sum of a beam spot diameter of the light beam and a distance traveled by the light beam within a time amounting to a sum of rising and falling time constants of a light beam power, and irradiates a light beam formed by a plurality of recording pulses when forming a recording mark having a size greater than the predetermined size N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Ito, Makoto Harigaya, Masaru Shinkai, Hiroko Ohkura
  • Publication number: 20070081445
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an recording method for a multi-layered optical recording medium including M phase change recording layers, with M?2. The method comprises recording a mark in a Kth one of said recording layers by using a laser to irradiate the Kth recording layer using a recording pulse train including a plurality of laser beam pulses. The recording pulse train for the Kth recording layer has a cycle of t(K)[T], the 1st recording layer is the recording layer closest the laser beam, and the Mth recording layer is the recording layer furthest from the laser beam, T is a clock cycle. The the following relationship is satisfied: t(1)<t(M), and the cycle of recording pulse train does not decrease from one recording layer to the next recording layer in the direction in which the laser beam irradiates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Inventors: Eiko Hibino, Hiroshi Miura, Kazunori Ito, Makoto Harigaya, Hiroyoshi Sekiguchi, Michiaki Shinotsuka, Masaru Shinkai, Masaki Kato, Katsuyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 7199590
    Abstract: A laminated ceramic capacitor C has a plurality of internal electrodes embedded in a dielectric base substance in a stratified manner, the internal electrodes are caused to conduct to a pair of terminal electrodes provided on an outer surface of the dielectric base substance, and the terminal electrode has an outermost layer containing Sn as a main component. There is provided a step of setting the laminated ceramic capacitor in a temperature environment which is not less than 125° C. and not more than 180° C. and applying a direct-current voltage between the terminal electrodes in order to measure a direct-current insulation resistance. The step of applying the direct-current voltage includes a first step and a second step. A direct-current voltage V1 (V/?m) which falls within a range of 20 to 40 (V/?m) is applied at the first step, and a direct-current voltage V2 (V) with a rated voltage being taken into consideration is applied at the second step after termination of the first step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Ito, Yuusaku Horie, Kazuyuki Hasebe
  • Publication number: 20060269717
    Abstract: To provide an optical recording medium and the like that is adapted to higher density and higher speed recording of 8 times or more than that of DVD (about 28 m/sec or more) and that exhibits superior repeating and reservation properties. An optical recording medium is provided that comprises a substrate, and a recording layer, wherein at least one of recording, reproducing, erasing, and rewriting of information is carried out by means of reversible phase changes at marks on the recording layer, the reversible phase changes at marks are induced between crystalline and amorphous states by laser irradiation, the length of the respective marks is 0.4 ?m or less in the traveling direction of the laser irradiation, and the recording layer has a composition expressed by the formula: In?Sb?, wherein ? and ? are atomic percent of the respective elements; 0.73??/(?+?)?0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miura, Kazunori Ito, Makoto Harigaya, Eiko Hibino, Masaru Shinkai, Hiroko Ohkura
  • Publication number: 20060256706
    Abstract: An optical recording medium has a phase-change recording layer containing Sb and Te as essential elements therefor, to which is added at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Cu, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, N, P, Bi, La, Ce, Gd, and Tb, the recording layer being capable of assuming an amorphous phase changed from a crystalline phase by the application of a laser beam thereto, thereby optically recording information. Recording marks are formed in the recording medium by converting a light emission wave of laser beam into a recording pulse train comprising a plurality of on-pulses and off-pulses, with a recording frequency being continuously changed corresponding to the location of each of the recording marks in the radial direction of said recording medium. A recording apparatus has laser beam driving circuit means, signal generation means, and signal transmission means for achieving the above recording method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventors: Kazunori Ito, Michiharu Abe, Makoto Harigaya, Takashi Shibaguchi, Eiko Suzuki, Nobuaki Onagi, Hiroko Tashiro, Yoshiyuki Kageyama
  • Publication number: 20060246270
    Abstract: An optical recording medium including: a substrate having translucency; a first protective layer thereon; a recording layer composed of a phase-change material; a second protective layer; and a reflective layer, wherein laser beam irradiation causes phase-change of the recording layer between a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase thereby at least one of to rewrite and to record information, wherein the phase-change material comprises Ga, Sb and Sn, Ga content, Sb content, and Sn content satisfy the following formula, and the total content of Ga, Sb and Sn is at least 80 atomic % of the entire phase-change material: Ga?Sb?Sn? (where, ?+?+?=100 atomic %), where 20??2.75?+0.708?+1.18??7.56?43, and ?/(?+?)?0.12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Inventors: Mikiko Takada, Kazunori Ito, Hiroshi Deguchi, Masaki Kato, Hiroko Ohkura, Hiroyoshi Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20060233998
    Abstract: To provide an optical recording medium which can maintain excellent recording characteristics and storage reliability even at high recording speeds of 3× to 10× on DVD, particularly at 8× or faster, and whose recording material can be readily initialized to provide a uniform reflectivity distribution. The optical recording medium includes a substrate, first protective layer, recording layer, second protective layer and reflective layer, the first protective layer, recording layer, second protective layer and reflective layer being disposed on the substrate in this order or in reverse order, wherein the recording layer comprises a composition expressed by the Formula (X1)?Sb?(X2)? where X1 represents at least one element selected from Ga, Ge and In; X2 represents at least one element selected from Au, Ag and Cu; and ?, ? and ? represent atomic % of their respective elements (where 2???20, 55???95, 0<??10, and (?+?+?)=100).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Mikiko Takada, Kazunori Ito, Hiroshi Deguchi, Hiroko Ohkura, Masaki Kato