Patents by Inventor Kenya Yokoi

Kenya Yokoi 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: 7924676
    Abstract: A multi-layered information recording medium used in an information recording/reproducing apparatus applicable to both a single-layer information recording medium and an arbitrary multi-layered information recording medium is provided. The multi-layered information recording medium has a plurality of recording layers, and each of the recording layers has a guiding groove formed at a track pitch defined as a quadratic function of disk thickness (i.e., the distance from the light incident surface) of the associated recording layer. The guiding grooves of the recording layers are formed such that the track pitch of a reference recording layer having a disk thickness closest to that of the single-layer information recording medium is the smallest amongst the multiple recording layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ogata, Kenya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7885155
    Abstract: A data readout method is disclosed that is able to read data from an optical disk capable of super resolution readout with high accuracy. The data readout method allows reading data recorded in an optical disk by irradiating a laser beam onto the optical disk. The method includes the steps of varying a light emission power level of the laser beam while the laser beam is irradiated onto the optical disk, and acquiring a reflectivity of the optical disk corresponding to each light emission power level; calculating a second derivative of a curve representing correlation between the reflectivity and the light emission power with respect to the light emission power; calculating an extreme value of the second derivative; and calculating an optimum readout power level for super resolution readout based on the extreme value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenya Yokoi, Ryosuke Kasahara
  • Patent number: 7848201
    Abstract: In an information recording method and apparatus, when performing recording by using multiple pulses defined by erase powers Pe1 and Pe2 for forming a space part between mark parts, the set values of the erase powers Pe1 and Pe2 are updated at predetermined intervals in accordance with a recording linear velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7751294
    Abstract: An information recording method includes the steps of recording test data with changing a top pulse width Ton and monitoring reflected light intensity; determining an optimum top pulse width from the monitoring result; determining respective optimum off pulse widths according to multilevel data from a monitoring result of the determined optimum top pulse width; recording test data with changing recording power in sequence with the use of the optimum top pulse width and the optimum off pulse width determined, monitoring reflected light intensity, and thus determining optimum recording power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohji Takeuchi, Kenya Yokoi, Yukiko Katoh
  • Patent number: 7512050
    Abstract: A first trial write process obtains an optimum recording power of a test pattern even with respect to data having different rules for the recording waveforms corresponding n type data length sets, and a second trial write process using this optimum recording power obtains optimum pulse width or optimum pulse edge position separately for each data length set. Based on the optimum recording power and optimum recording waveform obtained by these trial write processes, recording operation is performed so as to form all the data lengths with satisfactory accuracy, thereby making it possible to obtain a proper reproduced signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenya Yokoi, Naruhiro Masui
  • Publication number: 20080253253
    Abstract: In an information recording method and apparatus, when performing recording by using multiple pulses defined by erase powers Pe1 and Pe2 for forming a space part between mark parts, the set values of the erase powers Pe1 and Pe2 are updated at predetermined intervals in accordance with a recording linear velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7426166
    Abstract: In an information recording method and apparatus, when performing recording by using multiple pulses defined by erase powers Pe1 and Pe2 for forming a space part between mark parts, the set values of the erase powers Pe1 and Pe2 are updated at predetermined intervals in accordance with a recording linear velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7420901
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical information recording method of an optical information recording and reproduction device that uses a semiconductor laser to record or reproduce data in an optical disk. Based on a detected value of an optical path difference of the optical disk, a calculated value of optimum recording power for recording data or an object value of recording power when data are being recorded is corrected. In addition, when calculating the optimum recording power before recording data in the optical disk, an optimum index (?) indicating the optimum recording power is corrected with respect to a predetermined first index, and the corrected optimum index is used as the calculated value of the optimum recording power Pwo. The predetermined first index is obtained by reproducing a trial write region which is recorded with recording power being varied stepwise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7388821
    Abstract: An information recording device comprising at least a recording pulse generating means and a recording pulse selecting means capable of generating various multi-pulses each of which is a combination of a leading heating pulse and a succeeding heating pulse, and rectangular pulses each of which is a single pulse, as a recording pulse, is disclosed. The recording pulse selecting means switches and selects among the multi-pulses and the rectangular pulses according to a recording condition, and then causes a light emission of a laser light source through a light source driving means. Even though in a high recording linear velocity recording condition that is insufficient in power for the recommended multi-pulse recording, a very low recording power can still be used by switching to the rectangular pulse recording, so as to achieve a recording with a much higher recording speed. In addition, good recording marks can be formed without exceeding a maximum allowable recording power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi
  • Publication number: 20080025190
    Abstract: A data readout method is disclosed that is able to read data from an optical disk capable of super resolution readout with high accuracy. The data readout method allows reading data recorded in an optical disk by irradiating a laser beam onto the optical disk. The method includes the steps of varying a light emission power level of the laser beam while the laser beam is irradiated onto the optical disk, and acquiring a reflectivity of the optical disk corresponding to each light emission power level; calculating a second derivative of a curve representing correlation between the reflectivity and the light emission power with respect to the light emission power; calculating an extreme value of the second derivative; and calculating an optimum readout power level for super resolution readout based on the extreme value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Inventors: Kenya Yokoi, Ryosuke Kasahara
  • Patent number: 7313075
    Abstract: An optical information recording method and apparatus which records information on a recording medium by irradiating the recording medium with an irradiation light of a recording power to form a recorded-mark on the recording medium such that reflection coefficient from an area of the recorded-mark is different than a reflection coefficient from an area of the recording medium where the recorded-mark is not formed by a changing power of the irradiation light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naruhiro Masui, Kenya Yokoi
  • Publication number: 20070230308
    Abstract: A multi-layered information recording medium used in an information recording/reproducing apparatus applicable to both a single-layer information recording medium and an arbitrary multi-layered information recording medium is provided. The multi-layered information recording medium has a plurality of recording layers, and each of the recording layers has a guiding groove formed at a track pitch defined as a quadratic function of disk thickness (i.e., the distance from the light incident surface) of the associated recording layer. The guiding grooves of the recording layers are formed such that the track pitch of a reference recording layer having a disk thickness closest to that of the single-layer information recording medium is the smallest amongst the multiple recording layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ogata, Kenya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7239602
    Abstract: An optical information recording medium and a method of mastering an optical information recording medium. Cross-talk is avoided even when phase pits flanking a groove are radially aligned so that preformat information can be reliably reproduced after information is recorded at the grooves. A phase pit that encodes preformat information for a groove is radially spaced from that groove by a partition wall but is connected to an adjacent groove. When mastering, respective first and second exposing light beams are used to form the grooves and the phase pits, and the spacing between the two beams and, therefore, the width of the partition walls in the radial direction is precisely and easily controlled by controlling the inclination angle of at least one of the beams relative to an objective lens in the mastering exposure system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Shimizu, Kenya Yokoi
  • Publication number: 20060262694
    Abstract: An information recording method includes the steps of recording test data with changing a top pulse width Ton and monitoring reflected light intensity; determining an optimum top pulse width from the monitoring result; determining respective optimum off pulse widths according to multilevel data from a monitoring result of the determined optimum top pulse width; recording test data with changing recording power in sequence with the use of the optimum top pulse width and the optimum off pulse width determined, monitoring reflected light intensity, and thus determining optimum recording power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventors: Kohji Takeuchi, Kenya Yokoi, Yukiko Katoh
  • Publication number: 20060245336
    Abstract: [Problem to be Solved]Accurate recording is achieved by obtaining each optimum pulse width and pulse edge position in a recording method that performs recording according to the rules of recording waveform using different pulse widths and pulse edge positions for individual data length sets with respect to the data length sets having the different relationship between the number of pulses and the data length. [Means for Solving the Problem] The first trial write process obtains an optimum recording power of a test pattern (S1 through S3) even with respect to data having different rules for the recording waveforms corresponding n type data length sets, and the second trial write process using this optimum recording power obtains optimum pulse width or optimum pulse edge position separately for each data length set (S4 through S6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Inventors: Kenya Yokoi, Naruhiro Masui
  • Publication number: 20060146670
    Abstract: An information recording device comprising at least a recording pulse generating means and a recording pulse selecting means capable of generating various multi-pulses each of which is a combination of a leading heating pulse and a succeeding heating pulse, and rectangular pulses each of which is a single pulse, as a recording pulse, is disclosed. The recording pulse selecting means switches and selects among the multi-pulses and the rectangular pulses according to a recording condition, and then causes a light emission of a laser light source through a light source driving means. Even though in a high recording linear velocity recording condition that is insufficient in power for the recommended multi-pulse recording, a very low recording power can still be used by switching to the rectangular pulse recording, so as to achieve a recording with a much higher recording speed. In addition, good recording marks can be formed without exceeding a maximum allowable recording power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7019273
    Abstract: A disk apparatus performs optical recording onto an optical disk with a record mark by using a light beam modulated in a manner of multi-pulse series, includes. A detection pulse generating part generates a detection pulse to replace the multi-pulse series; and a detection power control part controls the power of the detection pulse to be smaller than the power of the multi-pulse series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7006419
    Abstract: An information recording device comprising at least a recording pulse generating means and a recording pulse selecting means capable of generating various multi-pulses each of which is a combination of a leading heating pulse and a succeeding heating pulse, and rectangular pulses each of which is a single pulse, as a recording pulse, is disclosed. The recording pulse selecting means switches and selects among the multi-pulses and the rectangular pulses according to a recording condition, and then causes a light emission of a laser light source through a light source driving means. Even though in a high recording linear velocity recording condition that is insufficient in power for the recommended multi-pulse recording, a very low recording power can still be used by switching to the rectangular pulse recording, so as to achieve a recording with a much higher recording speed. In addition, good recording marks can be formed without exceeding a maximum allowable recording power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi
  • Publication number: 20060028975
    Abstract: New and unobvious techniques for manufacturing optical information recording media (such as a phase-change type optical disc), including techniques for producing a master and stampers for producing the optical information recording media, are provided. Exposure light beams are controlled to form information recording tracking tracks and phase pits reliably and precisely.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Akihiko Shimizu, Kenya Yokoi
  • Publication number: 20060013090
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical information recording method of an optical information recording and reproduction device that uses a semiconductor laser to record or reproduce data in an optical disk. Based on a detected value of an optical path difference of the optical disk, a calculated value of optimum recording power for recording data or an object value of recording power when data are being recorded is corrected. In addition, when calculating the optimum recording power before recording data in the optical disk, an optimum index (?) indicating the optimum recording power is corrected with respect to a predetermined first index, and the corrected optimum index is used as the calculated value of the optimum recording power Pwo. The predetermined first index is obtained by reproducing a trial write region which is recorded with recording power being varied stepwise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenya Yokoi