Patents by Inventor Kunihiko Horikawa

Kunihiko Horikawa 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: 20070109938
    Abstract: The information recording apparatus irradiates a laser beam on a recording medium such as an optical disk and forms a recording mark corresponding to a recording signal to record information. A recording pulse signal includes a mark period irradiating the laser beam for forming the recording mark and a space period in which the recording mark is not formed. The mark period has a top pulse period and an intermediate bias period following the top pulse period. The mark period constituted by the top pulse period and the intermediate bias period does not have a continuous part of a plurality of pulses having a small pulse width unlike a pulse train, so that the correct recording mark can be stably formed on the recording medium without an inadequate deformation of a recording pulse shape, even in the case of a high speed recording.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Shirota, Kunihiko Horikawa, Eiji Muramatsu, Shoji Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20070109934
    Abstract: An information recording apparatus (300) is provided with: a recording device (352) for irradiating an information recording medium (100) with laser light and for recording information onto the information recording medium; an obtaining device (354) for obtaining at least one of (i) a special OPC strategy for defining a waveform of the laser light used to calculate an optimum laser power of the laser light for recording the information at a second recording speed different from a first recording speed, at the first recording speed, and (ii) a recording strategy for defining a waveform of the laser light used to record the information at the second recording speed; a power calculating device (354) for calculating the optimum laser power by using the special OPC strategy at the first recording speed; and a controlling device (354) for controlling said recording device to record the information at the second recording speed, by using the calculated optimum laser power and the recording strategy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiko Horikawa, Hiroyuki Uchino, Shoji Taniguchi, Akira Shirota, Yoshio Sasaki, Eiji Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20070104058
    Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is provided with: a recording area (106) to record therein record information by irradiating laser light thereto; and a recording control area (103) to record therein control information for controlling a laser power in accordance with a recording position in the recording area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Kunihiko Horikawa, Kazuo Kuroda, Toshio Suzuki, Shoji Taniguchi, Eiji Muramatsu, Masahiro Kato
  • Publication number: 20070086292
    Abstract: A disc-shaped information recording medium includes a first recording layer (L0 layer) having (I) a first trial write area (101P-1) for trial write of first trial write information for calibration of the laser beam along the first track path (TP1) from the inner circumference toward the outer circumference and (II) a first recording area for recording the first recording information along a first track path (TP1), in this order from the inner circumference side. Furthermore, the disc-shaped information recording medium includes a second recording layer (L1 layer) having (I) a second trial write area (101P-2) for trial write of second trial write information for calibration of the laser beam along the second track path (TP2) from the outer circumference toward the inner circumference and (II) a second recording area for recording the second recording information along a second track path (TP2), in this order from the inner circumference side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventors: Eiji Muramatsu, Shoji Taniguchi, Kunihiko Horikawa, Masahiro Kato, Toshio Suzuki, Kazuo Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20070064560
    Abstract: An information recording device comprising a recording unit that records recording information by applying a laser beam to an information recording medium having a first recording layer for recording recording information by being irradiated with a laser beam and a second recording layer for recording recording information by irradiating with a laser beam via the first recording layer, a calculating unit that calculates an optimum laser beam power when, by using the recording means, trial-recording trial information is recorded by irradiating the second recording layer with a laser beam via a recording-information-unrecorded recording area in the first recording layer and recording information is recorded by irradiating the second recording layer with a laser beam via a recording-information-recorded recording area in the first recording layer, and a control unit that controls the recording unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Eiji Muramatsu, Kazuo Kuroda, Shoji Taniguchi, Masahiro Kato, Kunihiko Horikawa
  • Publication number: 20070041308
    Abstract: A disc-shaped information recording medium includes a first recording layer (L0 layer) having (I) a first trial write area (101P-1) for trial write of first trial write information for calibration of the laser beam along the first track path (TP1) from the inner circumference toward the outer circumference and (II) a first recording area for recording the first recording information along a first track path (TP1), in this order from the inner circumference side. Furthermore, the disc-shaped information recording medium includes a second recording layer (L1 layer) having (I) a second trial write area (101P-2) for trial write of second trial write information for calibration of the laser beam along the second track path (TP2) from the outer circumference toward the inner circumference and (II) a second recording area for recording the second recording information along a second track path (TP2), in this order from the inner circumference side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Inventors: Eiji Muramatsu, Shoji Taniguchi, Kunihiko Horikawa, Masahiro Kato, Toshio Suzuki, Kazuo Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20070030773
    Abstract: An information recording apparatus is provided with: a recording device for recording information onto an information recording medium; a detrack detecting device for detecting occurrence of detrack during the recording of the information; and a controlling device for controlling said recording device to return to a location where the detrack has occurred and restart the recording if the occurrence of the detrack is detected
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Applicant: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Kuroda, Eiji Muramatsu, Masahiro Kato, Kunihiko Horikawa, Shoji Taniguchi, Toshio Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7161888
    Abstract: Based on a recording signal, a recording pulse signal, which includes a top pulse located at a front end portion and having a first magnitude, a last pulse located at a back end portion and having the first magnitude, and an intermediate bias portion located between the top pulse and the last pulse and having a second magnitude, is generated. Based on the recording pulse signal, a light source is controlled, and a laser pulse is irradiated on a recording medium. Recording marks corresponding to the recording signal are formed on the recording medium. In generating the recording pulse signal, when the recording medium is rotationally driven, a position of the top pulse is shifted ahead of a position of the top pulse when the recording medium is rotationally driven at the first rotation speed, when the recording medium is rotationally driven at the second control speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Horikawa, Shoji Taniguchi, Eiji Muramatsu, Akira Shirota
  • Patent number: 7139230
    Abstract: The information recording apparatus irradiates a laser beam on a recording medium such as an optical disk and forms a recording mark corresponding to a recording signal to record information. A recording pulse signal includes a mark period irradiating the laser beam for forming the recording mark and a space period in which the recording mark is not formed. The mark period has a top pulse period and an intermediate bias period following the top pulse period. The mark period constituted by the top pulse period and the intermediate bias period does not have a continuous part of a plurality of pulses having a small pulse width unlike a pulse train, so that the correct recording mark can be stably formed on the recording medium without an inadequate deformation of a recording pulse shape, even in the case of a high speed recording.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Shirota, Kunihiko Horikawa, Eiji Muramatsu, Shoji Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20060120232
    Abstract: A tracking servo control device for making a tracking servo control to apply a light beam onto a groove track on a recording medium where the groove track and a pre-pit are preformed, is provided with: a first generation device which generates a first regenerative signal based on a reflected light from the recording medium when at least a part of the pre-pit is formed within a radiation range of the light beam onto the groove track; a second generation device which generates a second regenerative signal based on a reflected light from the recording medium when the pre-pit is formed outside the radiation range of the light beam; and a calculation device which calculates an offset value in the tracking servo control based on the first regenerative signal and the second regenerative signal that are generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2003
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Naoharu Yanagawa, Tatsuhiro Yone, Masahiro Kato, Akira Shirota, Kunihiko Horikawa, Eiji Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20060098547
    Abstract: Based on a recording signal, a recording pulse signal, which includes a top pulse located at a front end portion and having a first magnitude, a last pulse located at a back end portion and having the first magnitude, and an intermediate bias portion located between the top pulse and the last pulse and having a second magnitude, is generated. Based on the recording pulse signal, a light source is controlled, and a laser pulse is irradiated on a recording medium. Recording marks corresponding to the recording signal are formed on the recording medium. In generating the recording pulse signal, when the recording medium is rotationally driven, a position of the top pulse is shifted ahead of a position of the top pulse when the recording medium is rotationally driven at the first rotation speed, when the recording medium is rotationally driven at the second control speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Publication date: May 11, 2006
    Inventors: Kunihiko Horikawa, Shoji Taniguchi, Eiji Muramatsu, Akira Shirota
  • Publication number: 20060007832
    Abstract: When a bias power level of a recording pulse waveform is varied entirely or partially, a shape of the recording pulse wave form is varied according to the variation. For example, when the bias power level is increased, a width or an edge position of a top pulse or a multi-pulse of the recording pulse waveform is varied correspondingly. Thereby, a total heat quantity of a recording laser light is not increased, and a preferable recording characteristic is maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Inventors: Kunihiko Horikawa, Akira Shirota, Masahiro Kato, Eiji Muramatsu, Shoji Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20060002250
    Abstract: An information recording apparatus is provided with: an optical head which can optically write information onto an information recording medium; a focusing device for performing such focusing that a focus position of the optical head is set onto a recording reference plane of the information recording medium; and a controlling device for controlling the focusing device to shift the focus position from the recording reference plane by an offset value in order to correct an influence of aberration and controlling the optical head to perform writing in such a condition that the focus position is shifted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Applicant: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Shirota, Masahiro Kato, Kunihiko Horikawa
  • Publication number: 20050276212
    Abstract: An information record medium is provided with: a first record layer (107) for recording first information, and one or more second record layers (207) disposed on said first record layer, each second layer being for recording second information, each layer of said second layers has a predetermined area (PCA1-1) where a power calibration is performed to detect an optimum recording power of recording laser beam transmitted through the first record layer and another layer of the second layers, said another layer positioned closer to said first record layer than said each layer, and in opposite areas (TA) of said another layer and said first record layer, said opposite areas being opposite to said predetermined area of said each layer of said second layers, a first absolute amount of at least one of width and depth of a groove is increased and thereby light transmittance in said opposite areas is approached to (i) light transmittance under an assumption that the first absolute amount is not increased and said anot
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Kato, Eiji Muramatsu, Kunihiko Horikawa, Shoji Taniguchi, Kazuo Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20050195710
    Abstract: A write-once-type information recording medium is provided with: a user data area to record therein record data; a spare area to alter thereto one portion of addresses of said user data area, along with defect management in said user data area or logical overwriting to said user data area; and a defect management area to record therein defect management information which includes an alternative list and identification information, the alternative list indicating a correspondence relationship between an alternative source address in said user data area which is altered to said spare area and an alternative destination address in said spare area, the identification information being intended to identify whether each alternative is based on the defect management or the logical overwriting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Takeshi Koda, Kazuo Kuroda, Keiji Katata, Masayoshi Yoshida, Toshio Suzuki, Shoji Taniguchi, Eiji Muramatsu, Kunihiko Horikawa
  • Patent number: 6687213
    Abstract: An optical recording medium which can produce a read signal free from waveform distortion during reproduction of information. The optical recording medium comprises groove information tracks on which information pits carrying information data is to be formed, and prepit tracks provided with a plurality of previously formed land prepits connected to the groove information tracks. The groove information tracks and the prepit tracks are arranged in alternation. The groove information track has a track width smaller in at least a part of each of sections in which the land prepit exists than in sections in which no land prepit exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Takishita, Masahiro Kato, Eiji Muramatsu, Kunihiko Horikawa, Shoji Taniguchi, Atsushi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6599607
    Abstract: An optical recording medium is designed to generate a read signal free from waveform distortion during reproduction of information. The optical recording medium is formed with information tracks on which data pits carrying information data is to be formed, and prepit tracks previously formed with a plurality of prepits. Each of the information tracks and each of the prepit tracks are positioned adjacent to each other, and each of the prepits is formed to be spaced apart from adjacent information tracks in at least its bottom part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Takishita, Masahiro Kato, Eiji Muramatsu, Kunihiko Horikawa, Shoji Taniguchi, Atsushi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20030067857
    Abstract: The information recording apparatus irradiates a laser beam on a recording medium such as an optical disk and forms a recording mark corresponding to a recording signal to record information. A recording pulse signal includes a mark period irradiating the laser beam for forming the recording mark and a space period in which the recording mark is not formed. The mark period has a top pulse period and an intermediate bias period following the top pulse period. The mark period constituted by the top pulse period and the intermediate bias period does not have a continuous part of a plurality of pulses having a small pulse width unlike a pulse train, so that the correct recording mark can be stably formed on the recording medium without an inadequate deformation of a recording pulse shape, even in the case of a high speed recording.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: Akira Shirota, Kunihiko Horikawa, Eiji Muramatsu, Shoji Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 6480448
    Abstract: In a disc player, a CAL pattern is recorded in a disc-like optical recording medium during a recording stand-by time period, which is yielded by a difference between a data rate in inputting information to a disc player 50 and a recording rate in recording information into the optical recording medium. The CAL pattern is reproduced from the optical recording medium, the reproduced pattern is evaluated, and an irradiation intensity of a laser beam is optimized for recording information in the optical recording medium, by a laser-output controller 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Eisaku Kawano, Yoshitaka Shimoda, Hidehiro Ishii, Eiji Muramatsu, Masahiro Kato, Kunihiko Horikawa
  • Patent number: 5949749
    Abstract: In an optical disk, a pit train having a spatial frequency component greater than a reproduction limit defined by the modulation transfer function of a reproducing optical pick-up is recorded at predetermined position and it is discriminated whether or not the optical disk is a copied duplicate by comparing a reproduced pit train with a prerecorded reference pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Pioneer Electronic Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Muramatsu, Kunihiko Horikawa, Shoji Taniguchi