Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, a servo reproduction signal generator and a magnetic head controller. The disk includes a data recording area and a servo-pattern area. The data recording area includes a non-magnetic area scattered with magnetic regions, and the servo-pattern area includes uniformly magnetized magnetic regions larger than the magnetic regions in the recording area. The magnetic head reciprocates radially of the disk, giving a magnetization direction to the magnetic regions in the data recording area and reading the magnetization direction of the magnetic regions in the data recording area and the servo-pattern area. The servo reproduction signal generator reads the servo-pattern area, using the magnetic head, via an absolute-value calculation circuit to generate a servo reproduction signal before the recording or reading with respect to the data recording area.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, a reverse-pulse detector, and a re-magnetizer. The magnetic disk includes a data recording area and a servo-pattern area. The magnetic regions of the servo-pattern area have been pre-magnetized in the same direction or pre-magnetizing direction. The magnetic head is arranged to reciprocate radially of the magnetic disk. The reverse-pulse detector is provided for reading the servo-pattern area with the magnetic head before data recording or reproducing with respect to the data recording area is performed. The reverse-pulse detector detects, from servo reproduction signal pulses, reverse pulses corresponding to the reversal of magnetization direction relative to the pre-magnetizing direction. The re-magnetizer causes the magnetic head to perform the re-magnetizing of the magnetic regions in the servo-pattern area when the count of reverse pulses is not smaller than a threshold number.

Abstract: A wireless power supply includes: a power transmitting coil resonant at a first resonant frequency that generates a magnetic field resonance, a power receiving coil resonant at the first resonant frequency, a power receiving unit that outputs energy received by the power receiving resonant coil; a distance detector that detects a distance between the power transmitting resonant coil and the power receiving resonant coil; a power transmitting frequency controller that changes the first resonant frequency to a second resonant frequency on the basis of the distance detected by the distance detector; and a power receiving frequency controller that changes the first resonant frequency of the power receiving resonant coil from the first resonant frequency to a second resonant frequency on the basis of the distance detected by the distance detector.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a magnetic disk, and a magnetic head facing the magnetic disk. The magnetic disk apparatus also includes a thermal deforming member and a thermal deformation controller. The thermal deforming member is provided in the magnetic head for thermally deforming the magnetic head to change the projecting amount of the magnetic head toward the magnetic disk. The thermal deformation controller controls the driving power supplied to the thermal deforming member, so that the falling characteristic of the driving power in transition from an on-state to an off-state is gentler in inclination than the rising characteristic of the driving power in transition from an off-state to an on-state.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, a servo reproduction signal generator and a magnetic head controller. The disk includes a data recording area and a servo-pattern area. The data recording area includes a non-magnetic area scattered with magnetic regions, and the servo-pattern area includes uniformly magnetized magnetic regions larger than the magnetic regions in the recording area. The magnetic head reciprocates radially of the disk, giving a magnetization direction to the magnetic regions in the data recording area and reading the magnetization direction of the magnetic regions in the data recording area and the servo-pattern area. The servo reproduction signal generator reads the servo-pattern area, using the magnetic head, via an absolute-value calculation circuit to generate a servo reproduction signal before the recording or reading with respect to the data recording area.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a magnetic disk provided with a data recording area and a servo-pattern area. The data recording area includes a non-magnetic area scattered with magnetic regions, and the servo-pattern area includes a plurality of magnetic regions each having a larger area than the magnetic regions in the data recording area. The magnetic disk apparatus also includes a reader for reading magnetization in the data recording area and the servo-pattern area, and a magnetizer for application of a magnetic field to the magnetic regions in the servo-pattern area for equalizing magnetization directions of the magnetic regions in the servo-pattern area before the reader starts to read the servo-pattern area.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, a reverse-pulse detector, and a re-magnetizer. The magnetic disk includes a data recording area and a servo-pattern area. The magnetic regions of the servo-pattern area have been pre-magnetized in the same direction or pre-magnetizing direction. The magnetic head is arranged to reciprocate radially of the magnetic disk. The reverse-pulse detector is provided for reading the servo-pattern area with the magnetic head before data recording or reproducing with respect to the data recording area is performed. The reverse-pulse detector detects, from servo reproduction signal pulses, reverse pulses corresponding to the reversal of magnetization direction relative to the pre-magnetizing direction. The re-magnetizer causes the magnetic head to perform the re-magnetizing of the magnetic regions in the servo-pattern area when the count of reverse pulses is not smaller than a threshold number.

Abstract: In an apparatus for recording and regenerating data, a pass metric is calculated based on a likelihood converted from a previous calculation result iteratively until all pass metrics of the same data recorded many times on a recording medium are calculated, and then data recorded on the recording medium is decoded.

Abstract: A defect detection device, apparatus, and method for detecting a defect of data recorded on a recording medium. The defect detection device includes a waveform state detection part generating information representing a state of a waveform of a reproduced signal from the recording medium based on soft decision results obtained in a process of reproducing the data in accordance with a maximum likelihood decoding algorithm corresponding to a partial response. The defect detection device includes a defect determination part determining the defect of the recorded data based on the information generated in the waveform state detection part.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing device includes: a reference light irradiating section; a spatial light modulating section for generating information light; an information light irradiating section for irradiating the same region as a region irradiated with the reference light, with the information light; a light detecting section for receiving reproduction light; a known data storage section; a defect examining section for examining a defective position of the spatial light modulating section or the light detecting section by irradiating the information light and the reference light to write the known page data to the holographic recording medium, and then irradiating the medium with the reference light to read the known page data written on the holographic recording medium from the reproduction light received by the light detecting section; and a reproducing control section for restoring and reproducing the original data of the defective position using information of the defective position detected by the defec

Abstract: A method is provided for storing data by distributing the data into plural storage units that are accessible independently of one another. The method includes the steps of dividing data to be stored into plural data blocks, generating parity data corresponding to the data blocks, distributing the plural data blocks and the parity data into the storage units to let the storage units store the same, responding to a situation where any of the storage units becomes inaccessible, reconstructing data stored in the storage unit that has become inaccessible before the situation occurs based on data stored in the remaining storage units, dividing the reconstructed data into plural reconstructed data blocks, generating parity data corresponding to the reconstructed data blocks, and distributing the plural reconstructed data blocks and the parity data corresponding thereto into accessible storage units to let the accessible storage units store the same.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus for an optical recording medium, comprising: a reference beam irradiator for irradiating an optical recording medium on which information is recorded by holography with a reference beam to generate a reproduction beam; a two-dimensional image pickup device capable of being partially read, which receives the reproduction beam; a partial reading controller for controlling partial reading of information on the two-dimensional image pickup device; and an information processor for performing a predetermined process by using the information to be partially read.

Abstract: A data format, a data recording/reproducing method, and a data recording/reproducing apparatus are provided for effectively correcting data errors caused by dust and scratches on a recording medium even with the use of a conventional ECC. The data recording/reproducing apparatus includes a generation unit that generates predetermined data units by dividing an ECC sector including error correction codes generated by an error correction encoder into prescribed data units and encoding the prescribed units into iterative encoded data units using an iterative encoder so that the predetermined data units may consist of the iterative-encoded data units, a recording unit, a reproducing unit, an iterative decoder for conducting iterative decoding on the predetermined data units, and an error correction decoder. The apparatus further includes a distribution unit for distributing the predetermined data units generated by the generation unit.

Abstract: A data storage device is provided that is suitable for use under the environment where mechanical shock is frequently applied. The data storage device includes plural storage units as closed structures each of which houses a storage medium therein, the storage medium being capable of moving relative to a head for access, an external force detection portion for outputting signals corresponding to external forces applied to the storage units in plural directions, and a controller for controlling the storage units. The storage units are arranged in such a manner that the storage units are different from one another in a direction of relative movement between the storage medium and the head, and the controller selectively makes one or more of the storage units perform an access operation in accordance with the signal outputted from the external force detection portion.

Abstract: A data readout device generates decoded data based on a decided data bit decided by performing a hard-decision on likelihood data, wherein the likelihood data is generated in accordance with an iterative decoding method corresponding to a turbo-coding process. The iterative decoding process is performed on a sampled value obtained by sampling a signal read out from a magneto-optical disk at a predetermined sampling period. The data readout device is made up of a reliability determination part and an error correcting decoder. The reliability determination part detects whether each obtained data bit was obtained from likelihood data within a predetermined range defined with respect to a histogram of log likelihood ratios. When it is detected that a data bit was obtained by a hard-decision on likelihood data within the predetermined range, the data bit is regarded as being obtained by a hard-decision whose reliability is not sufficient.

Abstract: A data recording/reproducing method and apparatus for correcting data errors on a recording medium even with the use of a conventional ECC. The data recording/reproducing apparatus includes a generation unit that generates predetermined data units by dividing an ECC sector including error correction codes generated by an error correction encoder into prescribed data units and encoding the prescribed units into iterative encoded data units using an iterative encoder so that the predetermined data units may include the iterative-encoded data units, a recording unit, a reproducing unit, an iterative decoder for conducting iterative decoding on the predetermined data units, and an error correction decoder. The apparatus further includes a distribution unit for distributing the predetermined data units generated by the generation unit. The distribution unit distributes the iterative encoded data units using at least two ECC sectors and records the distributed data units on a recording medium.

Abstract: A data reproduction device for sampling a signal reproduced from a recording medium based on a synchronization clock signal synchronized with the reproduced signal includes: an analog-to-digital conversion part converting the reproduced signal into a first digital signal based on a first clock signal; an interpolation part interpolating the first digital signal so that the first digital signal is equalized with a second digital signal sampled based on a second clock signal having a frequency n times the frequency of the first clock signal; an optimum phase detection part receiving the output of the interpolation part and detecting the phase error between the optimum point of the reproduced signal and the synchronization clock signal; a phase correction part correcting the phase of the reproduced signal based on the phase error; and an information data start detection part detecting the start of information data based on the phase error.

Abstract: An optical disk recording method of recording data on an optical disk by applying laser light to a track of the optical disk, includes the steps of a) driving a plurality of laser light sources in sequence in a time division manner, and applying a light flux to one track of the optical disk successively, and b) producing a plurality of rows of record marks in the one track.

Abstract: A data readout device generates decoded data based on a data bit determined by performing a hard-decision on likelihood data. The likelihood data is generated using an iterative decoding method corresponding to a turbo-coding process. The decoding process is performed on a sampled value obtained by sampling a signal read out from a magneto-optical disk at a predetermined sampling period. A reliability determination part detects whether each obtained data bit was obtained from likelihood data within a predetermined range defined with respect to a histogram of log likelihood ratios. When it is detected that a data bit was obtained by a hard-decision on likelihood data within the predetermined range, the data bit is regarded as being obtained by a hard-decision whose reliability is not sufficient.

Abstract: A defect detection device, apparatus, and method for detecting a defect of data recorded on a recording medium. The defect detection device includes a waveform state detection part generating information representing a state of a waveform of a reproduced signal from the recording medium based on soft decision results obtained in a process of reproducing the data in accordance with a maximum likelihood decoding algorithm corresponding to a partial response. The defect detection device includes a defect determination part determining the defect of the recorded data based on the information generated in the waveform state detection part.