Patents by Inventor Shinya Honjou

Shinya Honjou 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: 6879554
    Abstract: A method for reproducing information recorded on a disc is provided. In the method, a reproduction signal is irradiated towards the disc to produce a corresponding read signal. Also, the reproduction signal is positioned at a first position within a non-program area of the disc and is attempted to be focused on the disc. If the reproduction signal is focused on the disc, the method determines if the read signal has a valid signal level. If the read signal does not have the valid signal level when the reproduction signal is positioned at the first position, the reproduction signal is moved to a second position within a program area of the disc while the reproduction signal remains focused on the disc. Then, the method determines if the read signal has the valid signal level when the reproduction signal is positioned at the second position. Also, a disc player that employs the method and a software program that instruct a controller to perform operations in accordance with the method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Shimamura, Kenichi Takahashi, Shinya Honjou, Takashi Sasaki, Koichi Kikuchi, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Hideaki Yoshimura, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6646962
    Abstract: A servo control apparatus of an optical pickup is provided for reading recorded information from a recording medium and generates a read signal. The apparatus includes an error signal extracting part for extracting an error signal which indicates a deviation amount of a reading position from a target reading position of the optical pickup; a drive part for driving the optical pickup to change the reading position; an equalizer for equalizing the error signal and supplying a drive signal which indicates a driving amount of the drive part; a detecting part for detecting a dropout portion in the read signal; an identifying part for identifying a form of the dropout portion detected in the detecting part; and a controller. The controller performs control to change a gain of the equalizer in accordance with the identified form of the dropout portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Sasaki, Takashi Suzuki, Takao Shimamura, Shinya Honjou, Kenichi Takahashi, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Koichi Kikuchi, Hideaki Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 6600705
    Abstract: A servo adjustment apparatus for setting an adjustment value for servo control of at least one of optical recording of information on information recording surfaces and optical reproduction of information recorded on the information recording surfaces, is provided. A setting device sets an adjustment value corresponding to one of the information recording surfaces. Another setting device sets another adjustment value corresponding to another one of the surfaces other than the one of information recording surfaces. Then a calculation device calculates a relational value indicating a relationship between the adjustment value and another adjustment value. A storage device stores calculated relational value. A resetting device resets the adjustment value using another adjustment value set previously and the relational value when the adjustment value is reset, and resets another adjustment value using the adjustment value set previously and the relational value when another adjustment value is reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Takashi Sasaki, Hideaki Yoshimura, Koichi Kikuchi, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Shinya Honjou, Kenichi Takahashi, Takao Shimamura
  • Patent number: 6560173
    Abstract: A servo-control apparatus is provided for use with an optical disc player for reading and/or recording information. The apparatus includes an adjustment section for performing coarse and fine adjustment of a servo loop gain in accordance with a storage medium loaded in the player; a memory for storing a gain adjustment value; a discriminator for determining, upon one of reading and recording information, that the storage medium has already been subjected to the coarse and fine adjustment; and a controller. The controller allows the adjustment section to perform the fine adjustment of the servo loop gain in accordance with the stored adjustment value when it is determined that the storage medium has already been subjected to the coarse and fine adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Shimamura, Takashi Sasaki, Kenichi Takahashi, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Koichi Kikuchi, Shinya Honjou, Takashi Suzuki, Hideaki Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20020009026
    Abstract: A servo-control apparatus is provided for use with an optical disc player for reading and/or recording information. The apparatus includes an adjustment section for performing coarse and fine adjustment of a servo loop gain in accordance with a storage medium loaded in the player; a memory for storing a gain adjustment value; a discriminator for determining, upon one of reading and recording information, that the storage medium has already been subjected to the coarse and fine adjustment; and a controller. The controller allows the adjustment section to perform the fine adjustment of the servo loop gain in accordance with the stored adjustment value when it is determined that the storage medium has already been subjected to the coarse and fine adjustment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventors: Takao Shimamura, Takashi Sasaki, Kenichi Takahashi, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Koichi Kikuchi, Shinya Honjou, Takashi Suzuki, Hideaki Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20010026508
    Abstract: A servo control apparatus of an optical pickup is provided for reading recorded information from a recording medium and generates a read signal. The apparatus includes an error signal extracting part for extracting an error signal which indicates a deviation amount of a reading position from a target reading position of the optical pickup; a drive part for driving the optical pickup to change the reading position; an equalizer for equalizing the error signal and supplying a drive signal which indicates a driving amount of the drive part; a detecting part for detecting a dropout portion in the read signal; an identifying part for identifying a form of the dropout portion detected in the detecting part; and a controller. The controller performs control to change a gain of the equalizer in accordance with the identified form of the dropout portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Inventors: Takashi Sasaki, Takashi Suzuki, Takao Shimamura, Shinya Honjou, Kenichi Takahashi, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Koichi Kikuchi, Hideaki Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20010017831
    Abstract: A method for reproducing information recorded on a disc is provided. In the method, a reproduction signal is irradiated towards the disc to produce a corresponding read signal. Also, the reproduction signal is positioned at a first position within a non-program area of the disc and is attempted to be focused on the disc. If the reproduction signal is focused on the disc, the method determines if the read signal has a valid signal level. If the read signal does not have the valid signal level when the reproduction signal is positioned at the first position, the reproduction signal is moved to a second position within a program area of the disc while the reproduction signal remains focused on the disc. Then, the method determines if the read signal has the valid signal level when the reproduction signal is positioned at the second position. Also, a disc player that employs the method and a software program that instruct a controller to perform operations in accordance with the method are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Inventors: Takao Shimamura, Kenichi Takahashi, Shinya Honjou, Takashi Sasaki, Koichi Kikuchi, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Hideaki Yoshimura, Takashi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20010004341
    Abstract: A servo adjustment apparatus for setting an adjustment value for servo control of at least one of optical recording of information on information recording surfaces and optical reproduction of information recorded on the information recording surfaces, is provided. A setting device sets an adjustment value corresponding to one of the information recording surfaces. Another setting device sets another adjustment value corresponding to another one of the surfaces other than the one of information recording surfaces. Then a calculation device calculates a relational value indicating a relationship between the adjustment value and another adjustment value. A storage device stores calculated relational value. A resetting device resets the adjustment value using another adjustment value set previously and the relational value when the adjustment value is reset, and resets another adjustment value using the adjustment value set previously and the relational value when another adjustment value is reset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Publication date: June 21, 2001
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Takashi Sasaki, Hideaki Yoshimura, Koichi Kikuchi, Yoshihiro Hashizuka, Shinya Honjou, Kenichi Takahashi, Takao Shimamura