Abstract: An optical disc apparatus according to the present invention is equipped with a disc rotation mechanism for placing and rotating a disc, a plurality of optical heads for emitting light beams for recording and/or reproducing data on the optical disc, a transport unit including a guide structure for guiding the optical heads to be radially transportable on the disc, an optical head transport mechanism for transporting the optical heads along the guide structure, and a transport base for supporting the disc rotation mechanism, the guide structure and the optical head transport mechanism, an optical head storing portion having a plurality of storage support guides for supporting and storing each of the plurality of optical heads, and an optical head insertion and removal mechanism for transporting each of the optical heads from the optical head storing portion to the transport unit or from the transport unit to the optical head storing portion, and each optical head stored in the optical head storing portion is t

Abstract: A disc cartridge the present invention includes a cartridge body and first and second shutters. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion has a disc window and a bottom and stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion and that the first side of the disc is exposed inside the disc window. The chucking opening is formed on the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to get the disc chucked externally. The head opening is also formed on the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to allow a head, which reads and/or writes a signal from/on the second side of the disc, to access the second side of the disc. The first and second shutters are provided between the second side of the disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion. The first shutter rotates around the center of the chucking opening.

Abstract: A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body and a shutter. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion. The shutter is supported to, and rotatable with respect to, the cartridge body between the second side of the disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking opening and the head opening.

Abstract: A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body, a shutter and a stopper member. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion has a disc window and a bottom and stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion and that the first side of the disc is exposed. The shutter is supported to, and movable with respect to, the cartridge body between the second side of disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking opening and the head opening. The stopper member protrudes toward the disc window to prevent the disc from dropping down through the disc window while the shutter opens.

Abstract: A deformable mirror according to the invention comprises a substrate, a reflector which is supported by said substrate and the shape of whose reflecting areas is variable, and a plurality of drive units for independently driving a plurality of regions of the reflector and thereby controlling the distances between said plurality of regions and said substrate. Each of the plurality of drive units comprises a plurality of electrodes disposed over said substrate, a tilt member which is rotated round the axis of tilt by being attracted by the selected one of the plurality of electrodes, and an action member for varying the distance between a specific region of the reflector and said substrate following the motion of the tilt member.

Abstract: A disc cartridge includes: a disc storage portion; first and second shutters provided on the bottom of the disc storage portion; and a rotational member interlocked with the shutters and having a disc supporting portion to support the disc thereon while the shutters are closed and a notch to be located inside a head opening while the shutters are opened. The shutters include disc holders for holding the disc thereon with the center of the disc offset from that of the disc storage portion such that an outer side surface of the disc contacts with the sidewall of the disc storage portion at a position where the notch is located while the shutters are closed. The inner circumference of a region, where the disc supporting portion contacts with the second side of the disc, defines a circle that has its center offset from the center of the disc storage portion.

Abstract: A disc apparatus includes a turntable having surface on which a disc is to be placed and being rotatable around a rotation axis; a disc holding mechanism which can be in a first state of holding the disc on the turntable so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis and a second state which is different from the first state; a first contact member; and a moving mechanism for relatively moving the first contact member and the turntable with respect to each other.

Abstract: An optical disk is provided for recording data of a signal modulated according to a predetermined modulation method in a form of concavo-convex pits. The optical disk includes a first area having a reflecting film partly removed, and a second area for recording pits which are different from pits satisfying requirements of the predetermined modulation method. The first area having the reflecting film partly removed includes a portion which is formed by removing the reflecting film, and has a length longer than a maximum pit length determined by the modulation method in a circumferential direction of the optical disk. When the pits recorded on the optical disk are physically copied as they are, physical copying of the optical disk can be prevented by utilizing such a difference that the authorized optical disk differs from a pirated copy in a combination of the respective reproduced signals of the first and second areas.

Abstract: An optical disk is provided for recording data of a signal modulated according to a predetermined modulation method in a form of concavo-convex pits. The optical disk includes a first area having a reflecting film partly removed, and a second area for recording pits which are different from pits satisfying requirements of the predetermined modulation method. The first area having the reflecting film partly removed includes a portion which is formed by removing the reflecting film, and has a length longer than a maximum pit length determined by the modulation method in a circumferential direction of the optical disk. When the pits recorded on the optical disk are physically copied as they are, physical copying of the optical disk can be prevented by utilizing such a difference that the authorized optical disk differs from a pirated copy in a combination of the respective reproduced signals of the first and second areas.

Abstract: A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body and a shutter. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion. The shutter is supported to, and rotatable with respect to, the cartridge body between the second side of the disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking opening and the head opening.

Abstract: A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body and a shutter. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion. The shutter is supported to, and movable with respect to, the cartridge body between the disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking opening and the head opening. The shutter also includes a convex portion that is provided for the shutter so as to protrude into a center hole of the disc while the shutter covers the chucking opening and the head opening. When the shutter is going to be opened, the convex portion lifts the disc in a thickness direction of the cartridge while contacting with the second side of the disc.

Abstract: A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body, a shutter and a stopper member. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion has a disc window and a bottom and stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion and that the first side of the disc is exposed. The shutter is supported to, and movable with respect to, the cartridge body between the second side of disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking opening and the head opening. The stopper member protrudes toward the disc window to prevent the disc from dropping down through the disc window while the shutter opens.

Abstract: A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body and a shutter. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion has a disc window and a bottom and stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion and that the first side of the disc is exposed. The shutter is supported to, and movable with respect to, the cartridge body so as to expose or cover at least the head opening.

Abstract: A disc cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge body, a shutter and a disc holding portion. The cartridge body includes a disc storage portion, a chucking opening and a head opening. The disc storage portion stores a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable in the disc storage portion. The shutter is supported to, and movable with respect to, the cartridge body between the disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking opening and the head opening. The disc holding portion is provided at a portion of the shutter for fixing the disc onto the shutter or the cartridge body when the shutter covers the chucking opening and the head opening synchronously with opening or closing of the shutter.

Abstract: A disc cartridge includes: a cartridge body including a disc storage portion storing a disc, having first and second sides, therein so that the disc is rotatable there and that the first side is exposed and chucking and head opening formed on the bottom of the storage portion so as to get the disc chucked externally and allow a read/write head to access the second side, respectively; a shutter supported, and movable with respect to the cartridge body, between the second side of the disc and the bottom of the disc storage portion so as to expose or cover the chucking and head openings and defining a hole under a center hole of the disc while the shutter is closed; and a disc holder provided for the shutter and pressing the disc against the shutter and holding it thereon while the chucking and head openings are covered with the shutter.

Abstract: A disk drive is loadable with either first or second cartridge in which a disk having a signal recording side is stored. In performing read and/or write operation(s), not only the distances between the signal recording side and the back surfaces of the first and second cartridges but also planar shapes of the first and second cartridges are different from each other. The disk drive includes a spindle motor with a turntable on which the disk is mounted and rotated, a read/write head for reading and/or writing a signal from/onto the signal recording side, and a supporting structure for supporting the back surface of the first or second cartridge at a vertical level, which is changeable with respect to the turntable according to the shape of the cartridge loaded, so that the disk is mounted on the turntable and that the signal is read and/or written from/on the disk.

Abstract: A circuit element driver includes a control section and a driving section. The control section receives a number n of instruction values of a first group (where n≧2) and produces and outputs a number p of instruction values of a second group (where (n+1)≦p<2n) in accordance with the n instruction values of the first group. The instruction values of the first group are issued to generate voltages to be applied to n two-terminal circuit elements. The driving section generates and outputs p drive voltages in accordance with the p instruction values of the second group. At least one of the p drive voltages changes with at least one of the instruction values of the first group and is applied in common to two or more of the circuit elements at one terminal thereof.

Abstract: An information recording medium includes a plurality of sectors each of which has a sector header area storing a unique sector number and a data storage area for storing user data. User data to be recorded onto the information recording medium is scrambled using a data scramble key generated from a unique medium identifier of the information recording medium and a sector number of a sector into which the user data is to be recorded. The medium identifier used here has been scrambled using a medium identifier scramble key generated from predetermined data and a sector number of a sector into which the medium identifier is to be stored, and stored in that sector. In so doing, security is ensured not only for each individual information recording medium but also for each individual sector, with it being possible to protect data recorded on the information recording medium against unauthorized reproduction.

Abstract: A disk drive includes: a motor that rotates a disk; an auto-balancer connected to a rotating portion of the motor and changing its center of mass; a base secured to the motor and connected to an external member via a first elastic member; and a dynamic vibration absorber connected to the base via a second elastic member. If the disk whirls while rotating, a relationship between a first or second natural frequency of a first or second vibration system, including the base, first elastic member and external member or the dynamic vibration absorber, second elastic member and base, as measured parallelly to the base plane and a rotational frequency of the disk is defined so that a phase angle of 120 to 180 degrees is formed between a direction from a whirling center axis toward a center of mass of the disk and a direction from the whirling center axis toward the center of mass of the auto-balancer.