Abstract: A motor controller includes DC motor, driving mechanism, voltage generator circuit and control unit. The driving mechanism moves an object having a predetermined mass against a load applied to the object and by transmitting a rotational force of the motor to the object. The voltage generator circuit generates first and second voltages. The first voltage is high enough to rotate the motor to such a degree as to get the object moved by the driving mechanism. The second voltage has the same polarity as the first voltage and has such amplitude as to prevent the motor from rotating either in a backward direction due to a cogging torque or in a forward direction. The control unit controls the voltage generator circuit in such a manner that the voltage generator circuit applies the second voltage to the motor after having applied the first voltage to the motor.

Abstract: A motor controller includes DC motor, driving mechanism, voltage generator circuit and control unit. The driving mechanism moves an object having a predetermined mass against a load applied to the object and by transmitting a rotational force of the motor to the object. The voltage generator circuit generates first and second voltages. The first voltage is high enough to rotate the motor to such a degree as to get the object moved by the driving mechanism. The second voltage has the same polarity as the first voltage and has such amplitude as to prevent the motor from rotating either in a backward direction due to a cogging torque or in a forward direction. The control unit controls the voltage generator circuit in such a manner that the voltage generator circuit applies the second voltage to the motor after having applied the first voltage to the motor.

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: There is provided a data distribution system which prevents unauthorized copying while permitting copying for private use. To a server 100, a home server 200 transmits identification data identifying a user and/or a device with respect to which/whom playback permission of copyrighted-material data is requested, and requests transmission of a desired piece of copyrighted-material data. The server 100 transmits the copyrighted-material data to a home server 200, with the identification data being appended to the desired piece of copyrighted-material data. The home server 200 receives the copyrighted-material data from the server 100. Based on the identification data appended to the copyrighted-material data, the home server 200 determines whether or not playback is permitted with respect to a user and/or a device that is attempting to play back copyrighted-material data, and plays the back copyrighted-material data if playback is permitted.

Abstract: In a stepping motor control method using an encoder, a timer means is provided, and an excessive advance of a phase during low rotation is restricted to attain a high speed without compromising stability during low rotation by driving the motor in such a manner that a pre-reversal state is recovered a predetermined time after a voltage reversal and a post-reversal state is recovered after one cycle of an angle detecting means. A device is provided which controls a speed by a pulse generator generating pulses at predetermined intervals, which detects a sudden drop in speed from a predetermined time elapsed from the last pulse, and which detects, when a speed is to be recovered, an abnormal drop in motor rotation independent of the motor rotation speed by changing a threshold value of an elapsed time according to an actual speed, a speed command value and an acceleration command value.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a disk drive apparatus in which a pickup is prevented from being overheated. The disk drive apparatus includes a motor for rotating a disk-shaped storage medium, a pickup for reading/writing information from/onto the storage medium, a rotation controller for controlling the rotational speed of the storage medium, and an overheat detector for detecting overheating of the pickup. The pickup is cooled by using an airflow entailed by the rotating storage medium. In the disk drive apparatus, when the overheat detector detects overheating of the pickup, the rotation controller increases the rotational speed of the storage medium, thereby increasing the efficiency of cooling the pickup.

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: A motor controller includes DC motor, driving mechanism, voltage generator circuit and control unit. The driving mechanism moves an object having a predetermined mass against a load applied to the object and by transmitting a rotational force of the motor to the object. The voltage generator circuit generates first and second voltages. The first voltage is high enough to rotate the motor to such a degree as to get the object moved by the driving mechanism. The second voltage has the same polarity as the first voltage and has such amplitude as to prevent the motor from rotating either in a backward direction due to a cogging torque or in a forward direction. The control unit controls the voltage generator circuit in such a manner that the voltage generator circuit applies the second voltage to the motor after having applied the first voltage to the motor.

Abstract: A motor controlling device includes an acceleration detector for detecting an acceleration of a motor; a motor driver for supplying a driving current to the motor; a heat quantity calculator for calculating a heat quantity generated in the motor at least based on an output from the acceleration detector; and a motor controller for controlling the motor driver based on the heat quantity.

Abstract: The disk device of this invention includes: a disk driving section for rotating a disk; a head for recording and/or reproducing information on and/or from the disk; a head moving section for moving the head from a start position to a destination position; a temperature calculation section for calculating a temperature change at a predetermined position, wherein the calculation is carried out based on the information of the start position and the destination position; and a control section for controlling the disk driving section and/or the head moving section depending on the temperature change calculated by the temperature calculation section.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a disk drive apparatus in which a pickup is prevented from being overheated. The disk drive apparatus includes a motor for rotating a disk-shaped storage medium, a pickup for reading/writing information from/onto the storage medium, a rotation controller for controlling the rotational speed of the storage medium, and an overheat detector for detecting overheating of the pickup. The pickup is cooled by using an airflow entailed by the rotating storage medium. In the disk drive apparatus, when the overheat detector detects overheating of the pickup, the rotation controller increases the rotational speed of the storage medium, thereby increasing the efficiency of cooling the pickup.

Abstract: According to a control device for a stepping motor of the present invention, in a first operation mode, a microstep driving section 16 is selected, and an output of this microstep driving section 16 is applied to a driving section 21 through a command selector 12, whereby a stepping motor 25 is microstep driven by this driving section 21. Furthermore, in a second operation mode, a forced driving section 15 is selected, and an output of this forced driving section 15 is applied to the driving section 21 through the command selector 12, whereby the stepping motor 25 is forced driven by this driving section 21, i.e., a high-speed rotation of a rotor 29 is started from any rotation angle with the microstep driving.

Abstract: The stepping motor controller of the present invention includes: a stepping motor including a rotor and an excitation coil; a drive section for supplying multiple-stage drive current to the excitation coil in response to an input command value, thereby enabling a micro step drive; a control section for controlling the stepping motor by varying the command value to be provided for the drive section; and a position detection control section for generating a detection signal in accordance with a rotation position of the rotor.

Abstract: The disk centering device of the invention includes: a turntable for retaining an information recording disk which has a center hole and is placed on a placing surface so that the disk can rotate around a rotation axis thereof; and a centering unit including a plurality of centering portions coming into contact with a periphery of the center hole and a plurality of resilient portions, each of which is connected with a corresponding one of the plurality of centering portions for supporting the centering portion so that the centering portion can be resiliently displaced in a radial direction of the information recording disk.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an apparatus for optically performing recording of information and/or reproduction of information for an optical disk having a recording surface is provided. The apparatus includes: an optical pickup for forming a first light spot on the recording surface; a tilt sensor, arranged to be transported with the optical pickup, for detecting a tilt of the optical disk with respect to an optical axis of the optical pickup by forming a second light spot on the recording surface; and a tilt compensating mechanism for angularly adjusting the optical pickup to eliminate the tilt. In this apparatus, the second light spot is formed at such a position that a line between the first and second light spots is inclined to a direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the optical disk.

Abstract: A printer for recording a multitone image in which pulse width correction data is generated based on a temperature output of a thermistor for detecting the temperature of a head mount of a thermal head and an output of a data cumulating circuit for cumulating pulse width data inputted to the thermal head; and an adding circuit which adds the pulse width data to an output obtained by conversion, from inputted tone data, made by a .gamma. correcting circuit, thus accomplishing a temperature compensation. The temperature compensation constants necessary for calculating pulse width correction data are also determined.

Abstract: A thermal head drive unit comprises electric power supply means for supplying electric power to heat-generating resistor elements arranged in a line in a thermal head. Head drive means is provided for electrically driving the heat-generating resistor elements in a lump by supplying electric power continuously variably in time to the heat-generating resistor elements depending on input gradation data. Head drive control means controls the head drive means in such a manner that, in a one-line recording time period composed of a power supply time during which electric power is supplied to the heat-generating resistor elements and an intermission time during which no electric power is supplied to the heat-generating resistor elements in disregard of the gradation data, the intermission time occupies a part not more than approximately 40% in the one-line recording time period.

Abstract: The device includes a record paper conveying device which rotates around a record paper carrier body to convey a paper sheet around the carrier body by gripping the leading edge of the paper sheet. In this arrangement, the carrier body, against which a recording head abuts during a recording operation, is rotated following the movement of the paper sheet by a friction force between the platen part and the recording paper sheet. In one embodiment, the carrier body is stationary, and accordingly, the conveying speed of the record paper sheet is determined only by the drive speed of the conveying device so that the record paper sheet can be precisely conveyed.