Patents by Inventor Youichi Ogura

Youichi Ogura 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: 7310292
    Abstract: A data demodulation process rate is varied according to a reproduction state, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining a reading performance in a favorable state. A channel rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing channel bit frequency. Further, a half rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing frequency half as high as the channel bit frequency. These devices demodulate digital data from an optical recording medium. A process rate switching device switches a process rate at data demodulation, whereby demodulation is performed by switching between the data demodulation devices according to a quality of a reproduction signal, so as to reproduce the digital data recorded on the optical recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura
  • Patent number: 7254100
    Abstract: A data demodulation process rate is varied according to a reproduction state, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining a reading performance in a favorable state. A channel rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing channel bit frequency. Further, a half rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing frequency half as high as the channel bit frequency. These devices demodulate digital data from an optical recording medium. A process rate switching device switches a process rate at data demodulation, whereby demodulation is performed by switching between the data demodulation devices according to a quality of a reproduction signal, so as to reproduce the digital data recorded on the optical recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura
  • Patent number: 7212476
    Abstract: A data demodulation process rate is varied according to a reproduction state, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining a reading performance in a favorable state. A channel rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing channel bit frequency. Further, a half rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing frequency half as high as the channel bit frequency. These devices demodulate digital data from an optical recording medium. A process rate switching device switches a process rate at data demodulation, whereby demodulation is performed by switching between the data demodulation devices according to a quality of a reproduction signal, so as to reproduce the digital data recorded on the optical recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura
  • Publication number: 20060239655
    Abstract: After a playback RF signal 3 detected from an optical disc medium 1 is waveform-shaped, it is converted into a digital RF signal 6 with a sampling clock 8 having a cycle twice as long as a channel clock. Thereafter, a first offset correction circuit 9 corrects an offset fluctuation in a high frequency band, and a digital adaptive equalizer 23 performs adaptive equalization, and then a second offset correction circuit 27 corrects an offset component that remains after the offset correction by the first offset correction circuit 9, thereby demodulating a digital binary signal 37. Therefore, even when high-speed playback is carried out and an asymmetry depending on the recording quality is large, a reduction in power consumption can be realized while maintaining high-performance playback. Consequently, it is possible to provide an optical disc playback apparatus which can realize sufficient playback performance at low power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: Youichi Ogura, Shinichi Konishi
  • Publication number: 20060208766
    Abstract: In a jitter detection apparatus, a playback RF signal 3 detected from an optical disc medium 1 is subjected to waveform shaping, and thereafter, converted into a digital RF signal 6 with a sampling clock having a cycle twice as long as a cycle of a channel clock. Thereafter, an offset variation in a high-frequency band is corrected by an offset correction circuit 9, and data which are missing in the time direction are restored by a Nyquist interpolation filter 23. Then, positions where jitter is to be extracted are selected from an output signal of the Nyquist interpolation filter 23, by a jitter detection preprocessing circuit 28, according to the playback speed of the optical disc medium 1 and the arithmetic capacity of a digital signal operation circuit 29, whereby highly accurate jitters can be extracted by using the digital signal operation circuit 29.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Youichi Ogura, Toshihiko Takahashi, Shinichi Konishi
  • Publication number: 20060187799
    Abstract: A data demodulation process rate is varied according to a reproduction state, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining a reading performance in a favorable state. A channel rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing channel bit frequency. Further, a half rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing frequency half as high as the channel bit frequency. These devices demodulate digital data from an optical recording medium. A process rate switching device switches a process rate at data demodulation, whereby demodulation is performed by switching between the data demodulation devices according to a quality of a reproduction signal, so as to reproduce the digital data recorded on the optical recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura
  • Publication number: 20060187800
    Abstract: A data demodulation process rate is varied according to a reproduction state, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining a reading performance in a favorable state. A channel rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing channel bit frequency. Further, a half rate process data demodulation device performs a data demodulation process by employing frequency half as high as the channel bit frequency. These devices demodulate digital data from an optical recording medium. A process rate switching device switches a process rate at data demodulation, whereby demodulation is performed by switching between the data demodulation devices according to a quality of a reproduction signal, so as to reproduce the digital data recorded on the optical recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura
  • Publication number: 20060109770
    Abstract: An optical disc recording/playback apparatus is provided with a first AD converter 35 for shaping a push-pull signal 14 detected from an optical disc medium 1 by a light difference signal shaping circuit 21, and converting the signal into a digital sampling signal 38 using a sampling clock 37 synchronized with a channel frequency; a series of means for detecting wobble amplitude information 77 during recording from the digital sampling signal 38; a series of means for detecting address polarity information 60 and address position information during playback; and a recording laser power control circuit 113 for controlling a recording laser power to a power suited for recording on the basis of the wobble amplitude information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Inventors: Youichi Ogura, Toshihiko Takahashi, Hiroaki Hayashi, Teruhiko Izumi, Dai Ichiryu, Shinichi Konishi
  • Publication number: 20060077828
    Abstract: An optical disk device is provided with a first analog-to-digital converter for converting a push-pull signal detected from an optical disc medium into a digital sampling signal according to a sampling clock in the vicinity of a channel frequency, an address polarity information detection circuit for detecting address polarity information from the digital sampling signal, and an address position information detection circuit 58 for detecting address position information from the digital sapling signal while maintaining continuity. Therefore, it is possible to detect the address polarity information and the address position information stably and accurately even during high-speed recording/playback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Youichi Ogura, Toshihiko Takahashi, Teruhiko Izumi, Shinichi Konishi, Hironori Deguchi, Takamasa Sakai
  • Publication number: 20060062118
    Abstract: An information reproduction apparatus and method according to the present invention are provided so as to solve the problem that signal quality is degraded in a normal signal part when always performing a correction of a transient in reproducing information recorded in a medium, and the sag cancellation controller (103) detects whether the pickup output signal (S101) is normal or abnormal, and the sag cancellation part (104) performs a correction of a transient only during a period when the pickup output signal (S101) is detected as abnormal, thereby preventing degradation of signal quality, which is caused by performing a correction of a transient on a normal signal part, and an appropriate correction of a transient can be performed on an abnormal signal part, thereby enabling a stable reproduced signal (S104) to be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Aida, Youichi Ogura, Toshihiko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6999394
    Abstract: An optical disc playback apparatus that performs appropriate waveform equalization according to a difference in characteristics of reproduced signals between land parts and groove parts in an optical disc to which high-density recording is performed using a land/groove recording method. The optical disc playback apparatus includes a reproduction device, an A/D conversion circuit for sampling a reproduced signal to be converted into a multi-bit digital signal, a filter for subjecting the multi-bit digital signal to digital equalization, a filter coefficient learning device for adaptively controlling filter coefficients for the filter corresponding to the land part and the groove part to minimize an equalization error, and a switch signal generation device for generating a signal for switching between land and groove, thereby changing the filter coefficient adaptively to the land or the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Urita, Youichi Ogura, Shinichiro Sato
  • Patent number: 6963528
    Abstract: In a digital data reproduction apparatus for demodulating digital data from an optical recording medium, PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood) signal processing effective to high-density recording/reproduction is carried out by using a half rate processing offset control means which performs data demodulation using half of the channel bit frequency, a half rate processing phase sync control means, a half rate processing adaptive equalization means, and a half rate processing maximum likelihood decoder, and the digital data recorded on the optical recording medium are reproduced while restoring signal components which are missing in the time direction, by linear interpolation or Nyquist interpolation. Therefore, digital data reproduction performance is improved, and power consumption is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura
  • Publication number: 20050138534
    Abstract: A maximum likelihood encoding apparatus is provided, which is constructed to be compatible with a plurality of signals reproduced from a plurality of recording media having a plurality of types. The apparatus comprises a path metric value generation section for generating a plurality of path metric values corresponding to a recording medium having one of the plurality of types based on a type signal indicating the one of the plurality of types, and a path memory section for detecting digital information from a signal reproduced from the recording medium having the one of the plurality of types based on the plurality of path metric values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2004
    Publication date: June 23, 2005
    Inventors: Takeshi Nakajima, Keisuke Fujimoto, Youichi Ogura
  • Publication number: 20050063276
    Abstract: An optical disc device of the present invention obtains a reproduction quality that is independent of a mark distortion by receiving a signal that is obtained from an A/D converter for digitizing a reproduction signal of an optical disc medium and an offset correction means for performing offset correction, accurately measuring a mark distortion factor in a mark pattern having a long recording width by means of a mark distortion factor measuring means, and selecting one of output signals from a PRML signal processing means and a level judge binarization means by means of a digital data demodulation selection means by utilizing the measured mark distortion factor as a judgement criterion, to be used as a demodulation binary signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Publication date: March 24, 2005
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura
  • Publication number: 20050018578
    Abstract: When generating a sampling clock of an A/D converter for digitizing a playback signal from an optical disc, an over sampling clock generated by a PLL is used. Further, zerocross position information and reference information of a playback digital signal that is obtained by A/D conversion using the over sampling clock are converted into those synchronized with the channel bit clock by an operation cycle conversion unit, and then supplied to a PRML signal processing unit and a level judgement binarization unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Youichi Ogura, Toshihiko Takahashi, Kazutoshi Aida, Kouji Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20040213123
    Abstract: An optical disc device serving as an information memory and reproduction device includes: an A/D converter for performing sampling to an analog signal to convert the analog signal into a first digital signal, which has been offset-adjusted, using an n times higher frequency than that of a channel clock (where n is 2 or a larger integer than 2); and a digital equalizer for digitally performing wave-form equalization of a reproduction signal, which has been converted into the first digital signal, and outputting a second digital signal. In this manner, wave-form equalization is performed to the digital signal which has been A/D converted, so that a small circuit configuration can be obtained. Moreover, oversampling is performed, thus equivalently improving a resolution when A/D conversion is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Takahashi, Youichi Ogura, Kazutoshi Aida
  • Patent number: 6792063
    Abstract: The present invention has an object to perform phase synchronization pull-in at high speed and with good stability. A predetermined frequency band of a reproduced signal is emphasized by a waveform equalization means 1. Its output signal is sampled by an A/D converter 2 using a reproduction clock. Low-band noises of a sampled signal are suppressed by a low-band noise suppression means 3. Then, cycle information is detected from a specific pattern length or pattern interval using a cycle detection means with high precision and high efficiency. The obtained cycle information is converted into a frequency error by a frequency error detector 9. On the other hand, a phase error is detected by a phase error detector 10 from the output of the low-band noise suppression means 3. The frequency error and the phase error are passed through loop filters and thereafter added, whereby an oscillator 15 which generates a reproduction clock is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura
  • Publication number: 20040136300
    Abstract: The present invention is made to improve the conventional analog processing that is easily affected by variations in semiconductor processing. This invention provides a wobble signal processing apparatus that can reduce the circuit scale and the power consumption as well as improve the quality of signal processing. The wobble signal processing apparatus of the present invention digitally processes a part that has conventionally been processed by an analog system, and further a PRML circuit is provided to implement error detection, whereby the circuit scale and the power consumption is reduced. This improves the detection of a signal that is inputted to the wobble signal processing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Hiroki Mouri, Kouji Okamoto, Youichi Ogura
  • Patent number: 6674707
    Abstract: In a digital recorded data reproduction which applies PRML signal processing, it is an object to enhance a reproduction signal quality and a playability for an abnormal signal by an offset correction and a phase-interpolation-type digital phase-locked loop. A prescribed frequency band of a reproduction signal is emphasized by a waveform equalizing unit 2, and its output signal is sampled by an asynchronous clock at an analog/digital converter 3. After a sampling signal is subjected to the offset correction, PR equalization is performed by a transversal filter 6 and a tap weighting factor control unit 8 which applies LMS algorithm, and a signal of a regular sampling phase is reproduced from its output signal by a high-order interpolation filter 7 employing a digital phase-locked loop 11. The reproduced signal in a regular phase is demodulated by a maximum likelihood decoder 12, thereby to reproduce digital data recorded on a medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youichi Ogura, Koichi Urita, Shinichiro Sato, Yoshimasa Oda
  • Publication number: 20030137912
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is, relating to data demodulation from an optical recording medium, to vary a data demodulation process rate according to a reproduction state, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining a reading performance in a favorable state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventor: Youichi Ogura