Pioneer Electronic Corporation

Hudson Soft Co., Ltd.

Noriyoshi Takeya

Hidehiro Ishii

Tatsuya Fukuda

Chiharu Miura

Manabu Okamoto

Junichi Yoshio

Hitoshi Yamazaki

Osamu Watanabe

Takashi Yoshimi

Hiroyasu Matsuura

Takeshi Izumo

Masakazu Miyazaki

Hirofumi Matoba

Kazuhiko Katakami

Hideki Kobayashi

Masao Yoshida

Masayori Shinohara

Munehiko Iwase

Kouki Sai

Yoshiki Furuta

Setsuo Okada

Masahiro Sui

Yoshinobu Nagase

An apparatus for reproducing a multiple layer disk, which comprising a plurality of layers each having an information record surface on which record information is recorded, is provided with: a read device for reading the record information from each of the layers; a reproduction process device for applying a predetermined reproduction process to the record information read by the read device in accordance with a reproduction process parameter, which is set therein and which comprises at least one of a gain value and an equalizer value, to thereby output a reproduction information signal; a drive device for driving the read device to jump from one reading state for reading one of the layers to another reading state for reading another of the layers; a memory for storing a plurality of reproduction process parameters corresponding to the layers in advance of reproduction; and a set device for reading out one of the stored reproduction process parameters, corresponding to another of the layers as a destination of jumping of the read device, from the memory and setting the read out reproduction process parameter in the reproduction process device, in case that the read device is driven to jump by the drive device.

Multiple layer disk reproducing apparatus, and apparatus for reproducing information record medium

The distances from external surfaces to information record surfaces of the optical record mediums of various types are different from each other. An optical record medium judging method of judging the types of the optical record mediums is provided with the steps of: irradiating an information record surface of an optical record medium to be reproduced with a plurality of light beams to be focused on different positions on one optical axis; moving, so as to change a relative distance parallel to said one optical axis between an objective lens for prescribing focal points of the plurality of light beams respectively and the information record surface, the objective lens; receiving a plurality of reflection lights of the plurality of light beams reflected from the information record surface respectively, associated with a change of the relative distance; generating a plurality of focus error signals on the basis of the plurality of received reflection lights respectively; and judging a type of the optical record medium by comparing levels of the generated focus error signals respectively with a predetermined standard level.

Optical record medium judging method and apparatus and focus servo

When reproducing record information from one of a plurality of optical record mediums of various types, which distances from external surfaces thereof to information record surfaces thereof recorded with the record information are different from each other, a focus servo controlling method carries out the focus servo control. The method is provided with the steps of: judging a type of an optical record medium to be reproduced; irradiating an information record surface of the optical record medium with a plurality of light beams to be focused on different positions on one optical axis; moving, so as to change a relative distance parallel to said one optical axis between an objective lens for prescribing focal points of the plurality of light beams respectively and the information record surface, the objective lens; receiving a plurality of reflection lights of the plurality of light beams reflected from the information record surface respectively, associated with a change of the relative distance; generating a plurality of focus error signals on the basis of each of the plurality of received reflection lights. The method is further provided with the step of extracting one of the generated focus error signals, which corresponds to the type of the optical record medium judged by the judging step.

Focus servo controlling method and apparatus

A video image mixing apparatus which can prevent a fluctuation of a mixed video image by a mixed video signal in the case where a playback video signal obtained by playing a recording medium in a special playing mode and a graphics video signal. When a discontinuity of the phase of a color burst signal in the playback video signal obtained by playing the recording medium is detected, the playback video signal and the graphics video signal are delayed by a predetermined time period and the delayed signals are mixed subsequently, thereby keeping the phases of chroma signals of the playback video signal and graphics video signal equal even in a special playing mode such as a still image reproducing mode or the like. In another embodiment, the mixed video signal of the playback video signal and graphics video signal is delayed by a predetermined time and is generated.

Video image mixing apparatus

A video signal recording apparatus digitizes video signals, writes the digital data in a memory and then reads them therefrom before recording the video signals on a recording medium. The orders of access to the addresses in the memory in write and read modes differ from each other with a predetermined relationship. A video signal reproducing apparatus reads recorded video signals from a recording medium, digitizes the video signals, writes the digital data in a memory and then reads them therefrom. The orders of access to the addresses in the memory in write and read modes differ from each other with a predetermined relationship.

Video signal recording/reproducing apparatus where the order of access

An apparatus for mixing a play video signal derived by playing a recording medium with a graphics video signal derived on the basis of data processing. A video selecting signal generated on the basis of image data is delayed, where its delay time is adjustable. By issuing image data for testing, the delay time is manually or automatically adjusted so as to coincide a time at which the video image selecting signal is generated on the basis of the image data for testing with a time at which the image data for testing is converted to a graphics video signal and issued.

Apparatus for mixing play video signal with graphics video signal

A video signal mixing apparatus for mixing a playback composite video signal produced by playing a recording medium and a graphics composite video signal generated on the basis of video data read from a memory device, wherein a vertical synchronizing signal of the playback composite video signal is forcedly generated in response to a vertical synchronizing signal of the graphics composite video signal to make the number of horizontal scanning lines of the playback composite video signal coincident with the number of horizontal scanning lines of the graphics composite video signal.

Apparatus for mixing video signals having different numbers of lines

In a recording medium playing apparatus, information on the medium (which is not reproduced when the medium is operated in a special playback mode) can not be arbitrarily reproduced when the medium is operated in an ordinary playback mode. A mask-clearing signal is stored in a memory at every unit information of reproduced one of all the information, the one being reproduced during the special playback mode in which the medium is operated when a predetermined data is processed. The apparatus judges whether the mask-clearing signal is stored in the memory at every unit information of the medium when the medium is operated in the ordinary playback mode, and unless the mask-clearing signal is stored, the unit information is inhibited from being output. In the ordinary playback mode, all of the information is not reproduced so as to retain the value and meaning of the game's software and become meaningless.

Recording medium apparatus for inhibiting playback of predetermined

A video game apparatus which is designed in such a way that when a game is played to the end and the same game is to be played again, the audio signal channel is switched to a different channel so that an audio signal different from that in the previous game is output.

Video game apparatus

A video mixing apparatus mixes a graphics video image and a playback video image at a plurality of mixture ratios in one image plane. Fade data indicative of the mixing ratio of at least one line of the playback video signal and the graphics video signal is sequentially generated in accordance with a predetermined order. The fade data is held into holding means and is outputted from the holding means synchronously with a horizontal sync signal. The levels of the playback video signal and the graphics video signal are individually adjusted in accordance with the fade data outputted from the holding means and the adjusted signals are added. The playback video signal and the graphics video signal are mixed at the mixing ratio set every line of one image plane. In a video apparatus using the graphics video image and playback video image, various kinds of effective video images can be formed by mixing the graphics video image of every video image such as background, person, characters, or the like and the playback video image.

Video mixing apparatus capable of combining two input signals and

A disc playing apparatus having a tracking servo loop and a focus servo loop is configured such that a transfer function of at least one of the servo loops is adjustable. Disc defect detection signals are generated in response to a change in a low frequency component and a high frequency component of a read signal output from the pickup, and the transfer function of at least one of the tracking servo loop and the focus servo loop is adjusted in response to the disc defect detection signals. According to another feature of the invention, the transfer function of at least one of the tracking servo loop and the focus servo loop is gradually changed each time an erroneous jumping movement of the information reading light spot is detected by information contained in the read signal output by the pickup.

Disc player using a servo loop with a variable transfer function

In the tracking servo system according to the present invention, the noise removal means for removing a high-frequency noise component contained in the tracking error signal is in an operative state in normal playing operation, while the noise removal means is made to be in an inoperative state at least in an opened state of the servo loop.

Tracking servo system

A servo apparatus for an optical disk player which coarsely adjusts the loop gain in advance in an open state of a servo loop, and then closes the servo loop to finely adjust the loop gain. This ensures accurate and sure gain control even if there are differences between reflection factors of the recording surfaces of disks being played or is a stain or the like on an objective lens of the player.

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Tokorozawa, Japan

Noriyoshi Takeya